Chapter 230: [230] The Strike Team [Golden Ticket Ranking Bonus]

Yrsa knelt down by the side of the road, her twin axes buried in the snow as she clasped her hands in prayer.

She remained there for what must have been a minute before she stood up and stared at the eclipsed sun for a few seconds, then began walking towards the sled.

Once she got in, Olivia gave her a look. "What were you doing out there?"

"I was praying. I prayed for a successful mission." Yrsa pulled out a rag from her pocket and wiped the frost that had begun to cling to her axe.

When the frost was gone, she picked up a whetstone and began to sharpen the weapon. The weapon was already plenty sharp; it was just the way she dealt with nervousness.

"Is the Arctic spider really that tough?" Olivia folded her arms across her chest as Rodolph steered the carriage forward.

Yrsa was quiet for a few seconds, then she let out a breath. Olivia noticed her hands tremble slightly on her axe as unsavoury memories flashed in her mind.

She shook her head. "The last of our sunborns died facing the monster." Yrsa paused briefly. "It was during the battle that I got the scar on my eye. I only survived due to dumb luck."

Olivia’s gaze moved to the scarred eye. From a distance, it looked normal, as if the eye was undamaged.

But up close, Olivia could see that the eye was glazed over. Yrsa was blind in that eye.

If she had such a traumatic experience fighting the monster, why did she volunteer to join them?

Ark had created a team to deal with the spider problem. This team was made up of Olivia, Cici, Rodolph, Mountain, Inquisitor and the rest of the support team who would mine after they were done.

His plan was to add Dark to their party, but Yrsa had volunteered out of the blue.

"Why did you join us, Yrsa?" Olivia asked after a short period of contemplation.

"I’m the only one among you that knows the route well. It’s harder to get lost with me here." She paused. "But I’m sure that is not the answer you are looking for."

Yrsa smiled slightly. "You see... I am a bit of a coward."

Olivia frowned. Coward? Now that was the very last thing she expected to hear.

Just in the brief time she had been in Alaska, she had heard tales of how many times Yrsa had risked her life for her people. How could she call herself a coward?

"Why that look? It’s true, you know." She placed her hand on her chest. "Most will disagree with me, but I believe that what defines a coward is not his outward actions, but what lies inside."

"Since I was young, I have always been afraid." She stared out of the window, watching as the village disappeared in the distance. "I was never one to take on challenges head-on."

Yrsa was more calculating than most; she was not the type to take unnecessary risks. It was because of that reason that she had survived their fight with the Arctic spider.

Harold had risked his life, knowing he could have died on his mission, even at his age. But Yrsa could not force herself to move; she could not leave her comfort zone.

But after seeing Ark’s party and the massive haul they had brought, Yrsa had made a decision.

"I want to grow stronger." That was the reason she had volunteered. There was a certain passion in her eyes, even as her axe trembled slightly in her hands.

"A little boldness too would help." She smiled.

They were going to fight the Arctic spider, and yet, not once had Olivia shown even the slightest bit of fear.

Even the petite woman with them, although silent, was completely unbothered.

’If I can be a little more like them...’ Yrsa mused. Then maybe she would be able to help her people.

Olivia scratched her head after listening to Yrsa’s story. She did not know how to respond; she had never been good with this sort of thing...

To her, Yrsa looked like the very embodiment of confidence. From her physique to the way she carried herself, never would Olivia have thought she was feeling this way.

"Let’s go kick the spiders’ behinds. I’m sure you will feel plenty confident after that." Olivia paused briefly, her face turning a little more serious. "But Yrsa, you are wrong."

Yrsa sat up a little straighter. "What do you mean?"

Olivia shook her head. "A coward is not determined by the heart. Or at least I don’t think it is..."

She let out a breath and held Yrsa’s hand.

"Even when your hands tremble without control, when your heart races so loudly that you can no longer hear anything..."

"Your actions at that very moment determine if you are a coward or not."

Olivia frowned slightly, scratching her head as she tried to properly express herself.

"Ugh, what I am saying is that a courageous person is not someone who has no fear, Yrsa. I believe courage is about moving in spite of your fear."

Yrsa’s cheeks tinged red, her eyes wide open as she listened to Olivia.

"And if we are judging things by that." Olivia continued. "Aren’t you already very courageous?"

By the side, Cici nodded with approval.

"I see." Yrsa paused briefly. "I never thought of it that way."

She let out a small laugh. "To think I would learn so much from someone as young as you..."

"Thank you."

Meanwhile, Rodolph turned around to steal a glance at the girls, then frowned as he grumbled under his breath.

"What is so wrong with being a coward?" He was a coward, and he was proud of it!

He stared into the distance for a long moment as he considered the possibility. And then—

Shake Shake—

Rodolph shook his head vigorously and clicked his tongue. Their speech had made a local man like him feel heroic.

"Damn... I almost let their gospel get to me. Almost..."

The journey to the mines took nearly a full day, and by the time they arrived, the moon was high up in the sky, bathing the snowy world in its eerie glow.

Yrsa got out of the sled and stretched, looking down the road as Olivia got off, landing next to her.

"It is in that direction." Yrsa motioned with her chin.

Olivia focused her gaze at the spot, her pupil dilating as her vision magnified. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Yes, it is..."

"We’ll sleep here today," Olivia said as she climbed back into the sled.

"We will attack at first light tomorrow, just when the monster is still groggy from sleep..."