Chapter 361: No Reason
A few days later.
In the underground laboratory of Kaer Morhen, Tissaia, Yennefer, Geralt, and the other witchers were all nervously watching the second mutation device. A long time had passed since Lynn went inside.
At first, everyone went about their business, but when the expected time for Lynn to emerge passed, they realized something was wrong and rushed to the lab.
Lambert couldn't help but say, anxiously, "Lynn's been in there for a long time. Nothing's happened to him, has it?"
Yennefer's usually haughty face showed a hint of impatience. She didn't answer Lambert, afraid she would scold him instead of just explaining. Fortunately, another sorceress with a bit more patience was present.
Tissaia bit her nails, her eyes fixed on the Iron Maiden-like device. "I just checked on him with magic. He's still inside, and he's alive."
Biting her nails was not something a high-level sorceress should do. Tissaia had kicked the bad habit years ago after being harshly disciplined by a teacher at Aretuza, but now, she was doing it without even thinking.
"Then why hasn't he come out yet? We were all out by now."
Geralt suddenly said, "Lambert."
Lambert turned around impatiently. "What?"
Geralt shook his head. "Just say less. You're not the only one worried here."
Lambert's eyes swept over the faces of the others and he fell silent. He was right. Oakes and Serrit from the Viper School, and George from the Griffin School, were no less worried about Lynn than the Wolf School witchers were.
In fact, the only reason they were all gathered at Kaer Morhen was because of Lynn. Though they hadn't said it out loud, they had all come to see him as their leader. If something were to happen to Lynn during the second mutation, the group they had worked so hard to unite would fall apart in an instant.
"He'll be fine," Tissaia said, as if trying to reassure herself as much as the others. "In some ways, the second mutation is similar to the Trial of the Grasses—the longer you endure the mutation, the better the result will be." Tissaia swallowed, not daring to say the rest of the sentence: But enduring the mutation for too long also means a greater risk.
Time ticked by. Tissaia and Yennefer checked on Lynn's condition several more times, confirming that his life was not in danger. But the amount of time he was spending inside was far beyond what they'd expected.
Just as Tissaia was considering forcefully opening the device and pulling Lynn out, the outer shell was finally pushed open from the inside.
A cloud of hot, sweaty steam drifted out. Everyone rushed forward. Lynn was inside, wearing only a pair of shorts, his skin covered in terrifying purple veins. But soon, the purple veins gradually faded and disappeared.
Geralt asked, "Lynn, how do you feel?"
Lynn pulled the needles from his arm and replied, "I feel great. Never better."
Others wanted to ask more questions, but Tissaia stepped between them. "Gentlemen, and ladies," she said, nodding at Kassia. "This is not the place for this. Let's talk somewhere with a little more air."
So, the group left the stuffy underground lab and went upstairs. The others waited in the great hall, while Tissaia and Yennefer followed Lynn to his room.
"I say, ladies... maybe you should step outside. I'm about to get changed." Lynn said, scratching his head.
"I think I'm old enough to be your great-grandmother, but if you insist... then fine." Tissaia said, pulling Yennefer out of the room.
Once alone, Lynn let out a long sigh. He peeled off his shorts, which were soaked with sweat and sticking to his legs, wiped his body with a towel, and put on clean clothes. The pain of the second mutation was far less than the Trial of the Grasses, not to mention the calming potion the sorceresses had brewed for him. The only thing that was unexpected was how long he was in there.
But it was all worth it. Lynn clenched his fists. He could feel that his body was now filled with a much greater power than before. He opened his stats panel and saw a new line:
New Perk: Extraordinary Physique (Greatly enhances Strength, Agility, Reflexes, Constitution, Sign Power, Magical Limit and Regeneration Rate, and Poison Resistance)
Lynn remembered that Tissaia's assessment of Geralt was a moderate enhancement. Her assessment of Oakes and Serrit of the Viper School was a great enhancement to agility, reflexes, and poison resistance, and a slight enhancement to strength, constitution, and endurance. Her assessment of George of the Griffin School was a great enhancement to Sign power, magical limit, and regeneration rate, a moderate enhancement to strength, constitution, and endurance, and a slight enhancement to agility, reflexes, and poison resistance.
But his status panel showed a great enhancement in all attributes. Lynn had a theory: he had already learned the sword forms of the Bear and Cat Schools, the meditation techniques of the Griffin School, and the poison arts of the Viper School.
By combining the strengths of all the schools, his stats panel had already enhanced him again and again, giving him the physique of a Bear, the speed of a Cat, the magic of a Griffin, and the poison resistance of a Viper. That was why his second mutation had taken so long; it was a mutation of all his abilities.
In the great hall, Lynn sat stiffly in a chair while Tissaia and Yennefer used magic to examine his body. The longer they examined him, the more shocked their faces became. Seeing the two sorceresses' expressions, the others grew tense. Geralt spoke for everyone, voicing their concerns.
"What is it? Is there something wrong?"
Tissaia lowered her hands, a magical aura fading from them. She shook her head.
"Lynn's body is very healthy. One could say, overly healthy." She turned to Lynn. "If you don't mind, I'm eager to see your changes now."
So, the group left the great hall and headed to the training grounds. Just like before, Tissaia set up a few dummies in armor. With Geralt's experience, Eskel went straight for a two-handed sword for Lynn.
But when Lynn took the two-handed sword, he suddenly got the same feeling he had when he first gained his "Power Over Skill" perk.
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