Chapter 236: The Basilisk Gone Mad!
Chapter 236: The Basilisk Gone Mad!
Stepping into the cave, Ivan's eyes were met with a scene of numerous Spider corpses, varying in size. Most of them had no visible wounds.
It was clear that these Spiders had died the moment they saw the Basilisk's eyes.
The few remaining had either been torn apart, struck with heavy blows, or crushed into fragments.
Ivan couldn't help but marvel at the Basilisk's formidable combat strength.
Its deadly gaze could kill a swarm of enemies instantly, while its tough skin and lethal fangs cleaned up any survivors. A whole nest of Acromantulas would likely have little Impact on the Basilisk.
Thinking about this, Ivan's brow furrowed. Things probably wouldn't go as smoothly as he had hoped. Counting on the Acromantulas and the Basilisk to weaken each other seemed unlikely.
The cave was spacious, filled with a putrid stench.
As he went deeper, the Spider corpses became more numerous, and Ivan also saw the remains of many other animals.
There was even a Centaur, half-eaten, its lower half a bloody mess, wrapped in layers of Spider webs, with many white Spider eggs piled on top, looking extremely disgusting.
Ivan had always known that these Acromantulas were not benign, but he hadn't expected them to have the audacity to eat intelligent beings like Centaurs.
However, thinking back to the original timeline, where Aragog allowed his offspring to attack Harry and Ron, Ivan felt more at ease. If they could eat wizards, why not a mere Centaur?
At this moment, from deep within the cave, a hissing and struggling sound came.
Ivan quickened his pace. When he first saw the battle outside, he thought the Basilisk could easily wipe out the Acromantula nest. Now it seemed the Basilisk was facing some resistance?
From a distance, Ivan could see two massive creatures grappling.
The Basilisk's mouth, full of sharp teeth, was tearing into Aragog's long limbs, its snake body now somewhat bloated, perhaps from swallowing many prey.
Aragog was clearly at a disadvantage. Despite being blind and thus avoiding the Basilisk's gaze, which would have killed him instantly, he could barely put up a fight against his natural predator. The aged Aragog could only drag his car-sized body to slam against the jagged walls or use his large pincers to tear at the Basilisk's body.
The Basilisk's skin was incredibly tough, and Aragog's pincers could only leave shallow marks.
The elderly Spider could only call out to his offspring for help, but the Acromantulas in the cave had either been killed by the Basilisk or had fled.
The venom's effects slowly spread through his body, and Aragog felt increasingly weak. Fortunately, his heightened hearing and senses after losing his sight allowed him to faintly detect a figure approaching.
"Save me! Wizard, I am Hagrid's friend, save me!" Aragog's voice was low and full of the desperate desire to live, so much so that he didn't even consider why a wizard would be here.
What made Aragog even more relieved was that the wizard immediately agreed.
"Alright!"
Ivan had no intention of saving Aragog. The opportunity was too rare. While the Basilisk was entangled with its prey, it was also immobilized.
There was no better time to strike than now, except when the creature was shedding its skin.
Ivan held his wand and activated the effects of the enhanced magical runes.
The two massive beings entangled in front of him suddenly felt a wave of deadly danger enveloping their hearts.
Aragog believed Ivan was there to help, so it made no move.
The Basilisk, unable to understand English, shared the same thought. However, it did not appreciate the interruption of its hunting and therefore raised its head, baring its teeth at Ivan in a threatening manner.
"Sectumsempra!"
Taking advantage of the moment when the Basilisk opened its mouth, Ivan swung his wand with all his might. The invisible and intangible blade of magical energy sliced through the air, emitting a series of eerie sounds, and plunged into the Basilisk's mouth.
A shrill, piercing scream echoed through the deep, dark cave.
The already highly penetrative Sectumsempra, enhanced by the magical runes, directly sliced off a portion of the Basilisk's flat head, severing one of its eyes and creating a gaping hole in its mouth. A large amount of cold, crimson blood splattered to the ground.
The Basilisk writhed wildly, forcefully shaking off Aragog and dragging its massive body towards Ivan.
"Hiss (Die!)" The Basilisk's remaining eye fixed on the young wizard with intense hatred. The excruciating pain left no time for it to question why Ivan had suddenly attacked; it was driven by a single, murderous thought!
The Basilisk's thick, barrel-like tail swept towards Ivan at an astonishing speed!
Ivan had not expected the Basilisk to be so resilient, still alive even after losing nearly half its head.
He distinctly remembered that in the original timeline, Harry, wielding the Sword of Gryffindor, had killed the Basilisk with a single strike!
Could it be that Harry, the Chosen One, had an overwhelming amount of luck, or perhaps the Sword of Gryffindor had some special power?
Ivan had no time to ponder this. The snake's tail was already right in front of him. Ivan summoned the Shadow of the Unicorn to materialize and block the attack.
The Patronus' sharp, conical horn pierced through the tough skin, leaving a long wound on the Basilisk's tail. However, it was not enough to stop the Basilisk's enraged strike.
Ivan, unable to open his eyes, managed to activate the protective ring just in time and was thrown back.
Fortunately, the Patronus and the Iron-Armor Charm had weakened the impact, preventing Ivan from sustaining significant injury.
Taking advantage of the brief respite, Ivan hurled the five buttons in his left hand, dispelling the Transfiguration Spell he had cast.
The tip of his wand then emitted a blinding light!
"Lumos Maxima!"
With Ivan's full effort, the dark cave was illuminated as bright as daylight!
Five Rooster crows rang out in the next moment.
The Roosters' crows were fatal to the Basilisk.
The Basilisk, drenched in blood, seemed to be stimulated, becoming even more frenzied. Its massive body thrashed around the cave, emitting sharp, continuous hisses.
Three of the Roosters were immediately crushed to death by the Basilisk's massive body. Ivan again controlled the Shadow of the Unicorn to engage the enraged Basilisk, wearing down its strength.
Blood continued to gush from the Basilisk's numerous wounds. After several minutes of struggle, the massive creature finally collapsed, powerless, to the ground.
(End of Chapter)
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