Lord: I have built a witch's sanctuary.

Chapter 135 The Last Day

Chapter 134 The Last Day

There are three hours left until the Winter Lord's attack.

That morning.

Lorraine stood on the north-facing city wall of Frostwolf, with the Witch's Codex construction panel floating in front of her.

After Anna advanced to the fifth rank, the maximum number of Witch Towers she could control jumped from twenty-four to forty-eight.

This means that Lorraine can build twenty-four new fifth-order entropy towers for her, while upgrading all the existing twenty-four fourth-order entropy towers to fifth order.

Forty-eight fifth-order entropy towers.

Just thinking about that number makes Lorraine feel it's a bit extravagant.

But he did not hesitate.

The Winter Lord is heading south today; he doesn't have much time left.

"Start construction."

Lorraine clicked "confirm" on the secret manual panel one by one, and magic crystals were consumed like water.

The last bit of magic crystals that the delivery service summoned by Lyra a few days ago had released had also been exhausted.

But the changes on the city walls are enough to comfort people's hearts.

Twenty-four brand-new Towers of Entropy rose from the reserved foundations in the city wall.

The tower is entirely dark red, with fine lines of time flowing across its surface, as if countless rivers are slowly flowing along its walls.

The crystal apertures at the top of the tower emitted a dim red light, a unique luster formed by the condensation of fifth-order entropy power. It was calm and restrained, yet contained a terrifying power capable of accelerating the decay of everything.

The upgrade from fourth to fifth rank is not just a numerical improvement.

That was a qualitative leap.

Lorin looked at the data flashing on the secret manual panel and nodded in satisfaction. Then, he turned his gaze to the city wall itself.

The outer walls of Frostwolf City are made of Tier 3 stone, while the inner walls are made of Tier 4 Titan alloy.

This might hold up against a fourth-tier monster for a while, but against a fifth-tier Winter Lord, the third-tier stone wall was practically made of paper.

The Lord of Winter comes from the North.

Then let's replace the entire north-facing wall with Tier 4 Titan Alloy.

Lorraine brought up the construction panel again, selected the area of ​​the north city wall, and changed the material from Tier 3 stone to Tier 4 Titan alloy.

The replacement of the northern city wall was also swift.

The Tier 3 stone walls were moved into the subspace by the camp relocation order, and were replaced by thick Titan alloy walls.

The silver-gray metallic surface reflected a cold light in the wind and snow. The wall was nearly half again as thick as before, and its surface was covered with intricate defensive runes.

Forty-eight fifth-order entropy towers are embedded in the Titan alloy city wall, their dark red and silver-gray colors complementing each other.

The entire north wall has been transformed into a steel fortress.

After Lorraine finished doing all this, he walked to the highest point of the north city wall.

The wind and snow rushed towards him, and he squinted, looking towards the northern horizon.

In the distance, a white curtain wall is slowly advancing.

That was no ordinary blizzard.

The White Curtain blizzard had already struck once, but Catherine weakened it using the weather controller and weathered it.

But this time, the white curtain was much larger and thicker than before, as if the entire sky had been splashed with white paint.

Deep within the white curtain, a heavy sense of oppression was slowly and irresistibly spreading towards Frostwolf City.

That was the oppressive aura of a fifth-tier demon.

Even from a distance of tens of miles, the oppressive aura was still clearly discernible.

Unlike the sharp and outward-facing pressure of a fourth-tier monster, it was like an invisible boulder, heavily pressing on the hearts of everyone who sensed it.

The Lord of Winter has arrived.

In the inner city of Frostwolf, the former site of the Alchemists' Guild has been converted into the Central Bank of Babel.

Pym stood at the second-floor window, gazing at the approaching white curtain on the northern horizon. His teacup trembled slightly, spilling a few drops of tea.

He put down his teacup, placed his hands on the windowsill, leaned forward, and squinted to carefully sense the magical fluctuations contained within the white curtain.

"wrong----"

Pym's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

He is a fourth-tier alchemist with an extremely keen sense of magic.

The concentration of magic contained within that white blizzard far exceeded normal levels—in fact, it far surpassed the previous white blizzard that was torn apart by the weather controller.

The last snowstorm was merely an effect remotely imposed by the Winter Lord.

This time, the oppressive force was clear and concentrated, right at the core of the white curtain—meaning that the entity releasing this power was personally walking through the blizzard, step by step towards Frostwolf City.

"A fifth-tier monster—" Pym murmured, his palms sweating. "The Winter Lord himself has arrived."

He is a smart man.

During the Countess's reign, he was able to adapt to changing circumstances and live a comfortable life.

After Lorraine took control of Frostwolf City, he quickly aligned himself with the right side as well.

But no matter how shrewd or adept he was at maximizing his advantages and minimizing his disadvantages, all his cleverness was useless when facing a fifth-tier demon that personally led its army south.

Pym turned and glanced at the Babel Tower currency printing equipment piled up in the bank lobby, and gave a wry smile.

The Earl treated him very well, even more so than when he was the branch president of the Alchemists' Guild.

But even the best treatment depends on this Frostwolf City.

If Frostwolf City falls, I will be reduced to nothing but bones.

"We can only trust the Earl—" Pym murmured, turning his gaze back to the white curtain to the north.

The outer city, on the edge of the magic farmland.

Old Hangris squatted in front of his few acres of land, his rough hands resting on his knees, his cloudy old eyes gazing at the white curtain of the northern horizon that was getting closer and closer.

He farmed all his life.

When I was young, under the old countess's rule, I worked myself to the bone all year round, and most of the harvest had to be handed over to the state. In winter, it was common for me to be so hungry that I had to eat tree bark.

Later, the new Earl arrived and gave him magical farmland. The barley there grew so well that it was like a dream; it could be harvested in just a few days after being planted, and the yield was several times that of ordinary fields.

For the first time in winter, he ate a full meal; for the first time, he slept under a thick blanket; and for the first time, he drank something hot.

Ale.

But now, as he squatted on the edge of the field, looking at the white curtain, he suddenly remembered something from a long time ago.

He thought of his grandfather.

My grandfather lived to be ninety-three, making him one of the longest-living farmers in the entire North.

When Gris was just a young boy, his grandfather told him a legend by the fireplace.

"Remember, child," his grandfather's voice echoed in his memory, "if a second white blizzard strikes during the extended snow season—it means that the monarch of winter has been reborn."

My grandfather's voice trembled as he said this.

"No one in the entire Northern Territory can defeat that thing. It's a fifth-tier monster, on the same level as a fifth-tier human professional with architectural enhancements."

But what fifth-tier professionals are there in the North? So every time it appears, the cities of the North can only pray that it goes in another direction.

Gris didn't take it seriously at the time, thinking it was just an old man's story to scare children.

But now, the white blizzard has indeed arrived for the second time.

And it was much more intense than the first time.

"A fifth-order monster—" Gris pronounced the word, mimicking his grandfather's pronunciation.

In the entire Northern Territory, no one can defeat a fifth-tier demon.

This is a direct quote from my grandfather's legend.

Gris slowly stood up, his knees cracking.

He looked down at the magic-powered farmland beneath his feet, then looked up at the white curtain in the distance, his eyes reddening slightly.

He lived the best days of his life under the Earl.

They have land to cultivate, grain to eat, coal to burn in winter, and can afford medicine when they get sick.

He even saved up a small amount of Babel coins, planning to buy a new cotton-padded coat for his new wife after some time.

Old Hangris lowered his head, looking at the lush green magical wheat field at his feet.

The wheat ears are heavy; they'll be ready to harvest in two days.

Are these good days really coming to an end?

Gris was unwilling to accept this.

But he was just an old farmer, and there was nothing he could do except feel resentful.

Lorraine remained standing on the city wall.

The wind and snow grew stronger, and the white curtain drew ever closer.

The oppressive aura of that fifth-tier demon became increasingly clear, like the poison circle in a battle royale game, slowly tightening its encirclement of Frostwolf City.

Lorraine turned around.

He noticed that there were suddenly many more people on the city wall.

Anna stood closest to him, her red hair flying in the wind, her crimson eyes fixed on him.

She had only completed her fifth-tier advancement a few days ago, and her magical power was not yet fully stable, but she was already standing on the city wall fully armed.

Ohm stood next to Anna, the silver-haired, silver-eyed girl with her arms crossed, looking at Lorraine with a serious expression.

The all-powerful mechanical repair factory behind her was operating at full speed, with three Tier 4 Warhound-class Titans already on standby.

Catherine leaned against a storm tower, her arms crossed over her chest, her long hair motionless in the cold wind—

The aura surrounding the fourth-tier Storm Witch automatically shielded her from the wind.

Her gaze also fell on Lorraine.

Leila huddled behind the battlements, only half her head showing.

Her heterochromatic eyes, one black and one gold, blinked at Lorraine. Her small body trembled slightly in the wind, but she did not take a step back.

Even Olivia rushed from the logistics department to the city wall, her long emerald green hair braided into neat plaits that hung down her shoulders, her emerald green eyes quietly gazing at Lorraine.

The five witches climbed the city wall together.

They all stared at Lorraine.

Lorraine looked at them and suddenly smiled.

"What's with those expressions?"

He rested his hands on the battlements, his tone relaxed, "Everyone's staring at me, are you scared? Do you think we can't defeat the Winter Lord?"

Anna was the first to speak.

"I'm not afraid."

Her voice was calm, so calm that it didn't sound like someone about to face a fifth-tier monster.

"I've been afraid since I was a child. I'm afraid of being beaten, afraid of going hungry, afraid of being sold, afraid of being abandoned."

Anna's red eyes stared directly at Lorraine. "But since I started following the lord, I've discovered that as long as the lord is still around, there's nothing to be afraid of."

She paused, then added, "Besides, I'm already at level five."

Ohm raised his hand, like a student eager to answer a question in class.

"Big brother! Ohm isn't afraid either!"

The silver-haired girl's voice was clear and resonant, completely unaffected by the wind and snow.

"Ohm was sealed in the Tower of Babel for thousands of years, all alone in the darkness, with no one to talk to. That's when Ohm was truly afraid."

She patted her chest, "Now Ohm has his big brother, his sister Anna, everyone, so Ohm isn't afraid at all! And Ohm's Titan is amazing! When that Winter Lord comes, Ohm will just use the Titan to beat him up!"

Catherine was not as direct as the previous two.

She remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking.

"I've lived for over thirty years and seen far too many so-called strong people." Her voice was low and steady. "They are full of vigor when things are going well, but scatter like birds when things go wrong. I used to think that everyone in this world was like that."

Her gaze toward Lorraine carried a complex emotion.

"Until I met you."

"You won't be afraid of these things, I believe in you, so—"

"Me too."

Lyra poked her head out from behind the battlements, her one black and one gold eyes sparkling.

"I—I used to be very afraid—and perhaps I still am."

Her voice was soft, but it could still be heard clearly in the wind and snow: "Wherever I go, misfortune follows. I'm afraid I'll bring disaster to the lord."

"But the lord told me that I am not a jinx, but a witch of fate."

Lyra's voice gradually became firm, "The Lord is the first person who didn't look down on me, the first person who told me 'You are very useful.'"

"So—so even if I'm terrified, I won't run away!"

Olivia was the last to speak. She tucked the report under her arm and revealed a composed smile typical of mature women.

"I have experienced famine, I have experienced sieges, and I have witnessed my entire family starve to death in front of me."

Her emerald eyes were calm as still water. "Those things couldn't kill me, so what can a fifth-tier monster do to me?"

"Besides," she waved the report in her hand, "I still have a ton of accounts to settle. Once the war is over, the lord's warehouse will be receiving another batch of magic crystals, and I don't have time to be afraid here."

After listening, Lorraine remained silent for two seconds before slowly asking, "Then why were you staring at me just now?"

The five witches exchanged a glance and a knowing look.

Anna spoke first, taking a step forward, her red hair fluttering in the wind.

"We are staring at the lord not out of fear."

"It's because I want you to see clearly—none of the people standing behind you are cowards."

Ohm nodded vigorously: "Yes! Ohm isn't a coward!"

Catherine's lips curled into a slight smile: "No matter what, I will always stand behind you."

Leila clenched her little fists: "Me too!"

Olivia smiled without speaking, but her emerald eyes held the answer.

Lorraine looked at them and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he turned around and faced the overwhelming white curtain to the north again.

"I understand," he said.

The cold wind howled.

The blizzard is getting closer.

Standing on the city wall, the edge of the white curtain can be clearly seen.

It wasn't a hazy snow mist, but an almost vertical white barrier, like a moving ice wall, slowly rolling towards Frostwolf City.

Within the white curtain, countless dark figures could be vaguely seen surging.

That was the monster army of the Winter Lord.