Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1420 The Ball of Yarn in the Maze (Second Update)

Laura Crawford cautiously made her way through the corner formed by the enormous bookshelves, moving with the swiftness of a gray mouse. Once she was sure it was safe, she took a glow stick from her pocket and waved it in a predictable pattern. The next second, the woman in the dark blue dress crawled over, her face beaming with excitement, as if she were on a thrilling adventure. But to be honest, her experience of being a library was more like that of a child locked at home by her parents, engaging in a self-amusing adventure using furniture and every corner of the house—the sofa could be a mountain range, the space under the bed could be an ocean abyss, and the toys in the corners could be her pursuers—everything became colorful and interesting under her rich imagination. Even Laura Crawford's act of waving the glow stick was transformed in her mind into a series of images unimaginable to most.

Laura Crawford had already retrieved the pistol.

She carefully checked the ammunition and firearms, and finally breathed a sigh of relief after confirming they were still usable. She also retrieved her backpack, from which she took a spare pistol, some food, and fresh water. Although pistol bullets had proven ineffective against the so-called Dust Demon, having a weapon was better than nothing in this environment. Now she faced two choices: one was to take all her exploration gear and try to return the way she came, leaving through the entrance she had used to the library; the other was to remember the route the giant robot had taken, take all the food and water, go to the giant robot, and wait for rescue—however, she rejected the second option. If that woman had indeed stayed in the library for twelve days, it meant no one would come to help them, and they would have to find a way out of the library themselves.

The idea of ​​leaving the woman with the giant robot, giving her food and water, and then going out to seek help also flashed through her mind. However, Laura Crawford couldn't bring herself to do something so irresponsible. She didn't think she could lead the rescue team to find her after leaving. For a mentally ill person, following a set routine without medication is extremely difficult, and even if Laura Crawford believed she could lead the rescue team to the giant robot, the woman might still get lost in the library again.

The thought of this woman starving and dying of thirst in the library was unbearable for Laura Crawford. Though her hands were stained with blood, it was only the blood of war hyenas and mercenaries; she couldn't bear to watch the weak suffer. Even now, the earthquake on the Yucatan Peninsula still tormented her soul. If she hadn't accepted the hypnotic therapy from an old sorcerer—specifically, the sorcerer Hamil—on Wanda's advice, her nightmares would surely be filled with fractured mountains, raging floods, and the corpses of humans and livestock floating on the murky waters. As for the even more horrifying image of the feathered serpent awakening, she could only try to forget and blur it; merely seeing a twenty-kilometer-tall behemoth was already an unbearable burden for the human brain.

For her, the most fortunate thing right now is that all the equipment she brought into the library is safe and sound.

She repeatedly checked that there was no white ash left by the dead fog monster on the items before she confidently put them back into her backpack. She also handed the woman the small pot containing the solidified chocolate. The stainless steel pot, still slightly warm, could only hold about two cups of hot cocoa, but it was enough for the woman to warm her hands.

"Where are we going?" the woman asked curiously, while reaching out her finger to try and scoop some chocolate from the small pot.

Laura Crawford had no time to worry about her actions; she was trying to recall all the routes.

"You said you had a ball of yarn, right?"

The Emperor could handle the rescue efforts in the library by himself, yet he still brought along the young sorcerer, leaving the latter puzzled and confused. "I won't become your political tool anymore, will I?" the young sorcerer asked, rolling his eyes. He and the Emperor had known each other for many years and could be considered friends. Although the Emperor's responsibilities had increased, leaving him less time to return to Kamar-Taj for smaller tasks, their friendship hadn't weakened. "Now you're more than just a sorcerer, right?"

"Yes, you will bear the same responsibilities as Mage Hamil in the future." The Emperor pushed open the library door and strode inside. The outermost layer of the library was the regular library, where copies of the *Book of Vishanti* and copies of the magical tomes compiled by the Emperor were stored for apprentices to consult and study; there was no danger there. The librarian, who had been dozing off, was startled by the loud noise of the door opening and quickly stood up. "You're fired," the Emperor said, pointing at the librarian. "Mage Xiao Wang has taken your place."

The librarian ran out of the library excitedly.

This man had no idea what was happening, but he knew that the highest power in Kamar-Taj now belonged to the person before him. For the young sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, their support for the Emperor far exceeded their support for their sorcerer families; after all, many of the new theories emerging in Kamar-Taj over the years had originated from the Emperor. The Emperor's arrival not only alarmed those in the library, but also two young apprentices still studying there late into the night—Sherlock Holmes and Stephen Strange, who practically lived in the library. The latter was startled by the Emperor's aggressive attitude, while the former raised an eyebrow curiously, seemingly sensing something interesting. "What did I do wrong that you want to take revenge on me?" the young sorcerer asked, his face full of astonishment. "You really want to cut off my sleep time like that?"

"I must arrange for someone trustworthy to take control of the library to prevent something like this from happening again. I've already taken control of the library's defense system from them, and now that control is in your hands." The Emperor first handed a magical artifact resembling a brass key to the young sorcerer, then pointed to the two young mages, Sherlock Holmes and Stephen Strange, who were still reading, and said, "Keep an eye on them. Don't let them leave here."

"What's going on here? You're planning to imprison us..." Stephen Strange spoke first, but as the Emperor handed the pistol to the young mage, even the most foolish person knew to shut up.

"I expect you to be able to fire when necessary." The Emperor first looked at the young sorcerer, then at the two apprentices. "No one will know what happened today," he said. "You will sign a confidentiality agreement, keeping silent for life about everything you see next. I don't want Kamar-Taj to lose two apprentices who will become excellent sorcerers in the future."

"A very elegant threat." Sherlock Holmes nodded. "I swear, but I don't know what that American will think."

"I'll swear too," Stephen Strange said, pursing his lips. "To Sigsauer, p. 226."

"very good."

No one saw where Salomon reached, but everyone saw the steel beast that suddenly appeared in his hand, resembling a giant cannon. The massive caliber, the highly industrial design, and the raw, visceral mechanical brutality were the first impressions the bomb gun gave. This wasn't a .50 caliber bomb gun for ordinary people; it was a standard .75 caliber MK.2 Spark-type bomb gun, with a single bomb almost the size of a machine gun shell.

"But I think you should swear to it."

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(End of this chapter)