2 Chapter 2: Not so friendly Forest

Anyone would assume that as a ghost, there would be no way for you to get injured, but the wounds on my body prove otherwise; an arrow was lodged deep in my shoulder, an arrow in my knee, and a thin, long cut on my right cheek.

I was beyond angry at what had transpired. My arrogance was almost my downfall. It had to be curbed and tempered. I am currently weak and have the gall to be so overconfident. This has to change. I need to find a safe place to call home and to train.

I continued flying away to what I hoped would find a quiet, uninhabited area to treat these wounds.

{Moments earlier}

After dealing with the Acromantula, I started to wander around, looking for any creature I could potentially kill to obtain their fragmented souls.

'Wow, I almost sound like a pretentious dark lord there,' chuckling mentally.

As I flew back near the forest's edge, I sensed something moving through the bushes and creating rustling sounds.

I continued moving, where I detected the disturbance. I found what appeared to be this world's version of Oblivion's goblins, but more greyish blue, and there were a few of them.

'If I recall correctly, those are Imps,' I thought, recalling the creatures that live in Great Britain and Ireland. Imps are one of them; they are mostly harmless and very weak creatures, but they enjoy tormenting wizards by throwing any projectiles they can get their hands on, and I intend to enjoy harvesting their echoes as well.

They also arrived at the ideal time to test my new Cryomancy spells. The world is providing me with opportunities here.

I raised my hands and drew on my magic once more to cast my Cryomancy spell. According to the information I obtained, the Frostbite spell is a blast of cold that delivers damage over time as you continue to blast them with it in a beam while slowing down what it strikes. I altered the spell so that instead of using it in a beam attack, it would do something different within the same parameters.

I focused roughly ten percent of my power to gather at the center of my right hand, flying at my maximum speed directly at the center of the Imp group. Ignoring their startled screeches of surprise, to them, it might've looked like I teleported in between them and slammed the spell onto the ground, Blasting the area, which spanned 1.85 meters in frost magic, freezing as well as shattering the weak imps Instantly. Currently, this spell alteration at this output only worked so effectively on the imps because they are extremely weak; the same spell would only be as effective on an adult wizard if I used everything I had into it, and there was a high chance they would apparate out of it, it isn't consistent in high-speed battle only in ambushes like these would it have the same success I just had, as I grow stronger, it will become increasingly easier for me to combat witches and wizards it is not a matter of IF, but WHEN, but for the time being, I am only a ghost.

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

Looking at the shattered ice on the forest floor, I couldn't help but utter, "Wow, not even lesser echoes. What a shame." 

"I should find more stronger beasts; I have enough strength to do so." I would rather not keep killing these imps.

While I was waiting for my magic to return to full power, I began walking away to find a better hunting spot but stopped when I heard the sound of hooves stamping on the earth, approaching me quickly. Turning around, I saw a herd of seven centaurs emerging from the trees and coming to a stop around 10 meters away from me.

I felt a brief spike of irritation before it passed.

'So they've come after all...' 

Before I could say anything, the lead Centaur beat me to the punch.

"Why are you here in our forest abomination?" The leading Centaur spoke in a very unwelcoming and hostile tone. It put me slightly on edge. I didn't know if I could take them all on, but I damn sure wouldn't back down from a half horse even if they were stronger than me.

"what's it, you horsy? Does everyone need your approval to go into the forest now? and who are you calling an abomination, you decrepit monkey?" I replied with the same hostility he was showing me.

The lead Centaur began advancing slowly toward me and paused around a few feet away. He craned his head to gaze down at me. "Your taunts and insults hold no meaning to us. Your presence here is a miasma of darkness. Leave our home abomination while we are still peaceful. Your Presence stinks of death. It is most foul leave at once...you are not welcome here!"

"I go wherever I please, Centaur. What are you going to do about it?" I goaded and used my Deathly Presence trait to intensify the already chilling aura surrounding me by a few notches.

I immediately noticed that several of them were shivering, as if a chill had gone down their spines, while others tensed and began drawing their bows.

"You leave us no choice abomination. Prepare yourself!" One of the centaurs shouted as he fully drew his bow with an arrow notched and aimed directly at me.

Smirking, I stood motionless, knowing that his arrows would pass right through me.

When the arrow was released from the bow, a surge of instinctual dread coursed through me in a split second. My instincts screamed at me to move, to dodge the approaching arrow.

Reacting purely on instinct.

In a split second, I tried dodging to the right. I was successful in dodging certain death but not harm as I felt a thin, long cut forming on my right cheek that stung in a feeling of pain I never experienced before. The realization that I was not invincible as an incorporeal ghost dawned on me, that there were things that could kill me, and these Centaurs had them.

[Survival Quest Added: Survive]

Ignoring the notification, I screamed, "Ugh! That hurt! Bastards, you will pay for this!"

Reacting instinctively in my rage, I pushed my telekinetic powers to their maximum and utilized them to blast away the remaining incoming arrows before I immediately flew upwards to gain a better vantage point and survey the situation. The centaurs immediately spread out to surround me, their bows drawn, and I understood that if I didn't move quickly, I'd most definitely die.

Thinking quickly, I summoned all the loose rocks, stones, and pebbles in the area, rotated them at high speeds, and used them as projectiles to pierce the centaurs' hides. I managed to Pierce the backs of three Centaurs, who dodged getting hit in the vital points I was initially aiming for before they retreated to the back of the trees to avoid the deadly projectiles. I also used my frost magic to create a thin layer of ice on the ground, which caused two of the front arrow-shooting centaurs to slip and slide, missing their shots and giving me a brief window of opportunity to attack.

I focused my telekinetic blasts on the two centaurs, slightly disoriented after nearly falling, and blasted them into the trees, knocking them unconscious. Meanwhile, I continued to use my flight and telekinetic small blasts to deflect and redirect their arrows away from me and back at them. However, the centaurs were unrelenting in their hunt to destroy me, and while evading, I felt my newly acquired ghostly instincts tingle again. At the corner of my vision to my left, I noticed the lead centaur was chanting something in a tongue I had never heard of before on his bow while drawing it towards me. I instantly sped towards him and used a powerful telekinetic blast point blank to stop whatever he was doing. His body was flung rag-dolling and hit 3 tree barks before he stopped and didn't get back up; I didn't receive a notification that his soul had been absorbed, so I knew he was still alive.

Unfortunately, my rapid transition from dodging and defending to striking opened a brief window of opportunity for one of the centaurs to land a shot in my shoulder. The pain was excruciating, but I refused to let it slow me down. I continued to fight back, using my powers to hurl rocks and telekinetic blasts at the centaurs. Despite my best efforts, I knew I couldn't win this battle; I was already losing steam, my magic was running out, and I couldn't continue doing these grueling moves at this level of strength. I needed to flee and find a quiet place to treat my wounds.

I used the last bits of my magic for a powerful telekinetic blast and blasted the ground and the centaurs close to where I was aiming to create a giant smokescreen of debris and dirt to distract the other centaurs while also knocking out two more centaurs before flying away in the ensuing confusion as fast as I could toward the edge of the forest. The last two centaurs pursued me, but I managed to evade them by zigzagging through the trees and using what little magic I had regenerated to cause small rifts in their way with telekinesis and putting obstacles in their path without even turning around to face them. Eventually, I made it to the edge of the forest and flew away to safety. As I flew away, I felt a sharp pain in my knee, realizing that I had taken an arrow in the knee of all places.

{Present}

Despite my injuries, I knew I had won this battle; they couldn't destroy me after all, and now I have a grudge to settle with them when I'm stronger. It appears that the centaurs in the forbidden forest will become extinct soon; I had managed to injure and knock out five centaurs while outmaneuvering the last two to finally escape as a lowly ghost. My potential is vast. All I have to do is achieve it. I have collected enough souls to evolve and grow stronger. As I navigated away, I resolved to become stronger and face the challenges that lay ahead. To become the strongest, stronger than Voldemort, stronger than Grindlewald, stronger than Dumbledore, I will reach their level and go even further beyond. Nothing will stop me.

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As I was flying away, I noticed groups of imps running in my direction, approaching the scene from which I was fleeing.

The fight must have been loud, and the Centaurs will most likely alert Hagrid, who would inform Dumbledore, "Shit... not even one day in this new world, and you'll have the old goat sniffing down your back. Good job, Aurelius. Good job, you fucked up." Grimacing at my poor decisions, I sent a telekinetic blast with what little remains of magic I had left at one of the imp groups, shredding them in frustration.

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

[A Petty soul echo has been absorbed]

I could only feel frustration. I knew I'd have to spend these new echoes healing my wounds and either use the common echo to evolve or upgrade my most useful skill, which had saved my life several times in that battle.

I can't change what's happened; what's done is done, and I must live with the consequences.

'Now I have to find a cave or somewhere uninhabited to hide in and heal...'

I altered my direction and rushed full speed toward Hogsmeade, my target. The cavern above Hogsmeade.

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