Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1213, Chapter 1209: The Feathered Serpent Cult (Second Update)

"Whatever your problem, my dear, you can't miss this bottle of wine." The Emperor's words revealed that he was not ignorant; without even turning around, he ordered an invisible servant to bring a bottle of wine. Stephanie Malik gladly accepted the gift and, ignoring the rule against drinking during work hours, had a glass. Then, like in a Japanese restaurant, she stored the bottle in her private wine cabinet in the Emperor's office.

The Emperor's trust in her was unparalleled, but Stephanie Malik knew she still lacked the authority to review the mobilization orders for the genetically modified warriors and the Royal Guard. Even so, she could still glean from logistical and administrative orders—including those concerning troop movements, transportation, ammunition and fuel supplies, and emergency financial expenditures—the sheer size of the Emperor's South American expeditionary force, which paled in comparison to the troops deployed in northern Macedonia.

Commander Constantine of the Royal Guard and his adjutant Hannibal demonstrated their military might by leading squads of Hellfire Knights deep into Albanian autonomous villages in North Macedonia to raid transnational criminal groups. This forced Macedonia, whose trade with North Macedonia had been cut off by Latvian blockade, to gradually submit and cede control of North Macedonia to Latvian authorities. Following this, Malcolm, the commander of the Hellfire Knights, and Constantine, along with other military commanders, were recalled for secret, specialized training.

Only the Emperor himself could command these people, and without a doubt, he would once again don his armor to vanquish the enemy—this was Stephanie Malik's greatest fear. Latvia was finally on the right track, and no one but the Emperor could command this newly pieced-together nation to follow a single will and a single voice. No matter how much the Emperor himself despised individual heroism, the fact remained that his prestige was steadily rising, and it was only a matter of time before it surpassed the legacy of Marshal Tito. If the Balkans were now left to mortals with differing motives, the flames of division ignited by greed, ambition, and various desires would reignite on this land.

"How powerful will the enemy be this time?" Stephanie approached after the Regent left. "How does it compare to the Battle of Fimbulle?" She placed her hand on the Emperor's shoulder, seemingly trying to empower him. "What price will we have to pay?"

"Many," the emperor replied, a hint of uncertainty on his face.

The Malik family made Stephanie their handmaid and assistant, representing Hydra's submission. Stephanie performed her duties admirably, accompanying him throughout his career. The Emperor was not unaware of Stephanie's limitations; after all, he was not a nepotistic ruler, and Stephanie had many administrative staff under her command, recruited after the First Expansion War. However, in this turbulent time, trust was far more important than ability.

"The opponent this time is much stronger than the extradimensional creatures in the Fimbulb battle. The feathered serpent has been dormant for many years and has accumulated unimaginable power. The geological disasters it caused are enough to destroy the entire South America."

The Emperor's face was grim as he described the impending operation to Stephanie. Serpents, or rather dragons, all possess incredibly powerful extradimensional energy. The feathered serpent Kukulkan, this beast, possessed extraordinary wisdom and strength, far surpassing the witch clan he had encountered on Mount Fimbula. Furthermore, behind Kukulkan lay the ancient struggle for survival between evil gods and humanity, a struggle he had learned much from his creator. Therefore, this was a battle that must be won.

"I would like to ask for your help in resolving any potential diplomatic issues. South America is the cornerstone of our efforts to challenge American hegemony, and our investments there cannot be wasted."

"There will be no diplomatic problems, my lord."

"It's always better to be prepared than not prepared at all. Give the relevant documents to Victor; he will act in my absence." The Emperor sighed. He had many issues to consider now, and he was responsible for the lives of many people, which made him seem very ruthless when making certain decisions. "Victor will make the final preparations. Reinforcements will arrive from Kamar-Taj, but don't expect too much; they will only help in small-scale battles at most."

"Perhaps you should communicate with Wakanda," Stephanie said seriously. "The burden of protecting this world shouldn't fall entirely on your shoulders."

"That sounds fair." The Emperor was pleased that Stephanie had considered allies instead of just using them. "Wakanda is a religious nation, and the Black Panther High Priest's oracle will clearly state the threat posed by the situation. My agreement with the King of Wakanda will still apply in this operation; the Wakandans will fight alongside us. However, given Wakanda's technologically inferior military capabilities, they will be assigned to tasks such as dismantling cartel groups and protecting supply lines, allowing us to focus on the main battlefield."

Wakanda's military equipment and tactics, due to years of peace and religious beliefs, are unconditionally biased towards decapitation strikes and infiltration operations. Under normal circumstances, this type of warfare does not present many problems, since Wakanda's Talon stealth fighters can silently deploy warhound squads and Dora's Guard, relying on their strong individual combat capabilities and weaponry to destroy the enemy's command center in the blink of an eye.

During the Wakanda Civil War, the drawbacks of this combat model were magnified to a fatal degree. With individual soldiers unable to match the enemy's combat capabilities, the Wakanda army had no initiative on the battlefield and was incapable of using large-scale field warfare tactics to resolve the situation. Simply put, Wakanda lacked rockets, tanks, or similar weapons; its small territory forced it to abandon large-scale bombing as a form of warfare. But times have changed. The Wakanda have purchased numerous rockets, near-terminal air defense missiles, and other weapons compatible with Wakanda's software from Latvinia to defend their borders. The vibranium obtained through this trade is being used extensively in the Royal Guard's weaponry.

Due to the omens of the feathered serpent god's awakening, rainfall in South America this year has exceeded warning levels. Rivers such as the Amazon have overflowed, flooding vast areas of deforestation and towns, creating a large number of displaced refugees. Even the crops grown by farmers invested in by the Immortal City in South America are expected to decline. The anguish of people driven to despair by death, hunger, and disease is the most delicious food for extradimensional beings. According to reports from Superuliumas and former Peruvian rebel leader Camila, many strange cults have emerged among the refugees they encountered.

Unlike typical Christian faiths in South America, Voodoo beliefs, such as those associated with Baron Samedi and Mother Bridget, seem to be resurfacing and spreading. Worse still, the worship of a "scaled death god" is also thriving. While the medical team posing as Doctors Without Borders hasn't detected any signs of genetic mutation, the Secret Guard agent mysteriously disappeared after infiltrating the sect, leaving no trace of his body. Nick Fury and Supilulius can only conclude that the agent was killed by the cult members.

The influx of refugees into Latin American countries had unimaginable consequences. Even Supilulius could only clear out cults near the archaeological team to ensure Laura Crawford's research wouldn't be affected by war or natural disasters. Aside from Camilla, almost no one knew the Royal Guard was among them; Laura Crawford didn't even know what the Royal Guard was. Secrets are a sharp weapon, and concealing the Royal Guard's existence might prove particularly useful at certain times.

"What's the worst-case scenario?"

"South America is sinking into the sea, an unimaginable ecological disaster," the Emperor said solemnly. "I will depart in twelve days and arrive on the eve of the Day of the Dead. I hope you are prepared, Stephanie. This is a test for all of us."

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(End of this chapter)