Chapter 508

Simona's doubts faded, as if she had been forced to compromise with the Old Man in her family.

Although I'm unwilling, this is the only way.

She was once a tribal Shaman, born to serve the Old Tree. Few people know that Simona's life was actually saved by the Old Tree.

She was not healthy when she was born and should have been abandoned according to tribal tradition. But the branches of Old Tree kept the baby girl, which convinced the Sami People that this child was extraordinary, so they raised her as a normal child.

Simona was a gifted child, born to command the wind and snow. The wind and snow would detour around her and would also strike a certain area with fierce winds according to her wishes.

Without Simona, the tribe might have perished in the snowstorm long ago, and they would never have been able to stay by the Old Tree.

After she realized that her life was given to her by the Old Tree, she devoted herself to serving it. Life on the snow was difficult, but not too unbearable.

Until Ursus's army suddenly stormed in while she was out and slaughtered all her Tribe Members.

This made Simona the target of everyone's hatred, making her the sole survivor of this disaster.

She told the other tribes who had migrated about Ursus's evil deeds and refused the chief's invitation.

Simona chose self-exile, traveling to the border between Sami and Ursus to hunt Ursus people. Although she found companionship in the new Old Tree, there was still a limit to her efforts.

Last summer, Simona's injuries worsened due to Originium-related illness, and she was rescued by Rhodes Island and brought back to their This Ship.

She couldn't stand the Ursus students on the ship; every time she saw Bear Ears, she was reminded of the tragic deaths of her loved ones. After receiving some treatment, Simona returned to the Sami border to continue her life of hunting Ursus people.

The Old Tree now is not the same as before, but it can communicate with the Old Tree deep in the Sami region.

It commanded Simona to escort these strangers to the Endless Icefield before leaving. Even if she was unwilling, as a servant, she would obey the Old Tree's orders.

Simona looked up at the people in the room who were staring at her with strange looks.

There were Lupo, Sarkaz, Sarkaz, Vulcan, and even dragons unique to Yan. As for the young man, his specific race was unknown.

As long as it doesn't have bear ears and isn't Ursus, it's fine.

"I am Priestess in the tribe, and I can communicate with the Tree Spirit. I hope I didn't frighten you just now."

Lappland has only ever communicated with animals like the Wolf Lord; she's never heard of communicating with plants before.

"How did you guys communicate? I didn't hear anything!"

Shi Lei also didn't hear the Old Tree's voice; he had just thought the La Signora had an unusually strong desire to perform.

If Simona wasn't lying, then she's most likely a nature-based sorcerer, similar to a druid.

This is different from the combat style of most members of the team who use Originium Arts; it belongs to a completely new system.

In response to Female Lupo's question, she began to answer:

"Not everyone can communicate with the Tree Spirit; it requires a very high level of talent. Without this potential, no matter how hard you try later in life, it will be useless. The Tree Spirit just asked me to escort you to the edge of the Endless Icefield Plains; the rest of the way, you will have to walk on your own."

Shi Lei wasn't worried that this Sami guide, who had offered himself up, would stab them in the back. Whether he led them into a trap or an ambush, it was still uncertain who the prey and the hunter would be.

Muelsyse said she's Operator from Rhodes Island and wouldn't do anything to harm him. Even if she did have ulterior motives, Shi Lei isn't afraid; he can deal with whatever comes his way.

"Okay, then I'll leave the rest to you."

He didn't mention the possibility of flying; the two weeks were meant for hiking and experiencing the natural scenery of Sami.

Besides, Simona is an outsider, so there's no need to explain too much to her in detail.

Just as everyone was preparing to introduce themselves, Lisa, who had somehow slipped outside, called out to everyone:

"This tree seems to be talking, but I can't hear it very clearly."

This surprised not only everyone, but Simona was also taken aback.

She was born and raised in the Sami. She knew very well which priests could communicate with Tree Spirit.

Who exactly is this young girl? How can she communicate with Tree Spirit at such a young age?

Upon hearing this, Shi Lei immediately became interested, walked up to Lisa, and patted her hair with a smile.

"Really? Then I'll give it a try."

He spread out his right hand, his five fingers pressed against the tree bark.

At the same time, he used his Psychic Power to scan the tree trunk and deep roots for anything unusual.

Unfortunately, I didn't hear anything. It seems this kind of thing really requires talent; you can't just envy it.

"I still haven't heard anything. I guess they don't have Lisa's talent, Miss Simona. When should we depart for our next stop?"

"Please wait a moment, everyone. I need to say goodbye to the Tree Spirit. It will only take a few minutes, very quickly."

Since leaving This Ship last year, she has been hunting Ursus people on the Sami border.

Although it's not the same Old Tree, they've become good friends through spending time together.

Now, he is leading a group of outsiders to the Endless Icefield, which the Sami consider forbidden territory. He doesn't know if they will encounter unimaginable unknown risks along the way.

Simona used her staff to open a hidden compartment in the Wooden Board and retrieved the package. She then went outside, knelt down, and prostrated herself three times before the Old Tree, holding a branch in her hands.

As if sensing something, the Old Tree suddenly shook violently and a branch fell. The branch sank into the snow, and the wind and snow on both sides quickly buried it like a pack of hungry wolves.

This is a blessing, a blessing for those on a long journey.

Simona dug out a branch and held it tightly to her chest. She knew she had to temporarily put aside her hatred for Ursus and complete the escort mission entrusted to her by the Old Tree.

Everyone watched this miraculous scene in silence, feeling that Hantan truly could communicate with the tree. In this quiet atmosphere, there was a strange sense of sacredness.

"Alright, let's go."

Simona hung the package on her staff, turned to Shi Lei, and explained the upcoming itinerary:

"I'll take you to the market at the foot of the Winterfang Mountains; there are quite a few merchants there. Let's buy some clothes before venturing deeper into the Endless Icefield. Otherwise, the temperature there is truly unbearable for ordinary people."

Shi Lei's Jade Shield can withstand temperatures as low as -200 degrees Celsius in space, so it's no problem for it to withstand temperatures as low as -20 or -30 degrees Celsius in Sami.

However, I'm here for tourism these past two weeks, so it'll be good to visit the market. When I flew back to Londinium before, I didn't have a chance to experience the Sami culture and customs.

"There's no need for that, you don't know..."

"Cough cough."

Seeing that Exusiai to leak the news, Shi Lei coughed twice to signal her to stop. Lappland had previously said without his permission that she was not afraid of the cold, and now she was doing it again.

These two really can't control their mouths!

Exusiai Texas smiled and made up an excuse to brush it off.

The group left the cabin and continued north.

Lisa, holding Surtr's hand, walked forward, staring at Hantan for a long while before finally asking:

"Big sister, may I ask you something? How do you communicate with trees? Could you teach me?"

Within the entire team, Simona's affection for Lisa was even greater than that for Muelsyse. She had only met the elf once and wasn't particularly close to her.

But this Nine-tailed Vulcan is different; he possesses such talent even before reaching adulthood. Perhaps it's due to cherishing promising talents, or perhaps for other reasons. Faced with Lisa's question, Simona smiled kindly:

"I studied with the High Priest of the tribe for many years to reach my current level. Moreover, outside of Sami, it's impossible to communicate with Tree Spirit. If you're really interested, I can teach you a bit along the way."

"Really? Yay!"

Lisa's smile was like a ray of light, making Simona feel inexplicably warm.

When she mentioned the High Priest, she did not tell how the tribe was destroyed. Such painful wounds were enough for her to lick her own wounds; there was no need to expose them to outsiders.

"Big sister, it feels like the wind and snow have lessened a lot when I'm walking with you."

"Heh, these are just some insignificant spells. Compared to you, I really dare not embarrass myself."

Led by Simona, the group walked for more than an hour to reach the Winterfang Mountains.

A huge Clan Tree, sprawling at the foot of the mountain, came into Shi Lei's view. Its bare trunk and roots were everywhere, and many vendors were walking around with their goods.

It's not that they don't have stalls, but rather that the temperature here drops to below minus thirty degrees Celsius. If they don't move around frequently to warm themselves up, they can easily get frostbite.

Muelsyse was visiting for the first time and looked around curiously. To her surprise, at the far end of the market, she saw a resort with a sign in Columbia.

No one can give a definitive answer as to why anyone would come to the Bitter Cold Land Sami region to build a resort. But business here has always been booming, making the Columbia owners behind the scenes a fortune.

As one of Rhine Lab's sponsors, the resort owner was happy to provide the expedition team members with free food and water, as well as exploration supplies for their journeys into the north.

Muelsyse looked at Simona ahead and ultimately gave up the idea of going in to disturb her.

Walking at the back of the group, she noticed dirty tourist brochures trampled on the ground. They featured pictures of Trimon, Fortress Mountain City, and Maxter District, along with some rather awkward advertising slogans. Judging from the footprints on them, the results were far from ideal.

The Sami People have a deep sense of belonging to their homeland and rarely leave this snow-covered country. Even if the temperature abroad is more suitable for living, few people will go there.

"We're here. The food here is pretty good."

Led by Simona, the group arrived at a clothing store selling coats. The coats here were all made of animal fur and looked extremely thick.

Lappland once casually mentioned that they possessed Originium Arts that could withstand the cold. But Simona didn't seem to take it seriously and insisted on bringing them to buy clothes. After all, the thicker you wear in the cold wilderness, the longer you can survive.

Shi Lei and his group bought coats here to change into, so that they wouldn't look so out of place when they ventured deeper into Sami.

Xi was used to wearing Qipao, but she still obediently changed into one. Although the thick coat covered her graceful figure, it couldn't hide her pitiful face.

Besides buying clothes, Simona also led everyone to the only pharmacy in the market. She didn't buy ready-made medicine, but instead purchased a lot of hollow fruit.

Exusiai asked curiously what it was, Hantan didn't answer and simply handed it over.

She took a bite, and her face immediately contorted in pain:

"Ugh, it's so sour!"

Simona smiled slightly, knowing that Exusiai would react this way, and explained:

"We locals call this 'foam,' and it's a fruit with medicinal value. Don't let its sour taste fool you; it's very effective in treating altitude sickness. The meat in the mountains tastes alright, but there aren't many edible fruits. In a pinch, this might just save your lives."

No matter how much she praised the fruit's effects, Exusiai was definitely not going to eat it anymore. Lappland covered her mouth beside her, looking like she wanted to laugh but was holding it in.

They wanted to ask Shi Lei if they would still experience altitude sickness even with the Jade Shield as they ventured deeper into Sami, but seeing his silence, they had no choice but to swallow their words.

The shopping took more than an hour, and Texas paid for everything. Simona only bought some food, didn't spend their money, and declined their offer to pay.

"Ten kilometers north of here is the woodland line, and further north are the mountains. There's a settlement with a Clan Tree over there; we'll rest there tonight."

Lisa, puzzled, asked curiously:

"Big sister, what is clan number?"

Simona raised her right hand, pointing to the exposed branches and roots around the market, and explained:

"This is the Clan Tree. Every tribe has its own Clan Tree. If there isn't one, either the tribe is too young, or they've lost their Clan Tree. Either way, they'll be ridiculed."

Exusiai looked at the Giant Tree and found it incredible:

"You can throw away a tree?"

"Of course, the tribe migrates along with its Clan Tree. But I must remind you, mountain tribes are not as easy to deal with as those in the forests. Once you get there, remember not to touch or damage any large trees."

Everyone took Simona's warning to heart.

She didn't force customers to spend money or rip them off like some unscrupulous tour guides, which is already quite good.

As the sun set, the group crossed the Sami woodland boundary and entered the mountains. In the vast snow-covered mountains, they found a large settlement shrouded in snow and wind. Before even entering the gate, several members of the group smelled blood.

The filthy snow covered the corpses, indicating that a fierce battle had just taken place.

Hearing the creaking sound in the wind and snow, Simona looked at the Clan Tree that was about to topple over and exclaimed in horror:

"Not good!"

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Chapter 583 Northern Demon (5K)

A sound like a bowstring snapping was heard as the massive Clan Tree in the settlement collapsed with a deafening roar.

In every Sami tribe, the Clan Tree is the oldest and most respected object. Outsiders are usually not even allowed to approach the treehouse.

The collapse of the Clan Tree signifies the annihilation of the tribe. Simona's mind flashed with images of her tribe's destruction, and her heart tightened.

"Not good!"

She had no time to look after the strangers behind her; she grabbed her staff and hurried toward the direction where the Clan Tree had fallen.

Corpses littered the settlement, their black blood staining the pristine Shirayuki. The torches that still stood flickered, their remaining flames igniting the treehouse.

When Simona ran to the Clan Tree, she found that the trunk and branches were withering rapidly.

"No, no... who did it?"