Ren spent the next hour reading the school’s cultivation packages carefully — every one of them, twice.

He read the special cultivation technique for the Bloodline Plant Lord pathway with particular attention. Then the energy meditation method. Then the basic fist, footwork, and evasion techniques. Then back to the cultivation technique again.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair and let out a slow breath.

"No wonder the school gives students fifteen days of holiday after awakening," he muttered. "The first ten to fifteen days are the best window to enter Stage 1 of any pathway. After that, it only gets harder. The body settles into post-awakening stability, and the seed becomes harder to bond with."

He glanced again at the documents on his screen.

"The energy meditation technique and the basic combat skills aren’t very useful at Stage 1," he said thoughtfully. "Only the special cultivation technique for the Bloodline Plant Lord pathway really matters right now."

"This one explains how to slowly combine bloodline and soul with the seed, step by step, until a true symbiotic relationship forms."

Ren scratched his head and chuckled softly.

"Every time I read about this," he muttered, "I can’t help but think about Eddie and Venom."

He sighed dramatically.

"R.I.P., Venom."

He returned to the manual.

"That’s also why Bloodline Plant Lords are considered partially immortal. The seed houses both the cultivator’s soul and bloodline. Even if the body is destroyed, the soul remains intact in the seed, and the bloodline acts as a blueprint to regenerate the body exactly as it was."

Ren stretched in his chair, slowly.

"Still... right now I’m only a Tier 1 Lifeform because of the awakening," he said. "That just means my body and soul have been reinforced. It doesn’t mean I’ve actually entered the pathway. Right now, I’m barely stronger than an ordinary person."

"To truly become a real Tier 1 cultivator," he continued, "I need to begin the pathway. For me, that means combining my bloodline and soul with the seed. Once the fusion is complete, I’ll have officially entered Stage 1."

Ren rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I’m guessing the other pathways have a similar starting process."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Well then."

"Let’s see what my golden finger can really do."

He focused inward, on the multicolored ball of light floating in his consciousness, and called up the OPTIMIZE function.

A new option appeared in his mind’s eye.

OPTIMIZE

Special Cultivation Technique for the Bloodline Plant Lord (+)

Ren’s eyes lit up.

Without hesitation, he selected it.

— • —

The technique title began to blur the moment he confirmed the selection.

A message appeared in his mind.

First-time use of OPTIMIZE function detected.

Insufficient operational energy. Drawing from LifeForm Tier System reserve to perform Tier-2 level optimization.

(Ren had decided to call the treasure ’LifeForm Tier System’ the moment he understood it would evolve alongside his Lifeform Tier. The 1 in parentheses, he had quietly added in his head, would update itself when the treasure leveled up. He liked having a clean name for things.)

Within a few seconds, the blurred technique resolved into something new.

Special Cultivation Technique for the Bloodline Plant Lord (Ren Valis Version)

Effects:

50% faster cultivation speed up to Pathway Level 4

3× energy reserves at all levels

No bottlenecks up to Pathway Level 4

Ren stared at the screen of his mind, stunned.

"Damn... this is way too overpowered."

He read it three more times to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him.

They were not.

After his pulse stopped racing, he carefully read through the optimized technique itself — the actual steps, not just the results panel. The instructions were similar to the school’s original version, but every single phase had been adjusted, sometimes subtly, sometimes drastically. Breath patterns rewritten. Energy circulation paths redrawn. Specific timings synchronized to his own heartbeat rhythm in a way that no public manual could ever replicate, because no public manual was written for one specific cultivator.

It was, in every meaningful sense, a custom-tailored version of a technique that the entire pathway considered foundational.

’No bottlenecks up to Pathway Level 4,’ he thought. ’That alone would make a top-clan young master cry.’

He took a slow breath, settled himself, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

Following the optimized instructions, his eyes slowly closed and his consciousness sank inward.

He searched for the seed.

Soon, he found it — a faint, warm presence resting deep in his core.

With careful control, he used the seed as a medium, slowly sensing his own bloodline energy and his own soul essence. Then, as the manual described, he began drawing both toward the seed.

According to the original technique, this process was extremely dangerous and slow. Any reckless attempt could cause serious damage to both body and soul. Beginners were warned to expect stalled progress, partial fusion, or in unlucky cases, ruptured meridians.

And yet — something strange was happening.

Whether because of his reincarnated soul, or the OPTIMIZE function’s silent corrections in real time, or some combination of both — the fusion proceeded far more smoothly than the manual described.

Blood and soul energy gradually merged with the seed.

A warm sensation spread through his body. His vitality climbed noticeably, even within this single session. Each breath drew deeper. Each heartbeat pulsed steadier. Each thought came clearer.

After some time, however, a faint strain began to set in.

Ren opened his eyes.

He had only just begun cultivating; his body could only endure so much in a single session before requiring rest.

He checked the progress through his light-brain interface.

The result was surprising.

About 25% of his bloodline and soul had already fused with the seed.

"At this rate..." he murmured, "the fusion should be complete in about five days."

"That’s roughly half the time most people need."

He glanced at the clock.

5:00 PM.

He had cultivated for nearly seventeen hours without realizing it.

There was also a missed call from his parents on his light-brain, with a short message attached:

"Your parcel will be delivered at 5:30 PM."

"Oh right..." Ren said, blinking. "The gift they mentioned."

— • —

Thirty minutes later — Ding Dong.

Ren walked to the door and opened it.

A delivery man in a logistics uniform stood outside, holding a medium-sized package.

"Delivery for Ren Valis," the man said, glancing at his handheld device.

"That’s me," Ren replied.

The delivery man handed the parcel over and tilted the digital pad for a signature.

"Please confirm receipt here."

Ren signed.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Have a good day."

The delivery man nodded once, and left.

Ren closed the door and looked down at the package.

It was lighter than he had expected. Carefully wrapped. Sealed with a thin energy lock that opened to his bloodline signature the moment he held it firmly.

Inside were various small containers of genetic materials — labeled samples from plants and animals, evidently chosen with intent. Beside them sat a small jade box.

Ren opened the jade box.

Fifty crystal-clear spheres rested inside, arranged in five neat rows of ten.

He could feel a faint, smooth energy radiating from each one.

"I think I know what these are," he muttered.

"But it’s better to confirm with Mom and Dad."

He took out his light-brain and called his parents.

— • —

Planet Jupiter — Blueberry City. Inside a hotel room.

Ren’s parents, Adrian Valis and Elena Valis, were sitting on a small sofa near the window.

Elena’s eyes were red. She had not been crying — quite — but she was very close to it.

"Why hasn’t he called us back yet?" she said quietly. "It’s been hours. Could it be that he didn’t awaken? And he thinks we’ll be angry at him?"

Adrian sat beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"Honey, relax," he said gently. "Maybe he just got excited and started cultivating immediately. That happens often with new awakeners."

"And even if he didn’t awaken, I’m sure he knows we love him very much."

Just as he finished speaking—

Ren’s call came through.

Adrian and Elena both reached for the projector at once.

— • —

Back on Edius.

The hologram of his parents appeared in front of Ren, and he immediately noticed his mother’s reddened eyes and his father’s worried expression.

A sharp, unfamiliar pain rose in his chest.

Without even thinking, he spoke in a concerned voice.

"What happened? Did something happen to you two?"

Both of his parents paused.

Then a small, almost embarrassed smile spread across both their faces.

Adrian chuckled softly.

"Kid, why do you think we’re the ones who should be worried?"

"You didn’t call us, or even send a message, after your awakening."

"Your mother thought you might not have awakened, and were too upset to talk to us. Or worse, that you might have done something to yourself."

"If you hadn’t called within another hour or two, we were already planning to book a ticket back to Edius."

Hearing this, Ren felt a warm feeling spread through his chest — slow, a little disorienting, almost foreign.

’So this is what it feels like...’ he thought, ’...to have parents who truly care about you.’

’In this life, I’m not alone.’

Ren smiled, softly.

"I’m sorry, Mom. Dad. For worrying you."

"It’s not that I didn’t want to call. I just got too excited and started cultivating right away."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"And yes... I did awaken."

His eyes glinted faintly.

"My talent is..."

"Bloodline Plant Lord."