Elena barely managed to break free, buying herself a precious second as she delivered a swift kick to her opponent's groin. She didn't waste the opportunity. Without hesitation, she snatched up the item that had been rightfully hers all along and shoved it into her mouth.

A surge of energy exploded within her. A refreshing cold spread through her veins, her body feeling lighter, more alive. Her heart pounded. Not out of fear, but excitement.

She knew exactly what to expect. She had memorized every characteristic of the Frostclaw Fenrir Soul Fragment, having meticulously noted down Erynd's explanations and read them over and over. And now, it was time to put that knowledge into action.

The confined space didn't give her much room to maneuver, but that worked in her favor. She activated her Toxic Aura, fully aware that it wouldn't have any immediate effect on her enemy. At least, not yet.

Before the bald, muscle-bound brute could react, Elena launched a flurry of attacks, each strike faster and sharper than before. This time, her hits carried the Chilled effect, slowing his movements, dulling his reflexes, and, most importantly, hindering his health regeneration.

Her eyes darted to his hands, now glowing with a golden light. If he lands a direct hit on me with that, I'm done for.

"BAAM!"

A devastating punch tore through the air, the impact so immense that it sent shockwaves rippling through the confined space. It wasn't just the sheer force. His attack radius had expanded, spreading a slowing effect around him.

"Tch—!"

Elena gasped as the heavy pressure latched onto her body, her limbs sluggish, her movements dulled. Too slow. She barely dodged, but not completely. A searing pain shot through her leg as the edge of his attack connected, leaving a deep wound.

Not good.

She gritted her teeth, steadying her stance despite the sharp pain radiating through her injured leg. Her enemy loomed over her, grinning wickedly.

"What's the matter?" he taunted. "Did you really think a few cheap tricks would be enough to stop me?"

Elena exhaled sharply, her breath ragged, chest rising and falling in uneven gasps. But she didn't stop. She couldn't afford to.

Move.

With a swift roll to the side, she narrowly dodged Albedo's crushing fists and loosed a volley of arrows.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Her shots hit their mark. She could feel it. Albedo was finally starting to slow down.

Just a little more… just a little more…

But instead of pain, he grinned.

"You're like a cockroach," he sneered, voice dripping with amusement. "So damn hard to kill."

His smirk widened as he took a step forward, massive knuckles cracking. "But it's only a matter of time, GWAHAHAHA!"

CRACK!

His golden fist slammed forward in a brutal arc.

Elena tried to dodge, but this time, she wasn't fast enough.

The shockwave alone sent her flying.

Pain exploded across her ribs as she crashed into the hard floor, tumbling violently before slamming against the thin transparent wall. Her head spun. Her vision wavered.

No. No, no, not yet.

Her hands trembled as she planted them against the floor, forcing herself back up. She refused to stay down.

Her body was screaming in agony, but her will was stronger.

[Silkshade Phantom cast]

A faint shimmer rippled through the air. A second Elena manifested beside her, looked eerily identical.

Albedo narrowed his eyes.

"This annoying little trick again?"

Frost began creeping up his leg.

The passive effect of Frostclaw Fenrir's Soul Fragment was working on Phantom as well. His movements were slowing.

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Albedo's grin faltered. Irritation flashed across his face.

With a growl, he yanked his massive flail off the ground. The air whistled as he swung the spiked ball straight at her.

BAAM!

Elena barely had time to react.

Pain erupted in her left arm.

A sickening CRACK rang out as bone shattered, her arm twisting in a way it shouldn't.

"AAAAAAGH!!"

A scream tore from her throat as she stumbled back, slamming against the barrier behind her. Blood dripped from her fingertips, pooling beneath her trembling legs.

Her vision blurred. Darkness clawed at the edges of her consciousness.

Through the haze, she saw him.

Albedo. Right in front of her.

Towering. Unstoppable.

His fist reared back, ready to strike.

Albedo's fist was inches away from crushing Elena's skull when his entire body suddenly seized up.

A wave of frost raced across his skin, coating his limbs in a creeping layer of ice.

CRACK.

His muscles locked, his balance faltered. And in the next second, his hulking form collapsed to the ground.

"G-GHAAAH!!"

Albedo coughed violently, his breath ragged and fogging in the freezing air.

A deep, agonizing chill sank into his flesh, far worse than any normal cold. He tried to move, but his limbs felt sluggish, his bones like dead weight.

"The hell did you do, you little bitch?!" he snarled, spitting blood onto the frost-covered floor.

Elena, still gasping for breath, forced a smirk despite the pain wrecking her body.

She had done it. She had activated Curse of Eternal Winter just in time.

A faint blue glow shimmered beneath her, the curse's sigil fully formed.

Curse of Eternal Winter has a simple yet deadly effect. It curses a small area, drastically lowering the temperature. Enemies caught within suffer increased damage from cold attacks and become more susceptible to ice-based effects.

[Chilled has reached maximum stack. Target has been afflicted with Frostbite]

The frost continued spreading, sinking its teeth into Albedo's very core.

His arrogance had cost him.

For too long, he had ignored the elf's attacks, confident that his high Vitality and regeneration would keep him alive. But with the Chilled effect stacking to its limit…

Frostbite had finally set in.

Albedo gritted his teeth, eyes bulging as a searing pain, one he had never felt before, ripped through his body. His health was draining fast, the damage now outpacing his regeneration.

Then it got worse.

The Toxic Aura, which had previously left him completely unaffected, was now devouring him from within. The poisonous mist seeped through his wounds, eating away at his insides.

Blood gushed from his mouth.

"Hck—!!"

His body convulsed violently, his knees buckling under the unbearable pain from the combined torment of cold and poison.

Elena wasn't about to waste this one chance.

With shaky hands, she ripped a potion from her pouch, biting off the cork and gulping it down. The warm liquid burned down her throat, dulling the pain just enough.

But she wasn't done.

She grabbed another vial and poured it over her shattered left arm. The healing potion sizzled upon contact, sealing some of the worst injuries, but not all. Her arm still hung limply at her side, useless for now.

Before Elena could fully recover, Albedo suddenly forced himself upright.

Even through the crippling cold, even with blood leaking from his lips, he still wasn't done.

With a low growl, he slammed his fists against the ground, forcing his trembling body to rise.

Elena's heart sank.

"You think this is enough to kill me?" Albedo wheezed, cracking his neck as steam rose from his breath. His glare burned with rage.

The ice cracking around his boots was proof enough.

He was far from finished.

***

Albedo's Eternal Domain was more than just an ability. It was a lifeline.

The passive effects alone were overwhelming. His regeneration skyrocketed, healing at ten times the normal rate. He could also use several additional skills once, including Golden Spheres and Golden Flash. But the most dangerous effect?

It prevented him from dying.

The moment his health dropped to critical levels, Eternal Domain automatically restored a portion of it. Not much, but enough.

Enough to finish off the little rat in front of him.

A twisted grin spread across Albedo's bloodied face.

"Did you really think…you could kill me?" he wheezed, his voice a chilling mixture of pain and amusement.

His hand clenched into a fist.

[Shackled cast]

Heavy ball and chain coiled around Elena's ankles, sinking into her skin like ghostly parasites.

Unlike before, it wasn't absorbing her Agility. This time, it was draining her Vitality. Elena could feel her life force being siphoned away.

Meanwhile, Albedo's wounds began to close.

With slow, deliberate steps, still affected by the Frostbite's slowing effect, he strode toward her like a predator savoring its kill, completely ignoring Phantom's attacks.

His massive fist, still faintly glowing with the remnants of Golden Fist, lifted high, aimed directly at her skull.

"Say goodnight, elf."

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