I'm not a Witcher anymore.

After enjoying the wine, the trolls' attitude towards Qig changed noticeably.

The rich wheat aroma, the slight bitterness, the warmth after swallowing, and the subsequent pleasant buzz completely captivated these simpletons.

The troll in the lead even held up an empty wine sac and foolishly poured it into its mouth for a long time, trying to pour out the last drop.

"Delicious! So delicious!"

The lead troll wiped his mouth, his eyes shining like two lanterns. "Master, is there more? Is there any more wine?"

It has naturally started calling it "master".

Trolls don't really understand what a master or loyalty is; these concepts are too complicated for them.

But even with their meager brains, trolls can distinguish between different levels of power and understand who can bring them benefits.

At this moment, Zieg had wine in his hand and made a simple enough promise—as long as he obeyed, there would be more meat and wine in the future.

that's enough.

In the trolls' simple worldview, Sieg is undoubtedly in a position of power and is the one who should be obeyed.

"There will be more in the future. As long as you guard the mountain well, I will send you wine every now and then."

"Alright, alright. Troll, guard the mountain. Troll, obey your master."

The three trolls assured each other in unison, their endearing appearance making it hard to believe that tearing apart a living person was actually no difficult task for them.

Geralt stood aside, watching the scene unfold, and was momentarily speechless.

He had prepared to negotiate slowly:

First, try to lower these big shots' guard, then gradually get to the bottom of things.

If we really can't reach an agreement, we'll think of other solutions as a last resort.

But Zieg didn't follow the path he was familiar with at all.

The young man didn't bother with appeasement or trying to gradually build rapport. He simply laid out the rules, tossed aside his wine bag, and the matter was settled just like that.

Geralt frowned.

Looking at the three trolls, they had already obediently responded, and he couldn't quite put his finger on the strange feeling in his heart.

This approach isn't particularly elegant, but it's so flawless that you can't find any fault with it.

In any case, these three trolls have now agreed to stay and watch over the mountain.

For the two of them, this was undoubtedly the easiest and safest outcome.

"Master, may we go up the mountain now?"

The leading troll asked solicitously and even made way for him.

The other two trolls nodded in agreement, one of them even bending down and making an awkward bow.

It's obvious he learned it from somewhere, but his movements are as stiff as a stone.

"Of course. By the way, what are your three names?"

"My name is Dazhuang," the leading troll pointed to himself, then to another troll, "This one is Erzhuang, and this is Manchui."

……

After getting past the troll, the rest of the journey was uneventful.

The three trolls enthusiastically pointed out the best route up the mountain to the two of them, and even took the initiative to move several large rocks that were blocking the way. They also repeatedly promised to guard the mountain well and never let anyone else come up to disturb their master.

Zig was satisfied with their performance, and then the two continued on their way amidst the trolls' reluctant gazes.

The mountain road became steeper and steeper as we went up, but fortunately we did not encounter any other obstacles.

Occasionally, you can see traces of wild animals—deer hoof prints, grass roots nibbled by rabbits—but they are always far away.

The air became increasingly thin and the temperature dropped significantly, but for the two people whose physical abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people, this was not a problem at all.

After walking for about another half hour, the two finally reached the top of the mountain.

The view here is extremely expansive, offering a panoramic view of the entire mountain range and the distant forests.

As the sun sets, its golden rays bathe the rolling hills in a breathtakingly beautiful light.

However, neither of them paid attention to the scenery; instead, they focused on the architectural ruins in front of them.

The Ring of Elements.

The so-called Elemental Ring is actually the ruins of an altar located on the edge of a cliff at the top of a mountain.

Time has left deep marks here—most of the stone pillars have collapsed, the stone slabs paving the ground are cracked and mottled, and moss and weeds grow everywhere.

Even so, one can still vaguely discern some of the former solemnity and sanctity of this altar.

At the center of the altar was a rectangular stone table, its surface covered with signs of weathering, yet still quite smooth.

A dozen or so candles were neatly arranged on the stone table. Some had burned out, leaving only the candlesticks, while others were still intact—these were clearly added by later people to maintain the operation of this ancient ritual site.

Around the stone table stood four iron torch stands.

Each torch stand is engraved with different rune patterns—the patterns of flames, the curves of waves, the outlines of mountains, and the spirals of whirlwinds.

Although the ironware was rusted, the runes were still clearly discernible, seemingly containing some ancient power.

"Geralt, I'll have to trouble you with this step."

Sieg placed the Wolf School badge that Vesemir had given him on the altar stone table, then turned to look at the white wolf.

Even the young master sometimes needs to ask for help.

Geralt made a joke, but he still walked up to the torch stand with the flame pattern carved on it.

He took a deep breath, channeled his magic power, and formed the Igni hand seal with his right hand.

Then, following the order of flame, water, earth, and air, the torches in the four directions are lit in turn.

Once all four torches were lit, the entire altar began to change.

A powerful surge of magical energy emanated from the four torches, converging, merging, and resonating in the air.

Four colors of magical light wove together to form a giant magical vortex above the altar, with countless runes appearing and disappearing in the air, radiating a soft and mysterious glow.

Zig could clearly sense that it was not an ordinary gathering of magic, but a perfect balance and fusion of the four elemental powers, temporarily forming an extremely pure magic vortex.

An indescribable energy permeated the air, making every cell in one's body tremble.

Under normal circumstances, a small portion of the magical energy in this magical vortex will fill the Witcher Badge, recharging it.

Most of the magical energy will dissipate and disappear.

But this time the situation is different.

The Wolf School emblem on the stone table still took its share, while the remaining magic that should have overflowed was intercepted by another force.

The book of adventure deep within his mind was opened.

On the originally blank pages, golden characters cascaded down like a waterfall, instantly creating new text.

"Prompt: High concentration of magic nodes detected. Absorb magic nodes? [Yes/No]"

Zieg chose "yes" without hesitation.

Current strength: 7→8

Current Agility: 7 → 8

Current physical condition: 7→8

Current health: 70/70 → 80/80

Current mental state: 8→10

Current mana: 80/80 → 100/100

Almost at the same time, the badge on Geralt's chest suddenly began to shake violently.

It seemed to be pulled by some unseen force, making a series of soft, metallic clanging sounds as it struck the leather armor.

An unprecedented warmth surged into Zig's body from all directions.

The magic seemed to rise from the depths of the mountain beneath his feet, converging along the path between the altar and the four torches, before seeping into his flesh and bones, and into the depths of his consciousness.

Zig's breathing suddenly became heavy.

My feet were more stable, and my fingers gripped the ground with more force. The fatigue from climbing mountains, traversing caves, and fighting was still there, but it no longer felt heavy and oppressive; it was as if I was being supported by the residual strength surging from deep within my body.

His vision was clearer than before.

The sound of the wind, the soft crackling of the torches, and even the subtle tremors as magic flowed across the altar became distinct in my perception.

The familiar magical power within him surged at that moment.

It flows more abundantly and more smoothly, like a widened river channel.

"Due to severe magic depletion, this magic node will be unusable for ten years."

Zieg reached out and picked up the Wolf School badge from the stone table.

The silver wolf head badge felt cool to the touch, and its surface showed no signs of change, but when he held it in his palm, he could still feel a familiar magical fluctuation within it.

He carefully put the badge away, then turned to Geralt and said, "Let's go back; our teacher must be getting impatient."