[Time Remaining: 03:58:17]
[Divine Match x1 — REMAINING]
[Kang Min HP: 19%]
[Blizzard King: ENGAGED — Core fractured x2]
[Active Climbers: 89 — Multiple critical HP]
───
Both hands around the match.
The cold pressed against my palms from two directions — the external blizzard from behind and the core's defensive push from in front. The chest cavity sheltered the flame from the wind but the core itself was the problem. The pulse came out in waves, each one trying to flatten the flame against my fingers instead of letting it reach the convergence point.
I held it two centimeters from the surface and pushed back.
Not physically — the flame didn't respond to physical force. But mana-fed resistance, channeling a thin current of heat-type mana through my palms and into the flame's base, reinforcing the burn at the source. It was the same mechanic as feeding a fire in a cold environment: you didn't push back against the wind, you deepened the flame's hold on its own fuel.
