Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 138 The Death of Professor Calder

The centaur team has already adopted a defensive posture, with all members steadily retreating to the edge of the open area. Most of the centaurs are facing the chaotic battle in the arena, while the remaining centaurs are positioned to guard the woodland behind them, on guard against any sudden sneak attacks from the shadows.

Puni raised his hand and waved his wand lightly, trying to control the remaining stone statue to continue restraining the imposter in the center, but the heavy blow just now had almost exhausted all the stone statue's magic power.

The stone body shook violently several times, lost its support, and collapsed to the ground with a crash, shattering into scattered rubble and losing its combat capability.

Puni's gaze remained fixed on the struggling figure in the center of the fire, never wavering for a moment.

He turned to look at Ronan beside him and said, "It seems you noticed my secret distress signal in time."

Ronan's chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing tense as if on the eve of a fierce battle. His expression was solemn and low, his longbow aimed at the figure in the firelight, his posture not daring to relax in the slightest.

"Starting an open fire in the Forbidden Forest is an extremely reckless act. We were able to detect the disturbance immediately because we have been patrolling this area recently," Ronan warned solemnly. "Fire is the greatest enemy of this forest, and the intense burning is disturbing the life of the entire forest."

"This isn't the real Hagrid, you don't need to worry." Puni kept a close eye on his opponent's every move in the arena. As soon as the opponent showed any sign of gathering power to cast a spell, he would immediately interrupt him. "He definitely won't be able to escape today."

"The celestial trajectories had already foreshadowed the crisis. I am not afraid of this person; the real problem is this group of out-of-control spiders." As soon as Ronan finished speaking, the situation in the arena deteriorated.

Several irrational eight-eyed giant spiders forcefully broke through layers of fire walls, their bodies charred and damaged by the open flames, yet they showed no sign of retreating.

The intense burning pain shattered their last remaining instinctive fear, leaving only pure destructive desire in their crimson compound eyes, as they charged straight at the centaur's defensive formation.

The centaurs' defensive pressure has increased dramatically, and ranged archers can no longer keep up with the spiders' charging speed.

The centaur warriors in the front row immediately abandoned their ranged attacks and switched to close-quarters combat, relying on their strong bodies and powerful limbs to fight.

They wielded their longbows to strike the spiders that approached them, while simultaneously kicking at the monsters that slithered down from the ground, thus solidifying their defensive line.

What began as a long-range standoff turned into a dangerous and brutal close-quarters melee.

Puni was also surrounded and in danger. Several spiders, attracted by the scent of life, circled around from behind and surrounded him from different directions.

His back was pressed tightly against the thick tree trunk, eliminating the risk of a sneak attack from behind, but also cutting off his retreat and leaving him in a predicament of being attacked from three sides.

Two spells were cast in quick succession: one repelled the spider that lunged at them from the front, and the other temporarily disabled the movements of the monsters on the side.

But the third spider was already approaching at lightning speed. Its abdomen suddenly contracted, and it spat out a large clump of sticky spider silk, which covered Puni's entire body!

Puni rolled to the side, barely avoiding the impenetrable spider web.

Before he could even stand up and steady himself, the shadow of the giant spider loomed over him, and its pincers, reeking of decay, suddenly snapped open, slamming down towards his head.

Puni could clearly see the rough downy hairs on the surface of the chelicerae, as well as the remaining tissue residue in the crevices, and a pungent smell of blood and decay wafted over him.

He immediately raised his arm to gather strength, preparing to unleash a fire spell to severely injure the attacking monster at close range.

A sharp, piercing sound rang out as a powerful arrow shot out from the side, piercing the spider's open mouthparts, penetrating its fragile upper jawbone, and finally exiting through the back of its head, bringing with it a large amount of dark green, viscous fluid.

The spider, which had been charging forward wildly, moved stiffly, its body convulsing violently, emitting a hoarse, leaky hiss, before collapsing heavily to the ground, losing all vital signs.

Puni raised his hand and unleashed a series of fire spells, igniting the surrounding spiders and using the flames to clear away any remaining threats.

He turned his head to look in the direction from which the arrow had come, and just then he saw Ronan lowering his bow and arm.

The centaur warrior's bronze skin was covered in dust and stained with dark green spider fluid. His chest heaved violently, showing his exhaustion from the battle.

His gaze lingered briefly on Puni, carrying a hint of approval while simultaneously urging him to break free as soon as possible. He then turned and kicked away another spider that was approaching the front line.

"Hold the line! Eliminate all these out-of-control monsters!" Ronan's roar pierced through the chaotic battlefield, constantly boosting the morale of his comrades.

Puni raised his wand again and threw himself into the melee.

He alternately cast various control and attack spells to continuously disrupt and slow down the spider's charge, creating space for the centaur warrior to kill it.

With his coordination and restraint, the scattered centaur formation gradually regrouped and rebuilt a solid defensive line.

At the same time, he rekindled the faint flames in various places, relying on the fire walls to block some of the spiders that still retained a trace of instinct, thus temporarily halting the outer offensive.

The clearing in the woods had now become a brutal battlefield.

Countless spiders were tangled and intertwined, tearing and fighting each other, charging and crashing about in a chaotic manner, with no order whatsoever.

Amidst the chaotic battle, magical beams of light flashed continuously. The imposter in the center of the arena never gave up the fight, maneuvering and weaving through the dense swarm of spiders.

He wielded his wand with practiced ease, each spell hitting its target, constantly repelling and annihilating the spiders that got close.

However, the number of monsters is endless; as soon as one wave is cleared out, the next wave immediately fills the gap.

The special medicinal scent clinging to the surface of his clothes was the core source that attracted the spiders to frantically surround him, keeping him at the center of the beast tide.

Puni secretly rejoiced that he had decisively smashed the other party's medicine bottle.

If this person is allowed to successfully use the drug and control the entire spider swarm, today's battle will inevitably spiral out of control, with unimaginable consequences.

The open space was a mess, with spider mutilations scattered everywhere and dark green fluids splattering all over the ground.

Broken arrows were scattered all over the ground, some lying intact, others deeply embedded in the spider's body.

The ground was covered with magical craters of varying sizes, and the soil around the craters was scorched black by the high temperature, leaving traces of a fierce battle everywhere.

The burning trees billowed thick smoke, mixed with a heavy, putrid stench, filling the air and creating a suffocating atmosphere.

After the centaur warriors fought valiantly to kill the last batch of spiders that broke through the fire wall, they finally had enough strength to stabilize the defensive line.

Puni was able to extricate himself and focus all his attention on the mysterious figure in the center of the arena.

He continuously cast spells to control the remaining spiders around him, drawing their attacks towards the center of the battlefield to constantly interfere with and restrain the imposter, prompting the imposter to frequently utter angry shouts.

Obscured by thick smoke and the chaotic battle, Hagrid's perfectly replicated face gradually began to reveal its flaws.

Beneath the rugged camouflage, a sharp, slender jawline was visible, along with a pair of eyes that Puni recognized all too well.

Shedding Hagrid's naive nature, his eyes revealed only composure, wisdom, and depth—the very gaze of Professor Calder.

Amidst the swirling mist, a deep, magnetic voice slowly rose, shedding the rough, hoarse tone that imitated Hagrid, and entering Puni's ears with its own unique intonation.

"You recognized me a long time ago, so there's no surprise."

"This situation is truly regrettable."

The scorching embers continued to rise, mingling with the acrid smell of burning monsters, spreading a thick white mist across the forest clearing littered with the remains of the eight-eyed giant spiders, blurring the view of the entire battlefield.

At this moment, Calder had shed all his disguise and returned to his original appearance.

However, the magical energy swirling around him remained powerful and fierce. The large number of spiders that had previously attacked him were almost completely wiped out, and the corpses piled up in two thick heaps at his feet.

The dark green monster fluid seeped into the surrounding soil, constantly emitting a strong, corrosive odor that was unbearable to the touch.

He raised his hand and waved his wand, clearing away the last few surviving spiders. The entire spellcasting process was noticeably sluggish and slow compared to before, indicating that his physical strength and magical power were severely depleted.

Puni, who was on high alert and observing the entire time, noticed the abnormal state of the other party's body.

Wisps of black mist continued to erode Calder's body, and each activation of magic accelerated the spread of the black mist.

These eerie dark energies, like a persistent affliction, continuously eroded his physical foundation and magical essence.

Puni understood the cause and effect: the black liquid that stained Calder's body was the source of this corruption.

He had no idea where Calder had obtained this forbidden object, but he could see the curse destroying the professor's body.

After a series of fierce battles, Calder's mole-skin coat was already tattered, covered with burn marks and sticky spider slime, making him look extremely disheveled.

He breathed heavily and looked around, exhausted.

A moment later, he slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the centaur troops who were holding bows and guarding the perimeter, closing in step by step, before finally settling on Puni.

At this moment, the playfulness in his eyes had faded, leaving only weariness.

Puni gripped his wand tightly, standing firm without flinching.

Wizards' methods are unpredictable. Even when they are at their last gasp, they still possess various escape techniques. Apparition, door keys, and spatial spells can all become opportunities for the opponent to turn the tide.

When facing a defeated opponent, we must never let our guard down and must eliminate any possibility of counterattack or escape, leaving no room for a comeback.

The centaur forces steadily tightened their encirclement, but deliberately left space in the center of the arena, reserving the final confrontation stage solely for the two wizards.

"Professor Calder."

Puni stepped forward.

Upon hearing his real name revealed, Calder's body stiffened slightly.

He managed to move his facial muscles, managing a dry, distorted smile, his voice hoarse and tired.

"Your insight has always far surpassed that of your peers, Puni, I've always admired that about you. It's just a pity—it's all too late."

Before he could finish speaking, the situation on the field changed dramatically.

Calder, seemingly exhausted and on the verge of collapse, suddenly revealed an extreme determination and ruthlessness in his eyes.

He forcibly compressed and gathered all the remaining magic power in his body, completed the power accumulation in an instant, and suddenly burst forth!

His goal was not to break through and escape, nor was it the centaurs who were waiting in ambush around him; it was Puni, who stood facing him from beginning to end.

He knew that the centaur people were proud and self-possessed by nature, and would never kill an opponent who was unable to resist.

But Puni is different. This young man is meticulous and decisive, the only variable on the field, and his only chance to turn the tide.

If he can subdue Puni, he might still have a sliver of hope to escape this desperate situation.

A dark, emerald-green beam of light, carrying an evil, corrosive power, shot out from the sky.

This Imperish Curse, one of the three unforgivable curses, was incredibly fast and possessed a terrifying power to manipulate minds, heading straight for Puni.

The change happened in the blink of an eye. The centaur warriors nearby didn't even have time to unbow their bows to stop it before the cursed power was already upon Puni.

But Puni had already taken all necessary precautions.

In the instant that Calder's eyes sharpened and his magic surged violently, he used his extraordinary magical perception to anticipate the opponent's intention to launch a sneak attack.

The body reacts much faster than the mind, entering a state of readiness.

He didn't need to chant spells or perform complicated wand gestures; relying on instinct, he gathered all the holy light within him at the tip of his wand.

A torrent of pure energy, woven from countless fine golden threads, burst forth, defying the conventions of any modern magic textbook. It was the most primal and purest eruption of magic.

The eerie green curse beams collided violently with the golden primal energy in the center of the open space.

Two loud explosions rang out, but without any violent shockwaves. The two extreme magical energies dissolved and canceled each other out at the point of contact, and magical sparks scattered in all directions, sweeping across the entire open space.

Calder's pupils contracted sharply, and an extreme frenzy and excitement surged onto his ferocious face.

"This does not belong to any of the three standard forms of magic—"

The power he had longed for, a power that required no incantation or gestures, a power that transcended the modern wizarding magic system, was now truly before his eyes.

He desperately wanted to uncover the essence of this power, to touch this ability that could overturn the magical world, but his right hand joints were stiff and numb, completely out of his control.

In the next second, the backlash was unleashed.

With a "plop," Calder was struck as if by a heavy blow, and blood mixed with black, flocculent curse patterns gushed out of his mouth.

Pang staggered backward several steps, finally unable to support himself, and knelt heavily on one knee on the scorched earth.

The wand slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a thud.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes were deeply sunken, and fine black lines on his skin were constantly writhing and spreading. His aura was weak and fleeting, and his life force was rapidly fading away.

Puni, wand in hand, slowly stepped forward and stopped a short distance from the other person.

Looking at the disheveled professor before him, he felt a mix of emotions, not the joy of victory, but only a complex sense of regret.

Calder struggled to lift his eyelids and looked at Puni. All his obsession and hatred had faded away, leaving only endless exhaustion and a sense of relief.

"Cough cough————"

He struggled to breathe, each word consuming his last remaining strength, his intermittent, weak voice almost inaudible, "This primordial magic—I've searched for it with all my might—and it turns out—it really exists—."

Puni stood silently, not uttering a word, while simultaneously stepping on the fallen wand, cutting off any possibility of retaliation.

Calder's gaze gradually became unfocused, his eyes distant, as if recalling fragments of the past.

"I pursue these things—not for power—not for immortality—Puni, do you believe me?"

He gasped for breath, steadying his weak breathing, and continued with difficulty, "I was too stubborn—too greedy."

He looked down at the black curse writhing on his body, his eyes filled with regret and disgust.

These last words from Luo Gu exhausted his last bit of life.

Calder's head slumped limply, the faint magic around him dissipated, and the black curse surrounding his body vanished, devouring his remaining life force, and everything quickly settled down.

When Dumbledore strode into the Forbidden Forest clearing, the scene of devastation before him surprised even someone as accustomed to magical phenomena and perilous situations as he was.

The forest air was a mixture of multiple complex scents: the acrid smell of burning wood, the unique odor of monster bodies being roasted by high temperatures, the pungent residue of magical potions, and the unique sweet and pungent smell of the blood of magical creatures, layer upon layer, permeating the entire airspace.