Connor returned to the formation after his breakthrough. Alrick looked at him with a dropped jaw.
-What was that? Were you cultivating? What were those spheres? Is this another technique of yours?
The young boy was bombarded with the questions by a red-haired man. He didn't come up with the lie beforehand, so he needed to answer these questions somehow.
-Um..... I will tell you later when I'll help people at the frontline!
-Wha...
Connor didn't leave a chance for Alrick to speak because he needed time to come up with an answer. He went directly to the barrier. He saw struggling and exhausted people's faces. It was the faces of people ready to die but fought to the very end; was it rational? It is a philosophical question. Is it worth fighting against obstacles even if one doesn't have any chances of winning? It may seem like useless attempts to make the impossible possible, but in Connor's opinion, there was a sense in such desperate struggle. This "pointless" struggle was the essence of human life. If you would die anyway, then at least do something, try to change the world around you, or just do what you see as right. The most foolish thing in front of the impossible is giving up and doing nothing. You have only one life, so even if it is all pointless, doesn't the struggle itself was something to live for?
The people around Connor didn't give up even in the hopeless situation, and that's what saved them.
A little child came to the barriers, stretched out his arms, and the miracle occurred. In front of the original barrier, a new barrier rose. It consisted of tiny hexagons and covered an area even slightly larger than the initial barrier.
-You all can rest now. I will maintain the barrier.
In fact, Connor doesn't need to maintain anything. He just needed to be near so his energy wouldn't disappear without his control. The barrier was durable enough to withstand the powerful streams of air. The first barrier was just a thick Qi without any structure, which could be broken easily if Qi wasn't provided from an external source. The hexagonal structure of a barrier prevented any damage, so it didn't need the Qi to restore itself because it wasn't damaged in the first place.
The members of the group started to understand the situation.
-It is that kid who was cultivating in the blizzard?
People around Connor were disorientated. What did they need to do? A moment ago, all of them were on the verge of death, mentally preparing for the journey to the netherworld, and now some kid just came, made another barrier, and told them everything was over? How do they supposed to react? While everyone was bewildered, one of them shouted.
-Hey, I don't feel pressure on the barrier anymore!
-Yes, I too!
-And I!
Suddenly, members of the expedition noticed that the barrier in front of them didn't receive any pressure from the wind like it was before, it meant that all of the wind was stopped by this child's barrier?!
-Listen to the boy! You don't need to maintain the barrier anymore! Everyone, we can rest!
"Thank you, Alrick. You just made everything easier. I wouldn't need to convince everyone anymore."
Thought Connor inwardly. After this command, everyone stopped to provide their Qi to the barrier. There wasn't any life-threatening danger at the moment, so they could finally rest.
Alrick needed to check his people's conditions, so a boy had the time to come up with the lie about how he had just done all this. To be honest, when Connor thought about that, it really seemed like pure craziness mixed with extreme luck. He had gone right inside the blizzard, cultivated there, and even come up with a new plan right in the middle of the action when his old plan failed. If something could go wrong, it was entirely possible that he would die or be severely injured!
But, on the other hand, if he didn't do anything, he would die anyway, so it was worth the try.
While he was thinking, Alrick came directly to him after checking everyone's condition and presence. He looked with a severe and shocked expression at Connor.
-Would you explain everything to me now?
-Um... In the beginning, I just tried to copy the barrier out of curiosity. I created it and felt that it was pretty durable. Then you said that we would die, and I thought If I could create a large enough barrier, it would save everyone. You said that the only way to increase the range of the technique was to cultivate, I decided to cultivate as fast as possible to save everyone, and you saw what happened after...
-But why did you come right into the blizzard?
-I come into the blizzard because it pushed Qi along with the snow, and If I cultivate there, the Qi would be immediately replaced after I absorbed it.
-And what were those spheres that you swallowed?
-Before I met you, I noticed that if I'll compress the Qi sphere, it would attract other energy around, so I just made those spheres to collect the purple energy in the blizzard. I couldn't absorb it with breathing because energy was too uncontrollable for me. And spheres could attract a way more Qi than just normal breathing.
Connor talked a lot more and acted out of character. He really needed the trust of Alrick because it would be the starting point of his social life in this world. The red-haired man seemed like someone with authority so that it could be an exceptionally usual acquaintanceship for him.
-I don't completely understand it, but it seems that you are not lying, and thank you, you saved all the people and me here.
Alrick smiled humbly, and Connor slightly nodded. He was very happy inside because he managed to convince this tall man, it was a good thing.
-I almost forgot to ask, how long barrier could endure the blizzard? Will you need our help to maintain it?
Connor wanted to say that this storm was like a light sunny breeze to his barrier, but he didn't want to brag because it would only make him answer the more unnecessary questions.
-I don't know, but it must withstand the blizzard. I say if I need your help
-Okay, feel free to ask.
They talked a little more about everything that happened. Connor tried to take some information out of Alrick about cultivation, he thought that because he saved him and his people, the red-haired man would eventually give up and tell him something interesting, but it didn't work.
After his failed attempt, Connor decided to cultivate some more while the blizzard was here, but something had gone wrong, and the crowd gathered around him. They all were tired and exhausted. Their clothes were covered in snow and looked even crappier than before. But they were smiling. Some of them smiled from ear to ear. Some of them have a humble smile. Some have just a usual smile. Connor looked at those faces and felt that everything he had done was worth the effort. They were smiling because of him!
-Hey, kid, you are the hero, you know!
-You made four breakthroughs in a row to save complete strangers. If anyone told me a story like that, I would laugh at him because it would be too unrealistic!
-You are crazy, you know? Cultivate in the blizzard with some spheres! You are nuts!
-Thank you, boy! What was your name? Connor, right? I'll remember!
They were all middle-aged men. Their faces were screaming that their life stories weren't so easy and smooth as they would like them to be. Scars, burns, and some other kinds of injuries weren't a rare sight among those people. It was clear that usually, they were cautious and closed persons. But now, they are joking and laughing. View of this brings joy to Connor's heart. He was happy that his knowledge could save people even from the other world, he finally felt that his studies weren't for nothing, a truly pleasant feeling.
Connor finally have time to sit and cultivate, earlier he spoke with the people around him trying to make some acquaintances, even though he was a kid now, it was better to know someone, and besides that, he could use these connections in the future. And even if he couldn't, it wouldn't harm either, so he just did it.
And after all these social activities, Connor sit down and started to cultivate, for the fifth stage of the body refining realm he would need an immense amount of 16 spheres, which he couldn't make right now because the blizzard was slowly ending, but he still managed to fill the 5 spheres with Qi and absorbed it, just to have some Qi inside him something happens.
The wind gradually slowed down, snow clouds gradually disappeared, Connor diffused his hexagonal barrier, and that was again a vast never-ending snowfield called Snojfell
After enjoying the calm and flat landscape, Alrick stood up and said
-Everyone, we're going to the Aros!