Roy woke up on a haystack one morning. 

After one long month of endless hunting, he finally saw the plus sign on the right side of his EXP bar. 

‘Level 1 (503/500).’ 

He finally managed to gain 500 EXP, and he had a pair of heavy dark circles under his eyes. Though he didn’t manage to gain any ranged weapon skills, he was happy about the level up.

Aside from that, his weaker stats saw an increase too. Strength grew from 4.2 to 4.3, Constitution from 4.1 to 4.2, and Will from 4.5 to 4.6. Obviously the growth rate had declined compared to last month.

Dexterity, Charisma, Spirit, and Perception showed no growth, and he realized that any stat exceeding five points wouldn’t show any increase unless he had special training or conditions.

Massacre was still level 2. Killing more than 40 animals wasn’t enough to level it up. 

***

As Roy concentrated on his EXP bar and willed himself to level up, the EXP bar changed, and a message appeared.

‘Level: 2 (3/1000)

You gain 1 attribute point, and 1 skill point.’

He added the attribute point into Perception. After experiencing that magical feeling of control once more, Roy’s Perception turned from six to seven. It was the highest amongst his stats, and another message showed up on the character sheet.

‘You have unlocked a new function.

Unnamed level 1: Your Perception has gone beyond the limits of an average human, evolving into a sixth sense. You may gain your target’s basic information through a special observation method. The higher the target’s perception, the stronger it will suppress your skill, and the less information you will get from them. 

Level 1: Increases your Perception by 1 when you observe your targets.’

Roy paused for a moment. I can get a skill when I level up my stat to a certain point? Huh, never expected that. The new skill came as a surprise for him.

It was a tactical one. If he could observe his enemies in silence and get their basic information as well as their skills before a fight, Roy could come up with some strategies to take out his enemies efficiently. The higher his Perception, the further his range. He could, theoretically, stay in the dark a few miles away and know everything about his enemies before they fought.

The possibility of that happening excited him, and he thought about how he could pick out his enemies’ weak points from a thousand feet away and shoot them from that range.

Damn. If that happens… 

Roy willed a name change and called his new skill ‘Observe.’ He wouldn’t spend his skill point for the time being. Roy wanted to test his new skill before deciding to invest it in level 2 Massacre or level 1 Observe.

Thompson and Jack were good practice targets for his skill. Roy told his parents where he would be going, and he left merrily. Not long after going out, he noticed the streets looking lively —  a stark contrast to the air of despair the village had earlier. Dozens of villagers surrounded the bulletin board in the city center, and they buzzed with excitement.

It was as if the terror brought by the grave hag had never existed. Roy was curious about their delight, and he went to the square.

“The witchers are here! We’re saved!”

Three travelers stood amongst the crowd, and Roy noticed they were different, for their features and attire were outstanding.

The man on the left side of the bulletin board had a red headband on his forehead. He had a cool expression, and his features were defined and sculpted. The man on his right covered half his face under a grey hood, the laugh lines on his cheeks running deep, and a faint smile danced on his lips. He looked slightly similar to the man with the red tie, and Roy thought they must’ve been related. Both men stood at six feet tall.

PR/N: Six feet is around 1.83 meters.

The third man was bald, his head gleaming under the sun. He had an aquiline nose, a pair of sunken eyes, and a stern expression. He was a towering giant whose muscles were as hard as rocks. He stood over six feet four, and his arms were crossed. The bald man loomed over everyone, suffocating those around him by just standing there.

PR/N: Six feet four is around 1.93 meters.

The trio wore black armor decorated with crisscrossing claw marks and dried blood. A satchel the size of a fist was tied to their belts, and Roy saw vials hanging on the potion belt that was thrown over their shoulders. A pair of crossing short swords were strapped to their breastplates, and a few finger-length daggers hung from their leg armor.

Peculiar necklaces dangled in front of the witchers’ chest. It was in the shape of a viper rearing its head back, forming a mysterious, complex sign.

Their swords measured four feet four long, and slept in a black sheath. Arguably the most peculiar thing about the trio were their eyes. They were amber in color, just like the eyes of cats. They looked bizarre and terrifying.

PR/N: Four feet four is around 1.32 meters.

Roy stared at the bald man, who was leading the trio. He thought he looked familiar, and something swirled within Roy’s eyes.

A moment later, a translucent information page appeared out of thin air above the bald man’s head.

‘Letho

Gender: Male

Age: 80

Status: Witcher (Viper School)

Underwent three mutations when he was a child. Endured the Trial of the Grasses. Possesses extraordinary speed, strength, reflexes, coordination, life force, and regenerative abilities.

Has received professional training in swordsmanship, alchemy, and has knowledge of the bestiary.

Possesses a formidable immune system. Is immune to most plagues and diseases. Can resist most lethal poisons.

Mastered the witcher signs (pseudo spells). Possesses a long life, but is sterile.

HP: ?? (Unable to retrieve information. Requires higher Perception)

Mana: ??

Strength: ??

Dexterity: ??

Constitution: ??

Perception: 19

Will: 10

Charisma: 6

Spirit: 10

Skill:

Alchemy level ?? (Unable to retrieve skill level. Requires higher Perception): Crafting skill. Allows the user to create oils, potions, poisons, and bombs.

Witcher Senses level ??: After the Trial of the Grasses, a witcher’s senses will undergo a mutation that will strengthen them. Their five senses are linked to their instincts, allowing them to ‘see’ scents and voices. It also lets them discover tracks or clues that are usually impossible to see.

Meditation level ??: Training for the body and soul. Meditating calms the witcher’s body and mind, hastening the regeneration of their body, mana, and stamina. Improves coordination over time and raises affinity with chaos energy.

Viper School — Dual Wielding level ??: A skill created by a Viper School witcher through a century of development. Allows the witcher to dual wield daggers during combat against monsters. A secret skill not taught in other schools.

Witcher Signs level ??: After their mutations, witchers that had no affinity with chaos energy would awaken their ability to cast simple pseudo spells. Signs are the core abilities of witchers. No incantation or materials needed. A mere hand gesture is enough to expand their mana and activate the signs.

There are five signs:

Quen: Creates a protective shield that blocks any attack.

Aard: Casts a telekinetic force that knocks enemies back and destroys obstacles.

Igni: Casts a stream of fire from the palm that expands into a cone.

Yrden: Summons a magical trap that lowers the speed and reflex of anyone (aside from the user) that enters. Effective against phantom type, incorporeal creatures.

Axii: Hypnotizes and controls the target, forcing it to do as the user wishes.

The strength of Signs depends on the Spirit stat and skill level.

Other: ??’

By the gods! 

Roy was shocked after reading through Letho’s information. “So this is a witcher? Their skills and stats are way over the top. And he’s an eighty-year-old man? Are you kidding me?”

Letho was already eighty years old, but he looked not a day over thirty-five. The body under that armor was strong, taut, and full of vigor. Roy could practically smell his life force from where he stood. It had a tang of blood in it.

Most of Letho’s stats and skills couldn’t be seen because Roy’s Perception wasn’t high enough. If Roy didn’t know better, he’d have said Letho was a beast in human’s skin.

So the witchers are as strong as they say. Saw them a lot in the game, but meeting them in real life is a shock to me.

*** 

Letho and his companions are from the Viper school. It was then that Roy remembered where he’d seen Letho. He realized that the trio before him would assassinate the kings of Aedirn, Temeria, and Kaedwen in a few years. Everyone knew of them as the assassins from the Viper School, the Kingslayers.

Why’d they come up to the north instead of staying in Nilfgaard, where their base is located?

Letho’s eyes were calm, but also dark. They swept over everyone before announcing, “I am Letho, a witcher from the Viper School.” His voice was clear, deep, and appealing. “They’re my companions, Serrit and Auckes. We’ll be taking this job, but we’ll need more information to decide on our pay.”

The wizened chief heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Letho’s announcement. “At least you’re not from the Cat School. Viper School is good enough.” The village chief looked reassured, as if he’d had bad encounters with the witchers from the Cat School before.

As the chief was about to say something, a scraggy boy pushed through the throng and went up to the witchers. “I saw that monster. I can tell you all about it.” The boy who spoke up was Roy.

The witchers went to Ol’ Captain’s Inn with him and asked for some ale before they listened to the testimonies of the survivors, who were Roy, Jack, and Thompson. They described the horrifying events in detail.

“It’s a grave hag,” Letho said, arriving at the conclusion without hesitating. “That’s worth at least a hundred crowns. Roy, is it? Tell the chief to prepare the bounty. We’ll attack at high noon, when the sun’s the strongest. If it goes without a hitch…” He pointed at the grandfather clock in the corner with his pudgy finger. “We’ll return with the trophy before three.”

Letho’s expression didn’t change throughout the explanation, as if the killing of the monster was a trivial matter. But Roy knew that might not be what Letho was feeling. Some witchers would end up with a perpetual poker face after the Trial of the Grasses. They could never show any expression, but they would still be as emotional and sensitive as anyone else.

I mean, Geralt always has a poker face too, but he can be passionate, like C-137 Rick.

Perhaps annoyed by the fact Roy was staring at them for a long time, the grumpy Serrit snapped at him. “Have you never seen a witcher, boy? Why are you looking at us that way? Do you think we’re scums? Or horrors from hell?”

“Oh, no. On the contrary, I think witchers can be trusted with our lives.” Roy looked into Serrit’s amber eyes sincerely, baring his affection for witchers in the open.

He spent many hours playing as a witcher, and it was an unforgettable experience. Roy even dived into the lore of the Witcher series so he could know more about the game and its story. He knew the witchers like the back of his hand.

Fate was cruel on them. Most of them were taken in because wars made them orphans. Left with nowhere to go, the schools adopted them. Some, though, were given away by their parents as compensation for witchers that died during missions.

Fun was nonexistent after they started living in the witcher schools. They were isolated from the world, and all their time was occupied by treacherous training that could drive anyone insane. If they wanted to explore the world, they would have to pass the Trial of the Grasses, but the death rate was impossibly high.

They took requests from ordinary humans and risked their lives killing monsters, all so they could make a living off the bounties they received. But they were ostracized by everyone because of their bizarre looks and extraordinary battle prowess.

Everyone thought they were uncaring, evil, heralds of hell, but only Cat School witchers and specific individuals would kill the innocent. Most witchers were reputable, upright people, but they were spared no warmth by the humans.

Witchers could only find solace amongst themselves. After they picked themselves up, it was another day of fighting monsters. A witcher’s life was filled with battles, and there they would meet their end. None died peacefully. The witchers were legendary, but also cursed by fate.

Roy said from his heart, “Witchers have saved innocent lives from monsters. You guys are better than those soldiers who take our money, but do nothing.”

“Hah.” Serrit, as if hearing something funny, smiled stiffly, but it didn’t hide the mockery in his eyes. “Been a while since I heard someone praise us like that. Don’t waste our time, kid. Tell us what you really want.”

Roy put on a serious look. “I want to go with you on the mission at noon.”

Serrit stood up. “Impossible,” he said, refusing. “We’re hunting a monster here, not a harmless animal. We don’t have time to keep an eye on you.”

“Listen to me, please.” Roy mustered his sincerity. “My friend, and teacher who taught me my trade were killed by that bastard. I want to kill it with my own hands, and I see it even in my dreams. You can understand how I feel, can’t you?” 

Serrit and his companions looked at each other. “No, child. You’re wrong. Witchers don’t have feelings.” 

Serrit was still refusing him.

Jack, who had been quiet for a while, interjected. “Witchers, Roy may be young, but he has a steady hand, and he works well with the crossbow. Take him to the cemetery with you. He can watch from afar and shoot bolts whenever he has the chance. There’d be no danger to it. If you think he’s still more trouble than he’s worth, I’ll add fifty crowns on top of the reward the chief promised.”

Roy gawked at Jack, surprised he was helping instead of stopping him. And fifty crowns wasn’t a small sum.  

He took the chance and guaranteed, “I won’t be a bother, I promise. I can stay back and wait for your command to shoot.” 

“You’re just a young human boy. Why would you want to face that monster? What’s your reason?” Letho, the bald witcher, bored his eyes into Roy, and the boy felt like he was being seen through. The amber twinkle from Letho’s eyes made his heart skip nervously. After a short while of silence, he said, “Fine. We agree to your request, but only because you’re adding fifty crowns on top of the bounty.”

***