Chapter 29: The Canadian Crisis
### Deployment Protocol
The meeting broke with a rush of focused energy. Confusion had given way to purpose. Teachers debated the grammar principles of elements, **Chef Chuck** began planning the logistics of an underground farm, and **Colonel Vance** was already barking orders into a satellite phone.
"Colonel," Carter called out, pulling him aside. "The Canadian report. The 'giant black shape.' **Earth** has confirmed it's a massive, magically corrupted creature—an apex predator that absorbed a lethal dose of **Dark Affinity mana** from its territory. It's a prime target for a **Containment Mission**."
Vance's eyes gleamed with military rigor. "Target identification, sir. What is the risk profile and necessary ordnance?"
"The risk is high. The ordnance is me," Carter stated, clipping on his non-descript combat gear under his jacket. "This is my first external mission since arriving. I need to test the scope of the threat and my own current abilities. I need a ground operative who understands command and control, and can act as my non-magical eyes and ears."
He looked directly at Vance. "You're coming with me, Colonel. You'll carry no weapons. You will observe, analyze, and communicate with the Academy. This is your field orientation."
Vance didn't flinch. "Understood, Mr. Carter. What is the transport?"
*"I have diverted a high-speed, long-range drone to the adjacent runway,"* Earth informed them. *"It has been modified for two passengers and stealth capability. The creature is currently active in the remote wilderness of the **Yukon Territory**."*
Carter looked at **Yolanda**, who held a sleeping **Amina** close. "Keep the Fortress secure, Director. Build that biosphere."
"Go save the world, Carter," she replied, a fierce look of worry and pride in her eyes.
### The Yukon Target
The stealth drone was airborne minutes later, carrying Carter and Vance north at impossible speeds. Inside the sparse cabin, Earth projected the target onto a wall-mounted screen.
The creature was a monstrous, mutated **Grizzly Bear**. Its fur was jet black, almost reflective, and its massive body was constantly enveloped in a faint cloud of shimmering **Dark Shadow energy**. It had grown to the size of a small truck, and the footage—pulled from Canadian government thermal satellites—showed it moving with terrifying speed, leaving trails of frozen, blackened earth in its wake.
"Dark Affinity is the most unstable, volatile magic," Carter explained, his face grim. "This animal is a powerhouse of fear and raw destruction. We can't let it reach a population center."
"Its size is inconsistent with anything known, sir," Vance noted, his calm professionalism unwavering despite the absurdity of the situation. "Its movements suggest extreme pain and aggression. It's not hunting; it's destroying."
*"The creature is suffering from mana overload,"* Earth analyzed. *"Its core is unstable. Carter, you must use a targeted **Light Affinity** surge to neutralize the Dark energy. Do not kill it unless absolutely necessary. We need to study the full mutation process."*
The drone landed silently amidst a dense forest of stunted, snow-covered pines. The temperature was plummeting, a byproduct of the **Dark Magic draining the heat and life** from the surrounding environment.
"We go on foot from here," Carter whispered, checking the Light and Dark energy levels building in his hands.
### Dark Hunter
They moved through the deepening shadows. The air grew thick, oppressive, and heavy with a pre-sentient malice. Carter's Dark eye glowed softly, allowing him to see perfectly in the gloom.
"Hear that, Colonel?" Carter asked. The sound wasn't a growl, but a low, vibrating **thrum**, like the sound of solid shadow gathering mass.
"Negative, sir. Only the wind," Vance replied, gripping the collar of his jacket.
"It's the Dark Affinity, draining the life from the environment," Carter explained. "It's near."
A massive, shadowy bulk erupted from the treeline thirty meters ahead. It was the bear. Its eyes were twin spheres of pure, **crackling black darkness**, and its roar was distorted by the throbbing shadow field surrounding it.
It lunged—not running, but surging forward, leaving the trees behind it blackened and brittle.
Vance stood his ground, frozen for a second by the sheer terror of the unnatural monster.
"Stay behind me, Colonel!" Carter commanded.
He didn't draw a weapon. He didn't need one. Carter channeled every ounce of his **Light Magic**—pure, focused healing and calming energy—into his palms. The air between him and the raging bear turned blinding white.
**"King's Blessing!"** Carter shouted, unleashing the **Tier 3 Light spell** in a powerful, conical **blast of pure radiance**, aimed directly at the creature's massive chest. This devastating trick, stolen from his adopted grandfather, King Damien, was the perfect counter to raw darkness.
The result was agonizing. When the Light Mana met the core of the bear's Dark Affinity, the reaction was explosive. The black shadow field around the bear *shrieked*—a sound of raw energy being violently neutralized. The bear was slammed backward, crashing through the pines, the brilliant Light Mana forcing the chaotic Dark Magic back into its core.
The great beast lay still, twitching slightly, the jet-black fur fading back to a dull, smoky brown. The chaotic energy was gone.
Vance staggered forward, his eyes wide. He looked at the smoking crater where the bear had been standing, then at Carter, whose hands were still faintly glowing.
"My God," Vance breathed, his non-magical mind utterly overwhelmed. He reached for his comms-link. "Earth, this is Vance. **Target neutralized. Magical affinity confirmed.** We need extraction and specialized containment protocols, immediately. The asset... is alive."
Carter stepped over the debris, looking down at the creature. It was still huge, but no longer a god. He had neutralized the magic.
"Welcome to the Academy, Colonel," Carter said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Now, we have a zoo to build."
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