Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1468 The Eye of Heaven (First Update)

The agents active at this art exhibition and the complex, clandestine exchanges of interests behind it were not within His consideration. However, without His permission, Victoria Hand could not possibly use Vanessa's identity and network of connections to operate an intelligence network, because Vanessa was related to His secular identity. This was merely an insignificant link in the intelligence network established by Victoria Hand within the Ministry of Justice. More important tasks, such as wiretapping diplomats and monitoring the German Chancellor's phone (which was being monitored by the CIA), were what truly required the Ministry of Justice's attention.

The work of the Department of Justice's intelligence division and the Guardian Order's intelligence division can almost be described as fishing from someone else's bucket. After all, Thumbelina was originally developed for the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security, and the port permissions granted to it are not so easy to take back. An information monitoring system that exceeds one's control is a very fatal problem. No one knows who will get the information that should be in the hands of the intelligence department, and no one knows how much information that should belong to their intelligence department is in the hands of the other party. Therefore, no one will take the initiative to suggest canceling port permissions or investigating the users of the information monitoring system.

Political infighting also exists within intelligence agencies, and no one wants their oversights to be discovered. Rather than risk financial loss due to errors discovered during their tenure, it's better to pass the buck to the next administration or simply wait until after leaving office to use the revolving door to work on Wall Street, completely unconcerned about internal investigations causing trouble. The purpose of internal investigations isn't to uncover anything, but rather to uncover nothing. Those who make money in intelligence agencies have long mastered the ways of backroom politics and shady dealings. Add to that the recent case of a newly promoted CIA chief of staff being killed by the so-called superhero, former Navy SEAL "The Punisher," due to the CIA's established drug trafficking operations in the Middle East, and it's even more understandable that no one wants to bring their behind-the-scenes deals and mistakes to a congressional hearing, since Congress won't take any responsibility.

His celestial eye swept across the art exhibition and saw the Sig Sauer P226.

The witch gripped the pistol tightly in her slender fingers, her index finger lightly tracing the trigger guard, poised to fire at any moment. Bayonetta glanced up, then continued to stare intently into Athena's eyes. The latter shook her head dismissively, but her actions spoke volumes; she did not wish for conflict to erupt here. All intelligent beings nearby sensed the inexplicably heavy atmosphere, as if some unseen behemoth had rolled over their cerebral cortex. The entire art gallery fell silent; all intelligent beings instinctively kept quiet, some even experiencing a moment of disorientation and amnesia, as if their brains were unable to process or bear such information.

This was merely a simple spell, used to expand the boundaries of one's perception, to see things in the material universe that are invisible due to distance, concealment, and disguise. But in His hands, this simple magic seemed to come alive. Dew accumulated on the flowers in the courtyard was blown away by the breeze, falling into puddles formed by dripping water, and an eye flashed by in the ripples.

A few seconds after the transparent celestial eye disappeared, the conversations within the art exhibition slowly resumed. The minds of ordinary people returned like a slowly unfolding spring; intellect cautiously emerged from the shadows, gradually relaxing. Suddenly, someone in the exhibition felt nauseous, interrupted the conversation, and went to the bathroom to vomit. At first, it was just dry heaving, then scalding hot sludge, like asphalt, gushed from his throat, several tiny faces hissing on the surface. But this person didn't see it; to be precise, ordinary people couldn't see these abnormal phenomena at all. The unfortunate fellow frantically flushed the toilet, washing away the abominable mess, then, filled with regret and panic, began calling his private doctor to schedule a checkup.

For some reason, he felt a little lighter. In the bathroom mirror, he opened his eyelids to check his eyeballs. Apart from the bloodshot eyes caused by lack of sleep, there were no more fleeting shadows in his vision, and the lens had regained its clarity.

"Have you seen that homeless man, sister?"

Sitting in an armored car outside the art exhibition, Tatiana pointed through the armored glass to a homeless man being stopped by London police near the exhibition. As the outermost layer of security, the sorority was stationed at various intersections near the art gallery, guarding key traffic routes. Tatiana was ordered to lead a tactical squad with two cars on the mission. She saw that the man had a cataract in one eye, his teeth were covered in corrosive black spots, and his skin was covered in pustules—the aftereffects of drug use.

"I feel like God just came, it felt like when I was saved." She put on her helmet and used the long-range surveillance system of her electronic eye to lock onto the homeless man. She saw the homeless man collapse to the ground in agony, while the nearby police officers all turned a blind eye. When the man stood up again, his previously blind eyes regained their sight, all his drug-corroded teeth fell out, and new teeth grew back within seconds. Even the black pustules on his skin dried up, hardened, and fell off. Tatiana watched as the homeless man opened his bloody mouth, laughing and praising God, but the London police simply thought it was the daily madness of an addict.

"Praise be to my Lord, it is a miracle," Tatiana whispered. She knew this feeling all too well. Although she had only seen her master twice, and only from afar, her feelings had never changed. She had witnessed her ailing sister being miraculously healed after being rescued from the basement, and she had witnessed the fallen Catherine returning to the material universe; her feelings then were exactly the same as they had been not long ago. "I'm certain He just turned His gaze here. Contact the agents, investigate that homeless man's background. We must change his erroneous beliefs and let him know who gave him new life."

"And what about this?" The adjutant in the co-pilot's seat pointed to the trunk. "If we're going to take action, we have to be prepared to be tracked by helicopters. We only have one man-portable air defense missile and one anti-tank missile. The heavy weapons operator from the tactical support team is still in the safe house; they have other missions to perform."

"He's getting stronger and stronger." Athena looked in the direction obscured by the courtyard wall. The Eye of Heaven appeared and disappeared; the conflict between her and the witch had been resolved, but things weren't so easily eased. "Even an unintentional act can affect reality," she said. "He'll definitely become more and more difficult to deal with."

"I don't think so. I feel He's still very considerate," Bayonetta said. "Look, he even arranged for snipers."

"Men are always so troublesome. It's like we lack the judgment to know we can't fight here."

Bayonetta raised an eyebrow, agreeing with Athena. "Perhaps we can deal with this later," she said. "He'll be here in a few minutes; shall we meet at the restaurant?"

“Of course, of course. I think Vanessa needs some help right now; the trouble she just went through makes her need to stabilize the situation.” Athena turned back to the two witches. She produced a business card, a white card bearing only a black triangular female face emblem. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind paying a visit to the Goddess of the Triangular Paths? Although she has retired, her magical wisdom has not faded with time. If you wish to know your destiny, go find her; this business card can guide you to her and prove your identities.”

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(End of this chapter)