Golden Snidget was no longer calm; he yelled at Thunderbird with wild eyes.
"And you still have the nerve to question me?"
"Why do you think Alex is as strong as we are? That kid can't pull it off. You've been in the UK for years, and you don't even know this?"
Thunderbird noticed Golden Snidget's slip-up, but instead of comforting him, he mocked, "What? You messed up and now you're blaming me?
Blaming a little alchemist? If you'd just listened and taken out Andre from the start, none of this would've happened."
"You!"
Golden Snidget was clearly hurt and shot back an angry glare, but deep down, he knew Thunderbird had a point.
Things had spiraled out of control.
"Alright... I don't want to argue about this anymore," Golden Snidget said, waving his hand as if brushing off the tension.
"Now that we're at this point, struggling won't help. The situation can't get any worse."
"So what's the club's next move?" Thunderbird wasn't ready to give up. "We can't just wait around. Without raw materials, are we just going to wait to die?"
"Why are you always in such a rush?" Golden Snidget snapped irritably. "Can't you be patient for once? Let me assess the situation before we make any plans. Sure, most of our outside connections are gone, but we still have a foundation to stand on."
"Really?" Thunderbird raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're still planning a comeback in Germany?"
"Didn't you notice that all the wizards in Germany now see us as a curse? Who else would want to work with us? People don't even leave their homes anymore. If we're right and Andre takes power in Germany, do you really think we'll still have a place there?"
Golden Snidget was taken aback by Thunderbird's words.
"What are you suggesting?" he asked.
"Let's move to America," Thunderbird said firmly. "Black Dragon and I have already built a strong territory there, and the magical creature resources are plentiful. Instead of clinging to Germany's tiny patch of land, hesitant and uncertain, we should start fresh in America."
Golden Snidget was silent for a moment, clearly tempted by the idea but reluctant to abandon the headquarters he had managed for so many years.
"Give me some time to think it over," he said.
"Do you still want to be stuck with your mother-in-law's way of thinking? It was the same before, and it's still the same now. Your constant hesitation is exactly why you always fail!" Thunderbird snapped.
"Besides, this isn't just your decision. I want to see the Runic Snake and talk to him face-to-face."
Golden Snidget, who had promised to help, suddenly looked very displeased at the mention of Thunderbird wanting to meet the Runic Snake.
Without a second thought, he refused.
"He doesn't want to see you," he said flatly.
"Really? Isn't there a portal in the headquarters that leads straight to his residence? Can't I just ask him directly if he really doesn't want to see me?" Thunderbird's eyes were sharp and intense.
Golden Snidget was startled.
"How do you know about that?" he asked, glancing at the Ashwinder beside him.
The snake quickly lowered its head, clearly embarrassed.
Seeing the snake's reaction, Golden Snidget understood what was going on but still shook his head.
"No. The Runic Snake can't see you right now."
"Why not?" Thunderbird shouted, growing angrier. "I have to see him today. What if one day you just throw me away and run? And who gave you the authority to speak for the Runic Snake? Why should I listen to you? Do you even have the formula for his elixir?"
Golden Snidget noticed how terribly Thunderbird was speaking and immediately realized that he had fallen I'll again.
It seemed the club's string of defeats had put immense pressure on him.
Golden Snidget feared that Thunderbird might have lost confidence in himself, but after thinking it over, he felt Thunderbird's reaction was understandable.
After all, he had made several poor decisions and missed important opportunities.
If he were in Thunderbird's shoes, he probably would have doubted himself too.
"Alright, I'll take you to see him. Come with me," Golden Snidget sighed and nodded.
With that, Golden Snidget led Thunderbird through a side door off the living room into the alchemy room, where the club crafted door keys.
On a nearby shelf, seven or eight keys of various shapes were neatly arranged.
Once inside, Golden Snidget didn't linger but approached a wall and cast a simple spell that cracked open a stone door.
Beyond it was a room that looked oddly familiar to Alex.
The stone basins and tall black mirrors lining the walls were just like those in the Claremont darkroom, only this space was larger and lacked a fireplace.
Snidget went straight to one of the stone basins but didn't pour in any ingredients, as Alex had expected.
Instead, he suddenly seemed lost in thought, almost as if he'd gone blank.
Then, Golden Snidget turned to Thunderbird with a serious, hesitant look.
"Thunderbird, can I trust you?"
Without a second thought, Thunderbird snapped back, "No! We've known each other for years.
Don't you know how everyone is? You think I'd say yes and you'd believe me?"
Golden Snidget chuckled quietly at himself.
"Honestly, it's probably your brutal honesty that makes you hard to fully trust. But in a way, that's what makes you more dependable."
Thunderbird crossed his arms and glared coldly.
"If you've got something to say, just say it. Don't waste my time with riddles."
Golden Snidget let out a long, weary sigh.
"Thunderbird, I think you feel just as conflicted as I do about Horned Basilisk. Even though he granted us eternal life, he keeps using that elixir to control us, making us suspicious of each other."
Thunderbird seemed to catch on to what Golden Snidget was hinting at but still gave him a cold look.
"Now, after all the hard work our club has put in over the years, everything's falling apart. I can't guess what Horned Basilisk will do once he finds out about this. Maybe, like you said, he'll just abandon the rest of us and run off on his own," Golden Snidget said, his voice tinged with despair.
"You mean... you want to team up with me to take him down?" Thunderbird asked cautiously.
"It's not just teaming up, I'm talking about killing him outright," Golden Snidget replied sharply.
Thunderbird snorted in disbelief.
"If you kill him, how can you be sure you'll get the formula for the elixir?
Without it, what's the point? Killing him without the formula is basically suicide."