My consciousness returned slowly from sleep, and my body felt impossibly heavy. My every breath was an effort, every slight movement sending dull aches radiating through my limbs.
I laid in my bed for a moment, taking inventory of my body. My shoulder throbbed where the demonic wolf had bitten down. My thigh ached with a deep, bone-deep pain. My ribs felt bruised, maybe cracked, making each breath a careful exercise in controlled discomfort. Bandages wrapped around most of my torso, the rough linen scratching against my healing wounds.
But at least I was alive. That was something.
My enhanced senses were already working, even in this half-awake state. I could hear the wind howling outside, carrying the bite of mountain cold. I could smell the herbs that had been used to treat my wounds, white myrtle, celandine, and something else, maybe verbena. The scent of old stone Keep and wood smoke permeated everything, the familiar smell of my home.
Then I picked up something else. Movement. Footsteps in the corridor outside my room, measured and careful, trying to be quiet. One person, based on the rhythm of the steps. The scent reached me a moment later, fresh bread, still warm from the oven, and cooked meat. The meat from my personal pantry, the emergency supplies I kept for when I didn't want to deal with the communal kitchen. I seasoned that meat specially for me, since my taste buds are more refine.
I sighed internally. I knew exactly who it was.
The door to my room creaked open slowly, and I kept my eyes closed, my breathing steady and even. My enhanced hearing picked up every detail, the slight hitch in his breath as he checked to see if I was awake, the soft scrape of wood against wood as he pushed the door wider, the quiet pad of his boots on the stone floor.
Callum.
I could smell him now, beneath the scent of food. The familiar mix of leather and steel, the faint tang of blood from his wounds that were already healed. And something uniquely him pine needles. His heartbeat was steady, calm, but I could detect the slight elevation that suggested concern, worry.
He moved closer to my bed, and I heard the soft clink of a wooden plate being set down on the nightstand beside me. The smell of the food intensified, two meat sandwiches, they were simple but very filling. Exactly the kind of thing Callum would make when he was worried and didn't know what else to do.
I decided to end the charade. I opened my eyes and sat up slowly, every muscle in my body protesting the movement. Pain lanced through my shoulder and ribs, sharp enough to make me grit my teeth, but I pushed through it. I'd endured worse. The Trial of the Grasses had been much worse.
Callum's face lit up the moment he saw me move. "Cain, you're awake!?"
His voice carried genuine relief, and I saw the tension drain from his shoulders. His emerald cat eyes were bright with emotion, and for a moment, he looked like the boy I'd first met years ago.
I nodded, managing a small smirk despite the pain. "And that's my food," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I'd intended, scratchy from disuse.
Callum had the decency to look sheepish. "Yeah, sorry. I brought it for you if you woke up." He gestured to the plate on the nightstand. "I wasn't sure when you'd come around, so I figured I'd have something ready."
I waved my hand dismissively, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through my shoulder. "Callum, I'm not hungry right now." I paused, looking at the sandwiches with a critical eye. "But the next time you're going to make food for me from my pantry, please use more than just bread and meat. We have butter, cheese, and wine. And wine sounds really nice right now."
The thought of wine was actually appealing. Something to dull the edges of the pain, to help me relax. My body was healing, I could feel it, the enhanced Constitution from my mutations working overtime to knit flesh and bone back together, but it was still a slow, I would drink a potion from my inventory if it didn't want deal with the questions everyone would ask. So I deal with uncomfortable process.
Note to self, take a Elixir before passing out.
Callum placed the plate down more firmly on the nightstand, then pulled up the wooden chair that sat in the corner of my room. He dragged it closer to the bed and sat down. When he looked at me again, his expression had changed. The relief was still there, but now it was mixed with something else. like he had questions.
I looked at him directly, my face naturally neutral. I already knew what he was going to ask. I'd been preparing for this conversation since the moment I'd woken up.
"Cain," he said, his voice quieter now, more measured. "What do you remember?"
I took a slow breath, organizing my thoughts. I needed to be careful here. Callum wasn't stupid, far from it. He was bright and observant, trained from a young age to notice details, to read people. And he knew me better than almost anyone. If I lied outright, he might catch it. His enhanced senses could pick up changes in heartbeat, breathing patterns, and in the subtle chemical changes that accompanied deception.
But I had an advantage. My Cold Blooded trait. It suppressed my emotional responses, kept my physiological reactions steady and controlled. It was the perfect tool for maintaining a lie, as long as I was careful about what I said.
"I remember we made our way to the Forge, and then we were attacked by that black and red-furred wolf. It hurt you... badly."
The memory of seeing Callum's blood, of watching that creature's jaws clamp down on his shoulder, sent a flash of anger through me. But my Cold Blooded trait caught it, smoothed it away, kept my expression neutral and my heartbeat steady.
Callum nodded slowly. "That's right." He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "But here I am, not a wound or scar on me." He gestured to his shoulder, where the wolf had bitten him. The skin was smooth and unmarked, as if nothing had ever happened. "But when I came to, you were the one bloody and bruised, with bite and claw wounds all over. You had two wolf medallions in your hands, and when I went to check the Forge, the wolf's body was there. That weird portal or whatever it was, it was gone."
He paused, his eyes searching my face. "So what happened, Cain? How did we get from me dying to you nearly dead and that thing killed?"
I kept my expression carefully neutral. "How did we get back to the keep?" I asked, deflecting slightly, buying myself time to think.
Callum smirked, some of his usual humor returning. "I carried you, of course." He shook his head, the smirk widening into a grin. "My god, you were heavy. I thought you were going to die a few times on the way down. You've been unconscious for a whole day, and your wounds healed up quickly in that time." His expression grew more serious. "Vesemir was surprised to see that. Said he'd never seen anyone recover that fast, even with our enhanced healing."
A whole day. I'd been out for an entire day. That explained why my body felt so heavy, so drained. I'd pushed myself beyond my limits in that fight, used abilities and magic I'd barely understood, activated Limit Break at a level that had nearly killed me.
"Where are the others?" I asked, continuing to deflect.
"Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert went to retrieve the wolf's body," Callum said. "They should be back in the next hour or so. Vesemir and Coen are preparing to dissect it in the alchemy lab. I was told to watch over you, make sure you didn't die in your sleep or something."
He said it lightly, but I could hear the underlying concern in his voice. He'd been really worried.
Then Callum leaned back in his chair, his expression growing more serious again. "Cain," he said quietly. "How did you kill that wolf? And how did you heal me?"
I paused, my mind racing. I couldn't tell him about the system. That was non-negotiable. The system was my secret, my advantage, and revealing it would open up questions I couldn't answer. But I needed to give him something. Something believable. Something that would satisfy his curiosity without revealing too much.
"I don't remember much, It was a blur, really. I saw you hurt, and I felt my power rage." I paused, as if trying to recall details that were hazy. "I think I healed you somehow, maybe the Elder Blood, I'm not entirely sure. And then the next thing I clearly remember is standing over the wolf's giant corpse. After that, I went for the medallions, and then... you know the rest."
I watched Callum's face carefully, looking for any sign that he didn't believe me. My enhanced senses were focused on him, tracking his heartbeat, his breathing, the subtle micro-expressions that flickered across his features.
He nodded slowly, seeming to accept the explanation. "Makes sense," he said after a moment. "Your Elder Blood could do a lot of things we don't know about. But to think you healed me and slayed that thing. I swear that beast was bigger than our horses."
He'd bought it. The explanation about the Elder Blood was vague enough to be believable, specific enough to satisfy his curiosity.
"Thank you," I said quietly, meeting his eyes. "Thank you for saving me."
Callum shook his head firmly. "We're brothers, Cain. I will save you, and you will save me. That's how this works." He stood up, gesturing to the sad-looking sandwiches on the nightstand. "Now eat up. I'll let Vesemir know you're awake. He was waiting for you to pull through so we can become official Wolf School Witchers."
He paused at the door, turning back with a slight grin. "I'll go remake this for my fellow Witcher's taste, along with some wine. How does that sound?"
"Thank you, Callum," I said, and I meant it.
As the door closed behind him, I let out a slow breath. Callum, you truly are my brother. Next to Geralt, there's probably no one I can trust as much as you.
Not that I didn't trust the other Witchers of the Wolf School. Vesemir had been a mentor and a guide. Eskel and Lambert were like older brothers. And Coen was a friend. But Callum and Geralt were different. They were the ones who'd been there from the beginning, who'd seen me at my weakest and helped me become stronger.
I sat there for a moment, letting the silence of the room settle around me. Then I remembered something. Something important.
The potion!
I pulled up my system inventory with a thought, the familiar blue interface appearing in my vision. I scrolled through the items until I found what I was looking for.
Sequence 9 (Unknown) Beyonder Pathway Potion (Common/Uncommon)
My eyes widened as I focused on it, and a new prompt appeared: This Beyonder potion's pathway has not been chosen. Would you like to choose your pathway and see the recommended options?
I stared at the notification, my mind reeling. The system was offering me the chance to become a Beyonder. An actual Beyonder, from the Lord of the Mysteries universe. This was insane. This was a pathway to godhood, or to becoming a monster, depending on how you looked at it.
I didn't know much about the Beyonder pathways or their abilities. I'd only read partway through the first Lord of the Mysteries book before I ended up here. Between Red Rising, work, and Shadow Slave, my reading time had been all over the place. I'd never finished it, never gotten to see how the pathways fully developed.
But I knew enough to understand what this meant. Beyonders incredibly powerful. They could manipulate reality, control minds, see the future, command the elements. And as they advanced through the sequences, from 9 down to 0, they became more and more godlike.
But there was a cost. The potions were dangerous. They could drive you insane if you didn't digest them properly, if you didn't act in accordance with the pathway's nature. And the higher you climbed, the more you risked losing yourself to the madness that came with power.
Could the system protect me from that? Could it help me digest the potions safely, keep me from succumbing to the corruption that claimed so many Beyonders?
Well, I thought, considering this system hasn't given me anything for free, it might be balanced enough. Everything the system had given me so far had come with challenges, and with risks. But it had also been fair. It had helped me survive, helped me grow stronger.
Maybe this would be the same.
I focused on the prompt and thought, "Show recommendations."
A new window appeared:
System Notification: Recommended Pathways
Door Pathway
The Reader Pathway (White Tower)
These are your highest compatibility pathways with the most synergy with your current abilities and attributes.
I blinked, surprised. The system was recommending specific pathways based on my build? That was... actually incredibly helpful.
I clicked on the Door Pathway first, and a detailed description unfolded:
Door Pathway (Error Group)
Sequence 9 - Apprentice: The starting point of the Door Pathway. Grants the ability to open "doors" in space, allowing for short-range teleportation. Enhanced learning speed for languages and mystical knowledge. Improved memory and analytical thinking.
Effect: +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom. Ability: Spatial Manipulation (Common) - Teleport up to 10 meters. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Sequence 8 - Trickmaster: Expands spatial manipulation abilities. Can create illusions by bending light through spatial distortions. Enhanced agility and sleight of hand. Can "record" and replay small actions.
Effect: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence. Ability: Illusion Creation, Action Recording.
Sequence 7 - Astrologer: Gains the ability to divine using stars and celestial bodies. Can perceive spiritual threads connecting people and events. Enhanced intuition for danger and opportunity.
Effect: +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence. Ability: Stellar Divination, Thread Perception.
Sequence 6 - Scribe: Can record and seal abilities, spells, and even living creatures into books or scrolls. Enhanced memory becomes perfect. Can create "historical projections" of past events.
Effect: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom. Ability: Sealing, Historical Projection.
Sequence 5 - Traveler: Mastery over spatial manipulation. Can teleport hundreds of meters, create stable portals, and even travel between spiritual and material worlds. Can "borrow" abilities from sealed items.
Effect: +2 Intelligence, +2 Dextery. Ability: Long-Range Teleportation, Portal Creation, Ability Borrowing.
Sequence 4 - Secrets Sorcerer: Gains access to powerful mystical knowledge. Can manipulate probability on a small scale. Enhanced control over sealed items and artifacts. Can create "secret spaces" that exist outside normal reality.
Effect: +3 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Ability: Probability Manipulation, Secret Space Creation.
Sequence 3 - Planeswalker: Can travel between different planes of existence. Mastery over spatial laws. Can create semi-permanent portals and dimensional pockets. Enhanced resistance to spatial attacks.
Effect: +3 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom. Ability: Planar Travel, Dimensional Mastery.
Sequence 2 - Gate: Becomes a living gateway between worlds. Can open massive portals, transport armies, and even connect different timelines. Near-perfect control over space.
Effect: +4 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity. Ability: Mass Teleportation, Timeline Connection.
Sequence 1 - Wanderer: Transcends normal spatial limitations. Can exist in multiple places simultaneously. Can manipulate the fabric of space itself, creating or destroying spatial dimensions.
Effect: +5 Intelligence, +5 Wisdom, +3 Dexterity. Ability: Omnipresence (Limited), Spatial Creation/Destruction.
Sequence 0 - Door: Becomes the embodiment of passage and transition. Complete mastery over all spatial concepts. Can open doors to any location, any time, any reality. Essentially becomes a god of space and travel.
Effect: Transcendent. All spatial abilities perfected.
Synergy with Current Build: Your Warp ability and Elder Blood's dimensional properties would synergize perfectly with the Door Pathway. Your existing spatial manipulation would be enhanced exponentially, and your teleportation abilities would become nearly limitless. The pathway's focus on knowledge and learning also complements your studious nature and high Intelligence.
I read through it carefully, my mind racing. The Door Pathway was incredible. The ability to teleport, to create portals, to travel between worlds, it was exactly the kind of power that would complement my existing abilities. My Warp skill would become vastly more powerful, and the Elder Blood's dimensional properties would synergize perfectly.
But then I clicked on the White Tower Pathway:
The Reader Pathway (White Tower - God of Knowledge and Wisdom Group)
Sequence 9 - Reader: Enhanced learning and comprehension. Can speed-read and perfectly retain information. Improved analytical thinking and pattern recognition. Can sense the "knowledge" contained in objects and places.
Effect: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom. Ability: Speed Learning, Knowledge Sense.
Sequence 8 - Savant: Becomes a polymath with expertise in multiple fields. Enhanced memory becomes eidetic. Can quickly master new skills and languages. Improved teaching ability.
Effect: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom. Ability: Skill Mastery, Enhanced Teaching.
Sequence 7 - Polymath: Mastery over multiple disciplines. Can combine knowledge from different fields to create innovative solutions. Enhanced creativity and problem-solving. Can "see" the underlying principles of how things work.
Effect: +3 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Ability: Principle Perception, Innovative Synthesis.
Sequence 6 - Archaeologist: Can perceive the history of objects and places. Enhanced ability to find hidden knowledge and lost artifacts. Can reconstruct past events from fragments of information.
Effect: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Ability: Historical Perception, Reconstruction.
Sequence 5 - Sage: Vast knowledge across all fields. Can provide expert advice on virtually any topic. Enhanced intuition for solving complex problems. Can create "knowledge constructs" that exist in the spiritual world.
Effect: +3 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom. Ability: Universal Knowledge, Knowledge Constructs.
Sequence 4 - Professor: Can impart knowledge directly into others' minds. Enhanced teaching becomes almost supernatural. Can create "thought palaces" to organize and access information. Improved mental defenses.
Effect: +4 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom. Ability: Knowledge Transfer, Thought Palace.
Sequence 3 - Mystic: Gains access to forbidden and mystical knowledge. Can perceive and manipulate the underlying rules of reality. Enhanced ability to create and modify spells and abilities.
Effect: +4 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom. Ability: Rule Perception, Spell Creation.
Sequence 2 - Scholar of Yore: Becomes a repository of ancient and lost knowledge. Can access the memories and experiences of past scholars. Near-perfect understanding of mystical principles.
Effect: +5 Intelligence, +5 Wisdom. Ability: Ancestral Knowledge, Mystical Mastery.
Sequence 1 - Omniscient Eye: Approaches true omniscience within a limited domain. Can perceive multiple timelines and possibilities. Enhanced ability to predict and manipulate outcomes based on knowledge.
Effect: +6 Intelligence, +6 Wisdom. Ability: Limited Omniscience, Outcome Manipulation.
Sequence 0 - White Tower: Becomes the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. Complete understanding of all natural and mystical laws. Can rewrite reality based on understanding its fundamental principles. Essentially becomes a god of knowledge.
Effect: Transcendent. All knowledge-based abilities perfected.
Synergy with Current Build: Your high Intelligence and Wisdom, combined with your studious nature and Mind's Eye ability, make you an ideal candidate for the White Tower Pathway. Your analytical thinking and pattern recognition would be enhanced to supernatural levels. The pathway's focus on understanding and manipulating underlying principles would complement your Sign magic and Chronomancy perfectly.
Both pathways were incredible. Both would make me vastly more powerful. But I needed to see all my options before making a decision.
I thought, "Show full pathway list."
A much longer window appeared:
System Notification: All Available Beyonder Pathways
Physical & Combat Mastery Pathways:
Warrior Pathway (Giant Pathway) - Focus on raw physical power, combat prowess, and leadership. Sequences emphasize strength, endurance, and battlefield dominance.
Hunter Pathway (Red Priest Pathway) - Focus on tracking, precision, and tactical combat. Sequences emphasize agility, weapon mastery, and strategic thinking.
Assassin Pathway (Demoness Pathway) - Focus on stealth, seduction, and lethal precision. Sequences emphasize beauty, charm, and deadly efficiency. Warning: This pathway requires gender transformation at Sequence 7.
Sailor Pathway (Tyrant Pathway) - Focus on weather manipulation, naval combat, and elemental control. Sequences emphasize adaptability, storm magic, and leadership.
Mind, Manipulation & Illusion Pathways:
Spectator Pathway (Visionary Pathway) - Focus on mind reading, psychological manipulation, and mental constructs. Sequences emphasize perception, control, and reality manipulation through thought.
Secrets Suppliant Pathway (Hanged Man Pathway) - Focus on secrets, contracts, and binding agreements. Sequences emphasize knowledge gathering, oath enforcement, and hidden power.
Bard Pathway (Sun Pathway) - Focus on inspiration, light magic, and purification. Sequences emphasize charisma, holy power, and demon slaying.
Marauder Pathway (Error Pathway) - Focus on theft, deception, and stealing abilities. Sequences emphasize trickery, ability mimicry, and chaos.
Fate, Death & Alteration Pathways:
Monster Pathway (Wheel of Fortune Pathway) - Focus on luck manipulation, fate alteration, and probability control. Sequences emphasize fortune, misfortune, and destiny manipulation.
Corpse Collector Pathway (Death Pathway) - Focus on death magic, spirit manipulation, and necromancy. Sequences emphasize control over the dead, soul magic, and mortality.
Sleepless Pathway (Darkness Pathway) - Focus on darkness manipulation, dream control, and concealment. Sequences emphasize stealth, nightmare magic, and anti-divination.
Mystery & Divination Pathways:
Seer Pathway (Fool Pathway) - Focus on divination, fate perception, and miracle working. Sequences emphasize prophecy, luck, and reality manipulation.
Apprentice Pathway (Door Pathway) - Already detailed above.
Marauder Pathway (Error Pathway) - Already listed above.
Mystic & Esoteric Pathways:
Mystery Pryer Pathway (Hermit Pathway) - Focus on uncovering secrets, mystical knowledge, and hidden truths. Sequences emphasize investigation, revelation, and forbidden knowledge.
Reader Pathway (White Tower) - Already detailed above.
Planter Pathway (Mother Pathway) - Focus on nature magic, life manipulation, and harvest. Sequences emphasize growth, fertility, and natural cycles.
Apothecary Pathway (Moon Pathway) - Focus on potion-making, transformation, and beauty. Sequences emphasize alchemy, shapeshifting, and mystical beauty.
Lawyer Pathway (Arbiter Pathway) - Focus on order, rules, and judgment. Sequences emphasize law enforcement, balance, and absolute authority.
Prisoner Pathway (Chained Pathway) - Focus on binding, sealing, and restraint. Sequences emphasize control, imprisonment, and breaking limitations.
Criminal Pathway (Abyss Pathway) - Focus on corruption, degeneration, and forbidden power. Sequences emphasize darkness, evil, and destructive force.
I read through the entire list carefully, my mind working through the implications of each pathway. Some I could eliminate immediately.
The Demoness Pathway was out. I liked being a man, thank you very much. And I wasn't the assassin type anyway. Stealth and seduction weren't my style.
The Sun Pathway would probably fit Callum better than me. He had the charisma, the natural leadership, the ability to inspire others. That was his path, not mine. Or maybe it would fit Dandelion, if I ever met him.
The Sailor Pathway didn't appeal to me. I had no particular affinity for water or weather, and I didn't plan on spending much time at sea.
The Corpse Collector and Criminal Pathways were too dark, too focused on death and corruption. I'd seen enough darkness in both my lives. I didn't need to embrace it as a power source.
The Lawyer and Prisoner Pathways didn't fit my personality. I wasn't about enforcing rules or binding others. I valued freedom too much for that.
That left me with several strong options: the Door Pathway, the White Tower Pathway, the Hunter Pathway, the Monster Pathway, the Seer Pathway, and maybe the Spectator Pathway.
I thought about each one carefully.
The Door Pathway would enhance my spatial abilities, make me incredibly mobile and versatile. Combined with my Warp skill and Elder Blood, I could become nearly impossible to pin down.
The White Tower Pathway would make me a genius, a master of knowledge and understanding. Combined with my already high Intelligence and studious nature, I could become one of the most knowledgeable beings in the world.
The Hunter Pathway... I paused, reading through its description again.
Hunter Pathway (Red Priest Pathway)
Sequence 9 - Hunter: Enhanced physical abilities with focus on precision and tracking. Improved senses for hunting prey. Excellent outdoor survival skills and trap-making. Enhanced weapon proficiency.
Effect: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution. Ability: Enhanced Tracking, Trap Mastery.
The Hunter Pathway was interesting. It wasn't as flashy as the Door Pathway or as intellectually focused as the White Tower. But it was practical. It enhanced physical abilities, improved combat skills, and granted survival expertise. And as I read further through the sequences, I saw that it eventually led to tactical genius, army command, and even the ability to manipulate warfare itself.
The Red Priest at Sequence 0 was a god of war and strategy. That was... appealing.
I thought about my current situation. I was a Witcher, a monster hunter. My job was to track down dangerous creatures and kill them. The Hunter Pathway would enhance everything I already did. It would make me better at tracking, better at fighting, better at surviving in hostile environments.
And unlike the Door or White Tower Pathways, which were more specialized, the Hunter Pathway was versatile. It combined physical enhancement with tactical thinking, combat prowess with strategic planning. It was a pathway for someone who needed to be good at everything, not just one thing.
That fit me. That fit my Jack-of-all-trades trait perfectly.
I smiled slightly, making my decision. I clicked on the Hunter Pathway and confirmed my choice.
System Notification: Hunter (Red Priest) Pathway chosen.
Title Gained: Beyonder Sequence 9: Hunter
Abilities:
Physical Enhancement: Significantly increases strength, agility, reflexes, and overall physical control.
Effect: +2.5 to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution Attributes.
Survival & Trapping: Grants excellent outdoor survival skills, the ability to craft medicine and poisons, and heightened senses for setting traps and hunting.
Effect: +2.5 to Wisdom, Intelligence Attributes. +1 Level to all abilities, skills, and traits that relate to hunting, tracking, and survival.
Proceed with this potion selection?
[Yes/No]
Warning: Taking this pathway will make you an instant enemy to Demoness Pathway users.
I chuckled at the warning. Unless I somehow ended up in the Lord of the Mysteries world, I'd probably never encounter a Demoness Pathway user. And even if I did, I wasn't planning on being friendly with assassins who seduced and murdered their targets.
I mentally selected "Yes."
System Notification: Sequence 9 Hunter Potion is created.
I summoned the potion from my inventory, and it materialized in my hand. The container was a thick, small, fancy-looking glass bottle with an ornate stopper. Inside was a deep crimson liquid that looked disturbingly like blood, thick and viscous, with a faint glow that pulsed like a heartbeat.
I stared at it for a moment, feeling the weight of what I was about to do. This wasn't like the Trial of the Grasses. That had been forced on me, something I'd had to endure to survive. This was a choice. A conscious decision to take power that could corrupt me, that could drive me insane if I wasn't careful.
But I'd made my decision. I needed this power. I needed every advantage I could get if I was going to survive in this world, if I was going to protect the people I cared about.
I uncorked the bottle and said quietly, "Bottoms up."
Then I drank.
The liquid hit my tongue, and for a moment, it tasted like nothing. Just a faint metallic tang, like licking a copper coin. Then it slid down my throat, and everything changed.
Absolute, searing fire erupted in my chest, spreading outward through my veins like molten lava. It felt like I'd swallowed the sun, like my insides were being burned away and remade. My muscles twisted and spasmed, contracting and expanding in ways that shouldn't be possible. I could feel my bones shifting, becoming denser, stronger. My nerves lit up with sensation, every cell in my body screaming as it was transformed.
Blood rushed to my nose, and I tasted copper in my mouth. My vision went red at the edges, and I heard voices, whispers in languages I didn't understand, speaking of hunts and prey and the thrill of the kill.
But I didn't panic. My Cold Blooded trait activated immediately, suppressing the fear and pain, pushing it down into a manageable level. The agony was still there, I could feel every second of it, but it was distant, analytical. I could observe it without being overwhelmed by it.
And compared to the Trial of the Grasses, this was nothing.
The Trial had been days of unending torture, of feeling my body break down and rebuild itself over and over. This was intense, yes, but it was also quick. The burning sensation peaked, held for a moment that felt like an eternity, and then began to fade.
My muscles stopped spasming. My bones settled into their new configuration. The voices in my head quieted to a whisper, then disappeared entirely. The fire in my veins cooled to a warm glow, then faded to nothing.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, and it felt different. Easier. My lungs expanded further than they had before, taking in more air. My heart beat stronger, pumping blood more efficiently through my enhanced body.
I felt... powerful. More powerful than I'd ever felt before.
System Notification: You have ascended to the Beyonder Pathway. You are now a Sequence 9 Hunter.
Title: Sequence 9: Hunter (10%)
Effect: The Hunter is a versatile, combat-focused Beyonder pathway. It specializes in physical enhancements, tracking, weapon mastery, and leadership, making its practitioners masters of battlefield control, strategy, and warfare.
Bonus: Your percentage is your digestion rate of your sequence potion. Once it reaches 100%, you will have fully digested the potion and will be ready to move on to the next sequence.
Effect: +3.5 to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence Attributes. +1 Level to all abilities, skills, and traits that relate to hunting, combat, and survival.
Warning: Should your percentage of digestion reach zero, you will be corrupted.
I smiled, feeling the power settling into my body. The 10% digestion rate made sense, I'd just taken the potion. I'd need to act in accordance with the Hunter pathway to digest it fully. That meant hunting, tracking, fighting. All things I was already planning to do as a Witcher.
More notifications appeared:
System Notification: Your body & mind have grown.
Attributes:
Constitution: 11.0 → 13.5
Strength: 10.3 → 12.8
Dexterity: 10.3 → 12.8
Wisdom: 10.7 → 13.2
Intelligence: 10.8 → 13.3
Charisma: 10.8
Mana: 10.1
Traits:
Jack-of-all-trades (Common) → Jack-of-all-trades (Rare)
Effect: +10% → +13% Proficiency across all skills. +10% → +13% Proficiency when leveling up or learning new spells and skills.
Abilities & Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 10 (Common) → Intermediate Swordsmanship Level 1 (Rare)
Effect: Your swordsmanship has reached a level very few in the world have achieved. Grants 15% increased damage with swords and 10% increased attack speed.
Mind's Eye Level 10 (Common) → Mind's Eye Level 1 (Rare)
Effect: Perceive the world with heightened clarity. Identify weak points in living and non-living targets. Grants a 25% increase in critical hit chance and damage.
Bonus: Can see a person's true essence and emotional state.
My eyes widened as I read through the notifications. This was incredible. My attributes had jumped by over 3 points each. My Jack-of-all-trades trait had evolved to Rare rank, increasing its effectiveness. And I didn't have to spend any ability points. And two of my most important skills, Swordsmanship and Mind's Eye, had broken through to Rare rank.
Intermediate Swordsmanship meant I was now at a level that very few people in the world achieved. I was no longer just competent with a blade, I was genuinely skilled, approaching mastery.
And Mind's Eye at Rare rank was even more impressive. A 25% increase in critical hit chance and damage was massive. Combined with the ability to see weak points, I could now strike with devastating precision. And the bonus ability to see someone's true essence and emotional state would be invaluable for reading people, for understanding their intentions.
But the notifications weren't done.
System Notification: You have gained an Aspect.
Due to slaying a Demonic Wolf, you have gained one of its Aspects. Pick which Aspect you would like:
Misfortune Manipulation: Curse a target with a streak of horrific bad luck, causing enemy spells to backfire, armor to fail, or weapons to break. (Darkness Pathway)
Shadow Stealth and Travel: Treat physical shadows as a personal highway system, diving into one shadow and instantly leaping out of another. (Darkness Pathway)
Absolute Concealment: Seamlessly erase your presence, sounds, and spiritual ripples from reality, becoming entirely invisible and untrackable until you strike. (Darkness Pathway)
I stared at the options, my mind racing. This was insane. Could I gain Aspects from other pathways by killing Beyonders or mystical creatures? That was... that was incredibly powerful. And incredibly rare, from what I remembered of the Lord of the Mysteries lore.
All three options were tempting. Shadow travel would give me even more mobility. Absolute concealment would make me the perfect assassin. But Misfortune Manipulation...
I thought about the implications. The ability to curse someone with bad luck, to make their spells backfire, their armor fail, their weapons break. In a fight, that could be the difference between life and death. It was a debuff ability, something I didn't currently have. And it would synergize well with my combat-focused build.
Plus, there was something poetic about it. The wolf had tried to kill me and Callum. Now I would use its power to curse my enemies.
I selected Misfortune Manipulation.
System Notification: Darkness Pathway Aspect Chosen.
New Ability: Misfortune Manipulation (Epic)
Effect: Curse a target with severe bad luck. During this time, the target's actions have a high chance of failing catastrophically. Spells may backfire, weapons may break, armor may fail, and environmental hazards become more dangerous.
I smiled. This was perfect. An Epic-ranked ability that could turn the tide of any fight. And I could use it multiple times in extended combat.
I sat up fully in bed, feeling the strength in my body. The pain from my wounds was still there, but it was manageable now, fading as my enhanced Constitution worked to heal me. I felt like I could stand, could move, could fight if I needed to.
I pulled up my full status window, wanting to see all my gains in one place:
Status Window:
Name: Cain
Age: 15
Race: Half-Elf Half-Human (Mutant)
Bloodline Trait: Elder Blood (Legendary)
Class: Wolf School Witcher (Common)
Title: Sequence 9: Hunter (10%)
Attributes:
Constitution: 14.5
Strength: 13.8
Dexterity: 13.8
Wisdom: 14.2
Intelligence: 14.3
Charisma: 10.8
Luck: Unknown
Mana: 10.1
Abilities & Skills:
Wolf Pack (Epic)
Intermediate Swordsmanship Level 1 (Rare)
Meditation Level 7 (Common)
Poison Resistance Level 10 (Common)
Mind's Eye Level 1 (Rare)
Limit Break Level 5 (Common)
Charm Resistance Level 10 (Legendary) Max
Warp Level 4 (Common)
Chronomancy Level 3 (Common)
Sign Magic Level 5 (Common)
Misfortune Manipulation (Epic)
Traits:
Cold Blooded (Epic)
Elder Blood (Legendary)
Jack-of-all-trades (Rare)
Ability Points: 7
Attribute Points: 2
I stared at the window, a sense of satisfaction washing over me. I'd come so far. My attributes were now in the mid-teens across the board, well above what any normal human could achieve. My skills had evolved to Rare rank. I had a Beyonder pathway that would only make me stronger as I progressed.
I was no longer just a Witcher in training. I was a Beyonder
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. "Cain? You decent?"
It was Callum, his voice carrying through the wood.
"Come in," I called.
The door opened, and Callum entered carrying a wooden tray. On it were two much better-looking sandwiches, I could see butter, cheese, and what looked like roasted vegetables along with the meat, and a bottle of wine with two cups.
"As promised," he said with a grin. "Food fit for a Witcher, and wine to wash it down."
Behind him, I saw Vesemir's distinctive silhouette in the doorway. The old Witcher stepped into the room, his weathered face breaking into a rare smile.
"Good to see you awake, boy," Vesemir said. "You had us worried for a while there."
"I'm harder to kill than I look," I said, managing a smirk.
Vesemir chuckled. "So I've noticed." He gestured to the door. "When you're ready, come down to the main hall. We have a ceremony to conduct. You and Callum have earned your medallions. It's time to make it official."
My heart swelled with pride. After everything, the training, the trials, the near-death experiences, we were finally going to become official Wolf School Witchers.
"Give me a few minutes to eat and get dressed," I said. "I'll be down soon."
Vesemir nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Callum set the tray down on the nightstand and poured two cups of wine.
"To surviving," he said, raising his cup.
"To brotherhood," I replied, raising mine.
We drank, and the wine was good, a rich red that warmed my throat and settled pleasantly in my stomach. Then I attacked the sandwiches, suddenly ravenous. My enhanced body needed fuel to finish healing, and the food tasted better than anything I'd eaten in weeks.
Callum watched me eat with amusement. "Slow down, or you'll choke."
"Can't help it," I said between bites. "I'm starving."
When I finished, I stood and stretched, feeling my muscles respond smoothly. The pain was almost gone now, just a dull ache that I could easily ignore. I pulled on a fresh tunic and trousers, then strapped on my sword belt.
"Ready?" Callum asked.
"Ready," I confirmed.
We walked down to the main hall together, and I could hear voices and laughter echoing through the stone corridors. When we entered, I saw that the entire Wolf School had gathered. Vesemir stood at the head of the long table, with Geralt, Eskel, Lambert, and Coen arrayed around him.
The table was laden with food and drink, roasted meat, fresh bread, vegetables, and several bottles of wine and ale. It was a feast, by Kaer Morhen's standards.
"There they are!" Lambert called out, raising his cup. "The heroes of Blue Mountain!"
Eskel grinned and clapped as we approached. "Took you long enough to wake up, Cain. We were starting to think you'd sleep through your own ceremony."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I said.
Vesemir raised his hand, and the room quieted. "Callum. Cain. Step forward."
We did, standing before the old Witcher. He looked at us with an expression I'd rarely seen on his face, pride, genuine and unguarded.
"You have completed your training," Vesemir said, his voice formal but warm. "You have survived the Trial of the Grasses. You have passed the Trial of Dreams. And you have conquered the Trial of the Mountain, facing dangers that would have killed lesser men." He paused, his eyes moving between us. "You have proven yourselves worthy of the title of Witcher."
He gestured, and Geralt stepped forward, carrying two bundles wrapped in leather. He handed one to Coen, who moved to stand before Callum, and kept the other himself, standing before me.
"These are yours," Geralt said, his voice quiet but carrying weight. He unwrapped the bundle, revealing a sword and a set of armor.
The sword was beautiful, a longsword with a straight, double-edged blade of silver-steel. The crossguard was simple but elegant, shaped like a wolf's head in profile. The grip was wrapped in black leather, and the pommel bore the wolf medallion symbol.
The armor was Wolf School leather, supple but strong, dyed black with silver reinforcements at the vital points. It was designed for mobility and protection, the perfect balance for a Witcher who needed to move fast and strike hard.
"This is your sword," Geralt said, handing it to me. "Forged here at Kaer Morhen, using techniques passed down through generations. It will serve you well, if you treat it with respect."
I took the sword, feeling its weight, its balance. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
"And this is your armor," Geralt continued, handing me the leather bundle. "It will protect you from claws and teeth, from blades and arrows. But remember, the best armor is not being hit at all."
I nodded, clutching the sword and armor. "Thank you, Geralt. I'll honor these gifts."
Geralt's expression softened slightly, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I am proud of you, Cain. You truly are a treasure to our school. You've grown into a fine Witcher, and I know you'll do great things."
Coming from Geralt, stoic, reserved Geralt, who looked exactly like Henry Cavill and rarely showed emotion, those words meant everything.
Beside me, Coen was presenting Callum with his own sword and armor, speaking in a similar tone. "I too am proud of you, you little monster. You've grown into an amazing man. The Wolf School is lucky to have you."
Callum's eyes were bright with emotion, and I could see him fighting to keep his composure.
Vesemir raised his cup high. "To Callum and Cain, newest Witchers of the Wolf School! May your blades stay sharp, your Signs stay strong, and your hunts be successful!"
"To Callum and Cain!" the others echoed, raising their cups.
We drank, and then the formality broke. Lambert clapped me on the back hard enough to make me stumble. "And to Cain for killing that gods-damned wolf! Thing was big as a horse, I swear. Took all three of us just to haul the corpse back here."
Eskel nodded. "Never seen anything like it. Black and red fur, teeth like daggers, and those eyes..." He shuddered. "Glad you put it down, kid."
The feast began in earnest then. We ate and drank, telling stories and laughing. Lambert regaled us with tales of his hunts, each one more exaggerated than the last. Eskel shared wisdom about different monster types, offering advice for our future contracts. Coen spoke about his time with the Griffin School, comparing their techniques to ours.
And Geralt, surprisingly, told us about some of his early adventures, the mistakes he'd made, the lessons he'd learned. It was rare to hear him open up like this, and I treasured every word.
As the night wore on and the wine flowed freely, I felt a deep sense of belonging. These men, these Witchers, were my family. They'd trained me, protected me, and now they were celebrating with me. I'd found something in this world that I'd never had in my previous life: a place where I truly belonged.
Callum caught my eye across the table and raised his cup with a grin. I raised mine in return, and we drank together, brothers in all but blood.
The celebration continued late into the night, until finally, one by one, the Witchers began to drift off to their rooms. Vesemir was the last to leave, pausing at the door to look back at Callum and me.
"Get some rest, boys," he said. "Tomorrow, your real training begins. Being a Witcher isn't just about surviving trials. It's about the work. The hunts. The contracts. The people you save and the monsters you kill." He smiled slightly. "Welcome to the Path."
Then he was gone, leaving Callum and me alone in the hall.
"We did it," Callum said quietly, staring at his new sword. "We're actually Witchers now."
"We did," I agreed. "And we're going to be damn good ones."
We sat there for a while longer, enjoying the quiet, the warmth of the fire, and the satisfaction of having achieved something we'd worked toward for years.
But while we celebrated, elsewhere in the keep, something else was happening.
In the alchemy laboratory deep beneath Kaer Morhen, Vesemir and Coen stood over a large stone table. On it lay the corpse of the demonic wolf, its massive body taking up most of the available space.
Vesemir had his sleeves rolled up, his hands stained with the creature's black blood. He'd been dissecting it for hours, carefully examining every organ, every muscle, every bone. And what he'd found had left him both fascinated and deeply disturbed.
"This is unlike anything I've ever seen," Vesemir said, his voice low and serious. He held up a vial filled with the wolf's blood, swirling the black liquid in the light of the alchemical lamps. "The cellular structure is wrong. It's not natural. It's as if this creature was designed rather than evolved."
Coen nodded, examining one of the wolf's massive fangs. "And look at these teeth. They're not made of normal enamel. There's a crystalline structure to them, almost like obsidian. They're harder than steel."
Vesemir set down the vial and moved to examine the wounds on the wolf's body. There were dozens of them, slashes, stabs, burns. The creature had been thoroughly brutalized before it died.
"The wounds are interesting too," Vesemir said, tracing one of the deeper cuts with his finger. "They were made by blades, two of them, one long and one short, like a sword and a knife. But neither of the boys had any weapons on them when they went up the mountain or when they came down."
Coen frowned. "You think Cain had weapons hidden somewhere? Maybe in a cache on the mountain?"
"Maybe," Vesemir said, but he didn't sound convinced. "Or maybe his Elder Blood manifested in a way we don't understand. The elders always said that bloodline could do impossible things."
He moved to another section of the corpse, examining the burns. "And these... these aren't from normal fire. There's a magical residue here, but it's not like any Sign magic I've seen. It's more... concentrated. More powerful."
Coen picked up another vial, this one containing a sample of the wolf's tissue. "What do you think this means, Vesemir? Where did this creature come from?"
Vesemir was quiet for a long moment, his weathered face creased with thought. "I don't know," he admitted finally. "But I think we might be able to use this." He gestured to the corpse, to the vials of blood and tissue samples. "If we can understand how this creature was made, if we can isolate what made it so strong, so durable... we might be able to create a better Witcher mutation formula."
Coen's eyes widened. "You mean improve on the Trial of the Grasses?"
"Exactly," Vesemir said. "The current formula is centuries old. It works, but it's brutal, and the survival rate is terrible. If we could refine it, make it safer, more effective..." He trailed off, the implications clear.
They could create stronger Witchers. They could save more children from dying during the trials. They could rebuild the Wolf School to its former glory. No surpassing it!
But Coen's expression was troubled. "That's assuming this is the only one of these creatures. What if there are more? What if whatever created this thing is still out there?"
Vesemir's jaw tightened. "Then we have a bigger problem than we thought." He looked down at the corpse, at the unnatural creature that had nearly killed two of his students. "We need to be prepared. We need to be ready for whatever comes next."
He picked up the vial of black blood again, holding it up to the light. "Because I have a feeling this is just the beginning."