Chapter 126: Steel Torrent

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Steel Torrent

Shen Miaowei’s conversation with the Immortal did not last long.

It was only for a little more than an hour.

But in that short time, she came to feel that he was immensely knowledgeable and transcendent. Every casual word he spoke seemed to contain a hidden philosophy, making her think deeply.

At the same time, Shen Miaowei couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

Although she knew he was an Old Immortal who had lived for hundreds, even thousands of years, both his portrait and his voice suggested he was of a similar age to her. It created an... indescribable sense of closeness.

She treasured this brief time together.

Even though she had never seen his true face, his praise was like sweet spring water to her, filling her heart with joy.

But she dared not reveal these hidden feelings, always maintaining a respectful attitude.

So when the portrait went silent, she felt a sense of loss.

Shen Miaowei carefully mounted the portrait, rolled it into a scroll, and hid it by her bedside. She was determined to diligently practice the Dharma Gate he had taught her, eagerly looking forward to earning his praise in their next conversation.

As she thought about it, a lively smile unknowingly graced her lips.

...

...

Wang Xi ended his chat across worlds.

It was almost ten.

He ordered takeout, a brunch of sorts, and feasted heartily with Liuli.

Afterward, he lay back on the living room sofa, closed his eyes, and feigned sleep.

The cooldown for entering the Fairy Tale Otherworld had long since reset, and his army of three hundred had already entered the Northern Territory. It was time for a visit.

’Kaos, descend.’

Wang Xi thought to himself.

His consciousness sank.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting inside a candy carriage.

The carriage was stopped, and he was alone inside.

He lifted the colorful, sugar-coated curtain, and a gust of cold wind whistled in.

On the snow not far away, a phalanx of gleaming armor stood in neat formation—the two hundred Mechanical Doll warriors.

The Granite Giants sat in a circle, their bodies forming a wall to shield the Witches, Goddalir, and the others from the biting wind.

A fire was lit in the center of the group, and young men and women bustled about, helping to boil water and cook food.

Demons like Fire Salamanders, Forest Elves, Kobolds, and goblins patrolled the perimeter in an orderly fashion, keeping watch.

Wang Xi retracted his gaze and lowered the curtain.

He checked on the progress of his projected body’s training. More than ten days of arduous cultivation had yielded remarkable results—

[Frost Winter Meditation Technique (Technique Card / Deep Blue One Star): 400/500]

[Ice Mirror (Skill Card / Blue One Star): 60/400]

[Snow King (Skill Card / Blue Two Stars): 30/500]

Thanks to the Ice Heart Curse, his "Tenfold Experience Card," the Meditation Technique had gained 120 Experience. The other two ice-type Skill Cards had also benefited, each gaining 60 Experience.

Among them, "Snow King" had even leveled up by one star.

The power and effects of his Ice Magic were enhanced by 15%.

Wang Xi nodded to himself.

’I’m a genius.’

’It’s only natural that I level up this fast.’

He stepped out of the carriage, his feet crunching on the ankle-deep snow as he walked slowly toward the group.

"Gai, are you finished with your cultivation for today?"

Goddalir immediately stood up, a sweet smile on her face.

Because of the cold weather, she had changed into a gray cotton robe with a fur vest worn over it. Her hood was up, and the flaxen strands of hair peeking out were dusted with snowflakes. Paired with her cheeks, which were flushed red from the cold, she looked strangely adorable.

"Mhm, just finished my meditation."

Wang Xi replied with a smile, his breath forming a white cloud in the air.

Goddalir got a serving of roasted meat and bread from Pinocchio, placed it on a wooden tray, and walked gracefully over.

"Have something to eat. Miss Kate hunted several wild boars, so it’s all fresh."

"Thanks." Wang Xi took the tray and glanced at the woman in leather sitting by the fire. The Wolf Hunter, Kate, was whittling a stick with a small knife. Noticing his gaze, she nodded at him in acknowledgment.

Wang Xi greeted Bev and Sofia, then found a place to sit and began to eat the hot food.

Goddalir sidled up to him and said in a low voice:

"Gai, in the two villages we passed today, we didn’t see a single person, just piles of charred ruins..."

"Don’t worry," Wang Xi said, knowing what she was getting at. He comforted her, "We will definitely take back Randall on this trip. If not for anyone else, then for the memories we share."

"Mhm." Goddalir’s face broke into a smile.

She mustered her courage, tentatively reached out, and carefully touched her fingertips to the young man’s forehead to brush away a snowflake.

As she did, she was terrified that Gai would dodge or refuse. But he just kept eating, tacitly permitting her intimate gesture.

Goddalir’s heart couldn’t help but race. A strong sense of joy bloomed within her.

She and Gai were one step closer!

"Ahem."

Just then, a cough was heard.

Goddalir turned her head to see the Sugar Witch Bev, with her blonde hair and pink dress, sitting primly in a candy-backed chair. She held a cup of warm wine and was looking over at them faintly.

"Miss Goddalir, you haven’t been a Natural Witch for very long. Your Magic Power still needs improvement, and you’re only about average in this troop... slacking off like this probably isn’t appropriate, is it?"

"My apologies, Lady Bev."

Goddalir gave a sheepish bow.

"I’ll start meditating right now."

With that, she plopped down right next to Gai, warming herself by the fire as she began her meditation.

But inwardly, she was feeling rather smug.

’Of course the Sugar Witch Bev has feelings for Gai, how could I not see it? But so what... I’m the one who’s slept in the same bed as Gai, and I can touch his face right out in the open.’

’Heh, Lady Witch.’

’You can’t do a thing.’

...

...

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

The reinforcements led by Wang Xi passed through Count Heike’s Domain and Count Yianz’s Domain.

Both domains had suffered heavy damage. Aside from the Lords’ castles, which had not been breached, all the outlying towns and villages had been massacred by the Northern People.

Bodies littered the fields, and rivers of blood flowed.

Farmers, village women, children, freemen, soldiers, and monks—men and women, young and old—all became dead souls under the blades of the Northern People.

Everywhere one looked, there were burning pyres of corpses and collapsed houses. Packs of wild dogs and flocks of ravens were a common sight, feasting on the remains.

When Wang Xi’s party arrived, nearly a thousand Northern People were still looting, slaughtering, and attacking the castles.

This was also the first time he had seen what the Northern People looked like—sturdy and imposing, dressed in furs, their bodies and especially their faces covered in tattoos and paint.

The Northern People were proficient with axes—Flying Axes, Hand Axes, and Long-Handled Axes—while others were equipped with Round Shields, Short Swords, or Long Spears. They were also superb horsemen; almost every one of them was an expert mounted archer.

But none of that mattered.

Because their opponents weren’t human at all.

Facing an army of two hundred fully armed Mechanical Dolls, they fled in a panic after just two or three clashes, leaving over a hundred bodies behind.

Whether it was a Flying Axe or an Arrow, all it did was make a noise when it struck a Mechanical Doll warrior, causing no damage whatsoever. As for close-quarters combat, it was a one-sided rout.

More than half of these Northern Warriors were rated at Whiteboard One Star, brave and skilled in battle. But against an unstoppable iron tide whose defenses they could not breach, all they could do was flee.

Those who were too slow to run were simply killed.

Even their leader, an Elite Three-Star captain of the Northern People, could only rage impotently before dying full of resentment, hacked into a meat paste under the siege of seven or eight Mechanical Dolls.

Morale plummeted.

This was an impossible fight.

A horn blared, and the Northern People fled just as quickly as they had arrived.

As for the defeated soldiers fleeing on horseback, the attendant Natural Witches cast spells together, creating barriers of thorns, while the Moon Castle Demon Wolves gave chase on horseback.

There were only about twenty of them in total, but each was a master of unique skills and at the Three-Star Elite level. They easily cut down another hundred Northern People.

Goddalir, seemingly wanting to show off for Wang Xi, assisted from the side. She moved across the battlefield by treading on vines, continuously unleashing Wind Blade Groups that sliced six or seven Northern Warriors in half at the waist, along with their horses.

She showed no discomfort with killing, even daring to rush forward and deliver finishing blows with her dagger, her movements fast and ruthless. With splatters of blood on her fair cheeks, she turned her head and gave Wang Xi a sweet smile, as if fishing for a compliment.

This only made Wang Xi more certain.

’I absolutely cannot let Goddalir fall to the dark side. The consequences would be dire.’

...

...

The two small-scale battles in Heck and Yianz were over with almost no effort.

Wang Xi and the two Witches didn’t even have to lift a finger; even the Granite Giants and other Demons just watched from the rear.

After the battle, Wang Xi took only Pinocchio and Goddalir to the castle tower to parley with the defenders.

After explaining the situation to the local Lord, he didn’t care whether they believed him or not. He simply left them with the words, "’The Queen’s Sword, Gai Farrell, has driven off the invading Northern People,’" and then led his troops to continue north.

Only after they had left did the Lord, who had been cowering in his castle, dare to send people out to investigate. When they discovered the bodies of the Northern People, they were finally convinced that the young Prince had been telling the truth.

The joy of having survived the disaster surged through them, followed by a deep gratitude toward Her Majesty Queen Xianna. Both Lords had heard the rumors about the "Queen’s Sword," but it was only now that their previous dismissiveness transformed into genuine awe.

Many people inside the castle couldn’t help but gaze north, as if they could see the magnificent sight of Prince Gai leading an allied army of tens of thousands, sweeping across the battlefield and launching a counterattack against the Northern Lands...

When Wang Xi’s party finally arrived at Randall, it was the fifth day since his descent.

The market town of Buchanan, where he and Goddalir had briefly stayed, had long since been reduced to ruins. The inn named "Three Trout" had been burned to ashes.

Goddalir’s mood was a little down.

After all, anyone would feel unsettled by such a tragic and inhuman scene... moreover, this place held memories she shared with Gai.

The group crossed the snow-covered ridges of the fields and saw the deathly silence of Randall. Its former bustle and prosperity were long gone, leaving only vast stretches of scorched blackness.

On a small hill, Count Bato’s Castle billowed with thick black smoke, its outer walls were badly damaged. It had clearly fallen.

"Gai! Look over there!"

Just then, Pinocchio hurried to Wang Xi’s side, pointing to the northwest.

"So many bald heads!"

Wang Xi turned his head to look and saw an area of stone and wood bungalows that had once belonged to the domain’s villagers. Peeking over a wooden fence, he could vaguely make out shadowy figures moving in the courtyards and the flickering of firelight. The shiny, bald heads of many Northern People were quite conspicuous.

It was a Northern Army, resting and reorganizing.

They were probably still busy sorting through their spoils of war.

"Gai?" Goddalir called softly.

She seemed to be asking what he intended to do.

Wang Xi didn’t answer. He looked up at the gloomy sky, raised a hand to catch the large, feathery snowflakes, and murmured:

"The snow is getting heavier. I wonder if the Northern People are really as resistant to the cold as the legends say..."