Standing at the entrance of the cave, Ryan sighed at the magic of fate. What had started as an ordinary hunt had unexpectedly turned into a complete extermination of the eight-eyed giant spiders.
Looking at the expressions of the surrounding centaurs, Ryan noticed that they were delighted with the outcome. After all, they had successfully eradicated a major scourge from the Forbidden Forest. Even if this wasn't part of the original plan, it did not dampen their good mood.
Though it seemed ruthless to block the entrance of a cave filled with old, weak, and sick creatures to eliminate them completely, Ryan firmly believed in the principle of eradicating evil at its root. It was necessary to ensure lasting peace. Even the unicorns, symbols of purity and goodness, did not oppose this action, further affirming his decision.
Ryan was reminded of the British wizarding world's response after Voldemort's initial defeat. Many Death Eaters, despite their crimes, were merely imprisoned. This leniency led to their eventual escape and subsequent atrocities when Voldemort returned. If those dark wizards had been eliminated earlier, would fewer innocent lives have been lost? In this regard, Ryan found that British wizards lacked the decisiveness of unicorns.
While he contemplated these thoughts, his hands remained busy. He bundled all the grenades into a large cluster and coordinated a plan of action with the centaurs.
Following Betty's order, several centaurs threw seven or eight cherry bombs into the cave entrance. The subsequent explosions cleared out the spiders lurking near the entrance.
Before the remaining spiders could charge out, Ryan used his wand to levitate the cluster grenade deep into the cave and ignited the fuse with magic.
Feeling confident in his execution, Ryan shouted, "Take cover!" and quickly hid behind a rock. He crouched, covered his head, and opened his mouth to minimize the impact of the blast on his body.
A moment later, a deafening explosion shook the ground. Despite his precautions, Ryan could feel the shockwave reverberate through his internal organs. His ears buzzed from the sheer force of the blast.
Once the echoes of destruction subsided, Ryan emerged from his cover. The centaurs and unicorns cautiously followed suit.
Before he could assess the aftermath, a dark figure leaped toward him from the valley entrance. It was Dr. Zombie Bruce, who had been waiting outside due to his inability to cover his ears.
"Goodness gracious! That was a terrifying explosion. You wouldn't believe it—I saw a spider leg fly right past my face," Bruce exclaimed, his voice filled with both awe and excitement.
Ryan turned his gaze to the cave entrance. The results of the explosion were evident—spider remnants and green blood splattered outward, some pieces still aflame.
Using life-detection magic, Ryan confirmed that no living creatures remained inside. After waiting another ten minutes, two centaurs cautiously entered the cave to verify. When they returned, they confirmed the complete eradication of the eight-eyed giant spiders. They had even discovered Aragog's severed head impaled on a sharp rock.
Additionally, dozens of spider eggs in the cave's depths had been cooked by the explosion's heat. The Forbidden Forest was now free of this long-standing threat, bringing smiles to everyone's faces.
With their task complete, the unicorns bid farewell, while Betty instructed the centaurs to gather spoils from the fallen spiders.
As per his practice, Ryan set up altars on both battlefields to purify the land tainted by the battle's bloodshed. He also selected an intact spider corpse and sent it to Crazy Dave through the time-space portal.
The purification process at the riverside station was relatively quick, but the cave's purification proved more challenging than anticipated. The land had accumulated decades' worth of death and corruption, and Ryan had to expend a significant portion of his stockpiled magical materials to cleanse it.
During the process, Ryan realized that countless souls had been trapped due to the spiders' predation. These spirits, corrupted by the dark environment over the years, had been unable to return to nature.
Thus, Ryan's purification extended beyond just the giant spiders—it also liberated these long-trapped souls. Though the ritual drained his magical resources, it strengthened his mastery of soul magic. Additionally, each purified soul seemed to increase his merits, accelerating his spiritual cultivation.
For his efforts in eliminating the eight-eyed giant spiders, Ryan gained six offset points.
By the time everything was finished, the sun had already set. Ryan needed to return to the castle quickly. Betty arranged for Dr. Zombie Bruce to escort him to the Forbidden Forest's entrance, promising that the processed spider materials would be delivered to Ryan in a week. The specific time would be communicated via the Emerald Dream.
As they walked back, Bruce continued chattering non-stop. Ryan could only listen with a smile. When they finally reached the exit, Bruce hesitated, looking reluctant to part ways.
Considering Bruce's circumstances—being a young-minded being surrounded by the stubborn and serious centaurs—Ryan understood his loneliness. Wanting to reassure him, Ryan promised, "I'll visit whenever I have time. Aunt Betty will let you know in advance."
Bruce's expression brightened at the promise, and Ryan, feeling satisfied, made his way back to the castle.
Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, it was already past 7:30 PM—dinner had ended.
Remembering that he still had some compressed biscuits in his space bag, Ryan decided to head to his dormitory and make do with biscuits and cold water for dinner.
However, as soon as he stepped into the common room, a familiar brown-haired figure appeared in front of him.
Before he could react, Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him to a quiet corner.
"Ryan, where have you been? You missed dinner! Your roommates said you weren't in the dormitory all afternoon. If I couldn't find you, I was about to tell Professor McGonagall!"
Seeing Hermione's angry expression, Ryan felt a pang of guilt. He had worried her unnecessarily, which was far from gentlemanly behavior.
Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to make you worry. I went into the Forbidden Forest and met an interesting friend."
Before she could press further, Ryan skillfully redirected the conversation by enthusiastically describing Dr. Zombie Bruce's life and experiences.
As he spoke, Ryan found himself enjoying the conversation. It felt good to have someone who genuinely cared about him.
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