Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 125: Bloom in the Frozen Wasteland

The moment her consciousness slipped inward, she found herself standing alone.

A frozen wasteland stretched endlessly in every direction, barren and lifeless beneath a pale, colorless sky. The ground beneath her feet was a solid sheet of ice, cracked and uneven, but not completely unstable.

There wasn’t any wind and the light was barely dim enough to make out the surroundings. Everything was just...still.

Luna shivered, arms wrapping instinctively around herself as her breath came out in faint white mist—even within her Canvas.

Still...so...cold...

Her father’s words echoed faintly in her mind.

"Your Bloodline will manifest itself in your Canvas as a blistering blizzard. Survive it and prove to the family...that you are of the Northern lineage."

But...

Why does it feel like I’m dying in it?

Her fingers trembled as she looked down at them. Even here, inside her own world, her skin had turned a faint blueish color, the telltale sign of hypothermia seeping in.

"...Frigid Body," she murmured quietly.

A body that could never properly regulate its own cold. No matter how much she grew, how strong her control over the Ice Element became...it’d never be enough to get rid of this Absolute Cold.

A prodigy, they called her. Yet even now—

I can’t even control my own power.

But she couldn’t even worry about that. At the far edge of her vision, the frozen skies flickered just barely before something entered her Canvas.

A torrent of energy burst inside like a flood breaking through a dam, crashing inward whilst carrying an overwhelming amount of energy—but with it, an unbearable, suffocating cold.

"...The flower—" she started. "I have to—"

Her fingers dug into the ice, nails scraping against the surface as she got down into a lotus position. The temperature plummeted even further, beyond what she thought was possible.

Ignore it ignore it ignore it ignore it

Her hands turned from a faint blue to now...a dark purple, as they crept up. She’d lost all feeling in her hand by now, and was going on pure willpower.

Luna’s breathing grew shallow, each inhale weaker than the last as her mind and body kept telling her to stop.

Stop it! I need to stop! I’m going to die!

But Luna ignored her own survival instincts. Her body trembled violently, muscles locking up as the cold bit into her body, threatening to freeze her from the inside out.

No...I’ll take it all...or die trying!

BOOOM!

The cold exploded as the last of the energy flowed into her Canvas. Her body seized completely, frost spreading across her arms, shoulders, and neck. The wasteland around her cracked violently, almost like glass about to shatter.

Luna’s consciousness flickered, eyes dimming, breathing almost completely gone.

Ah...in the end...I was still too weak.

...

...

...

Warmth. Faint and soft, but unmistakable.

Luna’s eyes snapped open. "What...? I thought I—?"

Amidst the overwhelming cold, something else had appeared—a second current. It was subtle at first, almost impossible to notice through the freezing storm...yet it tore through the torrent of ice, and entered her body.

Her body loosened slowly, muscles expanding, and breath steadying as she slowly got up to her knees.

"What’s...going on?"

Her shivering began to ease as her fingers regained feeling all at once. Luna’s eyes widened as she felt it more clearly.

A warm sensation had enveloped her entire Canvas, and she could immediately tell what it was without a mistake.

"Life energy..."

And beyond it, a small sphere of light descended. At first, she thought it was another torrent, one that Luna thought would be wasted on her.

However, upon closer inspection, she instantly knew what it was.

No way... A Shining-Grade Plant Seed!

Even within her Canvas, she could feel the immense ether and vitality contained within it.

"...It’s holding the cold back."

The freezing storm that had been tearing her apart moments ago...was no longer suffocating. The cold was still there, still immense and dangerous...but just held back enough for her to do something.

A realization struck her instantly.

Right now, this is the only time I could cultivate freely! This is my chance!

Luna closed her eyes instantly, bringing up her Bloodline template. The torrent of energy that had been surrounding her surged inward all at once. Cold energy tried to take over her but life energy kept her stable in response, both forces spiraled violently within. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Come onnnn come on!

Her Internal Brush appeared right in her hand when she needed it the most. Luna placed it on the Canvas before pushing it down.

The paint stuck on instantly, waiting for her to move, to complete it. But her hands locked, almost like something had clamped down and refused to let her move it.

Push through—

"Break—!"

The pressure that had been suffocating her suddenly gave way as her hand drew a straight Line right where it should’ve been. The ink glowed brightly before settling into the template, almost like it was there in the first place.

Luna gasped, her eyes snapping open as the energy inside her changed. But there was no time to process it...because something else was happening.

Her Canvas began to distort.

The frozen wasteland trembled violently as the glowing Seed at its center pulsed brighter. The life energy that had helped her earlier began to take root, moving to the cracks in the ground before finally...

A small sprout emerged, swaying with the cold, but enduring...waiting for the day it’ll sprout into a magnificent flower.

She stared at it slowly before opening her mouth.

"...Record."

[Record]

Name: Luna Stone

Bloodline: Frostbloom Empress

Lines: 3

Elements: Ice (Stage 6), Plant (Stage 2)

Trait: [Crystalization]

Arts: [Ice Lotus], [Hailstorm], [Entomb], [???]

Luna’s eyes lingered on the Record for a moment longer, eyebrows furrowing.

"...Plant? I didn’t choose it..." she muttered. "...And Stage 2 already?"

New Elements were supposed to start at Stage 1. Her gaze shifted briefly toward the sprout rooted in the frozen ground.

"Maybe it’s because of the Seed’s influence?" she asked herself. "Strange but...I’ll consult the seniors about it later. Plant’s not the worst Element to have, it did save me after all."

She sighed before turning her attention downward, eyes finally landing at one of her Arts.

[???]

"...Now what could this be?"