Chapter 96: The End and the Harvest
Chapter 96: The End and the Harvest
Standing at the cave entrance, Liam couldn't help but marvel at the twists of fate. What was supposed to be a routine Hunt had unexpectedly turned into a complete extermination of the Giant Octo-Eyed Spiders.
However, looking at the expressions on the Centaurs' faces, Liam could see that they were delighted by this turn of events. After all, for them, this meant the elimination of one of the major threats in the Forbidden Forest. Even though it wasn't part of the plan, it didn't dampen their spirits.
While it might seem a bit villainous to stand at the entrance of a den full of the old, weak, and injured, ready to wipe them out, the principle of eradicating evil was crucial. Liam didn't consider this an evil act; after all, even the Unicorn, a symbol of goodness, didn't object to the plan.
This made Liam think about the aftermath of the first defeat of Voldemort and the subsequent trials of the Death Eaters. Many of those Death Eaters, who had countless lives on their hands, were simply imprisoned. This led to their escape when Voldemort was resurrected, causing even more carnage.
If they had been eliminated outright back then, perhaps many lives could have been saved. In this regard, Liam felt that the British wizards were less pragmatic than the Unicorns.
While these thoughts ran through his mind, Liam didn't idle. He tied all the Grenades together to form a large cluster grenade and discussed the battle plan with the Centaurs.
At Bettie's command, several Centaurs threw the remaining seven or eight Cherry Bombs into the cave entrance. With a series of loud explosions, the spiders at the entrance were cleared out.
Taking advantage of the moment before the spiders inside could rush out, Liam used his wand to direct the cluster grenade into the cave, simultaneously using magic to pull the pin.
Feeling the grenade successfully reach the depths of the cave, Liam shouted for everyone to take cover. He then sprinted to a large rock, crouched behind it, and covered his ears while opening his mouth wide.
Just as he took cover, a massive explosion shook the air, causing his internal organs to feel uncomfortable. Even though he had covered his ears and opened his mouth, the deafening sound still made his ears ring.
Once he was sure the explosion had ended, Liam emerged from his hiding spot. The Centaurs and Unicorns also emerged from their cover.
Liam was about to assess the damage when a shadow darted from the valley entrance. It was Mr. Wolf, who had been waiting outside because he couldn't cover his ears.
"Good heavens, what a terrible explosion. You wouldn't believe it, but a spider leg flew right in front of me", Wolf began as soon as he arrived.
Liam now had a clear view of the scene: the cave entrance was spattered with spider remains and green blood, some of which were still burning with small and large flames.
Liam cast a Life Detection spell into the cave and found that all the spiders inside were dead. After about ten minutes, two Centaurs entered the cave to inspect. When they returned, they reported that the spiders near the blast center were completely obliterated, and they found Aragog's head, which had been blown off, on a sharp rock inside the cave.
Many of the other spiders were still intact, likely suffocated or burned to death. They also found several dozen eggs in the deepest part of the cave, all of which had been scorched by the intense heat.
It seemed that the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider problem in the Forbidden Forest had been thoroughly resolved, and everyone involved in the battle wore a smile on their face.
The Unicorns left first, and Bettie then organized the Centaurs to collect the loot from the spiders.
Liam set up the Altar at both battlefields as he had done before, then proceeded to purify the land that had been tainted by death from the battles. He also took the opportunity to pick out the better-looking dead spiders and send them to Crazy Dave through the Portal.
The purification at the riverside was quickly completed, but the purification at the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider's nest was far more challenging than he had anticipated. In the end, Liam had to use a significant amount of the magical materials he had stockpiled to complete the purification.
Only after the ritual did Liam realize that this forest had accumulated countless souls due to the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider's massacres. As a dark creature, the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider had polluted the jungle, preventing these souls from returning to nature. Over the decades, these souls had gradually become tainted by the dark environment.
So, Liam wasn't just purifying the souls of the Giant Octo-Eyed Spiders; he was also cleansing the souls that had accumulated over the past decades.
Although he had lost a considerable amount of resources, Liam still gained a lot. The most significant gain was the further strengthening of his Soul Magic. Each soul he purified made his Merit grow stronger, and it also accelerated the cultivation of his Spiritual Energy.
Additionally, by clearing the Giant Octo-Eyed Spiders from the Forbidden Forest, Liam earned 6 Deviation Points.
After completing all of this, Liam realized the sun had already set, and he needed to head back to the castle. Lady Betty had Wolf escort Liam to the entrance of the Forbidden Forest and agreed to have Wolf deliver the processed materials from the spiders to Liam in a week. The specific time would be communicated through the Emerald Dream.
On the way back, Wolf, as usual, chattered nonstop. Liam could only listen with a smile. When they reached the exit of the Forbidden Forest, Liam noticed that Wolf seemed a bit reluctant to part.
It made sense. For a creature with the soul of a young human to live with those eccentric Centaurs for so long, it was fortunate he hadn't fallen into depression.
So, Liam promised Wolf that he would visit whenever he could and would have Aunt Bettie notify him of the specific times.
After comforting Wolf, Liam returned to the castle smoothly. Unfortunately, it was already 7:30 PM, and dinner time had passed.
Liam remembered that he still had some compressed biscuits left in his Spatial Bag, so he decided to return to his dorm and eat them with some cold water to get through the meal.
As he dragged his tired body into the Common Room, a brown, furry head caught his attention. He was then pulled to a corner of the Common Room, where he was met with a rapid and urgent barrage of words.
"Liam, where have you been? I didn't see you at dinner, and your roommate said you weren't in the dorm all afternoon. I was about to tell Professor Mcgonagall if I couldn't find you."
Liam felt a bit guilty seeing Hermione's angry face. It wasn't gentlemanly to make others worry. So, he organized his thoughts and said:
"Sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to worry you. I went to the Forbidden Forest this afternoon and met an interesting friend." Liam then shifted Hermione's attention by explaining Wolf's background and experiences, giving her a reason for his absence.
As Liam explained, he also felt a bit happy. It was a good feeling to have someone care about him.
(End of Chapter)
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