"Do you know what your Gift, the Ice Crystal Jade Body, truly entails?"

Seraphina's brow furrowed, the confusion in her eyes making it clear she had never fully understood the depth of her ability. It wasn't surprising—most people with exceptional Gifts only saw the surface of their potential. But I knew more. I had knowledge from the novel, and that knowledge was power.

Seraphina had always believed she could never match Sun. His talent was overwhelming, casting a shadow too large to escape. But that belief was a shackle, and it wasn't true. She might not be able to surpass him in raw potential, but she could still become something far greater than what she was now.

The key to unlocking her strength lay in her Gift—the Ice Crystal Jade Body.

Currently, Seraphina used it as a tool to enhance her ice aura, giving her more power when she wielded her magic. But that was just the beginning. She was missing something crucial, something that had held her back all this time.

The issue wasn't with her Gift itself—it was the lack of harmony between her ice magic and the martial arts of Mount Hua. Mount Hua's arts were based on the concept of blossoming, of flourishing strength in sync with nature's beauty. They demanded fluidity and growth, while ice, by its very nature, was still and cold.

This contradiction made it difficult for her to fully integrate her ice magic with her swordsmanship, a barrier she would eventually face when attempting to reach -rank. But she didn't have to wait. The solution was within her grasp now, even if she didn't know it yet.

The tragedy was that the Northern Ice Palace, where her mother came from, held the secrets to bridging this gap. But her mother, along with the palace, were gone. Without their knowledge, Seraphina had been left to stumble through this incompatibility, limiting her growth.

But she didn't need to be limited anymore. I knew the path forward, the way to merge her ice and swordsmanship into a unified whole. It was something she could start on now, not years later.

The question was—would she believe me?

However, I didn't need to ask Seraphina if she was ready to hear me out—I could already see it in her eyes.

Desperation.

She wanted to grow stronger, to push past the limits she had imposed on herself. Even if she couldn't be the greatest, she craved growth. That desire was etched into her expression, a quiet plea for help. But there was doubt, too—a lingering uncertainty, the fear of false hope.

Seraphina remained silent, lips pressed together as she looked at me. Doubt warred with desperation in her eyes. I didn't push her. Instead, I leaned back, resting my chin in my hand as I waited for her decision. The room was quiet, save for the soft sound of her breathing.

'Are you suggesting the use of snow flowers?' Luna asked me telepathically, her voice carrying an amused tone.

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I smiled inwardly. 'Sort of.'

Finally, Seraphina broke the silence. Her voice was quiet but firm. "Please tell me, Arthur."

I nodded. The story I had to tell her was old, stretching back to a time when the balance of power in the world was different. When the three great sects of Murim—Mount Hua Sect, Southern Edge Sect, and Wudang Sect—were more equal. Back then, the Southern Edge Sect had envied the power of blossoming that Mount Hua wielded.

They tried to steal it, coat it in ice magic, and create their own version—what became known as the Snow Flower arts. But their attempt failed. Their snow flowers lacked the essence of Mount Hua's blossoming arts. They were hollow, a mere imitation of something greater.

The reason was simple: blossoming and freezing were fundamentally incompatible.

But Gifts… Gifts changed everything.

Most people in this world didn't truly understand the power of Gifts, but I did, thanks to my knowledge of the novel. Gifts were unique—they allowed people to bypass the natural limitations of the world. They opened paths where none existed.

Take Lucifer's for example. It allowed him to seamlessly blend opposing elements, a feat that would normally require intense concentration and control. But for Lucifer, it was effortless—just one of the many effects of his Gift.

Seraphina's Ice Crystal Jade Body had a similar potential, if she only knew how to unlock it.

Because the second effect of Seraphina's Gift was the ability to apply supercooled mana to anything she touched.

Yes, even to the Mount Hua arts, which were based on the concept of blossoming—a contradiction that had stumped generations of practitioners. Normally, such a thing shouldn't be possible. Many great Masters of the Southern Edge Sect had tried and failed to combine the delicate art of blossoming with the freezing nature of ice magic.

But Seraphina could do it. Not because of her skill alone, but because of her Gift.

That was the power of Gifts. They were unreplicable, unique to the individual. They bent the rules of the world, allowing their users to achieve feats no ordinary person could. -ranks could mimic certain aspects of Gifts due to their overwhelming power, but even they couldn't truly replicate the innate advantages a Gift provided.

And Seraphina's Gift was no exception.

I explained to her how she could use the full potential of her Gift, merging its supercooled mana with the Mount Hua techniques. Techniques that, in anyone else's hands, would have been incompatible with her ice magic could be harmonized because of the unique nature of her Ice Crystal Jade Body.

The problem with complex Gifts like hers was that their potential wasn't always obvious. Unlike more straightforward abilities, her Gift required a deep understanding and careful experimentation to unlock its true power. That's why, despite her immense talent, she hadn't yet realized what her Gift could truly do.

Gifts could be overpowered, but only if you knew how to use them.

I watched as the realization dawned in Seraphina's eyes, her expression slowly shifting from confusion to determination. She hadn't seen the full scope of her abilities before, but now… now she knew what she was capable of.

"I can really do that?" she asked quietly, almost as if she didn't dare believe it.

"You can," I nodded. "But it won't be easy. You'll have to put in the work. But if you do, you'll be stronger than you ever thought possible."

Seraphina's fingers brushed lightly over her lips, her eyes distant as if lost in thought. Then, out of nowhere, a small giggle escaped her.

"Pfft!"

I blinked, tilting my head in confusion. "What's funny?"

She glanced at me, a soft smile playing on her face. "Arthur, when I was little, my mother used to read me this fairy tale," she began, her voice quiet and nostalgic. "It was about a princess trapped in a tower. She couldn't even imagine escaping it, let alone defying her parents who kept her there. Then, one day, a prince came along and showed her how to break free, how to use her own strength to escape the tower."

I stayed silent, listening, trying to figure out where she was going with this.

Seraphina leaned in closer, her breath warm against my ear. "Maybe," she whispered with a playful glint in her eyes, "you're my prince, Arthur."