A wave of astonishment, so profound it was almost dizzying, washed over Char. His original purpose in taming the Acromantula tribe had been a speculative venture at best, a simple attempt to find rare herbs in the vast expanse of the Forbidden Forest. He had been fully prepared to get nothing in return. After all, though the forest was rich in resources, it was far too large to search effectively. Rare herbs were not so easily found. But the only price he had paid was a bit of his own blood; even if he had gained nothing in the end, it would not have been a loss. He never expected that Aragog, the ancient spider king, would present him with such an incredible surprise right from the start.
An herb that could prolong life? Even for Char, who now possessed a deep and ever-growing understanding of Herbology, there were not many plants with such a legendary effect that he could recall. He immediately pressed Aragog for more details.
The giant spider led Char deep into the forest, describing how he had first discovered the effects of this miraculous herb. "It was about twenty years ago," Aragog's voice rasped. "Although the lifespan of an Acromantula is much longer than that of an ordinary spider, theoretically close to that of a human, that's just a theory. In reality, very few of us can live to that age. Twenty years ago, I was already very old. My eyes were blurry, and I had no strength left. It was as if I could see the god of death waving to me."
"I was going to find a final resting place for myself," he continued. "That's when I discovered a blue flower that shimmered in the darkness like a cluster of tiny stars. My body's instinct told me that this thing would be of unimaginable benefit to me. I ate them, and then something magical happened. My aging body seemed to be nourished, and I survived." A look of pity flickered in Aragog's many eyes. "Then, I kept looking for more of these blue flowers. But we searched everywhere within our territory and found nothing. It was as if the entire Forbidden Forest held just this one small patch. Since then, I have migrated with my tribe to this area and guarded this cluster of flowers. But it blooms for a very long time, and the amount is getting smaller and smaller, the effect constantly being reduced. Earlier this year, I ate a few flowers that had just matured, but they had little effect."
Char raised an eyebrow, a strange look in his eyes. From Aragog's description, a vague guess was already forming in his mind. A blue flower that looked like stars in the dark… he seemed to have seen something like it in a book about rare herbs. If this herb is indeed what I think it is… then this time, I have truly struck gold. He took a deep breath, his expression suddenly becoming heated, and he quickened his pace.
Of course, he was not so overwhelmed by the possibility of finding rare herbs that he let his guard down. One must always be wary of others, especially when the one telling him this news was an Acromantula. He wasn't foolish enough to trust so easily and follow Aragog into a trap. From beginning to end, his attention was mostly focused on Aragog and the other spiders, a hint of coldness flashing deep in his pupils. The blood he had just fed to them was not given in vain. His [Toxin] ability had allowed him to secrete a potent, fast-acting paralytic into his blood. If the Acromantulas made any unusual movements, he would then detonate the toxins in the blood they had just swallowed. It would be enough to paralyze them for a period of time. It was precisely because of these precautions that he followed Aragog forward.
Fortunately, Aragog and the other Acromantulas were really moved by Char's act of bleeding for them just now. There were no unusual movements along the way. Aragog obediently brought him to a part of the forest dominated by an exceptionally tall, ancient tree. "That flower grows down there," the spider indicated.
When he saw this tree, Char's eyes flickered slightly. He was now seventy percent sure of his previous guess. But the final truth still had to be confirmed with his own eyes. He stepped forward, his gaze turning towards the roots of the trees. Sure enough, he saw some rotten, thin whiskers. Following them, amidst some gnawed and decayed plant remains, were five tiny seeds that looked like grass seeds. If you looked closely, you could see that these tiny seeds had strange blue barbs on them, which penetrated the roots of the tree.
After witnessing these scenes, Char breathed a sigh of relief, his guess now completely confirmed. "I was right. The blue flower Aragog spoke of, the one that extends life, is the Blue Star Flower, a plant considered endangered in the world of Herbology. This plant looks like a flower, but it's actually a parasitic plant that specifically grows on the Dendrobium officinale tree. The Blue Star Flower continuously absorbs the vitality of the host tree, providing nutrients for its own flowering. However, the host tree is also a rather rare plant. The parasitism of the Blue Star Flower has made both species increasingly scarce. It's been a long time since herbalists have discovered new specimens. Although they haven't been completely confirmed as extinct, most are pessimistic about whether these two plants still exist. I didn't expect there would be such a pair in the Forbidden Forest."
Just looking at the appearance of the Dendrobium officinale tree in front of him, he also shook his head regretfully. It had been almost completely sucked dry by the Blue Star Flower. No wonder Aragog had said the number of flowers was decreasing. Without its host to provide vitality, it was a miracle that the Blue Star Flower could bloom at all. If Aragog hadn't brought him here, he was afraid that within two years, this pair would have both perished.
A hint of emotion flashed through his mind. Char looked at the Blue Star Flower seeds, and his gaze then became extremely hot. "The sap of the Blue Star Flower is indeed believed to have a slight effect in prolonging life. But for a long time, if someone got one, they would never be so extravagant. Compared to its life-extending effect, which is better than nothing, its true use is that it can be used to refine a magical potion of extraordinary effectiveness. No matter how serious the injury, whether it's external or internal, or caused by a curse or other dark magic, even if it's a wound to the soul, as long as the person is not completely dead, this potion can keep them alive. Although the potion's effects will fade, theoretically, as long as there are enough Blue Star Flowers, it can allow someone to survive indefinitely."
Thinking of this, he looked at Aragog's expression and it became strange. Aragog had eaten so many of these flowers. If all of that had been made into potions, it might have been possible to extend the life of a dying person by one or two years. If Snape knew this, he was afraid he would break into the Forbidden Forest, skin and bone Aragog, and even take his marrow, just to see if he could extract some components of the flower.
At the same time, Char also thought of the mortal curse that Dumbledore was subjected to in the original story. Even Snape could only extend his life for a year or two at that time. This also meant that Dumbledore no longer had enough time to complete his guidance and layout. But if there were enough Blue Star Flowers, with Snape's level of potion-making, the potion he could create might be enough to keep Dumbledore alive until the final battle. If only he had discovered the Blue Star Flower earlier. This kind of plant might have directly changed the future of the magical world.
What a pity. The mature flowers were no longer there. Now all that was left were five seeds and the host tree that was almost completely sucked dry. He shook his head regretfully. He could only see if he could cultivate the plant himself. Immediately, he looked at the condition of the five seeds more carefully, and his heart gradually sank. There were indeed five seeds, but most of them had lost their activity. They just looked intact on the surface. After a round of screening, only one seed still retained some activity, and there was hope of it being cultivated.
And when his eyes fell on this seed, reward information also appeared above it.
[You get Blue Star Flower seeds]
[Raise it to maturity to receive rewards: One-time abilities: Resistance to fatal damage (Black Iron), Life extension (Black Iron)]
The Black Iron luster flashed before his eyes. In terms of splendor, it was far inferior to the various Silver and even Platinum-level rewards that were now commonplace for him. But the shock this reward information brought him was more profound than any of those. The extended lifespan of the Black Iron level was a reward he had never seen before. Although he possessed a legendary life, which allowed him to live far longer than ordinary humans, unless his legendary life continued to sublimate and move towards the Mythical level, it would be difficult for his lifespan to reach an exaggerated level. It certainly couldn't be compared with the immortality Nicolas Flamel had gained with the Philosopher's Stone. But now, if this ability to extend lifespan could be stacked, even if his legendary life stagnated, his lifespan would also reach an extremely exaggerated level. If Voldemort knew about this reward, he was afraid he would cry out of greed. After all, he had gone to great lengths to achieve immortality, and finally, in the original book, his lifespan was actually the shortest among his peers. It was indeed a bit ironic. But as long as he kept planting, he could truly gain a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people. The difference between the two was truly as vast as heaven and earth. The preciousness of this Black Iron-level reward was probably even greater than that of many Diamond-level rewards.
But in his opinion, even the reward of extended life, compared with the other reward provided by the Blue Star Flower—[One-time ability: resist fatal damage]—was still far inferior. Even if this ability could only be used once, just stacking up its layers was like having an extra life. The further back he went, the higher the value of this ability would be.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly calmed down. Looking at the Blue Star Flower seed in his hand, whether it was the function of the flower itself in preparing potions, or the rewards that could be obtained by planting it, all of this made him determined to get it. No matter how difficult it was, this plant must be cultivated. In the future, it would not only provide security for himself but could even protect those around him and change their destiny.
Then, he waved his wand again. A branch that was still alive was cut from the Dendrobium officinale tree. This branch was expected to be used to grow a new host tree through cuttings or grafting, which was also essential for cultivating the Blue Star Flower. However, the reward information that appeared on the branches was quite common, and he didn't care about it. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to get the Blue Star Flower seeds this time.
Immediately, he set out and returned to Hogwarts. He had not yet come across the cultivation of Blue Star Flowers and their host trees. He was afraid even Professor Sprout had not studied the relevant topics. He had to go to the library to find some literature to read. He walked hurriedly. Once he got back to the castle entrance, he headed towards the library. But it was at this moment that a tall figure wearing a black cloak and scarf walked out of the castle and appeared in his sight. The figure's gaze also fell on him at the same time.
In that instant, an extremely cold feeling, as if being stared at by a bloodthirsty monster, surged in Char's heart. His own heart slowly sank.
Quirrell. He was back.
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