Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1231 Lost and Found (Second Update)

Supilulimas's promise to Queen Onuratu of Paititi that the night sky would reveal mechanical stars failed to materialize, for at sunset, cumulonimbus clouds once again swept across the Amazon rainforest without warning, enveloping eastern Peru and western Brazil, pouring charges and condensation onto the dark green forest. The humid, sultry air was forced from the soil by the falling rain, creating a pleasant, refreshing scent along with plant spores, bacteria, and other microorganisms.

Under the guidance of the Imperial Guard, the tribal warriors learned to use laser firearms. The stone walls used as targets were covered with dense, charred pits, and a light breeze, mixed with drizzle, carried the pungent smell of burning rocks, making the air in the training ground somewhat more pleasant. Onuratu assigned non-combatant members of his followers to carry food and homemade brew, providing the tribal warriors with a hearty meal. They planned to set off the following morning, rain or shine, before the sun illuminated the forest, using their familiarity with the terrain to launch a surprise attack on the nearby Holy Trinity ammunition depot and command post.

Camilla and her squad didn't participate in the fighting, but they accepted all the Paititi food except for the homemade wine, stuffing it into their mouths along with protein bars. Several days of intense fighting had left the squad exhausted. With Supiluliumas's permission, Camilla ordered her team to lay out their cots and rest. She herself, using the firelight and a GPS system to navigate, directed her companions who weren't there via communicator. Around dawn, just as Onuratu was about to fall asleep, she received a report from a tribal warrior that a barely visible vehicle was struggling to move along a muddy path, belching black smoke. Before she could make a decision, Camilla led her squad there.

Guided by the cone-shaped beam of their flashlights, Camilla and Onuratu saw a person in a tattered red robe standing atop the vehicle billowing black smoke. The person's prosthetic eyes glowed with a fluorescent green light, and they held a heavy explosive grenade in their hands. Camilla leaned closer and discovered that the original grenade mount was gone, replaced by a new one made from wreckage and scrap, welded to the vehicle. While it couldn't match the original mount's elevation and rotation angles, it still allowed the person in the machine gun position to use the heavy explosive grenade steadily. The Martian technician was overjoyed to see Camilla; he and the sniper had searched the dense forest for a long time before finding Paititi, encountering hostility from the townspeople and nearly being hunted by Trinity mercenaries. The town where Paititi had originally lived was a trade depot operated by Trinity, and its residents and merchants were almost all followers of the Church of San Juan.

"How is this possible! You didn't say on the channel that this armored vehicle was still alive!" Camilla walked around the armored vehicle, shining her flashlight up and down. The traces of the explosion and fire were still visible on the armor plating. The original glossy black and jungle green paint was completely covered by burnt carbon marks. The armored vehicle looked as if it had been driven out of flames, and it still emitted a burnt smell. "This is an armored vehicle that's practically driven out of hell."

"Surprise!" The sniper opened the car door, managing a weak joke, "Do you want to hear my explanation or his?"

"I need a presentation, not a paper."

"Simply put, the AGM-114L's penetration capability isn't enough to take down this vehicle in one hit. Unless the tracks are hit, anti-tank mines probably won't work either." The sniper stepped down from the driver's seat. "However, the violent explosion will also have some negative effects on the people inside. Jose... he didn't find Pedro Domiguez's body. That guy is definitely hiding something we don't know about. But the mechanic has found a solution. We've embedded smoke grenades in the roof and hooked all the pins with wire. Once the radar detects the helicopter, we can immediately release smoke-screen missiles to lock on. The mechanic said he can do some non-standard modifications later, like installing a spectrum jammer or something, but I don't understand it."

"I understand. We will avenge Jose." Camilla nodded coldly. "After the mission, have the mechanic properly repair this vehicle. She's now part of our team; she's a member of our squad."

“Don’t worry, I’ve been through this many times. This is a cave with an exit; it definitely won’t fill up with water. I’m an expert in this area.” Laura Crawford lifted her feet out of the water that was above her shoes, completely ignoring the rain streaming down the rock walls overhead. She kept reassuring Amon, worried that the Royal Guard might choose a less suitable area due to their unfamiliarity with the situation. However, Amon wasn’t worried at all. The fusion blaster in his hand was the weapon he used to melt the rock to allow him to pass through, and Laura Crawford’s bravado seemed ridiculous to him.

Since entering the ruins known as the Eye of the Serpent, Laura Crawford has made many discoveries.

Of course, some things were also found that were both funny and absurd, such as a painted and decorated penguin doll. This plastic penguin doll was placed in the same position as a deity, perhaps because the locals had never seen plastic or penguins before, hence the elaborate crest and offering. Although Laura Crawford tried to control her emotions and show respect for the locals' beliefs, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"They actually treated penguins like objects!"

"Perhaps... this is the origin of religion, the offering of respect for things not understood." Amon said expressionlessly, without smiling. "I should write this discovery in my notebook as a research example of equal importance to algae agriculture."

"It's hard to imagine what you've been studying. From my perspective, this could be considered an example of religious fusion. This is an ancient irrigation system, but I assure you, Paititi has absolutely no algae agriculture, at most ferns." She pointed to the reservoirs and troughs at her feet, her expression filled with regret and sigh. "This place was once abandoned, until the rainy season came again, and it became a water storage system. That rain god stone carving proves that the indigenous people of Paititi once built a remarkable ecosystem to sustain the city, but now there's nothing left. But... hey, look at this."

Laura Crawford held up the silver, snake-shaped object in her hand. "A python!" she exclaimed, examining the artifact closely. "This thing has irregular, serrated edges; it looks like a key to something. Trinity must not have noticed this place, otherwise this thing couldn't possibly have survived until now. Wait, what happened…?"

"It's an earthquake!" Amon looked up warily, staring at the rock face above. "This is the third one today, and each one is stronger than the last. It's a shallow earthquake, with the epicenter no more than fifty kilometers from us."

"Is it because Quetzalcoatl has awakened?"

"Not necessarily. There isn't enough information to confirm the connection right now," Amon said. "But what's certain is that if we don't find the silver box soon, this situation might continue. Although there have only been three such earthquakes in Cozumel, the epicenter has been constantly shifting towards Paititi. Like..."

"It's like a snake lurking beneath the earth's crust."

“I wouldn’t use such a superstitious way of putting it, Ms. Crawford. But I must admit, it’s quite vivid.” Amon nodded. “Please act quickly. My Lord doesn’t have much free time. Several transport planes have already arrived in Peru under the pretext of disaster relief, but my Lord is still tied up with official duties. He only has twenty-four hours to temporarily escape the sight of others.”

Laura Crawford walked along the ancient irrigation and drainage system. It was a road leading to the Paititi encampment, now thriving due to the Trinity's trade, and she intended to go there to look for clues. "You've never told me what your master is doing now."

"No comment, ma'am."

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(End of this chapter)