With his evolution complete and his body thrumming with obsidian might, Adam turned his attention to his remaining resources. He now had a total of 5 Skill Points. The choice was clear; he needed to solidify his new foundation. He allocated the points without hesitation, pushing his core survival skills to new heights.

[ Scale Fortification upgraded to Level 6! - Cost: 2 SP ]

[ Blooming Vitality upgraded to Level 2! - Cost: 2 SP ]

[ Venom Gland Efficiency upgraded to Level 5! - Cost: 1 SP ]

The upgrades settled into him like final pieces of a puzzle. His obsidian scales felt even more impenetrable, his powerful healing skill became more efficient, and his venom reservoirs deeper.

"Let's see what else this place has to offer," he projected to Alice, who was now looking much better, her burns faded to faint silvery scars thanks to the medicinal plants.

They began to explore the newly pacified Molten Deeps. It was then that Alice's Mana Sense pinged, picking up a potent, concentrated signature of life-aspected energy coming from a small, isolated island of cooled rock in the middle of a lava flow.

They flew over. There, growing defiantly from a crack in the stone, was a single, stunning plant. It had a stem like twisted brass and a flower that pulsed with a soft, golden light, radiating a sense of pure vitality. Adam's system identified it.

[ Discovered: Sun-Kissed Resurgent Bloom (Rare) ]

[ Effect: Grants a powerful, one-time burst of regeneration, healing severe injuries and cleansing poisons. Can grant a passive regenerative effect to creatures without innate healing abilities.]

"This... this is for you," Adam said, looking at Alice. While his Blooming Vitality was potent, Alice lacked any true healing skill. This flower could give her that crucial survivability. He carefully uprooted it with a careful flick of his snout.

Just as he did, a furious, chittering hiss echoed from across the lava river. A creature, about the size of a large dog, scrambled onto a rock. It was a Sun-Scale Lizard, its body covered in brilliant, golden scales that reflected the lava's glow. Its intelligent, reptilian eyes were locked not on them, but on the now-empty spot where the Bloom had been. It scurried back and forth, clearly agitated, searching for its prized possession.

"Is it stupid?" Adam thought, amused. "It's just standing there."

The lizard's head suddenly snapped up. Its eyes darted from the empty patch of earth to Adam, then to the Resurgent Bloom held carefully in his coils. A spark of understanding, then pure fury, ignited in its gaze. It let out a low, guttural growl that promised violence.

Alice, sensing the shift, looked from the enraged lizard to the flower in Adam's grasp. A mischievous, almost cruel idea sparked in her mind. With a sly mental nudge to Adam, she took the Bloom from him.

She then made direct, unblinking eye contact with the Sun-Scale Lizard. Slowly, deliberately, she took a large, crunchy bite out of the glowing flower, consuming its potent petals right in front of the creature.

The effect was instantaneous. The lizard's growl cut off into a strangled sound of pure, cosmic outrage. Its brilliant scales flared as if it were a star going nova. The insult, the theft, the mockery—it was too much.

With a screech of utter rage that shattered the calm of the cavern, the Sun-Scale Lizard launched itself across the lava river, its body wreathed in flames, its claws extended, aiming straight for Alice's throat.

Alice vanished in a flicker of violet light, reappearing a few feet away as the Sun-Scale Lizard sailed through the space she had just occupied. It landed in a clumsy heap, its fiery aura flickering in confusion.

Before it could reorient itself, Adam's massive, obsidian-scaled body moved with surprising speed, not to strike, but to block its path. He didn't attack, he simply positioned himself between the lizard and Alice, then gave a slight, powerful shove with the side of his head. The lizard was sent tumbling end over end with a surprised yelp.

"Pfft! Ha!" Alice's laughter echoed in their mental link, sharp and mocking. "Look at it! So stupid! It thought it could touch me!"

"I think it was the guardian of that plant," Adam mused, watching the dazed creature. "Poor thing. It just saw its life's work get eaten in front of its eyes." He prepared to end the fight, coiling to deliver a final, crushing blow. This was the law of the dungeon, after all.

But the lizard did not charge again in a blind rage. It scrambled to its feet, shook its head, and then did something entirely unexpected. It didn't hiss or flare its scales. Instead, it lowered its head, its golden crest flattening submissively, and began to scuttle towards Adam with a series of low, chirping clicks. It wasn't an attack. It was… an approach.

As it got closer, it tried to rub its head against Adam's massive, obsidian body.

Alice's mental laughter cut off instantly, replaced by a wave of pure, undiluted outrage. "Hey! What are you doing, you stupid lizard?! Get away from him!"

Adam, equally baffled, shifted back, using his snout to gently but firmly push the persistent reptile away. The lizard chirped, undeterred, and tried again, its behavior more akin to a domesticated pet seeking affection than a wild monster.

"Is it… trying to bond?" Adam wondered, analyzing the creature's non-threatening posture and the complete lack of hostile intent he could now sense. "Did defeating it so easily make it submit? Do monsters here imprint this easily?"

"WHO CARES?!" Alice shrieked, her fur standing on end. She Void Stepped directly between Adam and the lizard, hissing and spitting, her tiny form a bastion of fury. "It's annoying! And it's ugly! And it tried to claw my face! Kill it! Kill it quickly, Adam! Squish it! Use your big tail!"

She was practically stamping her paws, her mental voice taking on the tone of a petulant child who'd just had their favorite toy threatened.

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