Chapter 12: Sword, Angry Slash Harpy
Lambert whistled. "Not bad, did the old man tell you all this?"
"No, I read it in books. I've read all the books in the castle's library."
"When I was your age, I couldn't sit still." Lambert gave a quick sigh. "Wodhe, he was just like you, loved carrying books around day and night. We used to tease him, saying he should attend Oxenfurt University, not Kaer Morhen."
Lynn asked, perplexed, "Wodhe?"
Lambert's tone turned serious. "An apprentice who trained with me. When we went through the Cyclops' cave, he didn't make it."
Lynn sighed and said.
"It's all right, all water under the bridge." Lambert rubbed his cheeks, holding back a reassuring smile. "In those years, we all swam across the lake. Kid, you're lucky. I've got a small boat, let's take it across."
Lynn did not say anything.
Lambert cocked his head, gazed at him, and smiled. "Hey, kid, don't wrinkle up that face. I'm not as fragile as you think. Death and living are commonplace in my profession, I've seen a lot of it. It's just."
"I hope you make it, kid."
The two men remained silent the rest of the way.
Until the dilapidated boathouse and small boat tied to the dock came into view.
Lambert was about to speak when his face abruptly turned solemn.
"Wait, did you hear that?"
"I heard it, and I saw it."
Lynn unbuckled the silver sword on his back and prepared for battle.
From the distant lake, a large shadow was rapidly approaching them.
Like other monsters, harpies too are a product of the Conjunction of the Spheres.
They prefer to roost in arid and mountainous areas, and sparsely populated Blue Mountains provide an ideal solution.
Harpies hunt in groups, usually from several to twenty. Although they are timid and cautious, if their group is more numerous than that of the adversary, they will attack without hesitation.
Two Witchers on the lake shore not far from here were spotted by a few harpies flying above the lake.
They chattered in their characteristic calls, and then split into two groups.
One of them came running towards Lynn, and the other towards Lambert.
To attract the harpies' attention.
He deliberately placed himself out in the open space.
Then he took the sword in one hand, standing still on the ground like a reef.
Until the diving harpy was very close to him, he unexpectedly switched from holding the sword with one hand to holding the hilt with both.
Lambert has a dirty mouth.
But his expertise is undeniable.
Especially his knowledge of timing, which is exquisite.
At first, the harpies made use of the speed brought about by diving to attack the enemy.
But Lambert used it to do the opposite.
Before the harpy's claws got to gut him, he smashed the harpy's shoulder and chest with one swing of his sword.
The latter let out an odd shriek and fell like a broken string kite.
Lambert sidestepped, keeping away from rolling harpy, as his left hand swiftly created the Aard sign gesture, and slapped a swooping harpy with a palm strike.
The harpy did not have time to react, as if it hit an invisible fence, turned in mid-air, and landed headfirst on the ground.
There was a sharp cracking noise, and the neck and head of the harpy showed an unnatural and spine-tingling twist.
It thrashed on the ground for a second and then froze.
Lambert had killed two harpies in an instant.
Harpies are not very smart, but the biological compulsion to seek advantages and avoid danger made the two other harpies encircling Lambert act in a drastically different manner.
One harpy just spun around and flew away as fast as it could.
The other one tried a half loop, trying to get Lambert from behind.
The Wolf School Witcher medallion on Lambert's chest then shook violently.
Lambert didn't turn back, but moved to the side, dodging the harpy's stealth attack behind him.
After that, the silver sword in his hand sparkled with icy light.
The body and the harpy's head rolled on the ground separately.
Looking at the fleeing harpy, and confirming that he was unable to pursue, Lambert relinquished.
Almost just as he was helping Lynn, he was taken aback by finding that.
The battle on Lynn's side was also over.
When Lambert told Lynn to retreat, Lynn did so.
He was not afraid, nor was he about to run away.
But to take the harpies to a battlefield more suited to Witchers.
Because their physical bodies are not similar to human bodies, harpies use their flying ability to quickly descend and strike enemies, and fly back up into the air.
But if they fall to the ground, they are as clumsy as hens.
There was a small wood not far from the boathouse.
Lynn used rolling instead of retreating, and retreated quickly into the small wood.
Among the harpies that chased closely, one didn't even have a chance to turn back, and its wings hit a tall spruce tree.
It lost balance at once.
It fell from the air in a dog-eating-shit position.
By the time it stood up, someone had already extended their hand towards it.
The silver sword was raised high, and then chopped down with strength.
The muffled sound of a sharp blade slicing flesh was heard.
The silver sword sliced into the harpy's head, cutting off half of its skull.
He stepped on the monster's chest, kicked it away, and pulled out the bloodied silver sword.
And then suddenly a foul and pungent gust of air hit him from behind, as if dead bodies rotting in unison with bird dung.
He rolled over instinctively out of sheer reaction to get away.
And his left hand drew the Igni sign symbol, shooting a serpent-shaped flame in the direction he just stood.
The power of the skilled level sig was a bit weak, but fortunately, the harpy's own feathers doubled as an igniter.
Burnt hair scent hit his face.
One of the harpies was set aflame directly.
It fell to the ground, thrashing and trying to smother the flame on its body.
The second harpy's wings were not even burnt much, but it was enough to prevent it from flying back up.
Not used to being on the ground, it awkwardly fired attacks at Lynn, which were easily avoided by Lynn.
Lynn used an Aard sign to shock it, and then entered a thrusting stance.
The following instant.
He stomped on the ground with power.
He burst out like a crossbow bolt.
With all his power, he put it into the edge of the silver sword, easily plunging the last harpy's throat.
A fiery current surged in his body, Lynn pulled out the attribute panel and examined it.
"Attribute points: 0 (2%) → 0 (19%)"
I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who support me on this journey. Your contribution make a real difference!
As a patron, you unlock:
Exclusive Access: Get advanced chapters ahead of everyone else.
👉 Join now: [email protected]/Chaos_God