Chapter 17: Endless Cold

“Ugh… where am I? Why is it so dark in here?” Chris’ voice echoed in the midst of a vast lightless void.

“Lillin? Grunt? Can anyone here me!?” he shouted. “This is probably just a dream.”

Chris hit himself hard but he did not feel anything.

“I knew it! This is a dream! But why does it feel so real?” Chris was so lost in thought.

A small light emanated from afar, and in a split second, everything became bright. When Chris opened his eyes, he found himself in an icy terrain surrounded by mountains. The ground is covered entirely with snow.

“From total darkness, now I’m in a snow-covered land. What the heck is happening? I still can’t feel a single thing!” Chris remarked to himself, slightly annoyed by what’s happening to him.

Chris started walking to look for a village where he can stay. After a few minutes of walking, dark clouds started to form. Chris knew that a blizzard is coming. He was right. Seconds later, strong winds built up. Temperature is getting lower and lower but Chris’ numb body couldn’t feel it. He found a small opening that looks like a cave and went inside.

For nine days and nine nights, the blizzard didn’t stop. Chris stayed inside the cave, without the feeling of cold, hunger, and thirst. The cold blizzard also blew away Chris’ anger, boredom, and all his emotions. He just lied inside the cave and waited for the blizzard to end.

When Chris woke up the next morning, his body was sore and his stomach was grumbling with so much pain.

“Aaaaarrgghhhhh!!!!!” Chris screamed from the sudden pain that he is feeling.

“So this must be what Grunt was telling me… On the tenth day, I will feel everything that my body should have felt during those nine days…”

Chris became like a madman. He punched the cave walls and banged his head in agony. His screams echoed inside the cave. It is a scream of pain nobody else has endured before.

“Is this the challenge you want, huh!? Lillin, just give me one day and I’ll be able to craft you a beautiful ice crystal.”

His body is shivering nonstop and the pain in his entire body is like a thousand needles piercing repeatedly through his skin. He let out a big, tormented shout and then he collapsed.