Psionic Ascension Starting with The Witcher

Effensor quickly dressed, picked up two swords and a crossbow, and before leaving, he shook Sif awake and told the drowsy girl not to leave him lunch.

Sif rubbed her eyes and looked up to see Effensor looking like he was about to leave. Startled, she immediately grabbed his neck and wouldn't let go no matter what she said.

Finally, Effensor had no choice but to plop back down on the bed, letting Sif hold him like that. Only after he repeatedly assured her that he would be back before dinner did Sif reluctantly release her embrace.

The runestone shimmered, sparkling in Effensor's arms.

Effensor mounted his horse, rode through the filthy streets, through the city gates, and along the edge of the city's outskirts, nearly bumping into a leprous beggar who was passing by.

Finally, bathed in the morning sun, he returned to the forest once more, and went back to the path where he had fought the golem.

The corpses that had been lying scattered on the ground had all been collected and buried. The goods belonging to Alai on the wagon were gone, leaving only the wreckage of the wagon and the fragments of the golems.

"Whoa!"

Effensor reined in his horse here, for someone was already waiting for him.

With its round, plump body, two ram's horns on its head, and hands and feet with only three toes like hooves... it was the Forest God.

He looked at Affinso calmly and greeted her.

Good day.

Effensor didn't respond, but instead squinted and asked, "What are you?"

In his eyes, the forest god before him was a living being, with flesh and blood, breathing and a heartbeat.

But the badge on his chest was vibrating, and the light and space around the Forest God had a faint, strange feeling, as if it were being slightly distorted.

It wasn't the fat man Effensor had seen before. It seemed out of place in this world, as if it were being rejected.

The forest god seemed to see through his thoughts, so he shook his head, and his body suddenly fragmented, transforming from a natural creature into an abstract geometric composite, its surface reflecting a blinding white light like a mirror.

The next moment, his body shattered into countless glittering fragments, like a smooth mirror being broken. And before those fragments even hit the ground, they vanished like snowflakes.

Only a deep, dark shadow remained, remarkably similar to the various ghosts Effensor had ever seen, except that it was almost solidified, completely lacking the dark aura and innate ethereal quality of ordinary ghosts.

"Forgive me, but the only permanent residents of this area—I mean permanent residents who won't move away for decades—are that forest god. I can only take on his form," the shadowy figure explained, bowing slightly apologetically in the direction of the forest god.

"You..." Effensor's mind flashed through thousands of illustrated books he had read, but in the end, he repeated his own words: "What are you?"

"Me?" The shadowy figure turned its head, casually shrugging. "I don't know either."

"Is that so... What exactly are you trying to do? That rune stone, you were the one who caused this, weren't you?"

"That's right."

The shadowy figure readily admitted it, and then continued, "I set up magic in the room where Annie was sleeping, and I sensed it when you entered."

"That……"

"Don't rush."

The shadowy figure interrupted Effensor abruptly.

He moved slowly and gracefully, like a gentleman, using magic to conjure a dark shadow.

The shadows shifted on the ground, transforming in the blink of an eye into a half-person-high coffee table and a tea set.

The shadowy figure picked up the teapot and slowly poured himself a cup. The teapot contained not tea, but a thicker, darker substance, like the ink of a cuttlefish.

Effensor watched silently, then suddenly interrupted as the shadowy figure picked up his glass, saying, "As the host, isn't it impolite to drink before pouring a glass for the guest?"

"What?" The dark figure paused, turning around in surprise. "You want a drink too?"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a shadow cup slowly floated up.

"Of course I didn't ask..."

"No, I don't want it."

Effensor's voice came out of nowhere.

"..."

The shadowy figure paused again.

Although he had no facial features, the emotion he felt—a sense of speechlessness—was still clearly expressed.

"never mind."

He shook his head and took a sip of Shadow Tea.

"Just call me... the Watcher," the shadowy figure said slowly, his words punctuated by strange pauses. "I'm in charge of guarding something... troublesome. If it gets out, it might turn Novigrad, and even the entire continent, into a wasteland."

"in addition……"

He stomped his foot on the ground, and an echo came from the ground, as if there was a huge cave below.

"Beneath this land lies a... portal... an artificial portal. From the other end, a continuous stream of... magical ice storms, also known as White Frost, emerges."

"..."

Effensor was surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

He had known about Bai Shuang's existence for a long time. Although it was a bit strange that a portal could reveal Bai Shuang's existence, it wasn't that unbelievable.

On the other side, the shadowy figure was still speaking in that strange way.

"But the leak...the portal to White Frost isn't limited to just one place. In some areas...White Frost...has already begun to spread. It's just that I can't leave...this forest, so there's nothing I can do."

"Oh, by the way, wouldn't White Frost be a great weapon?" the shadowy figure suddenly said, pointing to the rune stone.

Effensor paused for a moment, then immediately thought of the immense and terrifying icy magic within the runestone.

Is that white frost?

Such cold, capable of imprisoning everything... it truly seems to possess the properties of frost; no wonder that valley is swept by relentless blizzards.

While Effensor was momentarily stunned, the shadowy figure returned to the main topic.

"I hope... you can... take my token to these places where the frost has been leaked. The magic on it can close the portals or prevent the frost from entering."

"Wait a moment."

Effensor interrupted the shadowy figure.

"You have to answer three questions for me first, or this conversation is over."

"Oh, go ahead and ask."

The shadowy figure spoke calmly.

"The first question is, why me?"

"You are special... I need your help, and fate needs your help too. This is a... deal. You can get... power, everything you want, all you need to do is... be on the path that fate has drawn for you."

The shadowy figure spoke haltingly, seemingly pausing inexplicably at certain points.

"Stop being mysterious." Effensor shook his head. "Stop playing games and explain why you've set your sights on me, and why this so-called fate has set its sights on me."

"I chose you because of a prophecy. Also, don't confuse me with fate; I have an irreconcilable conflict with Him."

"Back to the prophecy... but unfortunately, I can't say it. So, that's all."

"Ha ha."

Effensor was amused and exasperated. The shadowy figure was speaking in riddles again, and hadn't explained why fate had chosen him.

But he no longer expected the shadowy figure to reveal any valuable information.

"Who exactly are you?"

Effensor posed a second question, but he didn't expect to get an answer.

However, the shadowy figure did answer.

"I am now the Watcher, but before I became the Watcher, when I was still alive, my name was Redney."

"You…" Effensor was somewhat surprised, then quickly questioned, "So you were the one behind all this? That memory crystal, that lab and the corpse inside, plus the runestone…"

"...Hahaha." The shadowy figure froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. He said with a smile, "I knew it. The prophecy was right. You are indeed special. You are truly extraordinary."

"He is guiding you!"

"What I mean is, the true destiny, the destiny that belongs to you, is guiding you."

Effensor seemed to be deep in thought.

Isn't all of this too coincidental? It seems like it was all preordained.

"You... never mind, one last question." Effensor sighed. Even if he knew who was behind it all, what could he do?

"What benefits will I get from doing this job?"

"You will get what you want in the process."

"Of course, I know that's too vague. You should just say... no, I mean, I'll pay you in advance, and you'll definitely be satisfied."

The shadowy figure nodded, seemingly pleased that Effensor had finally brought it up. Then, a dark hand, formed of shadow, suddenly appeared in the air again, threw out a cloud of shadow, and vanished.

The dark figure reached its hand into the shadow, which was only the size of a potato, yet the figure could fit its entire arm inside, as if there was even more space inside.

Then, as he pulled his arm out, a long sword was also pulled out along with it.

After just one glance, Effensor's eyes were glued to the sword, unable to be drawn to anything else.

That was a fine sword, an unparalleled sword.

The sword is long and slender, forged from an unknown and strange metal. The runes on it do not seem to be engraved, but rather as if they were born on the sword, perfectly natural and flawless.

The blade was extremely sharp and perfectly aligned; the sword maker was undoubtedly a master craftsman—the reflection of the blade in the sunlight cast a clear, straight line on the tree shadow cast on the ground.

The hilt of the cross-shaped sword was crafted from a different, exotic metal, engraved with beautiful patterns, and also featured a handguard. Two runestones, gleaming brightly, were embedded at the end of the hilt.

"Brok Rhine, the hero's sword. You may not have heard its legend, but three hundred years ago, the story of the hero Otannis was widely circulated among mages."

As the shadowy figure spoke, he even twirled his sword.

"Take it. Besides its inherent magic, or rather, its strangeness, the sword also contains another spell that can be used to...seal portals. Inscriptions are engraved inside the sword, allowing me to recharge this spell from thousands of miles away."

"Furthermore, this sword itself can store energy. You can absorb the power of White Frost into it and release it at your will."

He handed the sword hilt to Effensor, who grabbed it without hesitation and then quickly shoved the sword into his arms, holding it tightly.

Just kidding, Effensor has never even touched or seen a sword of this caliber in his life.

If this thing were offered as payment, he would have to think twice before even being asked to slay a golden dragon.

"Oh, you don't need to do that..." The shadowy figure shrugged. "It's yours now, I won't take it back."

"That would be perfect."

Effensor nodded slowly, but very forcefully.

"Hmph." The shadowy figure seemed to chuckle, then shook its head and said, "I can't pinpoint the exact locations of the other portals. After all, I'm not Evelynn, and She... Frost isn't someone I can predict at will. To return... I mean, to find these portals, you'll have to rely on yourself."

"I understand," Effensor sighed. "It really depends on the guidance of fate, right?"

"Yes and no."

The shadowy figure's words were ambiguous.

Tsk, riddle teller...

Effensor hated this behavior, but was powerless to stop it.

"Furthermore, a fragment of my soul is still in your hands. It was once my backup plan after my resurrection, and the last line of defense to protect Annie. Of course, it's useless now."

As he spoke, the shadowy figure pointed at Effensor's left hand in the air. Effensor was momentarily stunned, and a faint sound of glass shattering rang out. It was as if something had been released from its restraints.

"Keep it safe. It inherited my talent, my knowledge, my memories and emotions, and... my destiny."

The meaning of the shadowy figure's words was unclear.

"Maybe one day when we meet again... I hope you will surpass me, be stronger than me, and be more... lucky."

"Or perhaps, you'll become like me..."

The shadowy figure spoke with a strange tone, glancing up at the sky before looking at Effensor, whose brow was slightly furrowed, and said, "You have to go. I've been...free for too long."

"Wait a minute." Effensor interrupted him, glancing at the runestone in his hand, and asked, "That witcher with the bear head pendant, does he really exist? Or is it just a lie you made up?"

"...Of course he exists."

"And what about his body? And the pendant?"

"Just like I said before, they're all buried together."

No sooner had the shadowy figure finished speaking than a huge shadowy hand appeared behind him, grabbing him and the panicked horse, and then lifting them into the air.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

When Effensor looked down, he saw the shadowy figure still standing there, drinking the strange Shadow Tea, while beneath his feet had transformed into a swampy, writhing shadow.

Chains of shadow rose from the ground, binding the shadowy figure like a prisoner. Then, a massive throne made of shadow rose behind him, and the shadowy figure was forcibly pressed onto the throne by the chains. The chains gradually receded, until only a few chains remained to bind his legs, forcing him to remain seated on the throne, unable to rise.

The Shadow Throne and its master began to slowly sink into the ground, and soon disappeared completely, as if nothing had ever happened.

The watcher of something... but also a prisoner?

A guess arose in Effensor's mind.

His shadowy giant hand moved swiftly through the air, reaching the edge of the forest in no time. It gently placed Effensor and the horse on the ground, and then, like the throne, slowly sank into the earth and disappeared.

Effinso glanced at his horse; the poor fellow was terrified. Even a warhorse bred by the Nilfgaardians would lose all courage after such an ordeal.

No matter how Effensor tried to comfort him, the horse refused to stand up, remaining kneeling on the ground as stubborn as a donkey.

"well……"

Effensor sighed helplessly and sat down on the ground next to the horse. He knew that the horse's fear would not be eliminated anytime soon.

The Watcher... the damn Riddler.

I find it extremely annoying, even nine out of ten.

But suddenly, looking at the clear sky, Effensor realized something was wrong.

The sun's position... seems a bit off?

When he entered the forest, the sun had just risen. But now that he had left the forest, the sun was no longer higher or closer to its zenith; instead, it was lower and closer to the forest below.

Effensor suddenly had a bad feeling.

He remembered the magic in the Redney Laboratory that had imprisoned everything, leaving it unchanged even after hundreds of years.

Perhaps the magic wasn't a binding spell, but rather a slowing down of time? A thousand years had passed outside, but inside the laboratory, time moved incredibly slowly, only a few minutes had gone by.