As a new batch of dozens of Piranha Algae reward orbs poured into Ciel's body, two abilities on the system panel flared with dazzling light, and their text briefly blurred.
What he felt first was an unprecedented sharpness. It came from his magic.
He had sensed something similar the last time he harvested Piranha Algae, but this time it was far stronger. Back then, he had been a novice at Transfiguration, let alone the Tolman transformation branch that alters the nature of magic. Now he had already crossed the threshold of Transfiguration and personally tried several Tolman transformations.
He could tell the change now occurring within his magic; the power that made it grow keener, was itself a kind of Tolman transformation.
Only this was permanent and harmless. It permanently folded a sharp aspect into his magic, giving him a built‑in edge when casting cutting spells. That alone was staggering. If a wizard could achieve this level for others, it would be far beyond master class. The only permanent boosts he knew of came from flesh transfiguration, black magic, with brutal difficulty and consequences.
To accomplish it through Tolman transformation?
Unheard of.
Even Dumbledore would tip his hat.
The thought stirred him. He had assumed the system's rewards were miracles beyond the world's theory. But perhaps he had simply been too ignorant before to recognise anything. If these cutting spell augmentations were rooted in Tolman transformation, then maybe other reward types were likewise peak achievements of other magical disciplines.
As for what the system really was, better not to dwell. If it had an explanation at all, it lay higher than even the secrets tied to mythical artifacts. He didn't dare probe those yet. Chasing the system's origin would be foolish.
He looked back at the panel. As the keen aspect in his magic levelled out, the glow on Cutting Spell Augmentation drew down. The former silver lustre turned brilliant gold, peppered with flecks of platinum.
[Cutting Spell Enhancement (Gold)]
Not only that, it ran past the gold tier's midpoint toward the gold-to-platinum boundary.
He grinned. Then something even better happened.
Likely due to the change in magical nature, Sectumsempra stirred. Since reaching gold, its progress had slowed, but the mutated Devil's Snare had still given it good grind over time. Now the entry's hue was already platinum-rich, poised at the gold-to-platinum cusp, one step shy.
Crossing into platinum isn't easy. He had been stuck there, convinced the limiter was still magic perception.
But as Cutting Spell Augmentation hit gold and neared the platinum boundary, that razor edge inside him deepened. The old barrier began to crumble. The last band of gold on Sectumsempra's entry faded and was wholly replaced by platinum.
[Sectumsempra (Platinum)]
Even he was taken aback. Could the cutting augmentation impact Sectumsempra that much, shoving it clean through to platinum? That was a lot.
Or perhaps the cutting augmentation had supplied the missing piece in the advancement puzzle.
He lit up as the answer clicked.
Tolman transformation.
The platinum tier qualitative change in Sectumsempra must be the sharper nature of magic at a microscopic level. His Tolman skill and magic perception hadn't met that bar before. The augmentation had bridged the gap, pushing Sectumsempra over.
Eyes bright, he couldn't resist testing it. He slashed his wand like a blade.
"Sectumsempra!"
A never-before sharp wave of magic carved through the air. Even with his physique, his hair stood on end. Without matching resistances, this casting could already slice his flesh with ease.
A true breaker and cutter. Its killing power in that role was astonishing.
Still, for someone whose Legendary Life had already undergone one ascension, cleaving flesh was far from killing him. The curse's famed unhealing wound mechanism, like a Cerberus bite that keeps siphoning vitality, worked well on human wizards. St. Mungo's couldn't mend it, George Weasley lost an ear to it. For Ciel's surging life force it was trivial to sweep away.
Against wizards and small creatures, though, it would be superb.
Satisfied by Sectumsempra's bite, he turned to the main prize from the Piranha Algae: Underwater Enhancement. His anticipation was even higher than for the cutter buff and Sectumsempra.
Simple reason. At the gold tier, when it triggered, Underwater Enhancement bumped both magic perception and strength noticeably, letting him punch above his weight on several problems. But as he pushed beyond his innate ceiling toward platinum perception, the gold effect had become better than nothing, no longer shattering shackles like before.
Now the Underwater Enhancement entry burned with platinum light.
What would platinum tier Underwater Enhancement be?
He flicked his wand; a Bubble‑Head Charm snapped into place. As the bubble formed around his head, the Underwater Enhancement flared, triggered.
[Underwater Enhancement (Platinum)]
A long lost sensation flooded him. His bloodborne magic roared like surf; he could almost hear waves crashing. Power that had sat at the silver to gold cusp since harvesting a batch of Piranha Algae now flushed full gold.
Power.
That was the word. Accustomed to lesser force, this surge was intoxicating; he wanted to let it loose.
His perception sharpened too, closer to fine grain than ever. The microscopic world of platinum magic perception drifted within reach, a gauzy veil about to lift. On the panel, platinum radiance spread across Magic Perception's entry, nearly covering it.
[Magic Perception (Platinum, progress increased)]
Almost.
A thin barrier still blocked the last step. He clenched his fist, a flicker of frustration passing. He had hoped the platinum Underwater Enhancement would let him touch platinum perception early, unlocking a cascade of stalled advances.
Not yet.
He calmed just as quickly.
No use rushing. When the next Goldfish Vine ripens, that last sliver will fall. One step at a time. And even without the qualitative leap, the quantitative gain in perception is real. Stack it with the boost to raw force and with Sectumsempra…
His eyes flashed.
This harvest sent his combat strength soaring again. With this level on Drear Island, none of the juvenile Quintapeds would have escaped, and he wouldn't have needed to unsheathe Legendary Life or Legendary Strength. Magic alone would have crushed them.
He exhaled, pleased with the haul. And several other plants were nearing their harvest windows. By the end of the first year, he would be far stronger than projected.
If progress continued, he would have real confidence when Antonin Dolohov broke out. And the next two or three years wouldn't feature the two faced man at Hogwarts. Danger would remain, but nothing that truly hindered his cultivation plans.
A wingbeat thudded outside the small greenhouse. He raised a brow, caught the letter, and saw the signature, Tonks. Faster than he expected, and heavy; likely the full brief on the recent disappearance cases.
He slit it open, and his earlier joy ebbed like a tide, replaced by a tight jaw and a chill rising from deep within.
"Voldemort… What have you done to Quirrell?"