Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 85 The First Test

Nate stood in silence, his eyes fixed on the swirling void where the world had once been. The last fragments of the ancient realm crumbled into nothingness, vanishing as if they had never existed. He still had so many questions, so many things he needed to know. But now, those answers were gone, lost forever with the collapse of the world.

The weight of it all pressed down on him, and his thoughts were a storm of confusion. He replayed the old man’s final words in his head, the cryptic message that offered no clear direction:

"When the shadows stretch longer than the sky itself, follow the path to the frozen horizon."

Nate exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as he muttered under his breath, "What the hell does that even mean?" His fingers brushed against his temple, still aching from whatever had been forced into his mind.

Beside him, Alice stepped closer, her presence grounding him. She was staring at the now-empty space where the portal had been, her expression filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"What happened back in the palace?" she finally asked, turning toward him. "One minute I was walking toward you, and the next… I don’t know. It was like the world just skipped forward without me. And then I saw you on the floor."

Nate hesitated for a moment, then forced a small smile, trying to downplay it. "The old man just gave me a little… history lesson."

That was all he said. He wasn’t ready to share more than that. The things the old man had revealed to him—if they were true—changed everything. It meant that his entire existence, his entire identity, was something else entirely. He wasn’t human. And until he could fully understand what that meant, he wasn’t about to reveal it to anyone.

Alice frowned slightly, sensing that he was holding something back, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she crossed her arms and asked, "So… did you get what you came for?"

Nate let out a quiet breath, shaking his head. "Not really. I came here looking for answers about the ice being… but I didn’t find anything."

Alice looked surprised. "Nothing at all?"

"Nothing useful," he admitted. "I still don’t know why it was trapped here, how it escaped, or what it even wants."

Alice sighed, rubbing her arms as if trying to shake off an unseen chill. "So we went through all that for nothing?"

"Not exactly," Nate said. "I mean, I did learn something… just not what I expected."

Alice studied him for a moment before tilting her head. "Speaking of unexpected things… what the hell was that back there? How were you so fast when we were leaving? Your power—" She shook her head. "It was like an explosion. I’ve never seen you move like that before."

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Nate glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as he recalled the raw energy that had surged through him. "That world… it changed something in me. I don’t know how, but I could feel it. My fire felt stronger. I felt faster, sharper, like I had complete control over it." He then looked at Alice and added, "And so did you."

Alice blinked. "What?"

"Try using your powers," Nate urged.

Alice hesitated for a moment but then lifted her hand. She didn’t put much effort into it—just a small, casual gesture, intending to create a simple frost. But the moment she did, the entire cave reacted.

A powerful wave of ice erupted from her fingertips, spreading outward in an instant. A thick layer of frost coated the cave walls, the ground, even the air itself seemed to shimmer with frozen mist. The temperature dropped sharply, and before she even realized what had happened, the entire cave had transformed into a winter landscape.

Alice’s eyes widened in shock, her breath visible in the freezing air. "What the—"

She turned to Nate, searching for an explanation, but he simply shrugged. "The old man decided to leave us a parting gift."

"Who is he?"

"I don’t know"

"Why did he-"

"I don’t know"

Alice stared at him for a moment, then turned her focus back to her hands. Slowly, she raised them again, this time more deliberately. The ice around her responded immediately. It wasn’t just raw power—she could feel it. She understood it.

A flick of her wrist, and the frost lifted from the ground, transforming into thousands of tiny, razor-sharp ice needles. Each one hovered in the air, waiting, poised under her complete control.

Her breath caught in her throat. She had never been able to do this before.

Before, her ice had been wild, unpredictable. It had always felt like she was fighting against it, struggling to shape it the way she wanted. But now… now it was effortless. She could command it with precision, with an understanding that had never been there before.

"This is insane," she whispered, staring at the countless frozen needles floating around her. With a simple thought, they all merged together, forming into a single spear of ice that hovered beside her like a living weapon.

Nate smirked. "Not just power, huh? You got knowledge too."

Alice nodded slowly. "Yeah… before, I was just throwing ice around like a blunt weapon. But now? Now I know exactly what I’m doing. It’s like… like I always knew, but I just forgot."

Nate’s expression turned thoughtful. He had felt something similar—like an instinct buried deep inside him had been awakened. Whatever the old man had done, it had given them more than just an increase in strength. It had given them understanding.

Alice clenched her fist, and the ice spear shattered into nothingness. She turned to Nate with a newfound determination in her eyes.

"I know there is a lot you are not telling but if my increase in power is a result of you.... Thank you"

Nate smiled as he stepped out of the cave, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. The tension that had been building in his chest since their time in that collapsing world slowly eased, but his mind remained restless. There was so much to process, so much to figure out. But for now, he knew one thing—they had to return to camp.

"Let’s head back," he said, glancing over his shoulder at Alice.

But Alice quickly shook her head. "No."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "No?"

Alice’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "I want to test the full extent of my power first."

Nate considered her words for a moment. It was a reasonable request. They had both felt the surge of strength, but they had no idea just how much they had changed. He gave a short nod. "Alright."

A smile spread across Alice’s face, and she stepped out of the cave to join him. She scanned the area before turning to him. "We should go somewhere far away. I don’t want anyone at the camp hearing us—or worse, getting caught in whatever happens."

Before Nate could respond, Alice suddenly lifted off the ground, rising steadily into the air. At first, it looked like she was using an ice platform, but there was none. She was floating effortlessly, her body surrounded by a thin layer of icy mist.

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A laugh of pure exhilaration escaped her lips. "Oh my God, I can fly!"

She spun in the air with ease, the wind rushing past her, but she barely felt it. Before, she had needed to create ice to support herself, but now, her power lifted her as naturally as breathing.

Nate watched from below, arms crossed. He smirked and called up to her, "Good for you."

Alice turned in the air, then grinned mischievously. "Catch me if you can!"

Before Nate could respond, she shot forward like a missile. The sheer force of her movement sent out a shockwave of wind and frost, shaking the trees below. Leaves and branches trembled as a flurry of ice trailed behind her.

The moment she was airborne, Alice felt the full force of the wind against her face. It should have been painful, should have made it difficult to breathe—but instead, it felt amazing. The icy wind only energized her further, fueling her abilities rather than hindering her.

She turned mid-air, expecting to see a streak of fire blazing behind her, but there was nothing. No flames, no signs of Nate.

Alice smirked. "Guess he can’t keep up," she muttered under her breath.

She continued soaring through the sky, her eyes scanning the ground below. After a few minutes, she spotted a clearing in the middle of the dense forest. It was perfect—far enough that no one at the camp would hear her, and wide enough that she could test her abilities without restrictions.

With a graceful descent, she landed in the clearing, her feet touching down lightly on the grass. She took a deep breath and looked around—only to freeze in place, her eyes widening in shock.

The clearing was perfectly clean.

The ground was smooth, the grass neatly flattened as if someone had just finished preparing the area. There were no fallen branches, no overgrown weeds, nothing to indicate that this was a wild, untouched part of the forest. It was as if someone had just been here… and had prepared this place.

Before she could fully process what was happening, a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.

Nate.

He walked toward her with his sleeves rolled up, his expression completely calm—like he had been waiting for her.

Alice’s mouth fell open. "What the hell?"

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