The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 165: Aspect Combat Counters

Vol 2 Chapter 165: Aspect Combat Counters

"This way, Miss Ya."

Inside Beast-Call Valley, a woman with battle scars on her face led the way for her. The two walked down the stone path along the Cliff Wall. Along the way, the girl could look down at the beast pens at the bottom of the valley, hear the sounds of many beasts, and smell the odor of livestock coming towards her.

The girl had no choice but to take out a veil and put it on, filtering some of the smell. Then, her light blue eyes turned nimbly, surveying the scene below.

Many War Beasts were kept inside the pens. Inside were feeding troughs and haystacks for sleeping. It looked just like livestock in the mortal world, but they were much larger in size, and their formidable strength required sturdier pens.

Most of the railings were thicker than Sylutia's legs. Her eyes blinked as she noticed some beast trainers communicating with and training some of the War Beasts.

Beasts capable of advancement often had significantly higher intelligence than their peers. According to research, if they reached the Third Tier, a beast's intelligence would be roughly equivalent to a human child. If they reached the Fourth Tier, it would be roughly equivalent to an adult. However, there were exceptions; some beasts were exceptionally smart.

"This is where the Mighty Oxen are." The guiding woman introduced to Ya.

The two arrived in front of a pen. Inside were Mighty Oxen standing about three meters tall. Their fur was brown-black and exceptionally thick and tough. Ordinary steel spears and swords couldn't pierce it. Only Transcendents, after empowering their abilities, could inflict some damage on them.

Thick-skinned, physically robust, and possessing immense strength, Mighty Oxen were excellent War Beasts, whether used as production tools for labor or for combat. Furthermore, the techniques for domesticating them were quite mature. After generations of selective breeding, most of these Mighty Oxen had gentle and obedient temperaments.The woman opened a pen, put a rope on one Mighty Ox, and led it out. Its weight was probably over a ton. The Mighty Ox walked behind the woman, forming a stark contrast in size with her.

It's huge, Sylutia whispered softly.

When looking down from above, she didn't realize it, but up close, she discovered that one such Mighty Ox was probably heavier than ten of her combined.

"Can you demonstrate what skills it has?" Sylutia turned and asked the woman guiding her.

"No problem."

She led the Mighty Ox to an open area in the middle, then pointed at a huge demonstration rock.

"Ram that rock."

After she spoke, the Mighty Ox stomped its hooves and trotted over. Nearing the rock, it raised its head high, then its huge, exaggerated curved horns smashed down hard. With a cracking sound, the rock shattered.

"It can be used for mountain breaking, but it's best not to exceed 20 rock-ramming attempts per day," the woman explained.

"I understand."

Then the woman brought a yoke and put it on the Mighty Ox's neck, making it plow a nearby stony patch of ground. As it walked, it directly turned over various stones.

Such power was probably comparable to large machinery from her previous life. Sylutia nodded slightly. Then she checked the Mighty Ox's defensive power, which wasn't much different from that Petrification Lizard from before. An ordinary Second Tier Transcendent would need high-quality weapons or skills to penetrate it.

"What does it eat?" Sylutia wanted to know roughly how much it would cost to raise such a Mighty Ox.

"If it's high-quality fodder, at least 30 kilograms per day." She told the girl the standard for high-quality fodder.

Probably similar to crops like high-quality Wheat. Sylutia estimated in her heart.

"What about 'First Tier' Aspect Straw fodder?" Sylutia inquired.

"That would be superior fodder. Then, 3 kilograms per day would be enough. This can also slowly enhance the Mighty Ox's strength," she explained.

"Generally, we mix in some superior fodder during the calf stage to feed them. This can accelerate the condensation of their 'Aspect' and increase their strength. But when they reach the adult Second Tier stage, we stop feeding superior fodder."

"Raising them to the Second Tier offers the best cost-performance ratio and has the greatest demand. Cultivating a Third Tier Mighty Ox is very difficult; you can easily lose money if you're not careful." She said, shaking her head slightly.

"Why would you lose money? Is it because no one is willing to pay a high price?" Sylutia was somewhat curious.

"Yes. Although a Third Tier Mighty Ox's physique and strength are greatly enhanced, relatively speaking, there are fewer places where they are needed."

"For some simple labor, Second Tier Mighty Oxen already do a very good job; there's no need for larger ones. And if it's for combat, the Mighty Ox's attack methods are too straightforward, lacking variation, and their speed isn't particularly fast either."

Hearing this, Sylutia compared them to those floating Eye Tyrants she had seen before. It was indeed as the woman said. If a Third Tier Mighty Ox and an Eye Tyrant dueled one-on-one, the Mighty Ox would be killed by the other's rays before it could even get close. Moreover, even if it charged to close range, the Mighty Ox's attacks relied purely on ramming. Against a giant, ball-like Eye Tyrant, it wouldn't be easy to inflict damage.

Afterward, Sylutia visited the River Valley Rhinoceros and the Wasteland Horse. Compared to the Mighty Ox, the River Valley Rhinoceros had the advantage of being able to operate underwater. Its defensive power was stronger, but its endurance was worse, and its upkeep consumption was higher. The Wasteland Horse's strength and defense were inferior to the Mighty Ox's, but its endurance was outstanding, making it a beast very suitable for use as a pack horse.

The Darkmist Mountains were remote, often requiring Merchant Caravans to travel back and forth for communication. The Wasteland Horse was undoubtedly very useful.

"100 Wasteland Horses, 30 Mighty Oxen, 10 River Valley Rhinoceroses." Sylutia asked the other party to note down her requirements.

"Alright, that'll be 10,450 gold coins in total." (72*100+80*30+85*10=10450)

After seeing these beasts for life and work, Sylutia came to the cliffs of the valley. Here, there were many bird nests.

"The Sharp-Eye Eagle is a commonly used auxiliary raptor. It can provide an outstanding field of view and scout information from afar." A bald, tall, and thin man introduced to Sylutia.

This hawk trainer was nearly two meters tall. Standing beside him, Sylutia appeared somewhat petite. She nodded, then looked at the bird swiftly flashing through the air.

"Is that an 'Electric-Wing Falcon'?"

"Correct. This type of eagle flies extremely fast and can also harness the power of lightning. If it completes its Trials and advances, it can become a Third Tier 'Thunderbird'."

"Thunderbird? I've seen those Thunderbirds; they're exceptionally large in size. They actually advance from 'Electric-Wing Falcons'?"

"Yes, you might not know this, but what our 'Beast-Call Valley' is most skilled at is the 'Giant Body' Trial advancement. After completion, the beast's size will increase, and it will become stronger."

"In a wild environment, having a huge size means overwhelming the enemy in all aspects. That's better than any skill."

So everyone wants to experience the pleasure of stat-crushing. Sylutia secretly mocked.

Thinking about it carefully, it made sense. If you merely increased a certain ability, it would be hard to achieve the comprehensive strengthening that comes with a giant body. Humans and other beings also undergo 'Bloodline Advancement' at the Third Tier, strengthening overall qualities, but the magnitude isn't as great as the beasts' 'Giant Body'.

A mature Third Tier 'Thunderbird' was roughly equivalent to sixteen 'Electric-Wing Falcons', a huge difference in strength. However, the tasks that sixteen 'Electric-Wing Falcons' could perform, one 'Thunderbird' might struggle to handle them all, unable to attend to everything. It's hard to say it's definitely superior. The value of both sides was roughly equal.

"How many Third Tier Thunderbirds are there?"

"Currently, there are 6 available for delivery. There are more Electric-Wing Falcons, with 54 available for delivery. Sharp-Eye Eagles are plentiful, with 112 available for delivery."

"3 Thunderbirds, 40 Electric-Wing Falcons, 20 Sharp-Eye Eagles." Sylutia reported the quantities she needed.

"That's 15,000 gold coins in total." (2000*3+180*40+90*20=15000)

There were 1,300 gold coins left. Sylutia used them to purchase the food required for these beasts and raptors, as well as the complete set of secret arts that 'Beast-Call Valley' gave as a complimentary gift to major clients. This set included three major parts: beast taming, breeding, and combat.

"This basically covers everything in Beast-Call Valley below the Third Tier. For secret arts at the Fourth Tier and above, we do not teach them to outsiders." Ironfinger told Sylutia.

"However, since Miss Ya is so generous, regarding that apprentice you recommended, as long as she advances to the Third Tier in the future and becomes a formal member, I will definitely teach her everything I know without holding back." 'Ironfinger' Romait made this promise.

Nodding slightly, Sylutia indicated her understanding, then curiously asked.

"Regarding the War Beasts I purchased today, roughly how long would it take for you to replenish them?"

"Are you asking about the quantity we domesticate and deliver? If we're talking about the annual number domesticated and bred, what you purchased today is about one-sixth, which is two months' worth of production."

"That fast?" Sylutia was surprised.

"It's not fast; it's a lot." Ironfinger shook his head and smiled.

"Besides, this is the output of just one of our factions, which is already very little. You definitely haven't looked into the real situation in the Glittergold Plains. The number of knights trained there every year is even greater than the number of War Beasts we domesticate."

"This..." Sylutia indeed didn't know, because she spent most of her time either planting Wheat and raising flowers in the valley, or reading and studying. She also rarely socialized, so she wasn't clear about exactly how many knights and Knight Squires were in the Glittergold Plains.

It seemed there really were many knights there. There were at least tens of Knight Squires. The number of formal 'White Knights' Sylutia had seen was around sixty to seventy. This number was already equivalent to the entire territory of Regas, not to mention those knights out adventuring, performing missions, or dispatched to various branches.

It seemed, indeed, possibly, the 'Holy White Knight Hall' was a quite large knight organization within the Hidden Grove, which was why it could occupy a core hinterland like the 'Glittergold Plains' as its faction garrison. Sylutia belatedly realized.

The 'Ironwall Crown Furnace' was also a knight organization within the Hidden Grove. Their personnel numbers were greater than the 'Holy White Knight Hall's, but their average strength was probably one tier lower than the 'Holy White Knight Hall's. Therefore, their reputation was actually not as good as the 'Holy White Knight Hall's'. They were often called commoner knights because the resources required for their faction's advancement were fewer and the difficulty wasn't high, making it suitable for commoners.

After sorting out these previously overlooked details, Sylutia discussed the strength comparisons within the Third Tier with the other party.

"If it's a Third Tier Mighty Ox, ordinary knights would find it hard to kill." Ironfinger pondered, his fingers tapping the armrest.

"Their physique is huge, and their attack methods rely purely on brute force. Against this method, a knight's curtain isn't very effective. Also, their armor and flesh are hard-pressed to withstand that terrifying trampling and charging."

"But... if a Mighty Ox encountered a witch of the 'Nightmare' or 'Mist Shadow' Aspect, it would most likely be a one-sided situation."

"The Mighty Ox's Mental Power isn't strong, and it's not smart enough. It's easily eroded by 'Nightmare', immediately falling unconscious and dying, or being fooled by illusions, running around in circles and injuring itself."

"Some witches even use powerful Mental Power to control some dim-witted giant beasts, using them as their familiars and servants." He sighed a few words.

"However, these spells and illusionary abilities of witches and wizards often don't work well against knights. That's probably mutual countering."

"I understand." Sylutia suddenly grasped the relationships between them, and even thought of a counter diagram between several types of Aspect Transcendents.

Aspects like 'Beast Fang' and 'Bloodline', which focus on the self and physical power, often crush opponents of the same tier. But if they encounter abilities in the mental domain, or spells with special methods, they can be easily defeated.

'Castle'? It grants normalized resistance to abnormal statuses and other Aspect abilities, greatly countering the erosion and damage of 'Nightmare' and 'Slumbering Winter'.

'Nightmare' and 'Mist Shadow' are extremely proficient in conflicts within the mental domain. This often makes the power of the 'Beast Fang' and 'Bloodline' Aspects land on empty air, making them hard to resist.

Looking at it this way, at lower tiers, as long as you find the right countering method, you can easily defeat your opponent.