Surrounded by a white-out that could blind him and freeze his face if not for the ray shield, Tristan found himself free-diving with no clear sense of where he should be headed.
However, a sudden realization struck him. "Damn! I was such a fool! Hahaha..." Tristan laughed at himself, realizing he had forgotten something crucial. A moment later, he shouted, "Daggo, activate radar and scan for Lady Ayana!"
Daggo swiftly responded.
Tristan's vision was met with a transparent hologram monitor displaying Lady Ayana's position, along with Valeria's and Uncle Alex's.
"Ready to deploy your wings on my command!" Lady Ayana's authoritative voice somehow instilled confidence in Tristan. He focused his eyes on maintaining his balance and keeping track of the hologram display, ensuring he stayed in line with Lady Ayana while summoning his energy to combat the freezing winds.
"Deploy the wings! Deploy the wings! Deploy, deploy!" Lady Ayana exclaimed repeatedly.
Tristan bellowed, "Daggo, activate wings!" Instantly, his jacket tightened, and the wings sprang forth. A gust of wind propelled Tristan upward, and he observed everyone else moving upward on his display. However, the sensation lasted only a few seconds. With their wings expanded, everyone now dove and maneuvered more effortlessly.
"Follow my lead while maintaining formation!" Lady Ayana instructed, noticing that Tristan and Valeria had stopped diving erratically and were gaining control over their direction.
Tristan aligned his course with Lady Ayana's using his transparent hologram monitor. The winds grew stronger, making it increasingly challenging to maintain stability. However, Tristan and Valeria did their best to mimic Lady Ayana's maneuvers by solely relying on the hologram display. Valeria exhibited the same determination.
As the struggle to maintain stability intensified, Lady Ayana and Uncle Alex continually reminded Tristan and Valeria to correct their positions. Additionally, their AI systems provided guidance on how to adjust their arms and legs to steer their glide in the desired direction.
After approximately five minutes of gliding, Tristan and Valeria successfully gained complete control over their direction. They navigated through the tumultuous storms and now found themselves entering a much calmer region with improved visibility.
The previously monotonous white scenery was now adorned with shades of white and grey, thanks to the presence of snow and rocks. Lady Ayana skillfully guided their path, steering clear of imposing rocks and narrow passages.
Before long, Lady Ayana's voice resonated in everyone's ears. "Prepare to channel your power and create a shield to protect your body upon impact. We will be landing in one minute. Once landed, make sure to quickly move away and clear the landing path for the next person."
With enhanced visibility, Tristan could discern their designated landing spot—a vast expanse of the snow-covered slope, both thick and soft, providing an ideal surface for a safe descent. The slope struck a perfect balance, not too steep to pose a challenge for beginners like Tristan and Valeria, yet not too flat to hinder their gliding experience.
"Keep a close eye on my landing and try to replicate it as best you can. Got it?" Lady Ayana's voice resonated through the radio system, filled with authority and guidance.
She gracefully touched down, executing a near-silent landing. Her body smoothly rolled as it connected with the snow, causing it to scatter like frothy foam.
Valeria's landing followed, Tristan barely catching snippets of her voice as she exerted her power to cushion the impact and maintain control. With skill and precision, she mirrored Lady Ayana's seamless touchdown.
Now it was Tristan's turn.
Concentrating his power, he directed it forward, attempting to slow his descent. He felt his power collide with the snow, somehow reducing his gliding speed. However, the velocity still felt overwhelming, and a groan escaped his lips. Determined, he increased the power of his shield, diverting the impact away from his body. As his power waned, he reluctantly allowed his body to make contact with the snow-covered ground, tucking into a roll to absorb the landing.
No amount of preparation could have readied Tristan for what awaited him. Yet, he maintained a steady rhythm of breaths, hands resting against his chest. The impact engulfed him in a world of whiteness as his body rolled across the snow. For what felt like an eternity, he tumbled, his form flowing against the thick white expanse, until finally coming to a halt.
With motion ceased, Tristan's senses heightened, acutely aware of his surroundings. An eerie stillness enveloped the area, disturbed only by the gentle whisper of the wind.
His eyes scanned the entirety of his surroundings, completing a full 360-degree sweep, searching for any signs of life or a trace of human presence.
Failing to detect anyone through his heightened senses, Tristan commanded Daggo to locate the nearest person and establish radio contact. Yet, before Daggo could respond, a voice called out his name, echoing through the air. It was Valeria, positioned several feet above him, and Tristan directed his gaze towards the source of the voice as he shouted back.
"Valeria?! Oh... Okay!" Tristan's voice boomed with as much volume as he could muster, his eyes fixed on what he perceived as the origin of her voice.
"Hey, lovebirds... You do know you can communicate through the radio, right?" Uncle Alex's calm and slightly teasing voice playfully interjected, reaching both Valeria and Tristan's ears. Their faces flushed with embarrassment, realizing they had momentarily forgotten about their means of radio communication.
"Hahaha... Cut them some slack, Alex. It's their first time gliding and free-falling over snow. Not sustaining any injuries from the fall, sans parachutes, is quite the accomplishment," Lady Ayana chimed in, her laughter hinting that both Valeria and Tristan were novice adventurers.
The notion that they were being referred to as novices momentarily pricked at Tristan's pride. However, he swiftly brushed aside such thoughts, reminding himself that Tristan Moonstone must embrace the role of a newcomer, concealing his true identity as Tristan Quinn, the highly trained special forces soldier.
"I apologize for the novice act, Lady Ayana," Tristan transmitted over the radio, setting aside his wounded pride.
"Valeria, come to my location first. We'll then proceed together towards Lady Ayana's position," he instructed, finally taking some initiative without revealing the depths of his past experiences as a seasoned soldier.