#450 - Request drawings (ask for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets)

After saying these words, a violent surge of magical power erupted from Gerard.

Sebastian and Martin felt as though they were trapped at the bottom of a deep lake, the surrounding air pressing against their bodies like heavy water, making it hard to breathe.

Both wore expressions of terror; the Thunderbird’s power was even more frightening than they had imagined, leaving them no room to resist.

“You… you’re… serious?” Sebastian asked, stunned, realizing that the other man wasn’t joking; otherwise, he and Martin might be killed instantly.

“Of course!” Anduin mimicked the Thunderbird’s manner of speaking, looking at them with disdain. “I’m not an idiot. You two are openly plotting how to get rid of the ‘Rune Serpent.’ Whether I kill you directly or report you to headquarters is more useful than sitting here and bickering with you. Or do you think I’m a soft-hearted fool?”

You? Soft-hearted? Get real…

Sebastian and Martin exchanged a solemn look, silently cursing in their hearts. It seemed Gerard was serious.

“Why?” Martin asked uncertainly. “You should know the consequences of betraying the ‘Rune Serpent.’ I found it unbelievable that Sebastian even considered opposing that leader, let alone you, who already…”

“Let alone me, this Thunderbird, who has already drunk the elixir of life, with my life in someone else’s hands, right?” Gerard sneered, then his expression turned melancholic. “Would you believe me if I said I had already seen through the ‘Rune Serpent’ and disregarded life and death?”

Sebastian was surprised, but on reflection, it didn’t seem impossible. Gerard had always been a proud man; it must be unbearable for him to be controlled now.

“You… you also feel unwilling?” Sebastian asked carefully, knowing that the man in front of him was a powder keg; one wrong word could set him off.

“Unwilling is an understatement!” Gerard’s face grew increasingly ferocious. “Look at yourself. Sebastian used to be fearless, but now he’s hesitant and submissive, like a tiger with its teeth pulled out.”

“The ‘Rune Serpent’ has taken too much from us, not just ideals, but also dignity and courage. I’ve figured it out; it’s better to fight him than to live like a dog in the shadows. I’ve regained my lost courage. Do you have that resolve?”

“Dignity and courage, huh?”

After being bluntly scolded by Gerard, Sebastian lowered his head in disappointment, clearly touched by the other man's words. Although he kept saying he wanted to get rid of the Silver Spear, his core motivation, besides not wanting to be manipulated, was also his reluctance to give up his comfortable life and status.

In the end, even if he couldn’t kill that leader, Sebastian’s final choice might not be to fight him to the death, but to find a hidden place to hide, as Martin suggested.

“Looks like we underestimated you, teacher,” Sebastian sighed, then looked up at Gerard solemnly, clearly moved.

“No, it’s fine if you guys are unwilling, but why do you have to drag me into this?” Martin looked at the two men speechlessly. You guys can have your moment of self-pity, but don’t pull me down with you. I’m not one of your Silver Spears.

“Humph!” Gerard glared at Martin. “There are so many former Saints in the club. Are you so selfish that you can just watch them become tools in other people’s hands? Watch them fall into the abyss? How could Grindelwald have accepted a waste like you? Why did I ever keep you as a student!”

Martin’s expression darkened when Gerard mentioned Grindelwald.

Like Sebastian, he had been infected by Grindelwald’s charisma in the later stages of the Saint Society and joined as a young Saint. They had once been full of ambition and talent, and Gerard was their former mentor.

But things didn’t go as planned. Before they could show their skills, Grindelwald was defeated and imprisoned himself, which was like a collapse of faith for the Saints who joined later.

Since then, Martin had gradually become decadent, his ambitions slowly fading. He had grown accustomed to a comfortable life, which was why he was reluctant when Sebastian tried to recruit him.

But now that Gerard had brought up Grindelwald and their former comrades, his heart was in turmoil again.

Seeing Martin’s constipated expression, Gerard clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. “Think about it yourself. Anyway, I can no longer tolerate the ‘Rune Serpent’ continuing to enslave me and those old friends.”

“They’ve all changed under the influence of the ‘Rune Serpent’s’ elixir of life. I have too, actually. It wasn’t until recently that I suddenly woke up. It’s better to seek a happy release than to live in pain.”

“I can’t accept that the elixir of life gave me a young body but took away my youthful will. Now that I’ve regained my will, let the body return to dust.”

Anduin, imitating the ‘Thunderbird’s’ tone, gave a righteous speech. Much of it was the Thunderbird’s original words, except the original only woke up after being defeated by him.

“Okay, how do you plan to do it?”

Martin was still hesitating, but Sebastian had clearly made up his mind. He had been in the club for so long and had seen the changes in many of his former comrades, leaving him deeply disturbed.

He was, after all, an alchemist, leaning towards reason, so he wasn’t completely lured by the elixir of life, which symbolized eternal life. But he was still human, and he couldn’t guarantee that he could hold out forever. Coupled with the Rune Serpent’s constant pressure, he had already made his choice.

“Find him! Kill him! It’s that simple,” Gerard said sharply.

“That simple? What do you need me to do?” Sebastian looked at Gerard speechlessly. His teacher was still so ‘reckless.’ He, as a researcher, would probably never understand such logic.

“I’ll take care of the action, and I have other helpers. I need you to provide the mask designs and manufacturing process, all the alchemical designs you’ve done for headquarters, including the headquarters’ alchemical array diagrams, and the incantation for the ‘Earth Walking Spell.’”

Gerard said straightforwardly. Although Anduin had basically cracked the runes on the mask, it didn’t mean he could completely replicate it. For example, he still couldn’t figure out the materials used to make the mask. He had to admit that Sebastian’s skills were quite advanced.

He was going to impersonate someone next. If he could get the complete designs and processes, it would not only enrich his knowledge but also make it easier for him to crack and modify the mask.

Sebastian had also participated in the construction of the headquarters’ alchemical array. With these diagrams, he could bypass the headquarters’ defenses and infiltrate and monitor the interior.

“What do you need so many alchemical diagrams for? You’re not an alchemist. And who are these other collaborators you mentioned? Are they trustworthy?” Sebastian asked cautiously.

“Don’t worry, they’re absolutely trustworthy.” Gerard smiled slightly, then paused, deciding to lay the groundwork for Anduin’s identity with Sebastian. “Do you remember that Anduin?”

“That young alchemist you killed?” Sebastian asked, looking at him in surprise when he heard the name.

“I didn’t kill him, or rather, I couldn’t kill him. Instead, I started cooperating with him. His strength is no less than mine. You can consider asking him for help if you encounter trouble,” Gerard said with a smile.

“That young man? Are you serious?” Sebastian looked at him in disbelief, wondering if he knew what he was saying.

“I’m not joking. We… had a fight that led to friendship, I guess. Anyway, he doesn’t know about your situation, but I can confirm that he’s trustworthy. I’ve been discussing how to deal with the Rune Serpent with him these past two days,” Gerard solemnly assured.

“This…” Sebastian didn’t know what to say. How had that young wizard suddenly become Gerard’s collaborator?

But out of basic trust for his teacher Gerard, and intimidated by the other man’s strength, Sebastian didn’t have much of a choice. He could only reluctantly take out a stack of documents and hand them over.

If only I had gotten involved in Anduin’s company’s business that day. I thought that meeting was the end of it. What a loss, Sebastian grumbled inwardly with a sour taste in his mouth.

“How often does the Rune Serpent contact you? Through mask communication or other means?” Gerard ignored what Sebastian was thinking and focused on the matter at hand, taking the documents.

When Sebastian heard Gerard ask this, he knew that the other man was determined to strike, so he simply replied,

“You know what kind of person the Rune Serpent is. He doesn’t trust anyone, not even the standard masks in the club. He must have been wary of me tampering with the masks. He usually contacts me through ‘Golden Snitches,’ sometimes using the ‘Golden Snitch’ mask, sometimes with letters. I can’t use this information to pinpoint his location.”

Sebastian frankly explained to Gerard and directly gave his conclusion.

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