Hearts Of Iron [Gamer, AU]

[freadtheholyone]

I don't own anything other than the OCs.

---

Pain flared from every nerve ending in my body.

It only worsened as the moments went on; thousands, millions of hot knives stabbing my every being, but only a few seconds later, it was already long gone.

Then, I woke up.

Opening my eyes groggily, phantom pains still lingered as I met with an endless shroud of dark space.
I tried to stand up, but my body just won't move. Hell, I was feeling like dying from exhaustion even though I just kept open my eyes only for a few moments.

Where- What the hell is happening right now? Fuck, I can't remember a thing...

With an inhuman effort, I mustered up all the strength to my arms and legs and forced myself to stand up.

As soon as I did, a blinding surge of light hit me like a Boeing 737, plowing me onto my back as my whole body shook spastically. The potent energy filled up my being, putting me into a nuclear state as if I snorted a kilo of cocaine in one go.

The hysterical seizures ended sometime later, but as I lifted my arms, I noticed that I wasn't struggling at all. In fact, I was now feeling more powerful than ever before.

Looking around, I saw a strange text with a blue-rimmed window floating in front of my eyes. I blinked. My mouth started to resemble a gaping fish as I absently waved my hand through the text, and it went in it as if it's not even there.

[You have experienced selective amnesia. All memories of friends and family have been partially removed. Memories of life are altered, necessary memories kept back.]
[Congrulations, You have died!]​

"...The fuck?"

This makes no sense.

No.

Sense.

At all.

How can I be dead? I can't even remember my name, let alone my death. The memories gradually returned to me since that bright wave of light hit me, but not all of them. All I can remember was that... I was asleep? I hope that wasn't it.

[A plane engine fell through your roof and destroyed your whole dwelling place, including you and your mother's cat, Mr. Snowflake.]
​

I frowned at the new tiny message that appeared at the lower-left corner of my vision. There weren't supposed to be any airports near my town, but what can you do? That's life, I suppose.
On the bright side, that devil of a cat is finally gone now! I nearly lost my left eye to that fucking thing.
"So what's next? A furry in a bunny suit comes and tells me to save the world?" I chuckled at the ridiculousness of my joke. Though I think I heard a similar one somewhere else... but I can't remember it for the life of me.

[Even better! You are one of the few selected individuals for our Player System! As being one, you can freely choose to be reincarnated into a world of your choice!]
​

Before I could even begin to speak, a new window appeared all of a sudden, the previous one quickly shrinking and moving down to the lower-right corner of my vision. I turned my head towards it and found that the new text stayed in the center of my vision while the old one kept to the corner.

Huh, practical. I like it.

"If I don't want to be reincarnated, what options do I have?" I asked the voice as the other windows disappeared; a single large text box appeared in front of my eyes.

[Well, you don't really have a choice here, but if you really don't want to, you can go back to Hell and get tortured for eternity while getting your soul devoured by a buncha demons, I suppose.]
​

Behind me, a fiery circle appeared. Turning around, I saw a few skeletal arms and grotesque figures of defiled beings reaching outside while guttural shrills of women, children, and men filled my ears. I could feel the rising temperature of chthonian flames, as well as pick up the acrid scent of burning flesh where I was standing. I could feel a dark presence building upon my shoulders as the seconds slowly ticked away.

I scrunched up my face, disgusted by the nauseating smell. "I... think I'm good for now, thanks anyway."

The gate to hell closed up immediately as I replied. Gruesome voices swiftly disappearing as the silence of the void returning once more. Turning back again, the text box replaced itself with a window of options in front of my eyes.

Focusing on the new window, I scrolled through the vast list of 'worlds' and saw only one available alternative while the others were grayed out at the moment.

Yeah, right, 'world of my selection.' What a fucking bullshit line that was.
Seeing no other possible choice, I clicked 'confirm' with a sigh.

[Your selection of World-1A2309 has been accepted.]
[Splendid! Now we can advance to the other more kick-ass parts!]
​

"Which is?"

[Why, the Character Creation, of course!]
​

"The character creation? Is this some kind of RPG?" I questioned with a disbelieving laugh, not sure where all this is going. An RPG? Really? This is what I was going to do for another lifetime? It all sounds like a pretty bad joke to me.

[Yes! The Gamer ability grants you the ability to live and see your world as an RPG game! I could give you the basics now; however, an extensive explanation will be given to you at the end of this introduction!]
​

I let out a short snort. "Hate to break it to you, pal, but that would be extremely unnecessary. I played lots of D&D and RPG games before, so I think I have a pretty good understanding of the System if it's like an RPG game, as you said."

[That's even better! I'll be going now and leave you alone with our pre-determined questions and answers. Good luck out there!]
​

"Hey, wait a min–" I couldn't even finish my sentence as I was instantaneously transported somewhere within the dark space. Looking around, I saw countless stars–

[They are not stars. What you are looking at is an infinite number of multiverses, acting as a welcoming beacon for your upcoming adventures.]
​

"Who said that?!" I spin around, a different, strange, and uncaring voice booming all around me like a clap of thunder, surprising me with its sudden emergence. Despite that, the turmoil of emotions I had been saving all up to this point abruptly came to a stop when I never even start to formulate a response in my mind.

It was like every negative emotion I felt at the moment was completely drained out of my mind, forcing me into a semi-permanent state where not completely devoid of emotions but at the same time I was? I'm not sure, though I certainly felt more focused and able to think calmer in a similar situation such as this.

Huh, weird.

Turning around slowly, I saw a familiar tone of cobalt blue.

[Welcome, Player.]
[Please enter your name: ...]​

Woah...

This is awesome!

But what to enter... I can't use my old name. That would be so lame; like who wants to be named Harold, for fucks sake, dad.

"Is there a button that can randomize a name for me, O' Great Mysterious Voice?"

[Click to Randomize a name for your Great Adventure!]
​

"Cool, uh... thanks," I nervously replied as I raised my finger to click on the suspicious red button.

[Randomizing... Please wait.]
[...]
[Name selected! Welcome to the Game, Player Arthur.]
​

Arthur, huh. Alright, I can dig it as long it is not some weird name like Bob.
God, I hate Bobs...

[Introduction is a necessary and a crucial part of your travels, Player Arthur. It will grant you the essential knowledge and perhaps the needed perspective of the World you are traveling to. Listen carefully, Player, because you're going to only hear it once.]
​

Focusing on the screen, I listened to the deep male voice that was bizarrely resembling a mix between Morgan Freeman and James Earl Jones.

[You will be journeying through the World-1A2309, or more specifically, The Witcherverse. A world set on the Continent, a supercontinent settled several thousand years earlier by elves from overseas.
When they arrived, the elves encountered gnomes and dwarves. After a brief period of war between the elves and dwarves, the dwarves retreated deep into their mountains, and the elves settled in the plains and forests.
Human colonists arrived about five hundred years before the events in the stories, igniting an ever-lasting series of wars. The humans were victorious at the end and became the single most dominant race on the Continent; the non-human races, however, considered second-class citizens, often lived in small ghettos within human settlements. Those not confined to the ghettos lived in wilderness regions not yet claimed by humans.
Other races on the Continent are halflings and dryads; werewolves, vampires, and other monsters appeared after a magical event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres. A cataclysm that happened fifteen hundred years before the events in the novels.
During the centuries preceding the stories, most of the Continent's southern regions have been taken over by the Nilfgaard Empire; the north belongs to the fragmented Northern Kingdoms. The version you are sent in takes place in the aftermath of the first major war between the Nilfgaard Empire and the Northern Kingdoms, with a second war beginning in later years.
This is a world inhabited by various monsters and vile creatures, ruled by ruthless and warmongering emperors.
This is a world where greed and evil eventually will overtake you, make you its slave, or ultimately be the cause of your overly excruciating death.
However, beware that there are evil forces far, far greater than the little chess pieces that are just men and monsters. Beware, Adventurer, that you are now in the lion's den.]
​

"Amazing pep-talk you got there, pal, I'm all fired up," I filled in wryly, causing the impassive voice actually to snort in amusement.

[Proceed, Adventurer.]
​

As soon as the mysterious voice stopped speaking, a portal with an orange hue on its edges swirled in front of me, a chorus of woman voices whispering my name to step inside it.

I looked at it for a minute, considering the pros and cons of other options. Finding that cons weight heavier – which is getting my soul munched by a group of mindless creatures and all the other demonic things demons do – I sighed. Out of all the worlds that I can be gifted with, it had to be the fucking Witcherverse.

A universe that my only familiarity about it comes from finishing the last game, reading the first three novels, and playing the Gwent game on occasion.

Basically, all I know about it is a drop in the ocean.

Slowly moving forward, I entered it. Space-time warping around me – only for an instant – and I suddenly found myself standing somewhere else. Rapidly blinking away the black spots in my vision, I looked around. I realized that I was now wearing white-colored clothes, standing in the middle of a white-colored room furnished with various office items, all of which were, of course, white in color. In front of me, there was a large wooden door that had a large poster of Geralt of Rivia, Yeneffer of Vengerberg, and a cute child-age Ciri on it.

This was possibly the gate between worlds. Does it make this place some kind of purgatory? I always pictured it more... depressing? Not like this, and I certainly didn't expect the sixties-jazz playing in the background.

Sitting in one of the chairs, I waited. As nothing did seem to happen, I decided to poke around a bit out of boredom. Searching the tables and the cupboards, I found nothing besides empty papers and books written in a language that I don't know existed. Dropping them laxly, I went for the file cabinets across the room. While I was crouched down and looking inside the file cabinets right beside an L-shaped table, I found five packs of Gwent cards lying inside. Taking them out, I ripped their packages with a growing avidity.

Northern Realms, Nilfgaardian Empire, Scoia'tael, Monsters, and Skellige.
All the five factions were there, even the Skellige, which only came with the DLC. A jubilant smile formed on my face as I remembered how I won a couple of online tournaments playing it. Spending countless hours just to get a proper deck going was an entertaining thing to do for me, and after winning multiple games, it was already an addiction of mine.
Not the worst kind of addiction, I guess.

Shuffling the cards over, I've placed the playable deck I made out of the Nilfgaardian set. It had mostly Spies and a bunch of other types. Why choose Spies out of all the options, you might ask. Well, because it was rather easy to win that way. Spies here work like the dollar-store version of The Pot of Greed in Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, so you get the gist. The more spies you have, the higher chance you get to win the match.

As I put down the Northern Realms deck, I began thinking about the Witcher games and novels in general. I remember going around and collecting cards on The Witcher 3 rather than doing anything from the main questline. It was all about sidequests for me.

An old lady needs her missing pan back? It looks like a job for a witcher! Do you want to organize a coup against the state? Oh yeah, definitely count me in. Or do you just want to throw a baby in a regular old furnace? Done already. A piece of cake for a weathered monster slayer like me! Just don't forget to give me some special Gwent card or a one-of-a-kind weapon after this.

But the novels? I don't remember them much, just the surface parts of it, really. Geralt kills a Kikimora—a monster that looks like a weird mix between a giant spider, crab, and a random SCP, slaughters half a village and gets away with it because he is certified badass.

After that, he and Dandelion get kidnapped by a group of rogue elves; Dandelion shits his pant while Geralt beats the elves to a pulp.

Sometime later, Geralt unknowingly wished a djinn to make Dandelion incapable of speaking, forcing them to seek help from a sorceress—Yeneffer. Hearing there is a djinn in the play, Yeneffer accepts because she wants to reverse her infertility by wishing it and all the other power-hungry reasons. Long story short, Yeneffer was dying from trying to capture it, and Geralt made a wish to the djinn to bind their fate together, thus saving her.

They fuck a bunch of times after that. A 'bunch' means like a zillion times, by the way.

As time went on, Geralt stops at an inn where he meets a guy with two amazonian chicks at his side. They drink and speak about stuff, and the guy manages to persuade Geralt to help him hunt a golden dragon. Not long after their journey, they meet Dandelion at the border, going there, among others. Yeneffer, who was with the king's party, was going there too. After some action, they found out that the golden dragon they were looking for was actually the guy Geralt met at the inn, and after that?

Yep, you guessed it. They fucked again.

What is the with the fantasy writers and the redundant number of sex scenes? Sapkowski, for example, doesn't write the moments of it in his books like some horny fanfiction author, only the more 'friendlier' parts of it, unlike George R. R. Martin and a dozen others. That guy just writes a hundred pages of terrible sex scenes without an actual development in the plot.
Now, that needs an actual talent.

My train of thought was broken after I placed the last deck I organized—Scoia'tael. I never played with that faction much, besides just a few games. They are not really my style, using debuffs and all. The Scoia'tael in novels was a non-human terrorist group if I remember correctly. Elves, gnomes, dwarves, halflings, half-elves, you name it. They were secretly funded by The Nilfgaardian Empire to sabotage and cause disturbance in the Northern Empires. In exchange, they would give them an independent kingdom—if you think being a satellite to the Nilfgaards counts as freedom, and made a sorcerer elf their queen. They later declared outlaws by every northern kingdom—even by their own supposed queen and entered an all-out war with everyone. CDPR made that the plot of The Witcher 2, I think.
Letting out a satisfied sigh, I lean back and put my feet on the table. A slight smile found its way as I closed my eyes for a quick nap.

It happened to be a very quick one because I got electrocuted with a million fucking ampers as soon as I closed my eyes.

My eyes were instantly wide open just as I collapsed face-first into the floor from the shock. Rubbing my nose, I look up with suppressed annoyance. It seems like something finally appeared—a new pop-up, floating in the air just like previous ones.

Getting up, I quickly read through the Introduction and—of course, there is a fucking User Agreement Contract.

You can't speak about your powers. You can't talk about your foreknowledge... yadda yadda yadda... If you don't follow the strict rules of this cosmic entity, your soul will be kept in hell and will be tortured for eternity, while... blah blah blah... Yes, I fucking accept terms, and hell with that oh-so-dire consequences, let's go through with it already, you capitalist fucks.

Pushing over the accept button with a little bit more force than is required, the Main Selection Menu magically appeared on display.

There was a brief and superficial description of selectable Races, while the required points—CPs were written right beside them. Not finding this format informative enough, I clicked on the [Expand Further] button at the top right corner, unlocking more detailed descriptions to read and choose from.

Welcome To The Witcher Jumpchain
You have 1000 CP to spend modifying your jump.

Race

You may select your preferred Race if it's in your range of CPs.

-Humans (Free!): Humans are the dominant racial group on the Continent, forming the majority of inhabitants in both the Northern Kingdoms and the Empire of Nilfgaard. When humans first arrived on the already-populated Continent, they quickly set about conquering the lands already inhabited by elder races. The humans thus established themselves as the dominant race, so elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings are now generally referred to as nonhumans.
Hailing from a destroyed world, humans first appeared in this world after the Conjunction of the Spheres. The Dauk and Wozgor peoples settled on the Continent at some time before the Nordling culture. Scholars speculate that the Empire's native inhabitants hail from a human culture predating those dominant in the North.
Humans and elves are not terribly dissimilar in appearance. Roughly sharing a similar size, elves have pointed ears, smaller teeth and tend to be more delicately featured. Humans also do not live as long (by far) as elves.
The humans are at war with elves in particular and have a rather poor relationship with the dwarves, halflings, and gnomes. The races live together in the cities; however, the non-humans are forced to pay a levy just for being non-humans. Several pogroms have taken place in the cities. Many of the larger human cities were built on the ruins of elven cities that humans had burned down; cities like Vizima and Novigrad, to name only two.

-Elves (100 CP): Elves are one of the humanoid races that inhabit the Continent. Forming a major part of the Elder Races (along with dwarves and gnomes), those known as Aen Seidhe came to the Continent on their white ships much earlier than humans but later than the other Elder Races. They live much longer than humans and are usually very attractive.
Elves are capable of interbreeding with humans (thus producing half-elves and quadroons) and dryads. Still, most of them won't prefer to do so because elves believe that they were created, unlike humans, who evolved. For this reason, some elves consider humans to be little more than hairless apes. Aside from that, elves are incredibly long-lived, but only young elves are fertile; thus, elven populations tend to reproduce at a much slower rate than humans.
Like other non-humans, elves are often persecuted by Nordlings. Because of that, many elves were members of the Scoia'tael guerillas allied with Nilfgaard during the empire's invasion of the Northern Kingdoms. In return, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis gave the elves a state of their own in Dol Blathanna and made Enid an Gleanna its Queen.
Besides Aen Seidhe, there exists another group of elves called Aen Elle that inhabits another world.

-Dwarves (50 CP): Dwarves are one of the humanoid races. Together with gnomes and elves, they are called the Old Races, and along with gnomes, they were one of the oldest sentient races on the Continent.
An adult dwarf grows as tall as a human male's chest. They are more sturdy than humans, which makes them tougher and stronger. They usually grow long beards. Dwarves are often excellent soldiers, artisans, and businessmen. While they tend to be uncouth, they are also jolly and cheerful.
The motherland of dwarves is Mahakam. Like other nonhumans, dwarves are often persecuted by Nordlings. Because of that, some dwarves were members of the Scoia'tael, a guerrilla allied with Nilfgaard during the empire's invasion of the Northern Kingdoms. These dwarves distinguished themselves from their brethren by wearing their beards in plaits.

-Monster (Var. CP): You are unusually intelligent for your species; if your choice is not as smart as humans are, your intelligence is brought up to the level of an average human (not much of improvement, honestly). However, nothing prevents you from acting as if you are an average representative of your kind, catching would-be monster hunters by surprise.

Following choice has multiple selections: Cursed Ones(Werewolfs, Berserkers), Hybrids, Incubus/Succubus, Ogroids, Relicts(Leshen, Fiend), Vampires(Higher Vampire, Bruxa), Elemanta(Djinn, Golems, Pixies).
​

First of all, I'm not going to be a Monster. What the fuck? Secondly, are there female Dwarfs with beards?

[Yes.]
​

Alright, I got what I wanted. Looking back to the [Race] window, I naturally ended up selecting [Human].

[Choice accepted, progressing to the next section.]

Language Added:
[Common Speech] - LVL MAX - A universal language for the beings living on The Continent, though it's mostly used by the human inhabitants of this world.

[Generating options...]

Location

You may freely choose any of the starting locations below. Your age may differ by your selection.

-A Witcher School (Free!): The witcher schools are the organizations that train and equip witchers, the itinerant monster-slayers. While schools differ in mindset and details of training, most of them teach equally professional hunters. Headquartered in secluded locations such as Kaer Morhen, each one is built on the blood, sweat, and tears of countless children who stood within them, honing their technique and skill with unparalleled determination.
Each witcher school is specialized in its own individual skill sets and different focuses.

-School of The Wolf: Headquartered in a stronghold at Kaer Morhen, The School of the Wolf appears to be balanced, focusing on all aspects of training equally. In its glory days, the School of the Wolf was one of the most recognized of the witcher schools. Its members gained the reputation of professional and reliable monster slayers.
The second half of the 12th century saw a massive attack on Kaer Morhen by an enraged mob led by a group of mages and priests. All witchers present at the Keep were killed. Though the massacre was condemned, the school never regained its full functionality.
Since then, schools of the Wolf and the Cat were funded by Kaedweni monarchs. After a year or two, King Radowit II, under the influence of his court mage and druids, perceived the revival of the witcher schools as a threat to his rule. His manipulations made Grandmaster Treyse of the Cats engage in a deadly plot against the Wolves – during a Witcher Tournament. He and some of the students ambushed the unaware Wolves under the influence of King Radowit. After most of the Wolves died, the King ordered soldiers to kill the Cats as well.
The last children were trained at Kaer Morhen was in the 1230s. Knowledge about Trials and mage assistants eventually vanished since then, but there is always a chance to have it back. By the 1260s, the only living member of the "old" witchers of the Wolf was Vesemir. He, and a couple of younger ones, spends their winters in the Keep. They welcomed some witchers from other schools, but Cats and Vipers were explicitly banned.
Their primary fighting style, the Temerian Devil, is strong and efficient, dealing as much damage as possible in a single blow. This witcher school does only work in monster contracts.

-School of the Cat: School of the Cat is a school of ragtag witchers formed after a student mutiny against their former masters. Headquartered in the traveling Dyn Marv Caravan, they are one of the few schools training women and non-pureblood humans.
The Cat School focuses on Addan Anye, or the Fiery Dancer, a fast fighting style where you do less damage but more frequently, limiting your opponent's chance of striking back. The Cat School is also one of the only two schools to use crossbows.

-School of the Griffin: School of the Griffin, sometimes referred to as School of the Eagle or Gryphon School, is a school of witchers headquartered in Kovir and Poviss, in Kaer Seren, located at the sea end of a mountain range.
The Griffyn School focuses on Viroledan Naev'de Feaine Glaeddyv, or the Nine Sun Sword, which is the group style. Focusing less on taking down a single enemy, this fighting style is meant to be able to strike down many enemies at once and proves most useful on drowners, wolves, and other monsters that tend to swarm in groups. They mainly focus on incorporating Sign Magic into their combat styles.

-The School of The Bear: School of the Bear is a school of witchers headquartered in Haern Caduch Keep in the Slopes, a region in the foothills of the Amell Mountains.
They opt to wear heavy armor, favoring defense over agility and choosing a more brutish, head-on combat style. Some say they can fight the largest monsters with pure physical strength alone, survive in the cold and harshest environments for weeks without a need for proper equipment nor food.
Witchers of the Bear School, unlike the Wolves, tend to be loners and do not forge strong bonds with their brethren. Meeting between them on the Path can even lead to bloodshed. Along with the Cat School, they are the only known witcher schools to use crossbows in their hunt.
Sometime after the School's founding, a number of its witchers betrayed it similarly as before, where they nearly killed its founding Grandmaster, Arnaghad. These witchers then left and built their own school, the School of the Viper.

-School of the Viper: The School of the Viper is a school of witchers formed by the ex-members of the Bear School. Headquartered in Gorthur Gvaed, a Keep somewhere in the deep chasms of Tir Tochair mountains.
Because the Vipers accepted not only monster contracts but also humans and non-humans, it was rumored that the school was founded for assassination purposes. The real reason, however, was that its founder had a great purpose in mind. He wanted to defeat the Wild Hunt. But as he couldn't do it alone, so he founded a school dedicated to his purpose. The Viper School supposedly had a wealth of information about the notorious spectral riders.
When the Usurper held the Nilfgaardian throne, he attempted to recruit this faction into his ranks. However, the witchers refused, and the Usurper destroyed the Keep, forcing the school to disband, but some of its members are still alive, completing contracts on monsters and sometimes people.

This option contains the following selectable Locations: The School of The Wolf, The School of The Cat, The School of The Bear, The School of The Griffin, The School of The Viper.
(Age: 1d8+10 'or' Take 13)

-Temple of Melitele (Free!): Located at the Temeria, Ellander. Temple of Melitele is a school for female children who want to be healers or train up to be a priestess to spread the true words of wisdom. Managed by Nenneke, a motherly but stern priestess, who accepts to treat wounded soldiers, travelers, and even people of the non-human races without a price.
Temple of Melitele is a place where you can study runes, history, poems, and long-forgotten Elder Speech. Maybe you could become a healer or possibly a practitioner of magic? You will never know if you don't try.
(Age: Take 8)

-The Northern Realms (Free!): Northern Realms, or sometimes just referred to as the Four Kingdoms, are a group of human states north of the Amell mountains. Their inhabitants are called Nordlings by the Nilfgaardians (both from the core of the Empire and the conquered provinces).
Aside from humans, a number of dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings live in the Northern Kingdoms as second-class citizens or are getting burned at stake for some reason.
The Northern Kingdoms were invaded and partially conquered by the Nilfgaardian Empire; however, there is still hope remains for the Northern Realms!
But the question is, are you willing to be that hope?

This option contains the following selectable Locations: Aedirn(Dol Blathanna, Vengerberg), Kovir, Cidaris, Kaedwen, Lyria and Rivia, Redania(Tretogor, Oxenfurt), Skellige Isles, Temeria(Velen, White Orchard, Mahakam, Sodden), The Free City of Novigrad, Forests of Brokilon.
(Age: 1d8+10 'or' Take 20)

-The Nilfgaardian Empire (Free!): The most powerful empire in the history of the Continent, located in the southern part of the world. Nilfgaardians are famed for their strong economy, well-trained army and generals, and of course, their emperor: Emhyr var Emreis, Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd. (1)
You can become the Commander-in-Chief to the Southern armies of Nilfgaard, Director of the largest intelligence service on the Continent, with a little effort, you can even become the Grand Vizier to the Emperor or just a plain soldier who likes to slay the Nords.

This option contains the following selectable Locations: City of Golden Towers(Capital), Beauclair(Duchy of Toussaint).
(Age: Take 20)

-School of Aretuza (650 CP): Aretuza is a magical academy for young ladies situated next to the Garstang on Thanedd Island and consists of 5 floors and 76 rooms, including sleeping and studying quarters for both the students and teachers.
According to Molnar Giancardi, the owner of the Giancardi Bank in Gors Velen, the annual fees for a student add up to 1,200 Novigradian crowns, with a 200 crown matriculation fee for new students. Adepts studying there are not permitted to leave the island, are forced to abstain from having sex, and visitors are only admitted to the lowest level of the academy, Loxia.
You can learn to be the immortal and powerful mage you hoped to be in your entire life! Having harems of the most attractive girls in The Continent, never-ending source of money, and other things powerful people have!
But a boy? In the most prestigious academy for magical humans, especially magical human females? Hilarious! As if...
Warning: This choice locks your Origin as [Sorcerer].
(Age: Take 8)

-Cintra (100 CP): In 1263, after the continued expansion of the Nilfgaardian Empire to the Amell Mountains, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis began a full-scale invasion of the North, beginning with the kingdom of Cintra.
The Nilfgaardian Army crossed the Marnadal Stairs and crushed the Cintran Army at the mouth of the mountain pass, which became later known as the Battle of Marnadal. They continued north and slaughtered the kingdom's fortified capital, leaving many of the capital's residents homeless and forcing them to flee to the nearby kingdoms such as Verden, Temeria, Brugge, and Skellige.
The Lioness of Cintra, Queen Calanthe, committed suicide rather than be captured by the Nilfgaardians, causing them to kill nearly the entire royal family with the exception of Lion Cub of Cintra, Cirilla, who the famed White Wolf, Geralt of Rivia ultimately saves.
Nevertheless, you can start here in the year 1262 as a young but promising general among the ranks of the Royal Army of Cintra and possibly prevent all of these terrible circumstances from even come into existence.
The question is, are you ready for the difficult road ahead of you?
​

I let out a hum as I thought it over. While being a soldier is not explicitly a bad thing, you are essentially being controlled by the higher-ups in the end, and they obviously see you as an expandable idiot who will do anything they say without a second thought and carry out their stupid agendas.

And that's something I can't do, fuck that kind of bullshit.

Looking over once more, a triumph smirk formed on my face as I made my choice. Learning magic and do cool stuff with it might sound great, yet, I can't bring myself to pick that choice where being taught by the Great White Wolf himself is a possibility.

[A selection has been made: A Witcher School, The School of The Wolf]
[Generating Perks...]

Perks Added:
[Dance, Devil, Dance!] - Learning to use a skill consisting of any bladed weapons is now 25% faster towards the next level.

[Balanced, as all things...] - While wearing a part of a medium-weight armor set, you gain +1 Points to your Agility and Strength.

[Rolling the Cosmic Dice for Age... 2+10= 12.]
​

Of-fucking-course, out of all... I'm not even surprised by a little at this point. Oh yeah, going through puberty for a second time... Sure sounds like a lot of fun.

Origin

You may choose any of the below origins.

-Drop-In (Free!): You are an unknown walking through these lands, with no memories or knowledge to guide you through these lands…hopefully, you'll quickly learn how to behave during your time here.
-Commoner (50 CP): You are the medieval commoner, part of faceless masses who have always been a source of heroes or villains whose fame surpasses others. Lucky peasant, cunning citizen, brave soldier, cruel bandit, or wise scholar or who knows who, maybe all of this and something else for you has something that what others lack - all roads of life open to you, all chances in you reach go and make a name for yourself.

-Noble (150 CP): You were born with a taste of power as a blue-blooded aristocrat or maybe gained noble title recently by the strength of arms or golden price, but this is not important. What's important is that you are above mere commoners and have many rights in this world, as well as noble obligations. Play your cards right, and who knows, maybe you will be the next ruler of your kingdom.
-Witcher (200 CP): A witcher is someone who has undergone extensive training, ruthless mental and physical conditioning, and mysterious rituals in preparation for becoming an itinerant monster-slayer for hire.

-Sorcerer (500 CP): Congratulations! You have a talent that sets you apart from the common folk, something that no riches can buy - the natural ability to harness primordial energy and wield the great power of magic. Some may dislike and fear you, but only fools will voice that opinion to someone who can kill them with just a thought. Unfortunately, it comes with an attached price - your chance to have a child is...slim at best.
​

I mean, come on. Are you even trying? I can't pick the [Sorcerer] because of its redundant price tag. That leaves the [Witcher] or [Noble] as the only fun choice there is, and I won't be picking [Noble]...

[Choice accepted, -200 CP. Remaining CP: 800]

Skills Added:
[Barter] - LVL 1 (0%) - A witcher should be able to negotiate with the common folk, or was it called being an asshole? +1% Bounty gained through a contract.

[Meditation] - LVL 1 (0%) - To understand others, one must first come to terms with yourself; or you can just sit in a humid cave for thirty years. +1% to HP and MP regenerated in a minute.

[Unarmed Proficiency] - LVL 1 (0%) - You know Kung-Fu? Well, fuck you! +1% to Damage while unarmed anything but your trusty ol' fists. Current Style: None

[Novice Sword Proficiency] - LVL 1 (0%) - A sword by itself rules nothing; it only comes alive in the skilled hands of the user. +1% to Damage dealt while attacking, +1% to Defense while parrying or blocking with any kind of bladed weapon. Current Style: Temerian Devil

[Novice Alchemy] - LVL 1 (0%) - Aaaahh... wire! +1% to the Effectiveness and Duration of the said potion or concoction you've made.

[Herbalism] - LVL 1 (0%) - Flowers? How much? If you spend any more on this thing, you can pick the daisies off my grave! Get plastic! Grants extra +1 to the number of Ingredients you collect with your hand.

Special Item Added:
[Wolf School Medallion] - A magically enchanted object, its shape resembles a wolf's head. The medallion gives off a humming sound whenever there is something or someone magical nearby. +10% to Bounty gained through contracts while equipped.

[Generating new choices...]
[...]

General Perks

-Woodscraft (Free!): You have skills in almost anything that pertains to the woods or forest, especially in making one's way through the woods or in hunting, trapping, etc. Expect to be more than capable of making your way through environments that may be especially hostile, so if you've got a Monster or some other manner of the beast lurking around, you'll be sure to know long before it catches your scent.

-Weapons Training (Free!): It's a time when no one can feel too safe from the dangers of the world, be it some monster or, much more likely, a group of bandits on the road. So, most people know how to handle different weapons, at least on some basic level. Now you also have such skills, being above average but not a master yet. Be wary; while you can take on a bandit or two traveling right into an ambush is a sure way to die. And for monsters… just call a witcher for help and start to pray to your god.

-Horsemanship (Free!): Unlike what video games may tell you, horses are not medieval cars. Riding all day at maximum speed and putting them in the garage stable is a good way to lose your steed, and they cost a lot, sometimes so much so that your own life is cheaper. However, you'll now find that you possess the skills to care for and ride these magnificent beasts and somehow be capable of always taking care of them, even if bare minimum.

-Of the Elder Blood (700 CP): It appears that you are an unaccounted relative of Ciri, by way of Laura Dorren, being an active carrier of the Elder Blood, as it seems that you can travel in the local multiverse; from shifting through time and space to crossing through worlds like stepping through a door. Despite that, your control over your ability is rather crude and in dire need of training before it becomes useful. But be wary; refining such a gift is a dangerous process, for the worlds are filled not just with wonders but horrors as well - how else do you think the monsters that witchers hunt appeared, other than when the worlds collided long ago?
​

Wow... I suppose I'll be taking all the free ones while giving the middle finger to the [Of the Elder Blood]. I don't want to be chased all over the globe by the Wild Hunt just because I have the potential to channel super-cosmical magic powers, and I'm not even adding the ridiculous amount of CP I have to spend on it.

Skills Added:
[Woodscraft] - LVL 10 (0%) - A useful skill to make your life easier in the woods... or anywhere really. +10% Durability to the wooden tools you craft, +10% to Spotting and Tracking.

[Novice Sword Profiency] - LVL 10 (50%) - A sword by itself rules nothing; it only comes alive in the skilled hands of the user. +10% to Damage dealt while attacking, +10% to Defense while parrying or blocking with any kind of bladed weapon. Current Style: Temerian Devil

[Horsemanship] - LVL 10 (0%) - A horse, A horse, my kingdom for a horse! +10% to Speed and Stamina to the horse you are riding. Your horse would demand lesser maintenance than it normally would.

[Generating possible outcomes...]
[Skipping unrelated and unusable Perk alternatives...]

Witcher Perks

You may choose a perk or perks in the range of your CPs. Current CP: 800

-Signs (100 CP): One of the most useful tools in a Witcher's arsenal is the bastardized form of magic known as Signs. These simple spells can be used with one hand and require little knowledge about magical theory to use. There are a variety of Signs with various powers, and you know them all! Though you start with only a basic level of skill with them but with practice comes mastery. If you also understand how to utilize magical spells, you may become able to alter these spells into new signs, though they retain their relative simplicity and cost.
Warning: Only selectable with the [Trail of the Grasses] or [Source] Perks.

-Monster Lore (200 CP): While you may not be a monster, you certainly know all about them. More than that, however, you are constantly learning and discovering new traits about the monsters that you hunt. Not only are you blessed with luck in overhearing or being told about the local myths and legends regarding monsters, but you have a knack for figuring out the nuggets of truth hidden in the story. If a monster requires the sacrifice of a human woman once every thirty years, you would be able to infer why that sacrifice was needed. Whether it be for consumption, magic, mating, or any other reason, you can get to the heart of the matter.

While listening to the lore is all well and good should you ever come face to face with a monster, this knack carries through, giving insight into why it acts and behaves in the manner it does. This insight works for any magical creature you face or anything considered a monster or monstrous by a local population.

-Alchemical Knowledge (200 CP): Alchemy is a key part of a Witcher's toolset; witchers are masters of crafting not only potions to enhance their superhuman abilities further but also bombs, weapon oils, and other chemical contraptions. In future worlds, you will be just as capable of creating analogies of these mixtures as you are at creating those found within this world. Just remember that certain alchemical creations are not for the consumption of the standard populace. Who knows, that poor woman could be cured of her ailment by the use of a witcher's brew, or she might get her lungs to explode in the process.

-Trial of the Grasses (500 CP): You have participated in the Trial of the Grasses. While you have not emerged unchanged, you have gained a great deal. You have become stronger, faster, better equipped to face the horrors and monsters that lurk in the dark. You are the epitome of what it means to be a witcher. It is a rare monster that can match your might and prove to be your equal. You are the protector of humanity from evil big and small. As you have undergone the Trial of the Grasses, you have gained several superhuman gifts; however, like with certain gifts, they come at a cost. The cost for a witcher being physical mutations and sterility.

-Law of Surprise (400 CP): Your existence binds a tight knot in an already confusing and tangled weave of destiny. Gods of fate may not be smiling upon you, but they feel too entertained at your antics to get rid of you now. Hence, until you do something monumentally stupid or suicidal, you will not die from such banal things as a blade of an assassin or a cup of poison. Even in a battle, you can somehow survive, probably by bumbling around while your companions take care of the enemy. Additionally, you have great luck in games of chance and, unless you want to lose, you almost always win. Do try not to play games with long winning streaks in the same place, or the losers may suspect something.
​

Reading through, the large smile I had turned into an irritated frown. These are pretty good Perks, but that's what makes it choosing so difficult... I thought over my options again for a moment before finally deciding with an annoyed sigh. I will probably regret this, but whatever.

Perks Added:
[Be Surprised by the Law of Surprise!] - Ever wanted to be the protagonist of something? Now you are! People are attracted to you in a weird way, but not the way you think. They are inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt and somewhat trust you. +3 Points Increase in Luck, permanently.

[Monsterologyst] - You always know what monster you are up against and have an almost innate knowledge even if you see them for the first time. Oh, and it comes with a self-updating Bestiary that you can find in your Inventory!

[Reaction by the Action] - Have you ever heard the Tragedy of Vysogota The Wise? Heh, I thought not; it's not a story... +50% EXP gain towards next level in Alchemy-related skills.

[Calculating CP... You don't have any CP remaining. Do you want to see the Drawback options?]
[Y/N]
​

Of course, I would want to see them. What kind of shitty question is that? I want to have any and every advantage I could get before jumping in, even if I would get some drawbacks down the road. Pressing the [Y], a new window pops up.

Drawbacks

You may select as many drawbacks as you please within the maximum range of 500 CPs.

-Portals?! Again?! (+150 CP): My greatest enemy... Portals...

-The Flourished Sagas of Dandelion! (+0 CP): So, with this, one can explore the other licensed works based on Andrzej Sapkowski's novels. Do you wish to explore the Game, TV Show, or even a mix between them all? You can do it! Though, I'm not sure about the TV Show...

-Piss Eyes (+100 CP): Wow… I cannot believe you went there, you racist prick. This is a world of horrors and monsters, and you can't help but focus on how horrible the other races are to your own and you to them… and do be sure to keep yourself in check, should that irrational xenophobia get the better of you and start to do some ghastly things.

-A Kiss of Love (+400 CP): How many times do sorcerers turn annoying people into something hideous? Too many to count... and you are now one among ranks of transformed. While your mind is untouched, you cannot say the same about your body. You are locked in the form of an ugly monster now, and the only thing that can free you is a kiss of true love.

-You've Got to Pay the Toll (+300 CP): Why is it you cannot go anywhere in this world without having some form of misfortune befall you? For you are an especially juicy target for robbers, bandits, deserters, or monsters. There is something in you telling these types of people of perceived or imagined weakness, which not many of them could resist…and hope that you do not catch the attention of a corrupted official or another likely to abuse their power.

-War Is On The Horizon (+500 CP): In the upcoming wars to come, you'll find that you need to find and choose a side/nation to champion. Be warned, your enemy will be vastly superior in terms of manpower, tactics and strategy, technology, resources, etc., and that the longer this conflict draws on, the greater your enemy shall become.
​

Without a second thought, I quickly grab [You've Got to Pay the Toll], [Portals?! Again?!] and [The Flourished Sagas of Dandelion!]. Picking up too many drawbacks would and probably will cause me problems I don't want to go through in the long run, and the ones I picked seemed the most easily dealt with. Well, that's not saying much because my other options were either to be a racist asshole or be an idiot who joins in the who-is-the-most-tyrant-king wars and die. I'm not even going to explain myself why I haven't considered the [A Kiss of Love].

[Generating Perks... ERROR!]
[Calculating... ERROR!]
[Interferance fixed. Generating Perks...]

Perks Added:
[Do you... smell that?] - Something about you just attracts the trouble. It can be your looks, actions, or just plain old bad luck. -1 Point Decrease in Luck, permanently

[I Hate Portals...] - You don't like portals, never liked them, and never will. You always prefer to go to the other side of the world on horseback rather than get teleported there in a second. You may experience heavy vertigo, among other things, if you choose to travel by them. -1 to Perception when you arrive at your destination, and its duration is proportional to the distance traveled.

[The Flourished Sagas of Dandelion!] - Novels or Games? Why not both!

[Outsider] - You are bound to no god, nor they are bound to you. You are an Outsider. You do not belong. You do not obey.
​

"That last perk... I don't understand. Is that... supposed to happen?"

[It is not something you need to worry about, Player. Please continue.]
​

"Alright then..."

Equipment
Due to your Origin, some items have been discounted. You may select pieces of equipment freely. Remaining CP: 450

General Items

-Map (100 CP): This is just a simple, old map made for lost travelers and idiots. Wait, isn't that the same? You can't lose it or get it stolen. Treasures, people, monsters, and Quests are marked on the map, showing it in real-time.

-Basic Survival Gear (25 CP): Dirt stained clothes with spare to blend in, a chipped wooden spoon, a used flint and tinder, some tasteless food, a simple saddle. You still here? Go!
-Horse (200 CP): This steed of your preferred color and gender will patiently carry you and, with doomed obedience, follow you in all your shenanigans. You're not sure why your horse is so loyal to you and follows all your commands but considering that it's you, this is probably punishment for some sick shit you did before you died. How convenient, huh. It will come to you upon your whistle, indifference of wherever you are. Across the ocean? Sure, no problem. On a mountain? This incredible beast is there within a moment! Even if you somehow get it killed, this stallion will come to you within a week!

-Gambling Props (25 CP): Slightly special collection of Gwent cards. Not many people even see an entire set of such well-made cards; this game is so simple yet so deep, demanding both strategies of calculated chance and blind adherence to luck. In just a week, you will find a replacement that spontaneously appears in your possessions in case you lose or damage it. The set you will get is randomized.

Witcher Items

Witcher Manuals (500 CP) [Discount: 250 CP]: These are just some old and forgotten manuals, nothing to be seen here...

-Witcher Blades [Free Witcher]: Do you like swords? If the answer is yes, then congratulations to you, you are now a proud owner of the pair of them! If the answer is no, then you are just the unhappy owner of pair of them. This is the most traditional weapon of witchers, and many monsters can confirm their effectiveness… if the monsters were still alive!

-Oils & Potions (300 CP) [Discount: 150 CP]: Too many bottles with strange colored, shiny liquids! Before you succumb to all hyperactive children's natural curiosity and try to determine if your favorite color has good taste, I warn you that potions have toxicity, lesser than normal versions, but it still here, besides the fact that some of this isn't intended for drinking. It's not like I discourage you from trying. Each bottle is signed in big letters, so even baby does not confuse them by drinking oil for a sword instead of a healing potion, accidentally at least. Glass of these bottles is special and does not break even if troll hit you in the bag with elixirs, you on the other hand…
Once in a week, you find that someone kindly refills all used or spoiled elixirs, oils and even gives you new bottles because you are definitely going to lose them or break them anyway.
​

As I skimmed over the lists, [Witcher Manuels] caught my eyes. Isn't that looking a bit... suspicious? I have enough points for that, I suppose. I can pick it up too with the others.

Items added:
[Gwent Cards (Northern Realms)] - It's time, to d-d-d-d-d-Gwent! Just a pack of regular old Gwent cards, nothing fancy.

[Basic Survival Gear Package] - Includes a set of clothes, flint and tinder, a wooden spoon and a bowl, a bag of crowns, tasteless food, and maybe a saddle.

[Witcher Manuels] - Long-lost and forgotten set of manuals, describing... something. Open it up!
[Mahakam Steel Sword] - Crafted by the Mahakam dwarves to slay the northland folk. +2% to the Attack Power.

[Disglair (Silver Sword)] - Made by some old witcher centuries ago. The only question left is, does it feel sharp enou- OW! +5% to Critical Hit Chance.

[Oils & Potions Package] - Includes self-refilling vials, a bag of resources, oils for your swords, and a starter alchemy and herbalism set.

[Good... good. It has finally all came together, Player! Would you like to continue to your Jump?]
[Y/N]
​

"...You're not exactly giving me a choice here, bud." I deadpan as I see the only available option was to accept. Though, as I clicked on it, I felt my body morph and change without any indication of pain. Moments later, I found myself staring frustrated at the newly formed mirror next to me. A regular twelve-year-old boy was behind the mirror, looking straight back at me—fair skin, shaggy brown hair, along with lanky arms and legs. My face formed a not-so-terrifying scowl for my liking as I tested a few expressions on the mirror.

Fuck! I can't be a kick-ass witcher while looking like this! No one is going to take me seriously!
And the worst part is I don't even remember how I'd looked like before. Was I looking like that when I was twelve? God damn it!

With an exasperated sigh, I finally shrugged. My memories were presumably gone because of a certain reason, so it doesn't worth the effort trying to remember them.

Walking towards the door, I twist the handle and open it. With a final look at the illuminated room, I jump inside the portal and begin my adventure.

---

Lambert was many things: He was an asshole, a certified douchebag, and probably talks too much for his own sake.

This is why today was his turn to bring some firewood, herbs, and food to the Keep, selected by the, thankfully, one and only Vesemir. Sitting all day and drinking mead was nice and all but after being forced to play Gwent with Eskel, Coën, and Geralt that many times, he happily accepted the most gracious offer.

More like disobeying him meant listening to a long speech that starts with 'When I was at your age...' and torturing me with its sheer boringness. But I'll let him think he can order me around, just for this instance. He thought, finally finishing off butchering the deer he caught. I'm a fucking witcher, not a small-time lumberjack, nor a mere hunter! I slay monsters!

Well, not so much at this time of the year. Monsters were rapidly diminishing in numbers and were a rare sighting even a few years ago. Even the sightings of common monsters such as Ghouls, Hags, and Wraiths were nearly non-existed.

Loading up the fresh-cut venison to his horse, he chuckled in amusement as a memory passed through his mind.

Not like the old times anymore, in my time we were hunting dragons after dragons! Vesemir used to say them. That senile old fool and Eskel kept talking and talking about how there are no contracts anymore worth their time, and villagers are just a bunch of cheapskate idiots—which was totally true.
This one time, I killed off a small Wyvern that was eating the villages' goats or something, and when I brought them the head of it, they offered me fifty-crowns! What the fuck?! I go there and risk my own life for their stupid cows and goats, and they just offer me fifty-fucking-crowns? Of course, I wasn't eating it, so this one time, I used Axii on the elder. Heh, the old fucker didn't even saw it coming. He ended up giving me hundred and fifty-two, plus some food and ingredients for potions—still not enough, but definitely better than fifty-fucking-crowns, that's for certain.
Never mind, off-topic.

So, anyway, they – Eskel and Vesemir – said they were usually only getting paid to some lowly Drowners contracts and maybe a few werewolves here and there. Complaining about it on themselves all day.

Maybe that's why Geralt doesn't come as much anymore and hangs out with that sorcerer chick... or was it chicks?

Hah, the famous White Wolf, Geralt of Rivia. What a prick. He shook his head around with a knowing smirk. That idiot always orbited around them like a lost puppy.

Anyway, a few years back, monsters suddenly began to increase in numbers, raiding villages and killing the common folk, and in conclusion, our work has increased tremendously. We even gathered up a good amount of coins that we could actually renovate a small part of the hold. Even though it's a little part of it, it's better than nothing at all.

We even got a new witcher from the Griffin School accompanying us, Coën. He managed to came to the Kaer Morhen last winter, wounded by some monsters while on The Path, and stayed since then. He and I were the same age, and he was good with the sword, not as good as Vesemir, but no one can be that good in technique. Maybe Geralt, though he would use some tricks rather than fighting head-on as always.

Besides being a rather enjoyable sparring partner, Coën really helped us around the castle, making contracts and stuff like that. It was all going pretty well.

And then, a she-devil named Ciri came to the castle. A little girl Geralt brought a month ago when he came for the winter, saying she was their destiny or some stupid shit. Although, as we listened to him further, we learned that the girl was the last of her line at the throne of Cintra and his Child of Surprise.
What does a witcher know about raising children? We kill monsters and drink alcohol, and nothing else really matters other than that.

Though, of course, that wasn't going to work. We had to do something about it; no one in the Keep just sits and waits for a meal prepared for them. Imagine my surprise when Vesemir said we'd train the girl! I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. I thought the man finally went mad from his old age!

A female witcher? And a princess at that!

You know what they say, you can't teach a fish to fly like a bird. And a princess can't be a simple witcher like us. She is likely to be destined for something entirely different, unlike us... unlike me.

The chestnut mare, prodded on by the witcher's heels, carefully stepped over a strewn pile of bricks and stones, passing through the broken arcade. It was already autumn, and the air was getting colder each passing day.

Never thought I'll be alive to see this kind of thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some fuddy-duddy old man who thinks the other side is inferior, and Ciri is not doing badly in her training too. Still, I don't think any girl is capable of swinging a sword properly like us, even when a couple of veteran witchers trains you. Though still, anything other than that, things are looking bright enough for us, at least for this winter anyway.

His thoughts were disrupted as his medallion suddenly started to hum and joggle on his chest repeatedly, trying to warn its wearer from nearby magic. Lambert reined his beautiful mare to a stop. His mutated eyes moving like a trained predator as he searched around, sensitive ears picking up even the tiniest of things near him.

The wind howled furiously in his ears as he picked up different noises: the rattling of leaves and branches, the raging flow of the various Kaer Morhen rivers, and the rhythmic beating of his mare's heart.

Among those, he heard a series of suffocating coughs from the river in the forests close by; Lambert wasted no time.

"Go, girl!" The youngest witcher prodded, the galloping horse leading him to the forests of Kaer Morhen with absolute speed.

As he arrived on the scene, he found Drowners were feasting on an animal—a male horse they killed. Being the courageous witcher he is, Lambert quickly drew his silver sword and darted forward without a second thought. Swinging the blade with practiced precision, the frenzied group of Drowners never knew what was coming.

After he finished extracting the mutagens and potion ingredients from the Drowner corpses, he stood up to go back to his mount with a content smile on his face. Things were looking really great!

His mare snorted softly as he scratched its head. Moving his gaze past his horse to the setting sun, his trained eyes caught a bloodied handprint of someone on the large rock halfway inside the river.
A humanoid in this area? Hm... That must be his horse, then. He thought as he looked for more.

Carefully following the footprints on the wet soil, he found dried blood stains on the pebbles next to the river. Although it was washed enough times to make it nearly non-perceivable, he could see it thanks to his enchanted senses. Seems he was wounded. A traveler? No, that's implausible; no one is stupid enough to travel through this area without company or necessary skills. Scoia'tael scouts?

Drewing his sword again with guarded curiosity, he went there to investigate. Lightly pulling the reins of his chestnut mare just to get her moving, he saw a silhouette of something—a child lying motionless at the riverside. That must be him. He reasoned as he ran with his sword drawn until he reached the bank.

However, when he arrived there, curses that would put an old Skelliger pirate to a shame left his mouth without him even noticing.

Everything was going exceptionally great lately; he even got new ingredients for a bomb he was working on, completed a new contract on an adult Griffin a few days ago, and got a hefty amount of Orens from that. He thought and planned about buying a new sword, a new armor, and probably lots of drinks with that money.

That was his plan, and of course, Melitele had other plans for him.

When things were already going so great with the she-devil at the Keep, why in Melitele's name was he looking at a young and clearly human boy surrounded by multiple Drowner corpses while holding on a witcher's silver sword?!

"Why me..." He sighed as he rubbed his hand on his forehead. Putting his sword to one of the pouches on his horse, the witcher quickly ran over to check on the boy. Thankfully, the kid was still alive and breathing. Looking for any open wounds, he let out a breath of relief as he only saw a few scratches and bruises. Looking at him more carefully, he saw a shiny material under his dirty clothes that immediately made his face go pale as snow.

A wolf school medallion?! I don't remember anyone this young... This is troubling. Vesemir would know what to do; I should probably take him to the castle.

Moving his gaze to the kid's swords, more questions seemed to invade his head.

What does a kid do with a sword for witchers? The schools were nearly extinct, and there were no trainees left either. I'm sure of it! Picking the kid's swords, he swore to himself as he examined them. It even has runes inscribed on it; what the hell? I don't even have it myself!

I'm too old for this shit. Shaking his head in defeat, he picked the boy up and set him straight on the saddle with ease. Getting on the back of his horse, the young witcher started to make way towards the worn-out Keep, hoping Vesemir won't complain like an old hag at the one good thing he did.

A possible witcher or even a trainee was always welcomed in the Keep, even if he didn't want to see innocent kids die just because of something they didn't choose; because, in dark times like this, there was an undeniable fact that witchers were needed.

Now, more than ever.

---

"..o! We don't know if he is a witcher or not, but he had two swords and wearing a medallion of our school while being littered with mangled Drowners around him. That was practically screaming, 'I'm a witcher,' Vesemir. Do you even know anyone who carries a sword like that besides us?" A relatively young voice reasoned loudly, however in the process, it made me wake up.

Another voice chuckled bemusedly. This one was deep, yet, it had a childish undertone to it. "You should've seen the state of the Drowners he killed, Vesemir. Every one of them was at least missing a limb or two. I don't know anything about him being a witcher or not, but it seems like he can dance with a sword."

An older voice hummed in thought. "...You did well taking him here, Lambert. With the lass around, we could teach them how to fight, and if the boys were a witcher, he could be good use in these hard times."

"Are we still serious about teaching the girl?! I thought that was–"

"Oh, shut up for once, Lambert. It's already been three months since the girl came here. On top of that, Ciri is doing just fine as it is. You just can't accept the fact that she is better than you at that age you've ever been." A gruff voice spoke with clear amusement in his voice, probably Geralt. He shifted in his seat as I heard Lambert swore to him under his breath out of frustration.

For listening to a conversation with your utmost attention, you have gained a new skill!
[Listening] - LVL 1 (2%) - By being attentive with your ears, you can get a whole lot of information just by taking note of your surroundings! Current Range: 5 Meters.

Fuck, what was that?! I subconsciously shuffled around in the blanket, a voice appearing in my head suddenly unnerving me. However, I managed to calm down quickly as I remembered what it is. Ah, right. I died and got weird cosmic powers. Got it.

The white-haired witcher's sunken, pale face was suddenly turned on to me with piqued interest. A cold pair of amber-colored eyes were glowing in the dim-lit room, similar to the few candles around the table, making his face seem monstrous rather than a human. "...And it seems like the boy has finally awakened."

In an instant, everyone set their eyes on me while reflexively their hands going to the handle of their steel swords, with the exception of Coën. He was watching the whole situation turn out with an amused smirk and a large glass of White Gull in his hand.

"...Ah, Hello?" I nervously said, my voice coming off raspy and dry. Though, it was seemingly enough to ease the growing tension in the room quickly. "...Who are you guys?"

Without anyone could say anything, Vesemir cleared his throat and started with a booming voice that seems to echo around the empty hall. "Hello there lad, my name is Vesemir. We are witchers of the Wolf School, and we found you lying unconscious on the ground near this old stronghold. You were out for nearly a month, lad, never seen anything like it before, and since you're awake; Welcome to Kaer Morhen."

A perplexed expression goes through my face. Out for a month? What could—Of course, that damned portal... I really hate portals.

"What do they call you, lad?"

"...Arthur. My name is Arthur, I think."

"You think? Can't you remember your own name, boy?" Vesemir asks, a bit more worried this time.
"I... I don't know. I can't remember anything from before..." I replied with the truth, maybe a half-truth, but it doesn't matter at this point.

"You don't remember anything? Even what were you doing in this area? Common folk doesn't live anywhere near here, lad, and there are only monsters and wild animals around here. We're practically at an unreachable location. You came here without even a horse at one point while wearing a medallion of our school and carrying two swords made especially for a witcher." A man curiously asked with a raised eyebrow. His face was deformed by a long, hideous, semi-circular scar running from the corner of his mouth across the length of his cheek up to the ear, but an aura of calmness was emanating from him. "Would you like to explain that to us?"
"I... think I'm a witcher? I was lost and—"

Geralt grunted. "Doesn't seem probable to me, kid. No new witcher has been trained under Kaer Morhen since the tournament, and that was twenty years ago. You don't look a day over ten years old. Tell us the truth."

"I'm not lying; I can't remember anything!"

"Then why were you carrying two witcher swords that clearly don't belong to you!" Geralt barked back at me as he stood up. The utter aggressiveness in his voice alerted the nearby witchers. Even Coën, who was calmly sipping his drink, looked confused at the sudden outburst.

Taking a moment, Geralt slowly sat down took a short nip from the cold beer in his hands as he calmed his nerves down, but the scowl was still there. "...You are no witcher. Just a lying kid with stolen swords."

"Fuck you, asshole! They belong to me, and I'll be happy to prove it by kicking your ass!" I retorted back heatedly. After a moment of pregnant silence, Lambert and ever-so-serious Eskel started laughing uncontrollably. The legendary White Wolf glared daggers at both of them, but that only made them laugh further.

"Calm down, Wolf, and that's enough from all of you! Don't forget the lass is still sleeping upstairs..." Vesemir sighed, pinching his nose. The two witchers were silenced with practiced ease. As everyone got more serious, he continued. "Tomorrow... Tomorrow, we will test the boy, and if he turns out adequate, he will be trained to be a witcher. That is my final decision."

Everyone slowly nodded in acceptance. This made sense. Vesemir was the oldest, most experienced witcher in the Wolf School; it was only natural he was the boss around here.

Plus, he had muttonchops that was dripping with pure testosterone. Of course, they would listen to him.
Geralt quickly finished the beer in front of him in one gulp. Standing up once more, he slowly went for the stairs as the others kept drinking and continued playing Gwent wordlessly.

The torches on the side of the wall flickered lightly as Geralt made a stop, turning his head halfway as his slit-eyes locked on to me.

"... And if he is not?" Geralt calmly asked; the others stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to their brother-in-arms before looking at Vesemir. The calming crackles kept coming from the huge hearth in the enormous hall, mixing perfectly with light prickles of rain as they rhythmically hit the worn-out windows, creating a pleasant ambiance despite the circumstances.

My pale-blue eyes met with Vesemir's amber ones with visible worry, finding him staring at me with a dejected look that has seen too many pointless deaths in this line of work.

"Then the boy shall go..."

---

Quest added!
[Old Customs]
He who returns with his medallion will prove himself worthy and may set off on the Path.
Main Objective - Impress Vesemir in a sword duel with Geralt of Rivia.
Bonus Objective - Impress Geralt of Rivia.
Rewards - Increased Trust with the Wolf School, A new Title, 150 EXP.
Bonus Reward - ?, 100 EXP, Increased Trust with Geralt of Rivia.
Failure - Thrown out to the mercy of the vast wildlife around Kaer Morhen.
​

---

"..ralt! Come on! I want to practice with my sword today!"

"No, you're not ready yet."

"But I heard Lambert and Uncle Vesemir talking about that boy in the hall and that you will be fighting with a sword with him! If he can, why can't I?!"

"...Damn it, Lambert. Alright, we'll teach you how to fence—" The princess squealed in happiness. "—but Lambert will have to oversee your training today."

"Lambert! Where are–" I heard light footsteps of Ciri, which were rapidly getting distant just as her voice was tailing off.

Skill Level Up!
[Listening] - LVL 1 → LVL 3 (8%) - Current Range: 10 Meters.

I woke up to a sharp and horrid scent of horse shit and an overly excited child. A wave of nervousness suddenly hit me, but as I remembered where I was, it was gone as soon as it came.

Kaer Morhen and Ciri... I'm actually in The Witcher and still alive. Heh, it'll take time to get used to that.
Yawning loudly, I walk outside from the hall, and surprisingly I ran into Lambert, who was leaning towards a wall and breathing heavily.

"Oh, hey kid, I was just... ah, going to look for you." No, you weren't. Lying prick. "—and I think I've found a good storybook for you to read. Catch." Lambert quickly pulled a random children's book from the shelf and offhandedly tossed it right at me. Not expecting it, I managed to catch it even if it was a little wobbly.

Lambert gave out a mirthful chuckle, nostalgia hitting him hard as he continued. "Vesemir used to read that to us; it's good." Seeing my nonchalant nod, a serious frown slowly forms on his face. "Go eat your food and head to the training field. There is work to do." He stopped for a moment, his gaze moving over my shoulder as he found something else.

He let out a sigh and muttered some words under his breath before turning and walking away.
"I hope you know how to use those blades, kid."

Watching the man slowly walking away, my face morphs into a thoughtful frown. Why the hell did he give me a random book all of a sudden? Isn't that a tad weird—Oh, boy...

The title read: 'You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L!'. The 'You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L!' book from Fallout 3 and 4!

The book's cover consisted of an illustration of Vault-boy; a large, horizontal scar was running straight down from his left eye. He was wearing some kind of medieval armor and a medallion closely shaped after the Vault-Tech symbol. Opening the book with renewed haste, I saw that all of the stats were there.

S is for Strength—and that means I am strong! I can carry lots of toys and swing stuff all day long!
P is for Perception—a long funny word! It means what I tasted, smell, saw, and heard!
E is for Endurance—and that's how long I can play! I'm always really healthy, and have energy all day!
C is for Charisma—it's why people think I'm great! I make my friends all laugh and smile, and never want to hate!
I is for Intelligence—it means I'm really smart! I use my brain for lots of stuff, like science, math, and art!
A is for Agility—that's how I get around! I move real fast and easy, and I never make a sound!
L is for Luck—and it's simple, you see! It means that good things always happen to me!
And the best part is after you complete this section for the first time, you won't even need the book anymore! You could just think about your stats, and they will appear!

After reading it all, I couldn't help to smirk at the last sentence. That will be a useful thing to have; after all, carrying a children's book wherever I go is a bit weird.

Anyway. Turning a few pages over, I finally reach the good parts. On the left page was a description of each attribute, with a number 5, bordered by arrows with the + and - symbols within them. On the right was a picture of the attribute in question. A vault-boy lifting a massive weight like a circus strongman for strength, or a vault-boy balancing himself on a single beer bottle with nothing but his index finger, or a vault-boys path is crossed by a black cat and about to get beaned by an anvil for luck.
Heh, funny.

In the end, there was a summary, with arrows going up and down each number, just like in the classic Fallout 3. Removing all the points from their respective places, I gain a total of forty points. Considered a viable building strategy for a moment before began to finally redistribute them.

S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Stats

Strength: 7
Perception: 4
Endurance: 6
Charisma: 5
Intelligence: 7
Agility: 7
Luck: 6(+2)

Looks great! I had to cut down some points from Perception instead of Charisma like I usually do, but I have skills that could close the gap for it, unlike the former. Not exactly the same, but I think it would be enough.

Plus, making Charisma dump-stat would only work in the games, where they don't care how you look, and I don't want to be known as the Hunchback of Kaer Morhen. Being average in the looks department is a good thing for me, easier to sneak in or out where I go.

I can't really do that if I had a distinctive feature, say like, ashen-hair?

Standing up, I brushed off the excess dust on my clothes and strapped the dwarven-forged steel sword around my waist as I put the silver one back to my Inventory.

Stretching my arms, I decided to check over my Status Sheet before I meet the witchers. Looking over the various Skill and Perks I have, I nod to myself in conformation before finally heading out to the courtyard.

The cold breeze of the morning hit my face as I left the hall, inhaling the fresh mountain air; I was feeling revived with a newly formed determination, both literally and figuratively.

I'll be a witcher and slay monsters, even kill the Eredin on my own if I have to. I don't care if I go through The Trails or not. I'll make it.

---

(1) - The White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of his Enemies.
AN: There could be typos gone unnoticed, sorry about that.