Chapitre 71: Chapter 70
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The unicorn was at a pivotal moment of giving birth when multiple Acromantulas caused a flicker of fear to flash in its eyes. The unicorn was immobilized by its condition.
"Chirp!" exclaimed the Phoenix King. The flames around her blazed brightly, causing many of the Acromantulas to retreat.
The Phoenix King had recognized the danger early. Though she could fend off the spiders on her own, safeguarding the unicorn distracted her.
This was why I called the owner for help.
Spiders fear fire above all else.
A derisive snort came from the leader of the spiders, halting their retreat.
"Little wizard, if you're seeking someone to blame, blame your bad luck."
The old voice of the Acromantula sounded weary, "Though I once vowed never to eat humans, my offspring are not bound by such promises.
"Who told you to disobey Dumbledore and enter the Forbidden Forest?"
Wayne looked up subtly, his wand appearing in his hand silently.
"You must be Aragog, correct?"
"You know me?" The giant spider, Aragog, seemed surprised.
"I am a friend of Hagrid."
"Hagrid's friend..." Aragog contemplated for a moment before stepping backward.
"Even as Hagrid's friend, I cannot assist you.
"You have brought this upon yourself; no one can save you."
"I think you misunderstand," Wayne shook his head, "I only want to say...
"For Hagrid's sake, leave now, and I will spare your life and that of your offspring."
"Oh?" Aragog laughed disdainfully.
"Does Hogwarts now teach deception?
"I want to see how you can spare us!"
The Acromantulas clicked ominously and encircled them, a scene terrifying enough to petrify anyone with a fear of spiders. The green glow in the thousands of Acromantula eyes betrayed their hunger.
"Venom, tentacles, spider legs, even the web..."
Wayne raised his wand and smiled suddenly. "I just realized that the Acromantula is a treasure trove."
Aragog's tone chilled upon hearing this:
"Kill him!"
Numerous strands of sticky spider silk shot from the Acromantulas, trapping anything in their path.
"The flames are raging!" Wayne shouted.
A massive fireball shot from his staff, expanding rapidly before exploding loudly. A ring of fire erupted from Wayne, incinerating all the spider silk upon contact.
When the flames touched the foremost Acromantulas, they shrieked piercingly and emitted a smell of burning. Instead of retreating, the remaining spiders grew more aggressive.
Spiders, cruel predators, do not even shy away from consuming their own. Spider silk proves ineffective against flames, and they still possess venom. The venom hissed corrosively as it hit the ground, filling the air with toxic smoke.
Wayne donned the Shield of Equis, protecting both himself and the unicorn under the Phoenix King's care. With the Phoenix King present, the toxins posed no threat.
Wayne softly commanded:
"Click!"
Thunder roared from above, bombarding the Acromantulas and mixing with the flames to create sparks and lightning. Wayne named this combination the Thunder Fire Sword.
Shield in hand, he charged into the swarm of spiders.
"Shattered to pieces!" "Thunderbolt explosion!" "All petrified!" "Thunder!"
Colorful spells burst from Wayne's staff, accompanied by thunder and howls, reducing the Acromantulas. Even in darkness, his heightened senses helped him evade spider silk and venom.
"Why is such a young wizard so powerful?" Aragog cursed as he retreated. "Stop! Stop! We'll spare you and the unicorn, just stop!"
Aragog was pained to see his offspring perish.
"Though you've slain many, you fail to grasp the situation, Aragog," Wayne declared, launching another spell that created a crater, wiping out nearby spiders. He sneered.
"It's not about you letting me go, it's about me deciding whether to let you leave!"
Electric arcs formed a giant net, illuminating the night and dismembering any spider that contacted it.
"I give up! Young wizard, how can we appease you?" Aragog pleaded, his pain obvious.
In the midst of the battle, a soft whimpering cut through the chaos. Wayne paused, turning to see a newborn unicorn nuzzling its mother. This tender scene significantly softened Wayne's resolve.
Aragog, sensing a shift in Wayne's mood, seized the moment:
"Young wizard, the fault is mine, but you've killed many of my descendants. For Hagrid's sake, please let us go. We won't trouble you if you return."
Hundreds of Acromantulas were dead, yet Wayne was unharmed. Aragog feared that given time, none would escape Wayne's wrath.
"Is that all?" Wayne said dismissively. "You once tried to devour me, and now you wish to escape consequence?"
He snapped his fingers; another thunderbolt struck, taking out more spiders. He then cast a wider, if slightly loosened, thunder net—none of the remaining spiders, especially not Aragog, could evade it.
"What do you want?" Aragog asked.
Wayne approached the unicorns, as legends say only the pure may touch them. However, having just saved them, the unicorn mother welcomed him warmly. Watching the youngster feed, Wayne smiled and gently stroked its damp coat. Though not pretty as a newborn, the foal held the promise of cuteness.
Wayne stood and faced Aragog again.
"Even for Hagrid's sake, survival comes at a cost."
He transformed a nearby broken tree into a barrel.
"Fill this with your venom, then you may leave."
"Seize the young master?!" Aragog couldn't believe his ears.
"Are you crazy for riding a horse?!"
The venom of Acromantulas is the essence of their whole bodies, not saliva. You can vomit as much as you want.
"You have no right to bargain."
Wayne extended his hand again, and the vines on the ground suddenly rose, tightly binding Aragog's body and lifting him into the air.
No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
"If you don't fill this bucket for me today, I will personally remove your poison sac and take it myself."
"You have to figure it out yourself."
With that, Wayne released the mine net.
He wasn't concerned about the other Acromantulas escaping. As long as Aragog was under control, the other spiders wouldn't dare to act.
Controlling such a large Acromantula was draining on his magic power. Moreover, maintaining the Shield of Equis as well, Wayne was indeed conserving a lot of energy.
"I promise you."
"But you can't break your promise. As soon as this barrel is full, you will let me and my children go."
Sensing the killing intent emanating from Wayne again, Aragog finally yielded.
The older one gets, the more they fear death.
This applies to spiders too.
Aragog had lived for fifty years and suffered from severe cataracts, but he wasn't ready to die, especially not at the hands of a young wizard.
"I'm Hufflepuff, how could I lie to you?" Wayne said unabashedly.
Aragog was stunned.
He had assumed such a cruel young wizard might belong to Slytherin or perhaps be one of Gryffindor's daredevils.
Hufflepuff?
Does your dean know how cruel you are?
Being stronger than anyone, Aragog placed his hopes on Hufflepuff's reputation.
He made a series of strange calls, and the other Acromantulas sprang into action.
Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.
Hundreds of Acromantulas lined up in two orderly rows. They climbed onto the barrel one by one, squeezed out the venom, then collapsed weakly, making room for the next spider.
Losing their venom meant losing the essence of their existence.
It was hardly surprising they were exhausted.
"Please give me flowers…"
Wayne's lips curled up slightly.
Acromantula venom was indeed one of the most expensive materials in the wizarding world.
A pint sold for up to a hundred galleons, and it was scarce.
It was essential for high-level magical potions like blessing potions and intelligence enhancers and served as a catalyst to enhance other potions.
Even Snape had only one can of this precious substance. Wayne noticed and saw Snape stow it away as if guarding against thieves.
"You're stingy."
Wayne's large wooden barrel could hold thirty to fifty pints. For the next year or two, he wouldn't have to worry about running out.
The Forbidden Forest belonged to Hogwarts. As a prominent student and potential future leader, it seemed reasonable for him to charge a 'protection fee', right?
The Acromantulas were honestly milking the venom, so Wayne focused less on them and more on the unicorn.
After eating and drinking enough, the little unicorn fell asleep.
Its beauty was matched by a holy aura, making Wayne feel very comfortable.
The unicorn also seemed fond of him, rubbing its big head against him.
Petting the unicorn's soft mane, Wayne considered that this might be linked to the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The venom in the wooden cave was already less than half-filled, but there weren't many spiders left. Aragog, still hung up in the tree, shouted orders for the remaining spiders to produce more venom.
He would have to make up the difference himself!
Rustle! Rustle!
The previously quiet forest became turbulent again. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance, prompting Wayne to turn on his dynamic perception alertly.
"Hunter! Get out of this land!"
Before anyone appeared, the roaring voice accompanied the horse hooves. King Feng wanted to fly into the sky in anger, but Wayne calmed him down.
Soon, a dozen centaurs burst through the bushes and stood before Wayne.
They were both male and female, imposing figures, each armed with a bow and arrow, looking mighty fearsome.
But upon seeing the spider remnants scattered about, the scorched earth, and the remaining Acromantulas lined up to extract venom, they were shocked.
After spotting Wayne and the unicorn, one centaur raised his bow and aimed it at him.
"Hunter, release the unicorn!"
Wayne responded, baffled, "Are you blind? Have you ever seen a hunter as young as me?"
"Also, can't you recognize my school uniform?"
Though tall for a first-year student, he was still clearly a child, not even 1.7 meters tall!
"Wizards are cunning. Who knows if you used Polyjuice Potion and disguised yourself as a dark wizard masquerading as a little wizard?"
The lead centaur remained vigilant, scanning the area. Seeing the corpses scattered, he clenched his fists and coldly stated:
"If you're hunting the Acromantula, I won't intervene, but the unicorn must be released."
Aragog, hanging on to the hope of a skirmish between the two sides, was almost furious.
What does this mean?
Should we spiders die in unison?
Don't we have rights because we are unattractive?
"I'm giving you a chance, aren't I?" Wayne's expression turned stern: "Do I need your permission for what I do?"
"Lower your bows!"
Although he was usually amiable with his classmates, joking and getting along well, that was only because they were classmates. If treated politely, he would reciprocate.
But this was different—Wayne's bearing changed.
His system was the Demon King System.
And so, he embraced his role as the devil!
Now, these centaurs, not even human, were still targeting him with their bows after he had declared his identity, igniting Wayne's ire.
The thunderclouds gathered once more, the atmosphere growing heavy.
The dozen centaurs fidgeted, their hooves tapping, but they kept their bows trained on Wayne, unwilling to back down.
"Release the unicorn and leave this forest. This isn't where you belong!"
The centaur leader's warning rang out as he drew his bowstring taut.
"A bunch of magical creatures living under someone else's roof, and you think you own the place?"
Wayne scoffed and waved his wand, causing the bows and arrows to warp dramatically.
In the shocked eyes of the centaurs, their weapons transformed into pythons that ensnared their arms, opening their bloody maws to bite down on their necks.
A tumultuous battle ensued as the centaurs struggled to free themselves from the snakes, which only tightened their grip.
Their sharp fangs sank into their necks, eliciting screams of agony.
Witnessing this, Aragog's remaining legs, which had been flailing about, stopped abruptly.
Did you say you were from Hufflepuff?
If you weren't Slytherin, I'd give you a barrel of Acromantula venom every year!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone