In the gorgeous box, more seeds appeared before Char's eyes, these ones with quite a strange shape. One glance was enough to tell him that these were not the plant seeds of the modern age. They were older, more powerful. Just like the Whomping Willow.
A strange look appeared in his eyes. "These should be ancient plant seeds collected by Porgy Charlemagne." But a moment later, he shook his head again. "It's a pity they have all dried up and become inactive. They're all just specimens. Apart from their collectible value, even a master of Herbology wouldn't be able to bring them back to life."
He had seen many similar specimens with his aunt; she had a collection as long as a wall. She had told him that this kind of thing was a common gift between herbalists. Almost every master kept a stock of them. If he liked, he could get dozens and collect them like Chocolate Frog cards. He hadn't expected that the thing Porgy valued so much, what was packed in such an exquisite box, would be just a few specimens.
A moment later, he figured it out. For a master of Herbology, specimens like this are rare, but not difficult to obtain. Through their interpersonal connections, they can naturally accumulate a lot of them. But for Porgy, who aspires to be a master but fails, it's understandable that he would imitate their collecting behavior, just like a true master. It's like in my previous life, how some people would try so hard to squeeze into a circle that didn't belong to them, paying special attention to what people in that circle were eating, drinking, and playing with. Mimicking the behavior seems to help them feel like they're participating.
He shook his head. It was still a pity. When he had first seen the ancient seeds, he had felt a glimmer of anticipation, thinking that maybe he would get lucky and find a seed that still had some activity. But he knew it wasn't easy. According to his aunt, the only way to get a living ancient plant seed was to win the annual Young Herbalists Award, and even then, one had to be judged by the Herbology Association as having exceptionally good performance. The chances of Porgy getting one were slim.
But as he looked at the box, he still felt that something was strange. Even if Porgy wanted to squeeze into the circle of masters, it didn't explain why he would spend time alone with this box almost every day, not letting anyone get close. The value of the specimens might not even be higher than the box itself. Something wasn't right.
It was this sense of disharmony that made him examine the box more carefully. Porgy's behavior wasn't normal. Unless… there's something else hidden in this box. Even these specimens are just a cover-up. He dared not reveal the true secret, and could only admire it in secret.
His thoughts raced. He picked up the box again and examined it carefully. But from both a visual and weight perspective, there was nothing wrong. He couldn't even see a suspicious crack. After a long time, he asked Eugene, "Before and after Porgy approached the box, were there any unusual symptoms? Any unusual behavior at all?"
Eugene tried to recall. "It seems like every time he came out, I would prepare a potion to stop bleeding for him. But he often used dark magic to transform those seeds, so the hemostatic potion was a daily necessity. I don't know if this is considered an anomaly."
The words made Char's eyes flicker. A potion to stop bleeding? Every time? Is it blood? He recalled a rumor he had heard about how, in the early days, to enter a Gringotts vault, the owner had to drip blood on the door to pass the protective magic. It was inconvenient, but it provided maximum security. But then, a group of thieves had brutally killed a vault owner for his blood, and the ancient families had pressured Gringotts to cancel such measures.
Could it be that Porgy made a similar blood-drip protection for this box? But Porgy is already dead. Where can I find his blood now? Char frowned. Then, his sight fell on the seeds that had been transformed by Dark Magic Transfiguration. An idea came to him. These seeds have all been transformed by Porgy. That means they're all soaked in his blood. Perhaps I can extract it from them.
He waved his wand, and the seeds floated up. The bronze-level Dark Magic Transfiguration on his system panel lit up slightly, and a profane, twisted magic permeated the seeds. Under the influence of his own superior magic, black and red blood gradually seeped out of the seeds, gathering into a small pool. Under Char's gaze, the pool of blood fell onto the box.
The next second, the blood was completely absorbed. The reliefs and exquisite patterns on the box seemed to come alive, flowing and shifting until they pieced together the pattern of a smaller box. The pattern became three-dimensional, and a new, small box appeared before him.
When he opened it, his gaze became intense. A seed, exuding an ancient magic and still retaining a strong activity, appeared before his eyes. He took a deep breath. "Porgy Charlemagne… he actually got a living ancient plant seed!"
Although information on ancient plant seeds was very rare, and he couldn't see the specific reward information for this one, he was sure it was at least Diamond level. There was even a good chance of getting an epic reward after cultivating it to maturity. Though he knew that replanting each ancient plant seed was extremely difficult, a task to which many a master of Herbology had devoted their entire lives without success, it didn't stop him from making preparations in advance. He carefully put the seed away. Reflecting on this harvest, he was very excited. It was true that no one could get rich without unexpected wealth.
After a long time, his mind finally calmed down. The ancient plant seed would require a lot of time to research and plant. It was definitely not suitable for now. As for the foxglove seeds, while their rewards were very practical, they would be most useful in his third year. There was no need to rush. As for the dark wizard named Ed, he would have to wait until his magical perception had undergone a qualitative change before he could look for clues. And to find a mysterious dark wizard, it was best to wait until the Guardian Trees, Devil's Snares, and so on were harvested, and his strength and resistance to dark magic were further enhanced.
These things don't need to be done now. The most urgent task is to prepare for landing on Drya Island. His gaze fell on the piccolo that could summon the Kraken. He picked it up and blew hard. A strange flute sound followed, and he could feel a special magic spreading far away in the sea.
At the same time, deep under the sea, in a dark trench, the Kraken was huddled. Its tentacles were now nearly half as many as before, and the sense of oppression emanating from it was much less. The [Giant Killer] toxin had caused it a great loss. It still needed time to recuperate. But as it was sleeping, the sound of the flute came from the distant sea, mixed with a magic to which it was particularly sensitive. It suddenly opened its eyes. But after a moment, it closed them again, not moving. The piccolo was able to attract its interest, but not now. All it wanted was sleep.
On the island, after playing the flute, Char waited for a long time, but still did not see the Kraken. He frowned. "Why doesn't it come? Is it because it suffered a loss last time?" He shook his head. That wouldn't work. If the Kraken didn't come, his plans would be ruined. He picked up the piccolo again. "A famous musician who lives in Bikini Bottom once said that the octopus's musicality is unmatched. The Kraken and the octopus are probably somewhat related. I will use beautiful music to attract it." He puffed out his cheeks and blew a strong, shrill tune. He frowned. It didn't feel right. Something was missing. There was no atmosphere.
The next moment, he looked at Eugene beside him, as if remembering something. "Cry," he said suddenly. "Cry for me."
Eugene was stunned. "Ah?"
"Think about the suffering and pain you've endured in this life. Think of your former, deceased master, Porgy Charlemagne. Eugene, cry—"
Hearing his words, Eugene recalled the abuse he had suffered, and the unprecedented relief he had felt when Porgy had died. He sobbed first, then burst into tears. "I've had such a hard life! Porgy Charlemagne, you died well, you died well!"
Hearing this cry, Char took a deep breath. That's right. This is the right feeling. It was a pity the piccolo wasn't very handy. But the atmosphere was right. A mournful, wailing tune, mixed with the sound of Eugene, who couldn't seem to decide whether he was crying or laughing, spread into the deep sea.
In the trench, the Kraken, about to fall asleep again, heard the sound. It shuddered, and woke up immediately. Who? Who died? Is it my distant relative who went to the Pacific to start a business and changed his name to Cthulhu? I heard he was hit badly by a ship when he was taking a nap. Is this finally unbearable? Should I clean up and go to a banquet? The next moment, it realized. Its tentacles twitched on the seabed. It was extremely angry. Sleeping. Who the hell is playing funeral music at the bottom of the sea? You don't take me, the Kraken, seriously?! It finally couldn't bear it anymore. It emerged from the trench and swam quickly toward the sound.
But the closer it got, the more it felt that something was wrong. Why does this road seem so familiar? Then, it emerged from the deep sea and saw Char's tiny figure on the island from afar. It recalled the previous painful experience. This tiny human, who could actually wrestle with it, who had a strange toxin in his blood that had forced it to sever several of its own tentacles. It suddenly dived back into the deep sea, fleeing without even looking back.
Char slowly grinned, his eyes fixed on the Kraken beneath the sea. He wouldn't rashly enter the water, but it wasn't so easy for the Kraken to escape his sight. He called Eugene over. "Let's go!"
Eugene was confused. "Mr. Sprout, where are we going?"
Char smiled slightly. "To the Kraken's hometown. To play the suona. And to eat."
He drove the Nimbus 2000, taking Eugene with him, and chased the Kraken all the way. The Kraken soon discovered that while it was fast in the water, it was no match for the Nimbus 2000 in the sky. Char was always just above it. This damn little wizard, it thought, I didn't even bother to provoke him. What on earth does he want?! It was quite intelligent and could see that Char didn't want to rush into the sea. In that case, no matter what he wanted, it would just have to wait him out. It dived into the trench where it usually slept and wrapped itself with its tentacles, trying to isolate itself from the mournful music. If you have the ability, it thought, you can just stay at sea and be exposed to the wind and sun. You keep blowing. You're a human being; you will get tired, and you always need to eat and drink water, right? I can go without food for a year without any problem. We'll see who can outlast whom.