hotmtlnovel Chapter 82 Katakhan in the Sewers
Chapter 82 Katakhan in the Sewers
Chapter 83 Katakhan in the Sewers
As the dust settled, the interior revealed a forgotten ancient library, with bookshelves stretching from the floor to the vaulted ceiling. The writing on the spines of the books had faded, but the paper inside remained intact, and the moisture was kept out by this enclosed space.
"Oh my god..." Triss covered her mouth, quickly walked forward, and gently ran her fingers along the spine of the book.
"These books, the poems of Gonzalo de Feseo, and the Jacob Chronicle by Varade, are all rare first editions."
"I didn't expect such a pleasant surprise." Ron glanced around and nodded in satisfaction. "I'll arrange for someone to move these books back to the manor; Gretka should be able to use them for her studies."
Triss's lips twitched slightly. "Aren't these a bit too complicated for children's introductory reading materials?"
"It's alright, we'll need it sooner or later."
As the cleanup work progressed, the monsters in the sewers were completely wiped out, and the sound of waves could be faintly heard coming from the harbor.
As they rounded the last corner, several corpses suddenly appeared on the ground. They wore brown leather armor and bore the emblem of the Eternal Flame. They were all witch hunters, lying haphazardly on the ground with their throats torn and their blood drained, their deaths gruesome.
Geralt crouched down to examine the body, his fingers probing the skin around the wound. "The blood has been drained, the wound is fresh, no more than two days old," he said, standing up and drawing his silver sword from his back.
A twisted figure lunged out of the darkness, resembling a giant bat with sharp fangs and claws, but with a torso more humanoid.
"Watch out!" Geralt's cat eyes narrowed instantly. "It's Katakan! It can become invisible, and it's incredibly fast. Ordinary steel can't hurt it!"
Ron raised his right hand and gave a brief gesture to the standing army behind him. The soldiers immediately stopped, held their shields horizontally in front of them, and protected Triss behind the shield wall.
Ron drew his standard longsword from his waist, took the silver solution handed to him by the standing army, and casually poured it onto the blade. The silver liquid flowed in the firelight.
"It seems Kayla has found the materials she needed," Ron said coldly.
Geralt pulled a Moon Dust bomb from his pouch and weighed it in his hand. "Moon Dust will make it visible. You use the gap to restrain it, and I'll use the Yardang sign to lock its movements."
The Moon Dust bomb traced an arc through the air, its silvery-white powder rapidly spreading. Katakhan let out a shriek, his figure appearing as a semi-transparent silhouette in the smoke.
Ron lunged forward and accelerated instantly, his shoulder armor slamming into Katakarn's torso with a deafening boom! A massive explosion erupted, sending rubble crashing down the walls as the monster was completely embedded within them.
It struggled to break free from the rubble, but Geralt pushed forward with his left hand, and the purple halo of the Arden sign exploded on the ground, locking Katakhan to the stone wall.
Ron gripped his sword with both hands and slashed down diagonally. The blade paused briefly as it entered the monster's neck, then was forced forward by immense force, cleaving out from the other side of its shoulder. The remaining force still created a trail of sparks as it sliced through the stone wall.
The monster's head, along with half its neck, fell to the ground. Its headless torso twitched twice and then stopped moving.
Triss peeked out from behind the shield wall, her fireball still in her hand, before she could even throw it, and stared in disbelief as the battle ended. "The sewers of Novigrad... were they this exciting?"
Ron used a dagger to pull the heart out of the monster's chest cavity, wrapped it twice with another tattered cloth, and put it into the leather bag at his waist.
"The vampire heart that Kayla wants should be this."
It was evening when the group returned to the tavern along the same route. Triss was so tired that she slumped into a chair, Geralt was polishing his silver sword, and Ron was standing by the window, looking at the bustling street outside.
The regular army is checking the markings left along the clearing route one by one. At each fork in the road, a minimalist symbol has been carved on the wall to indicate the direction.
Triss stretched her aching shoulders. "I'm exhausted. I'll need to shower three times to get rid of the sewer smell."
Geralt sheathed his sword. "Erwin's return journey will take a few days. Tomorrow I'll help Triss move first."
"Well, I happen to have some free time, so I'm planning to take a stroll around Novigrad," Ron added.
The next morning.
Ron walked out of the tavern and wandered aimlessly through the streets. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a small shop on the side of the street. A wooden sign hung at the entrance of the shop, with a picture of a dumpling on it.
A fragrant aroma wafted from the half-open wooden door of the shop, the rich and mellow flavor of noodles mixed with meat filling and spices stirred in boiling water. Ron stood at the door for a moment, then reached out and pushed open the wooden door.
The shop was small, with a few old wooden tables lined up against the wall. Strangely, in the corner were piles of forging tools and several unfinished armor parts, as well as an unquenched longsword placed next to the anvil.
The restaurant wasn't crowded. A slender elf stood behind the counter, skillfully kneading dough. Her dark brown hair was tied back, and her long ears peeked out from the edges of her hair.
"Welcome! What would you like to eat?"
Ron sat down near the door and ordered, "Dumplings, please."
"Wait a moment," the elf nodded, and began skillfully rolling out the dough, filling it, and throwing the dumplings into the pot. She stirred them a couple of times with a wooden spoon and then put the lid on.
Ron's gaze swept over the pile of forging tools. "These over there, are they yours?"
The elf turned away from the pot, wiping his hands on his apron. "Hmm, I used to be a swordsmith. These are leftover stock, half-finished products."
"A swordsmith? Why did you switch to selling dumplings?"
"The foundry industry in Novigrad is monopolized by a few big shops. They've banded together to prevent material suppliers from providing me with raw materials, and they've hired thugs to block my shop and scare away customers," he shrugged. "And in Straight City, non-human races are ostracized. The title of elven blacksmith used to be a badge of honor, but now it's a nuisance."
"So you changed careers?"
"Yes, sword forging and dumpling making are actually quite similar. Both require strength and precision, and both require waiting for the right heat. Most importantly, no one will make things difficult for a dumpling shop."
Ron picked up his fork, speared a dumpling, and took a bite. The familiar taste touched upon some deeper memories.
"How is it?" The elf leaned against the side, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"It tastes good, but the ratio of minced meat to vegetables could be adjusted." Ron put down his fork, as if savoring something.
"You have quite the tongue," the elf chuckled, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"I've eaten quite a few dumplings."
"Oh? Where? There's no other dumpling shop in Novigrad, at least I haven't heard of one."
"A place further away"
The elf looked at Ron, remained silent for a moment, then nodded, taking off his apron and draping it aside. "If you want more, come anytime."
Ron pulled a few copper coins from his pocket and placed them on the table. He paused at the doorway. "Do you still want to forge a sword?"
"I want to, but the material supply is all controlled, and I can't get the goods."
"I know a few blacksmiths who might be able to help. We'll talk about it later."
The elf raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Okay, come anytime. I'll save some dumplings for you."
Ron pushed open the door and walked out of the shop. He remembered the location of the shop, and next time he came here, he might talk about more than just dumplings.