A massive surge of energy was compressed to its utmost limit. The female sorceresses had no doubt that once this energy was unleashed, it could annihilate an entire nation, tearing apart everything in its path into shreds.
Tyche lowered her hand. The wind dissipated, and the speed of the clouds slowed down. The sounds in her ears lost their beautiful harmony and order, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
"Please forgive our rudeness, Maia from afar."
The eyes of the female sorceresses sparkled. This respect was no longer for Tyche's identity as a Maia but for her knowledge and power.
Power was the fundamental source of respect, a truth that the female sorceresses understood better than anyone. They had reached the pinnacle of this world as women, attaining power second only to the supreme ruler, all thanks to the spells they mastered.
The new magical system was quickly embraced by these spell - obsessed female sorceresses. A continuous stream of mental power linked to the long - fallen Goddess of Magic in the distant Void Star Realm. Tyche could even sense the joy emanating from the slumbering Goddess of Magic.
The advantage of spell slots was soon discovered by the spellcasters. The magic fixed on their robes or wands could teleport them to a pre - set safe location in case of injury or loss of consciousness, allowing them to extricate themselves from danger with ease.
Research on cloning and lich transformation was even more sought - after. In their pursuit of the secret of immortality, the female sorceresses were even willing to let their companions who had missed this opportunity join in. Even the male spellcasters and druids, who usually had a feud with them, were included in their invitation.
The primary purpose of the sorceresses' establishment of the Circle was to pass on spells, a goal that even took precedence over their obligation to serve the king!
To achieve this goal, they were even willing to set aside their mutual hatred and unite to eliminate those they regarded as obstacles, whether they were individuals or countries.
The silence of the spellcasters brought an unprecedented peace to this war - torn continent. The rampaging monsters became experimental subjects for the spellcasters and were captured in large numbers. All four witchers were lured by the high reward to go to Toussaint in search of high - level vampires. The spellcasters now had the confidence to explore the root of the vampires' immortality.
Kaer Morhen Castle welcomed a group of domineering female sorceresses. After learning from Tyche that her adopted daughter Ciri was safe and sound, Yennefer also joined the research.
The female sorceresses were all infertile, which was almost a heart - wrenching problem for all female sorceresses longing for children.
Before long, tall towers rose on Mount Blue. After obtaining the spells to turn fossils into mud and mud into stone, the construction work was no longer a headache for the spellcasters. The various auxiliary experimental equipment could no longer be accommodated in Kaer Morhen. Each participant needed an independent laboratory.
The female sorceress Yennefer even took control of the trolls on Mount Blue, making them build a new academy for the female sorceresses.
When the witchers returned to Kaer Morhen in their carriages, their castle was almost overshadowed by the tall towers.
"Oh my! What have you all done?"
Lambert, seeing the trolls carrying stone materials, could hardly suppress his urge to draw his sword.
Yennefer first opened the coffin on the carriage. Seeing the vampire pinned to the chest with wooden stakes, she quickly called the female sorceresses to get the experimental material. The black - haired and black - eyed sorceress in a tight long dress gave Geralt, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, a passionate kiss and gracefully avoided the hands her lover reached out.
The intelligent sorceress persuaded other spellcasters by offering high - level vampires and the opportunity to participate in the research. Gathering the strength of most of the spellcasters in this world, there was hope that the lost Ciri could be recalled, which was also the reason why Geralt was willing to make a trip to Toussaint.
"Don't worry. Your castle is intact."
Tyche walked out of the cellar, followed by a somewhat embarrassed Triss.
"You're just in time. The sorceresses plan to build a magic academy on Mount Blue. As the hosts, your suggestions can save most of the survey time."
Geralt was taken away by Yennefer. Since passing through the portal would wake up these powerful vampires, the witchers traveled day and night, relying solely on their extraordinary physical constitution to endure the fatigue.
Triss stared blankly at Geralt and Yennefer leaving, while Tyche asked Lambert, "Did you encounter anything interesting on the way?"
Lambert yawned and said with a tired face, "Thanks to your water - creating and food - creating spells, we didn't even stay in an inn all the way. Apart from a few unsuspecting monsters, we didn't encounter anything else."
Eskel beside him looked pale, "Can the food - creating spell only create bread? Although these breads are not bad - tasting, we can no longer taste them."
Tyche snapped her fingers, "This is a good question. While you were hunting high - level vampires, I updated the food - creating and water - creating spells and also tried out some spells that you can use."
As the sound of the snapping fingers faded, a plate of steaming food appeared on the table.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think this thing should still be called bread, right?"
Lambert looked at the bright - red bread in the plate and sighed with his head tilted back.
"Although it looks like bread and tastes like bread in texture, its taste is completely different!"
Tyche was full of pride and snapped her fingers again, creating an aluminum can. The frost ray coated the aluminum can with a layer of frost, and the fine water droplets made Tyche eager to try.
The witchers looked at each other, bewildered, at the black liquid bubbling in the can. Lambert, being polite, picked it up and took a sip. A gas surged from his stomach, and the witcher couldn't help but burp.
"The taste is actually not bad."
Tyche gave the witcher a thumbs - up to show her appreciation for his taste and then gestured for him to try the bright - red bread steaming hot.
The first feeling upon entering the mouth was a shivering spiciness. Beads of sweat immediately appeared on Lambert's forehead. He quickly drank a sip of the unknown black liquid. The spiciness on his lips and teeth, set off by the sweetness, had an addictive taste.
"How about it? My idea of the spicy crayfish - flavored bread is a genius one, right?"
Tyche smiled so widely that her mouth couldn't close. "There are also Peking duck flavor, garlic - mashed pork flavor, and pork rib flavor. There's always one suitable for you."
Vesemir shook his head. The oldest witcher expressed more interest in other spells.
The emergence of the food - creating and water - creating spells was of epoch - making significance for the witchers. Their original runes could hardly be regarded as spells, at least not worthy of mention in front of professional spellcasters.
But these two non - combat spells gave the witchers a fundamental means of survival in any environment. They no longer had to worry about food and water. The power consumed by using these spells was negligible. Even after they grew old and retired, they could open a bakery to make a living.
Almost no witcher could die a natural death. They either died at the hands of monsters, or because their injuries were too severe and they couldn't get treatment, or more often, they were killed by those malicious clients. Clients didn't want to pay and would take advantage of the witchers' return when injured to strike treacherously, which was a very common thing.
An invisible wall rose up to form a shelter. Different from the howling cold wind outside, the temperature inside the shelter was pleasant and it could also keep out the wind and rain, allowing people to have a good rest when camping in the wild.
The taciturn Eskel reached out and knocked on the invisible wall. Finding that the wall was as solid as rock, he immediately perceived the way of casting the spell through the magical net.
This spell, named the Permanent Residence Spell, could last for seven hours. During this period, the range of the shelter could be expanded by paying magical power. Camping in the rain was no longer a tormenting thing.
"Then there's this one, for treating minor injuries."
White light emanated from Tyche's hands. A mist - like light curtain could heal minor wounds and even effectively relieve physical fatigue.
"Thank you for your help, madam." Vesemir sincerely thanked Tyche for all she had done for the witchers.
"Thank Lambert instead." Tyche said seriously, "Witchers shouldn't be treated like that. Those who carry firewood for others should not be allowed to freeze to death in the snow. Your efforts should be rewarded in the end!"
After handing over several new spells for the witchers to experiment with on their own, Tyche's gaze fell on Yennefer.
The address of the academy had been chosen. It wasn't too far from the client. The warm river valley was rich in resources, and wild beasts often came here to drink water. The sorceress was satisfied and immediately had the trolls build a bridge on the riverbed.
The spellcasters started to work busily. With the enhancement of spells, it only took three days for the academy to take shape.
The remaining work was the dull task of filling stones and casting spells. Under the hands of the trolls, the main building of the academy was quickly completed.
Tyche took an interest in this castle with a Gothic style. Putting aside the magic she was researching, she made a pointed hat and created a virtual soul using a method similar to that of a tower spirit.
The hat grew a big mouth as Tyche wanted, and had the same wisdom as an ordinary person.
"Hey, all you honorable mages. Please call me the All - Knowing Sorting Hat."
On the first day of creating the hat, Tyche was extremely annoyed. The talkative hat became a gift that fell into the hands of the sorceresses. It was the first time the sorceresses had seen such a miraculous alchemical technique and almost tore it apart.
After fiddling with it for a while, the sorceresses finally gave up the idea of making a research assistant. This hat, whose manufacturing process was impossible to detect, was thus left unattended.
Seeing that this group of irritable women couldn't do anything to her, the hat became arrogant again, taking it upon itself to make noise for the sorceresses. It kept shouting at the top of its voice without stopping. Tyche had no choice but to make this despicable hat shut its mouth. With a sound - eliminating spell and an opaque wooden box, the hat finally quieted down.
The surviving apprentices were summoned to the new magic academy, where they would receive new magical education on Mount Blue.
In order to make the best use of everything, Tyche still took the hat out of the black box to test the apprentices.
During the manufacturing process, the hat was designed with the function of detecting the apprentices' talents. The young apprentices benefited from this and respected the hat very much.
Tyche was busy looking for owls and had no time to scold it. The hat bullied the innocent apprentices in front of them, making them sign a series of unequal treaties.
Bored Tyche, after finding a large number of owls, uniformly endowed them with intelligence and made them messengers, making the magic academy look more like Hogwarts.
When Tyche arrived in Velen, she noticed that the residents here were very prosperous, and this prosperity was not only reflected in food.
The residents of Velen were obviously not ravaged by war and worried. Their physiques were unusually healthy and ruddy, and they hadn't suffered from hunger.
In Tyche's eyes, the woods in this land flickered with a faint spiritual light. This spiritual light was different from the forest where the Dryad Queen Eithne was located. It had a sticky feeling like the oil film on a sewer, which was disgusting.
There was a Baldur Mountain within the territory of Velen. The huge oak tree on the mountain top caught Tyche's attention. The source of the spiritual light was this sacred oak tree.
How could this land full of miasma and swamps become what it is now? This oak tree should have the answer.
A dense crowd was moving towards the Baldur Mountain. They were coming to participate in the gathering of the Lady of the Forest. Tyche disguised herself as a passing minstrel and mingled with these people to inquire about the background of the Lady of the Forest.
From the words of the people, Tyche roughly understood what kind of existence the Lady of the Forest was. They were called "the Good Lady" by their followers and were the de facto leaders of Velen. They helped the residents of Velen through difficult times, but demanded absolute obedience as a price.
The belief in the Lady of the Forest had been spread in Velen for a long time. Since people could remember, the Lady of the Forest had existed. They could hear anything that happened in their woods and could also manipulate the fates of nearby humans, sending blessings to those who believed in them or bringing curses. The Lady of the Forest seemed to be immortal, appearing in the form of a young woman who remained eternally young. In the mouths of the believers, they had supernatural powers and vitality.
For the people of Lower Velen Village, they were both the gods they could rely on and the demons that took away their lives. On the one hand, the Lady of the Forest rewarded the pious who offered sacrifices, eliminating the disasters and predicaments they faced and helping the villagers through difficult times; on the other hand, they demanded absolute obedience from their followers and occasionally asked the villagers to offer their hair, ears, or even their children as sacrifices. The Lady of the Forest would listen to the requests of the believers in Velen and fulfill their wishes, but the tributes they required were not low at all.
The more Tyche listened, the more curious she became. These descriptions seemed to truly indicate that the Lady of the Forest was a deity.
But it was a kind of regional god that relied on land or rivers to maintain its glory. Once the land that sustained its power was lost, it would quickly decline.
This was really strange. Didn't this world not allow the true forms of gods to descend? How did the Lady of the Forest avoid the rules?
The procession reached the altar halfway up the mountain. Tyche saw that on the animal skin propped up with branches on the altar, there were three plump women in linen clothes. They closed their eyes and danced around the fire self - absorbedly.
The believers sat around the altar. After offering sacrifices, they began to pray for a good harvest in the coming year.
Tyche clearly saw the power of faith rolling towards the mountain top. Since they could receive prayers and faith, the Lady of the Forest was no less than a deity!