Medea stood frozen, her mind still struggling to process what had just happened. Behind her, the remaining Aurors exchanged bewildered glances.
One finally broke the silence. "What… what the hell was that?"
Medea clenched her jaw. She had made a grave mistake. And now A monster was loose in the world.
Shalltear, having transformed into a bat, abandoned her other disguises, revealing the sharp fangs in her mouth. She stretched her wings wide and soared forward, covering a great distance in a single leap.
Then, she spotted a small cluster of thunderclouds floating not far ahead in the sky.
Zap!
"Wha, ?!"
Before she could react, a bolt of lightning from the Thundris Vortex struck her directly. Caught completely off guard, Shalltear let out a sharp cry, her eyes rolling back as she lost control. Her tiny bat form plummeted from the sky, crashing unceremoniously into the grass below.
At that moment, Alex, who was facing off against Thunderbird, felt a slight disturbance, his Thundris Vortex had hit something. However, with a powerful opponent standing before him, he couldn't afford to be distracted.
During the previous battle on the main battlefield, Alex had taken note of Thunderbird's strength. The man was exceptionally skilled in the Fiendfyre Curse, and from their brief exchange, Alex had gathered some key observations.
First, his opponent's magical power was incredibly strong, likely bolstered by a high Spiritual Attribute. The sheer force of his spells was outrageous, easily on par with Alex's own.
Magical strength could be influenced by willpower or deep emotion, but Alex couldn't tell what exactly was fueling Thunderbird's power. 'Could it be that arrogance and sheer overconfidence provided some kind of boost?' The thought intrigued him, sparking his curiosity as a researcher.
Second, Thunderbird's control over magic was nothing short of terrifying. The Aspen Wands he wielded was charged with an absurd level of magical power. Even though their methods differed, both of them relied on highly refined spellcasting that demanded extreme control.
To manipulate magic with such efficiency, one had to have an exceptional grasp of control-based magic, at the very least surpassing the level of pure instinct.
More concerningly, Alex realized he had gradually been losing ground in their fight. That could only mean one thing, Thunderbird's magic sensitivity surpassed his own.
This was a huge problem. Magic sensitivity didn't just influence how well a wizard could perceive and control magic; it also affected spell efficiency. If Alex needed one Lum of magical energy to generate 1.5 units of spell output, Thunderbird could likely generate 1.6, or possibly even more.
In other words, if Alex continued fighting on even footing, he would run out of magic first. Despite Thunderbird's lower mana reserves, his superior efficiency meant that a war of attrition would only end in Alex's defeat.
This man was a true master.
Alex understood that simply relying on his magic alone wouldn't be enough to win. If he wanted a chance, he would have to strategize, using every trick at his disposal, including alchemical tools.
But there was another problem, Thunderbird's Fiendfyre was too overwhelming. Trying to launch alchemical projectiles directly would be useless; they would burn up before even reaching him. If Alex wanted to use his tools, he needed to find a way to interfere with Thunderbird's perception first.
Unfortunately, a direct smokescreen wouldn't work. The mask Thunderbird wore seemed to enhance his vision, making regular fog ineffective.
So what could he use?
Alex's eyes flickered toward the environment. The area was mostly open, save for a few scattered pine trees, their trunks as thick as a person's arm. Snow blanketed both the treetops and the ground.
'Snow?' That gave him an idea.
Just as Alex was piecing together his plan, Thunderbird suddenly spoke, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Boy," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Don't waste your time. You can't beat me. I was just toying with you before. If we continue, you're dead."
Alex chuckled at his words. "Oh? Then why didn't you kill me earlier? Or are those shipments you brought from across the world so insignificant that you've got time to stand around talking?"
"Killing you outright would be a waste. For one, I don't want to risk damaging the goods. And besides…" He paused, tilting his head slightly, his eyes gleaming. "I have a bit of a soft spot for talent."
He straightened up, his tone shifting into something more serious. "Your strength is enough to qualify you for the club. How about it? Interested in joining us? I'll even be your sponsor, which means you can skip the standard duel assessment. Not many people get that privilege."
Alex couldn't help but scoff internally. 'What kind of idiot do you take me for?' He had money, wealth, and property, everything he needed.
On top of that, he had strong ties to the government. Why in Merlin's name would he throw all of that away to become a criminal? 'Do I look like someone desperate to be hunted down?'
Still, he saw an opportunity here. If he played his cards right, he could gather useful information while also buying himself some time. So, putting on an unimpressed expression, he decided to humor the man.
"Oh? So you're just some underground smuggling operation with a fancy name, and you expect me to be impressed? I've never even heard of your so-called 'club.' And you think a few words are enough to convince me to join?" Alex said, his tone dripping with skepticism. "That's a bit ambitious, don't you think?"
Thunderbird's expression twitched. For a second, he looked annoyed, but then he burst into laughter.
"Hah! Typical. You clueless fools who live on this tiny island have no idea what true power is." His tone was laced with arrogance, as if he were speaking to a child. "The Silver Wands is famous across the entire European continent! We have a history spanning centuries, and yet you dare to call us 'unknown'? That's sheer ignorance."
Then, as if caught up in his own boasting, Thunderbird continued, "And do you really think smuggling is all we do? That's just, "
He abruptly stopped himself, his jaw snapping shut as realization struck. His eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing in his gaze as he stared at Alex.
"Enough talk. I don't have time to entertain your nonsense. Just give me a straight answer, are you in or not? If you want to know more about the club, you'll have to join first."
Alex almost rolled his eyes. Oh, come on. That was getting interesting. He had been thoroughly enjoying watching the guy let details slip. Why stop now?
Feigning thoughtfulness, he shrugged. "Alright then, what exactly do I get out of this? You must realize that I'm no ordinary wizard. I'm a certified Wizard hero under the British Ministry of Magic, and I'll be graduating from Hogwarts with full honors. On top of that, I'm well on my way to becoming the most accomplished alchemist in the UK. What exactly do you have to offer that would make this worth my time?"
Of course, he was exaggerating, bragging, even, but there was no harm in making himself sound more valuable. If it meant squeezing more information out of Thunderbird, then why not?