I'm not a Witcher anymore.

In Velen, mothers don't need to make up ghost stories to scare their children.

As long as that name is uttered, even the most unruly child will shut up.

Before venturing into the deep forest, hunters would place offerings at the base of trees; the more timid ones wouldn't even dare to hear the strange whispers.

No one can say for sure what Lady of the Woods really is.

But most Velen people believe that they are neither gods nor demons.

They are Velen itself.

As ancient as the silt at the bottom of a swamp, as deep as twisted tree roots.

Dynasties changed, and the king died.

But whoever claims sovereignty over this land is ultimately just a fleeting visitor.

Only Mrs. Lin remained here.

They witness everything, and they remember everything.

In Velen, every word you utter may reach them through ears hanging in the trees; every drop of blood you shed may become a medium for their divination.

They do respond to prayers.

It grants a bountiful harvest to the desperate, health to the sick, and a seemingly viable path to survival to those who have nowhere else to turn.

But the people of Velen all know one ironclad rule:

Never, ever make a deal with Lady of the Woods.

Because they are the most cunning and cruelest moneylenders in the world.

If you borrow even a little light from them, they will skin you alive.

They will give you what you want, and even more; but the bill is often beyond what people can afford.

In Velen, nothing is more terrifying than "wish fulfillment".

Anna lowered her head, not daring to look into her daughter's eyes.

She just wanted to leave the crow's den.

She left that home, where the nights were filled only with the smell of alcohol, silence, and arguments; she left that increasingly unfamiliar husband.

Philip wasn't always like this.

After returning from the battlefield, he rarely put down his wine glass, and his temper worsened.

Often, he would sit at the table drinking one glass after another. When Anna spoke to him, he would only give a vague reply, or simply act as if he hadn't heard her at all.

As time goes by, the last things that remain between husband and wife are gradually worn away.

There was no warmth, no hope, and no reason for her to continue enduring it.

Then Evan appeared.

He still remembers what she looked like when she was young, and he is willing to listen to her talk.

He promised her that he would take her away from the crow's den and give her a home where she wouldn't have to live with the smell of alcohol and cold faces anymore.

Anna was tempted.

But she also knew that escaping the crow's nest wouldn't be easy.

Although Philip was often away, the castle was full of his men, and she couldn't find a suitable opportunity.

Just when she was about to despair, someone told her that she could seek help from the Lady of the Woods.

She hesitated for a long time, but finally went.

At that time, she thought that she could bear any price as long as she could gain freedom.

But now, looking at Tamara's terrified eyes, she began to regret it for the first time.

Zig looked at the mother and daughter, about to say something.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

His head was tilted to one side, as if he were listening to something.

Something is rapidly approaching in the distance.

Heavy footsteps echoed, accompanied by low breathing and a strong stench of decay.

"You stay here and don't go out."

He didn't give anyone time to ask further questions, turned around, opened the door, and rushed out in a few strides.

Dandelion was still outside when he heard the door being suddenly pushed open, which startled him.

"What happened? Don't tell me it's that man-eating thing again."

"Take our horses to the back of the house, don't let them run around."

Wind step!

An invisible current of air converged along the sides of his legs, and with a stomp of his foot, Zig felt as light as if he were being lifted by the wind, leaping onto the roof in the blink of an eye.

Immediately, a soft sound came from beside him.

Without turning around, Sieg knew that it was Sakia who had followed.

Zig lay on the roof, took out "Order of the Cat" from his pouch, uncorked it, and drank it down.

The originally dark night became clear in his eyes, and every tree, every blade of grass, and every stone was clearly visible, as bright as day.

He looked into the distance.

A huge creature was approaching from the sparse woodland in front of the farmhouse.

It was a monster even larger than a brown bear, with thick black mane covering its neck and back, and a pair of huge, twisted antlers on its head, like a withered crown of thorns.

Its forelimbs are thick and long, with claws that dig deep into the mud. With each step it takes, a patch of wet soil is stirred up.

What's most unsettling is the eerie third eye right in the center of its forehead.

The strange eye gleamed with a cold light in the night, staring intently in the direction of the hut.

Without a doubt, this monster was driven by the old witch.

As Sieg watched the approaching Fentonian monster, he already knew the answer.

The mark the old witch left on Anna's hand was not just a record of the transaction, but also a means of tracking.

As long as Anna remains in Velen, the old witch can sense her location, just as a hunter tracks the scent of his prey.

Previously, the old witch helped Anna escape from the crow's nest by creating a fog to cover their departure.

Now it's time to demand payment.

"A monster is coming. Sakia, you and Zoltan go and help Dandelion watch over the horses and the people in the house."

"And what about you?"

"I went to lead it away from the hut to prevent it from crashing into the house and the herd of horses."

"I'll go with you."

"No, what if there's a second one? That's a Fentonian monster; Zoltan can't stop it."

Sakia looked at his profile.

She wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't speak, only nodding slightly.

Zig jumped off the roof and headed straight for the three horses tied up outside.

He randomly chose a horse, untied the reins from the wooden stake, and mounted it.

Zig lowered his body, tightened the reins, and rode the horse into the open space in front of the farmhouse.

The horse was clearly startled; its ears were pressed back, and hot air was constantly billowing from its nostrils.

Instead of letting it charge towards the Fentonian monster, Zig turned the horse around and galloped towards the side and front of the farmhouse, trying to divert the monster's attention away from the farmhouse.

He took the yew wood longbow off his back.

With his knees gripping the horse's flanks, Zieg held a bow in his left hand and drew a heavy, armor-piercing arrow from his quiver with his right.

The arrow shafts are longer than ordinary arrows, and the arrowheads are made of fine steel that gleams coldly in the night. They were originally designed to deal with armored enemies and tough-skinned monsters.

Horse hooves trampled through the mud and water, splashing wet soil across the open space.

Zig steadied himself on horseback and drew the bowstring taut.

In the distance, the Fentonian monster was approaching from beyond the sparse woods. Its monstrous eye on its forehead was fixed on the farmhouse.

Zig loosened his fingers.

call out--

The armor-piercing arrow flew from the bow, brushed against the night wind, and headed straight for Fenton's shoulder.

The next moment, the arrow pierced deep into the flesh covered with black mane.

The Fentonian monster's shoulder was shot backward, and the mud beneath its feet was trampled into a deep pit.

But the arrow didn't actually stop it.

It looked down at the arrow on its shoulder and let out a low growl.

It raised its thick, long claws, grabbed the arrow shaft, and pulled it out sharply.

A small piece of flesh was pulled out, and the armor-piercing heavy arrow was forcibly torn from its shoulder and casually thrown into the mud.

Fenton raised his head, and his third eye, located in the center of his forehead, turned toward Sieg.

A cold light gradually appeared in his eyes, and his body, which had been heading towards the farmhouse, turned towards the rider in the open space.

It was enraged.