Chapter 302: Flower of Frosty Snow

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Flower of Frosty Snow

’A snowflake? Can that even be considered a type of flower?’

Lance couldn’t help but complain to himself.

[Calculating incubation nutrients...]

[Experience Nutrient: During incubation, you fully endured frost attacks, life drains, and physical pressure. You truly felt the powerlessness of a mortal, gaining abundant experience.]

[Emotional Nutrient: You bore witness to the story of a pure white soul coming into being from "nothingness." You absorbed emotions including panic, paranoia, selflessness, and attachment. At the same time, you responded with your own resignation, acceptance, and desire to be a Guardian, achieving a powerful resonance.]

[Detected that the Source Material Foreigner has received a strong emotional resonance. A lonely soul not of this world has begun to form a bond.]

[Congratulations, you have cultivated: Tribulation Flower · Flower of Frosty Snow]

After reading the series of settlement notifications on the panel,

Lance couldn’t help but wipe the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.

’After absorbing so many weird nutrients, I didn’t end up creating some kind of monster, did I?’

However, when Lance carefully read the detailed description of the Flower of Frosty Snow’s effects, he was rather surprised.

Although the flower only provided two special effects,

each one was incredibly powerful.

The first effect was formed entirely from the nutrients provided by "experience."

Its effect was very simple: it could completely reset all of its user’s abilities that were on cooldown!

This reset included not only ordinary Talents, Profession Skills, and Specialties, but could even forcibly reset the cooldown of a Feat!

If Lance didn’t already possess a heaven-defying resurrection Talent like the [Ouroboros Ring],

just looking at this ability to reset all his trump cards would have been enough to consider it extremely powerful—even capable of turning the tide in a battle that meant certain death.

However, the flower’s reset effect was a one-time consumable.

Resurrection was a different matter.

But what truly made Lance appreciate the item’s value was its second ability.

This ability seemed to have been nourished by those rich emotional nutrients.

Moreover, it was clearly centered around the strong desire to be a Guardian that Lance had felt at the time, which ultimately allowed it to take shape.

The second ability: When the wearer suffers a fatal blow, they can completely negate one instant-death judgment! And upon triggering this immunity, it forcibly applies a high luck bonus.

This luck bonus doesn’t increase any combat power; it applies entirely to subsequent escape checks, increasing the chance of various coincidences on a causal level to ensure the user can safely escape the danger zone.

’The arrival of a miracle really does require this kind of profound, mysterious luck.’

Lance read the description and gave it an extremely high evaluation in his mind.

Furthermore, what made this ability most unique and precious was that...

it wasn’t a one-time use item.

It was a semi-permanent item that could recharge its Energy by absorbing the "longing" emotions the wearer produced in their daily life!

[Ice and snow were heartless, until the Foreigner stopped here. It is the chain that binds you, and also your firm anchor in this mad world.]

Looking at the final comment at the bottom of the panel,

Lance fell silent for a moment.

He lowered his head, his gaze softening as he looked at the figure in his arms.

Nieve’s breathing had become very steady, her eyelids drooping slightly, looking as if she were about to fall asleep.

It was only natural.

The three-hour-long battle, with its dual assault on her body and Spirit, had completely exhausted Nieve’s stamina.

Not to mention, they were still under a negative status that doubled their stamina consumption.

Thinking back,

even in this state of extreme exhaustion, on the verge of collapse,

Nieve had stubbornly refused to stop just moments ago.

In the end, Lance had to use his Power to forcibly hold her down, putting an end to her nonsense.

’A Snow Lady... truly terrifying...’

Lance couldn’t help but sigh to himself.

"Nieve, wake up. I have a gift for you,"

Lance said softly, gently shaking the girl in his arms.

He had already made his decision. He was going to give the precious "Flower of Frosty Snow" to Nieve.

The power contained in this flower was indeed formidable, but for Lance, who had a resurrection cheat, keeping it for himself would be merely icing on the cake.

But giving it to Nieve was a completely different matter.

Nieve wasn’t like Cecilia.

Cecilia had her powerful aunt and teacher to back her up, and the entire massive Rosenthal Clan as her support. She lacked for no resources.

But Nieve was an orphan; the only one she could rely on was herself.

And after the Summer Crown was over, she still had to participate in the selection for the Crimson Crown Knight Order.

In the days to come, she was highly likely to encounter all sorts of unpredictable, deadly dangers.

This snowflake, which could negate instant death and provide a luck bonus, could undoubtedly better protect her life at critical moments.

Hearing the word "gift,"

Nieve, who had been dazed, forced her eyes open.

She glanced at the snowflake crystal glowing faintly in Lance’s palm.

"It’s so pretty."

"Lance, could you put it here for me?"

Nieve held out a finger and gently pointed to the lock of hair above her left ear.

"Alright."

Lance carefully picked up the snowflake crystal and gently placed it where she had pointed.

The snowflake seemed to possess a life of its own.

The moment it touched Nieve’s hair, it extended several transparent, crystalline filaments that wrapped themselves firmly among the strands.

In the blink of an eye,

it transformed into an exquisite hair accessory. Its faint blue glow was a perfect match for the Snow Lady’s long, ice-blue hair, blending in flawlessly.

"Let’s go. We should head back to camp,"

Lance said softly, looking at the girl now wearing the hair accessory.

However, Nieve now seemed to have exhausted her last ounce of energy.

Her head was bobbing, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, looking like she could fall completely asleep at any moment.

Seeing her like this,

the leveling he had planned for today was probably ruined.

’Forget it. Going back is fine. I can use this time to arrange the specific personnel list and route for the upcoming Iron Guard trial.’

Lance replanned the day’s schedule in his mind.

He gently patted Nieve’s shoulder, and the two of them slowly passed through the narrow, hidden rock crevice, returning to the wide main passage.

After coming out, Lance skillfully turned around and patted his own shoulder.

This gesture had appeared many times in the past few days.

Every time they finished a high-intensity monster grind, Nieve would be so exhausted that she would have him carry her back like this.

It had already become an extremely familiar routine, and Lance had long since gotten used to his role as a means of transport.

Nieve obediently climbed onto his back, her arms wrapping around Lance’s neck.

She was truly exhausted today, and she had also eaten a bit too much of that sweet frosting earlier.

Her stomach felt uncomfortably full.

But even so, she felt like she hadn’t had enough and still wanted a little more.

Nieve let her head loll onto Lance’s shoulder.

She watched Lance as he walked toward the camp with steady, measured steps.

The girl hesitated for a moment.

Then, she extended two pale fingers, sneakily bringing them in front of Lance and wiggling them gently.

"Lance..."

she asked tentatively in a small voice.

"Tomorrow... can I have it twice?"

"No!"

Lance answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Don’t ask again. If you ask, you won’t even get it once!"

He mercilessly crushed the girl’s unrealistic fantasy.

"Lance is a big meanie..."

Hearing his cold reply, Nieve mumbled.

Afterward, she tightened her arms in a pout, giving Lance’s neck a tight squeeze.

Within a few minutes, she had fallen fast asleep on his broad, warm back, lulled by the sound of his steady footsteps.

Hearing the steady breathing from behind him,

Lance shook his head with a helpless smile.

But this time, aside from the substantial breakthrough in his relationship with Nieve,

the Biological Research Progress on the Snow Lady species had finally broken through to Level 2.

And the system had also unlocked a brand-new Trait.

’This Biological Research System... it really never changes, does it?’

Lance complained to himself as he walked, simultaneously calling up the panel to check the detailed description of the new Trait.