After nearly twenty rounds, Adda, cursed and transformed into a Monster Bird, had dozens of wounds of varying depths on her body.
Dark red blood soaked its filthy fur, and its movements had clearly slowed considerably.
Geralt, too, was slightly out of breath, and Alzur's Shield had become flickering.
Karl, however, still had a long, steady breath, without even a trace of sweat on his forehead.
For a battle of this intensity, he had almost no consumption; his condition was far better than Geralt's.
A flicker of fear and retreat finally appeared in the Monster Bird's mad eyes.
These two humans were more troublesome and terrifying than any prey she had encountered before!
It suddenly used all its strength to swing a claw, and taking advantage of Karl's block, it used the momentum to leap backward.
It let out an unwilling shriek, turned, and wanted to plunge into the deeper darkness to heal its wounds.
All of this was actually within Karl and Geralt's expectations—or rather, it was a situation they deliberately controlled; they needed to temporarily force the Monster Bird away from its nest.
Geralt immediately rushed towards the stone coffin, preparing to execute the plan.
However, just as he was about to jump in, Karl grabbed him.
"Wait! Lambert, it's too dangerous for you to go in!" Karl said in a deep voice.
"You're wearing leather armor; once it returns, finds the nest occupied, goes mad, and rips open the coffin lid, you won't be able to withstand its sharp claws at all."
"Let me do it; my plate armor and strength can withstand it better!"
Geralt was stunned, instantly realizing that Karl's consideration was completely correct.
The space inside the stone coffin was narrow, making evasion almost impossible; once discovered, it would be a pure head-on confrontation.
His magic shield had already been triggered, and the Quen Sign alone wouldn't hold up for two hits.
His leather armor and relatively fragile body were indeed far less suited for this task than Karl's.
However, understanding was one thing; letting a companion bear the greatest risk while he remained relatively safe was not his style.
But Karl's suggestion was indeed the optimal solution at the moment.
Geralt looked at Karl's determined eyes, no longer hesitated, and nodded heavily: "Alright!"
He quickly raised his hand towards the stone coffin lid and cast the Yrden Sign.
A slowly rotating purple rune shimmered slightly on the coffin lid, capable of preventing any creature attempting to open it.
"Karl, you must come out alive."
Geralt's voice was still calm, but the meaning it contained was now different.
At this moment, they were no longer simply collaborators but comrades entrusting each other on the brink of life and death.
Karl nodded, flipped over without hesitation, and lay down in the cold, narrow stone coffin, and Geralt immediately pushed the heavy coffin lid with force.
Just as the stone coffin was about to fully close, Karl's voice came from inside: "Tell Triss I'm fine..."
...In reality, Triss had already seen what was happening through her crystal ball.
She almost couldn't resist casting a spell to teleport Karl back, but she quickly calmed down.
Karl's life was not in danger; if she teleported him, everything Karl and his companion had done would be in vain.
She clasped her hands, watching with worried eyes as Karl lay down in the stone coffin.
"Boom!" The coffin lid completely closed, isolating Karl from the outside world.
Almost simultaneously, from deep within the passage, came again that heart-pounding roar and the sound of rapid running.
The Monster Bird had actually returned; it seemed to have sensed its nest being disturbed, making it even more frantic.
It immediately spotted the only target next to the stone coffin—Geralt.
Its burning red eyes instantly locked onto him, and it lunged with overwhelming fury.
Geralt dared not entangle with it; he immediately moved his feet, shifted his body to dodge, and retreated towards the palace exit, fighting as he went.
He skillfully dodged the deadly pounces, using the ruined walls as cover.
After luring Adda far enough away from the stone coffin, a cold light flashed in Geralt's eyes.
He suddenly unhooked two alchemical bombs from his waist—first, a dragon's dream, which he accurately threw not far in front of the Monster Bird's side.
"Pfft!" The dragon's dream shattered, releasing a large amount of colorless, odorless flammable gas, which instantly spread.
Immediately after, Geralt made a specific hand gesture with his left hand—the Igni Sign.
Countless scorching sparks accurately flew into the gas-filled area.
"Boom!!!" A violent explosion instantly occurred, and flames shot skyward, completely engulfing the Monster Bird!
The massive shockwave shook the entire palace violently, and rubble rained down.
Almost simultaneously, Geralt threw a beehive bomb.
The beehive bomb exploded at the edge of the flames, and countless poisoned metal fragments scattered like a swarm of bees.
Most were repelled by the Monster Bird's body defense, but many still deeply embedded themselves into the wounds previously cut by the sword.
"Screech!!!" Under the dual torment of flames and poison, the Monster Bird let out an extremely agonizing shriek.
Its voice was filled with madness and pain, as it twisted and rolled frantically on the spot.
Geralt had no desire to prolong the fight; he seized the opportunity, turned, and rushed into the dark passage at top speed.
He cast one last look back at the stone coffin, which remained unshaken despite the tremors.
A barely perceptible hint of worry flashed in his eyes, and then his figure completely disappeared from the palace exit.
Inside the palace, only the raging flames, the frantically struggling and shrieking Vampire Bird, and that sealed, cold stone coffin containing a person remained...The intense sounds of fighting, terrifying shrieks, and finally two deafening explosions from deep within the palace.
In the dead of night, they exploded like thunder, instantly breaking the general silence of the outer camp.
"They're fighting in there!" a Guard shouted in alarm.
Foltest suddenly rushed out of the temporary tent, his face appearing exceptionally pale in the flickering light of the torches.
He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails almost digging into his palms.
He stared intently at the dark entrance of the palace, his heart pounding, a mix of anticipation and fear.
Soon after, a figure stumbled out of the shadows of the ruins, rushing rapidly; it was Geralt.
His leather armor had several fresh scratches, and his face was smudged with soot.
His breathing was also slightly rapid due to the recent rapid running and the impact of the explosion, but overall, he seemed unharmed.
However, he was alone...Foltest's gaze eagerly swept behind Geralt, but he saw no second figure appear.
The hint of anticipation on his face instantly froze, immediately replaced by an ominous premonition and an uncontrollable rage.
"Witcher! Where is Karl?! Why didn't he come out with you?! What exactly happened in there?!"
Foltest's voice trembled slightly with anger as he strode forward, almost pointing his finger at Geralt's nose as he questioned him.
His tone was filled with undeniable authority and deep anxiety, as if Geralt would be torn apart if he gave an unsatisfactory answer.
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