Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1384 (Second Update)

Every time the witches see "Saint Teresa's Frenzied Intoxication", they blush.

The emotions expressed in this sculpture were far more potent than any sweet talk Salomon had ever uttered to them, surpassing even the most earnest and subtly passionate love letters. It was a perfect work of art; even in its unpainted marble form, the sculpture's understated colors and natural marble textures conveyed a lifelike sense of breath. Every curve carved from the hard marble possessed a delicate quality, as if Saint Teresa in the sculpture might exhale a breath of warm air at any moment, lifting the veil covering her face.

Joan of Arc once joked that they could bury the statue under the manor and dig it up centuries later, at which point, regardless of their financial situation, they could rely on the statue to return to high society. This was just a joke; neither Bayonetta nor Joan of Arc wanted the statue to disappear before their eyes, much like how they wanted to confirm the Emperor's feelings. This behavior, much like how the Emperor needed witches' inexplicable jealousy to confirm their affections, was a fun spice in their relationship, not exceeding anything unacceptable to either party.

Salomon was an extremely mysterious man who would never reveal all his secrets—in fact, the witches could freely enter and leave the emperor's study, perusing documents that even Hammurabi was not authorized to access—yet they did not do so, for they had no interest in such tedious political affairs. Unless the emperor specifically requested them to look at the mountains of papers, the witches would "condescend" to glance at them. When the emperor brought it up, it meant that an extradimensional threat was imminent, and the witches' abilities were urgently needed to resolve the problem. At that point, the witches would gladly satisfy their sense of accomplishment and psychological needs, outwardly reluctant but inwardly eager to rush to the weakest point of the veil between reality and illusion, using magic, firearms, and various melee weapons to slaughter extradimensional beings that had gained physical form in the real dimension.

However, this time he did not invite the witch to help.

Agent Coulson lowered his head and pushed open the door to the church office within the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Bishop of St. Fernando Church. The old wooden doors had been coated with varnish year after year, but moisture still relentlessly seeped into the wood fibers. The iron hinges creaked and groaned as they clicked and rubbed together. Agent Coulson saw a man, shirtless, kneeling before a small statue of Jesus. His strong back was covered in bruises and welts from whippings, and semi-congealed blood seeped from his skin, trickling down his spine.

The bishop of Fernando Church stood to one side, carrying a bronze incense burner used in the Eucharist, the pungent smell of burning incense causing one to cough. The bishop was quite surprised by the intruder's appearance. Before he could say anything, the kneeling man immediately stood up and untied the iron chains wrapped around his arms, which were used to whip him.

But the carbonized muzzle calmed him down.

While his knowledge level wouldn't allow him to identify the weapon, everyone in the world knows that anything shaped like a gun would inevitably spew something with "supreme authority" from its muzzle. Robbie Reyes didn't know if he could be resurrected after losing his head in human form, but based on his recent actions, he was unlikely to be forgiven, and his spirit form might even completely detach itself, abandoning any hope of saving his life.

"An exorcism ritual, this stuff does have some use, especially in this building." The Precision Stand aimed the plasma pistol at Robbie Reyes, the pressurized chamber emitting a near-blinding blue light. The pressurized chamber's material effectively insulated against the high temperatures; even at such close range, Robbie Reyes felt no heat. He was unaware that the small hole near the muzzle would begin releasing boiling coolant after firing, but the sharp screech gave him an ominous premonition. "But not this time." The Precision Stand tilted its head, like a masked killer from a classic horror movie. "Give me that book, Bishop. Don't try to escape. Put on gloves, don't touch the cover directly, and don't stare at any page."

"You..." Sparks began to fly from Robbie Reyes' eyes, his face turned charred yellow, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air, making the already stuffy, incense-filled bishop's office even worse. When Robbie Reyes tried to summon the possessing evil spirit to defeat the stranger before him, he found that the spirit that had been trying to take over his body and manipulate his actions was impossible to summon, and Agent Coulson, whom he knew, stood silently to the side. "Who is he, Agent Coulson?" Robbie Reyes said, "You know this book needs to be perfected."

"You should know him, Robbie Reyes." Agent Coulson watched as the bishop, following instructions, donned white silk gloves and, with his aged body, struggled to lift the ancient book, its color resembling congealed blood. The Precision Stand reached out and firmly grasped the spine with one hand, gracefully placing the book into its lap. Robbie Reyes tried to stop him, but was forced back by the gun. He impatiently tried to urge the spirit to relinquish its power to protect the *Dark Book*, for that was the spirit's mission. However, the spirit residing within him remained unmoved, even abandoning any attempt to communicate with Robbie Reyes.

Robbie Reyes began apologizing for his previous lashing behavior.

He never gave up trying to expel the spirits, but he also never gave up using their power. Almost every Ghost Rider went through this phase; after all, not every living person can accept the feeling of being out of control. The true nature of spirits is not demonic; all their actions are aimed at preventing extradimensional beings from invading the real world, or expelling them back to their proper dimensions. However, the thoughts and actions of spirits appear as sheer malice to ordinary humans. Not everyone can accept possession, endure the endless whispers in their minds without going mad, or accept the spirits' complete lack of social morality. They burn the souls of any sinner to draw energy from the real world, transforming souls capable of providing energy to the outer dimensions into the purest form of magic.

"This is the contract you promised, or at least that's what he said," Agent Coulson asked. "Is it true?"

"The Emperor sent you?" Robbie Reyes took a deep breath of the pungent air; his words indirectly confirmed the authenticity of the contract mentioned by the Precision Stand. "Tell him I haven't broken any terms, and Gabe's living conditions must remain unchanged." Out of some trust in Agent Coulson, Robbie Reyes said, "If you really are that person's subordinate, Agent Coulson?"

Agent Coulson nodded, then glanced at the precise double with a puzzled look.

He knew the Precision Stand had meticulously replicated Salomon's entire appearance. But he was extremely curious why Robbie Reyes couldn't recognize the man before him as the Emperor; was there some kind of magic he didn't understand? However, since the Precision Stand didn't explain, he couldn't get any answers. "The administrator wasn't incompetent; he did his best to stop us," Agent Coulson quickly said to the Bishop as the Precision Stand was about to leave. "I'd like to confirm if you've read the contents of that book? Please tell the truth, Your Excellency."

The bishop's denial brought a sigh of relief to Agent Coulson, who was glad that no one had lost their life that day.

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(End of this chapter)