As the light surged into him one after another, new lines of text refreshed on Char's system panel.
[You have cultivated the mutant human-faced glow mushroom to maturity.]
[Your reward: Curse Learning Enlightenment (Silver Level)]
[You receive a reward: Quintaped Transfiguration Enlightenment (Iron Level)]
The words for curse learning instantly formed, shimmering with a silver light that, in a moment, blazed into brilliant gold, growing more intense with every passing second. As it did, Char felt his own magic become shrouded in a rather cold and negative aura. It was a chilling, ethereal substance with extremely special properties, different from any magical particle he had encountered before. It seemed to exist between reality and illusion, impossible to grasp. The rest of the magical particles in the air were unlikely to have any effect on it.
This made his heart move. Could this be the reason why curses were so mysterious and difficult to remove? If it was difficult to even interact with using most forms of magic, that would mean that most spells and potions were simply ineffective against curses. Even protective magic could be directly penetrated. His eyes lit up. If so, curses were still quite valuable in combat.
His heart skipped a beat. Waving his wand, he attempted to unleash this special cursed magic. But as the ominous aura of the curse gushed out from the tip of his wand, a wave of negative emotions slammed into his mind. His brow furrowed, his eyes now holding a great deal of fear and vigilance as he looked at the new ability. Of course. This strange power could not be used at will without paying a price. Like other dark magic, curses required negative emotions to be driven. The more powerful the curse, the more negative emotions it would be accompanied by. If it was a curse that would cause serious harm, distortion, or death, the intensity of those emotions would be difficult to estimate. It might even cause a greater mental impact than directly torturing an enemy by casting an Unforgivable Curse.
His expression was one of understanding. "No wonder in the stories passed down by wizards, few of those dark wizards who are proficient in curses have a good ending. While cursing others, you are actually being eroded by the negative emotions brought about by the curse itself. The stronger the curse, the faster you'll go crazy." He immediately stopped trying to learn the attack curses. Although he had Occlumency to block the negative emotions, he didn't intend to accept that risk until it was absolutely necessary. "In that case, compared to using curses in battle, their value for me lies more in research."
As he gained insights into curses, he discarded the content that took up the largest space—cursing others—and his gaze fell on a particular section: cursing an item. This could be a dead object or some living creature with low intelligence. Compared to using curses on people, when you cursed an item, you were much less affected by negative emotions. Of course, the intensity of the curse would be much lower. This time was often calculated in decades or even hundreds of years. Therefore, this part of the content was rarely discussed in the study of curses. But for Char, it was quite valuable.
"According to the description, placing a curse on an object may cause it to undergo some changes. For example, a cursed bronze mirror might become more exquisite and smooth. Cursed jewelry often appears more crystal clear. What if we curse plant seeds? Could it also produce certain special traits?" he thought, his expression thoughtful. In the Muggle world, there were methods that used factors like radiation to induce plants to produce special traits. A curse, for a magical herb, was perhaps similar to that "radiation" effect? This was a direction worth exploring.
He narrowed his eyes. "This idea seems even more niche than using the dark magic of Transfiguration to transform plant seeds. At least I know there are dark wizards taking that back road in Knockturn Alley. I've never heard of using curse science to transform plants. If there can be a breakthrough, then it can be considered an interdisciplinary subject. Cursed Herbology?" He raised an eyebrow. "Even if it's a top magazine that's full of water, I should be able to secure this year's Botanical Society Youth Award, and the reward of an active ancient plant seed."
But a moment later, he shook his head, suppressing these thoughts. Now was not the time to think about these things. At least, he had to wait until this school year was over and the Two-Faced Man incident was resolved. Only then could he explore these topics with peace of mind. Otherwise, when Quirrell came back, he would always be worried about being spied on.
Thinking of this, a cold look flashed across his eyes. His gaze then fell on the bronze-lustered Quintaped Transfiguration. He took a deep breath. "I hope we can find a way to restrain the Quintaped here." The next moment, the content of the Quintaped's transformation emerged in his mind.
He saw an ancient stone slab. There were countless ancient and complex patterns on it, seeming to record many strange, bloody, and cruel rituals. However, most of the lines had been erased. The only remaining intact pattern was the ritual of transforming humans into Quintapeds. That slab of stone exuded a strong, hypnotic attraction. It was like a voice sounded in his ears. "Look at it for a while longer. The origin of dark magic lies within it. The oldest and most powerful dark magic is all on this stone slab. Look at it, and any wizard will bow down to its power."
On the system panel, the original bronze luster of the Quintaped Transfiguration began to climb gradually. In the blink of an eye, it had reached the critical point of the Silver level. At the same time, the words [Ancient Dark Magic] that had once appeared on the system panel reappeared. But at this time, shock and anger appeared in Char's eyes. "Bewitching me? Get out of here!"
His Occlumency mental defenses had been triggered. The bewitching words that came into his mind were immediately resisted by the powerful barrier. But a cold laughter still reached his ears. "You can't escape. You are the one chosen by the temple. You will definitely come in." On the system panel, whether it was the Quintaped Transfiguration or the ancient dark magic, they were still slowly improving. This matter was not over yet.
His expression darkened. He never expected that there would be such a change when checking the content of the Quintaped transformation. Could it be that the power behind the Quintaped was incredible enough to interfere with the system? But the next moment, this conjecture was immediately rejected. The system could give rewards above the legendary and mythical levels. If the power behind the Quintaped was really able to affect even the system, then back on Drya Island, before he had even learned Occlumency, it would have been impossible for him to escape its temptation.
His mind was extremely clear. He immediately locked onto another, more likely possibility. "Last time we left Drya Island, there were still some marks on my body that haven't been cleaned up. Maybe there's some kind of contamination left, or maybe a curse. This time, I checked the knowledge related to the Quintaped Transfiguration, and the pollution was activated. The power in the temple is trying to continue to pollute me."
He suddenly thought of something. He opened his eyes immediately, his gaze falling on the mutant human-faced glow mushrooms. He could see that each of them now had a strange, twisted smile on its face. The disgusting red fluff was swaying constantly, and in the small greenhouse, the guardian tree was rustling like never before, emitting its sacred magic. But he didn't know if it was because it was mature, but the mutant mushrooms were no longer so easily suppressed. They still exuded waves of evil and strange magic. Even as the red fur swayed, he heard cold laughter coming from the human faces. That was exactly what he had just heard.
A cold light immediately flashed in his eyes. It turned out to be this weird variant of the glowing mushroom. After being induced by the Quintaped's blood, it had become more weird day by day. Now, it even seemed to have developed consciousness and was trying to pollute him. The next moment, he raised the wand in his hand like a sword. Every move he made was one of his trump cards. "Sectumsempra!"
The Platinum-level Divine Edge Shadowless Spell shot out an unparalleled sharp edge, sweeping across the dozens of mutant mushrooms. But what he didn't expect was that the indestructible spell had no effect. It passed through them as if they were nothing more than an illusion.
"Hee hee. Hee hee. It's useless. You can't fight against the power of the temple. How could the power of ancient dark magic be touched by this weak modern dark magic?" The laughter from the mushrooms continued.
His expression darkened slightly. He ignored it. He opened his mouth, and an orange-red flame immediately gushed out with a roar. It was the dragon fire ability obtained after harvesting the blood jade. The scorching dragon fire enveloped the mushrooms. Such a flame would burn not only this kind of fungus but even a towering tree. But the mutable mushrooms still seemed untouchable as the fluff swayed in the scorching heat. This characteristic gave him a guess. "A curse?!"
The laughter from the mushrooms paused slightly, then became louder again. "You're so smart. There is indeed a curse power in the temple. But what if you guessed it? You're not the only smart person. Let me tell you something. There were Transfiguration masters from the Ministry of Magic who had landed on Drya Island and tried to transform the Quintapeds back into human form, as well as Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. Some of them figured out that this wasn't just a dark magic Transfiguration, but also a curse. But in the end, guess where they went?" The laughter became increasingly sinister. "They obtained the power they had always dreamed of in the temple. Even a Master of Transfiguration couldn't resist the Temple. Do you think you can?"
Char's heart sank slightly. He didn't expect to hear such a secret. There had been three Transfiguration masters who had landed on the island. Everyone thought they had died there, eaten by the Quintapeds. In the end, they had been bewitched by the temple and had walked right into it. His gaze fell on the system panel again. It was discovered that whether it was the Quintaped Transformation or the Ancient Dark Magic, the light on them was even brighter. In a short period of time, the Quintaped Transformation had climbed from Bronze to Silver. The words of Ancient Dark Magic were gradually being covered by the luster of black iron. He had a premonition that if he continued this abnormal improvement, the consequences would be troublesome.
He waved his wand. The cursed magic power that had just been obtained was used. If the power in the temple was related to the curse, then using cursed magic might be able to affect this strange plant. But when the curse magic actually hit the mutant mushrooms, it was like a drop in the ocean. A burst of sarcastic laughter was heard. "Use a curse to counter the power of the temple? You are really imaginative. When you cast the curse, what can such a weak curse do with that pitiful amount of negative emotion? Do you know what kind of will drives the curse in the temple? If you knew, you wouldn't try to resist anymore."
Seeing this, his heart sank at first. His own curse magic could touch the opponent's, but because the intensity was too low, it couldn't have any effect. Then what other means did he have to deal with this strange power? And when he heard the "will in the temple" mentioned in the sinister laughter, he suddenly thought of something. All magic must be related to will. This was a rule that could not be violated. The mutant mushrooms in front of him had undergone such a strange change, and will was the root of this phenomenon. Since it was related to ancient dark magic, the driving will involved, although he didn't understand it, should be resistible only with the will involved in ancient magic of the same level. Ordinary magic was useless. But he still had a trump card.
Thinking of this, his eyes fixed. A low growl. "Shadow!" In that moment, Shadow Thorn activated its awakened ancient shadow magic. Shadows on the ground danced like swords, flying towards the mutant mushrooms. Finally, their laughter suddenly stopped. They were cut by the shadows, leaving deep marks, and countless red, withered tendrils fell. An incredible sound rang out. "The Shadow Thorn that awakened the ancient shadow magic? How can such a thing still exist in this era?" But soon, the laughter subsided. "It's useless. How can ancient shadow magic compare to the magic in the temple? What's more, your Shadow Thorn is still a long way from maturity. Your weak ancient shadow magic… don't try to expel me."
Indeed. Even as the shadow continued to activate its magic, the traces left on the mushrooms became fewer and fewer. On the contrary, the shadow consumed a lot of energy and seemed unable to cope. The sinister laughter became louder again. "Are there any other means of resistance? The power of the temple, coveted by all masters of Transfiguration, is beckoning you. Why on earth are you resisting so foolishly? Now, have you had enough of the commotion?"
Char breathed a sigh of relief, as if something was confirmed. "I should say this to you. Apart from being weird, the power you revealed at Hogwarts doesn't seem to be as strong as you claim. If this level of ancient shadow magic can affect you, then I feel relieved." Immediately, he waved his wand. The Bubble-Head Charm hung over his head, and his water-based enhancements triggered. His magical perception and magic intensity began to soar in an instant. The magic nodes of the runes began to be constructed. Despite the pressure of the strange scene before him, his movements did not change at all. Thousands of times of hard training, plus countless times of maintaining his mental block under extreme conditions, allowed him to maintain his usual stable performance. Three magic runes, nine nodes, completed in an instant.
A sinister laugh still lingered among the mushrooms. It seemed to be mocking his resistance as futile. "What are you doing? Still struggling? Stupid little boy—" But when the total of nine nodes of the three magic runes began to resonate initially, as the blue-white electric light surged at the tip of his wand, the sinister laugh suddenly seemed to be strangled by the neck and turned into an unbelievable cry. "Ancient weather magic? The natural will that drives lightning? How can such a thing exist in this era?! Wait, wait, don't do it, we can discuss it—"
He ignored its cries. A few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Three magic runes, twelve nodes, the construction was complete. The electric light surging at the tip of his staff was like a giant python made up of lightning, moving and tumbling. The voice became more and more shrill. "Your magical perception is not enough. Your ancient weather magic is not powerful at all. Stop, stop!"
The next moment, he swung his wand heavily. The beads of sweat on his forehead had become the size of soybeans. His limit had also come. Three magic runes, a total of fifteen magic nodes, the construction was completed. It was different from the first time. This time, what he used to drive the magic runes was not his own will but rather the extremely strong natural will that remained in his body after thousands of electric shocks. Accompanied by the heavy fall of his magic wand, the huge streaks of lightning condensed into a thick bolt. It landed in the small greenhouse, covering all the mutant human-faced glowing mushrooms.
Boom. After the lightning, a strong burnt smell filled the air. The sinister laughter also completely disappeared without a trace. The mushrooms were reduced to nothing but piles of ashes. Seeing this, and after checking for a long time, Char's tense nerves finally relaxed. His forehead was covered in cold sweat. "I was too careless. I was only thinking about this mutant mushroom, which could provide rewards for curses and Quintaped Transfiguration, and might be of use to me. But I forgot what Aunt Sprout told me when I first started studying Herbology. Some herbs are extremely dangerous. If you discover that a herb is behaving strangely beyond your control, you must immediately prepare to destroy it. After the Quintaped's blood induced the glowing mushroom to mutate, producing a plant that made me feel uncomfortable and weird, I should have destroyed it directly. If I hadn't obtained the ancient weather magic enlightenment, if I hadn't been slacking off recently and constantly receiving electric shocks, and even used the Potion of Amplification to accumulate a strong enough amount of natural will, today I might have actually crashed on the plants I created."
He took a deep breath. His sight then fell on the ashes left by the mutant mushrooms. He no longer felt that strange and cold aura from them. Instead, it had an ancient feel. "Hmm?" he uttered a soft sound. This ancient feeling seemed quite familiar. Just at this moment, shadows were crawling on the ground. The shadow expressed a surge of desire for these ashes that exuded an ancient aura. Looking at the wilted shadow after its fight, Char nodded. Immediately, the shadows enveloped the ball of ash. Soon, the ancient aura in the ash disappeared completely, becoming like ordinary dust. But what followed was that the dejected Shadow had recovered. He could even see that the reward light ball above it had expanded a little. This process continued as the shadow continued to devour the other ashes. The reward light ball was still expanding. Until the last remaining ash was devoured, the reward light ball had expanded a whole circle. The shadows that Shadow could control were even darker and thicker than before.
Seeing this, his frustration with the mutant mushrooms disappeared immediately, replaced by a strange burning sensation. His gaze fell on the remaining Quintaped blood in his hand. This blood was enough to induce the production of many more mutant mushrooms than this time. The ash that could be produced should be much more. This nutrient that could nourish ancient plants was the most scarce resource he had. In addition to the roots of the World Tree and the seeds of the God of Fire, he also had branches of the Whomping Willow and seeds of unknown ancient plants obtained from Porgy Charman. The biggest challenge in growing ancient plants was how to obtain the magic power to make them grow. Once upon a time, a Hufflepuff lady had used the power of the Golden Cup to grow the Whomping Willow. After the loss of the Golden Cup, there had been no case of ancient plants being cultivated in the herbal medicine community. But now, if only he could get enough ashes… his heartbeat quickened. It was possible that he could plant ancient plants much earlier than he had originally planned.