Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1552 The Lunar War (Sixty-Four)

The locktoothed dog has the fastest reaction time.

It swayed its massive body to block Crystal, then rammed into Maximus at the cell door, trying to shove the dangerous rebel back with its head. But before it could reach Maximus, the hippopotamus-sized dog plopped down on the ground, bracing itself with its front legs. Crystal, confused, watched as flames suddenly ignited in her palm, leaping and then transforming into a spinning pillar of fire that shot towards Maximus—her talent for mind reading was mediocre, but she was extremely adept at manipulating elements—and for a moment she was distracted. Maximus now looked thin and filthy; the once humorous and handsome prince seemed to have wasted most of his best years in this brick cell.

She regretted it as soon as she did it. The flames were too dangerous; if she could, she would have preferred to manipulate the air to push the rebel back into his cell. But the flames missed Maximus; he stood there smiling at the crystal, and the flames passed right through him, scattering and illuminating the dark cell, shattering an iron plate engraved with anti-psychic runes.

By the scattered firelight, Crystal saw more corpses dressed as jailers in the cell.

The guards' corpses were dismembered, their internal organs removed, and arranged in a specific pattern in the cell. A fleeting glimpse was enough to sting Crystal's eyes and bring tears to her eyes. She quickly closed her eyes, trying to calm her chaotic thoughts, but when she looked away, the horrific memory of the cell's horror kept replaying in her mind, though she seemed completely unaware of it.

Of all the living people present, only Maximus was capable of doing this.

A violent burst of air erupted from her skin, forcefully pushing everything around her away, including the fanged dogs trying to approach her. Even with her limited combat experience, Crystal realized something was wrong. Maximus wasn't in the cell at all. What she had just seen and heard was likely a hallucination instilled by Maximus, and he might have manipulated her subconscious, making her unconsciously ignore his presence. Instinctively, she pushed everything around her away with the air, even though this would inevitably suffocate her. The supply module at her waist provided a continuous supply of oxygen, and a thin layer of the air she manipulated remained on her skin, stabilizing the pressure inside and outside her body.

This is an extremely powerful ability that can only be achieved through professional training and skill development.

"You guessed right, Crystal, it was indeed a hallucination." The voice had no source. "But I haven't deceived you. All the descriptions of Medusa and my brother are true. I have no reason to lie, because the truth hurts far more than a lie."

"You viper!" Crystal turned around frantically, her eyes scanning every corner, trying to find Maximus's location. "I wanted to take you with me so you could save my sister and fight for your freedom. But now, even I won't forgive your actions! You're a viper, and His Majesty will know what you did to the jailers!"

"Perhaps," Maximus's voice had a source this time, "but not now."

Crystal turned around and saw Maximus stroking the big head of the Locktooth Dog. The Locktooth Dog, which had been hostile to him, was now lying on the ground obediently accepting the stroking.

"I was involved in the genetic engineering project that created it before it was even born," he said. "It has been my pet from the very beginning."

"No, this can't be..." Crystal's face was filled with fear. She cautiously backed away, trying to make her way to the secret prison's passage. "I understand, you used your abilities to brainwash Locktooth!"

"Whether it is or not, I will make sure that the dog with the buck teeth is only loyal to me."

Facing the flames that reignited in the crystal's palm, Maximus showed no fear. Even though he no longer possessed the strength and equipment to counter the crystal's attacks, long-term malnutrition and the guards' harsh treatment had prevented him from manipulating others' minds as easily as before. Tetanus, seeing the aggressive crystal, instinctively raised its front paws to cover its eyes. Its mind had been completely twisted; in its simple thoughts, it still believed it was working for the Attilan royal family. No one knew how Maximus had planted the psychological manipulation in the guards. Perhaps it was related to his role as an interrogation psychologist and his work assisting the prison, since those who came here were all political prisoners—Maximus had inevitably interacted with the guards when he pried them open, and perhaps it was then that he instilled the psychological suggestions in them.

"Regardless, I'm leaving this stinking prison today. I'm grateful you brought me the key. I'm not referring to the access privileges, but to you yourself." He calmly faced the pent-up energy in the crystal's hand. "Twenty years ago, I had a very strange dream. The dream revealed that I could influence the guards and control this prison. Perhaps it was a sudden inspiration, or perhaps it was desperation, but I did it. Through long-term psychological suggestion, using gestures, gait, tone of voice, specific words, and so on, I finally succeeded."

Maximus looked at Crystal with a meaningful gaze.

With a puzzled look in her eyes, she found herself gradually relaxing her hands. She inevitably felt a sense of relaxation; some subconscious force diverted her attention, leaving her unable to maintain her psionic fire. Maximus's voice poured directly into her brain, mercilessly bypassing, softening, breaking down, and tearing apart the mental barrier she had painstakingly cultivated day and night for years. Scenes of horror she had never seen before appeared in her memory, veiled by the beautiful reflections of a dream.

“The dream returned, and then you came. I was inspired, Crystal. The information in the jailer's mind told me that I was lost in a dream when the humans attacked Attilan, and I woke up just as their army entered our settlement. Do you believe in coincidences, little princess? I don't believe in coincidences, only the chaotic model of countless atomic collisions.” Maximus had a lot to say, but something seemed to be constantly urging him to leave this prison, so his mental strength became much rougher. Crystal couldn't help but squat down, burying her head in her hands. The Locktooth whimpered and rubbed against her shoulder, only to be met with an annoyed slap. “Tell my brother, Crystal, whether it's the Kree Empire or whatever, we have to choose sides if we want to survive.”

"That thing isn't dead. We can't kill something that can survive in any way, Constantine."

The Emperor's hawk-like gaze fell upon the gates of the clan settlement, which were under heavy artillery fire in the distance. At this moment, the Inhumans seemed to have only just mustered the strength to what could barely be called a counterattack; some clumsy tactics, easily discernible, were being employed. Malcolm and Aparishya unhesitatingly commanded their genetically modified warriors into the Inhuman ambush, launching an attack along the possible directions of the enemy. Simultaneously, a brutal battlefield was unfolding in another dimension, and Constantine could feel the psychic heat emanating from the Emperor.

"A hidden thought, a bizarre dream—the emotions and thoughts of any intelligent being can keep that thing alive. Therefore, I request that the Guardians of the Order perform some of the highest-standard security procedures for Mage Hamil during the upcoming attack. I do not have time to search for its existence in the minds of every Inhuman, so Mage Hamil must undertake this difficult task of identification. For this purpose, I authorize you to use extreme torture."

(End of this chapter)