As Thunderbird instinctively mumbled, Golden Knight's heart immediately sank. Phoenix had been researching the mystery of eternal life for years; this was something all their elders knew about. Could her research have already yielded results? Reverse-engineering the Elixir of Life's formula… was that possible?
If that were truly the case, it was highly probable that Phoenix had swept clean the club's years of collected magical beasts and claimed them for herself. However, if it was just her, the current stock of magical beasts would be enough for her to be self-sufficient! And with Phoenix's ability, coupled with her understanding of the various parks, she could indeed silently raid all the parks. As for the Aurors finding the imprisoned park wizards, it might truly have been a coincidence.
Following this line of thought, Golden Knight found it increasingly plausible and, at the same time, increasingly chilling. If this was truly Phoenix's doing, then it would be difficult for them to recover those magical beasts.
"Golden Knight… Golden Knight!" Seeing Golden Knight standing dumbfounded and silent, Thunderbird impatiently shouted at him several times.
"Huh?" Golden Knight was now somewhat disoriented by his own deductions. "I'm afraid these matters are truly related to Phoenix. We need to find a way to locate her as soon as possible."
"Find? How do we find her? If a leader truly wants to hide, can you find her?" Thunderbird waved his hand irritably. "What we should be worried about now is what to do next. If we include the batch of goods supplied by the transport team, how much longer can the club last?"
At Thunderbird's question, Golden Knight said with some guilt, "We can't reach the transport team either now…"
"What?!" Thunderbird was furious upon hearing this. "What the hell are you guys doing? Didn't you already send people to reinforce them? You lost so many people? Do you know how much effort I put into escorting them out of Northern Europe?" Then Thunderbird asked anxiously, "Tell me honestly, does Phoenix know the transport route for that batch of goods?"
"This… I did mention it to her…" At Thunderbird's question, Golden Knight also became nervous. Could it be that Phoenix didn't even spare the transport team?
"Then we're in trouble!" Thunderbird sighed deeply, then roared at Golden Knight again, "Even if that team disappears into thin air now, I wouldn't be surprised, you idiot!"
"Don't get so agitated first!" Golden Knight's mind was also a tangled mess. "The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation and get through this difficult period. Moreover, these park wizards rescued by the Aurors are also very troublesome; they might have a huge impact on the entire European strategy."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Thunderbird paused, then said coldly, "How about we just go there directly and eliminate all these hundreds of wizards!"
"Are you crazy? How could they not be prepared? And doing so would cause public outrage. At that time, not only Germany but also the International Confederation of Wizards might pay attention." Golden Knight was startled by Thunderbird's words. This guy really didn't mind making things worse.
"Since that's the case, then we'll have to start with the other leaders." Thunderbird looked leisurely at Golden Knight. "What we need to do first is survive, right…"
"You mean?" Golden Knight sensed the hidden murderous intent in his words. "Is it necessary to go to such lengths? This is self-destruction!"
"Then you tell me, where will the Elixir of Life for a quarter from now come from?" Thunderbird made no secret of his thoughts. "In short, the more people who share the medicine, the more urgent our time becomes. Do you have a way to obtain raw materials in a short period?"
"This…" Golden Knight pondered for a moment with some hesitation. He knew Thunderbird was right, but it was still very difficult to make such a decision.
"Also…" Thunderbird added at this point, "have you confirmed the situation with the Rune Serpent? Have you considered that this incident might have been personally orchestrated by her? Furthermore, if she knows the club's current predicament, how can you guarantee she won't abandon us and run away?"
At Thunderbird's words, Golden Knight also felt a chill in his heart. It seemed that this was not impossible. Given the Rune Serpent's selfish personality, after knowing that the club had lost most of its raw material sources, it was debatable whether she would continue to supply the Elixir of Life.
"Alright." Golden Knight also made up his mind at this point. "First, deal with those leaders, and then I'll find a way to meet the Rune Serpent. As soon as she agrees, we'll go find her together."
"Remember, don't tell her the club's current situation for now, lest she leaves us high and dry!" Thunderbird said, adding again after seeing Golden Knight finally relent.
"I know, I'm not an idiot." Golden Knight replied somewhat dejectedly, then turned his head to look at the younger version of Peter beside him. "You looked like you were about to speak just now. Has someone else arrived at headquarters?"
"It's Acromantula. She just sent an entry request. You two better hurry with whatever you're doing." The younger version of Peter had been watching their conversation the whole time. Although he was startled by their decision, he showed no objection, as it also related to his own situation.
"Good, then I'll do it." Thunderbird snorted coldly, then drew his wand and lightly tapped himself. Immediately, his body gradually dissolved into the air.
The younger version of Peter showed no unusual reaction either, walking directly out of the reception room, while Golden Knight sat upright on the nearby sofa, feigning composure.
When the younger version of Peter returned, he was accompanied by another Silver Spears leader, Acromantula.
"Golden Knight, what on earth happened? This emergency contact signal, it seems to be the first time in over ten years, right? Could it be that those magical beasts have been found?" Acromantula had rushed over from Italy and hadn't had time to learn about what happened last night.
"Let's not talk about other things for now. I only want to ask you one thing: Phoenix's whereabouts!" Golden Knight suppressed his anxiety and looked at her with a cold tone.
"Phoenix? How would I know her situation? Are you summoning us so urgently because of her?" Although Acromantula had a good relationship with Phoenix, as leaders, everyone kept something back from each other.
"That's right. Phoenix has lost contact, and this attack on the park was very likely her doing!" Golden Knight stared intently at Acromantula, seemingly trying to discern something from her.
"Impossible, right? Why would Phoenix do that?" Acromantula was also startled upon hearing this. "Could it be that her research into eternal life has yielded results?"
"I'm not sure. The most important thing now is to find Phoenix first. Can you contact her?" Golden Knight's tone was extremely steady at this moment, as if he were trying to conceal something.
Acromantula shook her head without hesitation after hearing this. "I'm not her nanny. Why would our contact be so frequent? Even normally, we wouldn't… Ugh!!!"
Just as Acromantula was speaking, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. When she looked down, she saw a crimson magical blade piercing through her chest. And the one who struck was, naturally, Thunderbird, who had been stealthily lurking nearby.
"You… this is…" Acromantula stared at Golden Knight in disbelief, then struggled to turn her head and look at Thunderbird. She hadn't expected these two to suddenly attack her, directly at headquarters.
Acromantula, filled with astonishment and rage, was about to react, but Golden Knight in front of her silently raised his wand and cast a Killing Curse at close range! Instantly killing this colleague, Acromantula, who had worked with them for many years and had emerged from the Grindelwald faction with them, on the spot.
After completing this cruel and despicable sneak attack, Golden Knight and Thunderbird remained silent, efficiently cleaning up the scene. Thunderbird was responsible for collecting the spoils from her body, while Golden Knight cleaned up the bloodstains she left behind. And when Thunderbird finished searching her, the younger version of Peter took Acromantula's body and moved it to the inner room. Throughout, these three did not say a single word, acting with extreme coldness.
"This is her Elixir of Life, exactly one and a half bottles. Just enough for one share each for the three of us." Thunderbird, who was responsible for clearing the belongings, took out two crystal bottles from Acromantula's spatial item. He kept the half bottle for himself, then threw the full bottle to Golden Knight. "You two divide these two portions yourselves."
Golden Knight nodded indifferently at this. Thinking of how he had just caused the death of a former colleague, he felt no guilt or unease in his heart. After all, this concerned their lives and fortunes. They could now take the initiative before the news got out. Once the other leaders learned that the raw materials from the park and the transport team were problematic, they might turn their guns on them.
However, he mumbled that this wouldn't work in the long run. Even if they eliminated the other leaders, the recovered potions would only extend their lives by two or three years. They still needed to find new sources of raw materials. Thinking of this, Golden Knight couldn't help but place his remaining hope on the Ministry of Magic.
As for the lost raw materials and seeking revenge on the culprit? Golden Knight was no longer at an age where he would act on impulse. Not to mention whether they could find the culprit, since the other party had targeted the club, they would surely be prepared. Rash actions would only lead to more casualties.
"Don't just stand there daydreaming. This is just the first one. We still have a lot to do next. Who knows how much potion we can recover today." Thunderbird interrupted Golden Knight's thoughts and nudged his chin toward the younger version of Peter again.
It turned out that the younger version of Peter had sensed someone else applying to enter the headquarters again. Clearly, this was another person who had responded to the urgent summons.
"I know, let's continue." Golden Knight nodded coldly. "Today is the best, and the last, opportunity. Once the news spreads tomorrow, they will surely be prepared!"