The Divine Hunter

As Letho swung Gwyhyr at Dagon, Roy could hear a quiet buzz following the blade, as if a cicada were fluttering its wings. The sword seemed to travel faster than light itself, its blade cutting through the sunlight and opening a gash on Dagon’s muscular thigh. Blood spurted out from the wound, and Dagon screeched in pain. Letho caught its attention, and it glared at the old witcher as it brought its iron fist down on him.

However, Letho expected that attack, and he leaped backward immediately, though he only barely escaped that slam. Then he went around the creature and kept feinting. When it attacked, Letho rolled around to evade it, then he went straight back to taunt Dagon.

Letho was not the only hunter around. While he was taunting Dagon in the front, Roy went around the monster, and he tensed up for a moment before he thrusted his blade at the monster’s knee. The attack found its mark, and it drew blood.

Roy quickly rolled away once he pulled his blade out. At the same time, Dagon’s powerful arm swiped through the place where Roy was standing a moment earlier. It wanted to catch its attacker and turn Roy into mincemeat, but all it caught was air.

That failed attack created the perfect opening for Letho to strike. He held his sword with his right hand and made an Axii sign with his left as fast as he could. The moment Dagon turned its attention back to Letho, it was caught square in the face, and the spell stunned him for a split second. But that split second was enough for Letho and Roy to launch their assault at the same time.

Letho thrusted Gwyhyr upward into Dagon’s neck, and flames erupted upon the wound, then he sliced the monster’s artery, creating a monstrous gash on its neck. Roy darted behind Dagon and stepped on its leg, using it as a platform to leap onto its back, its spine, and finally, Roy stepped on the monster’s shoulder. He held his blade up high and stabbed right into the monster’s left eye. He quickly spread his arms and leaped down the gigantic monster once he landed his attack. The moment he dropped down to the ground, he rolled away to minimize the impact of the fall. When he turned around and stood up again, Aerondight appeared in his hands as if by magic.

Without Aerondight staunching the blood, Dagon had a hole on its face where its left eye was supposed to be. Black blood spurted out of the hole, and white smoke appeared from the ground as the blood came in contact with it. Dagon howled in agony, and it glared at Roy with its remaining eye. There was fury and vengeance within that glare, and Dagon charged right at the young witcher. As he rampaged across the charred land, a mini sandstorm started whirling around him, and Black Tern Island trembled beneath the monster’s footsteps.

It was as if a small hill were running straight at Roy, and the wind felt like blades that could slash him if he made one wrong move. Roy felt like he couldn’t breathe, but he showed no fear even before the monster. He calmly made an Axii sign and hurled it at the incoming monster. At the same time, Roy cast Fear, and thanks to the double spell, Dagon was frozen for one tenth of a second. Roy darted to the side, but he was one moment too late. He heard the sound of something cracking, and Quen shattered into pieces. Without the protective shield keeping him out of harm’s way, Roy was sent flying back from the impact of Dagon’s rampage, and he fell down with a thud.

A long, long while later, Roy scrambled to get up, but he felt like his insides had become a mess, and he spat out blood in agony. At the same time, Letho was facing Dagon alone, keeping Roy out of its line of attack.

Dagon kept slamming its fists against the ground in an attempt to hit Letho, but Letho wouldn’t stop dancing around its attacks. Letho was still holding his sword, but it seemed like he had all but abandoned the offense. Instead, he kept dancing and dodging Dagon’s attacks. His speed had exceeded what the eye could see, and Roy thought he was seeing three Lethos around Dagon, dodging its attacks.

***

Roy wiped the blood off his lips and grabbed Gabriel out of thin air. He took a step forward and launched a volley of arrows at Dagon. The arrows buried themselves into Dagon’s back, and that was the final straw for the monster. The continuous injuries sapped its energy, and its speed slowed down. The light of Yrden glowed beneath Dagon, robbing it of its reaction time and speed.

A strange scene started taking place in the center of Black Tern Island. Two ‘puny’ humans were circling a gigantic sea monster, attacking it whenever it showed an opening. It was as if two hyenas were fighting a huge lion on a prairie. The outcome of the fight was supposed to be obvious, but the witchers were poised to create an upset. Instead of fighting the monster head on, they used their speed and agility to move around the monster’s attacks and harass it whenever possible. One of them would be taking the monster’s hits, while the other would take advantage of any opening to attack, and once Dagon switched its target, so too would the witchers switch roles.

The witchers used everything they had, hacking and slashing the monster with their sword, casting ailments with their signs, and the young witcher kept firing volleys of arrows. The glint of sword oil, paralyzing poison, the flames of Gwyhyr, and the enchantment of Aerondight rained down on Dagon. A minute later, its flesh and bones had been hacked away into nothingness, and there was not an inch of skin visible on its black shell.

Dagon’s movements became slower and slower, until it was finally backed into a corner, and he summoned what little strength it had left to swing its arms and send the witchers flying. Then it opened its maw and roared into the heavens. The soundwave from that roar undulated across the battlefield, stirring up a storm of debris. As the witchers struggled to get back on their feet, they could feel Dagon’s screams piercing their eardrums, and their minds seemed to be in danger of getting scrambled up by invisible hands.

Horrific illusions unfurled before them, and they bled from their faces. However, a crimson light seemingly appeared out of nowhere and covered both of the witchers. The source of that light was none other than the bloodstone Roy was carrying.

The witchers’ eyes refocused as Dagon’s spell was dispelled. Letho darted straight at Dagon and disemboweled it, while Roy leaped up to its back and stabbed its right eye with murderous fury. It was the last stretch of the battle, and the witchers circled the monster, their speed as blinding as lightning. Thirty seconds later, the witchers finally bled Dagon dry, and the towering monster was brought to its knees under the unrelenting assault.

Wisps of smoke billowed from its body, and just like a cube of ice that was left under the sun, Dagon started to shrink. Roy tried to touch it, but his hand went through Dagon as if it were a phantom. Just like a bubble, it popped under the sun, while its flesh, blood, and bones disappeared, as if it had never existed.

The only thing it left was an ominous message that lingered in the air. The monster whispered, “Ninnas geas dearme. (We…shall meet again, witcher. We shall meet again…)”

“And I’ll jump into your dimension to face you, you bastard! I’ll kill you for real!” Roy shouted at the air without fear or fervor.

The battle with Dagon was the most exhilarating one Roy had ever experienced, and he was still buzzing with excitement after the kill. He turned his attention to his character sheet, and the results were satisfying.

‘Dagon (Projection) killed. EXP +300. Level 5 Witcher (2610/2500).

You have killed enough prey.

Massacre Level 4 → Level 5

Bloody Aura: Any enemy within a radius of (0.6 → 1) meters has a chance of (15 → 20)% of being Feared. If the enemy’s Will is lower than you, they will lose control of their body for up to (2) seconds.

The damage you cause to creatures you have hunted is permanently increased by (15 → 20)%.

Fear: You may cast Bloody Aura on any target within (2) feet and perform a forcible Will check on them. If the target’s Will is lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for up to (2) seconds. Cooldown: (5 → 4) minutes.

Tip: The more types and number of creatures you kill, the more this skill will level up.’

***

“What are you spacing out for, kid?” Letho came up to him. The potion’s effect hadn’t passed, and there were still black veins on his face. Sweat was turning into steam, but that only made Letho look more terrifying.

“This god isn’t as powerful as I thought it would be.” The whole battle lasted for less than five minutes. Roy suffered two hits, and he only had a third of his HP left. That was including the regeneration Swallow granted him. Without that, he would have been on the brink of death. Dagon’s attacks were powerful, but aside from breaking a few bones and suffering some minor internal injuries, there wasn’t anything to worry about.

“The Lady of the Lake suppressed most of its strength.” Letho shook his head. “And our preparations weren’t for nothing. We chased the villagers away and killed all the fallen vodyanoi. It had no source to draw its strength from, so that was why it died without using all its powers. Remember, preparation can be more important than your own strength at times.

***

‘Dagon’s Altar

Vessel of faith for the evil god’s projection

Faith: ??’

The air around Roy suddenly felt humid and refreshed, and a happy voice cut off his train of thought, “My dear knight, it must have been a hard battle.”

A wave shot out from thin air and darted into the witchers’ bodies. A surge of comfortable warmth enveloped them, and the wounds they sustained during the battle started to heal and form scabs. Their depleted health and mana were also replenished at a surprisingly fast rate.

Roy moved around happily. The pain in his ribs and joints had disappeared, as if they were blessed by Full Recovery.

Without Dagon suppressing her, the Lady of the Lake regained her full strength and was more powerful than she was. “Thanks to you, Dagon is finally vanquished,” Vivienne said. Suddenly, the bloodstone on Roy’s waist darted off into the air, and another one appeared in Roy’s palm.

‘Bloodstone: An empty vessel. It can contain souls.’

“You may keep this bloodstone. It is a reward for your hard work,” Vivienne said, her voice seemingly everywhere. “I need some time to handle Dagon’s wealth and seal the crack in the lake’s depths. I shall see you once more once this matter is handled.”

“Lady Vivienne, we would have departed Vizima by then. Our meeting will have to be adjourned,” Roy said, sounding disappointed. However, the trip to Vizima had come to a perfect end. He had acquired Aerondight and killed Dagon’s projection.

“You need not worry, my knight. Aerondight shall guide your way, and we shall reunite eventually.”

At the same time, the whole island started to shake, as if an invisible hand were stirring it around. As a storm of debris blew up around them, Dagon’s altar faded into nothingness, leaving a patch of land behind it.

‘June, year 1261.’ Roy wrote down a detailed record in his leather journal. ‘An encounter with the Lady of the Lake at Lake Vizima… knighted… Aerondight granted… Dagon killed.’ Roy drew a huge question mark at the end of the journal entry. ‘What is the use of the bloodstone? What are gods and faith?’

***

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