Chapter 42: Cutting Effect, Light Wheel 200024

Looking at the Pruning Charm on the system panel—now promoted to the silver tier—Robert Sprout felt a surge of excitement. His second silver-tier spell—done!

After the Soil Loosening Spell had been promoted to silver tier, it could stimulate more vitality in the soil. This not only increased the success rate of planting but also helped the plants mature faster. The benefits were significant. Now that the Pruning Charm had also been promoted, Robert couldn't help but wonder what new qualitative changes it might bring.

Thinking about it, he couldn't suppress the anticipation in his heart and immediately walked toward the Greenhouse.

In his experimental plot, Luminous Mushrooms had already spread across the soil, their caps forming thick clusters. They had entered the final stage of growth. However, no matter how optimal the Greenhouse conditions were, there would always be some caps that were underdeveloped and required pruning. Others had grown too densely, competing for the same nutrients.

If left unattended, none of them would receive enough nourishment, resulting in overall malnutrition and degeneration. This made pruning an essential task at this stage.

Robert's eyes sparkled.

"It's the perfect time to test the upgraded Pruning Charm and see how it performs."

Without hesitation, he drew his wand and began casting.

"Arbor-Siccus!"

Silvery light from the Pruning Charm illuminated the mushrooms. One cap after another was pruned away, turning into fine ash. These ashes served as nutrients for the remaining Luminous Mushrooms, supporting their growth.

As he cast the spell repeatedly, Robert closely observed the changes brought about by the promotion.

"It's definitely more precise than before," he muttered.

"It cuts exactly the parts that need to be removed, with minimal damage to the rest of the plant."

He continued pruning.

"Also, nutrient loss during pruning seems significantly reduced."

"The pruned parts appear to offer more nutritional return to the surrounding mushrooms."

Robert nodded in satisfaction, but his brows furrowed slightly.

These were all great improvements, but they still felt incremental. Not quite the qualitative leap he had been expecting.

"Where is that leap?" he murmured.

He continued casting, carefully noting even the smallest detail during each attempt. On the twentieth cast, something unusual caught his attention.

A pruned cap didn't disintegrate. It remained perfectly intact—like a pristine new Luminous Mushroom.

Startled, Robert stared at it. A wild conjecture surged into his mind.

"Could it be… does the silver-tier Pruning Charm now have a chance to allow pruned parts to re-root and grow?"

"Like cuttings?!"

He took a deep breath and quickly planted the cap back into the soil.

Almost immediately, a message appeared:[You have successfully planted a Luminous Mushroom and can receive a reward…]

[After the Luminous Mushroom matures, the reward will be upgraded to…]A small reward orb materialized above the newly planted cap.

Robert's eyes widened in astonishment.

"It is like a cutting!"

"Some pruned parts can survive and grow into a brand new individual. That's huge!"

While common in Muggle agriculture, cutting is considered difficult, requiring precise control over water, temperature, and nutrients. In Magical Herbalism, it's even more challenging.

The fact that his Pruning Charm—now silver-tier—could trigger this effect was a major discovery. Even if the success rate was only around five percent, it would add up significantly over time.

Robert calculated quickly.

If a plant was pruned four or five times during its life cycle, and each pruning gave a five percent chance of producing a new viable plant, then starting with one hundred plants, he could eventually harvest one hundred and twenty.

A 20% increase.

A game-changer.

"And this is just silver-tier," he mused.

"If the charm improves further, doubling the final harvest might not be impossible."

Robert was thrilled.

He glanced back at the field of Luminous Mushrooms, most of them still awaiting pruning. His eyes lit up with eagerness.

Pruning was usually a tedious, mind-numbing task. You had to carefully judge what to cut and what to keep. Doing it for a few plants could be meditative—but pruning an entire field? Torture. Backs ached, eyes blurred, and enthusiasm drained fast.

Robert had only endured it before thanks to his legendary vitality and love for Herbalism. Enjoyable it was not.

But now, every pruning felt like a lottery draw.

Whenever a pruned cap remained intact and became viable again, Robert's heart leapt with excitement.

"Another free plant—jackpot!"

He completely lost track of time, immersed in the blind-box-style thrill of pruning.

On the system panel, the silver glow around the Pruning Charm began to deepen gradually.

The next day at noon, Professor Sprout entered the Greenhouse. What she saw stunned her.

Robert was crawling around his plot, frantically searching the soil, muttering to himself.

"Nothing?"

"There's really none left?"

Professor Sprout raised an eyebrow. "Robert, did you lose something? Tell me, I'll help you find it with Accio."

Robert stood up and shook his head.

"I didn't lose anything."

"I just had some new insights into the Pruning Charm."

"Pruning Luminous Mushrooms has never felt so satisfying."

"But now I've pruned all the parts that can be pruned… I can't just cut off healthy caps, right?"

His face was flushed with fulfillment.

The silver glow around the Pruning Charm had intensified—reflected by a slight increase in cutting success. The rate had risen from 5% to roughly 5.5%. A minor boost, but still progress.

He wanted to prune more.

But the plot was exhausted.

Other plants in the Greenhouse belonged to fellow students. Some might be used for research papers. Touching them was out of the question.

Professor Sprout looked at him, both amused and bewildered.

"You child…" she sighed with a wry smile.

"This is the first time I've met someone so excited about pruning plants."

She shook her head.

"Robert, I admire your passion for Herbalism. Truly. But kids your age should be out and about, not holed up in a Greenhouse all day."

"I swear, if I leave you here long enough, you might start growing mushrooms yourself!"

With a wave of her wand, she conjured a long, narrow package.

"Now look at this—a custom-made Nimbus 2000 flying broomstick!"

"It's my gift to you for joining the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Perfect timing—practice starts this afternoon."

"Time to unwind."

"Come on, open it!"

Robert felt warmth swell in his chest.

"Thank you, Auntie."

The urge to stay and prune faded. He had finished all his work, and helping Hufflepuff win the Quidditch Cup—and making Auntie Sprout proud—was always a goal of his.

He gently unwrapped the package.

The Nimbus 2000 was indeed a masterpiece.

Its curves were elegant, its surface polished.

The handle was rich mahogany, and the tail was tied with perfectly aligned twigs.

A golden inscription glimmered near the top:"Nimbus 2000 broom, for my dear nephew Robert Sprout."Robert ran his fingers over it, awestruck.

It was beautiful.

Professor Sprout smiled.

"This is nothing like those old brooms in Flying Class."

"Those ancient things—twigs bent, untrimmed, like they haven't been maintained in centuries."

"They nearly belong in the Discard Room with relics from 200 years ago!"

"They don't deserve your skills, Robert."

"This afternoon, you'll show everyone what a real flier looks like with this broom."

Robert nodded, then paused. Something clicked in his mind.

"Auntie… what did you just say?"

"Discarded broomsticks… twigs that haven't been pruned…?"

"What kind of wood are those brooms made of? Magical willow? Silver birch?"

"Wait… if Hogwarts has centuries of discarded flying broomsticks—stored right next to the Quidditch Pitch…"

Robert's eyes widened.

He grabbed the Nimbus 2000, turned on his heel, and dashed toward the exit.

"I can't wait."

"I'm heading to the Quidditch Pitch right now!"

For more chapters

patreon.com/Ben479