Around them, a whirlwind of snow swirled, and darkness enveloped them. They couldn't see anything, only feeling the force of the avalanche dragging them down. The avalanche, after covering the entire region with astronomical speed, finally stopped. Leaving a deadly silence in the air, only the sound of storms in the sky remained. But that didn't stop Viktor. Thanks to his enhanced body, dazed and covered in snow, he began to move, digging his way out of the snow that buried him. He felt pain all over his body, but he realized that John was nowhere to be found; he needed to locate him.
"Atlas, where's John?" Viktor asked, his voice hoarse and tired.
'USER! JOHN IS 20 METERS NORTHEAST. HIS VITAL SIGNS ARE WEAK, BUT HE'S ALIVE!' Atlas replied quickly.
With great difficulty, Viktor began to move in the indicated direction. Fighting against the deep snow, each step was a battle against his exhaustion. Finally, he spotted John, partially buried in the snow and unconscious. Approaching him, he began to dig him out.
"Hey! John! Wake up!" Viktor shouted, shaking his friend. "You need to wake up!"
John started to move slowly, his eyes blinking as he tried to focus. He seemed confused and disoriented.
"...what happened? I had a crazy dream...it seemed so real." He covered his head with his hands, trying to process what he had dreamed. "I dreamed I got into a big mess. It all started when I saved a kid who, without me realizing it, was being pursued by that damn ARES squad. The kid set a clumsy trap that only made things worse. A bunch of wild beasts appeared, making the situation even more chaotic. I almost became food for those creatures, and in the end, I was swallowed by an avalanche. It was a nightmare."
"..." Viktor didn't say anything because there was no way to defend himself.
"Thank God it was just a dream!" John said, removing his hands from his face and lifting his head to see who had helped him.
"I don't know who you are, but thank you..." John looked at Viktor and around him, still trying to process everything. He fell silent for a moment, absorbing the situation. Finally, he broke the silence. "You must be kidding me."
Viktor put a hand on John's shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"I know, John. But we need to get out of here. Let's find a safe place."
John stopped when he heard that phrase.
"What do you mean by 'we'? Don't you realize I almost became food because of you?" He tried to stand up, but exclaimed "Ah!" when he realized he couldn't stand due to his broken leg.
Viktor looked at John groaning while holding his right leg in pain. "It seems you broke your leg."
"Seems?! Of course, I broke my leg!" John stated between his teeth.
"Calm down, John."
John was complaining about the pain while Viktor tried to calm him down.
"John, we need to keep going. We're in the middle of the cold, and surrounded by beasts ready to wake up at any moment."
Without options and knowing his right leg was broken, John reluctantly agreed. Viktor looked around for something to help transport John. With hope, he looked at the cave, but felt discouraged when he saw it buried under the snow. He thought of using the secret passage, but saw that it was also blocked.
Tired, Viktor analyzed every detail around him. The thick snow covered the ground, making visibility and movement difficult.
He noticed the bodies of the beasts with their grotesque and frozen forms scattered around. The sharp claws and exposed teeth of the creatures reflected the faint light, making Viktor even more uncomfortable.
The cave, which had seemed like a possible escape route, was now completely blocked by the snow. Viktor felt discouraged.
He turned to the secret passage, a faint hope, but as he approached, he saw that it had also been destroyed by the ice butcher that pursued them. The snow had accumulated, sealing any chance of escape from there.
Viktor diverted his attention to John, who was groaning in pain. He looked again at the carcasses of the beasts, searching for something to use. His eyes fixed on a large, thick skin buried in the snow.
Viktor picked up the vibrating knife. He had to cut the leather carefully not to damage the knife or worsen the situation. With a precise movement, he began to cut the leather, feeling the resistance of the frozen material. The knife did not chip or bend; he was increasingly impressed with its quality. One of the things John gave him.
John, lying on the beast's skin, looked at Viktor with a mixture of irritation and impatience. "Come on, kid! Hurry up! We don't have time! I'm sure our new friends will start waking up!!" He said, his voice loud and urgent.
Viktor, undeterred, continued to cut through the hide, his hand moving with precision and force. The vibrating blade cut through the material with ease, making a sharp sound as it penetrated the thick layer of skin and ice. Diana's blade cut cleanly, gliding through the thick flesh and skin. He needed to be quick. Removing the thick ice from the beast's hide would leave only the beast's hide useful to him.
"This will have to do."
With the leather strips now loose, Viktor began to shape an improvised mold. He cut suitable pieces to wrap around John's broken leg.
"This should work." thinking as he carefully adjusted the strips.
Approaching John, he began to wrap his broken leg with the leather strips, carefully adjusting each part to ensure it was firm and secure. Finally, after a few tense and silent minutes, Viktor finished his improvised work.
He looked at John and said. "Done! Now you need to stay still until we can get out of here."
Looking at his broken leg.
"This will help protect your leg." Viktor smiled as he adjusted the skin around John's leg. "See! It's done. Want a lollipop, kid?"
"Come on, your... wait, it still smells!" Interrupting Viktor before he could offer the pirolito.
John's irritation was evident, the smell of the improvised plaster barely mixed with the nauseating pain emanating from his leg. The smell of the animal's skin was still strong, still lingering in the air and bothering him. The smell of the poorly cut skin was still fresh and the blood running down his leg was pungent, but thanks to the cold he froze quickly, and John could still remember the wild beasts chasing him madly, giving him severe headaches and nausea.
"Yes, the smell is strong. But we need to make do with what we have."
"But…"
"Enough, John! Let's get out of here!" Viktor interrupted him.
'Since when did you become the leader…?' John speaking internally.
With John now protected, he was losing almost his sanity after all the stress he was facing. Viktor began to drag him by the collar of his fur coat. John screamed in pain with every movement he made, his face contorted in agony. Curious, Viktor looked at him and asked.
"How can someone with special powers get hurt so easily?"
Irritated, John told Viktor to shut up.
"Kid, just walk forward and be quiet! Give me back Diana!" He tried to keep calm, but the pain was evident in his voice.
"Okay, I'll give it back as soon as I take you to a safe place."
"Good!!"
Tired, John looked forward as he was being dragged, noticing something strange on the mountain.
"Is the mountain moving?"
Hearing that, Viktor felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly looked at the mountain and saw that John was right. The mountain seemed to be moving.
'Serious! Now!' Viktor almost shouted unconsciously.
Without hesitation, Viktor began to run, ignoring John's cries of pain.
"Stop!! Kid!"
'Atlas, is there an exit route around here? An opening, a cave, anything?'
Atlas replied quickly. 'USER, THERE IS AN OPENING TO THE UNDERGROUND 500 METERS FROM HERE. IT WAS CREATED BY THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE!!'
Without caring about John's cries of pain, Viktor ran with all his might, determined to get out alive. The cold wind cut his face, and the snow made every step difficult. Desperate, John shouted.
"Stop!! Kid! Stop now!"
Viktor, with his heart racing, tried to ignore John's shouts. He knew that stopping was not an option.
Every second he spent in that area could be his end, and the opening to the underground was his only hope. With each step, he felt the resistance of the snow and John's weight, but his will to live was greater.
"We're almost there!" Viktor shouted. He could see the opening in the distance, a small crack at the base of the mountain that promised safety.
Finally, Viktor reached the opening after what seemed like an eternity to him. He threw himself inside, pulling John with him. The darkness enveloped them, but the muffled sound of the wind and snow outside indicated that they were safe, at least for now.
John, breathless and still in pain, looked at Viktor with irritation. "Why did you start running out of nowhere and throw me into this hole?" He was clearly frustrated with the situation.
Before Viktor could explain, the ground beneath their feet began to crack. Both froze, the sound of cracks echoing around them. Viktor, with a tense voice.
"Don't move!"
But before John could respond, a new earthquake shook the ground. The cracks expanded rapidly, and John, realizing the ground was about to collapse, looked at Viktor and said.
"Kid... I want you to know something... You are the worst thing I've ever met!"
Viktor shrugged, looking at John. "I can't disagree."
John, angry and about to retort, was interrupted by the ground collapsing beneath them. The ground gave way beneath their feet, and they both began to fall into the hole, screaming as they were swallowed by the darkness.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME!!!!"
"HAAAAAAAAA!"