As Articuno's almost tangible oppressive aura receded like a tide, even the air throughout the cavern seemed to come alive again. The expedition members finally felt the invisible mountain lift from their hearts. Their nerves, stretched to the breaking point, relaxed, and many found their legs giving way. They dropped straight onto the icy ground, removed their masks, and gasped for breath, greedily drawing in air that, though cold, was no longer deadly. Those few minutes of confrontation had been more agonizing than any bitter battle lasting three days and nights they had ever experienced. It had been torture to both their minds and their wills.
The team decided to rest for a while and recover their almost completely drained physical and mental strength.
Just then, a fiery-red figure rushed up to Ye Li like a whirlwind.
"Sir Ye Li!" Apollo seized Ye Li by the shoulders, the muscles in his arms bulging, his grip astonishingly strong. He shook him hard, nearly rattling Ye Li's already less-than-sturdy bones apart. His face held an almost fanatical worship, and his eyes were frighteningly bright. "How... how did you do it? You actually spoke with a divine beast! This... this isn't something a human can do. It's a miracle!"
To him, Ye Li's feat of calmly "negotiating" with Articuno had gone completely beyond the realm of mortals. It was an achievement worthy only of heroes in myths and sages in epics.
Shaken until his head spun and his stomach churned, Ye Li could only raise his hands to grasp Apollo's arms and awkwardly offer an answer. "I... I just... know a few ancient rites for communicating with gods... Luck. It was all luck..."
"You're a god walking among humans!" Apollo paid no attention to his explanation. The flames of fanaticism in his eyes