Chapter 2: You Are the Best of This Batch of Newcomers
For a Witcher, rich monster knowledge and experience in fighting monsters are as important as a sword.
These are all lessons summarized by predecessors with blood.
If you can't take an educated shot at what kind of monster you're facing from the traces, not only does it add unnecessary complication to the battle, but it's also a foolish and dumb look.
"Today we will talk about the first monster, and that is the ghoul."
"Ghouls are body-eating creatures. They appear in cemeteries, near ancient tombs, and where corpses are buried."
"Because they love to feed on fresh corpses, they turn up wherever there are new grave openings: cemeteries, tombs, battlegrounds, etc."
"Ghouls usually hunt in packs of small size, and usually these packs are led by giant ghouls."
"If they are given a chance, they will even attack living human beings, especially when they're in the minority."
Lynn listened carefully to the lecture by Vesemir in the castle room.
After Vesemir finished explaining everything that was in the ghoul chapter, he slammed the book shut and faced Lynn.
"Lynn, remember what I explained to you earlier about the weakness of the ghoul?"
Lynn hardly took any time to ponder: "Only flame, silver, and intense sunlight can slay ghouls."
Vesemir spoke in agreement.
"Of course, Witchers wield two swords, and the silver sword is precisely the weapon with which one deals with monsters."
Lynn knew it all too well.
He also knew that the silver sword was not pure silver but silver-coated steel core.
Silver will harm the monsters which had emigrated to this planet at the Conjunction of the Spheres, but weapons made of pure silver are beyond what anyone can afford, and ineffective as weapons themselves, so it is enough to apply a coat of silver over the surface of a steel sword, and no need to manufacture pure silver weapons.
Witchers don't merely need to practice martial arts, but must learn the required knowledge and martial arts.
Because Witchers are usually lone wolves, and monsters are always bunched up or possess power much greater than ordinary people.
Therefore, monster hunting is not just about swords, but also brains.
Before fighting a monster, the Witcher needs to know the species, name, characteristics, and weaknesses of the monster, so that he can use the right weapons and sword oils in the next fight.
And once judgment is wrong.
This is why scarcely anyone ever dies in bed.
There was a pause, and Vesemir repeated his question.
"So what's the difference between a ghoul and a rotfiend?"
Lynn answered nearly without thinking: "The biggest difference is the three bone crowns on the head."
Vesemir nodded: "You reacted well. Rotfiends are much more deadly than ghouls. Rotfiend wounds, no matter how minor, will infect humans with corpse poison. Then what kind of potion can treat corpse poison?"
Lynn answered: "Golden Oriole."
The enjoyment in Vesemir's eyes could hardly be concealed: "Correct answer, but the correct manner is not to poison. So when fighting rotfiends, you can't fight them close-up. You must keep yourself away from it and use jump attack at the appropriate time.".
The days in Kaer Morhen were plodding and dull, training in swords, reading monster lore, and venturing out of Kaer Morhen to hunt creatures in the mountains every day.
The experience points from creatures to Lynn were ridiculously low, and so he spent a few days saving in order to save up a single attribute point.
However, he was not anxious or impatient.
Witchers live a long life, and he himself is only thirteen years old now, and he has a lot of time in front of him.
Perhaps killing monsters can grant more experience points, but he does have proper self-awareness. Although he is now on par with an official Witcher when it comes to fighting with swords, he is still an apprentice to others.
Therefore, it is still necessary to start little by little.
After all, it is not a game but real life.
You cannot reload and begin again in the real world.
The time passed swiftly in the chaotic schedule.
Ere long, the worst winter of the year crept stealthily in.
Kaer Morhen is situated deep in the Blue Mountains.
Blue Mountains are in the north of Kaedwen Kingdom, therefore the cold wave here is more turbulent and the blizzard is more violent.
And other Wolf School Witchers, if not obstructed by something, are inclined to make every effort to return to Kaer Morhen to reunite and spend winter.
It was Lynn's first winter here.
The first snow fell very early.
At first, it was just nice snowflakes, but soon enough it was a blizzard that howled all night.
By morning after, Kaer Morhen walls were covered with the snowdrifts.
Lynn and Vesemir had begun shoveling snow earlier than dawn to make a path.
As they were busy until the sun, the ringing of horses' hooves and footfalls suddenly echoed.
Lynn and Vesemir both turned around, and saw three men riding three horses with loads and parcels entering the city gate.
The leader man had white hair, a strong-looking face, and a height.
While his chin was bristling with beard, it didn't detract from his appearance, but lent a lot of masculinity.
The two black-haired men standing behind him looked fairly young.
One man sported a beautiful knife scar on his face, from eye to cheek.
And the other man was even more frightening, since half his face was hidden behind deforming scars.
"Geralt, Lambert, Eskel, welcome home."
The three of them warmly embraced Vesemir.
They all then turned their eyes towards Lynn.
"Is this the child who succeeded in the Trial of the Grasses?"
Before Lynn's transmigration, there were indeed more than him at Kaer Morhen, but several other children.
They were all orphans whom Vesemir rescued.
It's just that the remaining other apprentices in his class died in the Trial of the Grasses.
The Trial of the Grasses is the second, and also mandatory, stage of the Witcher trials.
Young apprentices can only become actual Witchers after undergoing the extremely painful Trial of the Grasses and surviving through the subsequent stage of mutation.
Unfortunately, the chances of survival through the Trial of the Grasses is extremely low, at most typically no higher than 30%.
Even though Kaer Morhen has a more overall inheritance than any other Witcher school, that's still 40%.
"Kid, you're the best of all those brats."
Lambert stereotypically mocked.
Geralt aside couldn't help but point to his forehead: "Shut up, Lambert."
Lambert spread his hands open.
"What, did I speak incorrectly? Even if this boy can get through the final test, what for? He will die in some swamp in a year."
This was when Vesemir stepped forward.
"Lambert, winter has just arrived, do you want to spend the rest of the few months in an old and wrecked castle with a cranky old man?"
Lambert finally closed his mouth.
"Kid, don't pay any mind to what Lambert just said. With us here, you don't have anything to worry about."
Geralt dropped to his knees in front of Lynn and put his hand on his shoulder, speaking softly.
Actually, even if Geralt had not spoken, he would not mind.
Because he perfectly well knew that the nature of Lambert was so.
He was cranky, liked speaking rudely, and was argumentative and sarcastic.
His arrogant and taunting nature was intolerable even to other Wolf School Witchers.
And there were reasons for everything.
Lambert once had an irresponsible father. Because his drunken father was rescued by a Witcher, he was sent to Kaer Morhen as a reward for the Law of Surprise.
But whatever his flaws were, they were all appearances.
In fact, he was genuine and was concerned about his friends, and he would go to any lengths for his companions.
Although he didn't ever hold back when expressing that he hated Kaer Morhen so much.
However, when it was time to defend Kaer Morhen, he arrived with no hesitation at all.
Vesemir put his hands on his hips and stood in line.
"Chit-Chat can wait until the evening. Lynn, you go bring Geralt's horses inside the castle and then remain inside the castle; do not go out, study the monster knowledge lessons I've taught you."
"As for you two, you've come back on time; go get tools and help clean snow."