CHAPTER 49

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The wind whipped at my cloak, tearing through the air with a biting chill, but I barely noticed it. My focus was entirely on the glowing fissure before me, a gaping wound in the land from which pulsed the raw power of ancient magic. Deep below, the Primal Entity stirred, its presence warping the Aetheric Flow around it, as though the land itself was struggling to contain the creature.

This was no ordinary battle. I could already feel the complexity of the magic at play. The Aetheric Flow here wasn’t like anything I had encountered before. It was ancient, primal, and far more unpredictable than the demons or magical beasts I’d faced. This fight would require more than just strength or reflexes. I would need to think fast, adapt, and outmaneuver this creature in ways I’d never done before.

The ground rumbled beneath my feet as the fissure cracked open wider, and I saw it—a shadowy, shifting form, rising from the depths. The air grew colder, the ice groaning as the Primal Entity began to manifest its power.

Suddenly, tendrils of shadow and ice burst from the fissure, shooting toward me at breakneck speed. Instinctively, my Auto-Dodge activated, and my body moved on its own, weaving through the oncoming attacks. I barely had time to register the tendrils as they slammed into the ground where I had been standing moments before, shattering the ice with a deafening crack.

Another tendril lashed out, but I dodged it with ease, my body shifting with an almost effortless precision. Each attack was fast and brutal, but none could land a blow.

Still, this wasn’t just a matter of avoiding attacks. The Primal Entity was using the environment to its advantage, forcing me to constantly move, trying to trap me in a web of its magic. The ice beneath my feet cracked and shifted with each dodge, and I could feel the magic around me warping in response to the creature’s will.

This thing wasn’t mindless. It was adapting, trying to box me in.

I activated Analyze, focusing on the magic swirling around the creature. The Aetheric Flow was chaotic, more so than anything I had seen before. The Primal Entity wasn’t just feeding off the land—it was tethered to it, drawing its power from the very essence of the Frozen Wastes. Severing that connection was the only way to stop it.

But the magic was ancient, far older than anything I had studied. Even with my ability to instantly learn and master most magical techniques, this was different. This wasn’t just about casting a spell or overpowering the creature. It was a matter of understanding—truly comprehending the nature of the entity’s connection to the land. And that was something I couldn’t just brute-force my way through.

I can learn magic instantly... but this? I thought. This is something beyond just a spell. I have to adapt.

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The Primal Entity surged again, its form shifting and expanding as more tendrils lashed out at me. I dodged each one, my body moving fluidly through the attacks, but I knew I couldn’t keep dancing around it forever. I needed to strike back, to disrupt the magic holding this thing together.

I raised my hand, channeling ice magic through my sword. The Aetheric Flow around me was wild, but I pushed through, forcing the magic to bend to my will. The blade glowed faintly as the ice magic coiled around it, amplifying its power.

I slashed through one of the tendrils, shattering it into shards of ice, but more rose to take its place. The Primal Entity wasn’t just reacting to my attacks—it was learning from them. Each time I struck, it adapted, shifting its form to counter my moves.

I needed a new approach.

I focused again on the fissure, my eyes narrowing as I analyzed the magic swirling around it. The creature’s connection to the land was strongest here, at the heart of the fissure. That was the key. If I could disrupt the flow of magic here, I might be able to sever its link to the Frozen Wastes.

I moved closer, dodging another barrage of tendrils as they shot toward me. My Auto-Dodge kept me safe, but the real challenge wasn’t avoiding the attacks—it was finding the right moment to strike.

As I neared the edge of the fissure, I felt the full force of the Primal Entity’s power bearing down on me. The air around me crackled with magic, and the ground trembled beneath my feet. This thing was far more powerful than any demon or beast I had faced before.

But I had faced overwhelming odds before. I knew how to adapt. I just had to be smart about it.

I planted my feet, steadying myself as I raised my sword. The Aetheric Flow surged through me, and I channeled the ice magic into the blade once more. This time, though, I didn’t aim for the tendrils or the creature itself. I aimed for the fissure—the heart of its power.

With a roar, I brought my sword down, striking the ground with all the force I could muster. The ice shattered beneath the blow, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Then, the fissure erupted.

A shockwave of magic burst from the ground, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the ice. The Primal Entity let out a deafening scream as the Aetheric Flow spiraled out of control. The magic that had tethered the creature to the land was severed, and I felt the connection snap like a thread being cut.

The creature’s form flickered, its body unraveling as the magic sustaining it was torn away. It roared one last time, its voice echoing through the frozen landscape, before it collapsed, dissolving into the storm.

I stood there, sword in hand, breathing steadily. The fight had ended without a single blow landing on me, thanks to my Auto-Dodge, but the real battle had been in my mind. Understanding the nature of the ancient magic had been the true challenge, and even now, I could feel the weight of the knowledge settling over me.

The land was quiet again, but the fissure remained. Its glow had dimmed, but the magic here wasn’t gone. The Frozen Wastes had been scarred by the Primal Entity’s presence, and I knew that the damage would take time to heal.

Tarek appeared at my side, his eyes wide with awe. “Is it over?”

“For now,” I said, my voice calm. “But the land is still fragile. We need to leave before anything else wakes up.”

He nodded, and together, we turned away from the fissure and began the long walk back to the camp. The battle had been won, but I knew this was just the beginning of something far greater.