The Hogwarts Special Contribution Award—you could say it's useless, though there really is a trophy for it sitting in the display hall.
But if you call it useful, well, who ever actually sees that trophy besides students stuck with detention cleaning duty?
Completely absurd.
Its only real value is the hundred points it adds to the recipient's house.
The problem is, the House Cup has gone to Gryffindor for years now, so what good are those points to him?
And on top of that, they'd taken the seeds from him.
Well, those seeds had only been meant to appease the professors anyway. They'd been optimized for yield, which meant anything grown from them would probably end up a little malnourished.
Though cursing inwardly, Leonard put on a mask of delight. After a round of encouragement from the professors, he was dismissed.
"Alright, let's clear this place out," Professor McGonagall said once Leonard was gone, eyeing the cave. "We can't leave something this dangerous as it is."
The professors worked together, burning away every Devil's Snare in the cavern. Then McGonagall used Transfiguration to grow rock and seal the entrance.
Black smoke rose, curling upward before dissipating into the air.
From a distance, suitcase in hand, Leonard looked regretfully at the smoking entrance before turning away.
There was no time to dwell—the giant Venomous Tentacula in his case needed transplanting fast. If it died in there, Leonard would want to cry.
Eager to reach the botanical garden, he didn't bother with transplanting any other magical plants along the way. At the garden's center, he conjured a pit with a Levitation Charm, opened the suitcase, and transferred the giant Venomous Tentacula into the hole.
He followed with Root Reinforcement to help it take hold, then filled the pit.
Just like that, the giant Venomous Tentacula was his! A mature, towering specimen—perfect for guarding the botanical garden.
[You obtained the Mutated Magical Plant: Giant Venomous Tentacula. You gained 300 experience. Current rank: Advanced Plant Apprentice (631/700)]
[Mutated Plant: Giant Venomous Tentacula. Lifespan greatly increased.]
[You planted a new plant. You gained 20 experience. Current progress: 5/5 for first quantity achievement. You gained 1 Enhancement Point.]
[Current Botanical Garden Plant Variety: 5/10]
[Current Advanced Plant Apprentice (651/700)]
"Whew, finally something I can rely on." Leonard wiped the sweat from his forehead as he watched the massive plant come to life.
He had practically sprinted the whole way, lucky nothing dangerous crossed his path.
"Next, time to put these seeds to use." Carefully parting the writhing tendrils, Leonard harvested plenty of seeds from the giant Venomous Tentacula and planted them nearby.
He left ample space so the growing tentacles wouldn't choke each other out. After setting down a patch of them, he returned to the massive one.
Now came the real step: enhancing it. Since its main purpose was to guard the garden, Leonard had no intention of letting this one produce unenhanced seeds.
Activating Optimize Growth, Leonard saw three visions unfold within the dancing vines.
The first showed the serrated leaves snapping shut in pairs, dense holes opening in the center. As enemies approached, the holes spewed thick poisonous mist. Those caught within struggled briefly, their bodies turning purple before collapsing dead.
It gave the Venomous Tentacula a new attack, but the close range made it nearly useless.
The second vision showed two leaves closing again, but instead of holes, a thin spiked tube formed inside.
When enemies came within twenty meters, the Venomous Tentacula erupted, firing purple-glowing spikes. They were sharp and sturdy enough to pierce solid rock, and they struck with great force.
Impaled and poisoned, the enemies died instantly before they could even react.
Though both were deadly, the ranged strike made Leonard's eyes shine. This—this was the long-range attack he had been wanting.
Compared to the later enhancement node [Ability Sharing], which only allowed three uses of magic, this reliable long-range option was far more practical...
The third vision came next: the Venomous Tentacula's tendrils, infused with venom, had been strengthened, stretching up to thirty meters. But the farther they extended, the weaker they grew. To Leonard, it wasn't as useful as the second.
And so, the enhancement decision was an easy one.
"Enhance!"
At Leonard's command, the Giant Venomous Tentacula underwent a drastic transformation. Its leaves folded shut, while slender tubes and sharp spikes sprouted forth. In moments, a monstrous plant capable of firing venomous spikes stood before him.
[You enhanced the Giant Venomous Tentacula, producing a beneficial mutation. You gained 300 experience. Current rank: Junior Herbologist (251/1000)]
[You gained 1 Enhancement Point. You obtained the talent: Trait Enhancement]
[Because the Giant Venomous Tentacula is a mutated magical plant, your enhancement has been amplified. Effective range increased by 20 meters; projectile speed increased to 300 km/h.]
With the enhancement complete, Leonard's level rose as well. The unexpected surprise was that the mutation boosted the effects even further.
Its range had originally been 25 meters—now, with the extra 20, it reached an astonishing 40 meters. That was far beyond the effective casting distance of most wizards.
And with Leonard's botanical garden spanning just over forty meters on each side, the Giant Venomous Tentacula at the center could now cover the entire garden with its attacks.
Combined with the Bitterthorn still growing along the edges, his garden's defenses were nearly perfected.
"There's also this Trait Enhancement talent..." Leonard quickly opened the System to check his new ability.
[Trait Enhancement: Can be applied to an already-enhanced plant to further strengthen one of its abilities.]
Another chance to enhance!
Even if limited to traits, it still meant Leonard's plants could be powered up yet again, making them even stronger.