Staring at the branch that promised a legendary-level, second-sublimation reward upon reaching maturity, Char found it impossible not to feel a stir of temptation. If he could cultivate this, the rewards would be astonishing, and the Blood Soul Thorn itself would become an immensely powerful combat asset. According to legend, it had even slain a hero with divine blood.
But the risk was equally immense. First, the branch came from a mysterious and powerful mother plant. Though the connection had been severed, a hidden link might remain, much like the one between Voldemort and Harry Potter. Char had no desire to cultivate the Blood Soul Thorn only to have it usurped by its parent.
Second, the Blood Soul Thorn was notoriously evil and brutal. Its growth required devouring a great number of lives, souls included. It was destined to form its own malevolent consciousness, a born-and-bred monster that would stop at nothing to consume more life. Trying to educate it with love and justice would be utterly futile. Cultivating such a plant was an enterprise fraught with extreme danger.
After a moment of careful thought, Char let out a slow breath. He decided to abandon the idea of cultivating the branch. The risk was simply too high. While the temptation was great, he was a person who could restrain himself from even using mythical plants for the time being; what was a Blood Soul Thorn in comparison?
"Stability and reliability are the most important elements," he affirmed to himself. "To chase power while ignoring the risks is no different from the thinking of a gambler or a dark wizard."
His eyes cleared with resolve. This didn't mean the branch was useless, however. As a high-level dark magic item of indescribable evil, it was the perfect fuel to accelerate the advancement of his Guardian Tree seed. He could transform this uncontrollable, high-risk potential into a stable, guaranteed harvest. Though the benefits might not be as great as cultivating the Blood Soul Thorn itself, the safety and control of this method were far more appealing to Char.
He immediately took out the Guardian Tree seed. The moment it appeared, it seemed to sense the aura emanating from the Blood Soul Thorn branch. It began to glow with an unprecedented silver light, as if encountering a dangerous but irresistibly tempting enemy. Holy magic enveloped the branch, colliding with the residual evil power clinging to it. A hissing sound filled the air as the two opposing forces annihilated each other.
Although the Blood Soul Thorn branch was of a higher level, and its evil power could destroy several measures of the Guardian Tree's sacred energy, it was a spent force, cut off from its mother. Under the continuous flow of power from the Guardian Tree seed, the evil energy slowly receded, retreating deep into the branch. Then, slowly but surely, black spots, like scorch marks, began to spread across the branch's surface.
***
In a sunless, subterranean space far away, a heart-wrenching, hoarse scream tore through the silence. Countless blood-red, thorn-covered branches whipped wildly through the air, creating sharp, cracking explosions.
"Pain! It hurts so much!"
At the center of a tangled mass of thorns thicker than a giant python, a figure that had almost merged with the plant was cursing furiously. "Damn it, damn it! After all these years, why is the Holy See still active? Why are the Knights of the Inquisition still appearing in the wizarding world? Why must they target me? Why not just go kill Dumbledore?!"
After a long tirade fueled by anger and agony, the figure calmed slightly. "I was skeptical before. I thought the one using the White Eagle swordsmanship might be a fake. But now… now there is no doubt. Through the severed branch, I felt a soul-searing pain. It was divine power. That knight isn't just cleansing my branch; he's torturing it, trying to force a confession out of me. That's their style, alright. A Knight of the Inquisition is here!"
Though unwilling, the memory of the Inquisition's terrifying power made the figure abandon all its original plans. "For the time being, I cannot make a move on the descendant of the Robinse family. I must hide, hide deeper, where the Inquisition can't find any trace of me."
***
Char, meanwhile, watched the reaction of the Blood Soul Thorn branch. Seeing it being continuously eroded and burned by the Guardian Tree seed's power without any strong backlash, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the mother plant had left no hidden contingency in the branch.
His gaze then shifted to the Guardian Tree seed, and a look of joy spread across his face. After being promoted to the epic level, the seed's progress had slowed considerably. The journey to the legendary reward level had seemed long and distant. Outside of Horcruxes, Char knew of very few dark magic items that could provide the necessary fuel. He had been prepared for a long, slow process of acquiring artifacts.
But now, with this Blood Soul Thorn branch, the process was accelerating far beyond his expectations. The impact of this notoriously evil ancient plant on the Guardian Tree seed was visibly dramatic. In Char's perception, the epic and legendary lights on the seed were both dazzlingly bright, with the legendary light steadily expanding its territory.
And the branch was only just beginning to show signs of being charred. By the time the entire branch was purified, even if the Guardian Tree seed didn't directly upgrade to the legendary level, it would be incredibly close. With the treasures Borgin had left in his Gringotts vault and the dark magic items smuggled in by the Malfoy family, he might even be able to achieve the promotion during his second year.
The benefits would be immense. The divine protection effect from the Guardian Tree seed alone would give him a powerful trump card against evil forces. A look of keen anticipation appeared in Char's eyes.
A moment later, however, he remembered another matter, and his brow furrowed. He had gained a huge benefit from the Blood Soul Thorn branch, but with gains came losses. After this attack, he had no idea where Ed Robinson would go. Would she hide her identity and disappear from the wizarding world again? Or would Dumbledore make other arrangements for her? Without her knowledge, his plans to improve his various plant varieties would have to be delayed.
***
At that very moment, Dumbledore was still questioning Ed, focusing less on the attacker and more on the mysterious swordsman who had saved her. His questions were so detailed and insistent that Ed grew confused. Why was Dumbledore more concerned about the rescuer than the monster that had caused the attack?
Her mind raced, but she had been in a panic at the time, her vision obscured by the red pollen. She hadn't seen much. The swordsman had seemed to appear out of nowhere, cloaked in invisibility and shadow magic. She had told Dumbledore this multiple times.
Finally, after confirming he hadn't missed a single detail, Dumbledore stopped his questioning, his expression graver than ever. He had confirmed what he feared. "It must be a Knight of the Inquisition," he concluded internally. "The good news is that he probably isn't here for the wizarding world at large. His target was the attacker. A knight with exceptional stealth skills… that would make him a Supreme Being, the most mysterious and dangerous of the Inquisition's executive officers. A terrifying group, utterly cruel, cunning, and willing to do anything to achieve their goals."
He looked at Ed, a contemplative expression in his eyes. "Perhaps the executive officer hasn't left. It's not uncommon for them to pursue a mission for decades. He may continue to follow this descendant of the Robinse family, waiting for his true target to reemerge."
Dumbledore frowned, his expression conflicted. Finally, he looked at Ed. "Such danger may occur again. For your own safety, it would be best for you to stay at Hogwarts."
This time, it was Ed's turn to be surprised. "Hogwarts? Our Robinse family is not on the Quill of Acceptance. You should know this."
"Certainly," Dumbledore nodded. "But there are exceptions. Even those whose names do not appear on the book can still study at Hogwarts. It's a transfer student system that was added later. Over a hundred years ago, before my time, there was a similar case that caused quite a stir. I can use this rule to place you at Hogwarts for your protection. You said you're a month away from turning sixteen? Then a fifth-year transfer student would be most suitable."
Adelyn—as was her real name—frowned. "But I still have to take the Herbologist Exam. And I have research to complete."
"Given the severity of this incident," Dumbledore said gently, "I'm afraid this year's exam in London will most likely be postponed. As for your research, I can discuss it with Professor Sprout. How about you stay with the Sprout family for the summer? They have an excellent environment for herbology research. Professor Sprout is a very kind person. Besides, there is another herbology genius in her family. Perhaps you two will have something in common."
As he said this, an image flashed in Dumbledore's mind: a figure with brilliant golden hair and a bright, genius's smile. The memory was deeply rooted, and the smile that touched his lips was a mixture of nostalgia and bitterness.
Adelyn narrowed her eyes. "A genius in herbology… Char Sprout." She remembered the name from the exam invitation. Dumbledore's words sparked a mixture of pride and disdain in her. *Of course I'm a genius,* she thought. *The blood of the Robinse family flows in my veins. I am the most gifted descendant of Demeter.*
But her talent, she believed, was secondary to her countless hours of unimaginable hard work. What about this Char Sprout? In her mind, he was likely just a product of abundant resources and Professor Sprout's training.
*Since I'll be staying with the Sprout family,* she resolved, *I'll take the opportunity to teach him. I will show him the most important qualities of an herbologist: diligence, hard work, and perseverance. Eight hours a day in the fields, through scorching heat and bitter cold, without slacking. Followed by hours of reading academic literature until your head spins. Every single day. We'll see if this 'heir' of the Sprout family can hold on for more than a few days. I hope he doesn't disappoint me too much.*
__________________________
"Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider donating Power Stones and joining our patreon
[patreon.com /coolperry]
for early access to future chapters.(+30 chapters)