Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest

Chapter 62 - 62 31 Warrior, Frost Witch

?62: Chapter 31: Warrior, Frost Witch 62: Chapter 31: Warrior, Frost Witch The giant eagle carried Shasta as it sped across the landscape.

With the protection of Ice Jade Marrow, the cold and blizzards indeed greatly diminished their impact on her.

The numerous Ice Blades that seemed to split her bones also dissipated; her body entered a state of constant temperature.

She flew for half a day and found Cold Wave Lake, two hundred li away.

It was a huge, unfrozen lake, resembling a blue gemstone embedded in the pale earth, except an island in the middle of the lake marred the gemstone.

Shasta quickly met Valia by the lake and took an immediate liking to this sister.

Valia was not yet thirty, still underage.

But to summarize a unique species with human common sense was clearly unwise; the considerably extended growth period made the age boundaries of Frost Tribe people quite blurred.

Valia was undoubtedly fully grown.

She was tall and beautiful, about two meters, with skin like snow, ice-blue eyes, and deeply sculpted features.

She had long legs and powerful arms, shoulders as broad as a tiger’s, and a waist as slender as a leopard’s.

Her white hair, unlike other Frost Tribe people’s pale and dull, was crystal clear and gossamer, cascading down to her pert buttocks, giving her a valiant and dashing appearance.

She covered essential parts of her body with small pieces of animal hide, leaving most of her skin exposed, yet the cold wind could not make her shiver.

She walked barefoot on the icy and snowy land as if on a vast stage.

Valia looked up at the giant eagle circling in the sky, and when Shasta landed, she approached her, wooden spear in hand.

“I am Shasta, a Witch from Witch Forest.”

Valia seemed surprised, “I’ve heard from Navaniel that Witches are human Spellcasters?”

“You are also…

I mean you are also a Witch, my sister.

Come with me to the south.”

“No!

I will not go because I am the daughter of my grandfather!”

Valia’s intelligence, diligence, and physical talent were top-notch among the Frost Tribe, hence she had learned the human language, though not fluently.

Valia asked, “Can you teach me Spells?”

Shasta was somewhat silent.

She looked at the tall, fit Frost Tribe woman before her, muscles flowing smoothly with a sense of power.

Teaching Spells was definite; if Gwivelle left with her, she would learn various Spells.

The Prophet Witch possessed vast knowledge of Spells; those parchments could fill a large room.

But the prerequisite was that the Witch needed to go with her to Witch Forest.

She could not independently pass on Spells; more importantly, it wasn’t appropriate nor did she have the time.

Shasta, for some reason, found it difficult to nod her head, “Let me first test your strength.”

Valia revealed a delighted smile.

Then suddenly, she assumed a battle stance, bare feet stepping forward and crushing the snow layer; the wooden spear also sliced through the air with a whooshing sound, firmly targeting Shasta, her sturdy legs crossed and slightly squatting, like a cheetah ready to pounce.

A brief battle ensued.

Bang!

Shasta was swiftly knocked to the ground by Valia, her Short Sword slipping from her hand.

She fiercely ate a mouthful of ice and snow.

Her plan to ‘knockout Valia and take her away’ had failed.

She finally understood why Navaniel directly told her where Valia was without fear of her harboring ill intentions.

The awakened Valia was simply the first warrior of the Ice Split Tribe!

As Navaniel had said, Valia was a Frost Tribe person and could not possibly leave her tribe.

Shasta had no choice but to compromise, bearing the indignity and biding her time.

…

Valia had come to hunt the Dragon Claw Variant.

They were the dominants here; the largest Variant Dragon Claw measured eight meters, even the smaller adult ones spanned five or six meters, making the Frost Tribe dare not come here to fish.

These creatures had Dragon blood, their bodies resembling lizards.

They had no wings, long necks, and their bodies were covered in hard scales like steel; their forelimbs had huge claws like steel knives, thus the name.

It was easy for Valia to kill an ordinary Variant Dragon Claw.

But that was not enough to showcase her bravery.

She planned to hunt the King of Variant Dragon Claws.

It was a colossal creature over ten meters long!

Over the past few days, she had slowly found the traces of the king of the strange claws and made plans accordingly.

Shasta heard Valia’s intentions and felt it was risky.

It meant that Valia would have to venture deep into the Ice Lake and battle the strange claws.

Although the strange claws were not aquatic creatures, they could stay in the lake for a long time without suffocating, while the Frost Tribe was ultimately a terrestrial race.

Even if she truly killed the king of the strange claws, she would be besieged by the rest of them.

Valia was also troubled by this issue.

But after seeing the giant eagle, the problem was readily solved.

Before taking action, she prepared to master more spells to enhance her combat abilities.

Shasta had no choice but to stay here, teaching Valia various spells, even though she lacked teaching skills.

The Nightmare Witch was good at assassination and good at raids, achieving substantial success in various attacks.

However, she was not suited to teaching.

Especially not to Frost Tribe members.

Fortunately, Valia had extremely high talent and did not require Shasta to worry at all.

Shasta only needed to demonstrate her combat skills, and Valia would quickly get the hang of them.

Their sparring lasted for most of the day.

Winter night arrived quietly.

Valia did not need to build a fire, she could stand in the wind all night without feeling cold.

But Shasta did.

So, Valia enthusiastically helped Shasta collect dry wood from beneath the snow layer, reciprocating Shasta’s help.

Shasta quietly approached Valia from behind.

She raised a rock with both hands and suddenly smashed it toward Valia’s head from behind.

Shasta believed that this blow would knock her unconscious without killing her, the power surging within Valia would protect her life, even if she was badly injured, the Witch Forest could heal Valia.

They needed her!

If the god-slaying operation succeeded, they would send Valia back, and if it failed, she would discuss with her sisters to ensure Valia could leave alive, as much as possible.

Bang!

In the instant Shasta attacked, the rock was knocked away by a wooden spear.

The spear, made from frost wood as tough as steel, had a carbonized sharp tip that flashed a dark light, aimed at Shasta’s throat, preventing her from making any rash movements.

Valia had turned around at some point.

She had been squatting to gather wood, but now she grasped the spear with her backhand, her face showing the cold, determined expression of a warrior.

Phew!

In that moment, even the cold wind halted at her power!

Valia and Gwivelle were two completely different people.

The latter was timid and weak, and even possessing the power of a witch had not bolstered her confidence.

But Valia was different; even before becoming a witch, this Frost Tribe member was already a competent warrior, her gaze outshining the brightest sapphire.

If only this Frost Witch would join the Witch Forest, Shasta thought, under the threat of the spear.

Valia’s cold expression only lasted three seconds before she broke into a smile.

She put down the spear and said cheerfully, “How about that?

My reaction was quick, right?

You don’t actually need to use this method to train me.

Frost Tribe members are trained from a young age to handle stealth attacks.”

It seemed she mistook it for a spur-of-the-moment training session.

Shasta didn’t argue.

She was an assassin, and it was normal not to defeat a Frost Witch in direct combat, but failing even with her true skills spoke volumes.

Valia picked up the firewood, took Shasta’s hand, and walked towards the bonfire.

By the fire, she shared how she grew up through various ordeals, how all Frost Tribe members were as tenacious.

She also spoke of the formidable enemies of the Frost Tribe in the Extreme North Icefield, those cunning and fierce non-human creatures that had slaughtered Frost Tribe people a century ago, and how she had been trained and taught from a young age, already forming an instinctive response.

Valia said cheerfully, “After awakening my grandfather’s bloodline, I could sense the wind and snow of this land.

Although your footsteps were silent, as long as they touch the ice and snow within a certain range of me, I can detect any life’s movements.”

This remarkable perception impressed Shasta.

She knew that Valia hadn’t used her full strength, and during their battle, Valia had only used her physical strength, never resorting to Frost Magic.