Demon Hunter: School of the Wolf.

Chapter 612 Only I can be that person!
Erin gripped the smooth rock face with two fingers and looked down one last time.
Dust particles drifted haphazardly in the air, forming a clear path of light as sunlight filtered through the gaps.

Vigfortz stepped onto the metal staff stuck in the rock crevice beneath him, and the future wizard who could break Geralt's legs with just his staff skills was beginning to emerge.

Floating on the dark well water was someone's charred arm and half a leg with exposed bone.

"Whoo~"

Erin looked away, took a deep breath, and inhaled a mouthful of the acrid smell mixed with moisture.

He gripped the crevice in the rock with his left hand, while his right forearm braced against the boulder obscuring the well opening, slowly exerting force upwards.

"Crack~ Crack~"

The stones rubbed against the wellhead, producing a dull sound.

As the sunlight streaming into the well grew brighter, the crackling of burning wood, shouts of battle, and screams of agony became increasingly clear.

Erin tensed his muscles as he carefully peered out through a small opening in the well.

My heart pounded heavily and nervously, like thunder hidden deep in the dark clouds on a rainy summer day.

A blackened chimney stood amidst the charred ruins, flames slowly licking the leaning beams. A woman lay motionless in a pool of blood, her pale yellow dress blooming like a beautiful yet cruel flower in the crimson water…

His gaze paused for a moment, then slowly moved upwards.

Just as the prophecy foretold, the entire city of Ban Ade was transformed into a massive ritual array, far exceeding the scale of the necromancy of the Withered Woods.

Several crimson pillars of light stood far away around the city, rising, converging, bending, and connecting in mid-air to a white-haired old man riding a flying monster that resembled a dragon but wasn't quite, holding a blood-red dragon spear...

At this moment, Ottoran was like a dragon-slaying warrior from an epic myth, brandishing a scarlet lance in the sky.

And opposite him...

The Witcher took another deep breath and glanced out of the corner of his eye.

And it was at that very moment...

The skull sockets flickered with crimson ghostly fire, and the Wild Hunt, named Renatkins, seemed to sense something and lowered its head.

The Witcher held his breath instantly.

My heart was pounding so loudly it felt like the whole world was pounding too.

then……

Wild Hunt's gaze swept over the upper city area where the ancient well was located for a short while before Ottoran charged in with his lance, forcing Wild Hunt to look away and fight cautiously.

"It really works..." Erin quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Regardless of how the Wild Hunt found him, since they were in the Withered Woods, attracted by the commotion of the alien fusion, and spent a lot of time searching, they still couldn't find him hiding in the top of an unnamed pine tree using "Night" and "Mirage Pearl." Instead, they were drawn into the hatred of Ban Ade's sorcerer.

There's no reason why the same strategy would fail with Ban Ade, who has more male wizards and is stronger.

So it's confirmed...

Wild Hunt could indeed sense his location, but not precisely, and it seemed that he still needed to use his eyes to discern it.

Or, more accurate sensing may require more time.

Just like in the Withered Woods, the Wild Hunt eventually found him anyway.

However, due to the initiative of the wizard Ben Ade, they mistakenly believed that he was in cahoots with the wizard.

The intense battle ended when they lost track of him. When Ottolan and Sunny arrived with their main force, they realized that he was no longer in the Withered Woods, so they suddenly stopped fighting and left.

Then, following the sensations, they arrived at Ban Ade.

This is Erin's guess.

Moreover, the Wild Hunt's speed in the sky and teleportation far exceeds his speed on the ground.

Therefore, the farther away he is from the Wild Hunt, the weaker this connection becomes.

That's why nearly three months had passed before they were unable to find Kaer Morhen by following their senses.

but……

Even if that's the case, even if they manage to escape this time, as long as the Wild Hunt still roams the skies above Cordwin, they will inevitably find him one day, perhaps even the Ancient Sea Fortress...

Erin pondered for a moment, then carefully and slowly moved the stones away from the well opening.

Then, carrying Hen Gedimidis on his back, he leaped out and landed lightly on the dark red, damp stone bricks in the pool of blood.

The sunrise on the horizon still retained its golden-red afterglow, but beneath the azure sky, thick smoke billowed everywhere, and corpses littered the ground, resembling a scene from hell on earth.

Erin silently looked around.

Wigford's statement is not entirely accurate. While the well is indeed located in the Upper Town, its precise location is not in the heart of the Upper Town, but rather at the intersection of the Handicraft District, the Lower Town, and the Upper Town, as well as the new town of Ben Ard.

Looking out from the location of the ancient well, although the Upper Town, Lower Town, and Handicraft District have all suffered damage, thick smoke is rising.

However, in terms of the extent of damage, the Shangcheng District is much more intact than the Handicraft District in areas a little further away.

The lower city area is almost unrecognizable as a city; it's a complete wasteland.

This is quite normal.

The Upper City is not only home to wealthy merchants and nobles, but also to the relatives and businesses of Ban Ade and the Risberg Civil Cooperative. Of course, it must be protected if possible. Moreover, the buildings in the Upper City were pre-planned to have small magical barriers in place for protection.

The lower city was filled with refugees who had wandered during the war, while the handicraft district was made up of skilled workers such as blacksmiths, tailors, and weavers selected from among the refugees.

Differential treatment is a matter of course.

What's unusual is that the wizards of Ban Ade and the Risberg Civil Cooperative still have the capacity to control the intensity of the war.

In the war between the sorcerer and the Wild Hunt, the sorcerer had an advantage than he had imagined.

"Step~"

Vigfortz, who had also used illusions to disguise himself, followed closely behind and leaped out of the well.

"over there……"

After jumping out, Wiggoffts stealthily made his way along the dilapidated streets toward Lydia's gallery in the upper town.

Along the way, the two encountered two groups of guards who were patrolling and searching, but they managed to evade them each by their own means.

Even so, Erin's expression grew increasingly solemn as he hid beneath the "Night."

The guards carried tools to detect magical fluctuations, and in order to conceal their presence as they passed by, they had to remove the illusions they wore.

Each time the illusion was removed, the moment the shield was gone, it felt as if a thousand needles were pressing against the back of my neck, sending out frantic warnings.

The battlefield in the sky where the Wild Hunt and Altoran clashed would also rapidly approach their location...

"Boom!"

The explosion, which was almost right next to my ear, caused dust to fall from the ceiling above.

"Damn it!"

After evading the guards' patrol once again, the Witcher quickly activated the Mirage Beads, spreading illusions around himself while cursing inwardly.

The Wild Hunt's perception of him is becoming more and more accurate!
If it weren't for Ottoland entangled with the sorcerers of the Risberg Civil Cooperative, and even if there weren't so many buildings in the Upper Town to provide cover...

He will be discovered sooner or later. "What should we do?"

The Witcher followed the Wild Hunt, stealthily moving forward while frantically thinking through his thoughts.

"Here we are!"

Vigfortz's voice interrupted the Witcher's thoughts.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at a shop called "Old Tom's Grocery Store" at the street corner, which sold magical materials. They hid in an alley between the grocery store and a house.

Lydia Gallery – “Sayra’s Courtyard” is just across the street.

Lydia's gallery is intact, with no signs of damage.

However, after observing for a while, Wigfordts did not take Erin with him and went straight over. Instead, he closed his eyes, stretched out his index finger, and gently shook it a few times in mid-air.

A dark purple dot of light spilled from her fingertip, skimming the shadows on the ground, and drifted toward Lydia Gallery.

Almost at the same moment the light pierced through the crack of the carved floral patterned yew wood door, the door opened.

Lydia van Bradwater peeked out cautiously.
-
The moment the gallery's wooden door closed, a white shadow flashed before Erin's eyes. Lydia van Bradwater rushed toward Wigfordtz and gave the young demonic source a fierce hug.

“When Vigo, Sunny, and Ottolan came back, I thought… I thought…”

The sorceress's fair face showed a mixture of fear and joy at having something lost and then regained.

She rubbed herself vigorously in Wigford's dirty black robe, which immediately became soaked.

“I’m fine, I’m fine…” Vigfortz paused for a moment, smiled apologetically at Erin, and gently patted the sorceress on the back.

Erin looked at this scene in a daze.

Once upon a time, when he returned from danger, there was also a... well... a few women who were so anxious and worried, and then gave him an unexpected hug.

After the High Mountain Trial, it was Vera; when they escaped Viscount Hudson's abandoned mines, it was Francesca Fantaby; during the Floating Harbor Hunt, it was Mary who healed his wounds; and then there was May Day...

For some reason, as he thought about it, he began to miss the Ancient Sea Fortress, even though he had only left there recently...

"Alright, Lydia, Erin is still here..."

Before Erin could urge him, Wigfordts gently pushed Lydia van Bradwater away, supporting her by the shoulder, and said seriously:

“Lydia, our identities have already been exposed to Sunny. Your gallery may be little known, but it can’t withstand investigation.”

"We don't have much time left..."

Lydia van Bradwater, who was pushed away, had a barely perceptible darkening in her eyes.

However, she quickly composed herself, wiped her wet eyes, smiled apologetically at Erin, and said:
"After Ottoland and Sunny returned with their men, I looked for an opportunity to observe them again..."

"Fortunately, after they returned, they didn't go straight back to the academy. Instead, they sealed off the entire Ban-Ade New City and then placed people at the academy gate, seemingly searching for something?"

"They sealed off the city and sent people to search for them as soon as they returned. Was this before the Wild Hunt appeared?" Wigford frowned upon hearing this and glanced at Erin.

Lydia van Bradford nodded: "It was before the Wild Hunt appeared, and they were very surprised by its appearance."

“They must be looking for me,” Erin readily admitted. “I came back from the depths of the Blue Mountains, from the battlefield where the Free Elves fought Ban Ade. I was there when the Wild Hunt appeared and Ottoran and Sunny came to support them.”

Upon hearing this, Lydia van Bradwater and Wigford exchanged incredulous glances.

Sunny and Ottoland are back.

With such a large and diverse group of people, it's inevitable that some rumors, whether true or false, will circulate.

So Lydia van Bradwater knew that, due to some "accidents," Ban Ad not only failed to wipe out the "Free Spirits" and let the Mountain People escape, but also attracted the Wild Hunt due to some "factors," resulting in heavy losses.

But she never imagined that the "accident" and "factor" would be related to a witcher.

even……

Lydia van Bradwater observed the Witcher whom Vigfortz called the "Son of Miracles," and for a moment, she felt that the "Free Spirit" was saved by him, the Wild Hunt was summoned, and Ben Ade suffered heavy losses because of him.

but……

A witcher caused heavy losses to Ben Ade and the Risberg Civil Cooperative...

is it possible?

“But that shouldn’t matter now,” Erin continued. “Ms. Lydia, have you found a safe route out of the blockade imposed by the Ban Ad and the Risberg Civil Cooperative?”

“Vigorfords told me not long ago that the southern wall of the city was not yet completed…”

"Ms. Lydia?"

Lydia van Bradwater snapped out of her horrifying thoughts after Erin called her name again.

She glanced at Wigford again, but Wigford didn't lose his composure like she did, as if he had expected it.

"Feel sorry."

Lydia van Bradwater smoothed a strand of hair from her forehead, apologized, and then led Erin and Wigfordts into the gallery.

“The south wall probably won’t work…” she whispered. “After Sunny and Ottoran sent men to blockade Ban Ade, I’ve been gathering information on the whereabouts of the warlocks and guards…”

Lydia van Bradwater stopped in front of a painting in the middle of the gallery.

This is an oil painting, depicting an aerial view of a ruined city.

As Lydia van Bradwater summoned a yewwood staff, she gently swung it.

Many red dots immediately appeared on the overhead view, moving through the streets and alleys of the oil painting.

“The south wall is the most heavily guarded,” she said, tapping the edge of the ruined city with the tip of her cane, where red dots clustered together. “But it’s difficult to get through either side of the wall.”

"Ottolan didn't even send the wizards from Risberg to fight the Wild Hunt with him, but instead scattered them among the wizards and guards patrolling the city."

"Even if some of the male sorcerers and guards on the patrol routes are not difficult to deal with, once one of them is alerted, there will be no chance at all..."

Erin and Wigofferts stared in silence at the dense red dots along the edges of the painting.

Ban Adler, who has achieved something in magic, and the sorcerers of the Risberg Civil Cooperative are among the most intelligent people in the Witcher world. How could they not have thought of the loopholes that Wiggoffetz could think of?

No wonder leaving the ancient well was so "easy" just now; it turns out the sorcerer and guards were all gathered by the city wall...

So what to do now?
The candlelight burned weakly on the woven rattan candlesticks, and the long gallery fell into a deathly silence of despair.

I do not know how long it has been.

"We need someone..."

Lydia van Bradwater suddenly broke the silence: "We need someone to draw the guards' attention away from the others..."

She paused, glanced longingly at Wigfordts, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "I can help you lure them away..."

"I'll be that person..."

After interrupting Lydia van Bradwater, Erin smiled knowingly at the stunned Lydia and Vigfortz:

"That person can only be me..."

(End of this chapter)