30 The Witch (2/2)

Draugr was silent and stood still. Then he turned around and went into the fog.

Dan suddenly realized that no witches in this place would survive. And he didn't belong here! He has a quest, a debt to the clan. First the case, and then he'll be satisfied with his personal research and interests.

The sinner removed his sword, raised his torch from the ground and went up the path. He went up the hillside and thought that this place he would explore for a long time.

Several important inscriptions on the walls of the crypts he had been able to decipher were enough for Dan to make an important discovery. He didn't just discover a cemetery. It was a cemetery of ancient monster hunters! Dan didn't understand one thing, how could they die if they were immortal? On the other hand, even gods can die in this cursed world! Too many mysteries. He's got a lot to work on.

Now he was doing a simpler job, he was looking for a witch. The sinner went back down the altar and called Pussy. The cat started his hunt, Dan continued his hunt. He carefully researched the space around the altar. But he couldn't find any path.

Maybe this witch can fly, he thought.

He couldn't find any sign of the witch. He got angry, and it's a good thing he wasn't in a dead warrior's condition. He thought he was ready to take out his sword and start chopping trees with anger. In the end, Pussy was angry about his master's condition and she pointed Dan to the traces left by his enemy. The cat jumped up to the sinner and hit him with her paw, then walked away and he realized that she had found the witch's trail. Dan took a few steps after the cat and saw that he was standing on a narrow path.

But he was definitely looking at this place! Is this some kind of witchcraft and diversion?

\”Pussy, you're good, you've been a big help. Let's go and find this scum.\”

He took the path and soon met his target.

The witch was no longer hiding, she stood on the path and laughed:

\”You're so stupid. Why did you come to me? Another hunter in search of prey. You found your death. But first I will play with you,\” said the witch.

Dan looked at her and saw that she was strong. The witch was 32 levels. But she wasn't triggered by the 'Cognition of evil'. So she was a local woman who took the villain's path. Dan wouldn't move, he would activate 'Autodafe' without a word. The skill worked but strangely. The witch didn't feel any threat, she just saw a strange gesture from a stranger. The gesture seemed insolent and defiant to her.

\”You're too bold, boy, my servants will teach you a good tone!\”

And at that moment two male figures came out of the forest behind her back. Dan kept a close eye on the new enemies. Strong bodies, but slow motion. The enemies were moving like zombies. But they certainly weren't dead. Skills. 'Cognition of evil' didn't work again. But Dan had enough to look at men more closely to know they weren't zombies. The men's bodies were bloody and cut up. Dan noticed strange scars on their faces that looked like symbols carved into the body. Dan took a closer look and realized he was right. It's the 'Dolls'. That's what the inscriptions on his opponents' faces said. One man was 24 levels, another was 28 levels. At that moment, a witch reached out and whispered something in his direction.

Dan wasn't waiting anymore. He did not want to turn into a draugr again, he felt too disgusted when he returned to his usual state. But he had another ultimatum weapon, too.

They cursed each other at the same time!

The chains of his sins flew from the sinner's body to the witch, he froze.

Dan felt the blood boiling in his body. But at the same time, he wanted to fall to the ground and rest. Only a dream of salvation would help him live through that curse. There was a noise in his head, fragments of a strange battle in the woods. Some kind of animal was killing people. The terrible beast was just tearing poor hunters apart.

Suddenly it became clear in Dan's head, he heard a loud woman scream and clearly saw that his Pussy was fighting the enemy while he stood there like a fool and looked at his strange fantasies.

Dan jumped up to the man who tried to stab his cat with a big knife and deftly knocked off the enemy's arm with a weapon. Then he gave the command to the pet, Pussy bounced off his opponent in a flash and rushed to the cripple. Dan started killing the man who was coming off the ground. The sinner wasn't paying attention to the blood. The man's almost complete absence of a face on his head didn't bother Dan. The cat practically ripped all the skin off his opponent's face. The sinner made two strikes. One he cut off the enemy's head, and the other hit right into the body. You can't play with these guys, strange enemies, strange! He is already accustomed to the conditions of battle with monsters when you can see a strip of the health of your opponent. It was convenient, it was unrealistic, reminded that the whole world is a game. Dan was addicted to monsters. But now it's the first time he's killed a living person. Local people. He wasn't thinking about responsibility. They attacked him.

He wasn't worried about the witch, either. The woman cried out in pain.

108 seconds of suffering and nightmares, baby! I'll remind you of a young man named Gandalf, you evil bitch!

He gave the order, and the cat left her enemy alone. She killed him. Dan saw a funny moment once again. Pussy sometimes expressed her triumph after the fight just, she could jump right up. It was an unexpected and funny sight.

Dan looked at the menu and saw two reports of his experiences.

Now there was the main adversary, and the sinner approached the witch.

She was no longer screaming, she was moaning in pain.

Dan smiled, he saw the skilled picture very well, from this picture you could see how much time was left until the end of the spell.

The witch's throat was bleeding. The woman could not be called beautiful, the face of an ordinary woman, but now she could be called a disgusting freak. The witch's face blushed and was distorted by suffering. She wheezed:

\”I give up, master. Leave me alive. I will pay! I cannot die.\”

\”It's a strange world, witch. There are enough people in it that can't die. But everyone dies. Even gods and hunters and players.\”

Dan put a blade point to the witch's neck. If she twitches, if she tries to resist in any way, he'll just cut off her head with one hand.

But the witch has already given up.

\”Why did you do that? I'm not your enemy? I pray for forgiveness. The Master was talking about people like you. We are on the same side.\”

How interesting! A witch has a Master! Let's hear what else this thing has to say.

Dan knew he was disgusting, he stood there and watched the agony of a living person. It wasn't a good woman who personally was very unpleasant to him. She tortured Gandalf. But at the time, the sinner understood that he was being inhumane. But Tarrok was asleep and stayed out of his head with suggestions to \”honor a worthy opponent.\” The time of the skill was running out. The witch did not say anything anymore, she moaned and it seemed that now her eyes would fall out of the eye sockets.

In the final seconds of the action, Dan pierced her throat with a sword. Then he punched another blow to cut off her head. The locals had an abominable sense of justice. The clan took a quest to kill the witch. Proof of its victory has to be provided.

*

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest 'Kill the Unclean'. 12 points of Glory have been obtained. Got 24000 points of experience]

*

Dan immediately reported Nick's quest:

\”I killed a witch. How's your day?\”

\”Well done. I'll trade her head for 40 gold. Was there a problem? We're good. We're having fun.\”

\”No problem. I have news. It's interesting. I'll search for her house. I'll look for the cursed artifacts.\”

\”Work the Inquisitor. Well done. If you see a fox, tell me for sure!\”

Dan smiled, the ranger couldn't calm down and wanted to impose a pet on Anna's neck. Maybe he was right, his cat was a good helper.

\”You're my pretty girl. Pussy! Stop eating human meat! You can't eat human meat! Get away from that poor man. It's not his fault.\”

Dan knew it was the poor adventurer's fault. Everyone in this world is to blame. This man's desire for wealth has taken him to dangerous places. Nick already told the guys that all these 'advanced dead' are the result of local hunters' greed. The locals are getting into dangerous places! There's not a piece of flesh left in cemeteries to feed the dead for a long time. But there are always those who like to dig in other people's graves and crypts.

Dan collected the trophies and the bodies of his enemies are gone. The witch's head didn't disappear, and the player put it in his inventory. There was no booty from the hunters' bodies. From the witch's body, he got a torture knife, some nice rings with a boost to intellect and a small book. The book had a leather cover, and Dan immediately realized it was human skin. He decided to get a good look at the late trophy.

Now he was walking down an inconspicuous path towards the witch's house. She has to live somewhere. Somewhere she has to store her supplies and her prey.

The trail led him to a small house. The house stood on a meadow, all overgrown with bushes and was completely unnoticeable against the grass.

Dan pulled out his sword and entered the house. Pussy went straight into the corner and froze by the bed. Dan came up and saw the baby.

He stood there and looked at the little girl. Who was sick. She was awake, but her eyes were closed. The girl was moaning quietly. It was visible that she was crying.

Dan wasn't ready for that. So what's he going to do now?

\”What are you going to do now, player?\”

The quiet voice behind his back made the sinner freeze and prepare for battle.