She took a deep breath, and hot steam escaped her lips in a white cloud. "The next town is two or three days away. If we hurry, we can make it before the weather changes again."

Damon grimaced. "Three days walking in all this snow? Great. I can't wait for the blisters on my feet."

Ester didn't answer. She just quickened her pace a little.

He chuckled to himself, but soon returned to the topic that had been bothering him since he woke up. "What about this?" He closed his hand, feeling the strange energy pulsing within him. It was subtle, like a gentle chill running through his veins. "This business about absorbing icy Qi... could it be a problem?"

This time, Ester stopped. The silence of the forest intensified, and only the wind carried loose flakes between the branches. She turned her head slightly, just enough for him to see her profile, her serious, calculating expression.

"Problems? Yes. Many."

Damon swallowed, trying to hide his tension. "How... what?"

"Your body wasn't born to handle that kind of energy," she explained, finally turning around completely. Her eyes, intense as always, were fixed on him. "Ice Qi is corrosive. It can strengthen you, but it can also destroy you from the inside out if you don't learn to control it."

He fell silent, absorbing her words. The wind blew hard, kicking up snow from the ground, and for a moment it felt like the world was trying to swallow them.

"So I could... explode?" he asked, his voice half serious, half playful.

Ester raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly. But your body could collapse. Your organs could fail, your skin could necrotize, and your mind... could freeze to dust."

Damon let out a low whistle. "You really know how to cheer someone up."

She didn't smile. "I'm being honest."

He rubbed his face with his hands, sighing. "Okay. Great. So I got a poisoned gift."

Ester crossed her arms firmly. "Or a weapon."

His gaze met hers, and for a moment the silence between them was filled only with the invisible fire that always flared when they stared at each other.

"A weapon, huh?" he murmured.

"If you learn to control it, yes." Ester nodded. "Ice Qi can increase your strength, your endurance, and even your perception. But it will require discipline."

Damon laughed, shaking his head. "Discipline isn't really my specialty."

"I noticed." She turned again, resuming her walk.

He hurried to catch up with her, snow billowing around his boots. "Okay, but explain it to me. What exactly could happen to me now? I mean, I already feel something... different. Like the cold doesn't bother me as much." As if I… were part of him.

Ester thought for a few seconds before answering. "That's the icy Qi taking root. It's already shaping your body, albeit unstable. You may feel less cold, but you may also lose sensation over time. You may not notice an injury until it's too late."

Damon frowned. "That sounds terrible."

"It's dangerous," she confirmed. "But it's not just negative. If you can harmonize this energy with your normal mana flow, you can achieve results most cultivators would never dream of."

"Like?" he asked curiously.

"Withstand extreme temperatures, manipulate the cold, even freeze the air around you." Her voice was calm but firm. "Ice Qi is destructive, but also pure. If you master it, it can be devastating to your enemies."

Damon's eyes flashed for a moment. "That sounds incredible, and at the same time... I've seen you do almost all of it."

Ester didn't answer right away. She walked a few meters in silence, the snow crunching under her boots. Finally, she spoke:

"Many who tried to follow this path died before taking the first real step."

Damon swallowed hard. His enthusiasm gave way a little to the harsh reality of her words.

"So…" he began, scratching the back of his neck again. "What do I do?"

Ester paused again, turning to him with a merciless gaze. "You train. You learn to control it. Or the Qi will consume you."

He stared into those cold eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Train with you, I suppose?"

She didn't answer right away. The silence hung heavy between them. Only after a few seconds did she look away, as if unwilling to admit it.

"If it's not with me, you'll die too quickly."

Damon gave her a wide, teasing smile. "Look, Ester… always so worried about me."

The faint blush returned to her neck, but her expression remained serious. "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want some idiot with rare potential to waste the opportunity to make himself useful."

He laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the frozen forest. "Useful, huh? I love it when you hide your concern."

"Shut up, Damon." She resumed walking, quickening her pace.

He followed close behind, still smiling. But deep down, he knew each word carried real weight. What was inside him could be a gift... or a sentence.

The walk continued. The forest seemed endless, a maze of ice-covered branches and ancient trunks, plunged into silence. The wind blew occasionally, stirring up swirls of loose snow that cut through the air like glass dust. Damon, despite all his effort, couldn't wipe the smile from his face.

Esther led the way, her steps firm, her posture impeccable. She seemed never to tire. The contrast with him was stark: Damon occasionally tripped over roots hidden by the snow, grunted loudly when the ice got inside his boots, but still kept pace.

"Hey, Ester…" he called after long minutes of silence. "If I can control this icy Qi… does that mean I'll be able to throw those ice spears you used against the monkey?"

She didn't answer right away. She just turned her face slightly, enough for Damon to see the calculating glint in her eyes.

"Maybe." Her answer was dry, but enough to rekindle his excitement. "But don't kid yourself. That took years of practice."

Damon raised his hands theatrically. "Oh, great, so in about… ten years I'll be able to do something worthwhile?"

"If I live that long." Her voice was as cold as the passing wind.

He chuckled to himself. "Always motivating, aren't you?"

Time passed slowly. The sun, hidden behind heavy clouds, barely showed itself, but the day wore on. The hours dragged by amidst the endless white. No animals crossed their path, no sound other than the wind and the crunch of snow underfoot. It was an almost suffocating solitude, broken only by Damon's occasional taunts and Ester's curt responses.

When the sky began to change, tinged with shades of orange and lilac, she finally stopped.

"Here." His voice cut through the silence. "Let's go camping."

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