Chapter 195: The World Within the Book
Since the creator of "Edge of Nightmare" had chosen to flee, there was no other option.
The court sorceress, sensing the witcher's internal conflict, raised an eyebrow. "Even though I've told you how dangerous the magical world in this book is, you still intend to put yourself at risk?"
The witcher shrugged. "As you said, without the author's invitation, intruders who rashly enter will face unpredictable dangers. But the two young ladies are already trapped inside. If we do nothing, they'll never get out."
"Besides," he continued, with an air of righteous solemnity as if a profound integrity emanated from him, "Death is like the wind, always by my side. Having become a monster slayer, I've long since prepared myself."
The court sorceress put one hand on her hip. "I'll go in with you."
Now it was Lynn's turn to be surprised. "Are you sure?"
Witchers lived with death; no witcher ever lived to die of old age in bed. But sorcerers were different. Sorcerers held noble positions; they never had to do the dirty work themselves.
Even the most ignorant peasant, when thinking of the sorcerer profession, saw them as elevated beings, just like noble lords. This was enough to show the transcendent status of sorcerers. And it was indeed true.
Sorcerers rarely put themselves in harm's way; even on the battlefield, they would always be surrounded by layers upon layers of guards.
But now... Fringilla was preparing to go with him? No backup, no guards. She even knew the danger of this journey herself. Yet she still decided to accompany the witcher.
Lynn didn't hesitate and immediately agreed. Having a sorceress as a companion was naturally better. However, before entering the magical world, just to be safe, he still asked, "Is there anything I need to know?"
Fringilla thought for a moment and said, "That's true, we might get separated inside... Hmm, let me think."
"Although I've never been inside, my uncle once told me that the world of 'Edge of Nightmare' is not fixed; it's random. It automatically generates a nightmare world that the intruder least wants to see, or most desires to change."
"Whatever you see, those are all illusions of the past, phantoms of yesteryear; they're all gone."
"The way to leave the nightmare world is both simple and difficult. Regardless of what kind of world is generated, the intruder only needs to ignore it, proceed directly into the depths of the nightmare, and destroy the monster controlling the nightmare."
Lynn raised an eyebrow. "That simple? It doesn't sound difficult."
"Note, it sounds not difficult. In fact, my uncle used this 'Edge of Nightmare' to deal with many assassins who tried to kill him."
"Without exception, they all got lost in the world within the book and could never leave."
Fringilla paused. She took a deep breath. She looked at the witcher beside her. She put herself at risk not only because she was worried the witcher might not return.
She was even more concerned about Anna Henrietta and Syanna. The ducal family had treated her and her family well. If the two young ladies met with harm inside her uncle's magic book, she would have no face to confront Duchess Carolberta.
"Are you ready?"
Lynn gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm ready."
"Then open the book."
Lynn nodded, picked up the thick-covered book, and turned to the first page. His witcher medallion hung steadily on his chest, completely still.
It wasn't until the court sorceress chanted a spell that the medallion on the witcher's chest suddenly vibrated violently. The words on the book's pages all glowed golden, and as if alive, they enveloped the witcher and the sorceress like a rapidly closing net.
The next moment, with a whoosh, the two were pulled into the book. The thick-covered book then slammed shut and fell back to the ground.
Crossing from the real world into the world within the book felt like it happened in the blink of an eye. When Lynn realized it, the surroundings had changed dramatically. He was no longer in the playroom for children, but...
The witcher turned to observe his environment. The sky was a hazy gray, and even the ground seemed covered by a mist, appearing unclear and blurry.
A forest grew around them, but the trees had no leaves, their branches twisted and reached towards the sky, like hands outstretched in despair. An ethereal mist pervaded around them; nearby areas were fine, but beyond a few meters, nothing could be seen but a vast whiteness.
"This is at least good news; we didn't get separated." Fringilla patted her chest, relieved. "Which means, we now only need to face a nightmare world created either for you or for me."
"What do we do now?" In this strange and dangerous environment, with a professional conveniently at hand, Lynn didn't mind asking for help.
"Let's leave this forest first."
"Leave? In which direction?"
"Any direction will do."
Fringilla chanted a spell. A ball of light rose from her palm, hovering above her head, dispersing the mist around them. It was a "Light" spell, basic but one of the most commonly used. With the sorceress casting the Light spell, a clear space of twenty to thirty meters immediately appeared around them.
This was indeed good news. Lynn noticed that ever since he arrived in the world within the book, his witcher senses seemed to have been stripped away. He couldn't perceive anything beyond the mist.
Fringilla seemed to sense his confusion and voluntarily explained. "After your Trial of the Grasses, your mutated senses can perceive things ordinary people can't, but this isn't a real place. Everything here, including the mist, is an illusion, which is why you can't sense anything."
Lynn nodded, indicating he understood. Next, he led the way with his silver sword drawn, and Fringilla followed behind. This forest was vast. The two trudged through it for an hour, yet they still hadn't exited the forest. Just as Lynn was wondering if they were going in circles, a cacophony of sounds suddenly came from ahead.
He followed the direction of the sounds. Moments later, the mist dispersed, and the view suddenly opened up: tents stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of them, with banners fluttering and bonfires burning brightly, illuminating the sky. Conservatively, this military camp could accommodate at least several thousand people. And directly opposite the camp stood a familiar, magnificent castle: Kaer Morhen.
Seeing this large camp, these tents, and the distant witcher fortress... Lynn instantly understood what this was.
The Siege of Kaer Morhen.
....
For 120 advanced chapters:
Get advanced chapters ahead of everyone else.
👉 Join now: patreon.com/Chaos_God