The closer Shawn drew to the Acromantulas' nest, the more spiders there were.
Even after killing who knew how many, he still saw spiders of every size packed everywhere, all retreating together.
These evil fantastic beasts had virtually no worthy natural predators in the Forbidden Forest and produced huge broods at a time. Yet after fifty years of breeding, they still hadn't completely conquered the forest.
To be fair, that really was thanks to Hagrid keeping them in check.
But that was no excuse for Hagrid to raise such dangerous creatures.
Shawn had entered several of their web-filled nests.
Besides the bodies of their mortal enemies, the centaurs, there had been plenty of human remains inside.
So Shawn killed Acromantulas with a perfectly clear conscience.
Whoosh!
After a crescent-shaped net of Thunderlight Swords shredded a small group of spiders attempting to counterattack, along with several large trees, none of the others dared challenge him again.
Against swarming creatures like spiders, regardless of their size or numbers, one powerful area attack was enough to utterly counter them-as long as you had enough magical energy.
With every step Shawn took, the spider army retreated like an ebbing tide.
Just then, several talking Acromantulas from the second generation of Aragog's descendants called out from behind the swarm.
"Powerful human, leave at once!"
"Powerful human, we haven't exposed you! Leave at once!"
Shawn continued collecting the Acromantulas' magical energy, gathering their venom along the way.
He wasn't some righteous crusader. He would never bear to wipe these spiders out-they were an endless source of magical energy and a fortune in Galleons.
He had pushed this close to their nest only to discuss his plans for stirring up trouble in his second year with Aragog and get him to cooperate.
Shawn rose from beside a