Chapter 46: Gold Level, Bottleneck

In Char's line of sight, countless light orbs surged toward him like a vast sea, rushing into his body.

Lines of information instantly began appearing on his system panel.

Your Luminous Mushroom has reached maturity.

You received a reward – Slight increase in Night Vision (Bronze Level).

You received a reward – Very small amount of Lumos comprehension (Bronze Level).

The system messages flowed like a waterfall, flooding his vision.

Char's eyes felt sore just looking at it all.

But then he quickly realized something was off.

With his legendary vitality, his eyes shouldn't feel sore just from reading a lot of information."My eyes are changing."Char suddenly understood.

"Night Vision enhanced!"

He immediately checked the "Abilities" section on the system panel.

Sure enough, a new entry had appeared: [Night Vision].

The glow on this ability was transforming at a rapid pace.

First Bronze Level—then, in a blink, the Bronze glow began to morph into Silver.

Even after reaching Silver Level, the rate of enhancement barely slowed.

The Silver glow spread, bright and pure, until finally, a dazzling golden light completely enveloped it.

The transformation concluded.

[Night Vision (Gold Level)]!

Char took a deep breath, the soreness in his eyes peaking, causing them to water continuously.

His vision blurred momentarily.

Still, a look of anticipation spread across his face.

He quietly waited for his eyes to adjust.

Finally, the soreness began to fade.

His vision cleared again—and the difference was obvious.

The Greenhouse at night appeared completely different from how it looked during the day.

Although the Luminous Mushroom provided basic lighting, most magical plants preferred a more natural environment—many did not like illumination at night.

As a result, the Greenhouse remained dim.

But now...

In Char's view, the entire Greenhouse looked as bright as day.

Even without any artificial light, he could move around easily.

In fact, his vision in this dim environment felt even sharper than during daylight hours.

He nodded in satisfaction.

This improvement meant that, should any emergencies arise at night, visibility would no longer be a concern.

Night had become Char's domain.

Moreover, Professor Sprout had once taught him that some magical plants—unlike the light-loving Luminous Mushroom and Goldfish Vine—had extreme photophobia.

Even faint spells like Lumos could negatively affect their growth.

To cultivate such plants, Herbology experts often had to work completely in the dark—or else rely on complex Potions.

This made their cultivation processes very challenging.

But now, with Gold-Level Night Vision, such darkness would no longer be an obstacle for Char.

He smiled. This advancement alone was rewarding.

Yet, what excited him more was another reward from the matured Luminous Mushroom:

Lumos comprehension.

Although the understanding gained from a single mushroom was minimal, the cumulative insight from an entire field of them was something else entirely.

Char, having just adapted to the transformation of his eyes, now felt a wave of fragmented knowledge about Lumos rushing into his mind.

His mastery of the spell increased rapidly.

Every second, new insights formed in his consciousness.

On the system panel, his Lumos ability, which already had hints of a Silver glow, began glowing brighter.

Then—

[Lumos (Silver Level)]!

Joy welled up inside Char.

This spell, which he had learned over two months later than the Soil Loosening Spell and Pruning Charm, had now surpassed them.

Such speed was the unique reward of the planting system.

Char's eyes sparkled with expectation.

He could feel that only a portion of the comprehension granted by the Luminous Mushroom had been used.

His Lumos proficiency was still rising."Maybe... maybe there's a chance to directly reach Gold Level!"He stared at the system panel, watching as the Silver glow thickened.

One point, two points, three—

The comprehension fragments continued to be consumed.

The Silver glow on Lumos intensified.

Then—

A faint golden shimmer emerged.

Char clenched his fists."Almost there...""It's going to happen."But as more comprehension was absorbed, that golden shimmer remained stubbornly faint.

It never expanded.

Even though Lumos comprehension continued to flow, the spell remained stuck between Silver and Gold.

Just like Soil Loosening and Pruning had once stalled before reaching Silver Level.

A realization struck Char."My Magic Perception isn't high enough.""If it were already at Silver Level, Lumos probably would have broken through to Gold just now.""But it's stuck."A tinge of regret filled his heart.

But it didn't last.

He quickly composed himself.

He now had a steady supply of Goldfish Vine and access to the abandoned warehouse where he could train his Magic Perception.

Reaching Silver Level wouldn't take too long.

There was no need to rush.

Besides, his current Lumos—close to Gold—should be enough to ensure he aced the upcoming final Charms test.

After all, it had been less than two weeks since the previous mini-test.

At that time, Hermione's Lumos had only just reached the Bronze Level.

At most, she might have entered Silver Level by now.

The gap between them was enormous.

Next, Char focused on his advanced Lumos."I wonder what it feels like now, compared to when it was still Bronze?"He raised his wand."Lumos!"A gentle warmth spread from his core to the tip of the wand.

A soft, bright light emerged.

Immediately, Char sensed the change.

This light felt different.

Where it shone, it brought hope and courage.

As if even the darkest shadows would retreat from it.

Char blinked in amazement."Lumos at this level can already have some effect on weaker Dark creatures.""And in moments of fear or confusion, this light can offer calm and clarity."His mind turned quickly."If I use this advanced Lumos on magical plants—like a Guardian Tree seed—it might slightly boost the success rate during critical stages."However, he quickly reined in his thoughts.

Cultivating a Guardian Tree was still far off.

He would at least need Silver or Gold Level Magic Perception before that became realistic.

For now, the most pressing matter was the final Charms exam.

Not only would it offer bonus house points, but also another chance to enhance Lumos.

If he succeeded there, perhaps he could further speed up cultivation of plants like Luminous Mushrooms and Goldfish Vine.

Char glanced at the time.

Then turned and walked toward the Charms classroom, his mind already racing with new possibilities.

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