Chapter 44: Grafting Cultivation Method

Inside the Magical Plant Cultivation Room.

Locke and Sophia stood at the entrance, and only then did Locke realize that this cultivation room was far larger than he had imagined—its interior space was as vast as a small castle, with sprawling fields stretching across it.

The number of magical plants here was immense, resembling an entire garden.

Standing at the entrance, Locke observed the nearest plots of magical plants. "That's Chicken Blood Vine, Soul Perch Iris, Boiling Blood Berry... and even the highly valuable Sacred Blood Rose."

Locke gasped as he took in the sight before him—a plot of pale golden roses with pure golden petals, veins shimmering with faint golden light, and stamens resembling miniature holy grails.

The Sacred Blood Rose was extremely valuable, as its materials could be used to craft many precious potions. During the All Things Class, the dark elf Sassari had mentioned that any wizard apprentice who owned even half an acre of Sacred Blood Roses would be rich.

Sacred Blood Roses could even be used to brew Longevity Potions, making them highly sought after by many wizards—especially those nearing the end of their lifespans.

Sophia glanced at Locke and asked, "How do you feel now?"

Locke froze for a moment before realizing that ever since he entered this cultivation room, he had been experiencing slight weakness in his limbs and a faint dizziness. However, if he hadn't paid close attention, these subtle sensations wouldn't have immediately caught his notice.

Locke honestly relayed his feelings.

Sophia nodded. "Mm, that's normal."

"There are many Tier 1 magical plants here, and the Magic Pressure concentration in this place is far higher than what occurs naturally in the environment."

"If you weren't a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, I wouldn't even have brought you in here. Otherwise, you'd die, Locke."

Locke shuddered and bowed to Sophia. "Thank you for the warning, Teacher."

Sophia continued, "Until you become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice, try not to stay here for more than three hours at a time."

"After every three hours inside, you must leave and spend at least one hour in a normal Magic Pressure environment."

"Otherwise, your soul will still suffer some gradual damage."

Locke frowned. "Teacher, can Magic Pressure harm a wizard's soul?"

"Of course," Sophia replied. "But explaining that would be too complicated—and it's not the purpose of today's lesson."

"Follow me."

Sophia led Locke to a plot of magic vines. Inside this plant room, there were also tiny fairies with petal-like wings fluttering about.

These fairies were tending to the various magical plants throughout the room.

Perhaps due to their race, they seemed far less affected by the Magic Pressure than Locke himself.

Of course, Locke had another suspicion—that his teacher, Sophia, simply treated these fairies as expendable tools, so she didn't care whether they suffered gradual soul damage.

But as her first student, she naturally wouldn't stand by and let his soul suffer chronic harm that could hinder his future prospects.

The witch Sophia pointed to the acre of Tiff Loron Vines before them and said, "Locke, you're in luck. Since I've only recently become a Formal Wizard, the plant chamber isn't too dangerous yet. Most of the magical plants here are first-level apprentice resources."

"That's also why I still have an acre of Tiff Loron Vines planted here."

"You can use this acre to practice, but only for this purpose—nothing else."

Sophia continued, "A Breeder's assistant must at least master the most basic cultivation method: the grafting technique."

She bent down and selected two Tiff Loron Vines—one with a thicker stem and another with a vibrant green hue. "Grafting involves transplanting a bud or branch from one magical plant onto another."

"It exploits the plant's natural wound-healing mechanism to artificially cultivate the magical plant we desire."

Sophia ran her hand over one vine, snapping its root, then did the same to another, breaking off a branch.

Next, she used a bamboo skewer to connect the root of one vine to the branch of the other. Chanting an incantation, she watched as the two parts fused together under the spell's influence.

After completing the graft, Sophia buried the modified Tiff Loron Vine in the soil along with some Advanced Growth Serum Gel.

Under the gel's effects, the vine grew at an astonishing rate, soon revitalized and fully reborn.

Pointing to the new vine, Sophia asked, "What do you observe?"

Locke pondered before answering, "The grafted Tiff Loron Vine now exhibits characteristics from both original plants."

"Teacher, the grafting method allows us to combine desired traits and enhance a magical plant's performance."

Sophia nodded approvingly. "Good, you've noticed correctly."

"Locke, your observational skills are sharp."

She continued, "This is the most basic breeding technique, but don't be fooled by how easily I performed it."

"If you attempted this, the grafted plant would wither and die. There are three key challenges."

Locke straightened attentively. "Please explain, teacher."

Sophia elaborated, "First, the cambium layers of both plants must align perfectly during grafting, or the union will fail."

"Second, it requires exceptional Mana stability and precision—again relating to the first point—to ensure successful healing between the two."

"Third, you must learn a fundamental Cantrip to complete this grafting method."

She handed Locke a spellbook. "Remember, you only have learning privileges. Don't show this to others."

Locke accepted the book and read its title: the Cantrip [Lesser Graft Healing].

This Spell forces a healing mechanism between different plants, artificially inducing their union.

By grafting a branch of a peach tree onto a vine and using this cantrip model, the vine and peach branch can be forcibly fused into a single plant.

This means that once mastered in later stages, the grafting cultivation method can even be used to graft entirely different species of plants together.

Through this method, one can imbue their magical plants with desired traits.

Sophia explained to Locke, "The Tiff Loron Vine was created by an excellent Breeder who grafted a Mandala Vine onto the roots of a Tifflora Cactus."

"However, even if the plants successfully fuse, there's no guarantee you'll obtain the desired traits—or even if the plant will survive."

"That's why we commonly use Growth Element Gel to accelerate plant growth. Additionally, Growth Element Gel increases the survival rate of modified magical plants."

"Locke, you still have much to learn."

"Until you obtain your Breeder's Assistant certification, you'll have to remain in the patrol squad for now. Still, a bit of experience isn't a bad thing for a young man."

(End of Chapter)