Witcher: The Half Elf

Wayne had a dream—vague, yet intoxicatingly vivid. 

In this dream, he felt unburdened by morality, free from restraint, able to indulge in every desire without consequence. Wealth, beauty, power, and treasures were his for the taking. He relished a sense of reckless abandon, making decisions based solely on his whims. While the specifics of the dream were hazy, the feelings of exhilaration and satisfaction were palpable.

Even the life-threatening battle with Baal, which had almost claimed his life, was blurred from his memory, conveniently replaced by the rush of boundless freedom.

When Wayne had fallen unconscious, it was outside Ben'Ad City, near the spatial rift. He had activated the system to eradicate Baal's will using an anti-invasion method. At that time, Avalon's barrier had shielded him, surrounded by twelve fallen sorcerers corrupted by Hell's power. What happened after he succumbed to unconsciousness was unknown—he could have been dissected, experimented on, or worse.

Now awake, Wayne couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for his overconfidence. What had started as a calculated move to destabilize the Kingdom of Kaedwen had nearly backfired catastrophically.

---

When Wayne finally opened his eyes, he was stunned by the scene around him.

The air was fresh, carrying the aromas of flowers, water, and nature. The soft murmur of birds and insects blended with the gentle rippling of a crystal-clear lake. Surrounding him were lush trees and glimmering starlight reflected on the water, creating an ethereal atmosphere.

Lying beside him were three figures, their flawless forms draped in soft moonlight. These were the goddesses who had blessed him earlier—the Goddess of Birds, the Field Goddes, and the Forest Goddess. They rested peacefully, their expressions serene, their perfect forms exuding grace and divinity.

Warm, delicate, and soft sensations surrounded Wayne where their bodies touched his. Only these legendary beings, he thought, could embody such idealized perfection.

He felt four distinct magical energies flowing through his body. These forces were neither healing nor harming him but worked to suppress something volatile and chaotic within—a force that pulsed ominously from his chest.

He soon realized the truth: the dark and violent power of Baal, the Demon King of Destruction, had not been fully eradicated. Though the system had destroyed Baal's will, the demon's raw magic and fragments of his soul had fused with Wayne's own essence. These forces had corroded his body and reshaped it, leaving behind an undeniable mark.

As Wayne began to stir, he heard a familiar voice, filled with holiness and calm authority.

"You're finally awake, Wayne."

It was Lilith, the Lady of the Lake. Her voice carried a mix of relief and solemnity. Sitting up carefully, Wayne untangled himself from the other goddesses. 

When his gaze turned to Lilith, he found her standing a short distance away, her divine figure illuminated by the moonlight. She held the Holy Grail, its surface shimmering as it reflected the starlight above. Standing with a graceful yet somber expression, she appeared both ethereal and deeply burdened.

Lilith approached Wayne, her eyes reflecting guilt and compassion. She extended the Holy Grail toward him with both hands.

"Drink this holy water, my knight," she said softly. "It will mend the wounds in your body and subdue the chaos within."

Wayne trusted Lilith implicitly. Without hesitation, he took the chalice and drank deeply. The water was cool and soothing, spreading through his body like a gentle wave. The chaotic magic raging within him began to settle, though it remained a volatile presence in his core.

Once he had emptied the chalice, Lilith retrieved it and placed her hand gently on his cheek.

"I am sorry, my knight. Because of our commission, you came close to losing your life and falling prey to the will of an evil god from another world. While my power, along with that of the other goddesses, has suppressed the infernal magic within you, this is only a temporary measure. Our abilities are limited; this is not a lasting solution, and it does not truly eliminate the threat."

Her voice grew softer as she continued, "You must find a way to resolve this matter yourself. Perhaps you can seek assistance from your mysterious magician ally. Before we found you, she had placed a powerful magical seal on your body to prevent the demonic power from overtaking your mind. While our raw strength has helped suppress it, her specific magic might be more effective in the long term."

Wayne's mind filled with uncertainty as he processed her words. Though he suspected that the magician in question was likely Raani, the enigmatic sorceress who had aided him before, his time spent unconscious left him with no knowledge of the events that had transpired.

To his dismay, his entire body felt weak. His once-commanding grasp over chaotic magic seemed diminished, forcibly drawn toward the power sealed in his heart to contain the destructive magic of Baal. Even simple spellcasting now seemed beyond his capabilities, leaving him hollow and drained.

His gaze fell upon the three slumbering goddesses nearby—Goddess of the Wind, Goddess of the Fields, and Goddess of the Forest. Though he suspected the nature of their exhaustion, Wayne couldn't help but ask, "What happened to them? Why haven't they awakened yet?"

The Lady of the Lake, her serene visage momentarily replaced with a rare flicker of anger, responded with measured restraint:

"A month ago, we noticed the dark power from another world dissipate. We ventured to the space crack near Ben'Ad City, where we found you lying amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. You were unconscious, and the entire battlefield was strewn with the remains of countless monsters. Many had been torn apart in fits of madness, and the crack itself appeared sealed by some mysterious force."

Her voice sharpened. "Shortly after, the thick fog, now without its master, began to lift. The monsters it once bound dispersed across Kaedwen, no longer a unified threat but still dangerous in their scattering. It was then that we encountered your magician ally—the one who wields her power through a doll."

"She said little to us, merely pointing out your location and leaving us to take you away."

The Lady of the Lake sighed before continuing, her voice heavy with restraint, "During the past month, your state was… troubling. Though the demonic power remained sealed, you fell into frequent fits of madness, driven by an uncontrollable urge to… reproduce. In those moments, we had no choice but to alternate between comforting you and healing you."

Her gaze shifted briefly to the three goddesses. "These three ladies gave everything to calm your raging spirit, working tirelessly for an entire month without rest. They finally succumbed to their exhaustion only yesterday."

Wayne felt overwhelmed by the revelation. A month had passed? He had caused such chaos in his unconscious state? The mention of the mountain of corpses, the sealed rift, and the goddesses' sacrifice left his thoughts in disarray.

His gaze returned to the Lady of the Lake. Slowly, with trembling hands, he took hers and asked in a voice tinged with both hope and dread, "Lilith… when you found me… were there any human bodies among the fallen? Did you see Yennefer?"

"I promised my closest friend I would save her. Please tell me… did I… did I kill her as well?"