"Humm-!"
An invisible shock wave seemed to erupt from Lynn, blasting outward!
The cave shook violently, loose stones raining down from its walls.
Torrhen, Jason, and the others were knocked off their feet by the shock wave and sent tumbling into a heap.
They watched in horror as Longclaw blazed with an ever-brighter red light.
That light was warm and searing, like the rising sun.
It was dragonfire and magic!
It was locked in a silent, ferocious struggle against the icy chill radiating from Lynn!
Red and white, two utterly different powers, wildly tangled, collided, and annihilated one another inside Lynn's body.
Lynn's crystallizing body was gradually returning to normal, too.
Within Lynn's mental world.
The icy will that had driven him to the brink of destruction seemed not to have expected this insignificant human to harbor another power!
But the power of dragonfire and magic was far too feeble, and the icy will soon regained the upper hand.
Lynn felt as though he was about to be torn apart.
His consciousness was like something trapped between two enormous millstones.
Crushed and ground down, over and over!
That pain surpassed any physical torment.
"Aaaaagh!"
Unable to endure it any longer, Lynn finally let out an agonized howl.
Just then.
[Host's spiritual form detected on the verge of collapse!] [Higher-dimensional energy detected inflicting irreversible damage on host!] [Activating protection protocol!]
At that moment, the cold mechanical voice sounded like the sweetest music!
The next second.
An even greater, purer, and more utterly overwhelming power erupted!
That power was neither magic nor divine might.
It was more like a pure dimensional-reduction strike!
For the first time, the icy will gave off a fluctuation bearing a distinct emotion.
Fear!
It sensed an incomprehensible, terrifying power capable of erasing it utterly at