Aimless Ascension

Gale moved swiftly, collecting the remnants of the ice core with urgency as he dashed back toward where he had left the two women, Vale following closely behind.

Wang Li and Ai were already catching up, not willing to burden Gale and Vale with everything.

"Come on," Gale called out, his voice barely audible above the roaring storm. "Vale?"

Once again, he lifted the blind girl in his arms in a princess carry and joined Wang Li to race after Vale.

Through the biting blizzard, they struggled for half an hour until they finally reached the shelter of a cavern. Ai trembled in Gale's embrace from the intense cold, despite the healing spells he had cast to ease her condition.

His spiritual abilities were limited by the restriction, but he did what he could to help them all.

Except for Vale, who seemed relatively unaffected, the others were in bad straits. The freezing Qi had invaded their channels, making even the simplest movements a challenge.

The cavern they had found was different from the previous one, but that didn't matter at the moment. It was spacious and appeared to extend even deeper, though the darkness made it hard to discern the details.

First things first, Gale needed to create a fire. Fortunately, they had come prepared for such a situation. Throughout their journey, Vale had gathered an abundance of beast cores, more than what was necessary to complete their quest. And these cores could be utilised in various ways.

One such was as a potent source of power for Spirit Constructs. Although the cores were low-level, they could still be used for certain tasks, including creating a light construct and a Heater construct, which was now of utmost importance.

Despite his affinity for light attributes, constructing the three light constructs and the Heater construct proved to be a challenge. Well, he was a master scriber but not a skilled crafter.

With determination, he ignited the Heater construct first—a circular lamp-like construct made from animal bones that radiated much-needed warmth. Wang Li and Ai huddled close to the comforting heat, wrapping themselves in additional furry clothes they had brought from their bags.

The Light construct showed both of them shivering with their furry clothes clutched tight, enveloping them.

Thankfully, that wasn't all he built. Gale had constructed a Sealing array, a low-grade one with lower longevity. For their immediate needs, it proved more than sufficient. It could keep the cold air at bay and prevent it from infecting them for more than a few days.

"It will take a few minutes to set it up," Gale said reassuringly.

With practiced precision, he decorated the cold ground with small bone spikes, meticulously carved with intricate layers of script into each one. Together, these bones formed a thin Qi layer, creating a protective dome that effectively shielded them from the bitter cold and relentless winds.

The two women sighed with relief as they huddled near the crimson-glowing heater. Its warmth melted away the snow and ice that had clung to their bodies. With a little help from their Qi, they managed to expel most of the remaining chill.

"Now it's better," Gale remarked, settling down beside Vale. He gently ran his palm over the furry companion, channelling his Qi to remove any lingering snow and ice.

Vale seemed to enjoy the attention, delightfully resting his head on Gale's lap. He had done a lot of work these days. Well, they all have done it, but Vale worked the most.

"The storm will go on for hours, eight or nine at least," said Ai. She was closer to the radiant heater.

Gale casually tossed the remnants of the ice core to Wang Li.

"We should rest and make use of this time for meditation," Gale suggested, and all of them unanimously agreed.

The girls settled into comfortable positions, still wrapped in their furry clothes, and swiftly delved into deep meditation within a matter of minutes. Their unwavering dedication and resilience were evident as they embraced the tranquillity amidst the wintry chaos.

Gale too started meditating, though his interest lay elsewhere. Closing his eyes, Gale immersed himself in the intricate spiral marks on his left arm, attempting to access the fate lock.

With the Void Lock sealed off, he found himself unable to unlock the crucial contents within it or communicate with Saarya.

The strained nature of their relationship hadn't improved much, yet Gale couldn't shake the unease of being out of contact with her for several days.

Despite being a remnant of a soul, she had once been a divine being. He believed she could handle a few days of solitude. He had no doubt about this, especially after all those years of her staying silent, only observing him.

However, Gale remained uncertain whether Saarya could actually see or feel him, considering the restrictions placed upon him.

Regardless, he needed to assess the state of his Void Lock. Although the restriction might be lifted after they completed the intermediate-level trial, the potential danger concerned him deeply. He didn't want any of them to suffer unduly.

Moreover, Wang Li had achieved the peak of the Copper rank, and Gale possessed some items to aid her advancement.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His focus returned to the thumping sensation resonating within him—the familiar pulse of dark energy originating from the Void Lock.

Gale pushed his will, trying to pierce through the restrictive barriers. As the trial days passed, he sensed slight weaknesses in the restriction. It grew more as the day progressed, as if someone working against it.

It gave him hope that he could eventually break free.

In a bout of infuriating tug of war, Gale continued his relentless effort against the restriction for a few more minutes. Until, suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

The sound of her voice brought a mixture of relief and emotions to Gale. Despite their complicated relationship, he couldn't say he hadn't miss their conversation.

"Gale?" Saarya's voice called out, breaking through the darkness. "How long has it been? Did you reach the heart?"