Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1566 The Lunar War (Seventy-Eight)

The longswords reflected the phosphorescent smoke burning beneath the steel sky, their crackling blades evaporating the filthy blood mixed with phosphorus oxides. The knights stepped over the corpses without hesitation, remaining silent as they searched for their next target. Phosphorescent fire wasn't always effective; some Inhumans who could manipulate wind and freeze temperatures could effectively evade this terrifying weapon, but the genetically modified warriors preferred swords and spears. The ruins were littered with limbs and bits of flesh; the brutal fighting style caused many Inhumans who intended to resist to surrender outright. However, unless ordered to collect prisoners, the knights didn't care whether anyone surrendered or not.

They erected spikes along the street and stuck the severed heads of mutants into them.

On this battlefield, the lives of Inhuman soldiers are measured in Earth hours, or perhaps minutes would be more accurate. The prolonged tension has left them exhausted. Many Inhuman soldiers were simply untrained civilians before taking up arms, organized into effective infantry squads under the leadership of the royal guard, but they still lack training. Some fronts received assistance from the King of Attilan, but after a morale-boosting speech, nothing changed.

Perhaps some of them had once lived privileged lives and were now unwilling to lie behind cover, eating dwindling amounts of food, enduring increasingly filthy clothes and skin; or perhaps their former poverty had left them physically weak from long-term malnutrition, unable to keep up with the royal guard's rapid movements, and physically unable to handle much logistical work. When these so-called soldiers encountered the advancing genetically modified warriors, less than a third had the courage to pull the trigger, and even fewer managed to hit their targets. The deeper the attack penetrated, the lower the resistance of the Inhumans became. Each genetically modified warrior possessed a level of penetration capability that ordinary people could not achieve in the same amount of time. They cleaned every street like armored vehicles, handing over any survivors to Martian or Immortal City technicians.

Information continued to be transmitted back to command center via encrypted radio.

Although the assassins didn't have complete information on the movements of all the Inhuman armies, the fact that the Attilan royal family had formed special squads—including Inhumans with teleportation abilities like Locktooth and Gordon, and troops with offensive capabilities like Black Bolt (referring to the Juvenile Justice Department)—to attack fortified positions and dismantle the encirclement was enough to prompt the Emperor's command to change its offensive strategy. It was certain that other clans, such as the Chimerian clan who had completely lost control of their territories, and the Ghost and Rogue clans who still held control of the Attilan royal family, would attack any breaches in the encirclement.

Indeed, both the Ghost Clan and the Rogue Clan are warrior clans known for their bravery, skill in combat, and adaptability to extreme environments. Their specific genetic mutations grant them keen senses, astonishing agility, and formidable physical prowess. However, modern large-scale warfare is not special operations. Without equipment capable of ignoring bullets, mere physical strength cannot achieve significant results. The two clans' initial counterattack destroyed only a machine gun emplacement and resulted in over 98 casualties, against a mere security machine gunner positioned near an urban ambush.

When this victory was reported to headquarters, even the Imperial Guard felt despair at the Inhumans' stupidity.

This is no longer a problem that can be explained by equipment inspection. These two clans believed their genetic mutations could replace weapons, but against genetically modified warriors, their prized genetic mutations were utterly crushed by more advanced bio-engineering and sophisticated warfare technology. Even in close combat, these mutants, with their uneven combat skills, were no match for the genetically modified warriors who had received extensive knowledge. Even Black Bolt hadn't anticipated that the encirclement tactics devised by Commander Malcolm and the Emperor would gradually induce war-weariness among the Inhumans. Inhuman warriors were unable to break through the encirclement, and the genetically modified warriors, penetrating deep into the region, divided the settlements into different zones, prohibiting movement and the exchange of supplies between them.

If Attilan's former owners hadn't modified the star fortress, the interconnected living quarters would have taken much longer to conquer. But after the war, Attilan's Inhuman ancestors completely let their guard down. They modified the steel dome, altered the energy pipeline system, and built settlements on the upper deck, constructing structures from the former decks. This proactive elimination of strategic depth allowed the genetically modified warriors to systematically dismantle the structures, creating a desolate area hundreds of meters long. The genetically modified warriors coldly spread fear, violence, and slaughter; their destruction ignited fire after fire, destroying all production facilities and buildings, and beheading any living creature that could breathe.

In this war, the Inhumans seemed to pose little threat; however, the skill gap between different mutants was enormous. Some Inhumans posed no threat whatsoever, while others could cause immense destruction. To counter this, Commander Malcolm dispatched five squads of genetically modified warriors equipped with jet-powered backpacks—undoubtedly not Type-I, but rather unnamed experimental models from the Emperor's genetic laboratories—these fast-strike units, riding hovercraft and armed with longswords, pistols, and sniper rifles, operated within the encirclement of five different clan settlements. Tactical reconnaissance drones constantly monitored the defenses, preventing any gaps in the encirclement's firepower. When a support position was attacked, these steel angels with fiery wings would be notified and rush to the attacked location as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the ordinary soldiers at each mortar squad had pre-programmed the serial numbers and firing data of their respective artillery positions. When the genetically modified warriors were powerless to stop the exceptionally powerful Inhumans, a final order would be relayed to the ordinary soldiers: these heavy mortar squads would use the remaining ammunition in their firing positions to detonate and drag the Inhumans to their doom. When the Emperor's army mastered teleportation strike tactics, they had already devised a countermeasure. After all, the value of such decapitation strike tactics was equivalent to that of nuclear weapons, and could even render nuclear weapons ineffective to some extent; therefore, it was necessary to thoroughly study the application and defensive measures of teleportation strikes.

"Now we're in the final stage, Ms. Jiaying. The real enemy in this war is entering the fray."

"Isn't exterminating the Inhumans enough?" Jia Ying said with a hint of sarcasm. "Isn't slaughter enough to satisfy you?"

"Killing is inevitable. The spirits that crave killing and the monsters born of despair are gestating," the Emperor said. "They have their eyes on humanity, and the Inhumans are merely pawns they have recently placed on their chessboard. I want to exterminate the Inhumans, but I must also face the cost of this war."

Amon handed over a dose of medicine at just the right moment.

"You are an immortal being, Ms. Jia Ying. I could make you die completely and permanently, but I do not wish to do so, for that would mean wasting your own value. To the Inhumans, you are no longer of value. But if you are willing to delve deeper into the truth of this world, to understand the true threats we face, you will understand my actions." The Emperor pointed to a medical armored vehicle. That vehicle was specifically prepared for the Guardians and the Emperor, not for ordinary humans. He placed the potion before Jia Ying. "You can choose whether or not to learn more."

"Do I have a choice?"

"If you choose eternal peace, I can grant you true death," the emperor said calmly. "If you are willing to see the truth, then take this potion."

"This isn't poison?" Jia Ying looked at the alluring golden liquid in the test tube with suspicion. Even though she had never seen it before, she could imagine its aroma and taste. It was the most exquisite wine in the world, incomparable to any other spirit. "You're not planning to poison me?"

"This potion is called Golden Honey Wine, but I've made some modifications to the original recipe, so the method of use and effects are also different." The Emperor held a silver key, its patterns dazzling. He said softly, "We still have some time. After taking the potion, you will enter the dream world, where I will tell you about the true threat we face, and I will guarantee your safety until you return to the material universe."

The emperor drew a symbol on Jia Ying's helmet with his index finger, and a repulsive chill immediately swept over her entire body.

"As immortals, we view history differently than mortals who live only a hundred years or so. Perhaps by then, you will change your mind. But please remember, I have never asked you to forget the past; it's just that we see the world from different perspectives until we discover the truth."

Maximus looked at the crowd that the Alpha Primitives had abandoned on the deep pit deck and shook his head helplessly.

"Not enough. These lowly creatures are too inefficient." His rune-covered face was filled with disdain. The crater, originally an abandoned sewage tank from a wastewater treatment plant, was now quite suitable for other uses. Some of the people abandoned there were still alive, though their bones were broken. At the bottom of the tank, the skeletons of alien creatures that had sprung from the shadows were scattered. No one knew how those creatures had survived and multiplied for so many generations, becoming food for those deformed mutants. "Only through sufficient sacrifice can we glimpse the truth. These civilians lack talent; their role is limited."

"Your Majesty, it is difficult to rescue people from the invaders. Those invaders will kill any creature that appears in their path. The passageway for these slaves is located near the invaders' encirclement. Our men are simply no match for the invaders' firepower, and we have suffered heavy losses."

“I don’t want to hear excuses. The holy book says that 999 souls are required for the ritual to take place,” Maximus said with a laugh. “You should be grateful that the intruders are helping me achieve my goal, otherwise you would have been forced to jump into the pit and become ritual material.”

"I do not fear such a future, Your Majesty. To die for the gods, to die for the truth, is my honor." The priest's eyes blazed with fervor, enveloping Maximus. The upper deck roared with cannon fire, dust falling like a fine drizzle. "Periel will surely return from the dream to help you win the crown, and for that we are willing to give everything. The sect was established long before the Inhumans; this is a universal truth that transcends race."

“I don’t care,” Maximus said. “All I want is to save the Inhumans.”

"When you possess the truth, you can grant any wish," the priest said firmly, as if it were his absolute belief and a matter of course. "Invaders will be powerless against you; you can destroy any enemy and save anyone," he said. "This is but a small fraction of the power of the universal truth. As the representative of the gods, you will conquer the entire material universe."

"Let's begin."

Maximus waved his hand, and the compressor above the water tank slowly descended, obscuring the view of the crowd below. The compressor began to operate, and a foul-smelling, deep red liquid gushed from the tank's outlet. "Go and sip the holy water, my friends," he said to the surrounding crowd. This included the Inhumans who had lived on the lower decks for generations, their genes mutated by contaminants, completely losing the results of the Kree Empire's genetic engineering research. Only after arriving at this place did he realize just how powerful the cult rooted in the upper decks truly were. This cult had grown wildly without the royal family's knowledge, spreading its influence to areas beyond the control of the upper decks.

"Sip the holy water, and offer this final sacrifice to the gods!"

Jia Ying opened her eyes and saw a high mountain with steep cliffs.

The towering peaks disappeared into the leaden clouds, and the cold morning light shone on the lush fir forests at their foot and the snow-capped peaks that covered them year-round. The setting sun plunged into the rushing river in the valley, burning in the shimmering water. Wild men, clad in fur, carefully crossed the valley, carrying blood-stained prey on their shoulders, stepping on pebbles.

"The story of the Inhumans begins here."

Jia Ying turned her head and saw a young, dark-haired man standing beside her. His face was full of a warm smile, kindness and tranquility almost overflowing from his eyes. He was incredibly handsome, possessing a charm that could captivate anyone, but standing beside him now, Jia Ying only felt peace—a tranquility she hadn't felt since lying on Dr. Daniel Whitehall's operating table. The dark-haired man pointed to the steel castle perched on the steep cliff face. The castle stood out starkly from its surroundings; under the sunlight, the shimmering force field distorted the air, seemingly radiating heat.

The man, clad in animal skins, walked down the cliff, where a cave existed in the air that parted from the fir forest.

"We are currently in North America. This laboratory will be taken over by S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future."

Jia Ying realized who the black-haired man was; she recognized him from his calm tone.

"You will see how the Kree Empire selected and manufactured the Inhumans' controllers," the Emperor said. "But we don't have time. Let's take a short time back and look at why the Kree came to Earth."

(End of this chapter)