Chapter 293: 294. Who Am I?
Italiano?
The name of this one-eyed serpent giant was quite peculiar. Hearing the call behind him, Allen didn't stop, briefly distracted by random thoughts, as he hurriedly jogged out of the tent without looking back.
If this was most likely a cutscene for a treasure chest, then time was tight.
After just finishing praising some "Shagadazar," the waiting time for the one-eyed serpent giant to drag him out for "lessons" was way too long.
Based on past experiences, there probably weren't many seconds left before this cutscene would end. He didn't even have enough time to cover the distance to see how the one-eyed serpent giants were enlightening the younglings on the way of the beast's roar.
There was no time to turn back to figure out who this Italiano among the one-eyed serpent giants was.
Did he deserve it?
Therefore...
"Thump, thump, thump~"
The witcher's steps grew quicker.
In the blink of an eye.
He was only a few steps away from the sunlight streaming from under the tent.
But just at that moment.
"Italiano, why are you running? Get back here!" an old voice called urgently behind him.
The witcher froze, sensing something was off.
"That voice seemed to be calling for me…"
But the tent entrance was right in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he took two more steps, almost lifting the animal-skin tent door.
"ITALIANO!!!"
A sudden angry shout came from nearby.
The next moment.
The witcher felt a tight grip on the back of his neck, lifting him into the air.
A gigantic single eye appeared right in front of him. It occupied nearly two-thirds of the witcher's field of vision. Allen's gaze instinctively shifted downward. It was a very imposing one-eyed serpent giant, with a thick, goat-like black beard covering his chin.
A fresh pink scar across his face made him look even more ferocious and menacing.
At this moment.
He was staring angrily at the witcher: "The high priest was calling you—did you not hear, you brat?"
"On such an important day, can't you just behave?"
So Italiano really was me…
Allen thought.
He had his suspicions on the second shout.
After all, at that moment inside the animal-skin tent, he seemed to be the only one running around. He glanced at the thick, heavy tent door right in front of his face and felt the tight grip on the back of his neck. With a sigh in his heart, he was a bit dazed.
Damn!
This really wasn't a cutscene!
Then, what was this place?
In the blink of an eye, how had he ended up here?
"…"
The one-eyed giant continued to shout.
But to avoid saying anything he shouldn't, the witcher stayed silent, pretending to play dead, hoping to get away unnoticed.
Unexpectedly, after the one-eyed serpent giant yelled a few more words, he actually lifted his right arm and opened the heavy tent door.
A blinding light instantly shot in from outside.
At the same time.
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
-----------------------
A series of wild roars echoed from all directions.
When the witcher finally adjusted to the blinding light, his piercing blue cat-like eyes immediately narrowed into a vertical slit.
At the foot of the towering snow-capped mountains. The vast green field was filled with enormous cages made from thick wood, with roughly two or three hundred of them scattered across.
Inside, massive beasts with shiny silver fur, resembling the snow monsters from tales in his previous life, roared furiously. These beasts were twice the height of an average adult serpent giant. And they exuded a powerful aura.
With just a slight sense of their presence, the witcher could tell that even a Drowner King would stand no chance against these creatures.
He now understood why each youngling needed the company of three or four adult one-eyed serpent giants.
In the distance, as soon as one of the cages was opened, three one-eyed serpent giants rushed forward, skillfully subduing the "snow monster" and pinning it to the ground, unable to move. Then, one of the one-eyed serpent giants let out a roar.
Immediately, the "snow monster's" eyes turned red.
"Roar!"
Amidst its furious roar, the adult serpent giant gestured with its hands, and the younglings, eager and excited, began wielding their daggers, dissecting it alive.
Bright red blood sprayed, staining the bodies of the younglings and the surrounding one-eyed serpent giants alike.
It was brutal and savage.
And it wasn't just this one; amidst cries and roars, hundreds of snow monsters were being slaughtered at the same time.
A primal, wild atmosphere filled the air, making Allen inhale sharply.
"Done watching?"
A cold voice suddenly came from behind him.
The witcher, snapping out of the grand, untamed sight, remembered his own precarious situation.
"Did you enjoy the view?"
Allen didn't even have time to respond.
"BAM!"
A loud thud.
The witcher's backside was hit hard.
"Ahhh—"
It had been years since he'd experienced anything like this, and after a moment of shock, he couldn't help but scream in pain.
Damn!
This was definitely not a cutscene!!!
No cutscene could hurt a witcher like him, whose attributes were well over 50, this much.
Without a doubt, that hit involved magic or some kind of special skill. He felt as though his backside was splitting open; the Trial of Grasses pain was about on this level. The witcher thought that if he was struck again, he might faint.
Even worse…
Allen tried to struggle, but his body, held tightly, felt as though it was locked in steel, unable to budge. This one-eyed serpent giant was incredibly strong—very strong!
Luckily.
"That's enough, Itali," the old voice called, stopping the one-eyed serpent giant called Itali. "It's normal for kids to be playful; now bring him over, don't waste time."
"Yes, high priest," Itali replied and finally released Allen.
He watched the witcher, who was wobbling and struggling to stay upright, and muttered softly: "Don't pretend. With the high priest here, I wasn't even using any strength."
"I wasn't pretending at all!" Allen shouted inwardly upon hearing this.
But to avoid drawing more suspicion, he bit back the pain, standing up and pretending everything was fine, following in Itali's steps.
However.
Not having to endure a second hit was a relief.
At the same time.
He pondered…
Itali… Italiano… These two names sounded quite similar…
"Could it be that the image he projected to the one-eyed serpent giants was that of a child of this particularly powerful serpent giant before him?" Allen speculated to himself. "And who exactly is Italiano? Could he be the identity of the ghostly one-eyed serpent monster I killed before?"
"Also…"
"If 'I' am here for lessons with the younglings, why am I not allowed outside?"
"Where exactly are they taking me?"
Countless questions rose and fell in his mind.
"Thump, thump, thump~"
The elderly one-eyed serpent giant, referred to as the high priest, led the way, with Itali following behind. The witcher had to hurry to keep up with them.
Before long.
The three reached another exit of the enormous animal tent, though this exit did not lead to the lush green outdoors under the sun, but to a cave.
A very large cave.
But before he could examine it closely, his eyes were immediately drawn to the center of the cave.
Under the flickering light of the torches on either side.
A radiant gold mound in a gigantic cage shimmered, emitting a soft golden glow As they got closer, the witcher finally realized. This wasn't some breathing gold mound; it was clearly a massive beast covered in golden fur. Its fur color was dazzlingly golden, and its body was enormous, towering like a small mountain.
Thick limbs, broad shoulders…
Upon closer look, it resembled the "Yeti" outside the tent.
"Go stand beside the King of Kanu. If you misbehave again, beware for your soft scales afterward!"
Itali gave the witcher a gentle push, guiding him to stand at the feet of the massive beast. The overwhelming pressure immediately became even more palpable. This aura was no less intense than the dragon head at the door of the Wolf School's council chamber and was even more massive in volume.
The intense sense of danger made him instinctively want to escape.
"This King of Kanu is not a monster I can handle!" Allen immediately became aware of his limitations.
Yet he managed to suppress his overwhelming fear and stood firm. It wasn't fear of Itali's warning about his "soft scales"…
But because he saw immense potential benefits in this.
He didn't need to think deeply about it.
The beast roar enlightenment from this King of Kanu surely set it apart from the "Yeti" creatures outside, which might also be referred to as Kanu.
But in this place, whether real or illusion, could he truly gain something from it?
"Good! Stay just like that!" The high priest opened the cage and glanced at the witcher, who was trying to remain calm, praising him, "Itali's hunt for this King of Kanu wasn't easy. After getting separated from his kin, he drank snow for a month in the towering mountains and survived on frozen jerky..."
"And nearly didn't make it back..."
Allen instinctively glanced at the large scar on Itali's face.
It was clear.
Regardless of the strength of the one-eyed serpent giant, the head carrying the brain is always a vulnerable spot.
That scar was incredibly perilous.
Noticing Allen's gaze, Itali seemed a bit uncomfortable, turning his head slightly to avoid showing the scar, then stepped into the cage and snorted coldly, saying stubbornly: "The King of Kanu wasn't that difficult to handle. If it hadn't ambushed me from the snow, I could have captured it alive with one hand..."
At that moment.
Itali seemed to remember something.
After a brief pause, he looked at Allen again, warning him fiercely: "Don't imitate me!"
"After being separated from your hunting group, you are not allowed to hunt alone!"
"Otherwise, I'll break your legs!"
"Understood?"
Allen, facing a fierce one-eyed stare, was taken aback. He hadn't expected that, as an orphan for two lifetimes, the first time he felt fatherly care would be from a one-eyed monster. Although the fatherly concern wasn't truly directed at him.
Oddly, his nerves, tightened due to the current danger, relaxed a bit.
"I understand," Allen said, uttering his first words since arriving in this "world."
Itali was momentarily stunned by his response.
"Hahaha!" The high priest laughed heartily, "Good to see you understand… Good!"
"Is this what you call understanding?" The witcher was baffled, "How mischievous was Italiano before?"
"Hmph!" Itali, snapping out of his thoughts because of the high priest's words, snorted unintentionally. But the snort barely made it halfway out his nose before it stopped.
He looked at Allen somewhat uncomfortably: "Remember what I taught you yesterday; otherwise... otherwise... just watch yourself..."
'Taught me something?'
The witcher was puzzled by this.
'Taught me what?'
But before he could raise his head to ask, Itali had already bowed and turned to the high priest, respectfully saying: "Please proceed, High Priest."
The high priest narrowed his single eye, smiled, and opened his mouth: "Ha!"
With that faint shout.
The golden-furred beast called the King of Kanu instantly awoke from its slumber. In just a moment, its brilliant golden fur turned a blood-red hue.
"Roar!"
A thunderous roar shook the entire cave.
The immense pressure, now resembling the towering Blue Mountain Range, crashed down on the witcher.
Making it difficult to breathe.
"Hold on!" Itali shouted at the witcher, "Do as I taught you yesterday!"
Damn!
How should I know what you taught Italiano yesterday?
But even if he wanted to ask, there was no chance for that under these circumstances.
The witcher's forehead veins bulged like wriggling worms as he clenched his teeth, unable even to open his mouth. All he could do was watch as Itali, with a furious shout and glowing red, leapt up to the level of the beast's head.
Next.
He swung a fist that, compared to the gigantic King of Kanu, seemed like a child throwing a punch at a full-grown elephant.
Yet.
Despite the apparent disparity, his punch unleashed a series of explosive booms in the air.
Just before striking the beast's head, a tenfold magnified blood-red fist appeared.
Seeing this, the witcher's eyes widened in disbelief.
The next instant.
The blood-red giant fist landed on the King of Kanu's head.
With a thunderous "boom."
The just-awakened King of Kanu's face rippled like water.
A mix of blood-tinged drool spewed from its sharp teeth. The massive King of Kanu collapsed onto the ground. Its ferocious beastly face, towering a full head above Allen, crashed down just two steps from him.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled violently.
"Now, Italiano, quick!" Both Itali and the high priest urged anxiously.
The witcher was at a complete loss.
Quick about what?
What should I do?
He sensed something was about to go wrong.
"Wait!"
The witcher suddenly remembered what the young serpent giants outside the tent had done.
In a flash of inspiration, he was about to pull out Elsa to dissect the King of Kanu and fake his way through. But when he reached for it, his hand grasped at thin air.
It wasn't that Allen missed his sword; at this moment, he had suddenly lost control of his body, as if frozen in place.
Meanwhile.
The King of Kanu's eyelids twitched, as if it was about to wake up from its unconscious state.
The oppressive aura filled the air.
"What do I do?"
Although he had never faced mortal danger in a trial before, at this moment, he genuinely felt his life hanging by a thread.
"Hmm~"
A soft sigh echoed in his mind.
Allen paused.
Then he saw his own hands, as if submerged in some fluid, reach into the King of Kanu's forehead.
"Praise Shagadazar, the god of roars, hunts, and taming…"
He chanted in a strange, youthful yet ancient voice, layered with nostalgia.
"Roar—"
The King of Kanu's beastly eyes widened in terror.
In the next moment.
Scalding heat like molten lava surged from Allen's palms, flooding into his body like a raging river. His consciousness teetered on the brink of collapse.
Just before he lost consciousness. He saw his own reflection in the beast's eyes.
A one-eyed serpent giant gazing at him with pity. He watched as the serpent giant looked up at Itali and the high priest. With sorrow, grief, and remorse.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Then…
Everything went black.
He lost consciousness.
...........
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295. Time to Go Home.
296. Surprise.
297. The Cambridge Ceremony.
298. Kaer Morhen Is Missing?
299. The Heavily Guarded Kaer Morhen.
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