Dark thoughts twisted through their minds, but none showed it openly. For now, Thunderbird's straightforward acceptance of Snidget as leader kept things calm.
Deep down, everyone was actually quite pleased.
It would have been better if he could confirm the situation with the Horned Basilisk himself. But when Thunderbird confidently took charge, Golden Snidget responded with a generous air.
"You can judge the truth for yourself. I have no way to influence the Horned Basilisk's thoughts; otherwise, I would have had him show up already. That would save me from facing so many doubts all the time."
As he spoke, Golden Snidget glanced around at the others, fully aware that each of them had their own hidden agendas. Then, looking at Thunderbird with a playful smirk, he added,
"Maybe when you meet him again, you can take him down yourself. And if you manage to get the formula from him then, don't forget to share it with your old friends."
Hearing such bold words from Golden Snidget and Thunderbird in front of everyone, the room instantly tensed up. No one dared to move, and the air...
The atmosphere felt thick and heavy. Even the Ashwinder, quietly listening nearby, broke into a cold sweat.
We're these two really the veterans of the club? They didn't seem to have even a shred of respect for their official leader.
It was like they we're setting up a showdown right there.
Heh... hehe... Hmph... hahahaha...
Just when it felt like things we're about to get even more intense, Snidget and Thunderbird burst out laughing at the same time.
"Golden Snidget, you still have a great sense of humor. I thought all these years would have worn it out," Thunderbird joked, chuckling loudly before teasing Golden Snidget again.
"Looks like you have more than just muscles up there after all."
Golden Snidget laughed in response. Their laughter broke the tension in the room, and everyone nearby let out a relieved breath.
Still, it was hard to tell how much of their banter was truth and how much was just for show.
"Alright, it's getting late. That wraps up today's meeting..." Golden Snidget began to say just as the mood was easing.
Boom!
The door suddenly swung open with a bang, and at the same moment, a silver wand came rushing through, panting as it entered the room.
Everyone turned their heads at the sudden noise and saw another silver gun-shaped 'Transformer Lizard' stationed at headquarters.
Before anyone could ask what was going on, the deformed lizard blurted out,
"Something's really wrong, there's been an incident at the breeding park!"
Instantly, everyone stood up, including Golden Snidget and Thunderbird, who had just been facing off.
"What's happening? Is someone attacking the breeding park?" Thunderbird's voice was sharp as he quickly drew his wand.
"No... it's not an attack," the moke stammered, clearly flustered.
"The park... it's completely gone!"
Golden Snidget quickly composed himself and asked,
"Gone? A park that big can't just disappear. Which park are you talking about?"
The lizard shook its head, trembling.
"Not just one park... all the parks."
"Please explain clearly and slowly. What exactly happened?" Phoenix urged, sensing the seriousness of the situation.
The lizard swallowed hard before speaking.
"Following Snidget's instructions, I contacted several park managers today to prepare for the arrival of the first batch of animals from the parks."
Golden Snidget nodded, remembering that it was time to ship some older magical creatures from the three parks to make the elixir.
"But when I reached out to those managers, none of them responded, they seemed to have vanished. I thought something was wrong, so I rushed to check Breeding Park."
The lizard's breathing grew heavy.
"When I got there... no one was inside. Not a single staff member or magical animal, everything had disappeared without a trace."
Golden Snidget's concern deepened.
"What about the other two parks?"
The lizard shook its head, defeat clear in its voice.
"They're the same. All three parks, completely empty. No humans, no magical creatures."
Everyone gasped in shock.
"What?!"
Golden Snidget felt as if he'd been hit by a hammer to the forehead. His body almost gave way, but he instinctively grabbed the sofa next to him to steady himself, barely managing to stay upright.
The news they'd just heard shook everyone deeply.
These Wardings all knew how crucial the breeding park was; it wasn't just the future of their club-it was their own future.
While they we're still reeling from the shock, Thunderbird suddenly stepped forward.
"Stop standing around like zombies! What's the situation at the park? We need to get there immediately and see if there's any chance to save it!"
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Golden Snidget by the collar and lifted him up.
"Pull yourself together! You know the headquarters better than anyone. Right now, we need you more than ever. Don't just freeze up!"
After saying this, Thunderbird pushed Golden Snidget aside and stormed out of the reception room.
"Yes... yes, we have to get to the scene first and see if there's any chance to fix this," Golden Snidget stammered, snapping out of his shock.
Everyone else was still dazed, but seeing Thunderbird take charge gave them a spark of hope, and they hurried out after him, including the deformed lizard who had brought the grim news.
Soon, only the Ashwinder remained behind at headquarters, pacing nervously.
How could all three parks just vanish like that? If those magical creatures are really gone, what will happen to the elixir? he muttered, worrying aloud.
After a moment of silent prayer, the Ashwinder looked up and whispered,
"It's over. The club's in serious trouble."
These Wardings aren't just expendable; they're the fuel that keeps everything running.
Not long after, a group of Wardings appeared one by one around the edge of Breeding Park.
The shield that had protected the park had faded away after the moke broke through, leaving the area eerily quiet.
As they looked around, the expressions on their faces grew grim; there wasn't a single sign of life anywhere to be seen.
Once everyone had gathered, Thunderbird turned to the group and explained,
"Golden Snidget, Phoenix, and I went inside to see what was happening, while the rest of us stayed outside on guard in case of an ambush."
The room fell silent at his words before everyone nodded in agreement.
The breeding park had been completely wiped out.
Whoever did this must have been after the club itself.
Everyone was gone.
After a brief explanation, Thunderbird drew his wand and began to move cautiously forward.
Snidget and Phoenix flanked him on either side, following closely.
Yet, as the three of them ventured deeper into the heart of the residential area, there we're no attacks, no sign they we're being watched.
What they found sent chills through Golden Snidget and Phoenix, standing beside Thunderbird.
Every magical animal enclosure was empty, and even the protective weather blankets had been removed.
The houses in the residential district we're still standing, but all we're deserted and utterly silent.
The most unsettling part was that there we're no signs of battle anywhere-no damage, no footprints, nothing.
It was as if everything and everyone in the park had simply vanished into thin air.
When they arrived at the core hub, now reduced to nothing but a shattered foundation, their faces darkened with worry.
"Did you find anything?" Thunderbird asked, circling the ruins of the central spire before turning to the two standing nearby.
"Every living thing is gone, and there's no sign of a fight. It looks like whoever was here cleaned up all the evidence."
"This ruin used to be the park's protective core, and now it's been completely destroyed. Whoever did this came we'll prepared."