What caught Char's eye at this moment was an island completely different from any he had seen before. "Look at this… is this a volcanic island?"
His nose twitched slightly, a faint smell of sulfur wafting from the sea below. The water in this area was also noticeably warmer than elsewhere. All the signs pointed to it: not only was this a volcanic island, but it was a relatively young one. The volcano beneath it might not even be completely dormant.
Char's face lit up with delight. A volcanic island was an extremely special environment. The higher temperatures and moist sea air created a unique, hot and humid climate, perfect for the growth of Chalati grass and many other magical herbs. The soil, formed from volcanic ash, was often rich in nutrients. Combined with a fertilizing potion, it could achieve the best planting effects outside of a greenhouse. And most importantly, the ecological environment on a volcanic island was relatively simple, eliminating the interference of other vegetation. It was like a "natural greenhouse."
Compared to the other alternatives he had found, the conditions of this volcanic island were far beyond his expectations. He was truly lucky to have come to the North Sea. There was no need to look any further. This island was the most suitable place for him to cultivate and plant his crops. No doubt about it.
He marked the island's location on his map, discovering that it wasn't on the original. "It must be because this island was formed not long ago," he reasoned. "The maps of the magical world haven't been updated in a long time. I might be the first wizard in the magical world to discover this island." He wrote a name in his notebook: Sprout Island.
He descended towards the island, and if he didn't find any other problems, he would be completely set on planting his magical plants here. He landed and picked up a handful of dirt, a strange look in his eyes. The island was even younger than he had expected, no more than fifty years old.
He recalled a rumor his aunt had once told him about an extremely rare and magical herb. "Blazing Fern," she had called it, or "Cinderis Fern." "A legendary plant that only appears in areas after a volcanic eruption. It's about thirty to fifty centimeters tall, with leaves showing spiral patterns of deep red and inky black, and an obsidian sheen. The base is even wrapped in a translucent crystalline sheath that refracts light to create a faint iridescence. When it matures, a molten golden spore sac will bloom at the top, emitting a red light like Mars. It's as gorgeous as a jewel and possesses unique magical powers, an essential ingredient for some ancient potions. But due to its extremely demanding growing environment—it has only a slight chance of growing in volcanic areas that have erupted within the past fifty years—even a master of Herbology might only see one in their lifetime."
A hint of anticipation appeared in Char's eyes. This volcanic island seemed to meet the conditions for its growth. If he could find a way to cultivate it, it would be of a higher level than most of the herbs he had. And he was sure both his aunt and Snape would be very interested in it.
He took off again, circling the island on his Nimbus 2000. It was completely dark now, the sea a deep, light-devouring black. The sky was covered with dark clouds, a common feature of the North Sea, blocking out the starlight and moonlight. But in the darkness, Char's platinum-level night vision was at its full potential. He could see everything clearly, even the differently colored and-propertied magic particles emitted from the ocean. Most of them came from common magical algae, a small portion from zooplankton and other small sea creatures. He scanned the area carefully but found nothing of value. The volcanic island itself was completely dead, devoid of any magic particles. It was clear that it had formed too recently for any magical life to have taken root. As for the ferns, there was no trace of them.
He shook his head slightly. "The Cinderis Fern is so precious. Even if the conditions are right, it's not certain that it will grow here. My aunt told me that many herbalists have spent their entire lives searching for it in volcanic areas around the world, and most never see one. The possibility of me finding one on the first volcanic island I see is still too low."
Still, he lowered his altitude and patrolled the island one more time, making sure he hadn't missed anything. And soon, he did discover something new. In the central bulge of the island, between the rugged volcanic rocks, there was a crack, about three or four meters long and wide enough for two people to fit into. Its depth was unknown, but the smell of sulfur seemed to be coming from within.
Could this crack lead to an area closer to the crater? he wondered. If so, the probability of finding a Cinderis Fern there would be much greater.
He approached the dark crack. Others might have hesitated, but Char, with his night vision and legendary heat resistance, was not afraid. He tensed, tightened his grip on his wand, and entered the crack. There were no magical animals inside, but the smell of sulfur grew stronger, and the air grew hotter, soaring to nearly fifty degrees Celsius. It was nothing to him.
Soon, the narrow crack opened up into an underground cave. In the center, the ground glowed with a faint red light. That must be the passage to the submarine volcano, he thought. The lava here must have solidified first after the eruption. Logically speaking, the probability of a Cinderis Fern growing here is much higher than on the surface.
With a sense of anticipation, he looked around the cave. His breath caught. His eyes locked onto a crack in the cave wall. A bit of dull, molten gold was faintly visible. His heart pounded as he rushed over. What he saw was a plant with leaves of deep red and inky black, with the luster of obsidian, and rhizomes wrapped in a crystal sheath. It was more like a living gem than a plant. This was the Cinderis Fern, a sight that countless herbalists rarely saw in their lifetime.
But a moment later, a hint of regret appeared in his eyes. He had come too late. The fern had almost completely lost its vitality, its gem-like luster dimmed. It was only because of the stable environment in the cave that it hadn't turned to ash. A single gust of wind would likely make it fall apart.
His gaze, filled with regret, fell on the molten gold at the top of the fern. It was the last place where the fern still retained a trace of life, where its spores were incubating. And as his eyes fell on it, a line of reward information appeared before him.
You have obtained the Cinderis Fern Spores.
[Successfully plant the Cinderis Fern Spores to receive rewards: Flame Enhancement (Gold Level) and Charm Enhancement (Silver Level)]
[Cultivate the fern to maturity and receive the following rewards: Flame Enhancement (Platinum), Charm Enhancement (Gold), and a small amount of Gubraithian Fire Magic Enlightenment (Black Iron).]
Char's eyes lit up. The reward was higher than he had expected. A platinum-level reward for cultivating it to maturity? And the reward itself was extremely practical. Flame enhancement. Many of the most lethal spells in the wizarding world were related to fire: Fiendfyre, Dumbledore's signature Incendio. These spells had a large area of effect, an attack method Char currently lacked. With a platinum-level flame enhancement, even a simple fire spell would be a powerful weapon, and the dragon fire ability he had obtained from the Blood Emerald would be significantly increased. The charm enhancement, while not directly related to magic, was also significant. Voldemort's rise to power was due not only to his magical talent but also to his captivating charm. And the final reward, an enlightenment in Gubraithian Fire, the legendary eternal fire, was something only a few wizards, including Dumbledore, could use. It was an extremely extraordinary and ancient magic.
His mood brightened, but as he looked at the state of the spore, his expression turned serious again. It was on the verge of death. If it weren't for the few magic particles it was still emitting at an extremely slow rate, he would have thought it was already dead.
"Fine," he muttered. "There is still one last glimmer of hope. As long as there is life, there is hope." He carefully removed the spore, wrapping it in a piece of the fern's own leaf. He would take it back to Hogwarts. With his aunt's knowledge, it might be possible to revitalize it. This was a far better option than traveling the world, searching for volcanic areas and hoping for a lucky break. If he could cultivate Cinderis Ferns in large quantities, his fire magic would improve by leaps and bounds.
He took his harvest and flew out of the crack. But before he reached the surface, he heard the sound of shouting and exploding spells from outside. He slowed down, peering out from the crack.
Above, Tonks was flying on her broom, dodging a volley of spells. Opposite her, on a flying carpet, sat a figure wrapped in bandages. Char recognized him immediately. "Porgy Charlemagne?" He was startled. He hadn't expected the man to follow him all the way to the North Sea after the incident in the greenhouse. A cold light flashed in his eyes. He knew Porgy wasn't here to wish him well.
Tonks dodged another spell, shouting in disbelief, "Porgy Charlemagne! Are you crazy?! You were stalking me, and now you're attacking a trainee Auror from the Ministry! Stop now, or you'll be imprisoned in Azkaban!"
Porgy let out a sick laugh, filled with coldness and madness. "And what if I'm not caught? If something happens to you on this vast ocean, your bodies will never be found. Who would ever know I did it?" He snapped his fingers, and the small, bloodied house-elf he had whipped earlier appeared. It looked at Porgy with eyes full of fear, but could only bow.
"Master, Master—"
Porgy pointed at Tonks. "I command you, get the woman in the shed."
The little house-elf breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't the one being hit. Even if the other party was a trainee Auror, for a house-elf, it was not too difficult a task. He snapped his fingers, and a magical power acted on Tonks's broom, making it shake violently. Her counter-attack spells lost their accuracy.
"You bastard!" Tonks cursed.
Porgy laughed deeply from his flying carpet. "See? Such lowly beasts have their uses. Well, now that boy won't have a trainee Auror to protect him. This isn't Hogwarts. There are no damn professors or damn Dumbledore around." He tightened his grip on his wand and flew in the direction where Char had disappeared. "I'm going to kill him myself!" he snarled, his expression twisted with hate.
__________________________
"Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider donating Power Stones and joining our patreon
[patreon.com /coolperry]
for early access to future chapters.(+30 chapters)