The small plant looked at them. Its petals tilted upward, toward Lucian and Ryan, with an expression that could only be described as curiosity. A tiny vine reached out, waving in the air like a hand asking to be shaken.

Lucian tilted his head. Interesting. A symbiotic plant that could refine mana and morph into weapons. Useful. But not for him.

His eyes shifted to Ryan, who was already crouched on the ground, his glasses practically touching the plant as he examined it with naked wonder.

"Oh my God," Ryan whispered. "This is a Mana Lily. I thought these were extinct. The textbooks say they went extinct during the first century of the Cataclysm. They were used by ancient cultivators as living tools — portable mana refineries, adaptive weapons, healing aids. One Mana Lily could sustain an entire squad of hunters on extended dungeon expeditions."

Ryan looked up at Lucian, his eyes blazing. "Do you know how much this is worth?"

"A lot."

"A LOT is an understatement. This is a living, breathing piece of pre-Cataclysm history. Research institutions would kill for this. The alchemy department would—"

"Then tame it," Lucian said.

Ryan blinked. "What?"

"Tame it. It’s in its infant stage. You can bond with it right now."

"How do you know that?"

Lucian ignored the question. He reached into his shadow storage. Actually, he reached into the system shop, navigating to the technique scrolls section. He found what he was looking for.

╔═════════════════════╗

║ ITEM: BEAST TAMING SCROLL ║

║ (Symbiotic Plant Type) ║

║ Rank: B ║

║ Contains the ancient method for bonding with symbiotic plant beasts. ║

║ Requires: Blood offering, mana pattern, and mutual consent. ║

║ Price: 1,500 SC ║

╚════════════════════╝

Lucian purchased it. 14,100 SC dropped to 12,600 SC. A scroll materialized in his hand — old parchment, green runes, faint smell of earth and rain.

He held it out to Ryan.

Ryan stared at the scroll. Then at Lucian. Then at the scroll again.

"What... is this?"

"Taming scroll. For symbiotic plant beasts."

Ryan took the scroll with trembling hands. He unrolled it, scanning the contents. His eyes widened with each line. Then they went impossibly wider. He looked up at Lucian, mouth open.

"This is a B-Rank taming scroll. These don’t exist on the open market. The only ones who have anything like this are top-tier beast taming clans or ancient sects. How did you— where did you—"

"Street vendor," Lucian said flatly.

"STREET VENDOR?! A B-Rank symbiotic plant taming scroll from a STREET VENDOR?!"

"Same one who sold you the storage ring."

Ryan stared at him for a long, hard moment. His Critical Mind ability was practically screaming at him — Lucian was lying. Obviously lying. The story made zero sense. B-Rank scrolls didn’t appear at street vendors. Storage rings didn’t appear at street vendors. Nothing about Lucian’s convenient acquisitions made any logical sense.

But Ryan also knew Lucian. And he knew that pushing the issue would get him nowhere. Lucian’s secrets were Lucian’s secrets. He’d accept the gift and ask questions later. Or never.

"You’re impossible," Ryan muttered, rolling the scroll back up. "Fine. How does it work?"

Lucian pointed at the scroll. "Don’t ask me, read it."

Ryan read. His expression shifted from disbelief to concentration as the instructions processed through his enhanced mind.

"Blood offering," Ryan murmured. "Draw a pattern on the ground around the plant using my blood. Then feed it a drop of blood from my palm. The plant has to accept the blood willingly. If it does, the bond forms."

"Correct."

"And if it doesn’t accept?"

"Then it spits your blood back in your face and you try again with something else."

Ryan grimaced. "Great. Wonderful. Very reassuring."

He pulled out his scalpel and took a breath. Then he pressed the blade against his left palm.

SHLK.

Blood welled from the cut. Ryan crouched beside the Lumina plant, which watched him with its petals tilted sideways, curious and unafraid. He began to draw.

The pattern on the scroll was intricate — a circular array with six intersecting lines, each one terminating in a small rune. Ryan’s hand was steady despite the pain. His Critical Mind guided each stroke with perfect precision, ensuring every line matched the diagram exactly.

The blood glowed faintly as it touched the mossy ground. The runes activated one by one — a soft, green light that pulsed in rhythm with the Lumina’s petals.

The plant looked around, its tiny vines waving in confusion. It seemed to sense the array. It seemed to understand what was happening. Its petals tilted toward Ryan, studying him.

Then it settled. As if saying, Alright. Go ahead.

Ryan held his bleeding palm over the plant’s small mouth — a tiny opening at the center of its petals, no bigger than a marble. He squeezed his hand. A single drop of blood fell.

It landed on the plant’s mouth.

The Lumina glowed.

A brilliant, warm, white light that filled the entire cavern, reflecting off the mana stones in the walls and ceiling. The plant’s petals opened wide — wider than should have been possible for something six inches tall — and a soft, melodic hum emanated from its body.

The tiny vines reached up and wrapped around Ryan’s finger gently.

Ryan’s eyes widened. He felt it — a presence in his mind. Small. Warm. Curious. Like a child holding his hand for the first time.

The bond clicked into place.

╔══════════════════════╗

║ ⚠ — NOTIFICATION — ⚠ ║

║ Taming Successful! ║

║ Ryan Duncan has bonded with: ║

║ ◀ LUMINA ▶ ║

║ (Mana Lily — Infant Stage) ║

║ Bond Type: Symbiotic (Permanent) ║

║ Lumina will now respond to Ryan’s mana and commands.

║As Ryan grows stronger, so will Lumina. ║

╚════════════════════════╝

The glow faded. The cavern returned to its soft, ambient light. The Lumina plant — now Ryan’s Lumina — sat contentedly in the center of the blood array, its petals closing into a gentle bud before reopening with a happy little pulse.

Ryan stared at it. Then at his hand. Then at the plant again.

"Did it just... bond with me?"

"Yes."

"It’s in my head. I can feel it. It’s... happy."

"Congratulations. You’re a plant father."

Ryan let out a breathless laugh. The Lumina crawled using its tiny vines like legs — up Ryan’s arm and settled on his shoulder, its petals nuzzling against his neck. Ryan touched it gently, his fingers trembling.

"Hey there, little one," he whispered. "I’m Ryan. I’m going to take care of you."

The plant pulsed warmly in response.