Miss Witch doesn't want to be a diva!.

Chapter 639: The hidden dangers of the Zerg

The clean white snow piled up on the tiles and bricks. The wind was so cold that people didn't want to go out. On the cold streets, a burst of hurried horse hooves broke the silence and rushed straight to the meeting hall in the city.

Soon after, a loud whistle sounded in the city, and the quiet winter afternoon became noisy.

In a western-style building in the wealthy area, Heshia was explaining fables from a book to a few children. She was now wearing black glasses and a velvet-edged waistcoat, a winter outfit.

Because of the sounds of horse hooves and voices gradually heard on the street outside, the children in the room also became curious, some of them absent-minded, and looked out the window from time to time.

Seeing this, she put down the book in her hand and let them take a break.

"Thank you, teacher~" Several children responded in childish voices, and then all of them leaned against the window to watch the fun, and some even prepared to go downstairs to take a look outside.

Heshia doesn't have to worry too much about this, because there are servants from the mansion downstairs who will stop the children from running around.

She gathered her velvet shawl slightly, stood up, walked down the wooden stairs and came to the lobby on the first floor. At this time, Sigmund was drinking tea and chatting with some old friends. When they saw the gentle black-haired girl coming down, several of them nodded in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Miss Heshia."

"Hello." The girl returned the greeting and then asked about the situation outside. Before going downstairs, she saw some soldiers on horseback galloping across the street.

"What's going on?"

"It's just a small problem. It seems that the stronghold in the northeast has been attacked, and they sent people to ask us for help." An informed gray feather species answered. He also had gray hair and gray eyes. He was now wearing a slightly loose robe and leaning on a wooden sofa.

"Every winter, something happens in this land."

"Due to the lack of food and heating in winter, many conflicts are inevitable." Sigmund described it in a slightly light tone, as if he was not surprised by this situation.

"Other places are not as solid and safe as the Stone Forest Fortress. The order is stable, especially the eastern part. It has always been barbaric and brutal. It is said that some tribes even have the tradition of cannibalism." Another gray-feathered man in blue clothes shook his shoulders, expressing that it was too surprising.

"It's not their fault." As the girl walked, one hand fell from the stairs she was holding onto. The curves of her beautiful figure were faintly visible under the waist of her winter skirt, a beauty rarely seen in this land.

"Life must go on, but from our perspective, this is indeed a disaster."

"Ms. Heshia still has such unique insights." During the two months here, many gray-feathered people in the wealthy area have gradually come to know this foreign girl who came from afar.

"But this time, the situation may not be as simple as in previous years." One of them walked to the window and looked at the warriors galloping past on horseback outside.

"The elite forces in the city have all been dispatched, which shows that the situation of the stronghold under attack is serious."

"Oh." Now the people present also put away their leisurely attitude and looked out the window.

"Winter is coming..."

----

About 60 kilometers away from Shilin Mountain Fort, the snow in winter is filled with the sounds of interlaced gunfire and the collision of swords and guns.

A group of savages with thick body hair were charging in front with crude weapons in their hands, making strange shouts, and rushing towards the stronghold with wooden chevaux de frise and walls. Behind them was a group of warriors wearing thick furs, holding guns, and attacking forward from time to time with the help of cover.

The dirty fur coats were piled up on their bodies, with layers of snow and a lot of snowflakes in them, blending in perfectly with the surrounding environment. If they lay still, it would be difficult to distinguish them from the surrounding branches and snow.

On the wooden city wall, members who were also dressed thickly raised their bolt-action rifles and fired continuously, knocking down and piercing the savages who rushed towards the wooden wall. Blood splattered on the snow, and some of the melted blood emitted a little white steam.

After the sacrifice of the first group of savages, many of them rushed to the foot of the wooden wall and tried to hit the gate with all their might, but the thick wood and the condensed ice made it extremely strong.

"Let me do it." Behind, a tall man stood up from the snow pile. He opened his hands, and a fireball with rolling red flames quickly condensed in the air and then shot out.

Bang! The flame exploded on the gate, instantly evaporating a large amount of water vapor. With a sizzling sound, the high temperature spread along the gate, flames and water mist appeared together, and then the nails fixing the wood were also burned red.

Soon, as the burnt charcoal wood shattered, the gate was knocked open by the savages covered in ashes and flames. Then the remaining savages swarmed in, and the warriors behind them also rushed in.

Half an hour later, the battle in the stronghold was over. Most of the members who originally lived here were killed, and a few were tied up with ropes and then led out of the stronghold one by one.

Later, the winter food stored in the stronghold was also pulled out by these people covered in thick furs using carts and horses. Looking at the boxes and bags of rice, flour and food, the group of people shouted with joy, and then raised their guns to express their excitement and pleasure.

When it was almost dark in the evening, the sound of horse hooves rang out in the mountains, and then a long dragon holding torches arrived at the stronghold. These cavalrymen wearing black cloaks and fine breastplates stopped in front of the breached gate. The leading captain waved his hand, and several people dismounted and carefully sneaked into the stronghold, only to come out soon after.

"There are only corpses inside, no survivors. All the food and supplies stored in the stronghold have been emptied." The returning soldier reported.

"These barbarians." The captain angrily whipped the stone beside him with his whip to vent his anger.

After walking back and forth for a while, he turned around and asked.

"Check the surrounding traces and find out how the stronghold was breached. Those savages don't have the strength and intelligence to do so."

"Yes."

Another hour passed, and the accompanying soldiers gradually gathered and reported what they had discovered.

……

"It seems that there is another force that led the savages to break through the stronghold, and they also have advanced rifles." The captain frowned.

"Let's put up the flag and warn the merchants and passers-by who might pass by. We are going back."

"In the spring of next year, the mountain fort will dispatch people to rebuild it." Despite the destruction, this valley stronghold cannot be abandoned because there are relatively clean mountain springs here that can be used for irrigation and farming. It is one of the important grain-producing areas of Shilin Mountain Fort. Otherwise, the area near the mountain fort alone would not be able to feed the thousands of people in the mountain fort.

Afterwards, the captain collected the bodies in the stronghold, poured firewood on them, and then set them on fire.

The fire burned particularly vigorously in the winter, and the heat it emitted gradually dispelled the coldness of the crowd. Then they silently watched the corpses in front of them turn into ashes, then they jumped on their horses, raised their torches again, and galloped into the night.

They used torches not to help themselves see the road, but to prevent the horses under them from stepping on empty air and becoming frightened. As members of the Gray Feather race, these soldiers had excellent night vision and could even hold their breathing for several minutes, stopping the blood flow in their bodies for a period of time, and entering a state of suspended animation.

These are abilities acquired by specially compiling genes during the battle against the Dark Sun, in order to hide under the thick soil and deep mountains and quietly accumulate strength.

The next day, news about the fall of a stronghold in the east spread in Shilin Mountain Fort.

"If you want to blame me, it must be the group of savages in the east who are causing trouble again. Those guys who ate black mochi until they became stupid have no memory at all."

"Eating too much black mochi will make you stupid, but they won't make you stronger, right? How come they were able to break through the stronghold in the east this time? I remember there are several very powerful extraordinary people stationed there."

"This... maybe there are a few mutants among the savages, just like the Red Poison Race, who are very resistant to toxicity and pollution. To be honest, if the Red Poison Race's genes were not too polluting, which would make the genetic advantages of other races ineffective, there would probably be many forces willing to transform themselves into their appearance."

"Too ugly. Compared to the common humanoid races, the appearance of the Red Poison Race is really ugly."

"Ahaha, if you want to look good, why don't you go find the Charmoids? They are all handsome men and beautiful women, but unfortunately they are too weak and are often vassals of other races."

"Don't tell me, my biggest wish in this life is to marry a Phantom Wife. She's really beautiful, and we can establish some kind of telepathy. You won't understand the happiness of that kind of emotional connection."

"Hmph, why don't I understand? We, the Cat-Tail species, also have this kind of spiritual resonance perception, but it's not as single and unique as the Phantom-Shaped species." While the Cat-Tail species was yelling, his tail kept twitching the ground behind him, making a popping sound.

In the corner of the bar, the girl who was eating lunch silently lowered the brim of her hat and took small bites of the grilled steak in front of her. Then she stood up, asked the waiter to pack another portion, put it in the food box she brought, and took it away.

After returning to her residence, the girl shook off the snowflakes on her cloak in front of the door, then hung her coat beside the door, placed the lunch box on the table, and then went to the second floor to wake up the ice elf girl who was taking a nap at the foot of the bed.

"It's time for lunch, Orlais." Tilan's slightly cool fingertips gently stroked the other's nose, awakening the ice elf girl.

The other person opened his eyes, pushed the book and blanket off his knees, then stepped on the girl in slippers.

"Hug first, then eat." Tilan touched Orlesi, who was slightly taller than her, and then they went downstairs. After watching Orlesi finish her lunch, Tilan asked her how she was reading recently, and also taught Orlesi some knowledge about cultivation, so that she could learn to control the huge magic core in her body.

"Study hard. When we have time next week, we can ride Huilu and Palm to the Beiti Cliff to see the scenery." The girl made promises to Orlais, who was also happy and expectant.

"Go out and have fun~" Orlesi nodded.

In the afternoon, Tilan stayed in the house reading and taking notes, while Ores occasionally walked around and interacted with the two ponies in the shed next to the house, touching their heads, saying some simple words, and then feeding the two horses fried beans.

In winter, a lot of hay was piled up in the stable, which not only kept them warm, but also provided food for the two guys. Not many animals in the Stone Forest Castle could enjoy such an abundant environment, so the two little guys were quite happy.

At night, when the oil lamp was lit in the house, Tilan was about to read a book for a while and then go to bed early. At this time, there was a knock on the door outside the yard.

"Wait a moment." Tilan picked up the lantern hanging by the fireplace, lit it, then put on a short cloak and walked out.

Pushing open the door, Sigmund was outside the courtyard, along with several cavalrymen covered in snow. They had cold eyes and followed Sigmund in silence.

Although the soldiers looked somewhat murderous, the girl sensed that they had no murderous intent and were just doing it out of habit.

"What's the matter, Mr. Sigmund?"

"I have something to discuss with Miss Heshia." The other party paused, then organized his words and spoke.

"The soldiers who went out to investigate were seriously injured and the situation is very critical. I saw that Miss Heshia knows a lot about medical treatment. I would like to ask you to come and take a look."

"I understand. Wait a moment for me to change my clothes." Tilan thought for a moment, went back into the house, first gave some instructions to Orlais, then changed into thicker winter clothes, wrapped her face with a black veil, and then walked out of the small yard.

"let's go."

"it is good."

Afterwards, Sigmund took Tilan through the wealthy area and into the castle building further inside. This was also the first time that Heshia came to this place.

Compared to the wealthy area outside that is suitable for living, this place is more like a fortress. Fully armed soldiers can be seen everywhere. They are equipped with light armor, some are equipped with muskets, some are equipped with traditional shields and spears, and there are a few special ones, who are covered in black cloaks and clothes, and their aura is obscure.

Those should be the ace elite of the Gray Feather Clan. The girl guessed in her heart as she glanced at the figures that flashed by in the corner.

The military force that the Gray Feather race is truly proud of is not the patrolling soldiers outside, but these silent assassins hidden in the darkness. As a profession that perfectly utilizes the talents of the Gray Feather race, these assassins can lurk in one place for days without eating or drinking, suppressing their breath and magic power to the lowest level, making it difficult for people to detect them. At the same time, they have excellent night vision and are extremely talented in blind night combat.

It is said that it was with the help of this powerful team of assassins that several leaders of powerful forces in this land were killed and then the Stone Forest Fort was established. Before the Gray Feather Race ruled this land, the most powerful races in the area should be the Cat Tail Race who were good at finding food, the Wolf Blood Race who were good at fighting, and the Red Poison Race who were not afraid of pollution.

Entering a room in the castle, there are several torches hanging on the wall and the lights are bright. There is a small air heater near the window, running non-stop with noise, blowing out gusts of hot air to warm up the cold room. There are also several charcoal braziers in the corner of the room to maintain heat.

Several gray-feather doctors gathered around the large bed in the middle, and a rare operating light was on nearby.

"I was given antibiotics but still didn't get better."

"A few insect eggs can be found in the subcutaneous layer, which should be spread by the insects in the previous wound."

"If you want to completely remove the eggs under the skin, you have to peel off his entire skin, which is almost certain to lead to death."

"Even so, we still have to worry about whether his internal organs are infected. Such extremely dangerous insects are obviously not produced by natural evolution, but are biological weapons produced by genetic engineering."

"Could it be the remnants of the great war? But it's been thousands of years, how could something new appear?"

When they were discussing, Sigmund first stepped forward to interrupt, then gave them a few instructions, and then they turned around and looked at the girl who walked into the house.

"She? Isn't this the new tutor?"

"Miss Heshia knows medicine?" Two of the doctors should know Heshia, but unfortunately they were wearing bird-beak masks and their faces could not be seen clearly.

"I know a little. Can you let me take a look?" Tilan walked over. She had indeed set her life goal as a medical student and learned a lot of knowledge after college. It's just that what she knew was not as broad as that of a real medical student. After all, there are too many causes of disease and most doctors only specialize in one or two areas.

"Okay, but Miss Heshia better be mentally prepared." Then several people made way.

Walking forward, Tilan finally saw the condition of the injured person clearly. There were many gunshot and knife wounds on his arms and chest, but these were not the point. There were also many red and swollen parts on his wounds and skin, as well as many tiny signs of being torn and bitten, which should have been caused by some kind of terrible insects.

Seeing this scene, the girl frowned slightly, but soon calmed down and began to observe carefully and recall and think.

"Is this some kind of poisonous insect?" she asked the doctor beside her.

"Yes, the scout captain was the only one who survived. He was almost unconscious when he came back. Fortunately, the horse knew the way and carried him to the mountain fort."

"After we initially rescued him, we found that he had many wounds on his body, some of which were common gunshot wounds, and some were from dangerous insects." As he spoke, a doctor took out an iron box with some dead black insects in it. They looked not much bigger than rice grains, and had black shells on their backs, so they should also have the ability to fly.

"Our Gray Feather species has a special physique and is resistant to many biological toxins, but this time he has been running a fever and unconscious. If this continues, he may die. And it is difficult for us to know what kind of enemy the reconnaissance team he led encountered." A doctor explained.

"I understand. Let me check." Tilan raised her hand, put her index finger and middle finger together, and lightly pressed on the unconscious man's brow. A halo appeared, and then the girl's perception extended along the halo and magic power to check the other person's physical condition.

Just as several doctors said before, this person was indeed seriously injured, and there were many tiny worm eggs active in his body. They constantly stimulated the body's immune system to reject them, which was also an important reason for the high fever.

However, the body's immune system alone may not be able to kill these tenacious and special stink bugs. They are obviously not natural products, but crazy products of genetic modification.

It was another relic from the great war of the Fifth Era. The girl felt emotional, wondering how many world-destroying weapons and tools the various forces of that era had developed and manufactured.

Radiation, poison, biological weapons, self-replicating war machines, planet-destroying particle torrents, etc. After losing the technology of the past, all races living on this planet have also suffered many disasters.

The conditions here are crude and harsh. It is impossible to develop a serum drug against this poisonous insect.

If the big spider was still around, Tilan could use its toxin to create a potion to kill these poisonous insects. But now, she thought about it, the light in her eyes flowed, and then a hint of blue flashed and disappeared, and the poisonous insects in the man's body all underwent a crystal mutation that destroyed the protein structure.

After a few seconds, the crystals melted and dissipated, and the debris carrying the insect eggs turned into liquid.

"I used a special secret method to kill all the insect eggs in his body, but it will take several days of rest to expel the venom. During this time, remember to keep him cool to avoid getting burned." Tilan put away her fingers and told the doctors.

Seeing her tell the results so casually, several doctors were surprised and some could not believe it. After several more examinations, they were sure that Heshia was not lying.

"Thank you Miss Heshia."

The Gray Feather Clan physician, who had originally looked down upon him, now had a complete change of attitude and became respectful and reverent. The Gray Feather Clan had a tradition of respecting knowledge, and people like Heshia, who were knowledgeable and proficient in various advanced secret arts, were even more admired and respected.

After finishing all this, the girl left the castle with the thanks of the gray feather people, holding the lantern and slowly trying to disappear into the night.

After she walked away, several Gray Feathers turned back to discuss with Sigmund.

"This Miss Heshia is extraordinary."

"She is very special. Perhaps we should report her deeds to Lord Graysand."

"It seems that our Stone Forest Fort will inevitably be affected by the unrest in the east this time."

"The Zerg, the Savages, and the nomadic war machines not far away, this winter is really hard to endure."

"Let's go. This time we need to gather all the nearby settlements to negotiate together. They can't just sit back and relax under our protection."

After nightfall, the snow-covered Stone Forest Castle became bustling again, and the various settlements and outposts on this land were gradually gathered together under the orders of the Gray Feather Tribe's messengers.

(End of this chapter)