Honestly, a newborn foal wasn't all that pretty—but once its coat grew in, it would definitely be an adorable little thing.
After tending to the unicorn, Wayne finally rose at his leisure and turned his gaze back to the Acromantulas.
"Even for Hagrid's sake, if you want to live, you'll have to pay a price."
With that, he used Transfiguration to turn a broken tree trunk nearby into a barrel—about a meter tall and half a meter wide.
"Fill this barrel with your venom, and you can leave."
"How much?!"
Aragog almost couldn't believe his ears.
Was this little wizard completely mad?!
Acromantula venom was their very life's essence—it wasn't like spitting saliva whenever they pleased.
"You don't have the right to bargain."
With a flick of Wayne's wand, the vines on the forest floor sprang to life, coiling tightly around Aragog's massive body and hauling him into the air.
No matter how he thrashed, he couldn't break free.
"If you don't fill this barrel for me today, I'll take your venom sacs out myself."
"Your choice."
As soon as he finished, Wayne dispelled the lightning web.
He wasn't worried about the other Acromantulas escaping—control Aragog, and the rest wouldn't dare make a move.
Besides, keeping a creature as massive as Aragog restrained consumed a lot of magic, and Wayne preferred to conserve his strength where possible.
"I'll do it," Aragog finally yielded, trembling at the killing intent radiating from the young wizard.
"But you must keep your word—once this barrel is full, you let me and my children go."
The older one grows, the more one fears death.
Spiders were no different.
Aragog had lived for fifty years; cataracts clouded his many eyes, but he hadn't lived enough yet.
He wanted to die of old age—not at the hands of this terrifying boy.
"I'm a Hufflepuff. Of course I'll keep my word," Wayne replied without batting an eye.
Aragog stared at him in disbelief.
Such a ruthless wizard—if not a Slytherin, surely a reckless Gryffindor brute?
But a Hufflepuff?
Did his Head of House know he was this vicious?
Outmatched, Aragog could only pin his hopes on the fabled honesty of Hufflepuff.
He clicked out a series of strange calls, and the rest of the colony moved into action.
What followed was a bizarre sight:
Hundreds upon hundreds of Acromantulas lined up neatly in two rows, each taking its turn at the barrel, squeezing out venom until it collapsed in exhaustion, then crawling slowly away to make room for the next.
Losing their venom meant losing their very vitality—of course they were left weak.
Wayne's lips curled in satisfaction.
Acromantula venom was one of the most valuable substances in the wizarding world—worth a hundred Galleons per pint (around 550 milliliters), and often impossible to buy even at that price.
It was an essential ingredient for brewing Felix Felicis, Wit-Sharpening Potion, and other advanced elixirs. It could also be used in countless other potions as a catalyst, greatly enhancing their quality.
Even Snape had only a single jar in his stores—and when Wayne so much as glanced at it, Snape snatched it away as if guarding it from a thief.
So stingy.
This single barrel would hold thirty to fifty pints. For the next year or two, Wayne wouldn't have to worry about his supply running out.
And once it did?
The Forbidden Forest belonged to Hogwarts. As one of the school's "precious flowers" and a future pillar of the wizarding world, collecting a little protection fee was perfectly reasonable… wasn't it?
While the Acromantulas obediently "milked" themselves dry, Wayne turned his attention back to the unicorns.
The foal, full and content, was already fast asleep.
Beyond their beauty, unicorns radiated a pure, sacred aura that filled Wayne with a sense of calm.
They, in turn, were unusually affectionate toward him—nudging him with their long faces.
As he stroked the silky mane of the mother unicorn, Wayne suspected this bond was partly due to his innate Beast affinity.
The barrel was already half full, but the number of spiders was dwindling. Dangling from the vines, Aragog barked orders for the others to squeeze out every last drop—after all, whatever was missing, he'd have to make up himself.
Rustle.
Rustle.
The forest, which had just returned to quiet, was suddenly disturbed again.
From the distant darkness came the sound of galloping hooves. Wayne immediately activated his Dynamic Perception, alert to danger.
"Hunter! Leave this land at once!"
The voice rang out before its owner even appeared — deep, powerful, and angry. Ho-Oh at Wayne's side flared its wings, ready to take to the sky in fury, but Wayne soothed it with a calming hand.
Moments later, more than a dozen centaurs burst through the underbrush and landed before him.
There were both males and females among them, all towering and broad-shouldered, each gripping a bow and arrow, their presence as imposing as it was wild.
But the sight before them stopped them in their tracks — the ground was littered with the charred remains of giant spiders, and a long, orderly queue of surviving Acromantulas was… draining their venom into a massive wooden barrel.
When the centaurs' eyes fell upon Wayne and the unicorn by his side, their reaction was immediate. They raised their bows, arrows aimed straight at him.
"Hunter, release the unicorn!"
Wayne's expression went flat.
"Are you blind? Have you ever seen a hunter this small? And another thing — you don't recognize my Hogwarts school robes?"
True, he was tall for a first-year, but he was still just a boy — not even 1.7 meters tall.
"Wizards are cunning," the lead centaur said coldly. "For all we know, you could have taken Polyjuice Potion, disguised yourself as a young wizard, and snuck in here as a Dark wizard."
He scanned the battlefield — the scattered spider corpses, the scorched earth — and his knuckles whitened on his bow.
"Hunt Acromantulas all you want. I won't stop you. But the unicorn stays."
Aragog, who had been secretly hoping the two sides would fight, almost spat blood at that.
What was that supposed to mean?
So the spiders deserved to die, is that it?
Just because they're ugly, they have no rights?
"Are you trying to test my patience?" Wayne's voice turned icy. "Since when do I need your permission to act?"
"Put. The bows. Down."
Usually, Wayne was cheerful and easy-going with his classmates, laughing and getting along with everyone.
But that was because they were fellow students, and they treated him with basic respect. He returned that respect in kind.
This, however… was something else entirely.
His system was the Chaos Bringer System.
And he? He was a king of mischief — and a devil when crossed.
Now, a group of creatures that weren't even fully human had the nerve to aim weapons at him after he'd explained himself?
The sky darkened. Clouds swelled overhead, thick with crackling lightning. The air turned heavy, charged.
The centaurs shifted uneasily, hooves stomping the ground in agitation — but their bows stayed trained on him.
"Release the unicorn," the leader warned again. "Leave this forest. This is not your place." His bowstring was drawn to the limit.
Wayne's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Guests in a land that doesn't belong to you… and you dare act like its masters?"
He flicked his wand. The bows in their hands writhed, twisting and transforming before their eyes into massive serpents.
In shock, the centaurs struggled, but the snakes coiled tighter and tighter around their arms. Wide jaws opened, fangs bared, and bit deep at their throats.
The clearing erupted into chaos. Cries of pain rang out as the serpents' sharp fangs sank in.
From his position, Aragog froze, all seven of his remaining legs going still.
And this was supposed to be a Hufflepuff?
If this kid wasn't a Slytherin, he'd personally deliver a whole barrel of Acromantula venom to him every year!
~~----------------------
Patreon 40 Advance Chapters:
patreon.com/Dreamer20