Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1001 Imperial Guard Training Camp (First Update)

Although the red sand beneath his feet was exactly the same, Hammurabi Badya could still taste the bitterness in the air.

The terminator stumbled across his shoulders, the massive sapphires embedded in the edges of his shoulder armor refracting the planet's last rays of light before a violent storm swept through, shrouding the sky in dust. His power armor's detection systems continuously warned of intense ionizing radiation unsuitable for human survival, and his brain immediately assessed the oxygen levels in the air. Even though the Guardian's body could withstand this radiation, he immediately shut down the breathing filter in his helmet and activated the power armor's internal oxygen recirculation system to ensure his blood oxygen levels were sufficient for the upcoming battle.

As far as the eye can see, towering stone pillars lie askew beneath the red sand, and ancient murals are now reduced to mere streaks of colored lines. Primitive and high-tech weapons are scattered haphazardly together, and the twisted totems incomprehensible to ordinary people, along with the scattered, dried bones, all tell the stories that once unfolded here.

Hammurabi Badia removed his steel boots, carefully examining the blurred patterns on the stone slabs beneath his feet, attempting to use his knowledge to determine whether this artistic style corresponded to the development of human history on Earth. He knew nothing of the planet's culture, why a human civilization had once existed here, or why that civilization had perished. He needed to fill his mind with knowledge from the powered armor database during lulls in the fighting, absorbing wisdom and learning lessons. Because his mission was not merely combat; he knew his trials were not yet over, and there was a reason he had been placed in this place.

The red sand, rich in iron oxide, in the arena of the Immortal City originated from this planet—the result of the complete oxidation and annihilation of all creations of a former human civilization. Every action of the monarch had a purpose; Hammurabi was unaware of his own being cast into the world, humbly learning all that was permitted. In the database, this planet had once been inhabited by a vast tribe of extradimensional beings who worshipped them. Now, some of those dangerous tribes had been eliminated by the commanders and monarchs, becoming training camps for the Royal Guard; the remaining tribes were his and Supilulius's mission.

"Supilulimas. Supilulimas, please respond." He tried to call his companions through the communication channel, but electromagnetic interference surged like a tide, a mysterious electromagnetic storm disrupting the communication. Supilulimas was Number Three's new name, and Hammurabi subconsciously felt he should be familiar with him, but chemical brainwashing and mental transformation had made him completely forget his past—but he didn't care, he only wanted to focus on his mission, nothing more. The last communication attempt failed; the miniature bone conduction earpiece implanted under his skin still only produced a noisy electrical current and the interference from electromagnetic radiation hitting his armor. Hammurabi shut down the communication, turned the longsword hanging from his magnetic belt behind his back, and tightened his crimson cloak to prevent it from catching sand. He planted his halberd in the sand for support and strode towards the camp location marked on the map. The rapidly flying sand pounded against his magnificent golden armor, creating a storm of noise. Hammurabi walked forward silently, wary of the cultists and wild beasts that might appear at any moment. He believed he could find Supiluliumas at the assembly point, a training planet, a long-dead planet, which any qualified member of the Royal Guard could complete.

He embarked on his own journey.

Only by leaving this place can one truly take the first step in fulfilling the responsibility of protecting the monarch.

Salomon carefully estimated the return times of Hammurabi and Superiorius, then wrote down their work assignments on the Guard's schedule. When he and Constantine participated in that alien trial, their ability to return to Earth within the allotted time wasn't due to the time-accelerating spells placed in the Guard's incubation pods, but rather relativity. That planet possessed a fixed portal to Kamar-Taj and was on the list of key monitored targets, but a complete eradication was too manpower-intensive, and Kamar-Taj couldn't completely eliminate the planet's corruption. Now that Salomon had taken over most of Kamar-Taj's resources, that planet was among the assets. He believed that once the two Guards returned, they would be able to begin fulfilling their mission. He didn't have more time to waste on Guard training; Constantine was a special case, and the remaining training for the other Guards would be conducted in practice.

He felt his clothes being gently tugged a few times.

Salomon looked down and saw the girl standing next to his chair, one hand tightly gripping his suit jacket.

More than an hour had passed since Constantine left, and the study door reopened, allowing anyone who lived there to come and go as they pleased. Salomon saw that the girl had changed her clothes; the white sorority dress had been replaced with a modern black gown, and her hair, previously tied up, was now looser and more natural. The Cheshire Cat followed behind her, its bushy grey tail swaying gently, its short fur disheveled, looking as if it had been haphazardly stroked. The girl was still tugging at Salomon's clothes, and after a while, she looked up and realized Salomon had noticed her—a silly grin immediately spread across her face, and she mumbled indistinct words, trying her best to express her thoughts. However, only when the wizard touched her mind could she convey her complete meaning to him. After listening to her childish and pure thoughts, Salomon reached out and patted the girl's head, ignoring the Cheshire Cat's meowing complaints about how impolite and disrespectful this human child was to a cat of such high status.

They each spoke their own words, and none of them disturbed the others.

"Okay, when Mom calls us for dinner, we must get to the restaurant right away."

Salomon scooped her up in his arms with one hand, holding a book in the other, and followed the Cheshire Cat, who had taken it upon himself to lead the way, out of the study. "Yi!" the girl exclaimed again, her voice silly, before she nestled on the sorcerer's shoulder, uttering words no one could understand. The Cheshire Cat grumbled as it walked, demanding a large piece of tuna belly as compensation, otherwise it would never forgive the child's rudeness and would absolutely not allow the girl to touch it.

Salomon pretended not to hear.

Anyone who pets its head will cause the Cheshire Cat to purr loudly within seconds, then sprawl out on the floor, its threats never having any effect. Even if Dinah doesn't feed it tuna belly, it still sneaks into the refrigerator and eats plenty of delicious treats on its own. Dinah finds cat teeth marks on the fish in the kitchen every day, and the Cheshire Cat's belly is always bulging. Sometimes, because it eats too much and refuses to give up its food, it gets caught red-handed, making Dinah so angry that she chases after this fish thief every day.

"Which mother are you talking about? The one with black hair or the one with white hair?" Salomon asked.

The girl began gesturing wildly, though she herself didn't understand it. The sorcerer, however, could still see the images she imagined from her memories. Everything is different in a child's eyes than in an adult's, so Salomon's vision was filtered through a child's lens—for example, the Cheshire Cat was a warm, gray ball of fur that made various sounds when touched. Bayonetta was a black tower that made sounds, Joan of Arc was a white tower, and Salomon himself was a ball of light. Once this filter was understood, it was easy to discern the girl's thoughts.

"Oh? Did she say anything else?"

The girl nodded seriously.

I need your votes! I suddenly realized it's my birthday, damn it! All I want to do right now is sleep!

(End of this chapter)