Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 162 Asking for an autograph (Second update!)

"What happened to your forehead? Did you run into enemies yesterday?" Mordo frowned and turned to Salomon behind him to ask. Although his intention was to show concern for his junior brother, the conversation took place in the dungeon of Kamar-Taj headquarters. The clean and cold dark environment here would put a certain amount of psychological pressure on anyone, and Mordo's tone unconsciously changed from concern to questioning.

"No." Salomon shook his head, his voice muttering aggrievedly in his throat, his accent sounding exactly like a Scotsman.

"After giving you the warning of the angel's descent yesterday, you took the witch with you." Mordo walked ahead, leading Salomon towards the faintly glowing exit. "Did you go to the Gates of Hell bar?"

"I swear I didn't drink alcohol, Mordo, it was just cola," Salomon protested. "It's just a minor injury, really nothing. And don't argue with me about how good that cola tastes, okay? I'm serious."

"I already know about the time Kasirios took you to the Doorless Bar to sneak a beer." Mordo put on a disbelieving expression. In fact, Mordo was a rigid and inflexible man. He was a sorcerer who was the most devoted follower of the Sorcerer Supreme's "pure and ascetic" philosophy, and even many elders of sorcerer families could not compare to him.

"That was so long ago, Senior Brother. You found out too late, and I didn't even know you had spies at the Doorless Bar," Salomon sighed helplessly. Senior Brother Mordo was arguably the person he least wanted to see in Kamar-Taj, because Mordo was now the executor of countless trivial matters in Kamar-Taj. He would nitpick over any mistake you made, showing no respect for anyone except the Sorcerer Supreme. Even the naturally born saint Salomon couldn't stop Mordo from arguing over small things.

“Even the smallest thing is a violation of the commandments. He led you to violate both worldly laws and the commandments of Kamar-Taj. But don’t worry, it’s a small matter. Kasirius has already been punished.” Mordo tapped Salomon’s bruise on his forehead with his finger, causing the sorcerer to gasp again and glare at him angrily. Mordo seemed oblivious to Salomon’s angry expression and puffed-up cheeks. He continued, “He’ll also be involved in the hunt for that flaming skull, the Ghost Rider—he’s one of the best sorcerers. This is Kamar-Taj community service; he helped capture this lower-plane creature—from the hands of that big shot in Hell. Besides, the entire Earth is the Sorcerer Supreme’s territory. If the Sorcerer Supreme wants to know what happened in that little No Door bar, he can. In fact, the Sorcerer Supreme told me about it.”

"That's what I wanted to say." Salomon stopped in his tracks. His serious tone made Mordo stop as well, taking his junior brother's next words seriously. "Don't get close to Ghost Rider, senior brother," Salomon said. "If Ghost Rider is in his human form, it's okay to approach him, but if he transforms at night... I think it's best for no one to get close to him."

Salomon's claim was based on a message he received from Nick Fury, who requested more magical support. Fury explained that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s action teams were completely ineffective against Ghost Rider, even Captain America was no match for them. Salomon had anticipated this; he was certain Nick Fury would try everything to restrain Ghost Rider, and the action teams were just one of them—only to be burned to death by Ghost Rider's Penance Eye, leaving not even their souls behind.

Frustrated, Nick Fury immediately sought out Salomon, because according to Salomon's advice, Captain America wouldn't have his soul burned by Ghost Rider, but that was about it. As for Tony Stark, Nick Fury didn't think he was suitable for the situation, because even he didn't know which of the Ten Commandments the playboy had violated, and the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want to risk Tony Stark being burned alive by involving him in the operation.

"That thing doesn't follow the laws of Kamar-Taj, it follows the Ten Commandments." Salomon curled his lip. "We don't believe in God, and we've broken the first commandment. Do you think that thing will consider us some heinous criminal?"

"Did the Venerable One tell you this?" Mordo hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did the Venerable One say anything else? We have already discovered Ghost Rider's human identity, and we can arrest him at any time."

"The secular intelligence agencies know about it too. If we show up, Kamar-Taj's existence will be exposed." Salomon stepped onto the stairs, pulled up a text message, and showed it to Mordo. "This is a text message from the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. If we go to capture Ghost Rider, not only is there a risk of our souls being burned to ashes, but the risk of being exposed is even greater."

"Alright, what are your instructions, Your Excellency?"

"I think the excuse for not letting me participate in this mission is gone, Mordo," Salomon said. "The Sorcerer Supreme kept me away from this mission to prevent Mephisto from seeing me. Now there's nothing to worry about, because I've already seen Mephisto."

"What?" Mordo stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "Did you sign any paper, or make any verbal promises...?"

"No, no." Salomon looked at his senior brother with some doubt. "Didn't the Venerable One tell you that I had seen Mephisto's human incarnation?"

"Not a single word, Salomon!" Mordo clenched his fists impatiently. "The devil is the most cunning creature in the world, you..."

"I understand your concerns, Brother Modu. But I assure you that I did not sign any contracts, not even verbal promises, and I left no blood or hair. Don't worry, I am safe. The Venerable One taught me a lot."

"Alright." Mordo sighed. "Next time you encounter a demon, you'd better call for backup immediately. That's Mephisto, after all."

"It's precisely because that's Mephisto that I can't call for backup," Salomon said. "Who knows if that human avatar might suddenly gain power from hell? No one but the Venerable One can help; I'd be better off escaping alone."

"Regardless, we are all very worried about your safety, Salomon. We are allies, and you are very important to Kamar-Taj. If necessary, I am willing to sacrifice my life to protect you." Mordo rubbed his temples, looking worried. "Let's consult the Venerable One now. I don't want Kamar-Taj to lose many lives because of Ghost Rider's appearance."

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"I can get you an autograph." Coulson and Salomon stood in front of the screen, watching Captain America walk back and forth on the monitor. The Captain America enthusiast winked at Salomon. "Although now isn't the best time to get close to Captain America, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is even going to publicly reduce contact with him, I don't think getting an autograph should be difficult."

"Yeah, it's really not difficult. Just find a sexy American with a great butt and get her autograph," the sorcerer said dismissively, glancing back at the scene. If it weren't for the large group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sitting in front of their computers behind Coulson, what he said would indeed be easy—just getting an autograph. In reality, anyone who dared to approach Captain America would be subject to strict scrutiny, and even Coulson's request for an autograph was forbidden—nobody was permitted, because the operation was being commanded by Agent Victoria Hand, who was not one to show leniency.

"Actually, I'm quite curious," a Level 6 agent from S.H.I.E.L.D. shrugged. "Now that even burning skeletons are appearing, what else is impossible?"

"For example, going back three hundred years?"

"Hey! Hey! Keep your voice down." Coulson glanced nervously around. "This is a top-secret mission!"

"Very well, because my coming to see you is related to something else." The sorcerer held out his palm and made a taking motion in front of Coulson. "I've come to retrieve the book you took from Randolph Carter's bookshelf."

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(End of this chapter)