Chapter 155: "Knight vs Inferi Horde"

Harry stood ready as the first inferi emerged from the dark waters. With a wave of his free hand, he cast a powerful "Lumos Maxima" spell, sending a bright light into the sky. The sudden illumination revealed wave after wave of inferi following the first ones out of the murky lake.

Without hesitation, Harry began swinging his sword, slicing left and right at the approaching horde. The inferi didn't try to defend themselves or dodge his attacks. They had only one purpose: to kill any intruders.

Harry's blade cut through their cold, lifeless flesh with ease. As he fought, he noticed the unsettling fact about these zombie-like creatures. The inferi showed no emotion, no pain from his attacks. Even when he sliced off a hand, they kept coming at him, relentless in their efforts to kill the intruder.

Harry remembered the dark magic Voldemort had used to create these inferi. He had seen it in Voldemort's memories - how the Dark Lord had invaded graveyards, casting forbidden spells to raise his army of the undead. Most of that army had been used in the wizarding war but some of them were sent here to guard his precious piece of soul.

Realizing the enormous number of enemies he faced, Harry understood he needed to be more precise. Only removing their heads would truly stop them. If he just slashed blindly through the horde, he would just waste his energy and wouldn't reduce their numbers effectively.

With this in mind, Harry changed his strategy. He began aiming his strikes higher, focusing on decapitating the undead creatures. Each swing of his sword now sent heads rolling, finally stopping the inferi in their tracks.

The battle raged on, and soon the ground around Harry was covered with the remains of fallen inferi. But as time passed and more inferi remains splashed into the lake, the intensity of the battle increased.

More and more inferi crawled out of the water, their numbers seeming endless. Harry felt overwhelmed, realizing that one sword might not be enough to handle the growing horde.

In a split-second decision, Harry reached for a second sword. It was just an ordinary sword he had taken from the Black family collection as a backup. Unlike the special Gryffindor family sword he had been using, this one had no magical properties. Harry had never trained in using two swords at once, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"There's always a time to learn," he thought to himself as he gripped both swords tightly.

With two blades now slicing through the air, Harry's efficiency doubled. He spun and twirled, his swords becoming a whirlwind of destruction against the inferi. The cave echoed with the sounds of metal cutting through flesh and bone, a grim melody accompanying Harry's deadly dance.

As he fought, Harry felt something change within him. To his joy, he noticed that the bottleneck that had been holding back his Knight training had finally broken. He also received a huge boost to his physical abilities.

This breakthrough had taken his knight progress from 60% to 70%, and with it came a surge in strength. Harry, filled with renewed energy, danced through the inferi horde, his happiness showing with each slice of his two swords.

As the fight continued, Harry lost count of how many inferi he had defeated. He guessed it must be around 200, but still, they kept coming. The lake seemed to have an endless supply of these undead creatures, each one replaced by two more as soon as they fell. However, Harry wasn't afraid anymore. He was slicing and dancing through the horde with a strange mix of determination and joy.

But all good things must come to an end. As hours went by, Harry's arms began to ache, and his breathing became heavy. The high-intensity fight was taking its toll. Sweat dripped down his face, stinging his eyes, but he couldn't afford to wipe it away. Every second was crucial in keeping the relentless horde at bay.

Despite his determination, Harry felt his strength fading. His movements, once quick and precise, became slower and less coordinated because of tiredness. The piles of inferi remains on the ground also made it harder to move freely. The inferi, almost as if sensing his fatigue, pressed their attack with renewed vigor.

Realizing he couldn't continue much longer, Harry decided to pause the attack for the day. It was clear he couldn't clear this lake of inferi in one day, as the waves of undead kept coming. He would need to return a few more times to finish the job.

With the last bit of his energy, Harry used his flying ability to lift himself above the grasping hands of the inferi. Hovering in the air, safe for the moment, he called out to his faithful companion.

"Mira! Now!" he shouted, his voice hoarse from exertion.

In an instant, Mira appeared beside him in mid-air. Understanding his unspoken command, she grasped his arm tightly. With a loud crack, they disappeared from the cave, leaving behind the horde of inferi still reaching for their vanished prey.

As they reappeared in a safe location, Harry collapsed to his knees, his swords clattering to the ground beside him. He was exhausted but happy. The battle with the inferi had pushed him to his limits and given a huge boost to his Knight training progress.

The task was not over though. He would take a good rest and return to the cave for another round of this challenging but rewarding experience.

And that's exactly what he did. After a few days of rest and recovery, Harry returned to the cave. This time, his goal wasn't to fight but to clear away the mountain of inferi corpses he had left behind before the next round of battle.

He carefully collected everything and transported it to a huge pit on a nearby small island, where he burned it all. During this clean-up operation, he ignored the new inferi that emerged from the lake, focusing solely on his task.

The next day, with his fatigue gone and his strength renewed, Harry went for another round against the inferi. Once again, he fought until he was near exhaustion before escaping with Mira's help.

This cycle of fighting and clearing inferi corpses continued for several days. Each time, Harry pushed himself to his limits, honing his skills and increasing his endurance. He could feel himself growing stronger with each battle, his knight training progressing rapidly.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of combat, Harry noticed the number of inferi emerging from the lake was decreasing. The endless waves of undead were becoming smaller and less frequent. With a surge of determination, Harry pressed on, fighting tirelessly until at last, the final inferi fell to his blade.

As the last of the undead creatures crumbled to the ground, Harry stood alone in the cave, surrounded by the eerie silence that followed the long battle.

Exhausted but triumphant, Harry allowed himself a moment of pride. He had not only overcome this seemingly insurmountable challenge but had also made significant progress in his knight training. As he prepared to leave, Harry gazed into the shadowy depths of the cave. This would not be his final visit; he was determined to return one more time, but he wouldn't be alone.