Chapter 286

After Geralt joined the battle, the situation soon reversed.

Besides Kalkstein surviving, about seven mercenaries who followed him also survived.

Actually, the strength of the dozens of mercenaries protecting Kalkstein was quite good, and the equipment could be counted as excellent. The reason why they suffered heavy losses under the siege of these fallen archers.

A large part of the reason is because Kalkstein is a scholar-type sorcerer who focuses on theory and lacks actual combat experience. In real combat, he did not exert the power that a sorcerer should have, but instead panicked and lost his measure after his own members were killed.

And those mercenaries were because ordinary horses were afraid of thick fog and could not enter the thick fog.

Plus their own supply problems and too heavy armor and weapons, they lacked long-range attack means and were crushed in speed.

Only then were they eaten away little by little by those fallen archers using the kite method, basically only being able to be beaten passively, without means of fighting back.

After all, the fallen archers in reality are not monsters with low intelligence like in the game. They are just eroded by hell power, their minds are affected, but their own strength is stronger than before they fell.

After the enemy retreated, whether it was Kalkstein or the surviving mercenaries, they all lay paralyzed on the ground like survivors, panting heavily.

Obviously, the battle just now, whether it was physical strength or spirit, made them consume seriously and they were exhausted.

Seeing this, Geralt didn't bother with those mercenaries, but walked to the side of the middle-aged sorcerer, then stretched out his hand and said to him: "I saved your life, Mr. Kalkstein, but this is not free."

"If there is a chance in the future, I will make you repay it."

Facing the arm stretched out by Geralt, Kalkstein first hesitated for a moment, carefully looking at his appearance, but still reached out to take the arm, letting Geralt pull him up.

After standing up, this middle-aged sorcerer first tidied up his appearance, making himself look not so embarrassed, before politely saying:

"Oh! Oh, of course no problem."

"Have we met somewhere? This gentleman, you are a powerful archer, please tell me your name. After leaving here, I will definitely pay you the remuneration you deserve."

Geralt stared at him for a few seconds upon hearing this, and then said in a flat tone: "You can call me Mr. Geralt."

"I don't lack money, and I'm not interested in money!"

"I am currently teaming up with Keira, and sometimes I will live in Wyzima. If you want to meet Keira, just follow behind me."

After speaking, he no longer ignored Kalkstein and turned to walk towards the position where Letho and others were.

Now the two sides are basically still strangers, not suitable to be too intimate, and in this mist, teleportation magic will be affected. Besides following him, Kalkstein and others can only find a way to escape the mist themselves.

After Geralt walked forward for more than ten meters, Kalkstein indeed followed, and even those few surviving mercenaries didn't dare to collect the corpses of their companions, supporting each other and following behind the middle-aged sorcerer.

Geralt looked back at him, Kalkstein had an awkward smile on his face and said:

"Mr. Geralt, I and Lady Keira are friends who know each other. Since we met, it's better to go say hello."

Of course, Geralt knew very well that this was an excuse, but he didn't expose it, just took them to his resting place.

Keira and others were a bit surprised to see Geralt bring back another group of people, but when the two sorceresses saw that the leader was Kalkstein, they looked at each other and didn't say anything more about it.

Because both of them knew very well that compared to other ambitious young sorcerers, Kalkstein was more like a pure researcher. He served as a professor at the Ban Ard Academy for male sorcerers and possessed quite a high status among sorcerers.

Now following Geralt back in such a down-and-out manner, it is highly probable that he will no longer have any extravagant hopes for the reserve councilor of the Supreme Council.

After the two sides met, it was first a simple exchange of pleasantries, and then Kalkstein told Keira and others about his previous encounter, and the result was very surprising.

It turned out that his participation in this competition this time was actually as an assistant to another male sorcerer. The two of them recruited about one hundred mercenaries locally in Kaedwen in total.

And the time they set off was about three days earlier than Keira and others. This was already their fifth day entering the mist.

Originally, the past period was quite smooth. Although they encountered many zombies and fallen ones on the road, with the cooperation of the two sorcerers, although the mercenaries suffered casualties, they still passed those battles safely and steadily.

Didn't expect that just this morning, they were actually ambushed by a group of monsters. The other party was not undead, but like the fallen archers chasing them, some humans whose minds were changed by hell power and fell into monsters.

Many were former residents of the Kaedwen kingdom, captives who were caught alive when the mist spread over and didn't have time to escape.

These captives were caught, seemingly went through some kind of special ceremony, and then all defected to the enemy, becoming the enemy's claws.

Kalkstein's companion was because he became the target of the other party and entangled with most of the monsters of the other party, which gave Kalkstein and some mercenaries under his command a chance to escape.

Otherwise, it is possible that he, like the other sorcerer, would all be killed or caught.

Getting such an answer, whether it was Keira or Margarita, felt very surprised.

Before they entered the mist, they thought that what they had to deal with were all monsters without intelligence. Didn't expect that now they also have to deal with those fallen humans. These two kinds of enemies are basically two different things.

The former will only attack recklessly, just killing is enough, while the latter can use various conspiracies, ambushes, deception, etc., and if they are not careful, they will be plotted against, so they have to be guarded against.

Seeing that the sorcerers present had very heavy expressions, seemingly very worried about the current situation, Geralt shrugged and said indifferently:

"What to do next, Keira?"

"Whether you choose to advance or retreat, I support you."

Just as Geralt's voice fell, before Keira could answer, Kalkstein advised with a worried expression:

"I think we should retreat, Lady Keira."

"My companion and I had more than one hundred people, but they were all defeated by those fallen humans."

"Although their number is a little less than ours, after the transformation of the magic power of another world, they have exceeded ordinary people in combat effectiveness, are not afraid of death, and will not be timid."

"And now there are less than twenty people here, I don't think we have much chance of winning."

"Of course, Mr. Geralt, I don't have no confidence in your strength, I just think we don't need to take this risk."

Speaking to this, Kalkstein showed a flattering expression to Geralt and Letho and others.

After the exchange of pleasantries just now, he already knew that these four warriors who looked quite elite were witchers. Although there were only four people, the strength they showed was more powerful than the hundred or so rabble mercenaries they recruited.

After listening to Kalkstein's words, Keira's palm-sized face frowned tightly. She first looked at Margarita.

Seeing that the female headmistress's expression was quite absent-minded, her eyes always wandered intentionally or unintentionally on Geralt's strong muscles and handsome face.

Keira didn't even need to guess, and immediately knew what this lady was thinking about again.

With the friendship of so many years with Margarita, Keira knew very well the style of this female headmistress.

This lady possesses the figure that all women envy and powerful strength, but she has a strange hobby, that is, she is very obsessed with dating and falling in love with handsome and strong men.

In the last hundred years, she has changed more than a dozen boyfriends, crying loudly every time she broke up, just like a young girl. Her last boyfriend broke up three years ago. Now Margarita has returned to a single state, and it is estimated that she is already thirsty in her heart.

After going crazy for a night at her house a few days ago, Margarita has always been immersed in her own fantasies from time to time, her attention is not very focused, obviously she has been fascinated by Geralt who is both strong and handsome.

However, Keira didn't mind this. Chaotic private life is a normal phenomenon for sorceresses. Long life and abundant desire and energy make these ladies who are generally in high positions always want to seek excitement in their hearts.

She doesn't mind sharing Geralt's strong body with Yennefer, and of course, she doesn't mind sharing it with Margarita. In Keira's view, this is still a manifestation of close feelings.

Such thoughts just flashed through Keira's mind and were soon thrown behind her.

However, since Margarita had no thoughts, and Geralt expressed support for his opinion, after Keira struggled in her mind for a while, she bit her lower lip and said to Geralt:

"Geralt, since I participated in this bounty competition, I have already prepared for danger."

"If I choose to give up, then I have lost such a rare opportunity."

"I don't want to give up so easily."

Geralt nodded upon hearing this and said in a flat tone: "Then let's continue the action. They are just some fallen humans."

"They won't be much stronger than ordinary soldiers. As long as you are careful, they won't have any impact on us."

"Perhaps we can also catch a few living ones and know the inside news of the enemy from their mouths."

With Geralt making the decision, Letho and others had no opinion, arranged the night watch tasks respectively, and seized the time to rest.

As for Kalkstein and the few mercenaries under his command, after their persuasion failed, seeing that Geralt and others had made up their minds to continue moving forward.

There was no way, they didn't dare to leave alone, so they could only choose to act with Keira's group.

However, for the sake of safety, Keira still signed a mutual aid contract with them, stipulating each other's responsibilities and the division of spoils later.

………………

After night fell, most people entered sleep. The battle during the day made everyone exhausted, and even the two sorceresses were not in the mood to have another round of exercise with Geralt, so they went to sleep early.

And as the existence with the strongest strength, Geralt took the initiative to take on the task of night watch and alert, letting the other three members who were also witchers go back to rest, recuperate, and prepare for the next battle.

When the night was quiet, the witch Ranni, who had been urging him all day and wanted to talk to him, finally had a chance to appear, sat opposite Geralt, sat on a railing opposite his campfire, and looked at him quietly.

Those sapphire-like bright eyes were still so charming.

"What's wrong, Ranni, what are you looking at me for? If you have anything, just say it directly."

Seeing that the exquisite doll in front of him was just sitting quietly without opening her mouth, Geralt showed a smile on his face and said gently.

Although the strength of this demigod from another world must have been greatly weakened, and it might just be an empty shell, but in any case, people's status is there. Maybe she can become his thigh in the future, or even become his wife. Must serve her well.

The doll of the witch Ranni blinked her eyes and said with no ups and downs in her tone:

"The book you gave me, I have finished reading."

"I need new books, preferably those related to the knowledge of spellcasters like you."

Geralt was stunned upon hearing this, and suddenly felt a little emotional. Ranni's reading speed is really fast. More than sixty books added up to nearly twenty or thirty catties, and she finished reading them in less than three days.

And with Ranni's personality, it is definitely not reading ten lines at a glance. It can only be said that she is worthy of being the child of God. Besides her talent being different from ordinary people, even her patience and temperament are much stronger than ordinary people.

However, now, her request made Geralt a bit embarrassed. In the Middle Ages, books are extremely expensive things, not to mention books that record magic knowledge.

At the beginning, he spent tens of thousands of gold coins and sacrificed his beauty to buy thousands of books from Aretuza, and those books are now stored in Kaer Morhen. Even if he wants to find them for Ranni to read, it is not something that can be done in a day or two.

Seeing Ranni's doll, always sitting on the railing, her expression was calm, her jewel-like eyes just looked at him quietly, and she didn't speak again.

After considering for a few seconds, Geralt took out Kael'thas's magic book from his storage bag.

This book has been with him for almost a year. However, Geralt cannot be counted as a particularly diligent person. He spends more time every day enjoying life, enjoying beauties and various delicious wines and foods. In the nine months in Middle-earth, most of the time was spent on the road, and even his riding skills were improved by several levels.

This extremely precious magic book is indeed a bit wasteful to be placed by his side.

Although Geralt felt a little reluctant in his heart, he still handed this book to Ranni and said: "This is an extremely precious treasure. It is a magic book given to me by that great existence."

"It can record all the books in the world without limit, not only my world, but also the various books I have collected in the several worlds I have been to."

After listening to Geralt's introduction, Ranni's eyes seemed to brighten slightly. She turned the doll's head, looked at the gorgeous magic book embedded with gems and various magic inscriptions that Geralt took out, her expression was still calm, and she opened her mouth with no ups and downs in her voice: "Do you want to offer this book to me, Geralt?"

Offer it to you, thinking beautifully? Geralt complained in his heart, but his face still maintained a gentle smile and said:

"Of course impossible, the knowledge in this is the result of my collection for many years, and it is also an extremely precious treasure."

"However, I can lend this book to you to read, allowing you to learn the knowledge inside."

"But you must promise me one condition?"

Hearing Geralt propose a condition again, Ranni frowned slightly, but still nodded and said: "You state your condition first. If I can get my approval, I can promise you."

It seems that Ranni really wants this book very much and is very eager to learn the knowledge in the book.

Geralt smiled secretly in his heart and then said:

"Actually, my condition is very simple, that is, when you learn the magic of various worlds from books, you must teach them all to me, so that I can also master this kind of spell."

"I possess the talent to manipulate various alien magic powers of various worlds."

"Can slowly adapt to the energy of all worlds, as long as I can understand the magic knowledge of the corresponding world."

"I can cast the magic of various worlds."

After listening to Geralt's words, a look of surprise appeared on Ranni's face. She calmly stared at Geralt's eyes and looked at the witcher for more than ten seconds before saying:

"Are you trying to make me your magic teacher, Geralt?"

Geralt thought about it after hearing this and said:

"No, not a teacher, you can treat me as a friend on your future path."

"My talent determines that I will definitely go very far in the future, and you also need such a friend, don't you?"

(End of chapter)