The idea of trying to cultivate the guardian tree again took hold in Char's mind, stirring a sense of excitement and purpose. The guardian tree was a milestone for any aspiring herbologist, not just because of its rarity, but because of what it represented: knowledge of defense against the dark arts and resistance to dark magic. These were skills Char knew would be invaluable as he continued his journey at Hogwarts.
Beyond its practical benefits, the guardian tree itself was a precious magical plant, renowned for its ability to resist black magic. The sooner Char could cultivate one, the greater the advantage it would give him. But he resisted the urge to rush into action. He knew from experience that working with guardian tree seeds required precision, patience, and—most importantly—a high level of magical perception.
Even with his recent breakthrough, reaching silver level in magical perception, he suspected it would still be a challenge to process the guardian tree seeds. The new ability, [Water Enhancement], promised to boost his magical perception even further, but there was a catch: it only worked when he was in contact with water. And during the delicate process of preparing the seeds, they couldn't be exposed to any liquid other than the specific potion ingredients, or the chances of success would plummet.
Char submerged himself in the water tank, letting the cool liquid envelop him. His thoughts seemed to race faster than usual, clarity sharpened by the effects of [Water Enhancement].
"Being fully submerged is a sufficient condition for the ability to work," he mused. "But is it necessary? Maybe there's a way to keep the effect active without interfering with the seed treatment."
With that in mind, Char began to experiment. He slowly lifted one hand out of the water, keeping his head beneath the surface. To his delight, the enhancement remained in effect. Encouraged, he lifted his other hand, then both legs, until nearly half his body was above the water. As long as his head stayed submerged, the ability continued to work.
"Interesting," Char thought. "When I was testing earlier, the effect didn't kick in until my head was underwater. Now, with so much of my body out, it's still active. The ability must use my head as the reference point."
A spark of inspiration lit up his mind. If that was the case, he wouldn't need to be fully submerged to benefit from [Water Enhancement]. He could find a way to keep his head in contact with water while working.
Char's eyes gleamed with excitement. He found a transparent tank, filled it with water, and placed it over his head like a helmet. It looked a little ridiculous, but Char didn't care. Practicality was what mattered. And besides, this was just a temporary solution. He imagined that, in the future, if he learned mind-related magic like Occlumency or Legilimency, he might be able to trick his senses into thinking his head was underwater—effectively "cheating" the system and activating the ability even when he was dry.
But that was a thought for another day. For now, Char had a guardian tree seed to process.
He took a deep breath, letting his excitement settle into calm focus. He brought out a fresh batch of guardian tree materials. With the experience of his previous two attempts—both of which had ended in failure—he felt more prepared than ever.
He tapped his wand gently, channeling smooth, cheerful magic into the guardian tree seed. Almost immediately, he sensed something he hadn't noticed before: a faint but unmistakable pulse of sacred magic within the seed, slowly awakening. The whole seed seemed to stir, as if rousing from a long slumber.
Before, Char had been blind to this process. Now, even if it was still a bit blurry, he could at least sense the general direction. When the sacred magic within the seed reached its peak, he carefully placed it into the potion.
As he did, Char felt something extraordinary: a heartbeat. The magic within the seed was vibrating, pulsing with life. The seed itself seemed to breathe, its magic resonating with the potion.
Suddenly, Char understood why the instructions called for tapping the reagent bottle with the wand. It wasn't just a ritual—it was a way to help the seed absorb nutrients, to revive its "heartbeat" and "breathing." To do it right, he needed to match the frequency of the seed's own magical pulse.
Char's mind sharpened, his focus deepening. The magical vibrations of the seed seemed to echo in his ears.
Thump. Thump.
At the next pulse, Char's wand tapped the reagent bottle, sending a wave of magic into the potion. The vibration resonated with the seed, amplifying its sacred magic. A sense of joy and comfort radiated from the seed.
But as the magic of the potion, the seed, and Char himself intertwined, the complexity increased rapidly. Char felt as if he were facing a tangled web of energy. This was where he had faltered before, relying on luck rather than control.
This time, though, Char's eyes burned with determination. He carefully traced the flow of magic, sorting out the chaos. When the next pulse came, he tapped the bottle again. The magic within the seed surged, teetering on the edge of disorder, but quickly stabilized and continued to rise.
Char took a deep breath. One more tap, one more spell, and the process would be complete. With the water tank still on his head, bubbles floated before his eyes, but his senses were sharper than ever. The [Water Enhancement] was working at full strength, and his magical perception was at its peak.
On his system panel, the silver luster of [Magic Perception Enhancement] shone brighter than ever. Still, the magical interference was growing, threatening to overwhelm him. Char estimated that he would need gold-level perception to handle the final step with ease. But for now, he felt about 40% confident. That was enough.
His mind calm, Char's wand struck out for the third and final time. He drew concentric circles with his wand and, with his head still underwater, chanted the last spell.
"Protego-Arboris!"
The sacred magic within the seed began to fade, and the potion changed from a clear green to a transparent hue. For a moment, Char's heart sank. Had he failed again?
But then, he saw it: thin white roots emerging from the base of the seed. A prompt appeared on his system panel:
"Successfully completed the guardian tree seed processing."
A reward orb of light floated above the seed, glowing softly in the dim light of the greenhouse.
Char let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, a slow smile spreading across his face. After two failures, he had finally succeeded. The guardian tree seed was alive, its roots reaching out, ready to grow. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.
He carefully removed the water tank from his head, his hair dripping, but his spirits soaring. This was more than just a personal victory—it was proof that his hard work, his experiments, and his willingness to think outside the box had paid off.
Char looked at the reward orb, anticipation bubbling inside him. He reached out, letting the orb merge into his body. A new ability appeared on his system panel, its glow promising untold possibilities.
For the first time in a long while, Char felt truly confident about his path. The guardian tree was just the beginning. With each new challenge, he was learning, growing, and proving that even a little badger could achieve great things—if he was willing to try, to fail, and to keep going.
As he stood there, surrounded by the magic and mystery of the greenhouse, Char knew that his journey was far from over. But for now, he allowed himself a moment of quiet pride, savoring the success of
his latest experiment—and looking forward to whatever came next.
__________________________
"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)