Hearing Thunderbird speak, Golden Knight and Phoenix also breathed a sigh of relief. Although Thunderbird had a volatile temper, he was, after all, an elder of the club and understood the importance of the bigger picture. Moreover, with him assisting Fwooper, the success rate of establishing the temporary transit station in Northern Europe would surely be higher. It was rare for two Spears to carry out a mission together in the club; even Thunderbird and Black Dragon in America worked independently. However, as Fwooper was Thunderbird's former subordinate and had not yet used the Elixir of Life, these two would surely cooperate well.
"Very good, then the matter is settled," Golden Knight concluded, "and the transport channel must be established within two months. At the very least, one transshipment from Northern Europe must be completed, delivering American goods to the headquarters. This will also alleviate the pressure on the breeding parks, as they are prepared for the future, and it's best not to exhaust them if possible."
Golden Knight made the final decision, then looked at Thunderbird. "I know you want to see the Rune Serpent. I have conveyed your message to the leader, but he is very disappointed with your misstep in Britain. If this Northern European strategy succeeds, he will surely be willing to show himself."
"That would be for the best," Thunderbird nodded. "The leader hasn't appeared for too long; if he doesn't show up soon, I might even suspect you've killed him."
Hearing Thunderbird so brazenly mock the leader of the club and Golden Knight, everyone's expressions behind their masks stiffened. Then, they all glanced sideways at Golden Knight, curious about the leader's current situation.
The Rune Serpent and all the Spears had a mutually beneficial relationship: they provided magical creatures, and the Rune Serpent supplied them with the Elixir of Life. However, everyone's lives were ultimately in the Rune Serpent's hands, so they could only obey orders. But the Rune Serpent had not appeared in the sight of these Spears for many years. Was the Rune Serpent still alive, and was it the leader or Golden Knight who controlled the club?
In truth, they didn't care whether the Rune Serpent was alive or dead. What they cared about was the formula for the Elixir of Life. If Golden Knight had already gained control of the Elixir of Life's formula, did that mean they could too? Such dark thoughts swirled in their minds at this moment, but they showed no outward signs. The straightforward Thunderbird was willing to speak up, which secretly pleased everyone. It would be best for him to confirm the Rune Serpent's situation.
And hearing Thunderbird so boldly mock him, Golden Knight acted very magnanimously. "As for the truth, you'll have to judge for yourself. I cannot influence the Rune Serpent's thoughts; otherwise, I would have made him show himself long ago, to avoid facing so much suspicion." With that, Golden Knight even glanced at the others, knowing full well that each of these guys had their own ulterior motives. Then he looked at Thunderbird with equal mockery. "Maybe after you meet him again, you'll kill him yourself. If you get the formula from him then, don't forget to share a portion with us old friends."
Hearing Golden Knight and Thunderbird speak such treasonous words in front of so many people, everyone's hearts tightened, and their bodies dared not move. The air in the room seemed to solidify. Even the Ashwinder, who was listening in, felt a cold sweat on his back. These two—should he say they were truly worthy of being elders of the club? They didn't even show a shred of respect for the nominal leader. He truly put that sofa in the middle for nothing.
"Heh… heh heh heh…"
"Hmph… hahahahaha…"
Just as everyone thought these two would make another shocking statement, Golden Knight and Thunderbird burst into laughter simultaneously.
"Golden Knight, you're still so good at telling jokes. I thought all these years had completely depleted your sense of humor," Thunderbird chuckled after a hearty laugh, then teased the other again.
"You too. It seems you have more than just muscles in your brain," Golden Knight responded with a light chuckle.
Their laughter helped ease the awkwardness in the room, making everyone around them breathe a sigh of relief. However, it was unknown how much truth and how much falsehood lay in what these two had just called a joke.
"Alright, it's getting late. Today's Longspear Meeting ends here…"
"Bang!"
Just as the atmosphere gradually relaxed and Golden Knight was about to announce the end of the meeting, the room door was suddenly flung open with force. At the same time, a panting Silver Spear rushed in from the doorway. Everyone turned their heads at the sound and saw it was Deformation Lizard, the other Silver Spear stationed at headquarters.
Before anyone could ask what was happening, Deformation Lizard shouted, "Bad news! Something happened at the breeding parks!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stood up with a whoosh, including Golden Knight and Thunderbird, who had just been at odds.
"What's going on? Is someone attacking the breeding parks?" Thunderbird's voice held a hint of ruthlessness, and he quickly drew the wand from his waist.
"No… no one is attacking the parks, it's… it's gone!" Deformation Lizard was extremely flustered at this moment, stammering to everyone.
"What do you mean the parks are gone? Such a large place can't just disappear into thin air. And which park are you talking about?" Golden Knight asked quickly, maintaining his composure.
Deformation Lizard shook his head violently, his body trembling slightly. "Not one park, it's… it's all of them!"
"What exactly happened? Tell us slowly and clearly!" Deformation Lizard's words were unclear, and Phoenix also knew something big had happened, so she quickly asked for details.
"It's like this," Deformation Lizard swallowed. "Today, as per Golden Knight's instructions, I contacted several park managers to prepare to receive the first batch of goods from the parks." Golden Knight nodded upon hearing this. Indeed, to make the Elixir of Life, some older magical creatures needed to be transported out of those three parks, and today was the delivery day. "But when I tried to contact those managers, I found they had vanished, completely unreachable. I felt something was wrong, so I rushed to No. 1 Park to check, and the result was… the result was that No. 1 Park was completely empty! And not just the staff inside, but all the magical creatures had also disappeared into thin air!" Deformation Lizard panted, trying to report the matter to everyone as concisely as possible.
"What about the other two parks?" Golden Knight only then realized something terrible had happened and immediately pressed him.
Deformation Lizard shook his head dejectedly. "All gone. The three parks are exactly alike: not a single person or magical creature left!"
"What!" Golden Knight felt as if he had been struck on the head with a heavy hammer; his body swayed slightly as if he would fall, but he instinctively gripped the nearby armchair, barely steadying himself.
Upon hearing this devastating news, everyone's hearts trembled. These Spears knew all too well how important the breeding parks were; they represented the future of the club and their own future.
Just as everyone was stunned and at a loss by this news, Thunderbird strode forward. "Don't stand here dazed. What's the situation at the parks now? We need to go immediately to confirm what happened and see if there's any chance to salvage it!" Then Thunderbird stepped forward, grabbed Golden Knight by the collar, and pulled him up. "Get a grip, you! You know the headquarters' situation best. Now is when we need you most, don't play dead on me!" With that, Thunderbird let go and pushed Golden Knight aside, then was the first to rush out of the reception room.
"Right… right, let's go to the site first to see the situation and if there's any chance to salvage it!" After being scolded by Thunderbird, Golden Knight also regained his clarity and immediately followed him out. Everyone's minds were a bit muddled at this point, and seeing someone take the lead was like grasping a lifeline. They all followed, including Deformation Lizard, who had initially brought the news.
Soon, only the Ashwinder, who was in charge of guarding, remained at the headquarters. But at this moment, he too was pacing anxiously. "How is this possible? Three parks all gone in the blink of an eye? If all these magical creatures are truly gone, what about the Elixir of Life?" After muttering for a while, the Ashwinder suddenly looked up and murmured to himself, "It's over, the club is probably in big trouble. These Spears are not easy to deal with, every single one of them."
Before long, the group of Spears arrived one after another via Apparition outside No. 1 Park. The Shield Charm that had enveloped the perimeter had already dissipated after Deformation Lizard broke through, leaving only a silent park. The faces of those who saw this scene were grim to the extreme; they could tell with their naked eyes that there was no longer any life within.
After everyone had gathered, Thunderbird turned his head and said, "Golden Knight, Phoenix, and I will go inside to check the situation. The rest of you stay outside and be on guard, in case of an ambush."
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then all nodded in agreement. The breeding parks had been completely emptied, so whoever did this must have targeted the club. There was no guarantee they wouldn't have further actions planned, intending to catch everyone in one swoop!
After a brief instruction, Thunderbird drew his wand and slowly walked inward. Golden Knight and Phoenix stood on either side, also on guard and following closely. However, as the three of them advanced, they encountered no attacks, even when they reached the core residential area; they didn't even feel like they were being watched.
And everything that appeared before their eyes sent a chill down the spines of Golden Knight and Phoenix, who were beside Thunderbird. All the magical creature enclosures were empty, and even the weather blankets covering them had been completely removed. The houses in the residential area were still there, but they were deserted; not a sound could be heard. The most terrifying thing was that there were no signs of battle, neither in the residential area nor on the roads, as if everything in the park had simply vanished into thin air.