Snow filled the world beyond Kaer Morhen.
It lay thick across the mountain slopes, heavy on the branches of the pines, packed deep into the hollows between roots and stones. The forest beyond the keep was silent in that strange way winter made things silent, not empty, but waiting. Every sound felt swallowed before it could travel far. Every movement had weight. Every breath turned white in the air.
The trees stood like dark spears covered in endless white snow, their branches bowed beneath frost and snow. Somewhere farther down the slope, a creek moved beneath a skin of ice, its faint trickle almost too quiet for normal ears.
Cain heard it anyway.
He lay half-buried in the snow beneath a covering of white fur, rough cloth, and packed powder, his body hidden almost completely against the winter ground. His snow-camouflage cloak and hood had been stitched from pale hides and layered with loose fibers that caught snow well enough to make him look like nothing more than another drift beneath a pine.
Only his eyes stood out. He did not blink as the deer moved through the trees.
It was large, heavy-bodied, older than the younger deer that had already fled deeper into the valley weeks ago. Its coat was thick for winter, its ribs not yet showing, meaning it had found enough bark and buried grass to survive the season better than most. It stepped carefully through the snow, lowering its head now and then to sniff at the ground.
Cain held his breath and lined up his shot
The bow in his hands was cold even through the wrapping around the grip. His fingers were steady. Six years ago, they would have trembled from cold, fear, or weakness. Now they held firm despite the bite of winter. His body had learned the mountain. It had learned discomfort. It had learned stillness.
The deer lifted its head suddenly. Its ears twitched. It stared out into the distance, body going tense.
Cain knew that look.
Something had almost given them away. Maybe Callum shifting in his sleep. Maybe the wind turning. Maybe the deer had simply reached the edge of its luck or another predator is close by.
Cain released. The arrow cut through the winter air with a thin hiss. It struck between the deer's eyes.
The animal dropped instantly, legs folding beneath it as its body hit the snow with a heavy thud. For a few seconds, it spasmed, hooves scraping weakly through powder. Then it went still.
Cain remained motionless for three more breaths, and then he rose from the snow.
White fur and camouflage shifted as the figure hidden beneath the drift straightened. Snow fell from his shoulders and hood. He was taller now, though still young, his body lean under the layered winter gear. The lower half of his face had been wrapped against the cold, but when he pulled the cloth down, rich brown skin caught the pale winter sunlight.
His snow-white hair was longer now, tied back into a practical ponytail, the sides shaved close. A few loose strands clung to his brow from sweat and frost. His golden cat eyes narrowed against the glare.
"Goddammit, it's cold," I muttered. My voice sounded too loud in the winter hush.
I looked toward the deer and exhaled slowly, frost spilling from my lips.
"Took me all winter," I said under my breath, "but I finally got you."
I slung the bow over my body and started toward the kill, each step crunching softly through the snow. The shot was clean. Clean enough that Vesemir would approve. Eskel would probably grunt and say something about not wasting time admiring it. Lambert would ask if I wanted applause. Geralt would point out three things I could have done better.
Callum would ask how much meat it had, and speaking of Callum. I stopped beside the deer, turned my head slightly, and looked toward a mound of snow beneath a half-fallen pine.
"Wake up the fuck Callum."
But nothing, then I stared.
"Callum!"
The mound jolted. Stands of red-haired head burst out of the snow like a startled fox, white powder flying from his hood and shoulders.
"I'm up, I'm up" Callum said quickly, voice thick with sleep.
I gave him a flat look.
His emerald Witcher cat eyes blinked at me from beneath messy strands of red hair. He had grown taller than me over the years, which he reminded me of whenever he could. Even half-awake and covered in snow, he looked annoyingly comfortable in his body.
I sighed. "I know I said I'd keep watch for the deer, but you've been sleeping far past your turn."
Callum yawned so wide I could see his sharp teeth. "Sorry," he said, rubbing at his eyes. "This cold just puts me to sleep."
I chuckled despite myself. "You're a wild beast with the appetite you have, so that's not surprising."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever Cain, can we go now I can't feel my toes."
"After you carry the deer back brother."
Callum gave me a look and I looked back.
He groaned dramatically, pushed himself fully out of the snow, and trudged toward the carcass. Even half-asleep, he moved with the easy physical confidence of someone who had been trained by monsters to fight monsters. He grabbed the deer, adjusted his grip, and with a grunt lifted it over his shoulder.
It was not nothing, even for him. But he made it look much easier than he had any right to.
"You know," he said, turning toward the trail back, "one of these days you're going to shoot something small enough for you to carry."
"One of these days you're going to stay awake during your watch. And also not eat more then three men in one sitting."
"That's unrealistic."
"So is your appetite."
He grinned. "My appetite is a gift from the elven gods, one day it will save us just you wait."
"Okay, but until then it's a curse on our pantry."
We started the hike back toward Kaer Morhen.
The mountain trail was not much of a trail in winter, but after years here, we knew the safe paths well enough. The snow was packed down in places by repeated passage, hidden under fresh powder in others. The trees broke the worst of the wind, but not all of it. It slid between trunks and found gaps in our clothes, biting at the skin beneath.
As we walked, my thoughts drifted backward.
It's been six years since Callum and I survived the Trial of the Grasses and the Trial of Dreams. Six years since I learned the Elder Blood flowed in my veins.
After the Trial of Dreams, Vesemir and Aiag had told me enough to make the danger clear. Not everything, but I knew enough not to question them. They talked about Lara Dorren, the Hen Ichaer, and Aen Elle. They told me and the other Witcher's at the keep that this remains secret to all outsiders. Especially for my sake.
No exceptions. Especially form mages, only those from Aiag's hidden druidic circle will now.
My only concern at the time had been pretending not to know more than I should. Hiding my abilities had been easier than expected, mainly because no one knew exactly what I could do. Vesemir knew I had power. Aiag knew it was Elder Blood. The witchers knew I had to learn control.
None of them knew about the system, and that secret will stay mine.
I then summoned my system interface, and the translucent blue screen appeared Infront of me.
Status Window
Name: Cain
Age: 15
Race: Half-Elf (Mutant)
Bloodline Trait: Elder Blood (Sealed)
Class: None
Attributes:
Constitution: 89
Strength: 92
Dexterity: 90
Wisdom: 94
Intelligence: 95
Charisma: 97
Luck: Unknown
Mana: 75
Ability Points: 20
Attribute Points: 10
Abilities & Skills:
Wolf Pack (Rare)
Swordsmanship (Level 9)
Meditation (Level 7)
Poison Resistance Level 9 (Common)
Mind's Eye Level 8 (Common)
Limit Break Level 2 (Common)
Charm Resistance Level 10 (Legendary) Max
Warp Level 2 (Common)
Chronomancy Level 2 (Common)
Sign Magic Level 3 (Common)
Traits:
Cold Blooded (Rare)
Elder Blood (Legendary)
The list seemed endless. The training quest have been offering less good rewards like Ability points, but the other thing is that Callum still beats me. No matter how much my attributes go up I can't seem to beat him more times then usual.
Besides that my skills and abilities are leveling up well minus a few. I noticed that over the years some skills are harder to use, especially because I don't understand how magic works in this world. I made peace that I will need a magical teacher, but I don't know who I would trust.
Chronomancy I used to do to caste a forma of haste on myself, and slow down on my hunting targets. But that's as far as I can go. like Warp, it's harder to use then I thought and it exhaust me quickly. Warp moves me quick to another location and that takes alot of getting use to. And even though I have a mana attribute it doesn't tell me how much I'm using.
It just warns me when I'm close to zero, which doesn't help. I'm currently able to warp two time times which s better then mine one. But that only happened after I level up the skill.
Right now ' m trying to level up my skills to ten and see what happens. If I'm right they will hit a limit and I will have to do something to get them to the next highest skill or ability ranking.
I summoned my inventory.
Inventory:
Hunter's Edge Knife (Rare)
Limitless Waterskin (Common)
Runic Sharpening Stone (Common) 3/3 Uses
2 Common Healing Potion
1 Rare Skill Ticket
1 Rare Ability Ticket
I still can't believe this system gave me these two items.
Rare SkillTicket: A skill ticket from the multiverse system store.
Effect: Once ripped it will allow the users to automatically learn one (Rare) skill that has been saved in the rare skill catalog. If that skill is already learned the skills rank and proficiency level will increase.
Bonus: Sometimes a bonus feature called "Synergy" may occur. Synergy will combine two skills of the same rank to create a new skill of the same rank or higher.
Rare Ability Ticket: A Ability ticket from the multiverse system store.
Effect: Once ripped it will allow the users to automatically learn one (Rare) Ability that has been saved in the rare Ability catalog. If that ability is already learned the Ability rank will increase.
Bonus: Sometimes a bonus feature called "Evolution" may occur. Evolution grants a trait of the same rank. Certain abilities are needed for these traits to exist. Should special condition be met, the traits and abilitys may evolve into a higher rank.
Every time I look at these items I think the hell I went through was somewhat worth it. I'm gonna save these for the Trial of Mountains, just incase. I don't know what will happen, but I rather be ready.
Compared to this stuff the rest of my Witcher training was actually easier then I expected.
Memorization should have been difficult, but thanks to the system's index and I guess my intelligence attribute I could memorize things on a whole other level. It's not photographic memory but it was alot better then how it was in my old life.
Every monster entry I read, every potion formula, every herb description, every note from old Witcher texts, every correction Vesemir gave me, all of it could be organized and called upon with terrifying clarity. I still had to understand the information. The system did not replace thought, but it made retention far easier than it should have been.
Callum, naturally, was a menace with a sword, but was a normal kid when it came to learning, but It was thanks to his mothers upbringing that he had a handle for most of what we learned.
He still remained the more instinctive fighter between us. His second wind had not vanished with age, If anything it had become more obvious. Under pressure, his skills and instincts sharpened like crazy. The longer a spar went, the more dangerous he became.
I had stopped resenting it, well mostly.
I had strengths of my own. Sign magic came easier to me, thanks to my elder blood making my affinity for magic much easier.
At first, everyone assumed it was because of whatever magical affinity the mutations had awakened. And that was true enough, but not the whole truth. I believed my Mana, Intelligence, and Wisdom attributes, along with my otherworldly knowledge gave me a deeper understanding of magic. Mana pool to draw from I feel comes more from the Elder Blood along with the attribute.
Over the years, I started making changes around me. Small at first and then they got much larger
I had Intelligence and Wisdom to thank for remembering the structure of things from my old life. Basic engineering, storage management, and the most important, overall hygiene and sanitation improvements. A water system was actually simple enough to be built with medieval tools. I made sure to improve the keeps food preservation. Create a keep safe caches.
Thanks to my charisma attribute, I was able to convince Vesemir. But it still took it's time, I swear that man has a tolerance for mental suggestions.
But it was a good thing Vesemir was not foolish, he knew Kaer Morhen was decaying for a long time. But knowing a problem existed and having the resources to fix it is a whole other thing. Plus trusting a child, even an unusually bright Witcher apprentice, to suggest changes were different things.
So I started with practical wins. The first thing was a saving vault.
Not just for coin, though coin mattered in this world. A hidden storage chamber secured and catalogued properly, not only for money but for rare liquors, duplicate supplies, useful monster parts, refined alchemical ingredients, and most importantly, information.
From Witcher Books, scrolls, and formula copies. Every piece of knowledge we had only one copy of had to be copied, stored, and protected.
The Witcher life as it had existed was brutal and wasteful. They lived too often like hermits with swords, earning coin by killing monsters, spending that same coin on food, shelter, gear repairs, potion ingredients, and the occasional bed warmer ( Whore) or drink when the road grew too lonely.
It was a hand to mouth lifestyle, and one I didn't want to live. So that needed to change, it may not be overnight. But I will change it by building systems to support us, and gathering resources, so that we are truly self reliant. But we needed more then that. Allies and even political backing.
Eventually, sorcerers and sorceresses on our side would help. Trustworthy ones, if such a creature could be found. Dwarven craftsmen would be invaluable for our armory upkeep. Elven scholars knowledge too, if I could find ones who didn't want to use me as a key to old blood dreams.
I had begun to understand something simple.
If I wanted the Witchers to be more than dying order of monster slayers, they needed to become an true order again. Not just swords for hire, but a force to be respected, and feared when necessary. But most importantly renowned for greatness.
To do that, I would need money and reputation beyond the Path. Merchant contacts. Noble recognition. Possibly knighthood one day, if I could use it without being trapped by it.
A title could open doors, and a merchant business or business of any kind could fund and keep the keep, well informed and fed.
Knowledge could protect us, and power could make people listen.
My thoughts were cut off by Callum shifting the deer on his shoulder.
"Hey, Cain."
"Yeah?"
"You think Vesemir's going to make us train more when we get back, or is this the year he finally throws us into the Trial of the Mountains?"
I glanced at him while thinking.
Callum and I were fifteen now. He was taller then me by a few inches, with broad shoulders from and a lean but athletic build years of training and eating. His red hair tied loosely back while shorter strands fell around his face. The deer on his shoulder left streaks of blood against the snow-pale hide cloak he wore.
"It's hard to tell," I said. "We're his most promising students and only ones. He might want to make sure we're ready and hold off for another year or two."
Callum chuckled. "You mean you're too precious, Mr. Elder Blood wielder."
I turned back and gave him a look, but he just grinned wider.
"I swear, sometimes Vesemir looks at you like your blood could rebuild the whole order."
My expression sobered. "He actually to use my blood to do so."
Callum's grin faded slightly. " Yeah I know."
"He gave me the choice," I said. "Whether I wanted to use my blood in the Trials eventually, but I said no."
"Really?"
I nodded. "Yes but if wasn't a definite no. I know he doesn't want to let the order die with us, but I asked him to give me time, and find a way to improve our standing."
Callum was quiet for a moment as we walked. The trees thinned briefly, revealing a distant white slope and the broken outline of Kaer Morhen far above.
"That was probably for the best," he said finally. "No telling what your blood might do to other people if they went through the Trials."
"Exactly, plus I want to make sure when and if we make more Witcher's, the trials have a higher survival rate. I don't want my blood attached to children's suffering and death."
" I can understand that. Hell, you might create more Elder Blood users."
"I doubt that, if anything they might have more of a affinity to magic."
"And If that happened, everyone on the Continent would be after us."
"Which is why we're not doing it until I understand what I am."
Callum nodded once, more serious now. Then he glanced toward me. "We're ready for what comes, brother."
I looked at him for a moment.
Brother.
He had first called me that before the Trials, and over the years the word had stopped surprising me. What Calum and me went through did make us brothers. Maybe not in blood but by choice.
"Of course we are," I said. " Tell you what I will handle the deer and you go take a shower first. I know Vesemir made sure to heat it up for us."
He smiled. " Thank you, I will gladly take the first shower."
We continued toward the keep.
It took time to climb back through the mountain paths with the deer, even with our mutated bodies and years of conditioning. The sun had shifted by the time Kaer Morhen's outer walls came fully into view.
The outer yard had been cleared better than in years past, with storage sheds reinforced and repaired. The woodpile was larger and properly covered. Drainage channels had been cut and maintained to keep meltwater from pooling against the walls as badly. Several broken stone sections had been braced. Nothing grand. Nothing that would impress a king.
But it was real progress.
Callum carried the deer into the butchering shed near the rear yard, and I followed with the gear. and I worked without needing to speak much. The Years of hunting together had made the process smooth.
By the time I finished the first stage of processing, my hands were cold, bloody, and steady. We preserved what needed preserving, set aside alchemical components, salted portions for later, and prepared enough fresh meat for the keep's meal.
I had not turned Kaer Morhen into a noble kitchen. We didn't have the supplies for that, and I was not a miracle worker. But I had improved things, starting with a better use of herbs. Proper browning when possible. Stews layered with actual flavor instead of just salt. Bread watched before it turned into a weapon. Fat used intelligently. Bones simmered longer for stock. Root vegetables roasted when the fire allowed.
It was the small things that were important.
Venison stew simmered thick in a large pot, rich with root vegetables, herbs, and marrow stock. Strips of meat seared over the fire. Hard bread had been sliced, toasted, rubbed with rendered fat and herbs, and made edible again. There were preserved berries from stores, not many, but enough to brighten the meal. A small amount of sharp cheese had been stretched by shaving it thin and letting it melt across toasted bread.
Lambert walked in first, sniffed once, and narrowed his eyes.
"I swear Cain your cooking is worth all the extra hoops you make us jump through."
"For telling guys to save your coin for the vault, and not drink so much the least I can do is make sure your winter meals are worth it."
"Good let's dig in."
Eskel entered after, then Geralt, then Coën. Callum was already there, of course, hovering near the table like a starving spirit haunting a feast.
After the meal, I rose to put aside the preserved portions and ensure nothing had been wasted. The work was familiar now, almost comforting. I checked the stores, made a note in the ledger, and mentally compared supplies against winter needs.
That was when the system window appeared.
System Notification: Hidden Condition Met
I paused, as the blue panel hovered silently in front of me, bright against the warm torchlight of the storage room.
My eyes narrowed. Then a slow smirk spread across my face.
This should be interesting.