Storm Trial

I made thorough preparations for this trip to Freljord; the oxcart was packed with emergency supplies, including several weapons. 💋♩ 💣👍

However, I overlooked one thing: the inclement weather.

I thought that with the Fire Dragon's Fang on me to keep warm, everything else would be fine, but I didn't expect the blizzard here to be so terrifying!

We've been heading northwest for the past few days, but the temperature has been getting higher and higher. Just when I was wondering about this, a sudden storm hit, and the clear sky was instantly filled with dark clouds!

We had just stepped onto the snowfield, and there was nothing around us but open space with nowhere to hide.

The storm whipped up the snow, and everything around us was a white blur, so we couldn't see anything. The three of us held hands and huddled close to the oxcart, but in the end, we were blown apart.

Lili's hands were cold and slippery, like ice. Riven and I couldn't hold onto her at all. As the oxcart overturned, she was blown away by the storm.

Riven and I hugged each other tightly, rolling around on the ground several times before stopping, covered in a thick layer of snow.

I tried to roll over, but found I couldn't. At first, I could still move my hands and feet, but the more I struggled, the more compacted the snow became.

I opened my eyes and found Riven looking at me. Her clear pupils reflected the half of my face that was exposed, while the other half was still in the snow, feeling icy cold and even a little hot.

Our faces were so close, less than a centimeter apart, that our breaths could touch each other's faces. Just as I was lost in my fantasies, she suddenly laughed.

Our tent isn't that small.

"This is terrible. I don't know when the storm will stop. We can't hold out much longer at this rate."

"Don't worry, the Fire Dragon's Fang is radiating heat; we'll be able to move again soon."

"Let's turn our faces away first. Your breath has already turned into water; doesn't it feel like saliva?"

"Wow, now that you mention it, it's true."

We shook our heads, finally making room for me to stick my whole head out, though my other eye was so frozen I could barely move it.

"Yasuo, how many days do you think we can survive here?"

"Don't talk nonsense, we'll definitely get out of here."

"I was actually thinking, even if we can't get out, it's okay. I'm not scared at all right now, probably because I'm with you."

Why don't we think about the many more places we can travel to together after we leave?

"Hehe, don't take it so seriously. I was just giving an example. This little bit of snow won't trap us."

"Where I used to live, people were very reluctant to talk about death. There was no such thing as resurrection, and lifespans were short. Death meant eternal farewell."

"Oh, that's terrible! Tell me about your original world, like how amazing you were!"

"..."

How should I put this?

I once told Fiora that I was just an ordinary person, but now, seeing Riven's adoring gaze, I swallowed the words back.

"I'm pretty amazing. I know what's happening in the world without even leaving home—big things, small things, important matters, trivial matters—I can know whatever I want to know."

"So you're a prophet?"

"Well... not really. I don't know what will happen in the future, I only know what has already happened."

"That's still amazing!"

"Not only that, I can also communicate with friends from a great distance, for example, when we are located in Demacia and Noxus respectively."

→

"Is it through willpower? Or some kind of special magic?"

"No need for all that trouble. With just one tool, you can chat all day long!"

Wow! That's amazing! Tell me more about that.

I picked out some of the functions of electronic digital products and explained them to Riven in a special way, which surprised her and made her laugh uncontrollably.

It's quite interesting how two completely different civilizations collide and try to understand each other based solely on imagination!

We chatted for a long time, and the snow around us had melted, creating some space. We slowly used the Wind Force to expand this space, and soon we had built a small tent, just like an Inuit igloo.

"I don't know how thick the snow is, and I can't hear anything outside."

"No, close your eyes and feel it with your heart; you can hear the wind moving, listen to this wind direction, and that..."

When I was learning the Wind Riding Technique, the most difficult part was understanding the Wind Force in a calm, windless place. Now I'm taking this opportunity to teach it to Riven.

She studied very diligently, and since she already had a foundation, she quickly sensed. "The storm is still raging!"

"That's right, it's a little smaller than before, but still incredibly ferocious."

"Why don't we go outside?" Riven smiled at me.

"You want to... experience the Wind Force in a storm?"

"I might not be able to do it, but you definitely can!"

Riven's idea is really bold; she actually came up with such a concept. But after her reminder, I'm actually eager to try it out!

It's been a long time since I've improved since watching the Riven vs. Fiora match, so maybe this is a good opportunity!

"Then be careful, it wouldn't be good if we got blown away, who knows when the wind will stop."

"Then let's just keep hugging! Feeling the Wind Force doesn't require any movement."

Although what she said made sense, how could one concentrate on comprehending the Wind Force while embracing? I didn't say it outright, but I always felt that my thoughts were somewhat sordid.

In fact, with this snowdrift, we didn't need to huddle together or get blown away. After slowly removing the snow from our heads, the snow around us was as solid as a wall.

With snow still swirling all around and nothing visible, we began our trial in the blizzard, our backs against the snowdrifts!

In comparison, the trials at the top of the Wind Sword Sect's mountain were nothing. The wind here is stronger and colder! The biggest difference is that the wind is scattered and has no fixed direction, making it extremely difficult to find any pattern...

I don't know how much time passed before I felt a slight movement of the wind. Following that direction, I slowly felt I could keep up a little.

Later, I tried to master the Wind Force within it, but every time I felt I was about to merge with it, I was pushed back by a powerful force.

This process was repeated many times before a single success was achieved, only to be followed by another loss of direction, forcing the team to start all over again.

And so, after who knows how long, the success rate finally improved, and I gradually started to figure things out...

Souma used to remind me that I must not let my guard down, especially in situations like this, and that I must seize the opportunity and get it done in one go, otherwise all my previous efforts will be wasted, and I might even hurt myself!

So the further I went, the more careful I became; I was so focused that I couldn't even hear the whistling wind anymore.

Front, back, bypass, confront, absorb, release...

Finally, I mastered the Wind Force!