Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1554, Chapter 1550: The Lunar War (Sixty-Six)

"Her mind was messed up. Normally, the brain sorts memories, but hers are all jumbled up, with frequent jumps in timeline. Sometimes she's a little girl, sometimes she's a princess," Dr. Richard bluntly diagnosed, leaving even Black Bolt no choice but to listen. "Fortunately, that phase is over, and her brain has autonomously regulated and alleviated the symptoms. It can be determined that this was the result of powerful external intervention. We don't know what other effects Maximus had on her; perhaps those symptoms were just a byproduct of some kind of psychological suggestion. We cannot make an accurate judgment until we conduct thorough psychotherapy and mental intervention."

The royal secretary, acting as a communication channel, holds a data board.

When will Princess Crystal's consciousness return to normal?

"Without a rigorous mind-reading test, it should take at most two days." Richard adjusted his glasses, already anticipating what would happen next. "We've all witnessed Maximus's abilities; he instigated the worst riot in Attilan's history. Who knows what he might be trying to do through the Crystal Hand? You see, he's always believed the throne belonged to him, and... we all know what he's done, Your Majesty. Although I'm just a doctor, any person of sound mind understands that he should be taken back to prison now."

Or just kill them.

Richard didn't say the last half of his sentence, but Black Bolt understood what he meant.

He shook his head, rejecting this final proposal. He ordered Richard to continue Crystal's treatment, but the tethering had to be lifted. He also instructed the security forces not currently on the front lines to mobilize personnel from their ranks to apprehend Maximus and the group of dangerous prisoners. "No lethal force." Even the royal secretary couldn't help but glance at him as he said this, and some present speculated that perhaps Black Bolt was too kind, unable to bring himself to kill his own brother. "This is my demand; absolutely no lethal force." Black Bolt looked at the leader of the Genesis Council guards. "Maximus must return to prison alive. He can be injured, but he absolutely cannot die. There is no excuse. Even now, the law must be enforced justly."

"I cannot guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen, Your Majesty," the head of the guards protested expressionlessly.

As a member of the royal family with a thin blood relation to Black Bolt, the Chief of the Guard is a veteran who once oversaw King Argon's security. This is why, after Maximus caused the deaths of King Argon and Queen Linda, he resolutely stood by Black Bolt's side, paving the way for his ascension to the throne. "This is not a time of peace. We must end any potential factors of unrest as soon as possible. Only in this way can we ensure that the civilian armed movement is not disrupted."

He swept his cold, steely gaze across all the officials present before finally fixing it on Black Bolt. Even in the hospital, they could faintly hear the enemy's artillery and gunfire, and the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly with each explosion.

"The enemy is now within reach, and we have nowhere to retreat. To ensure the safety of the royal family, especially your safety, we are willing to disobey your orders."

Black Bolt shook his head angrily, then sighed and tacitly agreed with the guard leader's statement.

He was about to leave the Gene Council for the front lines, at which point he would inevitably entrust the security of the rear to the Guard Chief. He would arm all those in the clan settlements who were still able to fight into an untrained army, some who didn't even know how to use guns. He would also promise everyone that the Guard Chief would protect all those in the clan settlements who were unable to fight until they repelled the invaders. This was a guarantee he had to make to all the civilians. To this end, he even redistributed medicines allocated to the wounded from the royal medical system's warehouses to the civilians, using them as a medical reserve for the shelters. Other supplies, such as food, oxygen, and spare parts, were being transported to the shelters. The ancestors of the Attilan royal family seemed to have foreseen the invasion of Starfortress, and thus set up a shelter connected to the royal residence near the Gene Council Hall, which was the royal clan council hall. However, at that time, human technology was not yet capable of crossing the sea, and the Kree were busy dealing with the aftermath of their war with the Skrulls, leaving them no time to attack Attilan. No one knows why Attilan's royal ancestors made such a decision, but the preparations made a thousand years ago are proving useful today.

Maximus stepped into the filthy water, teeming with scum, but seemed oblivious. His face was expressionless, as if the disgusting mud beneath his feet caused him no annoyance. The criminals behind him exchanged knowing glances, and several of them silently left the group of twenty, disappearing into the dark, foul-smelling, cold corridor. The lighting here hadn't been replaced in centuries, and maintenance personnel never came here to do any work; not even the lowly Alpha primitives would venture here.

The only cohesion of this group of criminals came from Maximus's bizarre psychic abilities. All the criminals following him hoped he would come up with a plan—whether it was overthrowing the monarchy and seizing power, hiding in seclusion, or acting recklessly. However, Maximus just kept talking to himself, leading the group of criminals to increasingly remote locations, without even glancing at them once during the process. This happened frequently over several hours. The so-called cohesion brought about by the horrific sight of the prison guards being murdered gradually dissipated, eventually turning into utter despair.

Only a few people remain with Maximus, the vast majority of whom are political prisoners. Maximus hasn't told anyone what he's looking for, and his decisive actions are what convince the remaining followers to follow him. They believe that Maximus's swift action indicates he has already prepared for the aftermath of his escape.

"I gave them weapons. These cowards only have courage when they have weapons in their hands," Maximus thought. "I need them, I'll need them soon."

"What are you looking for, Maximus?" one of the men couldn't help but ask. "We're getting closer and closer to the battlefield, aren't we? I can even hear footsteps on the upper deck! We followed you in this escape to survive, not to die on the battlefield, understand?"

(End of this chapter)