After Lucian finished speaking, Kara only pulled him closer, her grip tightening as if she were trying to merge him into her own body.

  "You aren't dirty at all... I was just so afraid this was a dream. I thought if I let go, the dream would end and you’d be gone again..."

  Her voice broke into a heavy sob, the sound of it twisting a knife in Lucian’s heart. He could see now just how haggard she looked; her face was pale, and her eyes were sunken. She must have spent the st few days in a state of constant, paralyzing anxiety, likely coming within an inch of falling ill from the stress.

  He really shouldn't have disappeared without a word. Seeing her this heartbroken filled him with a crushing sense of guilt.

  Then again, if he hadn't ventured into The Stony Barrens, how could he have ever overturned his fate?

  Gently, Lucian patted her back, his voice soft and soothing. "It’s alright. Stop crying. I’m sorry. I shouldn't have gone out into the wilds without telling you. I promise, I’ll never do it again."

  "Mhm..." Kara sniffled against his chest. In just those few moments, her tears had completely soaked through the fabric on Lucian's shoulder.

  Suddenly, she stiffened. She felt something strange shifting against her. Pulling back slightly, she wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "Lucian, what’s that on you? Something hard... and it’s moving..."

  "What?!" Lucian bnched. The phrasing sent a jolt of awkwardness through him.

  Kara loosened her grip and gnced down. A sharp, piercing scream tore from her throat as she scrambled backward, losing her footing and falling onto the floor. Her face went deathly pale as she pointed a trembling finger at Lucian’s chest. "Lucian... you... there’s a lizard on you!"

  Lucian looked down. Sure enough, Nyx had poked her head out from his colr. Kara must have squeezed her too hard during the hug, and the little dragon was clearly reaching her limit.

  Nyx was displeased. She had been cooped up in his clothes for hours, then squashed by this human woman, and now she was being called a lizard again. The tiny dragon’s temper fred. She scrambled out of the shirt and climbed onto Lucian’s shoulder, standing tall.

  "Ang!"

  A low, vibrating roar echoed through the shop. While not deafeningly loud, it carried the unmistakable, soul-shaking weight of a true dragon's cry. Nyx opened her maw and spat out a fist-sized fireball, her eyes narrowed as she tried to intimidate Kara.

  Kara sat frozen on the floor, her mind gone completely bnk. She didn't know whether to be amazed or to start screaming for help.

  Lucian reached up and tapped Nyx on the head, forcing her to swallow the remaining sparks in her mouth. "Nyx, knock it off," he said sternly. "This is my aunt. She’s the person closest to me in the world!"

  "Ang—ying—"

  Nyx chirped, her aggressive posture defting instantly. She didn't look threatening anymore; instead, she looked up at Lucian with big, watery, wronged eyes. Her expression seemed to ask: She's the person closest to you? Then what am I?

  Lucian didn't know whether to ugh or cry. Are you seriously getting jealous of my aunt?

  Regardless of her internal drama, his lecture worked. Nyx lost her hostility toward Kara. Instead, she beat her wings and began fluttering around the first-floor shop, exploring with intense curiosity. She started flipping over the lids of the bamboo steamers used for buns, sticking her snout inside to see if there were any hidden treats. She behaved exactly like a mischievous, hyperactive child.

  Despite the draconic features, her pyful personality and small size made her far less terrifying. Kara watched in disbelief as Nyx bit a steamer basket in half, only to immediately spit out the wood chips with a series of disgusted "pah-pah-pah" sounds.

  "Lucian... what is that thing?" Kara asked, her voice still shaking with shock. "Where did you get it?"

  "Don't be scared," Lucian expined with a smile. "This is a dragon. She’s my dragon pet. You know I’m a Dragon Tamer. Without a dragon, the css is a dead end. But I got lucky. While I was out in the wild, I found a dragon egg and hatched her. I’ve already awakened quite a few Dragon Tamer skills. There shouldn’t be any problem getting into a top-tier academy during The Awakening Trials the day after tomorrow."

  "That’s your pet?!" Kara’s eyes went wide.

  She didn't know much about the world of the Awakened, but even she knew what The Dragonflight represented. Drakes—creatures that only carried a fraction of The Dragonflight blood—were legendary, terrifying monsters. How could Lucian just go for a walk and find a dragon?

  But the evidence was right in front of her. She watched Nyx again. The little dragon was currently locked in a life-or-death struggle with a cleaning rag, eventually managing to tear it into several tattered shreds.

  Well... Kara thought, her logic taking over. Something this small probably just has a tiny sliver of bloodline. Like a mutation.

  After all, The Dragonflight were world-ending entities that blotted out the sun. This little thing couldn't possibly be a pureblood.

  Still, it didn't matter. If Lucian could use this pet to unlock his skills and actually have a shot at The Awakening Trials, it was a miracle worth celebrating.

  Kara had no way of knowing that the little troublemaker currently wrestling with a rag wasn't just a pureblood, but a Bck Dragon King—one of the most powerful lineages in existence.

  If Nyx knew that Kara was dismissing her as just another lizard with a bit of "special blood," she likely would have burned the entire shop to the ground in a fit of pure, draconic rage.

  Lucian couldn't possibly reveal the existence of the System to Kara.

  Because of that, he was also afraid she would press him for details on where Nyx had come from.

  He pulled the Css Advancement Scroll from his inventory and handed it over. "I picked up some incredible things out in the wilderness. This one is for you. It’s a game-changer, so go ahead and use it."

  Kara took the scroll with a look of confusion. "What is... gasp—a Css Advancement Scroll?!"

  Her beautiful eyes went wide, her face filled with sheer disbelief.

  "This... this is a fortune!" Her hands trembled slightly as she looked up at him. "Where did you get something like this?"

  Lucian gave a light smile, keeping his tone casual. "Out in the wild, I happened to run into Sis's daughter—the Lord Mayor of Riverport City. They were short on people for a Secret Realm run, so I tagged along."

  "After clearing it, I chose this Css Advancement Scroll from the rewards. I wanted you to undergo a Css Awakening and become an Enchanting Chef."

  "This way, you won't have to stay cooped up in this bun shop forever. A life-oriented Hidden Css offers a much brighter future!"

  A wave of warmth rushed through Kara's heart at the realization that he had earned this in a Secret Realm.

  She knew Lucian could have chosen any reward for himself, yet he had picked this Css Advancement Scroll specifically for her.

  Her eyes grew moist. She brushed them dry with an inconspicuous movement and forced a smile. "I appreciate the thought, truly, but this is far too valuable. I can't take this."

  "Let’s just sell it. A Css Advancement Scroll for a Hidden Css must be worth a fortune. We could sell it and get you a few pieces of high-end equipment. It would help you get a much better score during the Awakening Trials."

  "There’s no need. I don’t need the money or the gear," Lucian said, pulling out his phone with a grin to show her the bank notification—a deposit of nearly three hundred thousand credits.

  "Look. I gathered a lot of materials while I was out and sold them for all this. We never have to worry about money again. Oh, and that cssmate I met from House Sterling? He said he’d be sending over a reward for my help soon, too."

  "So, just use the scroll. Trust me, our family is done struggling."

  Seeing that Lucian had earned more in one trip than her shop made in three or four years, Kara felt a mix of shock and immense relief.

  She looked at his tattered clothes. Although he didn't seem to have any visible wounds, the bloodstains on the fabric were proof enough of the hardships he must have endured in the wilderness.

  Her heart ached at the sight.

  She didn't push back against the Css Advancement Scroll any further. This was something Lucian had fought hard to bring back for her; refusing it would only waste his kindness.

  She gave a small, resolute nod. "Alright. I trust you. I'll use it."

  "Great!" Lucian’s face lit up when she finally agreed. "Hurry up and become an Enchanting Chef. I’m dying to see what makes this Hidden Css so special."

  "Okay," Kara whispered, activating the scroll.

  The parchment dissolved into a pilr of light that sank into her body.

  A moment ter, the glow faded. Kara's previously exhausted appearance vanished, repced by a much more spirited and vibrant energy.

  It seemed the Hidden Css Awakening provided immediate physical benefits.

  Kara slowly opened her eyes, her expression shifting to one of pleasant surprise.

  Lucian leaned in eagerly. "Well? Does the new css have any special abilities?"

  Kara nodded, her voice steady. "I gained a passive skill called Enchanted Cooking."

  "From now on, anything I cook will grant the consumer a stat boost based on the ingredients and the fvor. However, I can't say for sure which stats will increase or how long the effect will st—it’s all random."

  "I see. So it’s basically like being an Alchemist?" Lucian was more than satisfied with the result.

  In fact, the Enchanting Chef css seemed superior to an Alchemist in some ways.

  An Alchemist required rare medicinal herbs to concoct potions, whereas Kara only needed ordinary ingredients.

  A faint blush of excitement colored Kara's cheeks. "It’s simir, though my dishes probably won't provide boosts as massive as a professional Alchemist’s potions. It's more of a 'better than nothing' kind of buff."

  Lucian ughed. "That doesn't matter. You can't chug potions all day, but you have to eat every day."

  "With your skills, the stat boosts from your food are bound to be impressive."

  "You and your silver tongue!" Kara teased, poking his forehead. "Tell you what, I’ll head to the market right now and pick up some groceries. I’ll make a feast tonight to welcome you home."

  "It'll be the perfect chance to see exactly what kind of stats my Enchanted Cooking can produce."