Hearing what Ren had said, both of his parents went completely still. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Not surprised-still. Not disbelief-still.

The kind of still that happens when a person’s brain receives information faster than the rest of their body can process it.

Elena’s hand drifted halfway to her mouth and stopped there. Adrian’s expression cycled through three different emotions in less than a second — confusion, then shock, then something close to awe — before settling into a wide, almost dazed smile.

Then, almost at the same moment, both of them stood up from the sofa.

"Say that again," Adrian asked, his voice slightly trembling. "What did you awaken?"

Elena leaned forward, her eyes wide, clearly wanting to confirm she hadn’t misheard.

Seeing how excited they were, Ren felt a small wave of confusion, but answered honestly.

"Yes, I awakened the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent... but why are you both reacting like this?"

"I mean, even though it’s the strongest talent, there should still be a lot of people awakening it every year, right?"

Adrian and Elena looked at each other. They both started smiling at almost the same time — the helpless, fond smile parents wear when their child is about to learn something important and obvious that they themselves had never thought to teach.

Elena stepped slightly closer to the projector and spoke gently.

"Son... you might not know this because it isn’t exactly a secret, but it’s also not something schools openly teach."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"Compared to the other two talents, the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent has the lowest awakening rate in the entire world."

"How low?" Ren asked.

She raised one finger.

"Out of every Billions people who successfully awaken, only one or two will awaken this talent."

"And sometimes..." Her voice softened. "Not even one."

"That’s why your father and I reacted the way we did."

Adrian nodded in agreement.

"It’s not just rare. It’s unbelievably rare. Some entire countries can go a generation without producing one. Some clans treat it as legendary because, in practical terms, that is exactly what it is."

"In Rose Country specifically," Elena added quietly, "I think we have had three confirmed Bloodline Plant Lords in our entire recorded history."

"Three?" Ren asked.

"Three. The first was assassinated within six years of his awakening. The second left this country and founded another one. The third disappeared into a Secret Realm a few hundred years ago and was never confirmed alive again."

She let that sit for a moment.

"You will be the fourth."

Hearing this, Ren was genuinely shocked.

’So this talent is THAT rare,’ he thought. ’Good thing the System helped me awaken it. Otherwise the chances would’ve been almost zero.’

’Which... also means I am about to become a target the moment the school registry pings the right people.’

He filed that thought away for later.

While Ren was still processing all of it, Adrian spoke again.

"Did you receive the gift we sent you?"

Ren quickly nodded.

"Yes, I got it just a while ago."

Adrian relaxed slightly.

"Good."

"We prepared both plant-based and animal-based genetic materials, just in case you awakened either the Plant Pathway or the Bloodline Pathway. We weren’t sure which one you’d get, so we covered both directions."

"There are samples from a Wind-Tail Hare and a Stoneback Lizard, in case you went Bloodline," Elena added. "And several flowering specimens from the realm we explored last year, in case you went Plant. None of them are particularly rare on their own, but they’re clean — uncontaminated, properly preserved, exactly the kind of starter material a Stage 3 cultivator should be using."

"But now that you’ve awakened the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent, you can actually use both types of materials when you reach the third stage of your pathway."

He continued, settling into the practical-explanation tone that came naturally to him after years of expedition planning.

"However, even with these materials, you will still need to enter Secret Realms in the future. Most of the truly rare materials and the special genetic resources you’ll need can only be found there. The market versions exist, but the prices..." He shook his head slightly. "Just go to a realm."

He then shifted his attention to the jade box.

"As for those crystal spheres — they’re called Energy Cores."

"They contain condensed natural energy. They can be directly absorbed during the second stage of your pathway to dramatically speed up your cultivation. We obtained them during one of our missions inside a Secret Realm, about eight months ago. We’ve been holding onto them since."

His tone turned slightly more serious.

"But listen carefully."

"Do not try to save them for later stages thinking they will become more useful."

"According to our team leader — who is a descendant of a Stage 5 Bloodline Plant Lord family — these are only low-level Energy Cores. They are most effective during Stage 2. Once you reach Stage 3, their effect drops significantly. By Stage 4, they’re closer to keepsakes than tools."

Hearing this, Ren nodded thoughtfully.

’Just like I expected,’ he thought. ’Resources are stage-dependent. Use them when they fit, not when they feel impressive to save.’

After thinking for a moment, Ren asked, "So... can these Energy Cores be bought? Or are they only found in Secret Realms?"

Adrian answered calmly.

"They can be obtained in three main ways."

"First — they can be purchased from high-level markets. But those markets are not accessible to ordinary people, and the prices are extremely high. We are talking entire family fortunes for what we just sent you."

"Second — they can be found inside Secret Realms. This is the most common method, which is why most cultivator families either run their own exploration teams or contract with one."

"And third..."

He paused briefly.

"They can be created by cultivators who have reached Stage 5 of the Bloodline Plant Lord Pathway or higher. At that level, a cultivator’s inner world produces enough excess energy that they can condense it into cores at will. Those cores are also of much higher quality than the realm-harvested kind."

Hearing this, Ren slowly nodded.

"I understand."

At that moment, Elena spoke again, her tone softer but filled with concern.

"We’ll also try to gather more information about your pathway from our team leader before we enter the deeper sections of the realm," she said. "Your pathway is extremely rare, so having more knowledge will give you a real advantage. The school manuals only cover the public version, and the public version... leaves a lot out."

Ren felt a quiet warmth at that.

"Thank you, Mom."

The conversation didn’t end there. They kept talking for some time — about cultivation, safety, his daily routine, what he should and shouldn’t do while they were away. Adrian gave him a list of three things he was specifically not allowed to attempt without supervision; Elena added a fourth without explaining what had inspired it. Ren wrote them down.

After a while, Adrian spoke again, quieter this time.

"This Secret Realm exploration will take at least one year. Possibly longer, depending on what we find inside. So don’t expect us to return any time soon."

Ren nodded. "I understand."

Adrian then added, "We’ve already transferred some money to your account. Use it wisely — for cultivation resources, daily needs, anything else you require. Don’t economize on safety. If something feels wrong, leave wherever you are. The money is there for a reason."

Elena smiled gently. "And don’t hesitate to contact us if you need anything. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Then her expression turned slightly more serious — the same one she had worn for half of the conversation, just under the surface.

"Ren. One more thing. Now that the school knows your talent, other people will know it too. The school registers awakened pathways with the city. The city forwards the rare ones to the regional offices. By tomorrow afternoon, your name and your pathway will be on at least three watchlists you don’t want to be on."

Adrian nodded. "It is not necessarily dangerous. Most of the families and organizations interested in a new Bloodline Plant Lord will simply try to recruit you. Politely. With offers of resources, training, and protection in exchange for loyalty. Some will be very generous."

"And some," Elena said quietly, "will not be polite at all."

"Don’t accept anything in person while we’re away. Anyone who matters can wait a year for an answer. Anyone who can’t wait is not someone you should be agreeing with."

Ren nodded slowly. "I understand."

Ren’s expression softened.

"I will."

After a few more words, the call finally ended.

The hologram disappeared.

The room became quiet again.

Ren stood there for a moment, then looked down at the items spread on the table in front of him — the small containers of genetic materials, the jade box, the fifty crystal-clear spheres still humming softly with their faint energy.

’They were preparing for both possible pathways,’ he thought. ’Before they even knew. They’ve been preparing for this since before I existed in this body, and probably for years before that.’

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"...Looks like everything is set."