Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1421 Heretical Tendencies (First Update)

The Emperor's secular identity is quite endearing, as the inherent humor of Salomon has not been extinguished by the weight of responsibility. After a series of Mafia-style threats, he can easily lighten the mood with a witty remark. But for the Emperor, he doesn't joke with anyone except Victor von Doom and the Janissaries; that identity leaves no room for lightheartedness or pleasure in his soul.

"Say hello to my little friend."

"Actually, I've seen *Scarface*, and I know that's a line from Al Pacino," Stephen Strange said, pointing to the bomb rifle. In *Scarface*, Al Pacino blasts open doors with a grenade launcher, and this bomb rifle seems to have a similar caliber. Although the weapon's true purpose is unknown, anyone can assess its power. "This isn't some kid."

"You just need to say hello."

Salomon expertly checked the magazine, disengaged the safety, and loaded the rifle, carrying the massive weapon with both hands as he walked toward the library's second door. Since the Sorcerer Supreme began relinquishing power, the library of Kamar-Taj had undergone some modernization changes. Previously, the second door was only secured by enchanted chains and locks; now, it was fitted with an alloy blast-resistant door and a combination lock. Simultaneously, the enchantment's function had shifted to protecting the electrical currents and alchemical intelligence within the electronic components from damage. All levels of protection had been raised by more than one. The protective infrastructure installed in Kamar-Taj was a masterpiece of mechanical and magical engineering, jointly produced by the immortal city and the mystical scholars of Mars.

"When can we step through that door?" Sherlock Holmes asked the young wizard. Stephen Strange shared the same question, for all the apprentices who advanced to higher levels claimed to have learned more profound spells and understood deeper mysteries in the library—a fatal temptation for the two apprentices who had remained at the lowest levels. They had witnessed the power of magic, and even Sherlock Holmes, the most dismissive of magic, wanted to see its limits, though he knew he wouldn't dedicate his life to it; satisfying his curiosity was a lifelong pursuit. "I submitted my application a long time ago, but I've never received a reply," he said. "I just hope the bureaucracy here isn't as rigid as 10 Downing Street."

"Only the Sorcerer Supreme or a Grandmaster can make this decision." The young Sorcerer looked at his two apprentices, finally deciding to tuck the Sig Sauer P226 into his belt. He didn't intend to use the pistol. Although his old friend had forced him into shooting and firearms training, he didn't think these two apprentices could cause him any trouble; after all, they weren't even qualified for martial arts training, and if it weren't for their exceptional talent, they would likely have been kicked out of Kamar-Taj. "Now that the Sorcerer Supreme is absent, and the Grandmasters can't speak, only he has the right to make the decision."

"What's going on, Your Majesty?" The young sorcerer made a zipping motion over his mouth, but that didn't stop Sherlock Holmes from digging deeper. "Perhaps we should get a tuna sandwich, hmm?" He raised an eyebrow. "I have some other things you might like."

The library has many doors, and the further you go in, the more secure the security measures become, and the lower the temperature gets.

Frost clung to the heavy alloy plates forming the final door, and two automatic turrets remained vigilant, alert to anyone entering the room. After confirming identity, the twin-barreled explosives remained aimed at the individual—if the information verification failed, a warning would be issued; if verification failed three times, the turrets would open fire without further warning. Fortunately, no one had yet made such a foolish move; however, the problem was that someone had already gained access but hadn't waited for the Imperial Guards as planned, instead venturing into the deepest part of the library to explore. Worse still, the library, which was relatively safe as long as the books weren't touched, had now become extremely dangerous for ordinary people due to human intervention.

"I never imagined that I would one day imitate Theseus."

Without the walkie-talkie and the children's digital watch, Laura Crawford thought she might not have realized how long she'd been in the library. The biting cold made her almost forget the passage of time, and the calories she was burning to maintain her body temperature were causing her blood sugar to plummet, leaving her feeling drowsy. "Okay, this way is blocked. How long have we been going?" She clumsily marked her notes in her notebook with her gloved fingers. Three shelves forward, then right and straight ahead, PASS; four shelves forward, then right and straight ahead, PASS… She kept trying different routes, using the ball of yarn and her notebook to avoid going too far or getting lost. The wisdom of ancient Greece came in handy once again. "We've tried a dozen different routes," she sighed, trying to expel her frustration. She said to the still-energetic woman, "Now it's time for us to stop, go back to where we started, and have a hot cocoa or a hot tea."

"I like hot black tea!"

"But I didn't bring milk or sugar, but I did have Lipton tea bags."

Even the woman Laura Crawford considered crazy chuckled at the remark, leaving the British-born archaeologist somewhat bewildered. To her, Lipton tea bags were synonymous with consistent quality and ease of brewing, but outside of England, they were likely a symbol of inferior tea, fit only for low-level stock exchange traders to empty their bowels. However, Laura Crawford soon laughed too. Although she didn't know why, the woman's cheerful mood was contagious, as if it possessed a highly infectious emotional power that slightly calmed her anxiety caused by the repeated failures of her plans.

"You should have some hot cocoa," she said to the woman. "I'll finish all the tea bags."

“I want to wait here for others to come and rescue us.” The woman pointed haphazardly to a spot. “It’s warm there, and there are no ghosts. The ghosts are getting stronger and stronger; we need a safe place.” Sometimes Laura Crawford wondered if this woman really knew the library. Sometimes she knew everything about the library, from the robots to the teaware in the drawers, and sometimes she was completely clueless about whether she should turn a corner to avoid walking into a dead end.

She was like a wise fool, offering reliable advice intermittently, but most of the time she could only speak to unseen beings in ways no one else could understand. Laura Crawford decided to continue following the woman's advice, hiding between the two bookshelves for a while, while relighting the alcohol stove to cook some drinks to warm herself.

She planned to take this time to thoroughly review the books she had.

For an archaeologist, the greatest joy is uncovering the hidden truths and details of history. The archive she possesses is top-secret and the only document in the world that records the truth of that period, including information about the cause of death of Ludwig IV, King of West Frankish. According to the author's research, the person who employed the arrested sorcerer was likely an employee of John XII's subordinates. This explains why Ludwig IV, after being poisoned by witchcraft, claimed that the Roman Catholic Church possessed heretical doctrines, rather than simply using it as a political tactic as later archaeologists have suggested.

Later in the book, the author begins another investigation.

Regarding the heretical tendencies of the Roman Catholic Church.

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(End of this chapter)