Professor Sprout's face was originally filled with concern.
But upon hearing Robert's contented hum, she was momentarily confused.
Wait.
Was this normal?
Why was Robert's reaction so different from the Hufflepuff students who had cultivated Piranha Weed before?
She distinctly remembered how the last Hufflepuff student had burst into tears the moment he placed his hand into the tank of Piranha Weed.
Before Professor Sprout could recover from her confusion, Robert had already begun removing the weaker seaweed-like leaves according to the cultivation guidelines. His movements were precise and calm. He then gently pressed the remaining healthy leaves against the tank's inner walls, ensuring they adhered well.
At that moment, lines of glowing text appeared in front of Robert's eyes:
[You have successfully planted Piranha Weed]
[Reward obtained — Weak Increase in Water Affinity (Bronze Grade)]
With these words, faint glowing reward orbs appeared within the tank.
However, instead of satisfaction, Robert frowned.
The number of reward light orbs was disappointingly low.
Based on this planting density, even if all a dozen or so tanks were filled with Piranha Weed, the yield of reward orbs upon each harvest would be minimal.
The enhancement that Piranha Weed provided—an extremely weak cutting spell boost at Bronze Grade—was hardly impressive. To make meaningful progress, an enormous number of reward orbs would be required.
With the meager number floating in front of him now, it would be nearly impossible to accumulate enough even for a Gold Grade, let alone reach the legendary level.
Clearly, the planting density had to increase.
Robert turned to Professor Sprout and asked, "Aunt."
"Earlier, you mentioned that the planting density of Piranha Weed shouldn't exceed a certain limit. Does increasing the density negatively affect its growth?"
Professor Sprout, still somewhat distracted, answered automatically.
"Ah? Oh—no, it won't."
"Piranha Weed doesn't like light, unlike some aquatic plants that need sunlight and would die if packed too tightly. Piranha Weed thrives in darkness."
"As for oxygen, the water in these tanks is mixed with a special potion. Even with dense aquatic vegetation, there's no risk of suffocation. Breathing is unhindered."
"So, in theory, you can plant Piranha Weed as densely as you like—it won't affect its growth."
She paused before continuing, "The real issue is with the person doing the planting."
"If the density is too high, reaching into the tank can feel like shoving your hand into a swarm of piranhas. Your bones might get stripped clean!"
Hearing her explanation, Robert's eyes lit up with realization.
"I see. So the plants are fine with high density?"
"In that case, I'm relieved."
He glanced back at the sparsely planted Piranha Weed in the tank, its thin leaves lightly "massaging" his hands. Honestly, he had just been complaining that the effect was too weak to be satisfying.
Well—now that would change.
In the next moment, Robert emptied all the remaining Piranha Weed seeds from his palm into the tank.
Immediately, every inch of water became filled with tightly packed Piranha Weed.
The density had increased more than tenfold!
With it, the number of sharp little spines scratching his palms also rose drastically. What would have caused intense pain for others now felt soothing to Robert, who couldn't help but let out a relaxed sigh.
By the time he had finished adjusting and organizing all the seaweed-like plants in the tank, he pulled his hands out and felt an intense sense of rejuvenation—like his fingers had been massaged thoroughly, his blood flowing more freely, his muscles relaxed.
So comfortable.
Looking at the tank now overflowing with reward light orbs, Robert felt pleased.
This was how you optimized efficiency.
Then he turned to Professor Sprout once more.
"Aunt. Do you have any more Piranha Weed seeds?"
It was only then that Professor Sprout realized what Robert had done.
Did he just pour all the seeds into one tank?
She looked at the tank—covered with black cloth to block the light—and involuntarily shivered.
If it weren't for Robert's unique constitution, his hand would likely have been shredded to the bone by now. No ordinary student would have survived that level of contact unscathed.
Just imagining another student putting their hand into that dense tank gave her chills.
Her face grew serious.
She immediately waved her wand, conjuring bright red warning signs, which she firmly affixed to the tank's exterior.
"Absolutely no one else is allowed to touch this," she instructed firmly.
Only then did she hand Robert several more pouches of Piranha Weed seeds.
Robert worked through the night and into the early morning.
By the time he finally finished, all thirteen tanks provided by Professor Sprout were densely filled with Piranha Weed.
The glowing light orbs that floated in each tank now formed shimmering clouds—countless, like constellations underwater.
Robert looked at the sight with deep satisfaction.
The maturity cycle for Piranha Weed was approximately three months.
He wondered—when harvest time came, how far would these thirteen tanks take him in accumulating the cutting spell bonuses?
Robert took a deep breath.
But even as he appreciated the visual reward, his thoughts had already shifted to the next challenge.
He had now planted the Piranha Weed.
But currently, the only cutting-related spell he knew was the Pruning Charm—used for trimming leaves and shaping hedges. It was precise, but entirely non-lethal.
Its only potential use in combat would be if he managed to hit the enemy's wand—perhaps cutting it.
Beyond that? Useless.
He needed something with real offensive capability.
Something designed for battle.
But that would be hard to acquire through formal channels.
Robert had already reviewed the first-year Charms textbook thoroughly. There wasn't a single offensive spell in it.
Understandably, Hogwarts did not teach first-years combat magic. First-year wizards were just learning the fundamentals—teaching them spells capable of injury would be reckless and dangerous.
A cutting-type offensive spell wouldn't appear until at least the fifth year.
Even if he asked Professor Sprout or Professor Flitwick now, they would likely refuse to expose him to such spells.
But Robert had already anticipated this.
If he couldn't obtain such magic through official means...
He would turn to unofficial channels.
He recalled an important piece of the original Hogwarts story.
Harry Potter, in his sixth year, had stumbled upon a devastating cutting spell:
Sectumsempra.
It had been so powerful that a single cast almost ended Draco Malfoy's life.
This was not just a cutting spell—it was lethal.
It was Severus Snape's signature spell.
If there was any magic capable of fulfilling Robert's requirements, it was Sectumsempra.
And Robert knew exactly where to find it.
He remembered the details clearly.
"I need to find a sixth-year copy of 'Advanced Potion-Making'—"
"A worn, brown-covered textbook filled with dense handwritten notes."
"Inside it are not only alternate potion techniques, but original, self-created spells."
"And written on the flyleaf is the identity of its former owner—"
'The Half-Blood Prince.'
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