After Umbridge shrieked Char's location to the Acromantulas, the giant spiders all turned their multiple eyes in his direction. The densely packed orbs flashed with a sickly green light in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, a truly creepy sight. But a look of confusion spread across their monstrous faces. They could see nothing.
"An Invisibility Cloak!" Umbridge gurgled, her voice a wet, rasping sound. "He has an Invisibility Cloak!"
The Acromantulas suddenly understood. Their eyes began to glow with a hungry, bloodthirsty light.
"I've never tasted a little wizard before!"
"It's definitely better than the poachers."
"The flesh must melt in your mouth without even needing venom."
"Find him!"
Not being able to see Char was no problem. The Forbidden Forest was home to many invisible creatures, but anything that entered the Acromantulas' territory was doomed. Their webs could sense the slightest vibration. Several of the giant spiders began spraying thick, sticky silk in the direction Umbridge had indicated, blanketing the area. Even with a high-level invisibility cloak, which only conceals, not dematerializes, touching the webs would betray his location.
Under the cloak, Char's eyes darkened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He was a planner, always considering the worst-case scenario. Before leading Umbridge into this trap, he had already considered what he would do if he himself were targeted. For most wizards, being hunted by a colony of 5X-rated magical creatures would be a death sentence. But compared to beasts with powerful magical attacks like dragons or basilisks, the Acromantulas posed little threat to him. Their primary magical traits were their intelligence and their ability to speak, which made them formidable cooperative hunters, but they had no real offensive magic. To Char, they were just disgustingly overgrown spiders. A desperate situation? Not for him. His Legendary Strength and Life abilities made him perfectly suited to deal with this type of enemy. A single Acromantula was less of a threat to him than a common troll.
Still, he had not wanted to cause trouble. But as he watched the webs fill the air, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. If they wouldn't let him leave, he wouldn't hold back. Acromantula venom was incredibly valuable, a rare potion ingredient that even Snape didn't have in his private collection. It could also be used to cultivate certain rare, toxin-related magical herbs. Their blood, while less valuable, could still be used to cultivate his Blood Jade. It was worth taking action.
The spiders continued to spin, their webs covering the trees and ground, sealing off all exits. They then began to fill in the blocked-off area, narrowing the search for Char little by little. It was only a matter of time before they found him.
Umbridge, even as she felt her insides burning and dissolving, let out a final, resentful laugh. "Heh, heh! No one who goes against me gets a happy ending! Char Sprout, if I die, you're not getting out of this alive!"
At that moment, a cloud of smoke exploded in the forest, coalescing into the massive form of a five-headed serpent. Its orange-yellow eyes stared at the Acromantulas, and the giant spiders immediately became agitated. Basilisks were their natural enemy, and they had an instinctive fear of all serpents. But their intelligence quickly overcame their fear.
"It's Transfiguration! The little wizard is trying to scare us! He wants to escape!"
Several of the spiders rushed the five-headed snake. It reared up, hissing, but the transfigured creature, while intimidating to a wizard, was no match for a true 5X-rated magical beast. In seconds, it was overwhelmed, dissipating back into smoke. The remaining spiders dispersed, guarding the escape routes.
"Little wizard," one of them hissed, its pincers clicking. "Don't even think about escaping!"
Suddenly, an incredibly bright beam of light, pulsing with sacred magic, erupted from the darkness. It was Char's platinum-level Lumos charm, amplified to its maximum brightness. The entire area was illuminated, and the spiders, accustomed to the dark, were blinded, their movements ceasing as they tried to shield their sensitive eyes. One, caught directly in the beam, shrieked as the sacred magic burned its eyes.
At that same moment, Char threw off his invisibility cloak. He moved with a practiced, fluid motion, a plan already rehearsed a thousand times in his mind. He waved his wand. "Sectumsempra!"
An invisible blade of sharp magic shot out and struck the immobilized spider. Char felt a strong sense of resistance from his wand. Hard! It's really hard! The Acromantula's magical defenses were far stronger than a wizard's. The gold-level Sectumsempra that could now effortlessly slice through his mutated Devil's Snare met with a long-lost sense of obstruction.
Fortunately, the delay was brief. The curse itself had anti-magic properties, and Char's skill with it was now at the Gold level. Additionally, the amplified Lumos charm seemed to be weakening the dark creature. In the blink of an eye, the curse cut through the spider's shell and the flesh beneath, leaving a massive wound. It would have been a fatal blow to a wizard, but for a creature of this size, it was only a minor injury.
The wounded spider roared in pain. "Little wizard! I'll eat you! I'll eat you!"
But Char wasn't finished. He had known his magic alone wouldn't be enough to kill it. His real killer move was the Legendary Power that now blazed on his system panel. He took a deep breath, his chest swelling, and launched himself forward like a cannonball. In his hand was the bat he had started carrying ever since his encounter with Quirrell. Power surged through his body. The air seemed to freeze for a moment, then shatter as he swung.
The bat, which could match the strength of a troll, landed squarely in the wound created by his curse. The terrifying force poured into the Acromantula's body. With a sound like mashing tofu, a fountain of foul-smelling green blood erupted into the forest. Half of the giant spider's body was simply obliterated.
By the time the other spiders had recovered from the blinding light, they saw their kin, a 5X-rated magical beast, lying dead on the forest floor. Char, meanwhile, was calmly tearing the venomous fangs from the corpse and collecting a large bottle of the green blood. His swift, efficient movements created a strange illusion: it was as if they were his prey.
Before they could recover from their shock and anger, Char waved his wand again. Another five-headed snake roared to life, blocking their view of his retreating figure. As the snake hissed and lunged, Char's voice echoed through the woods, clear and cold, causing the spiders to pause.
"I am not a little wizard you can hunt. I have plenty of ways to deal with you. Anyone who wishes to repeat the mistake of your kin is welcome to try. And I can tell you this: I am the heir of the Sprout family. The Head of Hufflepuff is my aunt. The Head of Slytherin and I are close personal friends. Dumbledore himself has cast a protective spell on me. And He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taught me Transfiguration. If you are prepared to face that combined wrath, then by all means, let us continue."
The Acromantulas stopped. Hesitation, and even a hint of fear, appeared in their multiple eyes. If Char hadn't already demonstrated his ability to kill one of them, they would have ignored his words. But now, their intelligence forced them to reconsider. A wizard this young, with such means, and with such a background… even if he was exaggerating, if even a fraction of it was true, the consequences of killing him would be dire. Besides, there was more reliable food right in front of them.
Their green gazes fell upon Umbridge and their dead companion. That was a lot of meat. They turned away from the forest, surrounding the two bodies. Amidst waves of creepy, sucking sounds, the Forbidden Forest returned to its nightly silence.
At the same time, Char reached the edge of the forest. He didn't relax until he had stepped out of the oppressive darkness and confirmed that nothing was following him. Then, a laugh escaped him, hearty and full. He had carefully planned each step of his confrontation with Umbridge and the spiders. It was far from an overwhelming victory. In the fanfiction he had read in his previous life, the protagonists would have dispatched the spiders with contemptuous ease.
But at this moment, Char's eyes were bright. This was far better than the progress he had expected when he first applied to Hogwarts. He didn't need to compare himself to the overpowered heroes of fiction. He just needed to compare himself to who he was yesterday, and to keep moving forward. That was enough.
The moment he had so easily defeated Umbridge and killed the Acromantula, all the hard work, all the boredom and pain he had endured, seemed to whisper to him: It was all worth it. The power you hold is real.
A deep, solid sense of satisfaction echoed in his heart. After a while, he recovered, his eyes falling on the spoils of his battle. A smile touched his lips. The venom was a valuable commodity, worth a small fortune. But more importantly, it was a precious ingredient for potions and magical herbs. He could finally repay Snape and his aunt for their help. And the blood… it was another raw material for his Blood Jade. He now had two sources of magical blood. He wondered what would happen if he used both to cultivate the plant.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he subconsciously looked at his system panel again. His eyes widened, a look of surprise and confusion on his face.
"This is…?"