I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Chapter 128 Suddenly a Madman Sharpens His Knife at Night, the Imperial Star Sways and Mars Rises High

"Don't worry, I'm not threatening you, I just want to confirm one thing."

He paused, then looked directly into Dudu's eyes.

"If we kill Hawthorne II, one of the four big bosses of the mob, can you take his place?"

A strange light flashed in Dudu's eyes, but he ultimately shook his head.

"There are quite a few people in the city who share your thoughts."

He smiled wryly.

"Hawthorne II had countless enemies, and there were too many people who wanted him dead. But he has lived well all this time, while those who were hostile to him have disappeared one after another."

He looked at Zieg, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.

"Young man, I know you are very capable, but Hawthorne II is not so easy to deal with. His father had been in Novigrad for decades, and after he murdered his father, he took over his father's territory and has several hundred desperados under his command who are ready to fight for him at any time."

“I know him no less than you do,” Zieg interrupted him. “I’ll only ask you one thing—if Hawthorne II dies, can you take his place?”

Dudu fell silent.

He lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought about the question.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the noise from the street outside the window.

After a long while, he raised his head and looked into Zieg's eyes.

"Yes, if Hawthorne II dies, I can transform into his likeness and take his place. It's not difficult at all. No one under Hawthorne II dares to defy him, and even if he suddenly becomes a devout believer in the goddess Meritelli, no one will suspect anything."

Zieg knew he could.

In the original storyline, Dudu even whitewashed Hawthorne II's businesses, and no one said a word of "no".

Of course, in this world, he has Dudu's support.

He would deal with anyone who dared to raise a question.

"That's fine, let's go."

"6

"Where to?"

"Of course, it's to provoke Hawthorne II."

The nights in Novigrad always carry a musty, stale smell, even on Temple Isle.

The altar of eternal fire illuminated the streets, but it could not penetrate the dark corners of those deep mansions.

Zieg stood in the shadow of a mansion's rooftop, his black hair gently blowing in the night breeze.

Beside him, Dudu knelt on the roof, one hand pressing hard on a tile, his face as white as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

"Are you alright? Are you okay?"

Zieg glanced down at him.

"I—I need to calm down—"

Dudu struggled to lift her head, her lips trembling slightly.

He never imagined that Zieg's so-called "infiltration of the temple island" would be achieved in this way.

The only connection between Novigrad and the Temple Island is the Bridge of St. Gregory.

At night, the bridge is guarded by the Eternal Flame, and ordinary people are not allowed to pass through; they will be questioned for a long time even if they approach it.

Dudu originally thought that Zig would use a more common method.

For example, bribing the guards with money.

For example, find a secret passage that few people know about.

Another example is to have him disguise himself as a temple guard and infiltrate the temple island.

As a result, Zieg simply reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar and belt, said "Close your eyes," and the next moment, Dudu felt as if he was flying.

No, it wasn't really flying.

But in Dudu's eyes, it wasn't much different from flying.

They leaped from the eaves of the houses along the riverbank, stepped over the stone railings beside the bridge, and, using the shadows and the darkness, crossed distances that ordinary people could never cross.

The night wind lashed at my face like a knife, and below me lay the dark, murky water and the torches carried by the patrolling guards.

Dudu kept her eyes tightly closed the whole time.

When he opened his eyes again, he was kneeling on the roof of a mansion on Temple Island.

"Are you a warlock?"

After finally calming down, Dudu couldn't help but ask.

Aside from warlocks, he couldn't think of anyone else who could bring someone to the temple island in this way.

"You can understand it that way."

Zieg didn't offer any further explanation, but simply gazed at the brightly lit mansions in the distance.

"Which direction is Hawthorne II's house in?"

Dudu subconsciously pointed in a direction.

"Go that way—wait, give me five more minutes."

Zieg glanced at him but didn't urge him.

A dozen minutes later, the two finally arrived at the roof of another building.

Before them lay Hawthorne II's mansion on the island of the temple.

This is the craziest mob boss in Novigrad, and he spends most of his time here.

Because the Isle of Temples is the territory of the Eternal Flame.

Even those who hate Hawthorne II the most wouldn't dare to make a move here. Offending Hawthorne II might at most result in death; offending the Eternal Flame, however, could mean that even death becomes a distant dream.

Unfortunately, Zieg was not from Novigrad.

They also do not believe in eternal fire.

"That's it."

Dudu Bieberwitt hunched his shoulders and nervously rubbed his hands together.

Despite his extensive knowledge, this shapeshifter still felt an instinctive unease about what was about to happen.

"There are four guards at the gate, and two patrol groups in the courtyard. Hawthorne II also knew that he had offended many people, so he always had thirty to fifty people protecting him."

"Understood."

Zieg's voice was so calm that no emotion could be discerned.

For ordinary people, it was an impregnable fortress.

Dozens of heavily armed, ruthless criminals gathered in a small space; anyone who attempted a direct assault would be chopped into mincemeat.

But for Zieg, the number of people was meaningless.

"You wait here." Zig gently patted Dudu's shoulder. "Come in when you see the candlelight in that window go out and then light up again three times."

"Young man, are you really going to—" Dudu swallowed hard. "There are more than thirty people there."

Zieg did not answer, but simply adjusted the sword belt at his waist.

His hand traced the hilt of Langrisser's sword, his fingertips feeling its cold, solid touch.

The next second, he disappeared.

Wind step!

As 20 points of magic power evaporated instantly, a gentle magical breeze gathered on her legs.

His body instantly became as light as a feather, and his legs were filled with explosive power.

Without any running start, he took off silently like a giant black bird.

The two houses were separated by a wide street nearly ten meters wide, an insurmountable chasm for ordinary people. But with the aid of Swift Step, Sieg's figure swept across the gap in mid-air.

It landed silently.

Zieg landed on the third-floor roof of Hawthorne II's residence like a ghost. His Swift Step allowed him to traverse the steep tiles as if they were flat ground.

He crouched down and peered inside through the open window.

The room was extremely luxurious, with heavy red carpets, gold-plated furniture, and a mixture of perfume and blood in the air.

Hawthorne II, one of the four major gang leaders in Novigrad, sat in a large armchair, toying with a boning knife in his hand, his expression sinister.

That is the goal.