Fionna, on the other hand, was purely astonished. The moment the book appeared, she felt the surrounding space ripple in an indescribable way, as if a stone had been thrown into a lake.
A book that could store "people"? This concept itself was enough to be groundbreaking for a warrior of the Lands Between.
Guilliman held the book in one hand, his fingers of the other hand sliding quickly and steadily across the pages, muttering a short, oddly accented incantation.
It was not any known prayer or Glintstone spell of the Lands Between; its rhythm and energy fluctuations were entirely different.
The pages turned on their own, rustling, and dream-like glowing words and patterns flowed and merged on the pages.
The sensation of spatial distortion grew stronger, and a dreamlike yet extremely unstable light rapidly condensed in front of Guilliman.
The moment the light stabilized, several figures stumbled out, as if "spat" forth, landing heavily on this blood-scented wilderness of Limgrave.
"Thump!" "Cough, cough, cough!" "God… this dreadful place…"
Violent coughing and distressed gasps were the first sounds heard.
There were nine people in total: at the forefront were two figures with distinctly extraordinary and refined temperaments—Dettlaff and Orianna.
Dettlaff wore a meticulously tailored black hunting suit, but at this moment, his handsome, pale face was contorted. One hand was clamped tightly over his mouth, desperately trying to suppress something, while the other pressed incredulously against his chest.
Orianna, the elegant Lady of the Higher Vampires, had also lost her usual composure. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her breathing more rapid than ever, even carrying a faint tremor.
The pervasive sense of world rejection and the "suffocation" caused by the lack of rules had a particularly strong impact on them, given their extreme sensitivity to magical energy.
These natives seemed to be more affected by certain rules than Guilliman, the time traveler, experiencing significant physical discomfort.
"Damn it… Guilliman, are… are you sure this is a normal reaction?"
Dettlaff finally managed to catch his breath, his voice trembling unnaturally.
"I feel… like I'm submerged in solidified honey… my lungs are about to burst! The air here… is it poisoned?"
His azure eyes scanned the twisted roots, the ash-like soil, and the magnificent yet eerie giant Erdtree canopy, filled with shock and bewilderment.
"The magic here… no, the 'rules,' are completely different from our world."
Orianna's voice also lost its usual calm rhythm, sounding somewhat fractured.
"My body can 'feel' chaotic energy flowing, but I can't draw from it as easily as before… It's too… 'empty' and too 'chaotic' here…"
She couldn't even find the right words to describe this fundamental discomfort.
Following closely were five School of the Viper witchers and two School of the Bear witchers, led by Ivar Evil Eye.
Their condition was slightly better, as their bodies had undergone mutation and enhancement, but they too were all pale, coughing violently, and greedily trying to inhale the seemingly thin and "turbid" air, with little effect.
Ivar's Evil Eye involuntarily swiveled, surveying the completely unfamiliar environment, filled with decay and a sense of horror.
"Fuck… what the hell is this place? It feels ten times worse than jumping into the icy lake of Kaer Morhen!"
A young School of the Viper witcher cursed while dry-heaving. His hand rested on the hilt of his silver sword as he warily scanned his surroundings, his gaze immediately drawn to the mountain-like, monstrously shaped wolf corpses on the ground.
"Gods above… what are these monsters? Dogs? Their size is comparable to bears! And this white-furred one…"
He saw the severed half-body and headless corpse of the White Wolf King, his pupils constricting.
Another more experienced old witcher, Vesemir, solemnly scanned the eternally dark-gold outline of the giant tree in the sky and the barren, desolate land:
"The earth is in pain… I can feel it. There's a curse here, madness… and… death, endless death energy settled in this soil."
The last two silent School of the Bear witchers stabilized themselves a step later. Their reactions were more subdued, but their tensed muscles and sharp eyes revealed the same shock and vigilance.
One of them subconsciously touched his pouch, filled with potions and bombs, as if confirming whether those tools for fighting vampires and drowners would still be effective against these unknown monsters.
Fiona's sword-like brows were completely furrowed, and her red lips under her helmet were slightly parted, shocked by the terrifying effect of this magic book in true operation, and also surprised by these "companions" Guilliman had brought—
The two men and women who emerged first had an incredibly unique aura, an inhuman coldness within their elegance. Even in their current disheveled state, it couldn't hide their extraordinary temperament.
Although the witchers were shocked, their agility and killing intent in their movements clearly marked them as experienced warriors.
Melina's single eye briefly lingered on everyone, especially Dettlaff and Orianna.
She seemed to sense within them an essence distinct from Glintstone, Incantations, or any known power of the Lands Between… A cold power constructed from blood and shadow?
A king from another world who wields a spatial magic book, possesses non-human followers, and claims to command an army of ten thousand… His appearance was like a Fiery hot, irregular star cast into this chaotic Lands Between.
Guilliman carefully put away the magic book. Looking at his companions' disheveled yet composed expressions, he offered no comfort, but directly issued an order:
"I know the environment here is terrible, worse than we imagined. But complaining is useless!"
"Master Ivar!"
Ivar Evil Eye immediately looked at his new boss, trying to steady his breathing.
"Take your School of the Viper squad and be responsible for vigilance!"
"The 'small animals' in this dreadful place are very hospitable! Vesemir, you have more experience, check the area beneath our feet, and mark any places that might collapse or be dangerous!"
"Yes, sir!" "Understood!"
The School of the Viper witchers quickly moved, overcoming their physical discomfort, scattering to take up alert positions. Vesemir began carefully inspecting the ground, using his small tools to probe the soil and cracks in the rocks.
"Robb, Jon!"
Guilliman turned to the two School of the Bear witchers.
"You two are responsible for checking and clearing the inside of this church."
"This church is protected by mysterious power, making it relatively safer, but don't let your guard down. As a temporary camp, these tasks are your responsibility."
The two School of the Bear witchers nodded steadily, drew their heavier steel swords, and cautiously walked towards the interior of the ruined Church of Elleh.
Finally, he looked at Dettlaff and Orianna, who were still struggling to adapt:
"My two distinguished friends, I know this is difficult, and you need time to adjust. But right now, your speed and sensory abilities are our greatest advantage."
"Lady Orianna, please find the location of a nearby water source, even if it's a small seepage point or a water source occupied by dangerous creatures. We must solve the drinking water problem!"
"Lord Dettlaff, please scout this vicinity, paying attention to the relatively powerful individuals. Alert us to any monsters with malicious intent."
Although they were extremely uncomfortable, the pride of the Higher Vampires and their pact with Guilliman made it impossible for them to refuse.
As everyone took their positions and began to work, an adventure in a strange, eerie, and hostile world also began.
Guilliman glanced at Fiona and Melina, who had been observing, and gave a slight smile, but said nothing more.
Instead, a small knife appeared in his hand out of thin air. He personally began to process the huge corpse of the Wolf King, skillfully skinning and butchering it, while simultaneously using the Axii Sign to collect the soul energy from the wild wolves.
Fiona silently watched all of this, then chose not to leave, but walked to the Site of Grace within the church and sat down.
Melina watched the Tarnished's actions. She also did not make a decision for the mysterious female knight, but her figure gradually became ethereal, quickly entering an invisible state.
However, the Finger Maiden did not leave, but continued to secretly observe Guilliman and his companions.
She watched these warriors endure the discomfort of the rule suppression to work, and watched the non-human beings he brought use their strange abilities to try and understand this land.
She knew that a new force had quietly taken root and begun to grow in this chaotic Lands Between.
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