LRAB Chapter 98 Venom's windfall
Chapter 98 Venom's windfall
Chapter 98 Venom's windfall
After the battle, Karen immediately pulled out his scope again. The scope lay quietly in his palm, no longer spinning, no longer emitting light or heat. He focused his mind, scanning every inch of the surrounding land, every shadow. Apart from the spider-like creatures that had already lost their lives and whose magic was rapidly dissipating, and the magical energy sources of some small animals scattered in the distance, there were no other powerful, hostile magical reactions.
"It's safe now." Karen breathed a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. Only then did he realize that his back was soaked with cold sweat. He looked at his three roommates.
Wesley plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, his face still showing the excitement and lingering fear of battle: "By Merlin, we...we...we killed three big ones, and there are still more than a dozen small ones left?"
Fabian, pale-faced, barely managed to stand by leaning against a nearby tree. Looking at the spider carcasses scattered on the ground and the chaotic battlefield, his voice trembled slightly: "That was...that was too dangerous—Karen, you were like a completely different person just now—"
Ernesto walked over to the adult giant spider whose body had been blasted open from the inside by Karen's "Shattering Bone" spell, kicked its shattered carapace, glanced at the giant spider wounded by his own spell with its hindquarters blown apart, and finally looked at the giant spider that was already dead but still frantically "dancing" in place, though its movements were getting slower and slower. He looked at Karen with a complicated expression: "The tactics were perfect. Especially that dancing one—the effect was outstanding. However," he pointed to the giant spider that had been "shattered," "this destructive power was a bit too much; the venom sac may be destroyed."
Karen walked over to the giant spider that was still twitching and "dancing," and delivered a precise "stun," ending its absurd final performance. "Emergency situation, prioritize killing it. Venom sacs." He walked to the giant spider whose body had been injured by Ernesto and whose hindquarters had been blasted apart by his own "Sandstorm," crouched down to examine it, and said, "This one's venom sac should still be intact." He then looked at the dancing spider, "This dancing one's venom sac is definitely undamaged." Finally, he glanced regretfully at the one whose interior was blown apart, "This one's venom sac was truly wasted."
"Venom sacs? Venom?" Wesley struggled to his feet, leaning closer to ask curiously, "What's the use of this stuff, besides killing?"
Karen stood up, surveying the "spoils" scattered on the ground, a glint of shrewdness in her eyes: "Killing? No, Wesley. This venom is an extremely valuable ingredient for potions and alchemy. Professor Victor told me that the venom of the Octopod Spider is extremely rare and difficult to extract because extracting venom from a living target is extremely risky, and the venom in the venom sac quickly coagulates and denatures after death. Only within a short period after the target's death can it be extracted."
Its activity can only be preserved through special processing methods.
He paused, noticing Wesley's curious gaze, and dropped a bombshell that made his roommates' hearts race: "Undiluted, pure Octopod venom can fetch 100 Galleons a pint (about 568 ml) at Knockturn Alley or certain Potions Masters!"
"One pint of 100 Galleons?!" Wesley's eyes widened instantly, "Merlin's briefs! And these—" He looked at the three adult giant spiders and a dozen or so young spiders on the ground, his breathing becoming rapid.
Fabian gasped, momentarily forgetting his fear: "100 Galleons a pint? This is incredible!"
An incredulous glint flashed in Ernesto's grey eyes as he quickly estimated: "An adult eight-eyed giant spider, with a full venom sac, can yield nearly a pint of venom. Young spiders—each is estimated to yield around 80 to 100 milliliters. Here are two adults with intact venom sacs, and a total of fifteen young spiders—the total—is close to five pints?!" This number astonished even a pureblood like himself.
"That's right," Karen nodded firmly, a successful smile spreading across her face, "close to five pints, worth nearly 500."
Galon! Professor Victor taught me how to quickly and safely extract and process venom after a target dies. Now, they've only been dead a short time...
This is the perfect time to extract it! This is an extra bonus from our adventure, and a well-deserved trophy.
"500 Galleons?!" Wesley's voice trembled. "We're rich?! Karen! Quick! Teach us how to do it! Don't let this gold solidify!" He sprang to his feet, as if all his previous exhaustion had vanished.
Fabian also became agitated, but remained cautious: "We still need to take precautions, right? Venom is dangerous!"
"Of course!" Karen quickly pulled several items from her magic pouch: several pairs of thick dragon-skin gloves, several specially made crystal bottles with sealed caps, several sharp silver knives, several small funnels, and a small bottle of clear, viscous liquid. "One pair of gloves for everyone! Absolutely do not come into direct contact with the venom! Fabian, take out the white cinnamon essence and the antidote you prepared as well, just in case."
The four quickly put on thick dragon-skin gloves. Karen picked up her tools, walked to the intact carcass of the adult giant spider, and began to demonstrate:
"Look here, the venom sac is located behind the mouthparts, connecting the base of the chelicerae and the venom gland." He precisely sliced open the relatively soft carapace below the giant spider's head with a silver knife, revealing a swollen, dark green sac-like organ that emitted a pungent odor. "Carefully avoid blood vessels and nerve bundles. Use the tip of the knife to make a small incision at the top of the venom sac; the movement must be steady, precise, and quick."
Karen's movements were practiced with practiced ease, as if he had rehearsed countless times. He made a small incision with a knife, and a dark green, viscous venom immediately gushed out. He quickly aligned the mouth of the crystal bottle and, with the aid of a small funnel, carefully guided the venom into the bottle.
"The venom sacs of spiderlings are in a similar location, but smaller, below the head near the thorax," he explained as he demonstrated. "You have to be extra careful when extracting them, as the venom glands of spiderlings are sometimes not very stable. Also, this bottle of 'condensate'," he pointed to the bottle of clear, viscous liquid, "was prepared by Professor Victor. A drop in the collection bottle will immediately stabilize the activity of the venom, preventing it from solidifying and losing its magical power."
Under Karen's guidance, the four divided the work. Karen was in charge of dissection and instruction, Ernesto was responsible for using magic to stabilize the body for easier manipulation, and Wesley and Fabian were responsible for carefully collecting the venom with bottles and funnels and dripping it into "condensate".
The process was far from easy. The pungent smell of the venom was nauseating, and the feel of dissecting the carapace and soft tissue was extremely disgusting. Wesley nearly dropped the bottle once, but Fabian caught it in time. Ernesto, on the other hand, demonstrated his precise control, using a levitation charm to steadily support the spiderling's body, making it easier for Wesley and Fabian to work on it.
Ultimately, they successfully extracted nearly a pint from two adult giant spiders and approximately 80- from fifteen juvenile spiders.
On his body (100 ml), five large bottles of dark green, viscous, oily venom with a dangerous sheen were collected! The total amount was close to five pints, just as Ernesto had estimated!
Karen carefully inspected the seals and runes on each bottle, and only after confirming that everything was in order did she cautiously put them deep into her magical pocket, which was heavily protected and enchanted with spatial extension spells.
"Mission accomplished!" Wesley stared at the spot where his pocket had disappeared, as if he were looking at a mountain of gold, a dreamy, silly grin spreading across his face. "500 Galleons, what should I buy?"
Fabian also breathed a sigh of relief, though his face was still a little pale, his eyes were filled with a sense of accomplishment: "Unbelievable - we really did it. These things are so precious."
Ernesto looked at the spider carcasses scattered on the ground, then glanced at Karen's pockets, his tone tinged with complex emotions: "A single skirmish yielded a fortune. The Forbidden Forest truly is a place where danger and opportunity coexist." He kicked the carapace of a young spider at his feet. "What do we do with these corpses?"
"Don't worry about it. The most valuable thing about the Octopod Spider is its venom." Karen shook her head, looking around at the increasingly dark sky. "As for the rest, the Forbidden Forest will take care of them. Soon other creatures will come following the scent. We must leave immediately! It's getting dark."
The four dared not delay any longer and quickly packed up all their tools and personal belongings. After Karen confirmed the surroundings were safe again using the viewing mirror and the "Eye of Truth," he led the way, following the marks they had come from, and retreated at full speed towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The return journey was unusually smooth; perhaps the smell of blood had driven away other creatures, and they encountered no further trouble.
When they finally emerged from the edge of the Forbidden Forest and were once again bathed in the dim but safe light of the streetlights in the castle grounds, the four of them breathed a sigh of relief, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted. Looking back, the Forbidden Forest resembled a lurking beast, its entrance pitch black and unfathomable.
They quickly returned to the Eagle's Nest. They removed their robes, which were soaked with mud, sweat, and a few drops of spider fluid, and carefully cleaned them with "Cleanse." Karen locked the magical pouch containing 500 Galleons worth of venom into a hidden compartment beneath the alchemy table, protected by a stronger magic spell. Fabian, meanwhile, immediately and carefully placed away his map tube, which he had recently added numerous annotations to.
After a quick wash and tidying up, the four of them dragged their tired but incredibly excited bodies to the Great Hall for dinner. As the steaming food entered their stomachs, a warm feeling spread through their limbs, and their tense nerves finally relaxed. They sat at a corner of the Ravenclaw table, quietly exchanging stories of their harrowing experience and their immense gains, their faces beaming with the joy of surviving a close call and the satisfaction of a bountiful harvest.
After dinner, they returned to Eagle's Nest. The flickering flames in the fireplace dispelled the chill of the night and illuminated four young and vibrant faces.
Fabian eagerly spread the map on the large table in the center. The previously blank areas were now filled with rich detail: precise stream courses, peculiar trees labeled with names like "Bowing Giant," locations where star-patterned lichen and motra ratweed were found, potential areas for moonshine moss growth, areas frequented by hunchbacked trees and ornithopod larvae, and, marked in bold red with exclamation marks, the battlefield where they encountered and annihilated the swarm of eight-eyed giant spiders.
"Great, Fabian!" Wesley exclaimed, pointing to the battlefield markers. "We should add 'Karen's Flashbang Throwing Point' and 'Spider Graveyard' here!"
Fabian smiled and actually added a note next to it with a fine pen.
"The value of this exploration far exceeds expectations." Ernesto looked at the map, then glanced warily at the hidden compartment under the alchemy platform. "It's not just about perfecting the map, but more importantly, it's about testing it in actual combat and generating a considerable economic gain."
"Speaking of actual combat," Karen continued, her expression turning serious, "we need to review this. Wesley, your banishment spell held up well in the early stages, but when you saw the adult spider charging at you, your magic output became somewhat disordered, almost causing the barrier to collapse."
Wesley scratched his head sheepishly. "I was a little panicked because those guys were too big! I'll definitely be more composed next time!"
“Fabian,” Karen turned to him, “it was your first time facing something like this, and you managed to muster the courage to use ‘Swift Restriction’ to trip the spiderlings—that’s excellent! It created an opportunity for us to clean up afterwards. But be careful with your positioning during the fight; you were almost attacked from the side by a spiderling once, but thankfully Ernesto’s spell provided timely support.”
Fabian nodded with lingering fear: "I was only focused on watching Karen deal with the giant spider at the time. I will definitely pay more attention to being vigilant from all angles in the future."
"Ernesto," Karen said, looking at him, "your performance was the most consistent. Your control of the banishment spell's range was precise, and your 'Scissors to Shatter' interception at the crucial moment was timely and deadly. Your judgment of the situation was also accurate. In particular, your reminder that my venom sac might be damaged, and your final cooperation in clearing out the spiderlings, were highly efficient."
Ernesto smiled slightly, accepting the objective praise with equanimity: "It's my duty. Your tactical command was key, Karen. Especially your use of the Dance Steps spell to create chaos and openings, and your ability to instantly switch between different targets and choose the optimal antidote, were extremely effective."
His high-speed spellcasting was particularly impressive. His gray eyes held a hint of inquiry and admiration.
"Thank you," Karen said frankly. "We're working together more and more smoothly. The biggest lesson we learned this time is that even on the outskirts, the Forbidden Forest is far more dangerous than we expected. The size and range of the giant eight-eyed spiders may be larger than we imagined. We must be more cautious and better prepared for future explorations."
"Of course! Next time we'll bring even bigger bottles!" Wesley immediately chimed in, his eyes glancing towards the hidden compartment, which made everyone laugh.
"And what about that 500 Galleons of venom?" Karen said seriously, "we need to discuss how to handle it. Selling it directly is too risky; Knockturn Alley isn't a good place. I suggest I keep it for now. Professor Victor might have a safe channel or know which reputable potions masters need it. Once it's safely sold, we'll split the profits equally among the four of us."
"Agreed!" "No problem!" "Whatever you say!" The three nodded without hesitation. This windfall was a huge sum of money, and it would be safest for Karen, who knew the situation best and was most trusted by Professor Victor, to handle it.
"Alright," Karen said, looking out at the deep night and the twinkling lights of the castle, "that's enough for today. We've gained a lot, but we're all exhausted. Go back and rest. Fabian, you keep a detailed record of the map and battle summary."
"Okay, leave it to me." Fabian carefully rolled up the map.
The four of them left the warm and bright Eagle's Nest and headed towards their dormitory together. The sound of their footsteps and hushed laughter echoed in the corridor as they walked away.
Cullen walked last, glancing back at the tightly closed gates of the Eagle's Nest. The darkness of the Forbidden Forest and the hissing of the giant spiders seemed to still echo in his ears, but what surged within him now was a greater sense of security in his growing strength and anticipation for the future. He let out a soft breath, turned, and disappeared into the tranquil night of Hogwarts. This journey to the edge of the Forbidden Forest had come to a thrilling and rewarding end.