A person in American horror, wearing two versions of The Witcher

After that,

The story begins with the tailor renting Roy a suit that is big enough, and when Roy comes back up from the river after taking a bath, four large tables put together have been set up in front of the elder’s house.

This was borrowed from a nearby house at the elder's request.

The people in these rooms each put together a few dishes, carried their stools, and sat down at the large table, serving as drinking companions and creating a festive atmosphere for the elders celebrating the demon hunters' victory.

This was just a small celebration banquet.

Then, the village fisherman who was weaving nets wandered to the elder's doorstep.

The wounds from the fishing net line cutting his fingers were still visible on his hands, and he only asked pointless questions like "What happened?" while joining in the fun.

But after finding out what had happened, he immediately exclaimed and touched the jar of mead with both hands, saying that it had helped him a lot and that he wanted to toast Geralt and Roy.

Before he could even offer the toast, the spilled wine on his finger stung the wound, causing him to grimace and cry out in pain. But when Roy came over and asked, "What happened?"

The fisherman said honestly:

"This mead is good. It's really strong. I could feel it as soon as I touched it."

What else could Roy say? Looking at the fisherman's hand, he was both amused and exasperated, and could only say, "Then hurry up and try a cup, see if this wine is strong or not!"

"That's right, you must try it." The fisherman immediately poured himself another cup, and so the toast turned into a clinking of glasses. After they finished drinking, Roy asked with a smile:

Is it strong?

"Strong! Excellent!" the fisherman replied, adding, "This wine is so good, so strong that my hands don't even hurt anymore! It's so good that I want another cup, Master, may I?"

What else could Roy say? So the fisherman went to the table.

He kept shouting and yelling, and even called his wife over. In the end, his wife only brought three fish and a table...

Then, the blacksmith from the east brought over his treasured spirits and asked if they could be served.

What can we say? Let's go!

The farmer from Xihu carried a cloth bag of small red berries and a basket of purslane and burdock.

The farmer didn't expect to be seated at the table; it was his little girl who wanted to join in the fun.

But since the little girl had already sat down, she couldn't just leave her father standing outside the door. So, he was called to move the table, to prepare the vegetables and cook. After he finished all that, he could at least have a bite to eat and a drink, and then sit down at the table.

After that,

Next to the little girl was a little boy named Niren, and then they had two more little girls, Hannah and Margaret. In short, the number of little rascals increased dramatically.

This time, he kept pestering Geralt with all sorts of questions, wanting to hear more stories.

Geralt, whether in a good mood or simply unable to resist, began to tell his demon-slaying stories while sipping his ale. Gradually, not only children came, but adults also gathered around to listen.

After Geralt finished recounting an adventure, amidst exclamations of surprise and praise, besides those demanding the next story, other voices arose, such as someone shouting:

"We have the story, but where's the wine? Where's the song?"

So some people went to move the wine, and others went to get harmonicas.

The wine that was brought in later was rather cloudy and had a lower alcohol content, so it wasn't very strong. The young man playing the harmonica was not only unattractive, but his harmonica playing also seemed out of tune, and his playing was not pleasant at all.

But it was precisely this combination of not-so-tasting wine and not-so-good music that led to...

The shouts and yells erupted.

The village girls began humming an unknown melody to the music, while the village men raised their wine glasses and slammed their fists on the table, amplifying the melody with the loud noise and providing accompaniment.

And so, everything else in this place ceased to matter under the harmonious melody.

The reason for singing is unimportant, the threat of the Wolf King of the Back Forest is unimportant, the bitterness and hardship of today and tomorrow are unimportant...

The only important thing now is...

There was only celebration, only dancing, only singing.

After that, the path in front of the table was blocked and a campfire was lit.

The campfire illuminated the slightly flushed faces of the drunkards, and the delicate sweat on the girls' thin clothes...

The villagers lit precious pine resin torches, and a peasant woman, dancing wildly around the bonfire, grabbed Roy's hand.

They dragged her into dancing an unknown dance with almost random steps, making her spin around in front of the campfire.

Everyone reveled in the unexpectedly expanded celebration.

Later, no one remembered that the original reason for the celebration was hunting a water ghost.

No one remembers how it gradually evolved from just a few tables and a few dishes into a grand feast for the whole village.

All they remember is that

Today, they celebrated, even if it was unreasonable, even if it was without reason.

But this joy... can form a thick armor worn outside their spirit.

And with this thick armor, to bear the sorrows of reality that will rise as usual tomorrow...

But all of that is for the future.

At this moment, no one speaks, no one thinks, only:

"Is there any more wine?"

"Give me another drink!"

"drink!"

……

The party ended in the middle of the night, when everyone was exhausted.

Roy woke up abruptly to the rustling sound of shoes being put on.

At that moment, on another small bed two meters away, Geralt was putting on his gear.

Outside, there was not a single ray of light; it seemed as if it were still the dead of night.

"Don't speak or move yet."

Geralt's deliberately lowered voice rang out, and after Roy gave him a signal, he continued:

"Hark asked me a lot of questions about werewolves at the banquet, especially about how werewolves break the curse, and just now, I also heard the door in the next room open."

"You haven't been following me long enough; you're not good at hiding your tracks or following me, and you're even less visible at night."

"You stay here, take your rifle."

"I'll go see what Huck is up to so late."

"Okay!" Roy replied in a low voice.

Although he didn't want to admit it, he had to admit that on this dark night, he was a complete burden.

It's hard to see clearly, and it's easy to make noise; the spear also urgently needs repair.

"Remember not to fall asleep, I'm afraid the werewolf will come. If you get sleepy, cast the Clear Spring spell. If the werewolf comes, remember, run! If it gets caught, use Aard on it, then keep running!"

Geralt gave his final instructions, then climbed out the back window and silently disappeared into the night outside, like a ghost.

The front door hinges were rusty, and making a loud creaking sound when moved, though it was unclear whether the hunter Hack had done it intentionally.

But this also became the first hurdle that bound Roy.

"Coca-Cola! Come here, yes, don't shout!"

After Geralt left, Roy gently called out to Coffin, and only felt somewhat at ease after stroking the dog's head as it approached.

He got up barefoot, pinpointed the location of the rifle, and then focused intently on an empty basin of water, silently reciting:

"Aquer"

After he finished chanting the incantation, the water vapor on his forehead visibly condensed and manifested, gradually condensing into a fist-sized water ball as he moved his index and middle fingers, and then falling into the basin of water as he intended.

Splash! (whispering)

Roy carefully splashed some water in the basin, wet his palms, and patted them on his face and neck to try and clear his head.

The Clear Spring Technique was the main gain this afternoon.

Among the attribute bonds obtained from hunting water ghosts in the afternoon

The water ghost's attribute bonus was negligible, merely making his legs more powerful and his tendons stronger. But the seemingly insignificant "trace amount of water element affinity" in parentheses...

However, when Roy killed five of them, it was enough to trigger a change in the water element, causing Geralt's wolf crest to vibrate.

By the time he had killed 10, Roy could completely replicate Geralt's ability to condense dew in his palm.

And after killing 20 of them...

The Clear Spring Technique has already developed to the point where it can condense water spheres the size of a fist, or even larger.

To a degree that Geralt could not possibly do.

It's unclear whether Roy's heightened sensitivity to magical flow is due to his affinity with water, or if it's because of his Witcher bond that his body has begun to develop mutated organs for storing magic, much like Geralt's...

In short, when Geralt was teaching him the Aard spell,

Roy only tried a dozen times before he successfully released himself.

However, it is also quite different from Geralt's Aard.

His Aard draws upon the magical power throughout his body, not from the storage of his mutated organs. In other words, his Aard remains powerful while placing less strain on his body.

In addition, his Aard wave was bluer and deeper in color, not as icy and clear as Geralt's, and it also had some moisture that Geralt's sign did not have!

Geralt joked that if Roy kept killing like this, while others' Alder might be an air-shaking or air-shaking attack, his would be a water-shaking attack! A water-shaking attack!

Of course, such peculiar progress aroused Geralt's suspicion.

So, of the 23 water ghosts, Geralt killed 3 of them himself in his shock.

Then, no more...

The only change was that the pop-up message on Roy's panel changed to: "I have gained Geralt's approval and envy!"

This is also why Roy got his 7th Witcher synergy point.

but……

No matter what, no matter how much I acknowledge and admire,

Those are just future talents that have not yet been realized as strength!

He is still Geralt's burden!

It's a burden that you have to huddle by the bedside!

It was in the deathly silent room.

All that could be heard was Coffin's soft breathing and the occasional rustling sound outside the window, which was hard to tell whether it was the wind or footsteps.

And there he stood, silent in this dark room, letting the darkness surge in from all directions like a tide, pressing down on him...

burden.

All he could do was hold the gun and pet the dog.

They didn't even dare lie in bed, fearing they'd be wiped out by the first wave of attacks, and could only crouch by the bedside in the silent, deep night.

A voice, both unspoken and resolute, cried out in my heart:

"Panel, please anchor all my unanchored skill points!"

I desperately need strength!

I desperately need to become stronger!