But Firenze's words were like water off a Hippogriff's back; his two centaur companions simply ignored him. Seeing that Firenze was still stubbornly intent on helping another creature, they said no more, turned, and strode quickly into the depths of the forest, disappearing from view.
"My apologies. I hope you won't despise us for this. At their core, Bane and Ronan are not bad beings." Firenze said to Dudley with an apologetic tone.
Dudley simply shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the unicorn's wound. His hands never stopped moving as he carefully mixed one potion after another.
"I know the nature of your kind."
Out of respect for Firenze, Dudley wouldn't hold it against them.
"Hold still. This might sting a bit," Dudley said softly to the unicorn.
He then carefully dripped the mixed potion onto the wound. Like cold water hitting boiling oil, a violent reaction instantly took place. The unicorn's wound began to corrode, as if it had been doused with acid.
At the same time, the black mist wrapped around the wound began to dissipate at a visible rate.
The process, however, was not pleasant. The unicorn began to thrash about in pain. Left with no choice, Dudley placed both hands on the unicorn's body and pressed down lightly. The unicorn instantly fell still.
In a moment, the black mist finally faded, and the unicorn's thrashing subsided. But the place where it had been wounded was now a gaping hole that looked quite gruesome.
Though it looked terrible, it was just a surface wound. To a wizard, as long as it wasn't a death or a permanent injury from an irreversible curse, it was just a flesh wound. A few potions and a chopped-off hand could grow back in minutes.
Of course, growing back a hand in minutes was an exaggeration; it would still take a little while.
Dudley took out two vials of potion. He poured one down the unicorn's throat—Essence of Dittany (for internal use)—and carefully poured the other over its wound—Essence of Dittany (for external use).
The wound healed at a visible rate. New tissue grew, it scabbed over, and then it healed completely, leaving new, smooth skin.
The effect was phenomenal. The only difference was that unlike the rest of its body, which had a soft, velvety coat, the new skin was completely bare.
Potions really are amazing, and their effects are instant.
The unicorn gently nuzzled Dudley's head and licked his palm. If Dudley hadn't been collecting its mane so often, their relationship would have been quite good. After all, there wasn't a single magical creature that could resist the food Dudley made.
Dudley gave the unicorn a little of his homemade food. Once he saw that it was feeling much better, he patted its rear to signal it to stand up and walk. Although its legs were still a little shaky, it was otherwise fine.
No, its body was perfectly fine.
It was just... the overall look was a bit hard to take in.
Yep, the image.
Before, it only had a few bald patches on its mane, but it was still a handsome unicorn. Now, because of the wound and its treatment, a huge patch on its stomach was also bald.
Anyone who knew would understand that it was the result of a wound. But to an outsider, it looked like it had some strange kind of magical alopecia. It was rather unsightly.
Still, it was alive, and that's what mattered. Worrying about its looks was pointless, and the fur would grow back soon enough.
With the unicorn's wounds stabilized, Firenze bid Dudley farewell and returned to his herd.
Dudley first collected some of the silvery blood from the ground. Unicorn blood has healing and life-prolonging properties, and in Muggle legends, it can even bring the dead back to life.
But it absolutely cannot bring back the dead. Not even phoenix tears can do that. And because it wasn't given willingly, while unicorn blood can prolong life, it carries a curse. Once you drink it, you are doomed to live a half-life, a mere shell of a person.
This blood could be used to create curses, and powerful ones at that.
Next, Dudley gave the bald-spotted unicorn one last check to confirm it was okay, then, with the little dragon, he escorted the unicorn back to its herd. The unicorn's herd was deep in the Forbidden Forest, a place with a high danger rating. Adult wizards would never think of going there at night.
But Dudley's new team, a unicorn and a dragon, was a top-tier predator duo in the forest, so they had no trouble at all getting the unicorn back home. Dudley told the little dragon to stay near the unicorn herd. Since it wasn't a full adult yet, it would be safer that way.
After giving the little dragon its instructions, Dudley left the Forbidden Forest.
To be honest, he didn't just want to ride a dragon; he also wanted to ride a unicorn. Unfortunately, a unicorn's carrying capacity was even less than the little dragon's. So that dream was destined to remain unfulfilled. Unless he could lose a little weight...
Back in Hogwarts Castle, Dudley began to review the battle.
Summarizing the lessons from each battle, analyzing the problems and shortcomings, and constantly improving oneself is a crucial part of being a caster.
Dudley now knew the identity of the hooded figure. Ever since a tail grew on his backside, he no longer saw his memories as scripture. But some of the information was still very useful.
Middle of the night, deep in the Forbidden Forest, drinking unicorn blood.
Three key points, and there could only be one person.
There's only one truth.
The person possessed by a certain no-nosed wizard!
The direct confrontation gave Dudley a preliminary understanding of his opponent's power. His immediate impression was that he was strong. Very strong. Even as just a remnant of a soul possessing someone else, he wielded a terrifying power, not the pathetic shadow from his memories. Just the fact that he was able to beat a full-grown unicorn to near death was something most adult wizards couldn't do.
A unicorn, like a phoenix, is rated XXXX on the Ministry's scale. They are powerful magical creatures that are not particularly aggressive towards wizards. However, when a unicorn is enraged, its strength is comparable to legendary creatures rated XXXXX, like a Chimera or a Manticore. That horn of theirs isn't just for show; even a dragon would have to avoid it.
The encounter made Dudley keenly aware of his own shortcomings. His long-range attacks were too simple and needed improvement. He had to figure out a way to get more ranged options.
Failing that, he at least needed to increase his attack variety. Dudley's first thought was firearms.
In theory, if a flashlight could be used with magic, then a firearm should work, too.
Maybe he could get a Magnum? He always loved using one when he played Resident Evil.
"Ding!"
As he was thinking, the long-dormant system notification sounded in his ear.
"Achievement Unlocked: First Confrontation with the Dark Lord."