The Dilemma of Enhancing Talent

Chapter 17 The Dilemma of Enhancing Talent

For the first time, Avada, who had lived two lives, realized that enhancements didn't necessarily bring positive effects.

This also made him have even greater respect for the achievements of those pioneers—through the exploration and research of generations, many of the most fundamental things have been optimized to the limit, and each step is a condensation of thousands of years of experience, which he could not overturn with his magical senses alone.

Of course, this respect has its limits, after all, there are countless examples of people whose development has stagnated due to being bound by experience. Moreover, his "magical senses" are likely unprecedented, which almost gives him the innate power to question and improve everything.

However, one must be extremely cautious when questioning and making improvements, otherwise it will turn into a joke like the one just now.

After being scolded by Snape and then frantically apologizing to Baron and gaining his understanding and comfort, the tormented Avada finally endured until the school bell rang.

Snape was the first to announce the end of get out of class and walk out of the classroom. Most of the students quickly stood up and headed for the door—the explosions and pungent smells made them want to escape the classroom at any moment. The bottle of azure blue potion was still on Avada and Baron's desks, so many students walked past them and saw the potion that Snape had so vehemently criticized.

However, most people just glanced at it and left, after all, their finished products were worse, and they didn't have the right to laugh at someone else's shortcomings. Those Slytherins who successfully completed their potions also refrained from mocking them out of respect for Baron.

Avada ignored the strange looks, hurriedly said goodbye to Baron, picked up her schoolbag and chased after him, stopping Snape who had just left the classroom.

"Professor, please wait a moment!"

"Hmm?" Snape turned around in surprise. He knew his reputation fairly well, so he never thought any student would dare to chase after him with questions, especially since the student who had chased after him had just been scolded by him.

"Professor, are you familiar with 'brain enhancers'?"

Avada braced himself and asked the question, then quickly took a deep breath, bracing himself for a barrage of ridicule and reprimands.

"Oh, a brain-boosting agent."

Snape raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "It seems our genius Mr. Ken has finally realized that his brain isn't actually that sharp, and wants to use a potion to become a little smarter?"

"So now that you know about the Intelligence Enhancer, you must know that it's a potion that fourth-year students learn to make, and it's quite difficult even for fourth-year students. Do you think you've perfectly mastered all the knowledge from first to fourth grade? Or do you think the Intelligence Enhancer is like a scabies treatment, something you can easily concoct with a little effort, and then use your genius techniques to enhance it?"

"Besides, the effects of brain-enhancing drugs usually only last about a day. Are you planning to drink it like water, enjoy a few months of genius, and then become an idiot forever?"

He glanced with satisfaction at the dumbfounded Avada, then turned and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Avada wasn't completely bewildered; he simply hadn't expected that the intelligence-enhancing drug would have an expiration date and side effects.

It seems that he can only analyze the structure of his mental energy little by little to see if there is any way to forcibly improve his talent.

……

After Potions class came Herbalism class taught by their own headmaster, Professor Sprout. But to Avada's surprise, Professor Sprout didn't take them to the greenhouse to show them the various magical plants. Instead, he had them flip through their textbooks and take notes in the classroom, explaining in detail the biological classification of magical plants, several common physiological structures, and a simple history of herbalism.

According to Professor Sprout, they currently lack any knowledge or foundation in herbalism, so going to the greenhouse would be pointless. Therefore, they need to sit in the classroom and learn diligently first. Once they have sufficient knowledge, they can then go to the greenhouse to translate that knowledge into practice and learn more advanced knowledge through that practice.

After finishing her day's classes, Avada went straight to the library after dinner and started looking through her fourth-grade potions textbook. She wanted to see if she could concoct the intelligence-enhancing potion herself, observe how it affected mental strength and improved a person's talents, and then try to develop magic or potions that could permanently enhance talents.

After he watched the entire process of making the intelligence enhancer, he understood what Snape meant by "very difficult even for fourth graders"—he couldn't understand it at all.

The names of the medicinal herbs, the types of instruments, the methods used, the formulas for calculations, and numerous symbols and terms effectively shut Avada out, preventing him from learning anything about the Enlightenment Potion. If he wanted to understand these things, he would have to master all the Potions knowledge from first to fourth grade, and he hadn't even fully memorized the first-grade material yet.

"That's setting your sights too high."

He sighed inwardly, and at the same time, he admired Hermione Granger, whom he had never met before, even more—she had managed to brew a compound potion that was only available to students in advanced sixth graders in her second year. What kind of monster was she!

"My magical senses are only suitable for research involving physical objects. As for purely theoretical and computational subjects like this, I'm no different from ordinary people." He shook his head in frustration and put his fourth-grade textbook back on the bookshelf.

"Let's go to the House of Requirement again and see what I can get there."

Avada left the library and ran upstairs to the eighth floor. Suddenly, a figure appeared around the corner, almost causing him to bump into it.

"Professor Baker?"

After stopping and seeing the person's face clearly, Avada asked in surprise.

"You are... Ken?"

Although they had only met once, Professor Baker was deeply impressed by this student with an incredibly outlandish name and outstanding classroom performance, and recognized his face immediately.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Ken?"

"I was just about to ask you that, the Defense Against the Dark Arts office is on the third floor..."

"Oh, we're having astronomy class tomorrow, so I'd like to go check out the Astronomy Tower beforehand, Professor," Avada said, giving the excuse he had prepared in advance.

"It's a good habit to familiarize yourself with the venue beforehand." Professor Baker nodded and went downstairs to leave.

Avada frowned as he watched Professor Baker's retreating figure—Professor Baker's mental state was even more off than it had been that morning. Although he couldn't detect anything unusual under his magical senses, he still felt a strong sense of unease.

"Mental strength..."

Avada sighed and actually went to the Astronomy Tower to prevent the professor from secretly returning to spy on him. After returning to the eighth floor, he quickly entered the Room of Requirement, first taking the crown out of his private room, and then returning to the "room where things are hidden" to start looking for any magical items suitable for his current research.

There will be another update around 9 PM.

(End of this chapter)