As Char reached out and touched the reward orbs, thirteen of them immediately surged into his body.
At that moment, system prompts lit up before his eyes:
[You have successfully cultivated Piranha Algae (Mutated).]
[You have received the reward: Water Enhancement (Silver Level).]
[You have received the reward: Cutting Charms Enhancement (Bronze Level).]
Seeing those prompts, Char's eyes filled with anticipation.
This was the first time he had ever received a Silver Level reward orb directly.
Before entering Hogwarts, Char had hardly seen even Black Iron Level orbs.
His so-called legendary strength had come from relentless accumulation—quantitative change transforming into qualitative breakthroughs.
So what kind of impact would a Silver Level orb have?
Char was genuinely curious.
As the reward orbs entered his body, a peculiar sensation bloomed in his chest.
A sharp, cutting aura gradually began to fill his magic.
His originally gentle and steady magic was suddenly as sharp as a sword.
"This is…"
"The effect of Cutting Charms Enhancement?"
Realization dawned.
The Cutting Charms Enhancement reward had imbued his magic with edge and lethality—a sharpened texture that would clearly improve his performance when casting Cutting Charms.
Not only that, but even his comprehension and insight into those spells had been elevated a few degrees.
Back when he first harvested the immature Piranha Algae, this transformation had been too subtle to notice. His Magic Perception back then was still weak, and so he had completely overlooked the changes.
Now, with improved perception, the transformation was unmistakable.
This ability had essentially given him greater innate talent for Cutting Charms!
He turned his eyes back to the system panel.
There, he saw "Cutting Charms Enhancement" begin to glow—its Black Iron luster swiftly overtaken by bronze.
Then, only seconds later, the bronze deepened, glowing richer and denser—until a silver sheen finally consumed it entirely.
[Cutting Charms Enhancement (Silver Level)] promoted!
It had gone straight from Black Iron to Silver, just from harvesting thirteen Piranha Algae!
Char felt his heart surge with excitement.
For most abilities, advancing to Silver Level from Black Iron would take immense time and effort.
Yet this time, the leap had occurred effortlessly.
Harvesting high-level magical plants truly paid off.
Immediately after, the system panel shifted again.
The Cutting Charms Enhancement's promotion triggered changes in his spells—specifically, the Pruning Charm and Sectumsempra.
Their mastery ratings blurred momentarily, and then…
The golden luster of Pruning Charm began to deepen—about half a shade brighter—veiled slightly by platinum glimmers.
This indicated a significant leap in its progress toward Platinum Level.
Char couldn't hide his joy.
He had already experienced the Lumos spell's shift from Gold to Platinum and knew how difficult that process was.
If not for the massive number of Luminous Mushrooms he had harvested, it would have taken two or three months of grinding!
Now, thanks to this reward, the Pruning Charm had saved weeks of effort.
But what truly took his breath away was Sectumsempra.
Originally, it had just begun progressing from Black Iron to Bronze.
Now, under the effect of the Cutting Charms Enhancement, it directly radiated a bronze glow—so rich, in fact, that faint silver specks shimmered within it!
Char inhaled sharply.
Then, unable to contain himself, he punched the air underwater.
This upgrade had exceeded all his expectations.
With enough magic strength, he would now be able to cast a Bronze Level—bordering on Silver Level—Sectumsempra. Its destructive force would be vastly superior!
As the sharpened magical sensation faded, a new feeling took over.
It was as if an ocean tide had surged into his very soul.
Char suddenly felt like he belonged in the sea, like the ocean itself was beckoning him.
"This must be the effect of Water Enhancement!"
Looking at the system panel again, he saw changes happening in rapid succession.
The previously Bronze Level Water Enhancement ability was now pulsing with brilliant silver light.
In just a blink, that silver erupted into dazzling gold.
And the golden light continued to intensify—growing denser and more radiant.
Then came the most surprising part—platinum luster began swallowing the golden glow.
It only stopped after devouring nearly half of it.
[Water Enhancement (Golden Level)] promoted!
It had not only reached Golden Level—it had also covered a noticeable distance on the path to Platinum.
Char was overwhelmed.
Silver Level reward orbs were unimaginably powerful.
One Silver orb was likely worth a hundred Black Iron Level ones—if not more.
And unlike the rapidly diminishing returns of Black Iron orbs beyond the Golden threshold, a Silver orb's potency likely only tapered off past Platinum.
"If I can grow more plants that yield Silver rewards,"
"I must cultivate them at all costs."
Bringing his thoughts back to reality, Char focused on testing his new powers.
The system panel was helpful, but he needed real-world validation—especially for Water Enhancement.
He took a deep breath.
Then submerged his head into the nearby water tank.
Cold water surrounded him—but instead of discomfort, it felt welcoming.
Suddenly, Char's eyes widened.
He instinctively opened his mouth to breathe…
But there was no choking.
No struggle.
Even the inhalation felt unnecessary—as if the water itself offered him air.
It was like being on land, but better. His body felt lighter, movements more fluid.
He closed his eyes.
He could sense the motion of the water, feel its ripples as if they were part of his own nervous system.
"So this is the qualitative transformation of Water Enhancement at Golden Level?"
"Then water is truly my battlefield now…"
Despite the thrill of this new ability, Char was still most focused on one specific thing:
The boost to his overall abilities brought by Water Enhancement.
In the water, he focused on the system panel once again.
The entire panel blurred, bathed in golden and platinum glows.
Under the enhancement of Water Enhancement (Golden Level):
His Magic Perception Enhancement, which had just reached Golden Level, glowed even brighter. Platinum specks shimmered within.
Lumos and Night Vision abilities, which were already at Platinum, became even more radiant.
Pruning Charm and Sectumsempra advanced again by a subtle yet clear margin.
It was a comprehensive enhancement.
Everything had gone up a notch.
But Char's eyes soon locked onto one final stat:
[Magic Strength Enhancement (Black Iron Level)]
This was the core problem.
His Magic Perception had already reached new heights thanks to the Goldfish Vine.
But Magic Strength still shackled his potential.
Without enough strength, even with refined perception and upgraded spells, he couldn't fully cast powerful Charms like Sectumsempra.
But then—it happened.
As he stared at the panel, a flash of silver broke through the black iron luster of Magic Strength Enhancement.
It surged.
Amplified.
Temporarily reached Silver Level!
At that moment, even the usually composed Char couldn't help it.
He burst into laughter underwater, bubbles swirling around him.
His shackles—shattered.
Char gripped his wand tightly.
He swung it through the water like a sword slicing air.
Magic Strength—activated.
Water Enhancement—surging.
Cutting Charms Enhancement—razor sharp.
"Sectumsempra!"
"SECTUMSEMPRA!"
Char had broken through.
He was no longer merely progressing.
He was soaring.
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