Air whistled above Qing as Chillscourge flashed above. He crawled to the side of the remaining piece of the Earthen Bullwark. He didn't know how large the darkness would be, nor how long it lasted, so he needed to be tactical and not use it before he could trap the dragon in it.

Qing squinted and peeked above the wall, seeing the overgrown lizard banking like a damn bomber airplane. As soon as he spotted the dragon he closed his eyes, avoiding the pull of the visions. The whistle of the beast's heavy wings giving Qing a rough idea of its position.

Focusing on the sound, Qing opened his eyes just long enough to cast Magic Missiles and then ducked back down. A satisfying roar of pain confirmed the missiles' impact.

But suddenly, the temperature plummeted even further. Qing sensed the impending danger and instinctively Blinked out of his makeshift fortress. A blast of magically chilled air crashed over the Bullwark, but Qing hadn't managed to blink quite far enough. The edge of Chillscourge's ice breath caught his leg, partially freezing it, completely negating Magic Shield.

There was no pain. He just couldn't feel the leg, and he stumbled, fighting with the urge to look directly at his wound. Even a moment's distraction could be fatal.

The piercing screech of Chillscourge's descent assaulted Qing's ears. His heart raced, pounding furiously within his chest. Every muscle tensed, ready to spring into action, yet he hesitated. Timing was crucial; blinking too soon and the dragon would adjust, blinking too late, and…well. Steeling himself, Qing cracked open his eyes, only to see the beast hurtling directly towards him. Panic seized him, and he blinked.

But he'd done so too early.

As Qing rematerialised he peeked again and saw Chillscourge banking sharply. It looked unnatural, like a bomber banking like a fighter jet. The dragon stretched out a leg and it's talons just reached Qing, raking across his breastplate. The force of the impact sent Qing careening through the air as if hit by a runaway bus. He tumbled end over end, hit the ice hard, before skidding to a halt on the slippery surface, his body leaving a scratched trail across the frozen ground. Three deep furrows decorated his chest-piece, the tips of the claws having broken through to graze his skin beneath.

Gasping, Qing cast blink in a random direction, his vision swimming from the agony. He stumbled, nearly falling as his frozen leg refused to cooperate. Blood seeped from the wounds on his chest, warm against his skin in the biting cold.

Focus.

He centred on the sound of his own laboured breathing. He couldn't afford to look at his injuries, not with Chillscourge still circling overhead, so he cast a quick Healing Breeze, hoping it'd do the job.

I need to down the bastard.

He gathered his strength and cast Chain Lightning, aiming for where he estimated the wing joints to be, relying on the vague silhouette he'd glimpsed in his peripheral vision.

The spell crackled through the air, and Chillscourge roared in pain.

Before he could celebrate hurting the bastard, a shift in the air pressure around him had him focus on Magic Shield on instinct, making doubly sure the protective barrier surrounded him, and just in time. A barrage of ice shards crashed against it, shattering. The air shimmered as the frozen projectiles hammered on him, a chorus of tinkling ice filling the air.

Qing gritted his teeth, feeling his mana depleting rapidly, each impact drawing deeply on his reserves.

Qing's world had shrunk to a cacophony of sound and biting cold. The whoosh of Chillscourge's wings and the hiss of falling ice shards became his only guides in this nightmarish battle. He strained his ears, tracking the dragon's movements, his heart pounding with each swoop and dive.

Fighting blind was terrifying. Every muscle in Qing's body tensed, anticipating an attack from any direction. It would be one thing if they were both fighting blind, but with his eyes closed, he felt exposed, vulnerable, like a mouse in an open field with a hawk, no, a dragon circling overhead.

Desperate to regain some control, Qing tracked Chillscourge, and cast Mana Siphon. He felt the spell impact the dragon's magical resistance. But while the elite might be powerful, Qing's intelligence stat was nearly nine times a human's, and he'd been practicing this before. Eyes squeezed shut, he ran the tip of the Mana Siphon tube mentally across Chillscourge's resistance, pushing as it bent beneath him. He couldn't cast another spell simultaneously, giving his all to this. And with the tube connected, he could feel the dragon diving towards him.

Yet Qing didn't stop. Instead he pushed harder. And just when he felt a vein would have to pop, the tube crashed through the resistances and pierced the dragon, siphoning off a tremendous amount of mana.

Qing Blinked left, and not a moment too soon, as the dragon's jaws loudly snapped shut where he'd been standing.

As Chillscourge flashed past, Qing stumbled. The flow of mana… it had an alien nature to it. So cold and ancient. Like breathing air from an attic, one dangerously chilled,

With the mana replenishing, Qing prepared to cast Nature's Grasp, thinking of how Wazir had brought him to the ground in their last fight.

But as he reached out to the hellish landscape, pain lanced through his mind. The very ground seemed to reject his call, its essence corrupted and hostile. It felt like grasping razor blades, each movement sending jolts of agony through his psyche. Qing gritted his teeth, forcing himself to push through the pain, to bend this twisted nature to his will.

He needed to change the fight.

With a scream, Qing fell to his knees, eyes shut against the pain and the visions, raising his arms up, fingers splayed, as if pulling the earth out with his own hands. Finally, the hellish nature cracked, and heralled his call.

Ice formations shot upwards, grabbing Chillscourge. Qing heard the dragon's roar of surprise as the spell took hold, dragging the beast downward. For a moment, triumph surged through him, only increasing as the ground shook as the dragon crashed to the ice.

Qing laughed and picked himself up, risking a glance at the dragon as he cast Magic Missiles.

The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Chillscourge lay partially entombed in a chaotic maze of ice formations. Its massive body writhed and thrashed, sending tremors through the frozen wasteland.

Jagged spires of ice jutted upwards, ensnaring Chillscourge's legs and tail. The beast's enormous wings beat furiously against their frozen prison, sending shards of ice flying with each powerful stroke.

Chillscourge's long, serpentine neck arched in rage, its maw filled with razor-sharp icicle teeth gnashing at the air, and for the first time, Qing stared into the dragon's eyes.

They were filled with an eerie blue fire, making Qing's skin crawl. Those eyes were portals to a realm of endless torment. They had witnessed more millennia than Qing had seen years, and been driven stark raving mad. The overwhelming hunger to inflict pain was all that remained of a personality.

All that happened in the moment before Qing squeezed his eyes shut again, shivering at what he'd seen. Once more he cast Magic Missiles, aiming at the wings.

This time, the dragon kept quiet. All that accompanied the sizzling impact of the missiles was the sound of shattering ice as the dragon's tail, a massive appendage tipped with wickedly sharp icy spikes, shattered ice formations. It was breaking free, and fast.

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As Qing worked to channel his next spell, he heard the whistle of something massive cutting through the air, too late to dodge-

Quick Reflexes kicked in.

Without conscious thought, Qing leapt, and he felt a rush of air beneath his feet as Chillscourge's tail whipped past, missing him by mere inches.

Qing's eyes snapped open, his heart leaping into his throat as he saw Chillscourge's massive head lunging towards him. In that split second, he focused his will and Blinked, aiming for what he hoped was the dragon's back.

The world shifted, and Qing found himself atop the beast. The cold hit him like a physical blow, seeping through his armour and chilling him to the bone. Sharp, icy scales scratched at his gauntlets, threatening to slice through the leather with every movement.

Before Qing could fully process his new position, Chillscourge lurched forward. The dragon's powerful legs bunched beneath it, and then they were airborne. Qing's stomach dropped as they shot upwards, the icy ground falling away at a dizzying rate.

"Oh shiiit!"

Desperately, Qing plunged his glaive into the dragon's back, using it as an anchor. The weapon sank in with a sickening crunch, just in time, and Chillscourge roared in pain and fury. Qing clung to the glaive, his body whipped by freezing winds as the dragon climbed higher.

Eyes opening, he saw the dragon's wings beat powerfully on either side of him. He was nearly in the middle of the dragon. Perfectly placed to down the fucker. With a yell that was torn away by the wind, Qing cast Arcane Explosion.

The blast rocked Chillscourge, and the dragon thrashed violently in mid-air. Qing lost his grip on the glaive, and the weapon disappeared, his stomach lurching as he was suddenly in free fall.

Qing risked a peek to orient himself, seeing the unforgiving frozen ground rushing up to meet him. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, fighting against the pull of the visions that threatened to overwhelm him.

With his heart pounding in his ears, Qing decided to suck it up and blink, shortening his fall and righting his way so he struck with his legs first.

It helped, but not enough to avoid his legs from shattering, and his body collapsing until he smacked his head on the ice.

He triggered his last and only health potion, and glanced around, looking for the dragon.

Qing's relief was short-lived as he heard the ominous flap of wings behind him. Before he could react, an immense force slammed him face-down onto the ice. The dragon's massive foot pinned him, the weight threatening to crush him as the claws dug into the ice. Panic surged through Qing as he felt the metal of his armour begin to bend under the pressure.

In desperation, he cast Aegis. The protective barrier shimmered into existence, buying him precious seconds. His mind raced, searching for a way out of this deadly predicament.

With no other options, Qing focused on the sound of Chillscourge's laboured breathing above him. He channelled his energy and blindly cast Magic Missiles.

A deafening roar of pain filled the air, and the crushing weight lifted. Seizing the opportunity, Qing Blinked away, stumbling to his feet. He risked a glance at the dragon and saw blue gore running from one of Chillscourge's eyes. The sight was grotesque, but Qing felt a surge of triumph.

Capitalising on Chillscourge's momentary weakness, Qing cast Chrono Shift. The air around the dragon shimmered, and its movements became sluggish, as if moving through thick syrup.

With time on his side, Qing narrowed his eyes to slits, focusing on the dragon's right wing. A jagged, star-shaped wound marred the wing's surface, its edges blackened and curled inward from the intense magical energy. Blue-black blood oozed from the wound, dripping steadily onto the frozen ground below. Then he unleashed a barrage of Magic Missiles, the arcane projectiles streaking through the air in rapid succession, aimed at the wound. Each impact elicited a pained roar from Chillscourge, the sound distorted by the time dilation effect.

With the third set of Magic Missiles, the wing went limp, and Qing smiled grimly. He'd grounded the dragon.

His satisfaction, however, was short-lived.

A sudden chill in the air was Qing's only warning before Chillscourge unleashed a massive Ice Nova. Qing Blinked away instinctively, guided by the abrupt drop in temperature. But he wasn't fast enough. The edge of the blast caught his arm, freezing it solid in an instant, with Magic Shield once again being useless against the temperature part of the attack.

Pain exploded through Qing's shoulder, sharp and biting. He bit back a scream, his teeth clenched so hard he thought they might crack. The frozen limb hung uselessly at his side, a dead weight that threw off his balance.

Through the haze of agony, Qing heard Chillscourge inhale massively. The sound sent a jolt of fear through him. He knew what was coming - a breath attack that could end the fight, and him, in one fell swoop.

Time seemed to slow as Qing's mind raced.

I can't keep this up. Not with one arm out of action and my eyes constantly struggling. But with him grounded, it's time I evened things out.

Fighting through the pain, Qing equipped his glaive and activated the Darkened Sigil of Nightmares.

The effect was instantaneous. Darkness swept over the battlefield like a tide, extinguishing all light in its path. The sudden absence of visual input was a relief to Qing's strained eyes. For the first time since the battle began, he allowed himself to fully open them without fear of being drawn into the nightmarish visions.

More importantly than that, he knew exactly where Chillscourge was, and the dragon wouldn't be able to see him.

Qing cast blink.

In the pitch blackness, Chillscourge roared, the dragon's breath attack whooshed off somewhere to Qing's right, missing him completely as he cast Healing Breeze on himself.

"Let's see how you like fighting blind, you overgrown chicken," Qing shouted into the darkness.

Chillscourge roared, but Qing was already moving, blinking again as he activated Shadowsight. The world around him burst into a kaleidoscope of suffering souls, their anguish etched into the very fabric of Hell. It was overwhelming, a cacophony of pain and despair that threatened to drown out his own thoughts, and the temperature sunk further as a rift started opening next to him.

Gritting his teeth against the assault on his senses, Qing summoned cast Skeletal Legion. The undead warriors materialised atop the dragon, swords stabbing, arrows rattling, and acid bolts splashing against the scales. Qing felt their presence through his necromantic connection, a swarm of determined spirits following his command.

With Chillscourge distracted by the skeletons, Qing seized his chance. He cast Chain Lightning, the spell arced through the air, and Qing felt the dragon's massive form vibrate.

But Chillscourge wasn't finished.

The dragon conjured a blizzard of ice crystals that hammered the entire area, transforming the battlefield into a swirling maelstrom of frozen shards. Qing winced as his skeletons shattered, their souls dispersing like wisps of smoke. The spell battered against his Magic Shield with unrelenting fury, each impact draining his mana reserves at an alarming rate. He gritted his teeth, feeling the strain of maintaining the protective barrier as the icy barrage continued its merciless assault as he struggled to keep his footing amidst the magical storm.

That's when Chillscourge charged, and Qing realised the dragon must have pinpointed his location based on the blizzard spell's impact, because it came straight at him.

Just where I need you.

He quickly checked his mana reserves.

Health: 380/410

Mana: 195/850

Not much left, but it would have to do.

He cast Earthen Bulwark, infusing it with Fire. A wall of smoldering stone rose from the ground just as Chillscourge barrelled forward. With a great crack, the dragon smacked headfirst into the barrier, the impact reverberating through the frozen wasteland as it collapsed to the ground.

Seizing his chance, Qing blinked onto the dragon's head. The icy scales beneath his feet were slick and treacherous, vibrating with the creature's breathing. He could feel the immense power coursing through the beast, even in its stunned state.

Without hesitation, Qing cast Arcane Explosion. Once, twice, the spells detonated against Chillscourge's skull. Qing felt the dragon's ice-cold blood flood his footwear.

Then Chillscourge started rising, attempting to cast a spell, but Qing reacted, casting Spell Interrupt, disrupting the dragon's magic. The beast roared in frustration as its spell backfired, the sound echoing through the darkness, sending Qing stumbling to his hands and knees on top of its head.

In a final, desperate move, Qing channeled nearly all his remaining mana into another Arcane Explosion. The spell erupted with devastating force, and Chillscourge's body finally went limp, a long massive fart sounding from the other side as the dragon's muscles relaxed.

Exhausted and drained, Qing sank to his knees in the crater he'd made of the dragon's skull, the enormity of his victory washing over him.

Qing slumped against the ruined scales of Chillscourge's head, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. The darkness from the Darkened Sigil of Nightmares still enveloped him, but he could feel the massive body beneath him growing colder by the second. He'd done it. He'd actually defeated a bloody frost dragon in Hell.

As the adrenaline began to ebb, pain flooded back into his awareness. With chattering teeth, Qing activated his status screen, squinting at the flickering text:

Health: 381/410

Mana: 5/850

"Bloody hell," Qing muttered. He'd been fighting on fumes. Another minute and the dragon would have munched on him at its leisure.

Qing hopped off the flatulent dragon corpse and walked over to the bulwark, hugging the wall. Heat radiated through his body and he gave an involuntary shiver.

"Oh, god, that's the stuff," he said, smiling contently to himself as a bit of warmth returned to his body.

But all too soon, the wall crumbled away and the darkness lifted, leaving him staring at the massive dragon corpse.

"Right then," Qing said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's see what fat loot you've got for me, you overgrown lizard."