He was larger, more brutish, and more like a grotesque monster blending human resentment with animalistic fury, prone to tearing its prey apart with a galloping gait and pure physical force.
At that moment, Geralt suddenly raised his head, his ears twitching slightly, his amber pupils narrowing into thin slits.
He lowered his voice and said urgently: "There's something deep inside... waking up."
"It's close, quickly! Time to go, we have enough information!"
Without a word, they immediately turned and retreated quickly but cautiously along their path.
Just as they were about to leap out of the palace gates and back into the relatively bright midday sun,
an extremely sharp roar, full of madness and resentment, suddenly erupted from the depths of the palace. They both instinctively looked back.
In the shadows deep within the palace, where the light couldn't reach, a hunched, massive silhouette charged with astonishing speed.
Karl could barely make out that the creature was a dead, grayish, sodden color, like a corpse.
Moreover, it was vaguely mixed with features of a human female and a bird of prey.
A large, curved, beak-like protrusion, with claws gleaming coldly.
Its whole body was covered in filthy, matted feathers, hair, and even scale-like growths.
Most striking were its eyes, like two burning coals of scarlet, filled with endless pain and a desire for destruction.
Fortunately, Geralt's Witcher senses had provided ample warning, and they had already retreated far enough.
The monster chased to the boundary between sunlight and shadow, seemed slightly repelled by the light, and stopped abruptly.
It simply fixed its burning red eyes on the two uninvited guests in the distance.
Then, it let out an unwilling, malignant shriek that prickled the skin and pierced the head.
"Damn! That thing is really ugly." Karl swore under his breath.
"...Agreed." Geralt replied briefly, his expression extremely serious; this was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.
The guards outside also heard the inhuman scream and were all terrified.
They huddled together nervously, weapons pointed towards the palace, as if facing a great enemy.
Karl emerged from the ruins and ordered the pale-faced captain: "Immediately retreat with your men and set up a defense in the outer areas."
"Stay far away from here, especially at night. Never approach! If you hear movement, do not enter to investigate!"
"Yes! Yes! Lord El. We'll retreat now! Thank you for the warning!"
The captain hastily agreed, his voice still trembling, eager to leave this ghostly place.
On the way back to the city, Geralt rarely took the initiative to speak: "That reconnaissance... it was necessary. Your thoughts were very thoughtful."
He paused and added: "It was more thorough than I initially thought."
"I just don't want to fight unprepared." Karl smiled and replied.
...
At a fork in the road, they parted ways. Geralt headed to the herbal shop in the commercial district.
After mentioning Triss's name, the boss was indeed very enthusiastic and gave him an excellent discount.
Geralt bought materials to prepare Moon Dust, Honeycomb, Dragon's Dream, and various potions at a 70% discount.
The original price was twenty-one Orens, but after the 70% discount, the cost was less than fifteen Orens, saving him a lot of money.
Meanwhile, Karl returned to the laboratory and reported the reconnaissance findings to Triss.
Hearing this, Triss first became angry and agitated: "You two! You went barging in there without any preparation?!"
"That's a Striga's lair! Not a palace garden!"
But she quickly calmed down, frowning.
"...Larger, walking on all fours, stronger... It seems Princess Adda's curse is deeper than imagined."
"She has become stronger and... more distorted."
Karl gently held her hand: "That's why we need your help even more, Triss."
"Is there a way to make us safer?"
Triss nodded without hesitation: "Of course there is! I would never let you face such a monster alone!"
But she immediately looked troubled: "But... Foltest: He doesn't fully trust sorcerers, especially when it comes to his daughter."
"He would never allow me to cast spells on site personally, but I can help remotely."
She explained in detail: "I can leave a powerful magical marker on you, then observe the battlefield from afar through my crystal ball."
"If the situation becomes critical, I can immediately activate a teleportation spell and bring you directly back to the laboratory!"
"I can also cast Arzu's Shield on you in advance to enhance your protection."
"What about Lambert? Can you teleport him with you?" Karl asked.
Triss regretfully shook her head: "My abilities are limited. I can only lock onto one target at a time for precise remote teleportation... especially in a place that might be full of magical interference."
"At most... I can only cast Arzu's Shield on him."
"That's already the best I can do for... hmm... a Witcher I've only met a few times."
Her meaning was clear: in her heart, Karl's safety was far more important than Geralt's.
Karl understood Triss perfectly, a warm surge welling up in his heart.
He held her tightly: "Thank you, Triss. That's enough."
...
Over the next two days, Geralt occupied a corner of the laboratory and immersed himself in preparing various alchemical items.
The sharp smell of chemicals and the eerie glow of magic alternated.
Moon Dust, Honeycomb bombs, and Dragon's Dream bombs were prepared one after another.
Alchemical potions of different colors also gradually took shape in the crucibles.
However, an accident occurred during the preparation of the Dragon's Dream bomb.
Geralt, perhaps distracted by tactical planning or unfamiliar with the new environment's tools, slightly deviated from the mixing ratio.
The liquid in the crucible suddenly boiled with intense force, emitting a terrifying "hissing" sound as if about to explode.
At the critical moment, Triss, who had been monitoring the situation, raised her hand.
A translucent shield instantly enveloped Geralt's workbench.
BOOM!! With a muffled sound, the fire and smoke were firmly locked inside the shield.
But the strong impact still shook the entire laboratory.
Bottles and jars on the workbench were knocked to the floor, and various herbs and semi-finished products were scattered everywhere.
The smoke cleared, and Geralt looked a bit sheepish, his face smudged with soot.
He looked at the mess before him and the shield that had slowly dissipated, which had saved his life.
He lowered the hand that had been preparing the Quen sign gesture, a rare look of embarrassment and apology on his face: "...Sorry for my mistake. I'll..."
"It's fine, as long as people are okay. These things aren't worth much. Just be more careful next time."