The sanctuary was as quiet as usual at night.
In the dim light, candles flickered before the triple statue of Melitele.
"Praise be to the Mother of All, goddess of fertility, harvest, and birth, guardian of the Eternal Maiden, Mother, and Crone…"
The long prayer echoed against the white stone walls, producing an ethereal resonance in the modest-sized hall.
Real voice and echo overlapped.
The candlelight before the statue turned golden, shining brilliantly. In an instant, the humble sanctuary radiated a sacred, divine solemnity, as if it were a corner of a celestial realm.
Layer upon layer of whispering voices filled the air, as though countless souls were bowing in worship.
Yet even with these wondrous phenomena unfolding, Allen, standing before the ritual circle of concealment—symbolizing the Maiden aspect of Melitele—continued his prayer without pause.
A long time passed.
The golden thread marking the end of the ritual circle burned to its finish. The flames before the statue dimmed back to their usual reddish glow.
Only then did the prayer stop.
"Still nothing?" Allen let out a soft sigh.
He hadn't really expected much—just casting a net to see what he might catch—but earlier, while walking through the garden, he noticed that the magic surrounding the sanctuary was stronger than last time. It had even caused a faint resonance in his wolf medallion. That had made him briefly excited, thinking Melitele had begun recovering her divine strength.
But the ritual had once again produced no effect.
Now, if he wanted to reliably trigger the golden chest drop, he would need to spend 100 experience pearls to commune with divinity. And right now, he only had 109 pearls and 3,995 small ones—about 150 pearls in total.
Yet he was just a few dozen pearls away from unlocking "Beast Roar: Forbidden Sky." and Allen was determined to reach that before launching the mission to rescue Hen Gedymdeith.
It was a higher priority than even collecting all the sword oil recipes.
After all, what monsters might appear in Ban Ard remained a mystery, but what wasn't a mystery was the presence of a Wild Hunt squad nearly a hundred strong still circling above Ban Ard. Not long ago, they had utterly routed Aedirn's army.
This wasn't like in the Passolorn Forest, where two members of the Wild Hunt had been severely wounded by Hen's weather-altering spell and pursued by male mages.
No, this was a full-fledged squad—well-equipped and well-prepared—with virtually no openings to exploit.
Without "Beast Roar: Forbidden Sky," facing those Aen Elle mages casting spells from above would be a death sentence.
In truth—
Allen recalled that Wild Hunt captain in the Spiral. Even on the ground, he hadn't been confident in winning a one-on-one duel. And that was before considering the skeletal steed and airborne maneuvering advantages.
"The Wild Hunt is the most unstable factor," Allen muttered, brows furrowed. "I wonder if Tissaia de Vries and Philippa Eilhart have even accounted for these uninvited guests."
If possible, he didn't want to clash with the Wild Hunt just yet. Even with Forbidden Sky, his odds weren't great.
Allen preferred to let Ban Ard take the brunt of the blow while he built up his strength further. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed so readily to this absurd mission to rescue Hen.
But knowing that Ban Ard was the Hunt's target, any significant action during the rescue would inevitably draw their attention. He had to plan ahead. So, the experience pearls were absolutely off-limits.
Still, the dense magic hanging in the air might mean that even if Melitele hadn't fully recovered, she could be just a few weeks away from doing so.
"I'll need to come back one more time before the rescue mission," Allen thought.
Even though the "good girl" had eggs to hatch, he could still spare half a day using a portal to make a round trip between Kaer Morhen and Ellander.
That was the benefit of having more options at his disposal now.
Of course.
Now that he was here—and had already used up a full set of ritual materials for Melitele's concealment rite—Allen certainly wasn't going to leave empty-handed.
Rare chests like those from Monster Nests, Aen Elle, Ronnie Dickinson, and Leshens would be a waste to open now. But with a full twenty-three Warlock Chests on hand, there was no reason to keep saving them.
"Praise be to the Mother of All, goddess of fertility, harvest, and birth, guardian of the Eternal Maiden, Mother, and Crone…"
After a pious chant, Allen focused his will.
[Ding! Warlock Chest ×23 opened]
Four golds, two purples, five blues, twelve whites.
Twenty-three flashes of light burst before his eyes in an instant.
"Three golds, four purples—not bad at all..."
The drop rate wasn't amazing, but it was above average.
He skipped the cutscenes after a brief glance. Perhaps because warlocks were considered native entities within the world of witchers, there wasn't the usual dazzling sequence or unique lore hints. Allen simply clicked past it all.
[Loot Acquired:]
Mandrake Root ×1
Mistletoe ×2
Aconite ×1
Ban Ard Standard Mage Robe ×1
Signet Ring of House Charlson ×1
Experience Pearl ×6
Archmage Robes of the Brotherhood of Warlocks ×1
Inferior Magic Gem (Dispel Magic) ×1
Experience Pearl Pouches ×3
Memory of a Warlock×1
White Birch Staff of Kraft Herrick
Sword Oil Recipe: Enhanced Hanged Man's Venom
Bomb Recipe: Dimeritium Bomb
Potion Recipe: Thunderbolt
Potion Recipe: Petri's Philter
As expected of a Warlock Chest—it was a real mixed bag of oddities.
Everything before the six experience pearls was low-tier, white-quality material or gear.
That said, while the Ban Ard Standard Mage Robe was just a basic long robe, it might actually come in handy for his next operation.
Mandrake Root, Mistletoe, and Aconite weren't cheap on the open market—especially Mandrake, a key ingredient in rejuvenation elixirs. Selling one could easily fetch 800 Orens, which, compared to Duke Mason's commission rates, equaled nearly 400 drowners or 160 ghouls—and that was assuming you could even find a buyer.
The Signet Ring of House Charlson was a plain ring inlaid with an emerald, its bezel engraved with crossed spears. It didn't grant stats, but a signet ring could serve as a stand-in for a noble house's head seal—especially on wax-stamped letters—in this low-information era. Instantly, Allen thought of countless potential uses.
Still, he had no idea who House Charlson even was—no place to start.
And considering these chests mostly came from dead male warlocks—probably ones from the Rissberg Consortium—the family might've already received word of their deaths by now, making the ring less useful.
Even so, the emerald alone was worth good coin—and served as a rare magical and ritual material.
As for the blue-tier loot...
Each Experience Pearl Pouch contained 10 pearls. Three bags gave him 30, leaving him just a dozen pearls short of mastering Beast Roar: Forbidden Sky. Once back in Kaer Morhen, with a bit more grinding, he could fully unlock that roar.
The Inferior Magic Gem (Dispel Magic) was a weaker alternative to a true instant-cast gem.
[Name: Dispel Magic]
[Type: Hybrid Elemental Novice Spell]
[Level: LV1]
[Active Effect:]You can cast Dispel Magicto terminate spells/rituals/sorcery effects within range. This spell can nullify ongoing magic or be used defensively to block magical attacks (whether or not they include physical components).
A useful tool—and one that might prove helpful in Ban Ard.
-----------------------------------
[Name: Archmage Robe of the Warlock Brotherhood]
[Type: Magical Item]
[Function:] Inscribed with the Refreshlife-magic rune , it automatically cleans stains from the robe.
[Note:] Cleans, but doesn't repair.
The cleaning enchantment wasn't much use to Allen, but—just like the standard Ban Ard robe—it might come in handy if he ever had to infiltrate the Warlock Brotherhood.
"And if it's an archmagerobe..."
Allen rubbed at the thick stubble creeping along his jaw.
"...I wonder how many archmages there actually are in Ban Ard. If they're not all familiar with each other, this robe might be even more useful during the rescue mission for Hen Gedymdeith than the regular Ban Ard robe."
"Well... I'll just have to improvise when the time comes."
-----------------------------------
[Name: Kraft Herrick's White Birch Staff]
[Type: Magical Item]
[Effects:]
Thunder:Air Element specialization. Boosts air-elemental spells.
Equilibrium:Slightly suppresses elemental instability.
Mana Saver:Reduces magic power consumption.
[Note:] A decent air-element staff.
Ronnie Dickinson's specialty had always been air magic—or more precisely, its most destructive form: lightning. This staff likely belonged to one of his students.
Allen himself hadn't studied much in the way of air spells, so it might be better as a gift.
"I wonder if Mary's good with air magic", he mused with a grin.
"A purple-tier staff would definitely be better than whatever she's using now."
Thinking of Mary, Allen couldn't help but smile.
She brewed potions for him without asking anything in return, managed the Witcher Corps while also looking after the kids. She was far safer staying in Kaer Morhen, but that didn't mean her life was easy.
"Let's call it a small thank-you gift."
-----------------------------------
The Warlock's Memory didn't need much comment—he still had a whole stash of them in his inventory. This new one made it 27 in total, but he hadn't found time to absorb any of them yet.
Understandable, given that each one averaged a full year of memory content—they were mentally exhausting.
But like the chests, those memories had to be consumed before the Hen Gedymdeith rescue mission—not only because of the potential spells or skills they might grant.
Each memory from the warlocks of Ban Ard contained a fragment of the academy's internal map. After going through more than twenty of them, Allen doubted even Philippa Eilhart would know Ban Ard better than he did.
His eyes continued downward.
-----------------------------------
[Name: Enhanced Hanged Man's Venom]
[Type: Sword Oil Recipe]
[Alchemy Requirement: LV4]
[Ingredients:]
Bear Fat ×1
Hanged Man's Venom ×1
Han fiber ×1
Nekker eye ×1
Arenaria ×1
Fool's parsley leaves ×1
Mandrake Root ×1]
[Effect: Coating a weapon with this oil greatly increases damage against humans and Nonhumans.]
[Note: "Friend, with this oil on your blade, forget warlocks—you're the bane of every sentient humanoid on the Continent..."]
-----------------------------------
[Name: Dimeritium Bomb]
[Type: Bomb Recipe]
[Alchemy Requirement: Alchemy LV2]
[Ingredients:Saltpeter ×5, Dimeritium ×1, Optima mater ×2]
[Effect: Releases a mist of Dimeritium fragments, blocking magic and magical monster abilities.]
[Note: If I were you, I'd make a dozen of these, minimum!]
-----------------------------------
[Name: Thunderbolt]
[Type: Potion Recipe]
[Alchemy Requirement: Alchemy LV2]
[Ingredients: Dwarven Spirit ×1, Cortinarius ×2, Endrega Embryo ×1]
[Effect: Increases physical attack power.]
[Note: Simple. Brutal. Beautiful.Pure power distilled.]
-----------------------------------
[Name: Petri's Philter]
[Type: Potion Recipe]
[Alchemy Requirement: Alchemy LV2]
[Ingredients: Dwarven Spirit ×1, Arenaria ×5, Specter Dust ×1]
[Effect: Boosts spell strength.]
[Note:Arcane Glass Cannon: Fire at will!]
-----------------------------------
Allen had to admit: these gold-tier recipes were absurdly targeted.
Enhanced Hanged Man's Venom to coat his sword, Thunderbolt potion to amplify his strength, Petri's Philter to boost his spells, and Dimeritium Bombs to clear the path…
"Shit."
Even Allen couldn't stop himself from swearing on behalf of the Ban Ard warlocks. These warlock chests weren't just countermeasures—they were precision-engineered to suppress warlocks entirely.
Sure, monster loot usually countered its origin species, but never this thoroughly.
From sword oils, to bombs, to not one but two combat-enhancing potions… Even disguises like the Ban Ard mage robe and the Warlock Brotherhood's archmage robe were included—just in case he didn't look the part.
And if that wasn't enough…
There was even a cheap magic gemstone engraved with Dispel Magic.
For a second, Allen could see it in his mind—the image of himself rampaging through Ban Ard.
No more hiding.
No more stealth.
Go in loud. Fight head-on.
"Whew…"
Taking a long, slow breath, Allen finally calmed himself down.
No. That was reckless.
Charging in blindly was a death wish. Ban Ard wasn't just any fortress—it was filled with powerful spellcasters. Legendary mages like Ortolan, who stood shoulder to shoulder with titans like Hen Gedymdeithand Tissaia de Vries, called it home.
And above them hovered nearly a hundred members of the Wild Hunt, circling like hawks.
Going in loud? That was suicide.
Still… these chest rewards were 100% worth it.
Closing the status screen, Allen looked up.
The three statues of Melitele—the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone—seemed to smile down at him with faint amusement, as if silently mocking his utter lack of self-control.
Of course, that was probably just his imagination. If Melitele had truly "blessed" him, the magic in the sanctuary wouldn't have remained completely dormant.
Whether the goddess helped or not, Allen still bowed respectfully to each of the three aspects—Maiden, Mother, and Crone—chanting a short praise for each. Then he carefully cleaned up the materials left behind from Melitele's Veil Ritual, even sweeping between the floorboards for residue. Finally, with a solemn bow, he gently closed the sanctuary door behind him.
-----------------------------------
Back at the Witchers' lodge, the soft sound of snoring drifted through the small longhouse.
As Allen flipped through the window and returned to his room…
A single owl, hanging upside down from the wooden talisman dangling off a roof beam, swayed and tilted its head to lock eyes with him.
The long night was far from over.
........
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