Chapter 294: Mima Tenzō Approves
"Master Lynn, what was that stuff you just drank?"
Judit, intrigued, picked up one of the empty bottles and even tried to sniff it. Lynn quickly stopped her.
"Don't touch it. These are potions for Witchers. They contain a potent toxin that could kill you with a single drop."
He recapped all the empty bottles he had used. It would be a shame to throw them away when they could be reused. Putting the bottles back in his enchanted leather satchel, he stood up.
"Potions make us stronger. We're not here for a picnic, after all."
Madman Lugo looked concerned. "Those Witcher potions... they don't have any side effects, do they?"
The idea of taking something to make oneself stronger was familiar to the Skelligers. It brought to mind the Völkerman.
The Völkerman were a group that existed outside of the seven major clans on the Isles. It was said they were more aggressive than any other Islander. They neither married nor had children, and their only purpose in life was to fight, fight, fight until they died.
One might ask how they could still exist without wives and children. The truth was, the Völkerman still existed because there would always be Islanders who wished to dedicate their lives entirely to combat and would leave their own clans to join them.
Of course, simply being sincere wasn't enough to become one of them. They had to fight bare-handed at the Svarog Altar, also known as the "Bear Circle," until one of them was killed by the other. Only the survivors were "privileged" to become Svarog's berserkers.
Next, under the guidance of a wicked druid, they would smear themselves with a lure to attract bears, and while yelling the name of "Svarog" at a giant wooden carving of a bear, they would consume hallucinogenic mushrooms. Then they would descend deep underground into the bears' den.
The great bears would devour them whole.
But here was the incredible part: after eating them, the bears' forms would begin to change. Their fur would fall off, and they would grow human limbs, gradually transforming into the very Völkerman they had consumed. Even the most learned scholars couldn't tell whether the Völkerman had become bears or if the bears had become Völkerman.
But despite sounding like Spartans, the Völkerman were a despised group on the Skellige Isles. They were not like the other Islanders, who worshipped their ancestors and Freya. They secretly worshipped the evil god, Svarog.
Most people on the Continent were likely unfamiliar with this god, having never even heard of him. This was because before his influence could spread to the mainland, the seven clans of Skellige had united to oppose and ban his worship.
It was well known that Skelligers were cruel and ruthless, that they loved conflict, raiding, and war, and that they considered scars to be badges of honor. But there was a limit to everything. The actions of Svarog's followers were considered excessive even by the Islanders.
This was because Svarog despised the weak, believing their only value was as a living sacrifice. This was a fundamentally flawed idea. If farmers, housewives, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons, herbalists, and other "weak" people who weren't good at fighting were all sacrificed, wouldn't society and the kingdom itself fall apart?
Of course, Madman Lugo wasn't worried about the Völkerman. A long, long time ago, the seven clans had banded together to destroy the altar, tying the Völkerman to ships without sails and leaving them to the mercy of the sea. Madman Lugo knew that a few remnants of the Völkerman might still exist on the Isles, but they would never be able to stir up trouble again.
His real concern was that the Völkerman could transform into a hulking bear in a fit of rage, an indiscriminate force of destruction, and he worried that these Witcher potions might have a similar side effect.
Lynn naturally understood his concern. "Don't worry, these potions won't make me lose my mind and attack you."
After the potions had taken effect, the group finally started toward the castle.
They walked through the castle gate, and as soon as they stepped inside, a chilling cold descended upon everyone.
Suddenly, several figures floating just above the ground appeared out of nowhere. Their faces were covered in tattered cloths, revealing only a mouthful of rotten, worm-eaten teeth. Their withered torsos were bare, and they were wrapped in a dirty, torn long skirt that concealed their lower bodies. Each specter held a rusty, tetanus-covered sword in one hand and a lantern in the other, which emitted a strange, eerie green light.
After manifesting, the specters charged at the group like a pack of wolves. Even the most battle-hardened Skelliger warrior would have been left with trembling legs and all the strength drained from his body at the sight of a specter. He would be unable to move a single finger, save for his eyes.
If they had come alone, this first wave of specters would have been enough to wipe them out. Luckily, their leader's father had been prescient enough to find them a Witcher.
Almost as soon as the specters moved, Lynn did too. He pulled Madman Lugo, who was standing beside him, back toward the other three. Then he made a Sign and slammed his hand to the ground.
Instantly, a Yrden trap, with a diameter of ten meters, lit up under their feet.
The two specters leading the charge suddenly vanished, reappearing at the sides of Bjorn and Judit. But as soon as they entered the Yrden trap, their speed was reduced to an incredible crawl.
A streak of silver swung from top to bottom, cleaving one of the specters from its skull to the hem of its ragged skirt. With a change in the swing, the blade sliced across the waist of the other specter. Both specters vanished into a puff of smoke with a wail.
A faint warm current flowed up his weapon and into his body. Lynn twirled his silver sword and then adjusted his posture, lowering his arms and holding the sword diagonally to the ground, his back to the others.
"Don't be afraid. Within the Yrden trap, they're slower than your toothless grandmothers. Just go for it."
"But be careful, they can appear suddenly right next to you... like this."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Witcher's silver sword became a streak of light, slicing at his side. The specter that had just materialized at his side was obliterated before it could fully appear.
(End of Chapter)
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