Chapter 152

Perhaps the two tribes will never merge, but at least they will no longer be hostile—they will have a cooperative relationship.

"Ready to go." Sejuani took a deep breath, her heart filled with emotion.

Ashe nodded, then added, "By the way, Sejuani, I have something personal to tell you..."

"You say."

"It's just that... from now on, I'm willing to share everything with you, but there's one thing I absolutely cannot share with you."

"What?"

"That."

Ashe smiled and looked at the young man not far away.

"Chen Ce?" Sejuani understood instantly. "Hmm...that sounds reasonable, but it's actually not that reasonable, my sister."

"What?" Ashe's tone gradually lost its emotion.

"First come, first served—that's always been the rule in Freljord, I think you understand."

"Don't forget, you only know Chen Ce because of me."

"And please don't forget, Mr. Chen Ce came to Freljord specifically to find me."

"Heh, that's just an excuse."

"Oh? Really? I don't believe it."

Believe it or not.

"Okay, it's up to me, you say it."

"Hehe..."

The atmosphere that the two girls had finally managed to ease became somewhat tense again.

Chen Ce, who was not far away, was completely unaware of this—he was busy with something.

Busy squatting on the snow, one hand holding a Darkin weapon and striking it against the other.

"Which of you two is harder...?"

The Winter's Claw Tribe migrated en masse.

Although Winter's Claw Warmother Sejuani finds the Avarosan Tribe's way of doing things a bit hard to accept, she has no other choice now—partly because it's the trend of the times, and partly because she has to consider whether staying in the north will provoke retaliation from the Frostguard tribe.

Even the most powerful warrior would have to think twice before running away if they offended the Lissandra.

Sejuani does indeed intend to declare war on the Lissandra one day, but definitely not now—for Winter's Claw to confront the Frostguard head-on would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

The best way to survive this dangerous period is to rely on the Avarosan Tribe and the powerful Chen Ce.

As long as they avoid this storm, Winter's Claw can develop wherever they want in the future.

The rational Sejuani knew exactly what choice she needed to make.

Seven days after the Winter's Claw Tribe formally allied with the Avarosan Tribe, the entire tribe arrived at their destination— the Avarosan Tribe camp in southwestern Freljord.

The climate and geographical environment here are far better than those in the north. Some experienced tribesmen could tell at a glance that this plain had the potential to grow grain and develop animal husbandry after early spring.

Aside from the possibility of a Noxus attack, everyone was quite satisfied with everything here.

The two tribes' camps were not completely merged, but they were built next to each other, and this originally desolate plain quickly became vibrant with life.

For the next month or so, both tribes worked hard to build their new home.

During this time Ashe and Sejuani were busy directing their respective tribes to divide the construction work, while Chen Ce was relatively "idle" - his task was to oversee the two tribes and wait for the Lissandra who might arrive at any time.

For the past month, he hasn't had to do much work. He spends his days eating and drinking, studying maps, and spending his evenings stacking Heartsteel with Ashe and Sejuani.

Oh, and you should also check on Aatrox's mental state every day— Rhaast is constantly nagging him, who knows when he might be driven crazy.

This period has been exceptionally peaceful.

The only noteworthy thing is that the reputations of the Avarosan Tribe and Winter's Claw Tribe seem to be gradually spreading throughout Freljord, with people coming from time to time to seek refuge or inquire about news—rumors are circulating that these two tribes have raised the banner of rebellion against the rule of the Lissandra.

The most direct evidence for this rumor is that the Avarosan Tribe and Winter's Claw Tribe expelled their Frost Priests, an act that had never been seen in Freljord for countless years.

In addition, people have heard that the two tribes killed the infamous Icefield Demon of the North last month—that terrible monster had recently wreaked havoc on many tribes, its terrifying power inspiring fear and its dirty deeds abhorring all others.

The tribe that resolved this calamity was naturally hailed as heroes.

That ability earned the recognition of everyone.

More and more Hearth-Home Tribe began to pledge allegiance to the Avarosan Tribe, and even some small tribes that included a minority of Iceborn came to surrender.

The Avarosan Tribe grew larger and larger.

This tribe, formed by the fusion of countless tribes, can no longer even be called a tribe—perhaps "alliance" would be a more accurate term.

[Freljord Alliance]

Ashe was very pleased with this.

Those tribes that had minor conflicts and frictions before all turned hostility into friendship after the Avarosan Tribe, and everyone became one big family.

If things continue this way, the vision of uniting the entire Freljord will surely see a glimmer of hope.

However... there are some problems along the way.

As the number of tribes increases, a few of the more powerful tribes may aspire to a higher status—they believe that they were stronger and made greater contributions to the tribe before Avarosan Tribe, and therefore deserve a higher status and more rights.

The original Warmother of those tribes frequently offered suggestions to Ashe, and some even planned to elevate their tribe's status in a less-than-honorable way.

They wanted to become in-laws with Ashe.

In other words, they wanted their tribe members to become Ashe's blood allies in order to gain more power and a higher status.

This disgusted and annoyed Ashe.

She resolutely rejected all the matchmakers' introductions and kicked them out of the tent.

But this has exacerbated the friction within the alliance... She must find a win-win solution to this problem as soon as possible.

It satisfies the Freljord tradition that "Warmother should be married," without angering the tribes that were not chosen.

She had actually thought of a solution to this problem, but it might not be feasible at the moment.

Forming a blood alliance with someone outside of Freljord would perfectly solve both problems.

However, she is currently unsure of someone's feelings... so she can only put it aside for now.

These seemingly calm yet turbulent days passed for quite some time.

Until one evening at dusk, a scream shattered the tranquility.

"Monsters... monsters...! They've invaded our territory...!"

A blood-soaked Hearthblood stumbled back to the tribe, his trembling voice and terrified expression revealing just how horrific what he had just witnessed was.

"What happened? What happened?" The tribe's healer rushed over to bandage his wound.

"Bearman...it's a bearman...!" The wounded Hearthblood was still screaming, and his pitiful cries soon attracted the tribe's two highest leaders— Ashe and Sejuani.

"The bear-men attacked our mining team...! Thirteen men... all dead...! Those monsters ate them...!"

"The Ursine?" Upon hearing this name, Ashe frowned. "Why would the Ursine come to human territory? This has never happened in thousands of years."

"I don't know... but they really came...!" The injured Hearthblood's eyes widened, and the look of terror in his eyes was impossible to lie about.

But Ashe was genuinely a little confused.

The Ursine... Legend has it that their master made a pact with the Three Sisters countless years ago: humans and bear-people must never attack each other unless they cross the line, thus maintaining a delicate coexistence...

And over the years, both sides have indeed maintained a policy of non-aggression.

But why...?

Could it be that the Ursine's master has gone back on his word...?

That legendary evil god...

The god who controls thunder...

Ashe and Sejuani were completely baffled and filled with unease.

Chen Ce, who was sunbathing at the village entrance, seemed quite calm.

The Ursine... so the one at the top is the infamous Freljord demigod Volibear, right?

As he thought about it, he casually kicked the ice sculpture of the Darkin Blade beside his feet.

"Aatrox, I've heard you're the Godslayer?"

Chapter Thirty-Three: Volibear, you must be the songstress!

The Ursine, as the name suggests, are both "bears" and "humans".

In Freljord, a significant portion also prefers to call them "the Lost Ones".

Similarly, as the name suggests, the "Lost Ones lost".

Yes, those enormous, sharp-toothed, bloodthirsty monsters that always hunch over and pounce on people with their bear-like claws—they were once human too.

Before "they" became "them," they, like all Freljord, were children of this frozen land.

Some of them were Hearthblood, some were Iceborn, and some were homeless people with nowhere else to turn... but without exception, they were all normal human beings with only one nose and two eyes.

Their transformation stemmed from their desire for power.

Some fanatical warriors have learned of the Ursine's power from ancient texts or legends—or even witnessed it firsthand in the Bearmen's hunting grounds. They crave that power and are willing to give anything for it.

So they performed a blood sacrifice according to ancient methods.

They offered everything to the legendary Volibear, hoping to gain that inhuman power.

They became them.

After sacrificing their bodies, their flesh and bones began to mutate, their bodies became enormous, their teeth became sharp, and their claws became razor-sharp, turning them into terrifying half-human, half-bear creatures; after sacrificing their souls, they became cruel, bloodthirsty, and tyrannical, even losing their original thoughts and retaining only their most primal bestial instincts.

Their bones extend outwards, protruding from their flesh, forming barbs along their hunched spines; they cover their bodies with cloaks or coats, but cannot hide the saliva and blood dripping from their mouths. They retain characteristics of both humans and bears, yet they seem like a twisted being that exists only in horror stories.

They have lost themselves. They have chosen to embrace their most primal, animalistic instincts.

Therefore, they were called "the Lost Ones".

An extreme, terrifying, bloodthirsty monster.

No one wanted to mess with them— the Ursine. They were practically the epitome of brute force.

Therefore, upon hearing that someone in the tribe had been attacked by the Ursine, the entire tribe was in an uproar.

Panic and anger spread throughout the camp. Some were furious at the Ursine's "overstepping" behavior, but many more were worried about whether they would take further action.

Ashe and Sejuani tried their best to suppress the panic, but the threat from the Ursine was clearly more obvious than their attempts to comfort them.

What people need now is proof through actions, not verbal "deception".

Ultimately, Ashe and Sejuani decided to send out several scout teams to investigate—at least to find out why the previous miners' team had been attacked.

Have the Ursine gone mad, or did the mining team accidentally wander into Ursine territory?

Was it a tragic accident, or did the Ursine suddenly break the centuries-old agreement?

As long as these issues remain unresolved, the tribe will never find peace.

Ashe, revered as the "reincarnation of Avarosa," personally led the expedition.

Of course, this team wouldn't be complete without a key figure— Chen Ce.

As the true hero who defeated the Icefield Demon, outsiders may not know it, but Ashe and others know it very well.

The so-called "reincarnation of Avarosa" and Sejuani, the Warmother of the Winter's Claw Tribe, were of little help; it was Chen Ce who truly won.

Everything that happened that day... that battle that could only be described as a miracle... is still vivid in their minds.

As long as Chen Ce is around, there's definitely no danger in investigating the mine, at least not in terms of safety.

As for the legendary Volibear...

"The mine is located far from the Ursine's territory, so that terrifying Volibear shouldn't come here..."

Ashe squinted, gazing into the darkness deep within the mine. The lingering stench of blood made her uneasy. Almost instinctively, she moved closer to Chen Ce, their arms nearly touching.