Lord: I have built a witch's sanctuary.

Chapter 10 Crossing the First Boundary

The fire in the stove warmed the wooden house, and the air was filled with the irresistible aroma of charred fat.

The fat duck that Olivia sent last time has now become a sizzling roast duck on a stone slab.

Anna's cooking skills were truly exceptional. Although she lacked sophisticated spices, she managed to marinate the duck perfectly using the wild onions and coarse salt left over from the cellar.

The duck skin was roasted to an enticing jujube red color, and when sliced ​​with the tip of a knife, the crisp sound was so enticing it made one's eardrums itch.

"Young master, this leg is for you."

Anna carefully tore off a still-dripping duck leg and placed it in Lorraine's wooden bowl.

She held the remaining duck carcass, like a little hamster guarding its food, carefully nibbling at the bits of meat between the bones.

Lorraine took a bite, and the scalding hot juices burst in her mouth.

"It tastes good," he exclaimed sincerely.

Hearing the praise, Anna's eyes, reddened by the firelight, curved into crescent moons.

She sucked the oil off her fingers, her gaze sweeping around the cabin.

Thick walls blocked out the icy snow outside, and the brand-new Witch Tower emitted a reassuring force field fluctuation outside the window. The cellar was piled with food, and the pockets were filled with magic crystals.

"Young Master, it feels like a dream."

Anna murmured softly, her voice gentle, "Back in the castle, even during the New Year, we only got a little bit of boiled, whitish duck butt. I used to think that if I could ever eat a whole piece of duck meat, I'd die happy."

"And now, not only have I eaten duck meat, but I have also become a respected witch."

She looked up at Lorraine, her eyes filled with an almost devout satisfaction: "It's so good to be with the young master. These past few days have been the most human days I've ever had in my life."

Lorraine smiled, about to say something, but then her brows furrowed slightly.

The ground is shaking.

It wasn't the heavy, booming sound of monsters attacking a city, but rather a rapid, frantic rhythm, like someone running wildly across the snow.

"Looks like our dessert is here." Lorraine put down the duck bone in her hand and wiped her mouth.

Anna was stunned and before she could react, the door of the cabin was kicked open with a "bang".

The cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, rushed into the house like a wild beast out of control, instantly sweeping away most of the warmth.

There was a person standing at the door.

Or rather, a snowman.

Olivia's once smooth blonde hair was now disheveled and plastered to her face, covered with shards of ice.

Her expensive fox fur coat appeared to have been ripped open in several places by a sharp weapon, revealing the rolled-up cotton inside, and even a few drops of undried blood.

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently. In her emerald green eyes, there was no trace of her previous composure and elegance, only a kind of anxious despair on the verge of collapse.

"Miss Olivia?" Anna jumped up in surprise, dropping the duck carcass she was holding. "What are you doing...?"

Olivia didn't bother with pleasantries. She stumbled to the table, grabbed Lorraine's water glass, and gulped down a mouthful of cold water. The icy water flowed down her neck and into her clothes, giving her a shiver and bringing her back to her senses.

"Lorraine, something's happened."

Her voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded, "The snow season has come early."

Lorraine remained calm and gestured to the chair opposite him: "Sit down and talk. Even if the sky falls, people still have to finish their meals."

Olivia sat down heavily, her hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"This is not a normal temperature drop."

She spoke very quickly, "Just now, my observation tower received an emergency communication from Black Iron City. The core of this year's cold wave has shifted, and the 'permafrost vanguard,' which was supposed to arrive in half a month, will cover the entire North within 24 hours."

"You should know what this means."

Lorraine nodded: "That means the monsters will go berserk and launch endless sieges."

"It's not just going berserk!" Olivia raised her voice, "It's a riot! In the permafrost climate, the magic concentration in the wasteland will triple, and all those second- and even third-tier monsters that were hiding deep within will surge out. And..."

She took a deep breath and dropped the most devastating news:

"The mountains are blocked by heavy snow. The roads are cut off, whether we go back to your Frostwolf Keep or my Dark Iron City. The snow is so thick that even griffons can't fly. We're now an isolated island."

Anna's face turned pale.

She subconsciously looked out the window, and the originally dark night sky was now glowing with an eerie purplish-red halo, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"So, you've come to ask for help?" Lorraine tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

"It's cooperation."

Olivia corrected her, pulling a parchment from her bosom and slapping it on the table. It was a defensive map of her territory. "Although my territory has some alchemical mechanisms and crossbows for defense, it's still not as effective as the Witch's Tower."

"Our two armies must unite. I've brought all my alchemical mechanisms and crossbows; with your witch and my defensive arsenal, perhaps we can..."

Beep—beep—beep—!

A sudden, piercing buzzing sound interrupted Olivia's words.

The sound came from a brass compass hanging from her waist.

Olivia's expression froze.

With trembling hands, she picked up the compass, only to see the needle spinning wildly, finally hitting the red "extremely dangerous" zone and making a clicking sound as it struggled under the weight.

"How could this be...?"

Olivia stared at the compass, her face ashen, as if her spine had been removed, and slumped into the chair.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked anxiously.

Olivia looked up, her eyes vacant: "There's no need to cooperate anymore."

Why?

"It's too late."

Olivia gave a bitter laugh and tossed the compass onto the table. "The snow season... has begun. And it's not an ordinary snow season."

She pointed out the window.

The howling wind disappeared.

Instead, there was a deathly silence.

Immediately afterwards, fine ice crystals began to grow wildly on the windowpane, blocking out all vision in the blink of an eye.

The temperature inside the room dropped by more than ten degrees in a few seconds, and the roast duck that was just steaming hot was now covered with a layer of white frost.

"This is a snow season of the 'Wrath of Winter' level."

Olivia's voice was filled with despair, "This kind of snow season lasts for a full six months, and it gets stronger every day. According to records, to survive a magical tide of this intensity, one needs at least..."

She held up four fingers, her tone bitter: "Four level-two witch towers, combined with a complete city wall system."

"Didn't they say the strength would gradually increase? Why are so many buildings needed today?" Lorraine asked.

"Why are you asking this? Although today is only the first day, based on experience, even on the first day, we will need at least three level-two Witch Towers."

"Even without the city walls, the two of us combined couldn't come up with this configuration."

Three level-two Witch Towers.

Although Anna didn't understand the specific architectural parameters, she knew what a massive project it was.

To upgrade the Witch's Tower to level two, you first need a level two witch.

She subconsciously touched her chest.

She had only awakened a few days ago. Although the young master said she was a genius, even the most talented witch in the family would need at least two or three years of meditation and accumulation to advance to the second tier.

Not to mention the enormous resources required to build the level 2 tower and the Witch's Tower upgrade recipes hidden deep within the secret chambers of the various families.

Dead end.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Olivia closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate.

She is a rational person, and rationality tells her that struggling is futile in the face of an absolute data gap.

However, the next second, Lorraine simply smiled and calmly asked:

"Are three level-two towers that difficult?"