After defeating the golem, the duo ascended the stone platform and proceeded through the dim cavern.
A stone gargoyle appeared ahead; the cramped space made dodging difficult, but fortunately its hit points were low.
Reaching the great hall—the location where the Hunter was previously spotted—the guards had turned into statues, frozen before they could strike the intruders.
Further ahead, a frost fissure summoned by a Hunter's mage lowered the surrounding temperature dramatically.
Kiera raised a shield to ward off the chill and began dismantling the frost. Geralt remained within the shield, dispatching the Hunter's hounds emerging from the fissure.
After vanquishing every frost fissure, the exhausted Kiera collapsed into Geralt's arms.
After recuperating, the pair pressed on to trail the Hunter's entourage.
Arriving at the lower hall, they confronted Nisrylra, whose massive axe delivered powerful blows over a wide range; a counter-swipe behind his back could evade, and one should deploy signs when energy permits.
Reducing his health to a critical level causes him to open a passage from which Hunter's hounds emerge; he then retreats into a shield to regenerate. Quickly eliminating those hounds halts his recovery.
Defeating Nisrylra yields the blueprint for the Angreinya cuirass.
Once again, the elf mage's apparition appears, cautioning Hiri to beware of the Old Witch of the Tortoise Swamp.
Kiera, though unfamiliar with the Old Witch, was aware of her deeds. The witches despised outsiders yet aided locals, reputedly halting a plague in Wierlen. She handed Geralt a book titled 'The Lady of the Woods.'
Within the chamber, they discovered a wall rippling like water; Kiera identified it as a mirage and gifted Geralt a Nigherrnie Eye to see through it. Geralt then shattered the illusion, proceeding onward.
After breaking the illusion, the journey continued toward the next challenge.