Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1264 (Second Update)

"They're docking," Natasha Romanoff said calmly, standing by the porthole. Laura Crawford was somewhat surprised. Several hours had passed since the Sky Battleship arrived near the Skysword Space Station through the portal, and during that time, the ship had been completely silent, like still water. Natasha Romanoff had been standing with her by the porthole, gazing at the boundless universe. Laura Crawford, a young girl, wore her emotions on her sleeve, and Natasha Romanoff, being a top spy, immediately saw through her thoughts. However, she didn't mention the Sky Battleship docking; instead, she brought up something else. "Do you know who built this space station?"

Laura Crawford shook her head.

"Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm sure you've seen his name on TV. Besides him, there was a whole bunch of aliens here, but now they're all in labs, treated like unequal experimental animals." Natasha Romanoff ignored the archaeologist's surprise at the word "aliens," and instead gestured with her chin to the sky battleship anchored dozens of kilometers away. "Your sponsor came here in a ship like this, killed all the aliens, and arrested all the top S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. That ship was something he stole from Hydra during the Hydra rebellion, and after modifying it, it became his spaceship."

"Is there any moral in this story, Ms. Romanov?"

"There's no deeper meaning, Laura," Natasha Romanoff said, hands on her hips. "I just wanted to remind you that your sponsor has a huge appetite. He couldn't possibly be unaware of Hydra's Insight program, nor could he be unaware of the true state of this space station, but he kept quiet and lay low until he was certain he could devour it whole. Nick Fury's entire life's work has become his asset. Look at what that former king of secret agents has become—isn't that terrifying enough?"

"Compared to your career, isn't this kind of trick a bit childish? We're not rich girls whispering and forming cliques in an all-girls school or Wharton. I never imagined 'superheroes' would play such childish games." Laura Crawford's smile faded. She said somewhat bluntly, "So what are you really trying to say, Ms. Romanoff?"

"This is not a place for you, Laura. Don't go after those dangerous ruins anymore. Although there's no evidence, my intuition tells me he's been using you as a tool to dig up secrets from the past." Natasha Romanov wasn't angry; instead, she looked at the lights of several gunships in the void—the Emperor and his Imperial Guard were on one of the assault transport ships, but no one except themselves knew the Emperor's exact location. Even in this place, the Imperial Guard remained vigilant.

It must be said that Natasha Romanoff's intuition was remarkably accurate. She reminded Laura Crawford of the Byzantine immigrants from the Lost City, and the way their leader, the immortal Jacob, addressed her patron. The only thing Laura Crawford was certain of was that without her patron, this Peruvian archaeological expedition would have been an irreversible disaster. However, Natasha Romanoff's words made her hesitate. She wondered if the awakening of Quetzalcoatl could have been prevented from the beginning, if the Paititi and Yasok could have avoided losing their homes, and if those who died from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis could have avoided perishing. This doubt, once it began, couldn't be stopped unless her patron could answer it directly. However, Laura Crawford had a premonition that she wouldn't like the answer.

“Here, you have to accept the fact that people die every day, because everyone is just a tool to him. If you die on your adventure, he won’t shed a tear for you.” Natasha Romanoff patted her on the shoulder. “I know your father, Richard Crawford, he was a great archaeologist… but this is your life. I believe your friend Jonah said something similar to you, you’re not a superhuman, and you’ll die on this path sooner or later.”

"And what about you? Aren't you going to resist?" Laura Crawford asked. "Did Jonah send you to persuade me?"

“Jonah didn’t ask me to do anything; I came to you of my own accord. I saw your file and know the impact those relics you found had on him. He gained far more than he gave,” the former spy said with a smile. “I’ve already made a deal, and you haven’t. Like Faust making a deal with the devil, a deal can get you everything you want, but it also comes at the cost of your soul. The SHIELD agents who stayed here are the same… They traded their jobs for a chance to live. Otherwise, the only fate for these ‘alien sympathizers’ would be imprisonment or being turned into robots to mine. This isn’t a place for kind people, Laura Crawford; it’s only for ruthless people.”

"In that case, only I can know whether what I gained by exchanging my soul was worth it."

Natasha Romanov nodded, ceasing her persuasion. "Let's go see the people we brought back from Koboy. The scientists on the space station are probably ecstatic." She paused, shifting to a more approachable tone. "By the way, a sheepdog in the animal testing area had several puppies. If you'd like, you can adopt one of the space dogs. But you'd better hurry; most of the staff on the space station want to adopt pets, since many of them won't be able to leave this place in their lifetime."

The emperor did not linger at the Tianjian Space Station, as he had many official duties to attend to.

He ordered Victoria Hand and Tita to begin cleaning and repair procedures on the Sky Battleship, meaning it would be unable to be restarted for the next few months. He briefly met with Queen Onuratu of the Paititi and promised to help the Paititi rebuild their homeland. Once the knights on the ground completed their mission, construction teams would build houses and farms on Paititi territory, relocating livestock and agricultural machinery to enable the Paititi to be self-sufficient and even trade with Latvinia.

As for Queen Yasok, the priestess of the Crimson Fire Cult, the Emperor also communicated with her in the ancient Quechua language. He stated frankly that this was not the underworld but a transit point, and that the Yasok clan would gradually return to Paititi, traveling to the underworld through an underground passage—an underground cave discovered by the knights during their mission, at the end of which was a silver stone door that could not be opened by explosives or individual thermal melting. After the image of the silver stone door was transmitted to the Skysword Space Station, Laura Crawford, who was temporarily residing there, immediately recognized the statue next to the silver stone door as the Blood Moon (Crescent Moon) goddess, the creator of Yasok legend.

After this, Laura Crawford would join the second group of Second Company knights heading to the surface on an exploration mission to find out what lay behind the silver stone door. "Thank you very much for your help, Laura," the Emperor nodded to the archaeologist. Only now did she notice the Emperor's haggard appearance; the charisma she displayed in the hangar had all been a facade. Although she didn't know how Quetzalcoatl was ultimately dealt with, it certainly didn't look easy. "If it weren't for you, the disaster unleashed by Quetzalcoatl would have been far more terrible. The Chakcher Key and the Ishcher Silver Box are now useless; Onuratu and Queen Yasok have both agreed to give them to you as a memento of this adventure."

Laura Crawford hesitated for a moment, but ultimately accepted the gift.

She still didn't ask the question, just as she expected, knowing she wouldn't like the answer.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)