In the small greenhouse, on a patch of land Char had reserved, the mycelium of the glowing mushrooms danced happily, emitting a soft, ethereal light. Tiny reward orbs floated above them, and seeing the scene, Char felt a wave of nostalgia. At the beginning of the school year, the rewards from these simple fungi had been a tremendous help. Even in his recent battle in the Forbidden Forest, the amplified Lumos charm had played a key role.
It was a pity. Now, the rewards from the glowing mushrooms were only at the Black Iron level, paling in comparison to his other, more advanced plants. It felt like a waste to use the precious greenhouse space to cultivate them. But if he could succeed in replicating the accidental induction he had performed long ago, transforming them into Blood Jade, they could once again become one of his most valuable assets. The key to that transformation was now in his hands.
Char's eyes fell to the two bottles he was holding. One contained a green, sticky liquid that, even through the glass, gave off a faint, fishy odor. It was the blood of the Acromantula. The other held a bright, crimson liquid: freshly drawn blood from the Hungarian Horntail. Both were extremely fresh, a factor that, according to Professor Sprout's research, was crucial for inducing the transformation into Blood Jade.
Not wasting another moment, Char divided the blood into three groups. The first was pure dragon blood. The second, pure Acromantula blood. The third was a mixture of the two. A look of curiosity and anticipation appeared in his eyes as he looked at this third sample. To use the blood of two different 5X-rated magical creatures for the induction at the same time was something even his aunt had never imagined. In the wizarding world, such creatures were extremely rare and dangerous. The induction required fresh blood, and except for legendary Magizoologists, who could possibly obtain the blood of multiple 5X creatures in such a short time? Even Char himself had never thought he would have such an opportunity.
"I wonder if this will bring about any new changes," he mused.
He suppressed his wandering thoughts. The blood was precious, and he couldn't afford to waste a single drop. With a wave of his wand, he cast a levitation spell, and the three different samples of blood rose into the air, transforming into clouds of fine mist. The blood mists enveloped their respective designated areas, settling over the glowing mushroom mycelium. Char concentrated, ensuring every single strand was evenly coated.
He watched as the blood mist was slowly absorbed by the mushrooms, the speed of absorption increasing with every passing moment. The fungi, which normally only required light, seemed to have tasted something new and delicious. The mycelium danced with joy, greedily swallowing the blood mist around them. At the same time, the reward orbs floating above them began to pulsate violently, and the text in the reward information became blurry, a sign of a profound transformation brewing within.
The two groups using the pure dragon blood and pure Acromantula blood reacted identically, and Char felt a sense of certainty. The transformation into Blood Jade was underway. According to his aunt's research, with the blood of a 5X-rated magical creature, the entire process would take only three to five days. After that, the Blood Jade would only need to be supplied with blood rich in vitality, and it would mature at an astonishingly fast pace—no more than a month at most. Char estimated that if he fed it with his own blood, the process would be even faster.
The thought made his heart pound. He had planted many incredible things, but their harvest times were frustratingly long. The Guardian Tree and Devil's Snare would likely not be ready until the end of the semester. The Shadowthorns, not until the summer vacation. The Piranha Algae would be a bit earlier, but still at least another month and a half away. Once the Blood Jade was successfully cultivated, he could harvest a batch of Silver-level reward plants every single month. The benefits of that were almost too great to contemplate.
His gaze then fell upon the third group, and his expression became a little confused. The mycelium in this group had also absorbed all the blood mist, but unlike the other two, it showed almost no change, as if nothing had happened at all.
"Is the idea of a mixed-blood cultivation untenable? A conflict of magic? Or is it accumulating changes in a different way?"
After a moment, Char shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. The third group was just an experiment, and he had used the least amount of blood on it. The other two groups were succeeding. He would observe the third and, if necessary, ask his aunt to take a look.
The thought of his aunt made his eyes light up. He needed to learn the Bubble-Head Charm to make up for the shortcoming of his water-based power-up. In the Triwizard Tournament, both Fleur and Cedric had used it. If Cedric knew the spell, then Professor Sprout most likely did as well, or at least she would know where he could learn it. With his current Transfiguration proficiency, learning a new spell was no longer the arduous task it once was. He didn't even need to master the spell to a high level; as long as he could quickly form a bubble and trigger his ability, that was enough.
With this thought in mind, he immediately went to the Head of House's office and found his aunt. But when she heard that he wanted to learn the Bubble-Head Charm, she showed a somewhat embarrassed look, her face turning slightly pale.
"That spell? I'm sorry, Char, I can't teach it to you."
Now it was Char's turn to be stunned. "You can't? But… why?"
"If you really want to learn it, fine. I can secretly write you a note for the Restricted Section. You can go look for it there."
Char's jaw dropped. "The Restricted Section? Auntie, are you telling me the Bubble-Head Charm is in the Restricted Section?!" If he didn't know his aunt better, he would have thought it was a prank. The Bubble-Head Charm? A spell that just puts a bubble of air around your head? In the Restricted Section? It was absurd.
Seeing his expression, Professor Sprout's own expression suddenly became serious. "Don't underestimate the Bubble-Head Charm. Every spell in the Restricted Section is there for a reason. Indeed, it's not an offensive spell. But historically, it ranks among the most murderous spells. It has probably killed more people than some of the most notorious dark curses!"
Char's face was still a mask of pure confusion. The Bubble-Head Charm? Killing people? How was that even possible? A moment later, a hesitant thought occurred to him.
"Auntie… you don't mean to say that many wizards in history have drowned while practicing the Bubble-Head Charm, do you?"
Professor Sprout nodded gravely. Char was still in disbelief. "No? Someone could actually choke on water from a spell they cast themselves? And the Bubble-Head Charm is just a small bubble of water. If you can swim even a little, it shouldn't be that dangerous, right?"
"Not everyone can swim!" she said indignantly. "Some people are born landlubbers! After being submerged in water, it's perfectly normal to panic and choke a few times! Is it shameful to be nearly drowned by the Bubble-Head Charm? This is a lesson countless wizards have paid for with their lives!"
Seeing his aunt so anxiously defending the spell, Char suddenly understood. "Auntie… you wouldn't have…?"
She paused, her face turning a bright red. "Ah. Yes. I am the most recent student in history to nearly drown while practicing the Bubble-Head Charm. It was after my… incident… that the spell was moved to the Restricted Section. Is that funny?!"
Char let out a small, strangled laugh, then quickly changed his tune. "This is all the Bubble-Head Charm's fault. Any wizard who needs to learn it obviously can't swim. Anyone who can swim wouldn't bother. So, the spell has problems from the very beginning. It's too inhumane."
Professor Sprout's expression softened into a satisfied smile. She then wrote him the note for the Restricted Section. As he was about to leave, she gave him a serious reminder.
"Char. Many ancient secrets are hidden in the Restricted Section. Powerful, mysterious, even terrifying magics. Many people have become addicted to them and wasted their lives. I believe you have the self-control to resist, otherwise I wouldn't give you this note. But promise me you will be careful." She placed a hand on his arm. "Auntie will solve all your problems. At any cost. So don't be fooled by some tempting magic. Believe me."
Char looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Don't worry, Auntie. I won't get hung up on that stuff."
He left her office and headed to the library. With the note, he had no trouble gaining access to the Restricted Section. As he entered, he heard the sound of pages turning. The books on the dusty shelves seemed to be waking up, shaking off the dust to reveal their titles, some stamped in gorgeous gold, some in blood-red, some in a deep, profound black. Magical names he had never heard of appeared before his eyes, their very titles seeming to pulse with profound mystery. To master even one of them would be to gain access to secrets ordinary people could hardly imagine. Invincible strength. Eternal youth. Immortal life. It all seemed to be contained within these forbidden tomes. A mysterious attraction emanated from them, inviting him to open them, to read, to learn.
Come on, they seemed to whisper. You won't regret it!
Char scanned the titles with interest, but he walked on without pause. The magics were powerful, yes, but not enough to seduce him. After all, no matter how potent the spell, it could not compare to his planting system, which allowed him to grow infinitely and reap endless rewards. Planting was already an invincible path; why would he need to resort to forbidden magic? He decisively ignored all temptations and walked straight to the bookshelf his aunt had indicated. Compared to the other books, the textbook containing the Bubble-Head Charm seemed to be trembling with fear.
He reached out and took it, a look of satisfaction on his face. With this, he could trigger his underwater power-up anytime, anywhere. He was now stronger than ever. The purpose of his visit was achieved. He was about to turn and leave when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something familiar. It was a thick, notebook-style book, its cover filled not with writing, but with a complex and strange pattern. The more he looked at it, the more he felt he had seen it somewhere before, and recently.
After a moment of hard thought, a gleaming object flashed in his mind.
"This is… the pattern on the small silver bucket!"