Chapter 18: Winter Training (3)

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5 hours had passed, since Vincent and his team started climbing down the Snowy Mountain.

Snow started to fall harder, making their vision limited. 

The lamp on their hands, is the only source of light, that paves the way, on making their path visible. 

"Sigh~"

Vincent sighed, he knew fully that this training would be hard, but he didn't know it would be this hard.

"This is hard"

Thomas said that, as he kicked the snow below his feet. Making the snow scatter around.

"Stop. Don't waste your energy, just keep moving forward"

"But... sigh~"

Thomas wants to refute but stop, and just sigh. 

"Anyway, can you guys still keep going?"

"Barely"

Thomas said that tiredly, Vincent then looked at Annie and asked,

"And you, Annie? Can you still keep going?"

"Still can, only a little tired"

Annie answered… 

"Then... we are almost there, let's keep going"

Vincent said that and began walking again...

...

...

"Vincent?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you and Annie, hmm you know. You guys are close and all, so I was wondering if you guys are going out?"

"No"

The one that answers is not Vincent, but Annie, refuting the claim of their relationship instantly. 

"Annie is right, we are not going out"

"Really?"

"Really"

"Then what about your meet up every night?"

Stolen story; please report.

"Sparing"

"Training"

"Ohhh"

Thomas said in defeat. Even though the two denied it, he still can't believe that the two are not dating. Like the other Trainees, they will not believe until they see it with their own eyes. 

Then...

Suddenly, a sudden turn of events happens as the ground, that Vincent steps on, collapses. Leading him to fall down.

This turn of events is too sudden, as the two were late to react…

"VINCENT!!"

The two shouted in panic, as they saw Vincent fall to his doom.

Vincent saw that things were going south, as the ground collapsed. 

Then suddenly, with a flick of his finger. Strange things happen.

Like a movie in slow motion. Vincent's view of the world turns slow...

Vincent didn't waste time and picked up the rope with a hook on its end. Throwing it on the closest tree he saw, perfectly roping it in on the tree.

As soon as it happened, and tied up safely. The world he viewed turned normal again, as his falling turned to diving fast. But, with the rope he secured, he didn't completely fall down, using it forcefully as he swung and glided in the air, using the rope, but his position was in mid-air, and he can't totally control it, leading him on hitting the side of the now-cliff.

Looking up a bit dizzy, he saw a light brighten on his view, as his mind started to go blank and fall into the darkness...

Hitting the side of the cliff with his body, even though with thick clothes on, were still nonetheless, hurt as hell.

*****

Opening his eyes...

Seeing that he's leaning on a tree. He heard someone called out to him and looked replying...

"Vincent... Vincent! Are you ok?!"

"Hmmm... still alive"

"Thank god"

Thomas said that and sighed in relief, and continued speaking...

"Annie saved us"

"Us? Isn't that, I'm the only one falling into the cliff?"

"Yeah, but a sudden lightning strike hit my side and made me fly, making me unconscious. Unfortunately, I'm not that one that get hit or else, I will be dead Annie is the one that pulled you up and wake me after that"

Vincent looked at Annie in gratitude and said.

"Thank you, Annie, for saving me"

"Well... it will be a problem if you got killed"

Annie said that with a nonchalant expression, and continued...

"I'm just returning the favor of you teaching me"

"All of that amounts to nothing, compared to saving me. Once again, thank you"

"No problem"

"Just tell me if you need something..."

As the two were conversing, the guy with blond hair was standing there, with a dumbfounded expression and thought.

'Like hell, I will believe you two aren't going out.'

'These two started flirting, and I feel like I'm third wheeling or something along those lines.'

Thomas coughed two times and said.

"Cough~ Cough~. I know you guys are close, but please pick up the right time and places to flirt"

"Were not flirting, I'm just thanking here"

Vincent got up and sigh, and thought.

'What a close call. I almost died there. Without Annie, I will really die, and...'

'Slow-time, not using it this month is worth the wait, without this I will die for sure'.

"Do you need to rest, Vincent?"

"No need, I already took a lot of our time. We need to go, as the snow started to fall heavily"

...

...

Seeing a cottage in the distance, Vincent knew that they were near on finishing the task...

"Just a little bit more"

"Sigh~"

Thomas sighed in relief as he saw the cottage, seeing it as a sanctuary of some sort.

"Sigh~"

Annie signed too, as this training, really is hard.

...

A minute later...

Three people, under the snow assault, were steadily walking forward...

People at the cottage saw them, as they approached them and said.

"Are you guys ok?"

"Fortunately, we're still ok"

Thomas said that with a laugh. Now that he's in a safe place, all of his worries are gone and just got back to his easy going self.

"We are fine"

Vincent said that, and continued...

"How's everyone doing?"

"You guys at the second place, Marco's group is the first to got here"

"Marco..."

After some small talk, Vincent's team got inside the Cottage. He saw Marco and his team inside, and said.

"Marco..."

"Ohhh! Vincent and Thomas too?! Where's your third member?"

"Annie got inside the Female's cottage"

"Fortunately, you guys are safe"

Marco said that and smiled, patting his heart with a relief expression.

"Marco, this Training is really hard, how did you guys get here first?"

"Well... I memorized the way up the mountain, and I just followed it down..."

"What? You memorized it, and still can see the difference in this weather? I can't tell which north or south, but with Vincent's lead, we got down just fine, even though there's some accident along the way"

*****

1 hour has passed and Trainees are starting to finish climbing down...

Jean and Connie were fine as most of the Elite Trainees climbed down just fine.

Then... 

"What?! The Daz group is still there!"

Eren exclaimed, as everyone heard him get up.

"Daz group?! Is that where Christa and Ymir were a team?"

"Christa is still there?!"

"Goddess..."

The guys especially were in panic mode. Panicking that their Goddess is still out there, suffering. 

"Christa... That blond hair girl"

Vincent thought while sitting on the chair, relaxing his stiff cold shoulder.

"But, with these weather. I wonder if they can survive."

...

Glancing outside, Vincent began to prepare his stuff. He will be searching for the Daz Group, since the weather calms down a bit...

Surprisingly, Eren and with a bunch of guys, meet him on the way out...

"Vincent? Where are you going?"

"Same, where are guys going?"

Eren exchanged glances and said...

We're going to search for the Daz group...

"Then, we have the same goal. Let's go now!"

Going outside, and getting assaulted by the frigid snow. Everyone was chilled by this, but needed to move forward.

Then, at the distance, they saw a light...

As the light got close, they saw the person who was there...

It was Ymir, and at her feet, it was a person...

"Are you ok, Ymir?!"

"Yeah, but Daz need some treatment"

"Where's Christa?"

"She's alive, don't worry. She will come down on her own..."

Ymir said that and sat down on the snow.

Vincent looked at Daz and said.

"Let's treat Daz, first"