After a brief mutual introduction, Yuna led Pierce into the small building.

  To Pierce's surprise, the interior of the building, which appeared to occupy no more than 150 square meters from the outside, was an entirely different realm. Whether it was the corridor exceeding 100 meters in length they had just traversed, or the garden of approximately 5 acres currently before him, both indicated that the structure incorporated sophisticated spatial topology magic.

  "This is the area you are to attend to."

  Yuna led Pierce in a circuit around the medicinal garden before returning to their starting point, where she turned to face him.

  "There are 36 species of plants in this garden. Due to their vastly different temperaments, each requires a distinct method of care and irrigation. Consequently, the caretaker must be intimately familiar with the growth cycles and maintenance protocols of every single one."

  "Pierce, as the acting agent for this task, I must first conduct an examination to determine if you possess the proficiency to accept this commission."

  Pierce had been informed during the task registration that an assessment would be required, so he was not caught off guard. He accepted the challenge with a composed nod.

  "Then please describe the growth habits and maintenance methods of these plants," Yuna said, gesturing toward the garden.

  Pierce bowed slightly and took a step toward a vine covered in recurved thorns, its crown laden with dark crimson fruit. After observing it for a heartbeat, he spoke in a measured tone: "This is Ruby-Gilead. It favors direct sunlight and must be irrigated with boiling water every 3 days. It matures in $3$ months. Upon harvest, the fruit stalks must be severed with arcane fire and preserved within a silver vessel. This fruit is primarily utilized in the concoction of Boiling Blood Potions."

  Finishing his explanation, Pierce advanced a few paces and stopped before another plant shrouded in black cloth.

  This specimen resembled a sunflower in form, yet it was entirely ash-white. The intricate patterns at the center of the floret faintly traced the likeness of a human face, appearing as though it were frozen in a silent, agonizing wail.

  "This is the Wailing Man-Face Sunflower. It thrives in warm environments but must be shielded from sunlight by black cloth during its growth. Every 7 days, it requires 500 milliliters of Spirit-Infused Grass extract at 30% concentration. It reaches maturity in 100 days. Since the odor of its sap possesses potent hallucinogenic properties, one must ingest a Lucid Potion or wear an enchanted artifact of anti-hallucination during harvest. Incidentally, this is frequently used to manufacture Screech Potions."

  "This is the Sand-Serpent Vine..."

  "This is Larkspur..."

  Pierce paused before a specimen of Larkspur, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized it. This plant appeared identical to its neighbors, yet after a few moments of observation, he detected a subtle discrepancy.

  "...And this is a Mandrake. It prefers to bury itself within the earth and transmute its foliage to match the appearance of surrounding flora to evade predators. Once seized, it attempts to hypnotize all nearby beings with a piercing shriek before making its escape. Thus, it is best to plug one's ears or ingest an anti-sleep draught before attempting capture. Of course, there is a simpler method."

  As if realizing its cover was blown, the 'Larkspur' suddenly convulsed. A creature shaped like a withered turnip with a tiny face and stunted limbs burst from the soil, scurrying frantically toward the distance.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Unfortunately, before it could flee far, Pierce—who had anticipated the move—seized it by the emerald leaves atop its head, hoisting it into the air.

  As soon as its feet left the ground, the Mandrake unhesitatingly opened its mouth to unleash a lethal shriek.

  However, before the sound could erupt, Pierce struck it with a precise Daze spell. A mote of soft, arcane light hit the creature, forcing the unborn scream back into its throat.

  The Mandrake’s tiny face crumpled, and its body went limp instantly. Pierce stuffed it back into its original hole and stamped the soil down firmly before continuing his lecture on the other plants.

  Under the warm sun, the youth strolled among the exotic flora, delivering profound knowledge with ease, radiating an aura of intellectual brilliance.

  Beside him, Yuna’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

  She had examined many students seeking this task over the past few days, including several Rank 2 apprentices, yet none had displayed such encyclopedic knowledge of rare botany as Pierce. Her initial expectation was merely for him to recognize about 20 species; the rest could be learned on the job. After all, finding a freshman so well-versed in rare flora was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

  But now, it was clear she had underestimated him.

  For a first-year student to possess such a level of erudition was nothing short of remarkable!

  Once Pierce concluded his description of the final plant, Yuna lightly applauded with a smile. "Junior, you are even more exceptional than I imagined."

  With a subtle flick of her wrist, an oval seed appeared in her fair palm. She then turned her hand over, letting the seed fall to the ground under the pull of gravity.

  "Next, you only need to cast Luminescence of Flora to make this seed sprout, and you will have passed the examination."

  Astonished by his botanical knowledge, Yuna had secretly decided that even if Pierce failed a few times, she would pass him as long as he could successfully manifest the spell.

  But what happened next caused her eyes to widen slightly.

  Pierce pointed his index finger toward the seed on the ground. As a series of strange syllables escaped his lips, a speck of white light radiating a gentle warmth condensed out of thin air at his fingertip, descending toward the seed like a drop of rain.

  Hiss!

  The moment the light merged with it, the seed burst open. Emerald shoots spiraled upward, intertwining as they grew at a visible rate. In the blink of an eye, a sapling of woven vines stood before them, its branch tips blossoming with tiny, pure white buds.

  Perfect Mastery!

  Yuna was taken aback. She had not expected this junior to be not only a polymath but also a master of spellcasting. It was rare to see someone in their first year practice a spell to the point of "Perfect Mastery."

  She became increasingly curious: what exactly was this junior’s background?

  "A magnificent spell," Yuna said with a bright smile. "Junior, I shall trouble you to look after this place for the coming period."

  "Yes, Senior," Pierce replied with a faint smile.

  With the reward of 50 contribution points, he would no longer have to fret over resources or spell models for a while.

  "This is the key to the garden." Yuna handed over a leaf that was as green as an emerald and as translucent as a gemstone.

  "The courtyard outside the garden is rigged with arcane traps; one can only enter or leave safely with this key or under guidance. Furthermore, other areas of the estate are also protected by traps—many places are off-limits even to me. You should stay within this sector and avoid wandering about."

  Pierce nodded and carefully placed the key in his pocket. "Senior, when shall I begin the task?"

  Yuna laughed. "If you have no other business, you may start today."

  "I am available now," Pierce said without hesitation.

  He was currently desperate for contribution points to purchase spell models; the sooner he started, the sooner he could claim his reward.

  Yuna nodded and led him toward a nearby wooden cabin.

  "This is the storehouse for maintenance tools and alchemical solutions. Everything you need for irrigation can be found here."

  Under Yuna’s instruction, Pierce quickly familiarized himself with the garden's maintenance routine and personally irrigated the plants for the first time.

  It was worth noting that while the garden contained many plants, they did not require daily watering. Most only needed care every 3 to 5 days. If scheduled correctly, the workload was not overly burdensome.

  Compared to physical labor, this task was far more demanding of one's intellect. After all, any single plant in this garden was valued at over 1,000 contribution points. Should a specimen be damaged due to a caretaker's ignorance, the loss would be catastrophic.

  It was precisely for this reason that the garden's master offered such high remuneration to recruit a Wizard Apprentice with sufficient knowledge.

  "Knowledge truly is the most valuable currency," Pierce thought to himself as he carefully tended to the flora.