Thunderbird's lips curled into a sneer. "Wizard hero? Hah! What a joke," he scoffed, as if the title itself was beneath him. "That's nothing more than a fancy label with no real benefits."
Still, despite his obvious disdain, he seemed unwilling to let Alex go. "But I'll admit," he continued, "your future does seem promising. And that's exactly why you should join the Silver Wands. We don't take in just anyone. We only recruit the best of the best. To be one of us is to be among the truly powerful."
Thunderbird's voice took on a more persuasive edge as he leaned in slightly. "And as for benefits? You won't be left wanting. The club has its own treasure vault, filled with rare and precious materials that most wizards could only dream of getting their hands on. If you prove yourself valuable, you'll have access to everything you could ever need. Exclusive spells, alchemical components, secrets lost to time, anything you desire. And if you rise high enough, the rewards will be beyond your imagination."
Alex kept his expression neutral, but internally, he was taking careful note of every piece of information Thunderbird was willingly giving away. 'So they have a treasure vault? And access to unique magical resources? Interesting.'
It was clear Thunderbird genuinely wanted to recruit him. Wizards with high-level combat skills were rare, and Alex had already demonstrated he wasn't an easy opponent. Even in their club, that kind of talent was probably uncommon.
Alex crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly as if considering the offer. "Oh? So if I join, I'll be showered with rewards. And what about obligations? Or is this some kind of no-strings-attached deal?"
Thunderbird let out a condescending chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course there are obligations," he said, shaking his head. "But compared to the benefits, they're hardly worth worrying about."
He gestured casually. "All you need to do is sign a secrecy contract and complete assigned tasks regularly. In return, you'll earn merits that can be exchanged for whatever you need, materials, spells, resources, you name it. The more you contribute, the more you gain. It's that simple."
Then, his eyes gleamed with something almost like pity. "You really think you'll go far by staying in Britain? This tiny island is nothing but a cage. If you stay here, you'll be trapped in mediocrity, surrounded by those who will never reach their full potential. But with us, you'll see the true scope of the wizarding world."
Thunderbird spread his arms, as if welcoming Alex into something grand. "We don't reject the strong. We seek them out, cultivate them. You're not like those useless, spineless wizards who waste their potential. Stay with them too long, and you'll become ordinary. But with us, you'll finally see how vast and powerful the world truly is."
Alex raised an eyebrow. It was obvious Thunderbird was convinced he'd be swayed by the offer, but the only thing this guy had done so far was confirm that the Silver Wands was a dangerous organization.
'And you had the nerve to set fire to my house,' Alex thought darkly, his fingers tightening slightly around his wand. You're the one who should be worried.
He wasn't interested in their so-called 'brotherhood.' What he was interested in was making sure Thunderbird never walked away from this encounter.
Alex smirked, his voice laced with mockery as he taunted, "You lot scurry around like rats, hiding in the shadows, running from country to country with your tails between your legs. And yet, you dare call yourselves the strong? Seems to me that the title of a 'strong' is worth a lot less than I thought."
Thunderbird's face darkened at the blatant insult. It was clear now, Alex had never been serious about joining. The entire conversation had been a ruse, a way to buy time and gather information. Thunderbird's expression twisted with rage as he realized he had been strung along by a mere boy.
"You refuse a toast, so now you'll have to drink a forfeit," Thunderbird growled, his voice brimming with fury. The air around him shifted, crackling with heat as his magic surged. "Fiendfyre! Blazing Arrow!"
With a powerful sweep of his wand, a massive, fiery arrow formed at the tip, its core burning with thick, viscous Fiendfyre. The cursed flames twisted violently, forming a tail of searing heat as the arrow shot toward Alex at breakneck speed.
Alex had been preparing for this. He had been quietly gathering his own magic, waiting for the perfect moment. Now was the time. "Corvus Sonitus!"
Lightning surged from his wand, crackling and twisting into the form of ravens. Unlike the deep black crows of his earlier version, these were different, sleek and azure, their feathers glowing with electric energy.
The flock burst forth in an instant. Some shot straight toward the incoming Fiendfyre arrow, while others split into two groups, one diving toward Thunderbird, the other scattering toward the snow-covered pine trees surrounding them.
As the Thundercrows reached the trees, they let out eerie cries, their calls infused with the Infrasonic Curse. The sound was deep, resonant, unsettling, like the cries of witch birds that sent shivers down the spine. Their shrieks rattled the branches, sending cascades of snow tumbling down, filling the air with swirling white.
The Thundercrows that clashed with the Blazing Arrow were obliterated in an instant, their forms incinerated as the cursed fire tore through them. But they had served their purpose, their bodies crackled with stored electricity, and as they were destroyed, they released bursts of Thundris Tempest, bombarding the arrow with explosive discharges. The Fiendfyre surged and roared, but after repeated impacts, it finally dissipated.
Thunderbird, watching this, simply sneered. He flicked his wand with a casual motion. "Mille Fyre!."
A volley of magical projectiles erupted, sweeping outward in a wide arc. Unlike simple, mindless spells, these bullets moved with precise tracking, each one locking onto a Thundercrow. The magical bolts tore through the flock with brutal efficiency, piercing through their bodies before they could unleash their attack.
But Alex had anticipated this.
Some of the Thundercrows detonated before the bullets even reached them. Instead of bursts of electricity, they erupted with blinding flashes of white and streaks of eerie darkness.
Thunderbird's eyes briefly widened in surprise. Flash Talismans, hidden inside the ravens.
Alex had known that simply throwing those talismans would be useless, Thunderbird was too fast, too experienced. But hiding them inside his spell? That was a different story.
For the first time, Thunderbird hesitated. The dazzling light clouded his senses, disrupting his vision for just a fraction of a second. But Alex didn't need more than that. His wand flicked forward. "Sectumsempra!"
A silent, razor-sharp slash of dark magic shot through the air, aimed directly at Thunderbird's chest.
"Stormscatter Hex!"
At the same time, bolts of electricity branched out like a web, crackling and weaving toward their target.
For a moment, it looked as if the spells would land. But then, just before impact, Thunderbird roared, his voice laced with pure fury.
"Fiendfyre! Ferrum Ignis!"
His wand sliced through the air, and a massive, blazing arc of Fiendfyre erupted from its tip. The blade, more than ten meters long, was composed entirely of the cursed fire, its edges flickering with chaotic, uncontrollable energy. With a single sweeping motion, Thunderbird slashed through the incoming spells, reducing them to nothing in an instant.