บท 279: Into the Mists of Kaedwen
In subsequent conversations with Keira and the others, Wayne learned that the sorcerers participating in this bounty weren't limited to the familiar faces of Sabrina, Síle, and Yennefer. More than thirty individuals had already arrived, with even more on their way from across the North.
Beyond just the sorcerers, many participants had also brought their own contingents, including helpers, mercenaries, and even small military units, indicating that the competition would be fierce. Once these sorcerers and their forces had swept through the mists, the monster infestation plaguing Kaedwen would likely see significant relief.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Council had devised a clever scheme: they only needed to offer the title of reserve member as a reward, which would provide them with a new, powerful ally. Whoever devised this plan certainly knew how to achieve multiple goals with minimal resources.
Since Geralt would take a day or two to arrive, and Yennefer and her team weren't aiming for the final prize, Wayne and the others decided not to wait. After completing the necessary preparations, they entered the mists without delay.
Interestingly, these mists from the dark world appeared to be more than a natural phenomenon. They seemed to result from a unique magical transformation brought on by the intrusion of otherworldly magic into the Witcher's realm.
Once inside, Wayne and his companions found their visibility limited. Although their immediate surroundings—within a range of about a hundred meters—remained clear, anything beyond that vanished into thick fog. Only occasional beams of light pierced through, and any objects beyond this range appeared as indistinct shadows.
Margarita, whose expression conveyed both excitement and caution, began explaining the findings of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers:
"According to the Brotherhood's research, when viewed from outside, the mists obscure everything within, even affecting sound. The fog covers about fifty meters above ground level, severely disrupting chaos magic within its bounds. Spells of clairvoyance or communication magic are rendered useless. So, relying on aerial reconnaissance is futile."
"Most long-range spells won't function here either, leaving us to rely solely on manpower for exploration."
Clearly invested in her research, Margarita continued observing the eerie, fog-covered wilderness. Her enthusiasm was tinged with a hint of warning as she turned to Wayne, saying, "And Wayne, you and your fellow Witchers need to stay vigilant in this place."
"According to the information we've gathered, these mists from other realms contain some form of otherworldly power. It seems that the monsters, who have lived in our land for thousands of years, have undergone mutations because of this influence."
"You can no longer rely solely on your prior knowledge to handle these monsters."
"They may have developed new abilities, and even their physical forms might have changed."
Wayne frowned as he heard this, exchanging cautious glances with Letho and the others, heightening their vigilance. It was unexpected to find that monsters in the Witcher's world could be so deeply affected by the dark realm's influence, which would render some of the information traditionally gathered by Witchers inaccurate.
Still, it wasn't a major setback. Both Wayne and Letho, along with their companions, were elite Witchers. Their strength was such that even mutated monsters couldn't pose too much of a threat.
After briefly discussing their strategy, they decided on a formation: a quadrilateral, with three members of the Viper School covering the left, right, and rear. The sorceresses, positioned in the center, would handle support magic, while Wayne took the lead.
In Wayne's view, he was the strongest among them, with a range of skills and resources at his disposal. It made sense for him to stand in the most exposed position.
With no objections from the others, they began advancing toward the location of the last reported town attacked by the undead.
The density of monsters within the mist was far greater than expected.
Barely ten minutes after leaving the outskirts, they encountered their first wave of monsters—a horde of undead numbering in the hundreds. They moved sluggishly, emitting distorted wails, and wielding their weapons in a menacing but uncoordinated manner, closing in from all sides.
By their attire, most were ragged civilians, though there were some soldiers and armed figures among them. Surprisingly, some of the creatures had decayed almost entirely, leaving little more than animated skeletons.
This unsettling sight confirmed that the dark realm's influence had resurrected not only recent dead but even older corpses from graveyards. If the necromantic magic became strong enough to raise even long-buried skeletons, it was clear the undead army would only continue to grow exponentially.
After all, the corpses lying beneath the ground likely outnumbered the living by a substantial margin.
But these were just Wayne's assumptions, unconfirmed speculations. He could only hope that the situation was not as dire as he imagined.
The zombies surrounding them wielded a variety of makeshift weapons, from rusty kitchen knives and hoes to pitchforks. Some even carried mere sticks and stones, looking more like a disorganized mob than a cohesive force.
At the front of the team, Wayne's sharp eyes quickly detected a few agile creatures among the horde. These smaller, evil-looking monsters stood only half the height of the zombies but moved with far more speed. They were thin, with horns protruding from their heads, hideous faces, and dark red skin. Their bodies were adorned with makeshift armor of scrap metal and bone ornaments.
Wayne's memory of the creatures from the game immediately clicked—they resembled zombies and "fallen demons," two classic types of monsters. The former were slow but tough, while the latter were nimble and sneaky, like pesky thieves.
Without hesitation, Wayne called to Keira and the others, "Monsters spotted, battle formations!"
He charged forward, drawing the sword from his space bracelet and leading the attack.
Moving with blinding speed, Wayne reached the horde within seconds. He swung his massive sword in a wide arc, cleaving through a zombie at the front and splitting it in two. However, he immediately noticed something strange.
These zombies felt unusually solid, as if they had been frozen or preserved in some way. Their flesh had a toughness unlike anything in ordinary corpses; cutting through them felt more like hacking at dense wood.
While Wayne had the strength to easily chop through these hardened bodies, he realized this toughness would be an additional challenge for the other Witchers and any regular mercenaries in their group.
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