Chapter -96.
Firenze's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as his two centaur friends completely brushed him off.
Seeing that Firenze was still stubbornly fixated on helping others, the two decided not to argue any further. They turned and quickly vanished into the thick woods.
"I'm sorry; I hope this doesn't come between us. Bane and Ronan aren't bad at heart," Firenze said to Dudley with a hint of regret.
Dudley simply shook his head, fully engrossed in tending to the unicorn's injury, his hands a flurry as he adjusted one potion after another.
"I understand what your kind is like," he reassured Firenze silently, deciding not to hold this against him.
"Just hang in there; this might sting a little," Dudley softly spoke to the unicorn.
He carefully administered the potion onto its wound.
It reacted violently, like cold water hitting hot oil; the unicorn's injury appeared to sizzle as it quickly corroded.
However, the dark mist that surrounded it began to disappear rapidly.
This process wasn't without discomfort; the unicorn thrashed in pain.
Dudley had to place his hands on the unicorn to steady it, and slowly, it calmed down.
Eventually, the black mist cleared, and the unicorn stopped struggling, but the wound had now morphed into a large, alarming hole.
Despite its frightening appearance, it was merely a superficial injury.
For a wizard, as long as it's not a life-threatening or irreparable curse-induced wound, it's pretty much just a surface scratch. Even if a hand were to be severed, a few potions could restore it in no time.
Of course, "in no time" is a bit of an exaggeration; it does take some time.
Dudley pulled out two potion bottles.
He poured one into the unicorn's mouth.
Healing Essence (for internal use)
Then, he carefully applied the other onto its wound.
Healing Essence (for external use)
He watched as granulation tissue began to form, healing and gradually regenerating new skin.
The results were impressive.
However, unlike the surrounding areas which were slightly fuzzy, the new skin was perfectly smooth.
The potion was truly remarkable, and its effects were immediate.
In that moment, the unicorn affectionately nudged Dudley and licked his palm; if it weren't for the missing pieces of its mane, they'd have had a great bond.
After providing the unicorn with some food he had prepared, Dudley was pleased to see it regain some strength. He gently encouraged it to stand up and take a few steps.
Though it still trembled a bit, it was overall no longer in serious danger.
Well, not serious danger physically.
It just had a rather unfortunate look overall.
To describe its appearance, it had been a bit balding in the mane before, still a pretty handsome unicorn.
But now, after treatment, it had a significant bald patch on its belly.
Those in the know would understand it was a sign of injury, while those who didn't might think it looked quite disheveled and might even assume it had some form of alopecia.
Thankfully, it was alive, and there wasn't much point in worrying about looks since hair grows back quickly.
Seeing the unicorn stable now, Firenze said goodbye to Dudley and returned to his tribe.
Dudley took a moment to gather some of the silver blood that had pooled on the ground; unicorn blood is known for its healing and longevity properties, and legends say it can even bring the dead back to life.
Of course, the tale of resurrecting the dead is nothing more than a myth— not even phoenix tears have that power. Besides, since this blood wasn't given willingly, it carries a curse; those who consume it live as if they were zombies.
This blood can be used to brew powerful curse potions.
Next, Dudley made sure the unicorn was alright before taking it back to its herd, along with the little dragon.
The unicorn's herd was located deeper in the Forbidden Forest, a place notorious for its dangers; rookie wizards would typically avoid wandering there at night.
However, with Dudley, a unicorn, and a dragon together, they made quite the formidable team, allowing them to traverse the forest without worry and return the unicorn safely.
Dudley reminded the little dragon to keep its distance from the unicorn herd, as it was still young and would be safest away from them.
After instructing the dragon, Dudley exited the Forbidden Forest.
To be honest, he not only dreamed of riding a dragon but a unicorn as well.
Sadly, unicorns can't carry as much weight as small dragons.
So, this dream would have to wait, unless he managed to slim down.
Back at Hogwarts Castle, Dudley began to reflect on the recent battles he had faced.
Reviewing the lessons learned and identifying areas for improvement was an essential part of being a wizard.
He had come to realize the true identity of the Cloak Man.
As soon as he felt the tail sprouting on his backside, he knew these memories were not just some fanciful story, although some of the information remained useful.
In the stillness of night, deep within the Forbidden Forest, while drinking unicorn blood.
Three crucial details come together, and only one person can fulfill them.
There's only one undeniable truth.
The host of a certain noseless villain!
Facing off with the enemy had given Dudley a clearer idea of their strength.
His instinct told him they were incredibly strong.
Even just a fragment of their soul appeared to possess a terrifying power, far beyond what he remembered.
Being able to push an adult unicorn to the brink of death was something that average wizards couldn't even dream of matching.
Like phoenixes, unicorns are high-level magical creatures, known for their strength but usually peaceful toward wizards. However, when angered, a unicorn can unleash a power comparable to legendary creatures like Chimeras or Manticores, which have a danger level of 5X.
Its horn isn't just for decoration; even dragons are wary of its sharpness.
This also emphasized Dudley's weaknesses; his long-range attack options were rather limited and needed enhancement.
He realized he had to come up with better long-range strategies.
If that didn't pan out, he'd have to expand his options for attacks.
The first thing that crossed his mind was firearms.
If a flashlight could be utilized, then firearms would naturally be fair game too.
What about getting a magnum?
That thing packs quite a punch; Dudley always thought it was cool when playing Resident Evil.
"Ding!"
Just as he was mulling this over, an all-too-familiar system notification chimed in Dudley's ears.
"Achievement Task: First confrontation with the Mysterious Man. Obtain…"
***
Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto 15 chapters] while supporting me, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.
*****
Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.