"FRANZ, LOOK UP!" Angie exclaimed, pointing at something in the distance.
Barely able to react in time, I witnessed an avalanche of snow rushing down the mountain, about to collide with us. Angie swiftly entered the carriage with the other girls. In less than a breath, the avalanche hit the carriage, making it vanish from my sight as it got buried under snow.
However, I had no time to worry about others. Charging Geronimo with mana, I executed a vertical slash toward the avalanche to shield myself from the first impact. Unfortunately, the maneuver wasn't enough to fully protect me. In addition to the snow, other projectiles were thrown in my direction—bushes, rocks, and even tree trunks brought down by the avalanche.
Seizing the tree trunk that had hit me, I turned the threat into an opportunity. Using it as a shield, I covered my entire body. To prevent it from breaking under the avalanche, I covered the trunk with mana, burying it against the ground with great force, creating a barrier. The snow avalanche continued its path around me. If the tree had been a bit smaller, the snow might have buried me from above, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
The avalanche persisted for a few more moments until it finally stopped. Though I had climbed onto the tree trunk to gain a bit more height, the lower half of my body was covered in snow. Regardless, getting out of that situation wasn't a problem for me, so I shouldn't have been overly worried.
Having said that, the expression on my face revealed great anxiety—not for my safety, but for my dearest friends. I quickly scanned the surface of the avalanche and headed toward where I thought the carriage had been. I began digging at high speed with my hands covered in mana.
Recalling Angie's strategic move of entering the carriage to be close to the others, I understood her power to perform telekinesis. She could protect the entire group by strengthening the carriage and blocking the snow.
But if that were the case, why would I be so anxious? The answer was simple. Even if they managed to shield themselves from the avalanche's impact, another circumstance could be deadlier for a mana user—the absence of oxygen and death by suffocation. Despite fervent training in mana, physical condition, and unique ability, humans can't endure without breathing for extended periods.
Sure, there might be exceptions with some ridiculous unique ability allowing such feats. However, other circumstances wouldn't permit it, primarily because the accumulation of mana requires breathing. Without mana, unique abilities or magic become impossible.
With superhuman physical abilities, I could endure longer without breathing than the average man. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the girls. Their unique abilities weren't focused on physical combat, so I couldn't waste any more time.
I kept digging at high speed until I came across something—crimson-red mixed in the white snow. The pupils of my eyes dilated, but I continued to dig without stopping. A destroyed body in an unrecognizable state caught my attention, but I managed not to panic because I knew the girls were inside the carriage. The destroyed body lacked embedded metal or wooden parts—it must be the horses. If the horses were here, the carriage must be nearby, I thought with relief.
Shortly after, I came across an object made of wood and steel—the carriage. Only a small section was visible, while the rest was buried under several layers of snow. Placing my hand on the carriage, I felt mana covering it. "Ahh, thank goodness," I sighed in relief. The fact that the carriage was still intact and protected with mana meant the girls were still alive inside.
I had two options—keep digging or try lifting the carriage using my superhuman strength to expedite their rescue. The latter option was considerably riskier, as lifting it could cause Angie to stop using her telekinesis and break the carriage. So, I continued digging until about half of the carriage was visible.
Drawing my sword, I sliced through the carriage cover like paper, creating an opening large enough for a person to pass through. Poking my head into the opening, I looked inside to see Angie, barely conscious, her eyes half closed, and the rest of the girls unconscious from lack of oxygen. As Angie saw me, she smiled faintly before falling unconscious. I wasted no time in getting the four girls out of the carriage.
***
Time was running out as the snow avalanche threatened to crush them. Angie was confident in escaping with her life, but the same couldn't be said for the other girls. Even if Eva could use her unique ability to protect herself, it wouldn't be possible for Jess and Nat.
Angie's decision to jump into the carriage without hesitation was to protect the entire group. Activating her unique ability, 'Handling,' she strengthened the carriage and used the snow as a barrier to prevent more snow from entering.
It was a challenging maneuver, as Angie had to endure the heavy impact of the snow avalanche and the subsequent weight trying to crush the carriage. They were likely buried under several layers of snow. Nat took the longest to recover from her shocked state due to her lack of experience. Eva and Jessica quickly grasped the severity of the situation.
Jessica asked Angie if she could lift all the snow covering them. Angie deemed it impossible due to the difficulty of manipulating snow. The unanimous decision was to wait for Franz's rescue.
Concerns about oxygen depletion led to prioritizing Angie's needs. The girls, holding their breath, experienced dizziness and blurred vision. Nat, in the worst condition, passed out first. This worried them not only for her health but also because unconsciousness meant regular breathing, further increasing oxygen consumption.
"I must resist," Jess thought, barely able to stay conscious. Before Nat, she had the worst physical condition in the group, struggling to stay without breathing for so long.
Eva, witnessing Jess's distress, decided to knock her out by squeezing a pressure point on her neck. Angie witnessed everything but chose not to interfere, understanding Eva's feelings and feeling guilty for breathing easier thanks to the sacrifice of the other girls.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eva took one last look at Angie and collapsed. Alone and at the limit of her capacity, Angie began feeling afraid. The time that shouldn't have been more than a few minutes felt like an eternity.
Sensing the impending oxygen shortage, Angie decided to inhale a great breath of air into her mouth, holding her breath in a race against time. Completely focused on keeping her power activated while holding her breath, thoughts filled her mind. "I don't want to die here," she thought, ever prepared to give her life in battle. However, dying of suffocation in a border area of the kingdom seemed like a pointless death.
Angie clenched her teeth with what little strength remained, eyes filled with determination. "I WILL NOT FALL HERE. I WILL NOT DIE HERE," she repeated to herself. Unfortunately, even willpower has limits when the body fails too.
As her vision blurred, and she lost the ability to think properly, she was about to faint. Suddenly, a warm light entered through an opening in the carriage. A head poked through—the rescue had arrived.
It was Franz. "Yes, you took a long time, silly," Angie smiled slightly and finally passed out with a relaxed expression on her face.