abnabooks Chapter 20 Dream Trial
Chapter 20 Dream Trial
"laugh!"
A stream of murky blood shot out from the water ghost's neck, and its hideous head fell to the ground.
Slay the Water Demon to obtain 25% Water Demon Mutant.
Alwin lowered his cat-like eyes and heard a constant hissing sound coming from the silver sword.
That was the suppressive effect of the ghoul-eating creature's sword oil on the water ghost.
He clenched his fists, pondering to himself.
"That's not all. I can feel my strength and stamina being enhanced, and there's more than just the [Cat] potion in my mouth."
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
The sound of rushing water could be heard.
His gaze swept over it.
A dark blue figure emerged again from the river before them.
One, three, seven...
Grip the sword hilt with both hands and adjust your breathing.
These are all mutants and experiences; there's nothing else to say.
"bring it on!"
……
On a stone wall above the White Stone River, two figures stood side by side.
Beneath his white hood, Veris surveyed the White Stone River below.
On both sides of the river, Vesemir divided it into six districts.
In each area, a Witcher apprentice is fighting a water ghost.
"I never expected that you would invite me to observe the trials of your Witcher apprentices."
"Fighting water ghosts? Ha, what's the name of this trial yet?"
Vesemir's voice was deep, "Dream Trial."
"Dream Trial? That doesn't seem to match the name at all."
Veris looked at Vesemir, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Vesemir's gaze remained fixed on the apprentice, his cat-like eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of pity flashing across them.
"Ms. Veris, the Dream Trials aren't just about killing monsters at night. Before they came here, they drank many potions, including [Cat], [Tawny Owl], and..."
Veris picked up where he left off.
"And hallucinogens, right? These apprentices are not in a good state. If they had simply woken up from their coma, they would not have had such a hard time dealing with these water ghosts with the help of the silver sword and the potion."
"These poor children, you are disregarding life, you are committing a crime!"
Vesemir did not argue.
"That's right, hallucination is the origin of the name of this [Dream Trial]. They will first dream about their most fearful things in the dream, and after waking up, they will face these monsters until the sun rises again."
"Only under such extreme pressure can they be guaranteed not to lose their minds when facing monsters like high-ranking vampires and stag-headed demons in the future."
Veris replied coldly, "That's cruel."
Vesemir was silent for a moment: "This is the path one must take to become a Witcher; it is their destiny."
"However... there was one person who exceeded my expectations; the hallucinogens didn't seem to have any effect on him."
Veris raised his head slightly. "You mean Alwin? His mental strength is naturally stronger than that of ordinary people, so hallucinogens are unlikely to have any effect on him."
"Mental strength?"
Vesemir's expression flashed with surprise.
"Have I disappointed you, Vesemir? Your terrifying trial has had no effect."
"We're just following dogma."
Veris wanted to say something sarcastic, but the two of them quickly turned their gazes to the path leading down the mountain beside them.
There was a commotion coming from there.
A tall figure slowly emerged from the black thorn bushes.
He had milky white hair and carried a thin figure on his shoulder.
Vesemir unconsciously clenched his fists.
Veris used his mental power to identify the person on Geralt's shoulder.
Blade, the Witcher Apprentice.
Geralt gently leaned him against the stone wall.
He first nodded to Veris before coming to Vesemir's side.
"He killed three water ghosts, but he used too much force in his right arm, which reopened the wound. In addition, he was too frightened by the dream and has already fainted. He is fine."
Vesemir nodded, indicating that he understood.
Veris looked away.
Just now, she saw through Vesemir's anxiety and unease.
People say that witchers are cold-blooded, ruthless, and cruel.
But during her time with Kael'thas, she discovered that this statement was clearly a generalization, since witchers should be categorized according to faction.
According to her understanding, since the Witcher Order disbanded, the Witchers have split into many factions, including the Wolf Faction, the Griffin Faction, the Cat Faction, the Snake Faction, the Bear Faction, and the Manticore Faction.
The sheer number of factions demonstrates their internal ideological differences, with their doctrines varying drastically across the various factions.
Some fled to the desert, while others became slaves to the regime and money.
Currently, the only school that maintains a neutral stance and focuses solely on hunting and harming monsters that prey on humans is probably the Wolf School.
Oh, and the Griffin School, which is known for its chivalrous spirit, has disappeared for a long time.
Even their castle was swallowed up by the snow-capped mountains of Kowell in 1140.
If you do the math, it's been almost ninety years since then.
Veris sighed with considerable emotion.
This is also one of the reasons why she chose to come to the Wolf School after the prophecy in her dream.
After confirming that Brad was unharmed, Vesemir turned his gaze back to the apprentice who was still fighting.
As the patriarch of a demon hunter family, he has to put in a great deal of effort to train each apprentice.
Especially those apprentices who successfully navigate the "Choice" and "Trial of the Grass".
In Vesemir's heart, they were only one step away from becoming true witchers.
The Dream Trial and the subsequent Mountain Trial are far less dangerous than the previous two trials.
Apprentices can greatly improve their pass rate through rigorous training.
Every single death counts.
"laugh!"
Alwin dodged the water ghost's attack, raised his twin swords high, and slashed diagonally with force.
As the silver light fell, the water ghost collapsed to the ground.
Slay the Water Demon to obtain 25% Water Demon Mutant.
[Witcher Apprentice Swordsmanship Experience +1!]
Alwin kicked the fallen corpse away with his boot, his movements becoming increasingly practiced.
In the panel, the acquisition rate of the Water Ghost Mutant has reached 300%.
"Besides the five we killed before, we've killed seven more now."
Alwin's body did not relax in the slightest; instead, his gray cat eyes became even more vigilant.
I sniffed; the damp air was filled with the thick, pungent smell of blood.
Moonlight spilled onto the river, reflecting a shimmering silver glow.
The water began to stir, rippling in circles, and blue heads with fins emerged from them, casting ferocious and bloodthirsty gazes.
Alwin took a small step back, but there was no cover behind him except for the cliff; he had nowhere to hide.
On the cliff face, Vesemir frowned and whispered.
Something's not right...
Geralt reached for his sword hilt with his right hand. "What's wrong?"
Vesemir said, "The location of Arwen is too crowded with water ghosts; it's beyond the scope of the trial."
Veris lowered his eyes, his mental energy covering the area, and his pupils trembled.
"Oh no, a powerful monster is approaching him."