Chapter 309: Unobtained Information (2-in-1)
A figure suddenly sprang out, only to be grabbed on the back by a spider that had leaped up behind him.
He roared, grabbing the two long legs that had snagged him, and ripped them apart. Thick, reeking liquid splattered all over him.
The spiders swarmed forward to devour their kin. He seized the chance to escape, but before he'd gone a few meters, his feet suddenly snagged.
Sticky spiderwebs entangled his ankles. The bearded man merely glanced down before stumbling forward, dragged back entirely.
The bearded man screamed, flailing his hands wildly. His sharp nails tore open the eye of a spider, and he heard it squeal like a rat.
But more and more spiders pressed in, injecting venom into his legs and arms. As their pincers clicked, the bearded man despairingly felt as if he could hear his own body being torn apart.
Then, a clear, ringing bird cry sounded.
The spiders paused their feeding, stiffened for a moment, then slowly retreated.
The bearded man squinted his swollen eye, forcing it open, and saw a fiery red silhouette.
How beautiful!
He thought, then lost consciousness.
The firebird Mihail stood on the head of an Acromantula. Although it had reined in all its flames and intense heat, a pair of adorable, bamboo-leaf-shaped claw prints had been seared into the thick black fur on the spider's head.
Wade walked over, sighing, "What a shame... I wanted to capture Dar."
Among the four, the bushy-browed Dar should have possessed the most information, possibly even knowing the true identity and address of "Alpha."
But that guy reacted quickly and had an unpredictable Portkey. Even with Wade's preparations, he couldn't stop him.
However, the Acromantula's bite must have injected a lot of venom, right into his forehead... It was unclear whether the Portkey brought back a corpse or a living person.
Wade opened his Wardrobe Space. The spiders dragged the bearded man inside. They drooled over the massive chunk of meat, but under Mihail's watchful eye, they ultimately dared not make any rash moves.
As for the two spiders that had been injured earlier, their own kin had already eaten them clean.
Wade looked around, then singled out two other individuals who had participated in the negotiation and seemed like leaders, hoping to extract more useful information.
The Draught of Living Death proved as consistently effective as ever, but Wade still felt a hint of disappointment.
He knew, of course, that expecting the bushy-browed Dar and his group to lead the way completely unknowingly was a bit idealistic. But he hadn't expected the plan to change before the ship even docked in America.
Many factions coveting Alchemist had already gathered in the lower deck. Whether Wade was involved or not, Dar and the others were destined not to reach their destination smoothly.
Rather than letting them cause chaos of unknown scale, Wade preferred to keep the situation under his control.
It was a pity Dar got away.
Wade sighed, casting a Muggle-Repelling Charm on the several entrances on this floor to prevent interference. Though it was only a temporary spell, it would last for about half an hour.
Then Wade took out Veritaserum.
He didn't have much of this forbidden Potion, so he had to use it sparingly. Fortunately, if used on a Muggle, just one drop was enough.
The clear, transparent liquid dripped. The previously unconscious man was roused, his eyes vacant as he stared at the floor.
The bearded man: "No... I haven't seen that person... When I was in Norway, I transformed and killed someone on the full moon. I was found by that group while I was escaping."
"I never believed their words... Only a fool would believe someone who doesn't even dare show their face is selfless... This time? I just wanted to seize the opportunity to make some money. With money, I could go to another country and start a new life..."
"To hell with the Werewolf future! I was just a normal kid, with an ordinary but happy family, but because I was bitten by a Werewolf... my family was completely destroyed! I wish all Werewolves would die! Including me!"
Wade fell silent.
To ordinary people, Werewolves were legendary creatures, and many didn't believe they truly existed.
If their child was bitten by a Werewolf and miraculously survived, the parents' first thought wouldn't be "this child will turn into a Werewolf, quickly lock them up," but rather to find a way to cure them, accompany them, and help them overcome their trauma.
Then, on a full moon night, tragedy would strike – the Werewolf's sharp claws and fangs would turn on their closest loved ones.
Wade set the bearded man aside and went to question the others—
The man in the suit: "My boss is very interested in magic... especially... the Philosopher's Stone, which is said to grant immortality..."
"I heard that stone was destroyed, but... since Alchemist could create the first Philosopher's Stone, they can surely create a second... So we need, we need more alchemists..."
"The boss hopes to uncover the mysteries of magic and unlock the human lifespan limit with the support of scientific experiments..."
A string of words tumbled out, as if it were a pre-rehearsed speech.
Wade asked, "Besides that, what's the real reason?"
The man in the suit: "...The boss has cancer."
Wade: "How many people did you bring?"
The man in the suit honestly pointed out his accomplices.
Wade: "That's all?"
And said: "We received the news too late, and the bounty hunter who sold the information has a terrible reputation... We were ordered to investigate on the ship, and once confirmed, the boss would make arrangements at the dock."
Another faction also operated under the name of a "company."
"Who wouldn't want magic? Omnipotence, turning lead into gold, eternal life... Our company has been researching magic for a long time, but we've never been able to become 'talented' people... Perhaps magic itself has a way, like the legendary human alchemy..."
The white-haired old man said, looking slightly deranged.
He brought slightly more people, clearly intending to gather information first.
He, like the suit-wearing man's faction, suspected that the bearded man intended to gain something for nothing.
The bearded man seemed to be a "celebrity" among the dark forces, but unfortunately, his reputation was entirely negative. His history of unreliability not only significantly lowered the price he could get for information but also gave Wade more time.
Wade learned the name of the white-haired old man's "company" and the names and identities of his subordinates. And... before he passed out, he had already sent a message.
According to the white-haired old man's experience, people from that "company" across the ocean could arrive on this ship within a few hours.
While there was still time, Wade took the opportunity to question others.
Subordinate A: "I once participated in the capture of a wizard... in Africa... that person's magic ran wild, and out of the entire team, I was the only one who survived..."
Subordinate B: "I haven't captured underage wizards... No, I don't know if the company has; the different teams are independent of each other..."
Ms. C: "...These are the names of my superiors and colleagues. As for anything else, we're not allowed to know..."
Subordinate D: "If the Magic Golem falls into American hands, it will definitely become a weapon to slaughter our country's people... so I must eliminate them here, no matter the cost..."
Oh... another double agent?
Wade: "How do you plan to eliminate so many people?"
Subordinate D: "I've planted bombs on the ship... on the third day of the voyage, this ship will be blown up..."
Wade: "...Draw me a map of all the bomb locations!"
Considering the timing, the members of that American company would probably be arriving just as the bombs exploded.
Wade felt helpless for the bearded man—the information he thought would cause a sensation wasn't taken seriously by the intelligence buyers. Instead, one of their subordinates took it to heart and was ready to send everyone to hell.
The bearded man himself wouldn't be spared.
After all, becoming a Werewolf didn't mean he could use magic; these were two different systems. The bearded man had no Portkey and couldn't Apparate. If the giant ship really exploded, he would only be buried at sea with everyone else.
While busy, Wade suddenly received a message from Rita Skeeter—
[Rita: You used a Portkey? Did you leave me behind and go back by yourself?]
Wade frowned and replied: [No, someone else used a Portkey—how did you know?]
[Rita: The Ministry of Magic prioritizes the Statute of Secrecy, but regulation of Portkeys has always been very strict. There are requirements for when and who can use them, and they require prior application.]
[An illegal Portkey, once used, will quickly be discovered. Usually, the Ministry of Magic can't reach out to sea, but don't forget, there are Ministry of Magic personnel on this ship.]
[Umbridge just received a message from the Ministry of Magic and is now going to bring people to inspect. Leave early; don't let them find you.]
[Also, I just found the person you were looking for on the fourth floor.]
Skeeter's message was quick and concise, almost as if sent by someone else.
Wade waved his hand, and several individuals in the crowd were dragged away by Acromantulas.
During their interrogation, these people truthfully confessed their past crimes; some had even harmed children as young as a few years old. Wade had no intention of letting them return alive.
As for the remaining people, apart from the bearded man, whom Wade stuffed into his Wardrobe Space, the rest were left for the Ministry of Magic.
If the Ministry of Magic knew that so many Muggles coveted the power of magic, how would they react? Would Fudge come running to Dumbledore crying and screaming for help, or would he continue to bury his head in the sand?
Wade was very curious.
...
"Thump-thump-thump..."
A rapid series of footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Two Aurors, wands in hand, rushed into the parking lot. After scanning left and right, they raised their hands and gave a signal.
Following them were seven or eight more people. Some held silver, mine-detector-like devices, sweeping them up and down; others drew large and small circles with their wands, and glowing silver marks appeared on the ground, walls, and vehicles.
They all, without exception, ignored the people lying on the ground.
Then, a woman in a pink dress, dressed like a little girl, entered on high heels.
"Well?" she asked. "Is this the confirmed location where the Portkey was used?"
"Yes."
A chubby girl with dry, yellow hair and glasses whispered:
"We found magical traces left after a Portkey was used. There were also signs of a Muggle-Repelling Charm used at the stairwell and elevator, and on a truck, there was a large amount of slime, webbing, and hair left by magical creatures."
"Our preliminary assessment is that more than ten Acromantulas were loaded into the truck earlier. The price of this spider venom is very high..."
"So?" Umbridge interrupted her impatiently with a false smile, asking, "What's the conclusion?"
"Someone was likely trying to smuggle Acromantulas but was discovered somehow and got into a conflict with the Muggles on the ship..."
The chubby girl speculated based on her experience:
"Then he risked using a Portkey to leave. But I still haven't figured out how he managed to take so many spiders at once? Acromantulas are vicious; they wouldn't follow obediently..."
"What's so hard about that? Just chain them up!"
Umbridge said casually. She finally lowered her eyes to look at the people sprawled on the ground and ordered, "Wake these Muggles up! Ask them, who was smuggling the Acromantulas?"
The person who was woken up, before he could even question, was faced with a question he couldn't comprehend, and he said blankly:
"Acromantulas? What are those?"
"Smuggling? I'm not smuggling anything! I always follow the law!"
"Portkeys? Is this what you're looking for?"
The white-haired old man saw that the newcomers meant trouble and, feigning confusion, pulled out a string of his house keys.
After questioning several people, all of whom gave similarly evasive answers, Umbridge's fake smile vanished.
"It seems the criminals are very cunning; these Muggles probably know nothing."
Senior Undersecretary Umbridge didn't press further, nor did she deign to waste Potions on these "foolish" Muggles. Her patience exhausted, she coldly ordered:
"Obliviate all of them! Don't leave them with any memories from before or after boarding the ship, lest it cause a major leak in the Wizarding World!"
Upon hearing "Obliviate," the white-haired old man's face instantly changed. Before he could weigh whether or not to reveal his identity, a Wand was pointed at him—
"Obliviate!"
The old man, struck by the spell, immediately lost the light in his eyes and fell backward again.
Umbridge adjusted her small floral shawl and said to the others:
"That fellow has probably fled to another country; there's no point in pursuing him further."
"You all clean up here. I still need to accompany Undersecretary Gabon to tour a Muggle cinema—I really don't know what's so interesting about such a thing! Mr. Greengrass, let's go."
She clutched the edge of her shawl and clacked her way upstairs.
"Don't forget the truck," Greengrass reminded her, turning, and then went upstairs with Umbridge.
The rest of the Ministry of Magic personnel exchanged glances, shrugged, and, accustomed to such situations, went about their remaining work—
Obliviating the remaining Muggles and then getting rid of the troublesome truck.
"Wait, wait!" The man in the suit, unwilling to be controlled by magic, raised his hand and loudly said, "I can give you important information! We—"
"Obliviate!"
The man in the suit was hit by the Obliviation Charm before he could say a single important word.
Everyone looked sideways, watching the person who had carelessly cast the spell.
The person spread his hands, completely unconcerned.
"We're on a public holiday, brothers!" he candidly retorted, "Do you really want to work overtime?"
The others thought about it and realized he had a point, so they all gave the wizard a thumbs-up in praise and simultaneously sped up the cleanup of the scene.
Wade: "…"
He had thought he'd see Fudge struggling to make a choice, but it turned out he wouldn't even struggle at all.
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