Autumn, 1179.
Kaer Morhen, the Apprentices Training Grounds.
"Eilin, what's got you daydreaming?"
The sharp voice snapped Eilin back to reality.
A middle-aged man in a wide-brimmed black hat gazed at him with his golden, cat-like eyes.
"Sorry, Master Vesemir," Eilin replied with embarrassment. "I zoned out."
At his apology, Vesemir nodded and glanced around at the four apprentices gathered around him before continuing his lecture.
"Apprentices, when facing a water wraith, a silver sword is always your best ally…"
The straightforward knowledge of monsters often felt dull, and Vesemir's teaching style in "Monsterology" was particularly no-nonsense.
Before long, Eilin found his mind wandering again.
Eilin was a traveler from another world.
Originally named Lin Ai, he was a 30-year-old orphan.
In his previous life, he had been a diligent middle manager.
Being a middle manager sounded impressive, but in reality, he was often a pawn in power struggles.
Just before crossing over to the Witcher world, Lin Ai had endured four sleepless nights to finalize an important project.
Only to have the results snatched away by the company's new "mascot."
This unknown "mascot" slacked off in the office, yet was quickly promoted for merely showing up.
Lin Ai and his teammates received nothing more than a cup of milk tea as consolation, forced to smile in gratitude.
After his promotion, that "mascot" had ironically become their new boss.
Though these unfortunate experiences had become normal for Lin Ai, he had never imagined that a cup of milk tea would transport him to the Witcher world.
In an instant, the sweet drink turned into a bitter, thick herbal concoction, accompanied by a severe pain and a flood of memory overload.
Reflecting on the painful experience from three days ago, Lin Ai shivered involuntarily.
Although he had completed "The Witcher 3" in his spare time, he never thought he would become a Witcher himself.
"Next month comes the mountain trial with a survival rate of over 50%," Eilin sighed inwardly.
Just as Eilin contemplated how to survive in this perilous world, a cold mechanical voice echoed, and a transparent panel appeared before him.
[The Monster Hunter Log has been activated.]
[Hunting monsters grants rewards; the more powerful the monster, the greater the reward.]
[Special skill acquired: Monster Hunting LV1.]
"Given that I've crossed over, having a system doesn't seem too strange," Eilin mused.
The panel contained only one option: "Character."
Following the system's prompts, Eilin focused on the panel and opened the character section.
[Name: Eilin]
[Age: 13]
[Title: Child of Miracles]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 100% | Stamina: 52/52]
[Attributes: Strength 5.1, Agility 5.3, Constitution 5.2, Perception 6.9, Mystique
[Special Skill: Monster Hunting LV1] 3.1]
[Skill: Wolf School Two-Handed Sword LV1 (0/100)]
[Evaluation: Useless!!!]
(The special skills level up as the character levels up.)
[Monster Hunting (Active): Consumes 50 Stamina, focuses to enter the Monster Hunting State; meets conditions to unleash a guaranteed lethal strike.]
Eilin: Useless?
Is this panel mocking me?
After muttering to himself, Eilin quietly closed the panel.
The system wasn't bad; the monster hunting skill seemed powerful.
But there was one crucial question.
Where would he find monsters?
He had just passed the herbal trial three days ago, and the mountain trial was a month away.
For the next month, he wouldn't even be able to step out of Kaer Morhen—where could he find monsters to kill?
"Eilin!"
"You're daydreaming again!"
Vesemir slammed shut the book titled "Water Wraiths and Swamp Witches."
The lesson was lost!
Of the four apprentices, three were daydreaming.
The last apprentice wasn't daydreaming, but he too was disengaged.
His small frame hid behind Eilin, his head barely
What were they thinking? touching his knees.
Sleeping in a place like this?
The training grounds were right off the main path to the castle—did they really think other Witchers wouldn't see them?
"Excellent! It seems you all don't need to study about water wraiths anymore; let's jump straight into combat!"
Vesemir shouted angrily to the side, "Letho!"
Nearby, a Witcher leaned against the castle wall with his arms crossed, nodding as he lifted the black cloth off the cage.
Inside the cage was a humanoid monster with blue skin and fish fins on its back, startled by the sunlight, crying out, "Wah wah!"
It was a water wraith.
As the cloth was pulled back, the wolf-headed insignias on Vesemir and Letho's chests buzzed intensely.
"Consider yourselves lucky, apprentices!" Vesemir pressed his insignia and continued, "You've just completed the herbal trial, and you get to face a monster safely. This is a privilege reserved for the apprentices of the Wolf School."
"The apprentices of the Cat School only teach how to kill their own kind, how to shamefully pry the last coin from a dead man's grasp." At Vesemir's words, the apprentices exchanged glances, their expressions easing somewhat. He handed Eilin a steel sword and an old set of apprentice leather armor. "Come on, Eilin, put on the leather armor and grip your sword tight. Let me see if your skills match your pride!" Before Eilin could protest, the other apprentices quickly helped him into the leather armor. When he collected himself again, he found his feet firmly planted on the sandy ground of the training fields. The training grounds were surrounded by onlookers. They were Witchers passing by, eager to see the spectacle. "Are you ready, Eilin?" Just as Eilin intended to speak, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in his ear. "Ding! Main quest detected: [The Beginning of Monster Hunting] Kill one water wraith (0/1)." He had no choice but to swallow back any defense he intended to make. "It's just one water wraith, what's there to fear?" Eilin reassured himself. He gripped the steel sword tightly, took a deep breath, and nodded steadily at Vesemir. "I'm ready." "Good!" Vesemir replied, smiling unusually. At that moment, Witcher Letho approached Vesemir while pushing the cage. Vesemir opened the cage, moving aside slightly to dodge the water wraith's leap, and made a swift gesture with his right hand. Aard sign. This was one of the six signs used by Witchers, capable of unleashing a shockwave to repel, stun, or knock down foes, as well as to break obstacles. With a visible shockwave, the ugly water wraith was sent flying like a ball, landing right before Eilin. The water wraith howled, still unable to rise. Eilin tightened his grip on the steel sword, ready to charge forth and deliver a killing blow. At that moment, Vesemir's voice rang out. "First mistake—your weapon!" "As I just mentioned, a silver sword is always your best companion against a water wraith." Eilin: ? Isn't this steel sword what you gave me?