The moment I stepped through the portal, the world warped. My vision swam, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in darkness.
The stench hit me first, rot, blood, damp stone. My golden cat-slit eyes adjusted instantly, piercing through the shadows. I realized I stood at the bottom of a massive cavern, a natural arena with jagged cliffs rising in rows above me. From those heights came a sound—sharp, cutting through the silence.
Thwip.
My hand snapped up on instinct. My fingers closed around wood and steel. An arrow. I caught it just inches from my face.
A guttural chorus of screeches erupted. All around me, shapes scurried into view. Dozens of feral goblins. On the cliffs, bows aimed down at me. On the cavern floor, crude spears, jagged knives, clubs wrapped in bone and hide. Their yellowed eyes glowed faintly, wild and hateful.
I drew both blades, Hunter's Edge in my right, the Elven Moon shadow Blade in my left. The steel hummed faintly in the cavern's air.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
"It's time to go goblin hunting."
That's when the counter appeared before me.
[Void Quest – Time Remaining: 9 minutes 59 seconds]
They roared, and the hunt began.
The first wave surged forward. Arrows whistled from above. I spun into motion, instincts and skills honed by years of Vesemir's teachings. My blades cut in tandem, left-hand thrust slitting a throat, right-hand cleave opening another's chest. A spear skimmed my ribs, tearing flesh, but I pivoted, carving down its wielder.
[System Alert: You have been poisoned. Toxicity +20]
I grimaced. The memory of Goblins fighting dirty just like in Goblin Slayer. Feces on their weapons, and traps. They kill by inches, not strikes.
But the burn faded. My skills answered, my poison resistance dulled the venom, regeneration knitting my flesh together.
[Void Quest – Time Remaining: 5 minutes 38 seconds]
I pressed the attack. I tossed Hunter's Edge, the blade whistling through the air, burying itself in a goblin archer's skull above. Another leapt down, shrieking, only to meet the glow of the Moonshadow Blade through its belly. I retrieved the thrown weapon later, using momentum and calculated strikes to keep them guessing.
Ten fell in the first rush. Their shrieks echoed across the cavern walls, a chorus of hate. The survivors hissed and barked, gesturing to each other with guttural sounds. They weren't mindless. They were trying to surround me.
"Not today."
I cast Yrden, the rune flaring at my feet. Goblins slowed as they entered, their movements sluggish. Aard blasted outward, scattering a knot of them into jagged stone. A Stream of Igni fire, fired from my palm, their hides catching fire all that was heard were their screams.
The cavern floor was painted with their blood. I stood above the last of them, a goblin writhing at my feet, trembling. Its wide eyes stared up at me. Terrified. It pressed itself against the stone, its weapon long forgotten.
I stood over it, While covered in the blood of its friends and family. I felt nothing in this moment, no anger, hatred or joy. Just conviction in my actions.
The timer burned in the corner of my vision. [Void Quest – Time Remaining: 1 minute, 30seconds]
That's when the ground shook. A deeper roar filled the cavern, it was stronger, and heavier. From the misted archway at the cavern's edge, it emerged.
A Hobgoblin.
It was slightly taller than me, at least 5'10, its muscles corded and tense beneath tattered scraps of leather armor. Its skin gleamed green-blue in the faint light. A jagged longsword sat in its hand, chipped but still deadly. Its looked around cavern seeing the bodies everywhere. Then it's eyes locked on me, and I felt the difference immediately. This was no feral runt. This was a predator, and the leader of this group.
I smiled with excitement, then tightened my grip. The timer ticked down, but I was gonna kill this thing if it was the last thing I did.
The clash was brutal. Its first swing jarred my bones, the sheer force of it enough to rattle my arms. It was stronger than me, but slower and not as trained. I parried, deflected, using footwork and timing drilled into me through years of sweat and bruises. My Quen flickered, breaking under one of its strikes, but I responded with Igni, fire scorching across its chest. It barely flinched.
I shifted, both blades moving as one. Hunter's Edge carved shallow cuts across its arms. The Moonshadow Blade pierced deeper when the opening came. The Hobgoblin pressed harder, driving me back, every strike testing my stamina.
My buffs from the minor potions had all disappeared, and my equipment was either destroyed or barley working. My hunters edge and my Moon shadow blade, were the only things in decent shape.
I had only training left to rely on.
"Come on then!" I roared.
We clashed one final time. Its sword crashed against mine. That's when I noticed it. I noticed small thin black lines around its body. It's ribs, neck and arms. Time around me slowed but I felt faster. So this is Mind's Eye.
As our blades still collided together, I twisted, using its weight against it, sliding in low. My blades struck in tandem. First Moon shadow through its ribs, Hunter's Edge arcing upward.
The head separated in a spray of black-red ichor. Its body crumpled, lifeless.
[Void Quest –Time Remaining: 10 seconds, 13 milliseconds]
Breathing hard, I stood soaked from to toe in blood, my eyes burning golden in the dim cavern. The cavern was silent now, save for a whimper.
The runt goblin still lay where I had left it. Trembling. Its body shook uncontrollably, and a dark stain spread beneath it. It had pissed itself.
I walked toward it, every step measured. Its eyes widened in horror as I raised Hunter's Edge. The blade whistled, embedding itself in the stone between its legs. Inches from ending its life.
Then the system pinged.
[Void Quest –Time Remaining: 0 minutes, 0 seconds] – Void Quest has now ended you will now be sent back to your original world.
I smirked. "Looks like you got lucky."
Light engulfed me. The portal collapsed. As I reappeared in the Forge. Blood still dripping from my blade and clothes. The medallion on my chest was still once more.
Back at the cavern. The sole remaining goblin grabbed the hunters edge and stood. It looked around the cavern, at the sight of it's slain brethren. Then a loud screamed filled it's lungs. A cry of fear and fury that echoed across the cavern.
I looked at the Forge and back at Callum who was still knocked out. It looks like I was barely even gone. I then placed the other Wolf School Medallion on Callum's neck.
"Let's get you back to Kaer Morhen, brother, but first I need to clean up."
Later that day, the started sun to dipped low, as we returned to Kaer Morhen's courtyard. Callum was on my back. I had carried him the entire way back.
The gates opened wide to our approach. The Witcher's waited.
Coen was leaned against a wall, arms crossed, while Eskel was polishing a blade. Lambert stood near the stairs, looking as surprised, and proud. Vesemir and Geralt was in the center, their expression unreadable.
I stopped before them, showing our medallions on full display.
"We're back," I said.
"I still can't believe a mountain troll got me by surprise. I could have sworn it was some weird looking goblin." Callum said.
That was the story I told everyone. I didn't know how to explain a portal to another world, without talking about me. But it looked like everyone believed me, and Callum just wrote it off as a bad dream.
"Just be glad Cain was there and looked out for you while you were knocked out." Vesemir added.
Callum nodded "Your right Master Vesemir. Thanks Cain, I appreciate it brother."
"Think nothing of it, not eat your food." I said as I put some more grilled fish on his plate.
Callum smiled and scarfed it down like it was nothing.
Later that night in my room I decided to go through my stats and rewards.
[Status Window]
Name: Cain Age: 15
Race: Half-Elf (Mutated)
Class: Witcher (Wolf School)
Trait: Bloodline: Elder Blood(Novice)
Strength: 25
Dexterity: 25
Constitution: 25
Intelligence: 24
Wisdom: 24
Charisma: 18
Luck: Unknown
Stat Points: 0
Ability Points: 0
Abilities & Skills:
Mind's Eye: Level 2
Cold-Blooded
Swordsmanship: Level 5 (Intermediate)
Meditation: Level 3
Cooking: Level 4
Alchemy: Level 3
Regeneration: Level 1
Poison Resistance: Level 2 (Toxicity Threshold:0/150)
Warp: Level 1
Sign (Magic):
Aard – Level 4
Igni – Level 4
Yrden – Level 4
Quen –Level 4
Axii – Level 4
Heliotrope – Level 4
Inventory:
Elven Moon shadow Blade, Elven Spirit Hood
Cat School Hooded Cloak
Amethyst (5), Garnet (1), Topaz (2), Quartz (1), Amber (1), Jasper (1), Diamond (2), Sapphire (2)
Runestone: Lesser Glyph: Aard, Quen
Runestone: Quen
Potion of Minor: Vitality (2), Elixir of Clarity (1), Tonic of Fortitude (1)
Scroll of: Lesser Restoration, Cure Wounds (Minor)
5 Common Equipment Chests
3 Rare Equipment Chests
2 Epic Equipment Chests
1 Mythical Equipment Chest
Damaged items: 4
Okay so when my equipment is to damage it's in a different category. Good that means I can get my equipment fixed later and restore it. Okay let's check out the rewards from that quest now.
[Emergency Void Quest: Void Invaders Part 2] Quest Results:
Goblins Killed: 19
Hobgoblin Killed: 1
[Rewards Calculated…
Rewards: +1 Ability Point. 1 Mythical Equipment Chest.
[Titles Have been unlocked and Awarded]: Titles Received
Monster Hunter(Common):
Effect: Every time you defeat a certain number of monster's you will absorb a trait associated with that monster, and that trait will grow stronger with higher rank.
Bonus: +1% Buffs to strength, speed, reaction time, and stamina will be applied when facing certain monsters.
GoblinSlayer(Common):
Effect: You have become the enemy of all Goblins every where. You will gain strength and instill fear in their hearts the more you cut down their numbers.
Bonus: You will be able to understand their language
To next rank:(20/100)
Trait received: Lustful Obsession
Effect: Once you set your mind to something you will see it through until it is yours.
Bonus: Higher increase to skill proficiencies (+10%).
Okay this is interesting. Titles are nice, especially monster hunter. If I can gain traits from killing enough monsters, and if I can go to other worlds, and do the same my potential would be limitless. It was still weird that Goblins appeared out of nowhere. I wonder there will be more void quest in the future. If I fail the world could get invaded, it would be another Conjunction of the Spheres, but worse.
I don't think this world can handle anymore monsters and worse from other worlds like, Mind Flayers, Githyanki, or God forbid devils and demons.
Okay before sleep takes me. I need to open these chests.
Chests Open:
[Gem: Amethyst (3)]
Can be sold or infused into a runestone.
[Gem: Diamond (2)]
Rare stone, radiates strong magical potential.
Runestone: Glyph of Quen (Rare)
Buff: +5% Quen shield durability.
Runestone: Glyph of Igni (Rare)
Buff: +5% fire intensity.
Potion of Greater Vitality (1)
Effect: Restores 75% vitality instantly. Adds +10% vitality regeneration for 30 seconds.
Elven Ring of Spell weaving (Epic)
Effect: +10% Spell efficiency and intensity.
Gloves of the Bear School (Epic)
Effect: +15% Strength, +10% durability.
Mysterious Lockbox (Mythical)
Requirement: A special key to open.
Effect: "A small obsidian chest bound with unknown magic. It hums faintly with Void energy."
Broken Key Fragment (1/6) (Mythical)
Oh now this is interesting, I have some common gear, but this box is interesting. The key needs five more pieces to unlock it. I wonder what will I get when I unlock it?
Well now I am a full fledge Witcher. I may be green but since I know how things in the books go at least slightly. I should be able to navigate myself in this world a lot better then most. The hard part will be navigating all the politics behind the scenes.
I know I can't trust the sorcerers and sorceress's especially Yennifer and Triss. But then again besides the guys at the Kaer Morhen, I will need someone connected to the brotherhood without being stuck in their political games. Plus I should find some intelligent monsters to bring to my side. Having a druid or two as a friend doesn't hurt.
But where do I start?