There were only a few gray-black, matted feathers and a handful of scattered, dirty scales inside.
The sarcophagus emitted a smell similar to the Striga, mixed with a sickly sweetness.
"That's it. It lives here." Geralt whispered.
However, the moment he finished speaking,
a roar full of fury and hunger erupted from the depths of the passage—they had been found!
A massive, distorted figure shot out of the darkness like a cannonball, lunging at the two of them—it was the Striga they had glimpsed during the day.
At such close range, its dead, gray skin, filthy, mixed feather-scales, twisted beak-like mouthparts, and red eyes burning with madness made it even more hideous.
"Here it comes!" Geralt roared and immediately rolled sideways to dodge.
The Striga was like a gray whirlwind of death, first lunging at Geralt, who was closer and seemed to have a "weaker" aura.
It was so fast it was just a blur on the retina.
Geralt's pupils contracted; his Witcher reflexes made him almost instinctively retreat.
At the same time, his silver sword traced an arc of light, not to attack, but to try and block the claws that could tear through steel armor.
CRASH!! A piercing metallic screech!
Geralt felt only a tremendous force from the sword's blade; his entire arm went numb, and the silver sword was nearly torn from his grasp.
He was forced back a step and tried to distance himself, but the Striga's other claw was already upon him.
This time, he couldn't avoid it; the claws were about to touch the leather armor on his chest.
CLANG! A barely visible but tangible lilac energy shield instantly appeared in front of Geralt.
It was Arzu's Shield that Triss had cast, now activated by the Striga's attack.
THUMP! The claws viciously grabbed the energy shield, producing a muffled sound.
The shield trembled slightly, its light flickering, successfully blocking the fatal blow.
But the powerful impact still sent Geralt flying like a broken kite, crashing into a stone pillar behind him.
"That was close!" Geralt felt a surge of admiration; without that layer of spell shield, that blow would have been enough to disembowel him.
Karl's eyes narrowed; he didn't retreat but stepped forward, gripping his heavy sword with both hands.
A powerful swing intercepted the trajectory of the Striga's claws aimed at Geralt.
The Striga clearly sensed the deadly threat from this sword and was forced to break off its pursuit of Geralt.
It let out an angry screech, its thick forelimbs swinging claws to meet Karl's sword.
BOOM!! CLANG! The sound of the collision this time was much duller, like two massive war hammers clashing.
Air waves spread from the point of impact, scattering the dust on the ground.
Metal clashed violently with hard substance, erupting with a deafening sound and a shower of sparks.
The broken flagstones beneath Karl's feet cracked inch by inch, but he remained immovable.
His eyes were calm, even with a hint of scrutiny, assessing the upper limit of the Striga's strength.
On the other side, the Striga's massive body was shaken by the sword, staggering back several steps, hissing in pain.
There was even a noticeable crack in the claws on its forelimbs.
For the first time, a flicker of disbelief appeared in its burning red eyes as it looked at Karl—a human whose strength far exceeded its expectations.
At that moment, Geralt seized the opportunity when the Striga was injured and off-balance, his body moving like a ghost.
His silver sword turned into a bolt of silver lightning, striking with great precision at the joint of the Striga's hind leg.
If this strike landed, it would be enough to severely limit its mobility.
However, the Striga reacted with astonishing speed.
Though its rear was off-balance, its long tail whipped out like a steel cable, whistling sharply towards Geralt's waist and abdomen.
Geralt had no choice but to turn the thrust into a block, his silver sword crossing his body—
CRACK! The tail-whip slammed into the sword, and the immense force sent him flying again.
This time, Arzu's Shield surfaced again, blocking most of the impact.
But Geralt still felt pain in his internal organs and stumbled to the ground.
Seeing this, Karl frowned slightly. He couldn't let the Striga have a chance to pursue Geralt.
He wore plate armor and had immense strength; he needed to play the role of the tank between the two of them.
With a low shout, he pressed forward, continuously blocking, parrying, and even shaking off the Striga's storm of claw swipes and bites.
Every clash produced a loud sound that set teeth on edge, firmly keeping the Striga's attention.
Arzu's Shield on his body never activated because he blocked all the Striga's attacks with his heavy sword.
In contrast, Geralt was having a much harder time, trying again and again to find opportunities to strike at the Striga's weaknesses.
But the Striga, under Karl's pressure, became even more frenzied, with a wide attack range and extremely high speed.
His Arzu's Shield activated no less than three times in the following exchange.
Once to block flying debris, and twice to block the Striga's rapid claw swipes.
The pale purple light of the shield gradually dimmed with time and attacks, and he was under intense pressure.
Geralt roamed the periphery of the battlefield; now Karl had the Striga's attention.
The silver sword in his hand, sometimes dodging and counterattacking, could precisely cut the joints and wing membranes of the Striga, significantly limiting its movement.
Neither of them intended to kill; their goal was to drive and subdue, not to slay.
This made the fight much more complex than a normal monster hunt.
If he had the space and time, he could cast the Igni Sign or briefly disrupt its balance with the Aard Sign.
But at this moment, the battlefield was cramped, and Karl was fighting too close to the Striga.
He didn't dare risk it, fearing that the sign might accidentally injure Karl or cause a defensive gap in Karl's protection.
Arzu's Shield might not only withstand physical attacks but could also reflect spell attacks, which was one reason he didn't dare use a magical sign.
However, he still had one option—the Axii Sign.
Though primarily used to influence the mind, it could sometimes be used in such chaotic combat to momentarily confuse the Striga,
slowing its attack for an instant, creating an opportunity for a counterstrike or an adjustment in stance.
......
Although this was their first time fighting side by side, thanks to their previous intense sparring session,
they understood each other's fighting style and strength well.
Geralt knew Karl's strength and defense were sufficient to face the Striga head-on, so he confidently roamed and harassed it.
Karl also knew Geralt was fast and skilled, capable of handling most dangers, so he dared to press the attack with full force.
Their first collaboration displayed an astonishing silent understanding, as if they had worked together many times before.