Chapter 44: Symbiosis
Frank sat in silence, his back pressed against the damp stone wall of the cave, his body still humming with residual vitality. The mutated vine coiled firmly around his forearm like a crimson serpent, pulsing softly with life. He stared at it—tracing its thorns, the faint glow beneath its veined surface, the way it seemed to breathe in sync with him.
Then the information came—not in words, but in memories, like dreams imprinted directly into his mind.
He gasped, his eyes going wide as he was submerged in the vine's history.
It had been born of carnage.
Long ago, deep within the garden—no, this war-torn forest—two Rank 7 beasts had battled for supremacy. They had torn through the land like elemental gods, their roars shaking the heavens, their claws leaving mountains in ruins. Trees had burned, rivers boiled, the very mana of the land twisted.
Amid the chaos, a simple vine had sprouted in the middle of a crimson pool—blood that soaked into its roots for days, weeks, perhaps longer. It drank deep of their essence, and something changed.
It mutated.
It grew awareness.
But not strength.
It remained weak—unable to move, unable to hunt. And in a jungle like this, weakness meant death.
So it hid.
For decades, it coiled around a crystal boulder in the clearing—camouflaged, still, patient. Occasionally, battles would erupt nearby. It fed on the aftermath—drops of blood, bits of broken bone, discarded organs—and slowly, ever so slowly, it grew. One battle between a Rank 4 eagle and a Rank 5 wolf left enough blood behind for the vine to break into Rank 2.
Still, it couldn't fight.
So it adapted. It began to produce fruits—bright, red, mana-rich. It lured. And it waited.
One day, a wounded Rank 3 beast crawled into its range, hoping to consume the fruits. The vine struck, faster than the eye, its roots piercing the beast and draining it dry. That was its first real kill.
And then, the vine learned the most ancient truth of this forest.
"Feed, or die."
It grew stronger. Bolder.
More beasts came. It ambushed them all. Slowly, the vine advanced through the ranks. Until it met the monkey.
The monkey didn't fall for the trap. It was Rank 4—clever, slippery. And worse, it started stealing the fruits. The vine couldn't stop it. It was reminded again: in this forest, strength ruled.
That's when Frank came.
And now, it had found a new method to hunt. A new advantage.
A partner.
Frank reeled as the memories faded. His arm still tingled. But with the knowledge came something more—an offer.
The vine's intent bled into him like a contract written in blood and instinct:
"We are bound. I will not leave. But if you feed me, I will feed you."
A quiet understanding settled between them. A deal.
Any beast Frank killed, the vine would consume. It would take 70% of the vitality, but the remaining 30% would be refined and returned to him—clean, pure, and potent. A direct boost to his body, without the harsh side effects that often came from raw blood consumption.
Frank flexed his fingers. Already, his muscles felt denser, his reaction speed sharper. The five fruits he had consumed earlier had nearly pushed him to bursting—but the vine had regulated it, siphoning off the excess and keeping him from imploding.
It wasn't just a parasite anymore.
It was a filter. A battery. A weapon. A shield.
A strange sense of appreciation stirred in him.
But so did unease.
"There was more than one Rank 7 beast here…"
That realization hit like a falling mountain. If two Rank 7s had clashed before… how many more were still in this massive garden-turned-forest?
And worse… how many were still alive?
Frank's gaze drifted to the open sky outside the cave mouth. The jungle was quiet, but not in peace. It was the silence of things watching. Waiting.
He would have to move carefully now. His very presence could trigger new conflicts. He had a vine that hungered, a body still adjusting to its surge in power, and beasts that were far older, stronger, and smarter than him watching from the shadows.
But now… he wasn't alone.
He looked down at the vine.
It pulsed once, like a heartbeat.
"We feed together. We survive together."
Frank smirked.
"Then let's hunt."