"Such a fierce blizzard... How did this happen? You said there wouldn't be any blizzard, Chief!"
Julius was shouting over the howling wind, one hand gripping the brim of his wizard's hat while he covered his face with the other. Snow lashed against their cloaks in wild sheets.
Yu Zhen's hands remained tucked calmly in his sleeves as he tilted his head slightly toward his left shoulder.
"Yes, but how could I possibly have known a blizzard would appear so suddenly?"
Zhou Rui's voice came through the swirling snow.
"Doesn't matter now—just find some shelter, fast."
Suddenly, a flare shot up into the stormy sky, trailing a bright red arc against the gray.
Yu Zhen lifted his chin as though he could see it, though his eyes stayed closed.
"There it is. Ms. Anna's signal. Looks like Mr. Friedrich's group found shelter."
They had become separated from the others nearly two hours ago. Friedrich, Heinrich, and Anna had left to hunt for food while Julius, Yu Zhen, and Zhou Rui rested and waited. They had only two hours of distance left to cover, but now they were starving—and lost in the storm.
The three of them moved toward the signal. Snow rose almost to their knees. Finally, they spotted a cave mouth gaping open in the white landscape, half-obscured by drifts.
Inside, the darkness seemed to swallow everything. They slipped through the entrance, boots crunching on frozen gravel.
Shapes moved in the shadows. There were multiple figures, but none of them could make out who—so all three instinctively fell into a defensive stance.
Julius leaned close to them and whispered,
"Now it's my time to shine."
He began to chant under his breath, voice low and deliberate.
Yu Zhen's brows lifted, though his eyes remained serenely closed.
Julius's right fist began to glow, an orange aura gathering around it. The glow expanded, casting warm light over a two-meter radius. Slowly, the shadows peeled back, revealing Friedrich, Heinrich, Anna—and the massive carcass of a polar bear, pierced with swords and arrows.
Julius raised his hand in greeting.
"Yo!"
Friedrich made a face as though he'd smelled something foul.
Zhou Rui leaned over and whispered,
"What's his problem with us?"
Julius whispered back,
"You beat him, remember? His ego is still bruised."
Yu Zhen stepped closer to the bear carcass and spoke calmly.
"Amazing. You hunted a polar bear. That should be enough to feed all six of us."
Friedrich replied with a grim nod.
"We hunted two, but because of the blizzard, we could only bring back one."
Yu Zhen smiled gently.
"Still, remarkable."
Anna glanced between them, brushing snow off her cloak.
"That's all fine, but how are we going to cook it?"
Julius grinned, thumping his chest with a gloved fist.
"Just leave that to me. You all mocked me for wasting time on a 'useless spell' this morning—now watch that useless spell in action."
He gathered some loose stones and piled them neatly in the center of the cave. Then he spread his fingers and held his palm over them, letting heat radiate outward.
Friedrich crossed his arms, smirking in disbelief.
"This is ridiculous. You really think you're going to light those stones with that pathetic trick?"
Julius smirked right back.
"Who said anything about lighting them on fire?"
A moment later, the stones began to melt. Within seconds, they glowed red—and then suddenly ignited with a small but steady flame.
Friedrich took a step back, astonished.
"But HOW!?"
Yu Zhen spoke up, his voice calm and instructive.
"Allow me to explain. After all, it's a technique from my own village."
He turned to the others, folding his hands back into his sleeves.
"The basic principle is easy to learn, but the advanced version is not. What Mr. Airu just did was the advanced form—usable in almost any situation. The basic spell merely absorbs about ten percent of the surrounding heat and concentrates it in one part of the body. That warmth is then used to ignite an object. The advanced form goes further: he can transfer that concentrated heat into another object—or even ignite the air itself. Mr. Airu melted the stones, then controlled their heat, releasing it into the air. That burst of heat triggered the oxygen to catch fire. That is why the stones are now burning."
Heinrich let out a low whistle.
"That's genius. And Mr. Koruto—you're a genius."
Julius gave a sheepish smile.
"Hehe, it's just experience."
Zhou Rui scratched his head.
"That's great, but how are we going to cook the meat?"
Heinrich clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. We brought some branches along. All we have to do is carve up the polar bear, skewer the meat, and roast it over the fire."
And so they did. Zhou Rui and Friedrich stripped the hide from the carcass. They cut equal portions of meat and slid them onto six wooden branches. One by one, they handed out the skewers. Then they gathered larger stones from around the cave and set them in a circle to sit on.
As the fire crackled and the scent of sizzling meat filled the space, silence settled over them.
But Yu Zhen finally broke it, his voice quiet and steady.
"Thank you for coming with me on this journey. But even I don't know if I will survive this. There's a chance some of you—or all of us—won't make it back."
No one spoke.
Finally, Julius lifted his gaze from the fire.
"Don't worry. I won't let anyone die."
Yu Zhen tilted his head slightly, smiling.
"We know that. But sometimes life doesn't follow our plans. Ms. Anna—do you have any family?"
Anna looked startled. She hadn't expected the question.
"Y-yeah... I have a little brother."
Yu Zhen nodded.
"And you, Mr. Heinrich?"
"Only Friedrich."
Yu Zhen's expression softened.
"Oh? And you, Mr. Friedrich?"
Friedrich looked away, voice low.
"Only Heinrich."
Then Yu Zhen turned his closed eyes toward Julius.
Julius felt a stab of panic. I can't exactly mention Saya and Serena... They'll kill me if I do.
"Um... Zhou Rui. Yeah."
Zhou Rui looked at him, completely creeped out. Then Yu Zhen shifted his attention to Zhou Rui.
Zhou Rui thought, I can't tell him about Lord Vermillion.
He cleared his throat.
"Airu."
Yu Zhen gave a soft smile.
"I see. As for me—I have no one. But it makes me happy to know the rest of you have people you care about. Now, rest while you can. When the blizzard passes, we'll continue our journey."
The flames flickered against the cave walls. Outside, the storm raged on. But for a little while, they were warm.