Somehow, we managed to lose the pursuers, though it meant driving completely blind. In the darkness, headlights would have been a dead giveaway, even with the blizzard. Fortunately, my magical vision came to the rescue, though it required me to take control again, draining the last remnants of my energy.
To navigate, I flew ahead as far as my range allowed, scattering a thin layer of ash across the snow that the wind quickly dispersed. It worked like primitive echolocation—a concept Dima had once explained to me.
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Soon, we hit an impassable wall of trees. Abandoning the car at the edge of the forest and hoping our fragile bodies could endure the bitter cold was not an option.
Without stopping, we began searching for a way around, gradually putting more distance between us and our pursuers. We could see them clearly—they hadn’t turned off their lights and had stopped where we left the road.
The guards briefly tried following us on foot, flashlights in hand, but quickly gave up when they felt the wrath of the local weather. Like us, they hadn’t packed warm clothing.
Still, the broken windows in our car soon forced us to stop. Once the adrenaline of the chase wore off, the biting wind began to take its toll. Luckily, we had enough materials left for a makeshift fix. I clumsily patched the shattered windows, forcing the last remnants of mana from my nearly depleted core to generate the necessary energy.
The job done, Dima turned on the heater, and things immediately felt more bearable.
Of course, we couldn’t stay idle for long, no matter how tempting it was to collapse in the seat and sleep. After warming our frozen hands a bit, we pressed on.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
It was clear that the best time to cover our tracks was now, during the storm, while we still had a few hours before dawn.
The journey felt endless. We must have been driving for what seemed like days—at least a couple. Oh, this human body! I used to be able to fight for days on end and celebrate for just as long afterward. Of course, my current state was more due to the damage to my focus than physical exhaustion.
Still, the escape was grueling for both of us. Dima was in bad shape, too. We took turns driving to alleviate the mental strain, though the actual task wasn’t challenging once the path had been scouted.
We ate on the move to save time. Opening cans was easy, even without my blade—I could do it with my bare hands, aided by a bit of mana. Water came from melting snow in empty cans during brief stops.
When the first rays of dawn broke, we both sighed in relief. I hit the brakes, savoring the moment as I leaned back in my seat. The snow had stopped, and we were far from the road. Tracking us seemed unlikely, unless they had special magic or blessings—but if they did, they’d have caught us by now.
We had been running on sheer willpower for the past hour, completely drained. With Dima unable to contribute magically, I ordered him to rest while I took on the task of recovery.
Melting snow again, I drank deeply before finally surveying our surroundings. Overnight, we had ventured far from the road and now found ourselves amidst endless snowy fields surrounded by coniferous forests.
To get my bearings, I exited my body and ascended in ghostly form, gaining a bird’s-eye view. The sight was breathtaking: snow-covered forests, endless fields, and not a soul in sight except for a faint road in the distance. “That’s our destination,” I thought.
Returning to civilization, however, was premature. After consuming the last of our rations, I used possession to catch a few forest birds and squirrels, which I roasted with satisfaction. It wasn’t the tastiest meal, but it was much needed. This body required a lot of energy, and my reserve of stolen life force had long run out.
Next, I turned my focus to the main issue. Back in the car, I reclined and cradled my focus, entering a meditative state. My goal was to smooth its surface, reshaping it into its usual brick-like form. After its unfortunate encounter with the face of a gnome statue, it now bore an irritating imprint of that face.
But I didn’t get the chance to finish. Less than an hour later, I heard faint crunching and shuffling in the snow. It started in the distance but grew closer. Though the intruders tried to mask their presence, their efforts were amateurish. Had I not heightened my senses for such situations, I might have missed them entirely.
Activating my magical vision, I spotted several dozen humanoid figures. At first, they approached cautiously, but then they began spreading out, encircling the car.