Flames erupted from the tip of the wand, fueled by the vast magic power pulsing from the Heart of Darkness. A towering sea of fire, dozens of meters high, engulfed the surroundings, instantly dissipating the thin mist.
Creatures of the natural world possess an instinctive fear of fire. As the scorching magical flames licked at the spiders' legs, the roles of hunter and prey were suddenly reversed.
Roar!
The rapidly moving air let out a roar like a dragon. Makiya swung his wand, commanding the majestic flames with effortless precision. The fire transformed into a massive curtain, expanding in all directions while the air crackled and popped incessantly.
The Acromantulas' countless eyes were illuminated by the firelight. Possessing a degree of intelligence, they gritted their teeth to overcome their primal fear. Driven by the largest of their kind, they resolutely lunged at Makiya.
Their jumping ability was remarkably developed. Once in hunting mode, the Acromantulas' bodies tensed before a slight magical ripple echoed within them, sending them soaring through the air to spray venom from their mouthparts.
However, all resistance was futile. The magical flames were inexhaustible, and Makiya's magic power seemed boundless. Before the venom could even get close, it was evaporated by the blistering heat, and the high temperatures swallowed countless lives.
Grisly screams accompanied the stench of burning protein as the firelight lit up the nearby forest.
A few clever little spiders attempted to sneak up on Makiya by hugging the ground. Before they could get within two meters of their target, they were enveloped by a mysterious chill.
Frost spread up from the ground along the spiders' legs. In a matter of seconds, the would-be ambushers were frozen solid into ice sculptures.
In this dichotomy of ice and fire, the spider swarm was rapidly being wiped out under the onslaught of Makiya's elemental magic.
Seeing the tide turn against them, the largest Acromantulas signaled the smaller ones to rush Makiya while they quietly retreated a few steps, turning their many legs to flee.
Several blades of fire flew out from the sea of flames, accurately piercing the abdomens of the largest spiders. Fire erupted from within them.
The giant spiders struggled, their large eyes flashing with human-like terror. They collapsed to the ground, thrashing and beating the earth in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames. It was all in vain; the fire burst from inside them, turning their internal organs to ash.
Miserable shrieks echoed through the dense, moonlit forest, adding a layer of horror to the Forbidden Forest.
In the distance, the clusters of spiders intending to reinforce their kin suddenly braked. The dying screams of their companions told them they had provoked an enemy they shouldn't have. The mass of Acromantulas exchanged glances before retreating like a tide.
The fire died out, and the heavy smell of char filled Makiya's nostrils. The surrounding trunks were carbonized, internal embers still glowing.
"A bountiful harvest!"
Makiya had deliberately controlled the fire. A significant portion of the giant spider legs remained intact. The upper bodies of several large spiders furthest from him were even still twitching, clearly not yet dead.
The surrounding ground was covered in frost, with frozen little spiders covered in white rime standing like lifelike ice sculptures.
Further away, the ground was scorched black, and a large pile of partially burned spider carcasses continued to smolder.
Makiya pulled out empty glass bottles. Under the control of his wand, he pressed them against the fangs of the largest Acromantulas, collecting three full bottles of venom.
Frost covered the coxae at the base of the spider legs. The alternating extreme heat and cold had made the hard outer shells incredibly brittle, shattering into countless pieces with just a gentle tug.
With over forty complete giant spider legs and twenty high-quality small spider ice sculptures, Makiya's haul was significant.
Using hemp rope to bundle the legs and ice sculptures, Makiya released another burst of fire to erase the remains and the frost. The carbonized trunks, no longer able to support their own weight, slowly collapsed.
With the Levitation Charm controlling the bundle behind him, Makiya oriented himself and quickly made his way out of the Forbidden Forest.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he bypassed various magical fluctuations along the way, taking a different route to leave the forest and safely return to his cabin.
Not long after Makiya left, two centaurs with thick coats of hair galloped through the woods, arriving at the fire-ravaged clearing.
"What on earth happened here?"
"Clearly, something set a fire. A very large fire," Firenze said, bending down to touch the scorched earth. "It's almost as if a dragon went on a rampage."
"Whether it was a dragon or not, the forest has become dangerous lately. We must warn everyone to be on their guard."
At that moment, Firenze noticed a large number of tracks on the ground further away. "These markings... they are the footprints of those Acromantulas."
"It looks like those damn spiders provoked an enemy they shouldn't have. Good riddance!" the other centaur said gloatingly.
Acromantulas were ferocious predators that often hunted in swarms, and the centaur tribe had suffered many losses at the hands of the spider colony.
The next day at noon.
Hagrid set out as usual with his large crossbow to patrol the Forbidden Forest.
Makiya watched Hagrid's back disappear from the window, chewed on a couple of softened rock cakes, and began processing the spider legs and carcasses.
Near noon, Hagrid walked out of the forest with a solemn expression. While eating lunch, he looked at Makiya and Harry with concern and said, "You two must stay away from the Forbidden Forest lately!"
"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Harry looked up curiously. He hadn't been that interested in the forest, but Hagrid's warning gave him a sudden urge to explore it.
"Something bad happened in the forest," Hagrid said vaguely, seemingly not wanting the children to know too much. "In any case, just remember to stay away!"
However, as usual, Hagrid couldn't withstand Harry's relentless questioning and eventually hesitated his way into the truth. "It's suspected that an adult fire dragon entered the forest. It burned down several trees and... and a Dragonclaw Vine. Of course, it could also be a strange Dark wizard, which would be even more dangerous."
Harry's eyes lit up. He had seen mentions of dragons in his books recently and had always been curious about what a living dragon looked like.
Beside him, Makiya nodded obediently. "Don't worry, Hagrid. We won't go near the Forbidden Forest."
Harry followed suit and nodded.
Seeing how well-behaved the two boys were, Hagrid's expression softened as he breathed a sigh of relief.
Makiya indeed did not enter the forest again. The materials he had were enough to last him a long time, so he went back to being a shut-in.
Humans draw inspiration from animals and apply it across various fields; the wizarding world was no different. Magical creatures were natural treasure troves waiting to be tapped.
Discovering phenomena, summarizing rules, and utilizing those rules.
Makiya was so immersed in his studies and research that he lost track of time. One morning at the end of August, he finally finished a piece he was satisfied with.
Makiya mysteriously knocked on Harry's door. The latter excitedly told Makiya, "Makiya, I've mastered a really powerful spell recently! Oh, what's that?"
Harry noticed the box Makiya was holding.
"It's your birthday gift, of course. It's a bit late, but I made them myself," Makiya said with a mysterious smile, pushing the box into Harry's arms. "Quick, open it and see."
"Makiya, thank you!" Harry said excitedly. A handmade birthday gift was much more meaningful. He quickly clutched the rough wooden box and placed it on the bed.
Opening the lid with great anticipation, two items—one black and one white—appeared before Harry's eyes, causing him to freeze.
He recognized these things, but they weren't exactly magical items; he had only ever seen them on television.
"Are these... pistols?"
"M1911s, one-to-one replicas of the classics. The white one is called White Ivory, and the black one is called Ebony," Makiya introduced them with a face full of pride.
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