Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1441 Artificial Race (First Update)

"I smelled blood."

The exquisite white silk, embroidered with gold thread, was stained with blood and clung tightly to Athena's wrists. Ignoring the stained white robe, she continued to feed the three giant owls standing on the balcony, their bare hands clutching small, wet, bloody pieces of human liver. The animals pecked at the flesh between her blood-soaked fingers, their eyes fixed on the tall human standing behind their master. She remained unmoved by the newcomer's charisma, but the three owls' muscles tensed, their feathers bristling, ready to flee at any moment. A venomous snake coiled around her ankle was now completely unconscious, lying limp on the floor, belly up. "I'm glad you remember your work, my child. Those witches failed to break your will. I was very pleased with the snake-people souls you gave me last time. I'm curious, whose blood and soul do you intend to offer me next?"

Athena didn't turn around. She looked even more radiant than before, her eyes gleaming with supernatural power. She fed the last few pieces of chopped liver to the owls, then waved them off onto the balcony. "You come here before every war, but I don't want you only coming now." She wiped the blood from her hands with a handkerchief. The flesh and blood she had just fed them came from a Latvian prison, smuggled into New York through a port of entry, then cooked by the local mob, packed into a cryogenic chamber, and delivered to her door. "You haven't lived in my apartment in a long time. I've prepared some food for you. The Boston lobster season is over, but it's also the season for sea urchins; I can make you some sea urchin pasta."

"Attilan." The emperor remained rooted to the spot. "What do you know about Attilan?"

"You want Attilan's genetic technology?" Athena turned sideways, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the Emperor, who stood like a shadow in the center of the room. She tiptoed over the unconscious or feigning dead snakes and walked towards the Emperor step by step. "Or are you worried that the Inhumans will join the Dark Order?"

"Both, but worse is Attilan's Terrigen compound." The Emperor stepped out of the shadows, his expression softening. He should have been returning to the manor aboard the Pegasus super-heavy assault transport, but his inner turmoil and anxiety about the future had led him to New York alone, for his foster mother's wisdom and insight always provided inspiration. "I foresee the Inhumans releasing Terrigen onto Earth, polluting its ecosystem and increasing the probability of genetic mutations. This is very likely to happen, and regardless of whether the Inhumans choose to fight the Black Order, I have never trusted those mutants."

"You're right to think that way. The Inhumans are just slaves, always have been slaves."

"The Inhumans have genetic mutations affecting tens of millions of people; this is a rough estimate." The Emperor frowned. "I can't imagine the devastation that tens of millions of unrestrained, uncommon mutants, acting recklessly, would cause. How many of these mutants will awaken psychic powers and be drawn to another dimension? All of this is unknown. The few benevolent Inhumans cannot change their inherent danger and their tendency to seek independence and fragmentation; there's even the possibility of factions hoping to join the Kree Empire. Perhaps killing the Inhumans now would be a better option, but I want to wait for other, more lenient solutions."

"Compared to the Inhumans, I want to warn you about another potential danger, which I believe you've also noticed: the bloodline of the leader of the Dark Order is linked to an unnatural race that once existed on Earth. That unnatural race was also created, and from a genealogical perspective, they share similar characteristics with you, including artificial souls and extradimensional beings. They are far less powerful than you, but they are still worth your vigilance."

Athena poured herself and Salomon a glass of wine, which the latter naturally accepted.

As the very person responsible for instilling in him a drinking habit, Athena herself consumed an astonishing amount of wine, though she never managed to cultivate a taste for wine that suited her palate. Initially, this greatly frustrated Athena, as it was a sign that the emperor was slipping out of her control, and her desire for control remained unfulfilled. However, with subsequent events, Athena realized that she could not truly control the emperor.

"The Olympian pantheon once discovered the similarities between that race and us, and through negotiation, made them their representatives. At that time, they possessed complete flesh and blood, and could do things for us that we couldn't. That's why my name is both Athena and Minerva." Athena took a sip of wine, then pursed her lips. "Looking back now, it was a foolish deal. At the time, none of us knew the true mission of the Eternals; we were deceived."

The creation process of the Eternals was not a secret to the ancient race.

Driven by the purpose of creating substitutes, the Celestials of the Second Descent used the souls of numerous primitive humans to create and mold the Eternals. While physically similar to humans, they are entirely different in spirit and ability. It's worth noting that the creation process of the Eternals is identical to that of the Emperor, except that the Eternals used the souls of ordinary humans, while the Emperor used the souls of numerous spellcasters—it's difficult to say which came first, as the Emperor's exact birth time is not the same as the time of his physical birth in the material universe—but it's certain that the supernatural power bestowed upon the Eternals, and their own soul strength, are completely incomparable to the Emperor's. Therefore, although the Eternals are called Eternal, they are not truly immortal. If the physical body of an Eternal dies, they can only reshape their physical body in the material universe by capturing the consciousness of the Sea of ​​Souls through specific machinery, unlike true immortals like the Emperor who can be resurrected from the ashes.

Even so, the Eternals are still very powerful for this planet.

"The Eternals are those who are not naturally immortal." The emperor also took a sip.

The bottle of wine felt familiar. Seeing the label, he realized it came from the crypt of an Oxfordshire estate, from the French winery of the Countess of Sylcaria. He didn't know how this wine had ended up in Athena's hands, but now it seemed highly likely that the two witches had a secret communication channel with Athena that he didn't know about, and Athena displaying this wine might be hinting at something. After a moment's thought, he silently took another sip. "I've already begun monitoring their movements. The number we've found so far is far from enough, and some informants have been silenced," the Emperor said. "But the locations where the bodies were found have pointed to the Eternals' hideout. I plan to find them all before making my move."

"Well done." Athena nodded. "The fact that you transferred that Celestial body from Antarctica has already begun to affect the Eternals. Even if they actively hide themselves, their instincts will try to find their master. It won't be long before they come after you, my dear. They want that Celestial."

"Then I'll kill them."

"Perhaps they'll mistake you for one of their own." Athena seemingly pointed casually to the ground, but actually pointed in the direction of Mars. She could determine the location of stars without astronomical instruments. "Worse still, they might awaken that god. Rather than the Inhumans, I suggest you deal with the Eternals first, to completely eliminate any future worries."

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(End of this chapter)