Harry Potter: Don't Touch the Badger's Plants

Professor Sprout's gaze was locked on the potion bottle in Ciel's hand, her expression a mixture of profound surprise and undisguised admiration. As a Herbology Master, she could tell with a single glance that Ciel had made tremendous progress with the Guardian Tree seed.

While his performance still fell short of a prodigy blessed with innate Magical Perception, that wasn't the point. The key was the rate of his improvement. To have come this far in just two weeks… even she had only been his equal in her youth.

A joyful, proud sparkle lit up her eyes. This boy, Ciel… he truly has the makings of a Herbology Master. To show such incredible promise despite his disadvantage in raw magical talent... what if I could fix that?

A resolute look settled on her face. I've already found leads on the ingredients for the talent-enhancing potion, she thought, her mind racing through the list. Moonpetal Blossoms, Carrion Vulture feathers, Fanged Geraniums… Soon, Ciel. Your Aunty will gather them for you.

After offering a few more words of heartfelt praise, Professor Sprout shifted her attention back to the petri dish in her other hand, redirecting the conversation to the Blood Jade.

Ciel leaned in, his full attention captured. He knew nothing about the Blood Jade's properties, which meant its reward on the system panel remained shrouded in an infuriating mystery, just as the Marguerite's had been initially. He knew that the moment Professor Sprout explained its characteristics, the unknown reward would finally reveal itself.

"The Blood Jade," she began, her tone carrying the weight of a significant discovery, "is a mutation of the Lumos Shroom. It possesses astonishing hemostatic and blood-replenishing properties."

She gestured with the dish. "You've already covered Dittany in your lessons. It's a rare and highly effective hemostatic herb, especially its essence, where just a few drops can seal external wounds at an incredible rate. However, Dittany is far less effective on internal injuries. My tests indicate that if the Blood Jade were brewed into a potion, it could produce a remedy for internal bleeding that rivals the potency of Dittany Essence itself."

She added, "Furthermore, the plant seems to invigorate the body's own ability to create new blood. This would be incredibly beneficial for replenishing losses in severely injured patients or fortifying those with naturally frail health."

As Professor Sprout spoke, the system panel flickering at the edge of Ciel's vision finally shimmered, the reward information slowly resolving into focus.

[You have successfully cultivated the Blood Jade. Reward available: Slight Increase in Blood Production Ability (Bronze Tier, Incubating)]

[Upon maturation, the reward will be upgraded to: Slight Increase in Blood Production Ability (Silver Tier) & Unknown Reward (Black Iron Tier)]

Ciel's initial excitement cooled slightly. A Silver-Tier reward for blood production. While useful for healing and physical conditioning, it felt a bit redundant. It overlaps with my Legendary-Tier Vitality Enhancement, he thought. Unless this new ability is stacked to a very high level, the effect might not be particularly obvious.

But then, his gaze fell upon his Legendary-Tier Vitality Enhancement ability—a skill that had remained stubbornly inert for over a year.

He'd once dreamed of pushing it to the Mythical Tier. Surely a Mythical-Tier vitality would grant a longer lifespan, perhaps even a form of near-immortality. But no matter how many lesser vitality enhancements he absorbed, the ability refused to budge, as if it had hit an unbreakable ceiling. He had all but given up hope.

But now, seeing the blood production reward, a new theory blazed through his mind.

What if... what if it's not about stacking a single ability? What if I also stack the Blood Production ability to the Legendary Tier? Could two complementary Legendary abilities, when combined, finally trigger a true qualitative leap? Is it possible that advancing to the Mythical Tier requires multiple, synergistic abilities to reach their peak?

A glimmer of renewed hope ignited in Ciel's eyes. It was still just a guess, but after so many dead ends, this was the most promising lead he'd had in a long, long time. The potential of a Mythical-Tier ability—a transformation far beyond Legendary—was something he had to pursue.

He refocused on the still-hidden Black Iron reward.

"Aunty," he began, his voice steady, "are these all the characteristics you've found? Are there any other, less obvious properties?"

Professor Sprout's eyebrows rose in surprise, quickly followed by a delighted smile. "Ciel, your intuition is truly remarkable for a Herbologist. I wasn't going to mention this, as it's still just a theory… but since you've sensed something, I might as well share it."

She took a deep breath. "I suspect that this herb may have a slight, positive influence on the bloodline of magical creatures, and perhaps even wizards. However, the effect is so weak as to be almost negligible. It will require a great deal more research to confirm."

As she finished speaking, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place on his panel.

[Upon maturation, reward can be obtained: Extremely Slight Bloodline Purification (Black Iron Tier)]

Ciel's fists clenched at his sides.

This… this changes everything. A wizard's power stems from their bloodline. If that bloodline could be purified, would it not directly enhance one's innate magical talent? If he could combine this with his efforts to raise his Magical Perception and strength, his own talent might truly reach an unprecedented level.

A new resolve solidified in his mind. The Blood Jade must be cultivated. Its importance now surpassed even that of the Guardian Tree.

Ciel then asked the most crucial question. "Aunty, what are the conditions? What triggers the mutation, and how can the Blood Jade be brought to maturity?"

Professor Sprout's expression turned wry. "Ah, and that is the trouble. The plant has immense value, but the cost required to cultivate it… well, the returns are simply not practical."

"To trigger the mutation," she explained, "the Lumos Shroom must be catalyzed by blood infused with powerful magic. The stronger the magic, the higher the probability. During its growth period, its needs are less demanding; it can thrive on blood with weaker magic, so long as the vitality within that blood is strong."

She paused for emphasis. "However, for the final step—from the growth period to full maturity—it requires another catalyst of even more powerful magical blood. My own blood is completely insufficient. I suspect only a handful of wizards in the entire world could provide blood potent enough. The only viable alternative is the fresh blood of powerful magical creatures. And it must be fresh, collected within two hours. The dragon blood sold in Diagon Alley is useless; its magic has long since degraded."

Ciel felt a cold knot form in his stomach. Of course. A magical plant with rewards more precious than the Guardian Tree couldn't possibly be easy to cultivate. He would need regular, on-demand access to a XXXXX-level magical creature.

What kind of beasts were rated XXXXX? Dragons. Basilisks. Nundus. These were monsters that could slaughter entire teams of adult wizards with ease. Get one to willingly bleed for him? Forget it, even Professor Sprout couldn't manage that. The best he could possibly hope to deal with would be a juvenile. But the young of such creatures were impossibly precious, fetching astronomical prices on the black market and strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. Where would he ever get one?

He shook his head, the hope deflating within him. He would have to shelve the idea of cultivating the Blood Jade for now.

But just as he resigned himself to this fact, a thought flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning, stopping him cold.

A XXXXX-level magical creature… a juvenile…

A wild, improbable idea began to form.

Wait a minute... there might be a way.

(End of Chapter)

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