The red sun perched over the horizon, half of it burning the yellow skies up, draping it with the hue of a great fire, the other half reflecting on the surface of the sea like a lone yolk in a bowl of seafood stew.
A fishing boat was floating around the isle of Undvik, a basket sitting in the center, and a small school of slender sardines jumped around in it. Brock was sporting a sealskin jacket and a straw hat that day, languidly sitting on the bow of his boat, fishing away while enjoying the touch of the sea breeze. He stared out at the sea, admiring the golden glimmer of its gently crashing waves.
The night before, the goddess Freya appeared in his dream and gave him a foretelling. She promised a weather good enough for a fishing session, and that prophecy held true. It had only been a few hours of fishing, but he had made a few days' worth of haul. Good. Another seafood feast for my grandchild.
And his boat started to wobble. Hastily, Brock held down the boat's hull and steadied himself. The waves started rising higher, crashing down with a roar, and whirlpools spun beside the boat, as if something were darting underwater at a speed so fast, it was stirring up a mess on the surface.
Brock's eyes went wide, and he saw a black silhouette swimming underneath his boat. The silhouette was a marlin, and one bigger than any marlin he'd caught before. The golden sunshine pierced through the seawater, illuminating something uncannily humanoid, something sleek and slender.
"Ekhidnas on a hunt for sharks?" Brock pulled his head back from the edge of his boat, holding his harpoon as tightly as he could. Frantically, he grabbed a sardine from his basket, cut a gash into it, and tossed it into the sea.
Blood colored the seawater red, and the foams of the waves swallowed it. "By Freya!" Brock desperately rowed to the coast, tossing a bloody sardine every hundred yards or so.
Yet he was too slow.
An enormous, elliptical being pushed through the surface of the water, halting the boat. It was a humanoid head, yet it was roughly ten times bigger than any human head. Its features were scrunched up and jumbled into a hideous face, a protrusion sagging from its forehead. The head had a big nose and an even wider mouth. The marlin Brock saw earlier was snapped in its maw, blood trickling down the monster's teeth. The monster had eyes as big as rubies, and they glinted with bloodlust.
A group of half-bird, half-woman creatures flapped their wings and pierced through the sea's surface. They took to the air, droplets of water raining back into the sea, glimmering under the sun. The monsters held sardine in their beaks, circling the boat, screeching into the air.
Freya, have mercy. Two o' these monsters will spell the doom of me. Five? An' a ne'er-seen-before giant? I'm done for. Brock let go of his oars and held his harpoon tight as he unsteadily stood up.
Sea winds howled across the waters, resolution flaring in the old man's eyes. These bastards might get the better o' Ol' Brock, but I ain't gonna turn tail an' run like a coward. I'll die in battle, just like a man of Skellige.
Much to Brock's surprise, the giant suddenly turned around and made its way to the beach, ignoring him. The bird monsters followed suit.
Slowly, the group of monsters closed in on the shore, and Brock saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life. A blue-skinned giant in a lackluster jacket walked out of the sea, heading toward the coast, a desolate, ancient whistle escaping its lips.
The ekhidnas circled overhead, screeching in response. The fisherman was slack-jawed, his breathing almost coming to a stop. And then a cloaked figure appeared, sitting on the giant's shoulder, the blades on his back glinting under the sun. The figure held the giant's sopping long hair with one hand, waving slowly at Brock with the other, as if saying goodbye to him.
Somethin's sittin' on the giant's shoulder? What's that? Brock rubbed his eyes, but the giant had entered the lush mountains, disappearing into the woods. All his strength lost, Brock plopped onto the bow, a rush of air escaping his lips. Beads of sweat drenched his beard and hair.
"By Freya… A blue giant that can control those flyin' monsters? Goddess, could that be? The slumberin' giant in the freezin' mountains? But why didn't it kill me? And who's the guy on its shoulder? No, first I got to tell e'eryone about this. They must know the giant has come back."
***
Winds howled, the witcher's cloak and hair billowing. He was sitting on the ice giant's shoulder as it lumbered through the mountains of Undvik. Every step it took made the ground rumble, and the sound of its footsteps spread far and wide. Big flocks of snow buntings flew off the branches, seeking a quieter place.
Standing on a giant granted Roy a different perspective. The world felt different and new. The air was crisper, colder, and everything he saw was white. White ice, snow-capped trees, and snow covered branches. The witcher grabbed a frozen acorn, and a patch of snow fell to the ground, revealing a nest underneath. The hatchlings squawked, craning their necks, calling their mother to feed them.
The hatchlings' mother, however, was on the other side of the woods, scared off by the giant. The witcher patted the giant's head, and it bent down obediently, huddling closer to the nest as its master tore a fish into strips. Roy then fed the fish to the hatchlings, and he snapped his fingers.
The giant kept walking. In the bushes underneath, white foxes and hares carefully stuck their heads out, looking at the giant with curiosity and fear.
The giant roared and emerged from the woods.
"Start running, Leviathan."
The ice giant started to run. Despite its hulking mass, the giant could sprint. In just five seconds, it cleared nearly a hundred yards. The monster was faster than the best horse this world could provide.
The echoes of its footsteps spread across the air, an icy-blue mountain moving at high speeds across the snow-capped fields and woods. Everywhere the giant went, the earth would shake, and the mountains would rumble.
The witcher stayed with the giant as it charged through the prairie, and they came to the cliff of a snow-capped mountain. The giant scaled the walls, digging its toes and fingers into the stone easily. Ice giants were born with the talent and instinct to climb, and the skin on Leviathan's limbs shot out a surge of bizarre energy, sticking it to the snow.
The ice giant leapt from the top of the mountain, crossing a valley that spanned at least forty yards, and it landed on a mountainside. Despite the mountainside's uneven walls and jutting rock formations, the ice giant still climbed as fast as a lizard, holding a protruding boulder with both hands, swinging around like a gorilla.
Despite its mountainous size, the giant didn't feel slow. On the contrary, it was agile and had great balance.
***
Under the witcher's command and the ekhidnas' guide, the ice giant crossed the mountain range and climbed to the highest peak of Undvik's northern mountains. It was also the giant's old den.
Excited, Leviathan thumped its chest and let out a roar, announcing its return.
Roy stood atop the center of the giant's head, looking up at the golden sun, then he looked down, but everything looked as small as insects. Everything in Undvik was right under his feet. Under his mercy. "I'm the king of Undvik!"
***
They came into Leviathan's old home, and Roy sat beside a bonfire, balls of cotton plugging his nose. Even though Leviathan just had a bath and a change of clothes, the odor it had was still pungent enough to make Roy nauseous.
The ice giant sat on the other side of the cave, simpering. Resistance would bring it nothing but nightmares.
"After I leave Undvik, you're going to stay in your den and sleep, you hear? Only exception is when you have to hunt for food. Once every three days, you'll be hunting for fish in the sea. You're not allowed to attack humans. Good job staying away from the fisherman. Don't worry if you're seen. Just come back and hide in your den. If anything happens, contact me. You know how. And remember, tell your ekhidnas to stop hunting humans. The sea has enough fish for them to feed on."
Roy was stern with the giant, and Leviathan didn't try to argue. It nodded, a stark contrast from its old, belligerent self.
Roy extended his hand, and the giant quickly bent down and huddled its head closer for the witcher to pat. The ice giant almost felt like a pet. Roy nodded, satisfied. He meditated countless times and endured the dizziness and nausea from the mana exhaustion required to save this giant. Now, the giant was doing his bidding. No matter how powerful it was in the past, the beast now only followed his orders.
And now the witchers finally had their weapon of mass destruction. The ice giant was nigh invincible, had great strength, and was the size of a two-story building. It was enough to deal with an army.
After taming the ice giant, Roy read through its memories and noticed that the giant had been in hibernation for a hundred and ten years. Before this, it lived the life of a pig, spending its days eating and sleeping. Sometimes the sleep would last for five to six years, sometimes a century or two. If Roy hadn't woken it up, the giant wouldn't have woken up for at least eight years. Still, that was a good point. At least Roy didn't have to spend too much time keeping an eye on the giant.
***
After the lecture, Roy concentrated on his character sheet, his mind bombarded by a mountain of new information. After that smashing attack from the giant, he had to level up, or he would've died.
'Level (12 → 13) Witcher (100/14500) [3000 EXP spent on leveling up Sherry.]
Main stat (Will): 30 → 32
(1) skill point remaining. (1) stat point remaining.'
Level 10 Meditation had been a big boon for Roy, and now his first task was to get his second Level 10 skill. There was only one skill to spend the stat point on, then.
'Massacre Level 8 → Level 9
(Bloody Aura: Any enemy that is within a 3-meter radius (should they attack) has a 20% chance (locked) to be Feared by the aura of Massacre. If the enemy's Will is the same or lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for at most 3 seconds.
You now permanently deal (35 → 40)% extra damage to species of creatures you have hunted before.
Fear: You may activate this skill and Fear single, multiple, or all targets within a 3-meter radius around you. Performs a mandatory Will check. If the targets' Will are the same or lower than yours, they will lose control of their body for at most 3 seconds. Cooldown: 1.5 → 1 minute.
Note: This skill will level up as you kill. The higher the number and type of creatures you kill, the higher this skill's level is.)
"Massacre's corresponding stat is Will, and that's 30 points now. Once Massacre reaches level 10, it should power up once more."
Roy didn't spend his stat point. His highest stat was already 32, and that was enough for him for now. An increment would barely help him right now.
***
The young witcher turned his attention to his bound weapons. Once again, Gabriel's appearance had changed. What was once a crimson hand crossbow covered in gem dust had turned into an ivory weapon that was almost bonelike to the touch. The bowstring had changed into a greenish-grey tendon. One little pull, and the string would slither like a viper.
'Hand crossbow—Gabriel
You have dragon bones and dragon tendon in your inventory. Gabriel gains a special power up.
The Obsidian Bolt: The bowstring made of cyclops tendon is now switched out for the tendon of Mirmulnir. Gabriel's bolts gain more piercing power and effective range. Every tenth bolt, Gabriel's new components shall grant it more power, giving the tenth shot incredible piercing power.
Components: Mulberry wood → dragon bone, hemp, mana, cyclops tendon → dragon tendon
Specs: Weighs (9 → 15) pounds, measures at 0.9 meters long, draw strength (140 → 200) pounds. Effective range (143 → 200) meters.
Affixes: Simplify, Guided Arrows (Elevated), Blink (Elevated), Stun Bolt, Ogre's Fury (Elevated), The Obsidian Bolt, Mark of the Gemstone.'
***
Roy fired off at the frozen wall of the cave, the bolts leaving dark blurs. As they exploded at the walls, icicles and debris flew around, revealing small craters in the wall.
And then came the tenth shot.
No longer did the bolt whizz sharp and loud. Instead, it produced nothing but a whisper. The witcher froze. Even with his sight, he couldn't capture the arc of the bolt, and the impact didn't produce any cracks of debris.
The witcher went up to the wall and saw a small hole in it, and he felt a small gust of wind blowing into the cave, the rays of the sun forming a slanted beam.
The tenth shot pierced through the half-meter thick wall and flew into the air outside. So that's what it means by 'incredible piercing power.' I can't imagine what kind of substance can block this thing. It can probably shoot through dragon scales, let alone regular metal.
***
Half an hour of experimenting later, the witcher happily tucked the hand crossbow away.
The ice giant was sitting on the ground, watching its master in confusion. It stared at Roy, frowning and falling into a stupor.
Roy grabbed a sword out of thin air. Gwyhyr used to be smooth, level, and its blade glinted white. However, now its blade was swapped out for dragon bone, and it glimmered like white jade. It was slightly rough to the touch, the back and the edge of the blade curving ever so slightly.
It was a sharp weapon, and yet it looked so exotic.
'Steel sword—Gwyhyr
You have dragon bones, dragon scales, and dragon blood in your inventory. Part of Gwyhyr's components have been switched out. You currently possess the power to ameliorate your soul into the form of a dragon. You have learned Sword Mastery Level 3. Gwyhyr ganis a special power up.
Symphony of the Sword—Dragon: The amelioration of your soul grants you synchronization with the dragon components of Gwyhyr. You can launch an attack that contains nearly the full power of an adult dragon. This skill's strength will change according to the level of Sword Mastery and the strength of your soul. You have undergone thirteen level ups and the meditation for a dragon's soul. Cooldown: 20 minutes 54 seconds → 17 minutes 54 seconds.'
The level up strengthened Roy's soul as well, and the cooldown for Shout was reduced by three minutes.
'Components: Dark iron and pine wood → dragon bones, meteoric iron, magma, leather → dragon scales, powdered monster tissue → dragon blood.
Specs: Weights (3.06 → 6) pounds, hilt measures at 9.3 inches, blade measures at 36 inches.
Affixes:
Circulation, Ignite, Painful Strike (Elevated), Teleport (Elevated), Suppression (Elevated), Frostbite, Devour (Elevated), Symphony of the Sword—Dragon.'
***
Roy held the hilt tight, facing the ice giant. He blinked, and then a visible stream of air rushed out of his armor, stirring up a small dust tornado, floating in the air.
The ice giant tensed up, as if it would face a great enemy. It clenched its fists, staring at the witcher. Roy was still a puny human, and yet the ice giant suddenly saw something much bigger standing behind him.
A black, armored dragon, and it overlapped with the witcher. The dragon's head and the witcher's head overlapped, and it bared its fangs, its eyes filled with iciness, looking down at everything and everyone in this world.
Roy held the sword tight and bent his leg a little. He held the sword up by his cheek, getting into the ox position. He stomped his foot and charged ahead, thrusting his sword at the open air. The blade tore through the air with a buzz, and then a dragon's roar echoed throughout the cave.
For a moment, the Strength stat on his character sheet jumped from 16 to 30. The dragon's phantom swiped its impressive barbed tail across the ground, its scales undulating as the witcher charged ahead. Then it flapped its wings and pounced ten yards ahead into the air, tearing and snarling at whatever the edge of the blade was pointing at.
A dark silhouette hurtled across the air, crashing into the wall, and it left a big hole behind for the snow and fierce winds to come in from.
The silhouette disappeared into the air.
A smile curled Roy's lips. The dragon might be an illusion, but it could interact with the world around it. The moment he cast Symphony of the Sword—Dragon, for a few moments, Roy would possess enough strength to face an ice giant head on.
***
The witcher unsheathed Aerondight, its once-crimson blade possessing a tinge of gleaming ivory, as if small patches of snow had found their way into a pool of blood.
'Silver sword—Aerondight.
You have spent an extra 3000 EXP to level up Guardian: Whenever you wield Aerondight, Sherry shall join you in battle, increasing all your stats by (10 → 15)% (limited to stats not higher than [20 → 25] points). This skill can also level up one of the user's skills by one level (limited to skills not higher than Level [4 → 5] or an affix by one rank (limited to affixes that have at most gone through [2 → 3] power ups). The user may swap between these power ups once per day.
Note: Every time this weapon is strengthened, its sentience shall grow as well, but at the cost of more pure souls.'
Roy flicked the blade, and it let out a crisp sound, and then a slender, translucent silhouette leapt into the air, dancing behind Roy, and a silvery laugh rang in the air. Sherry looked even more corporeal than ever, her smile beautiful and almost lively.
Roy watched her dance without saying a word, then they exchanged a look, and he saw her off as she disappeared into thin air
The details for Aerondight changed.
'Silver sword—Aerondight
Components: Tearstone, dark iron → dragon bones, cured draconid leather → dragon scales, powdered monster tissue → dragon blood, nymph blood, silver
Specs: Weighs (6.06 → 9) pounds, hilt measures at 11 inches, blade measures at 40 inches
Soul Power: Guardian (the power up is now applied to Devour)
Affixes: Mana Reduction, Aqua Blessing, Aqua Summoning, Teleport (Elevated), Suppression (Elevated), Devour (Twice Elevated), Symphony of the Sword—Dragon
Note: This sword is a gift from the Lady of the Lake—Vivienne to Roy. Only you who have passed the trial can wield this sword.'
***
Roy took a deep breath, tucked his weapons away, and gave the ice giant—that was cowering in the corner in fright—a reassuring look. "Time to leave."
The level up this time just added a few more trump cards up Roy's sleeve. Fear, The Obsidian Bolt, Shout, Symphony of the Sword—Dragon, Ring of Time, and Worldgate. Roy looked out the slit on the wall to the far east, where Hindarsfjall was located. My preparations are complete. "I'm coming for you, Ortolan."
***
***
