There were only some grayish-black matted feathers and a few detached, dirty, scale-like objects.
A sweet and rotten smell, similar to that of the Monster Bird, emanated from the stone coffin.
"That's right, it's here," Geralt whispered.
However, just as he finished speaking,
A shriek filled with rage and hunger suddenly erupted from deep within the passage. They had been discovered!
A huge, distorted figure, like a cannonball, burst out of the darkness, lunging straight at the two of them. It was the Monster Bird they had glimpsed during the day.
At such a close distance, its deathly gray skin, dirty mixed feathers and scales, twisted beak-like mouth, and a pair of red eyes burning with madness appeared even more hideous and terrifying.
"It's here!" Geralt roared, instantly rolling sideways to dodge.
The Vampire Bird, like a gray whirlwind of death, first pounced on Geralt, who was closer and seemed "weaker."
Its speed was so fast that it appeared blurry on the retina.
Geralt's pupils constricted. The Witcher's reflexes made him instinctively retreat rapidly.
At the same time, the silver sword drew an arc, not to attack, but to try and block the claws that could tear through steel armor.
"Clang!!" A piercing metallic scraping sound rang out!
Geralt felt a huge force transmit from the sword, his entire arm was numb, and the silver sword nearly slipped from his hand.
He used the force to step back, trying to create distance, but the Monster Bird's second claw followed like a shadow.
This time, he had nowhere to dodge. Just as the claws were about to touch the leather armor on his chest,
"Buzz!" A subtle, but undeniably present, pale purple energy shield instantly appeared in front of Geralt.
That was Alzur's Shield spell cast by Triss, now triggered by the Monster Bird's attack.
"Thud!" The claws fiercely struck the energy shield, emitting a dull, strange sound.
The shield rippled slightly, its light flickering, successfully blocking the fatal blow.
But the immense impact still sent Geralt flying like a broken kite, slamming heavily into a stone pillar behind him.
"That was close!" Geralt's heart chilled. If not for this magic shield, that blow would have been enough to disembowel him.
Karl's gaze deepened. Instead of retreating, he advanced, gripping the greatsword with both hands.
He delivered a powerful horizontal sweep, striking at the Monster Bird's claw as it swung towards Geralt.
The Monster Bird clearly felt the deadly threat from this sword strike; it had to abandon its pursuit of Geralt.
It let out an angry shriek, its thick forelimbs with sharp claws sweeping back fiercely to meet Karl's greatsword.
"Boom!!! Clang!" This collision sounded much duller than before, as if two massive warhammers had crashed together.
A shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact, kicking up dust all over the ground.
Metal and hard objects collided violently, erupting in a deafening roar and a series of sparks.
The broken stone slabs under Karl's feet cracked inch by inch, but he stood firm.
His eyes were calm, even carrying a hint of scrutiny, as he assessed the Monster Bird's upper limit of strength.
In contrast, the Monster Bird's massive body was knocked several staggering steps sideways by the sword, letting out a pained shriek.
A clear gash even appeared on its forelimb claws.
For the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared in its burning red eyes, as it stared intently at Karl, this human whose strength far exceeded its expectations.
Just then, Geralt seized the moment of the Monster Bird's injury and imbalance, his figure closing in like a ghost.
The silver sword transformed into a silver lightning bolt, stabbing with unparalleled precision at the joint connection of the Monster Bird's hind leg.
If this sword strike landed, it would greatly limit its mobility.
However, the Vampire Bird's reaction was astonishingly fast.
Though unbalanced, its long tail lashed out like a steel whip, sweeping towards Geralt's waist with a shrill whoosh.
Geralt had no choice but to change his stab to a block, holding the silver sword horizontally—
"Whack!" The tail whip struck the sword fiercely, and the immense force once again sent him flying.
This time, Alzur's Shield reappeared, blocking most of the impact.
But Geralt still felt pain throughout his internal organs, and he rolled clumsily to the ground.
Seeing this, Karl frowned. He couldn't give the Monster Bird an opportunity to pursue Geralt.
Wearing plate armor and possessing great strength, he should take on the role of the tank between the two of them.
He let out a low growl, closing in, constantly using the heavy sword to block, parry, and even directly withstand the Monster Bird's furious clawing and biting attacks.
Each collision between them produced a jarring roar, firmly attracting the vast majority of the Monster Bird's attention.
Alzur's Shield on him was never triggered, because all of the Monster Bird's attacks were blocked by his greatsword.
In contrast, Geralt seemed to be struggling immensely, repeatedly trying to find opportunities to attack the Monster Bird's weak points.
But under Karl's pressure, the Monster Bird became even more frantic, with a large attack range and incredibly fast speed.
His Alzur's Shield was triggered no less than three times in the subsequent battle.
Once to block flying debris, and twice to fend off the Monster Bird's swift claw attacks.
The pale purple glow of the shield gradually dimmed with time and attacks, enduring considerable pressure.
Geralt circled the periphery of the battlefield. Now with Karl attracting some of the Monster Bird's attention,
the silver sword in his hand, in occasional counterattacks after dodging, could accurately strike at non-lethal but highly restrictive parts of the Monster Bird, such as its joints and wing membranes.
Neither of them was trying to kill; their goal was to drive away and subdue, not to slay.
This made the battle much more difficult than a usual monster hunt.
If there was enough space and time, he could cast Igni, or use Aard to briefly unbalance it.
But the battlefield was narrow now, and Karl was fighting the Monster Bird too closely.
He dared not risk it, fearing that the Sign might accidentally injure Karl or create a defensive opening for him.
Alzur's Shield not only blocks ordinary attacks but even deflects magical attacks, which was one of the reasons he didn't dare to cast Signs.
However, he still had an option: the Axii Sign.
Although primarily used to influence minds, in such a chaotic battle, occasional use could briefly confuse the Monster Bird.
Making the Monster Bird's attack hesitate for a moment, creating an opportunity for the two of them to counterattack or adjust their stance… Although it was their first time fighting side by side, thanks to their previous in-depth sparring session,
both of them had a clear understanding of each other's fighting styles and limits of strength.
Geralt knew that Karl's strength and defense were sufficient for a direct confrontation, so he confidently moved around, harassing.
Karl also knew Geralt's speed and skill could handle most dangers, so he dared to fully attract the Monster Bird's attacks.
Their first collaboration showed surprising synergy, as if they had worked together many times before.
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