Malnutrition?
Vison couldn't help but feel puzzled.
What could be causing this?
He had never encountered such an unusual situation before.
Frowning, Vison carefully observed the Biting Cabbage in front of him, his fingers gently brushing its leaves.
Although the leaves drooped slightly, they showed no signs of yellowing or decay.
Vison pinched a bit of soil with his fingertips, rubbed it gently, and found it loose and oddly gray.
Clearly, something was wrong.
Seeing that Vison remained silent, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Professor, is it sick?"
Vison shook his head. "Don't worry, Harry. The Biting Cabbage is healthy, it just seems to be lacking nutrients."
Since malnutrition was the issue, providing enough nourishment should solve the problem.
Vison stood up and headed toward the storage room while Harry stayed close to guard the cabbage.
When Vison returned, he carried a black bag that emitted a strong, strange odor as he approached, causing Harry to instinctively cover his nose.
"What is this?" Harry asked.
"Fertilizer."
It was a special blend—Dragon manure mixed fertilizer, with Dragon feces as the main ingredient.
A secret recipe passed down from Professor Sprout.
Vison had also mixed a little of his own blood into it.
This bag had been sitting in his warehouse for quite some time.
While fresh Dragon fertilizer was immensely beneficial to plants, this batch might have grown too potent from aging.
Vison waved his wand, and a broom in the corner floated toward Harry.
Its handle shrank, and the broomhead transformed into a small shovel.
"Come on, Harry. You fertilize it," Vison said, setting the bag in front of him.
Harry hesitated, glancing from the bag to his Biting Cabbage.
After a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and grabbed the shovel.
"Just dig a little hole near the roots, not too deep," Vison instructed. "Then sprinkle a bit of fertilizer and cover it back with soil."
Harry nodded and carefully dug a small pit near the cabbage's roots.
But as he opened the bag, the stench grew even stronger, making him step back quickly.
"Good heavens…" he muttered, frowning.
Seeing Harry's reaction, Vison also stepped back, wincing.
Professor Sprout's recipe clearly had its downsides.
Maybe he should suggest adding some fragrance next time?
Noticing Vison keeping his distance, Harry pursed his lips.
"Professor, why not use the Bubblehead Charm?" he suggested.
Vison blinked, a realization dawning. "You're right, Harry."
He waved his wand, and transparent bubbles formed around both their heads.
The smell still seeped through faintly but was far more bearable.
Steeling himself, Harry picked up the shovel again.
He scooped a small amount of the Dragon manure fertilizer, sprinkled it into the hole, and carefully covered it with soil.
Moments later, the Biting Cabbage stirred, its leaves gently shaking as though it sensed the nutrients.
"It's working, Professor!" Harry exclaimed with delight.
Vison nodded. The cabbage's reaction confirmed it—nutrient deficiency was the cause.
But something still didn't add up.
Why would the Biting Cabbage require so much nourishment?
Curious, Vison approached and unearthed a bit of the newly buried fertilizer.
It was already gray and lifeless, just like the surrounding soil—the nutrients had been entirely drained.
"Continue, Harry," Vison instructed after a moment of thought. "Do it again. Give it some more fertilizer."
"Yes, sir."
Harry shoveled out more soil and added another dose of fertilizer.
This time, the Biting Cabbage reacted even more vigorously, its leaves shaking wildly.
Almost instantly, the fresh, vibrant fertilizer dimmed, turning shriveled and dull.
The nutrients had been absorbed at an astonishing speed.
Harry's eyes widened. "It wouldn't be… starving, would it?"
Just as he prepared to continue, the cabbage suddenly opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth.
Yet, apart from this display, it made no further moves.
Vison frowned in confusion, but Harry's eyes sparkled with an idea.
That's right—the Biting Cabbage had a mouth.
He recalled it gulping down an entire pot of potion once.
Boldly, Harry grabbed a small scoop of fertilizer, hesitated, then quickly stuffed it into the cabbage's open mouth.
The Biting Cabbage immediately closed its jaws, its mouth wriggling as it made gurgling noises.
After a while, it spat out a ball of dry, gray-black residue—landing squarely on Harry's shoes.
"Ugh…" Harry grimaced at the ash-like waste, stepping back in disgust.
But as he continued feeding it, the cabbage became a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing nutrient after nutrient.
The Dragon manure fertilizer was known for its potency—normally, a little would last a plant a long while.
But this Biting Cabbage consumed it in a frenzy, devouring bag after bag without pause.
No one could tell where all the nutrients were going.
Finally, it reached a tipping point.
After swallowing nearly three full bags, the cabbage stirred.
It lifted itself slightly, and then…
Burped.
"..."
Vison and Harry exchanged looks of speechless astonishment.
A soft chime echoed.
"Eldra."
[Type: Biting Cabbage]
[Level: 2]
[Trait: Gigantification]
[State: Growing (0%)]
Vison quickly consulted the Tree of Knowledge to confirm, and sure enough—the Biting Cabbage had acquired a new trait: Gigantification.
Its level had also risen to 2.
"Gigantification?" Vison muttered, puzzled.
But on the surface, there were no visible changes.
It hadn't grown larger—nothing about it suggested gigantification.
"Harry, that's enough," Vison said firmly. "The cabbage has definitely transformed in some way now."
Harry picked it up from the pot and weighed it in his hands.
It still felt familiar—same weight, same texture.
Nothing seemed different at all.
"Did you change?" Harry asked, holding the cabbage up and peering into its eyes. "Show me if you did."
The Biting Cabbage seemed to understand.
It nodded—almost humanly—and jumped from Harry's hands onto the floor.
Then, it closed its mouth, and black light began to pulse from its body.
Vison's heart skipped a beat.
Something wasn't right.
He could suddenly feel an enormous surge of magic radiating from the Biting Cabbage.