Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1632 Kamar-Taj: Impossible

His arrival seemed to inject new energy into the dim light, and the pseudo-feet and claws that writhed in the darkness faded under the increasingly bright light. He looked up at the person across the small chessboard, his beloved, his family, his teacher, one of the few who could extract his humanity from grand calculations and inhuman models. He opened his soul to the person across the chessboard, every memory of his dazzling as the aurora borealis. The person across the chessboard browsed through every memory, including his plans for the future and his schemes to achieve those theoretically impossible things. Each plan was far larger than the memory that any human brain that had been erased of its self could hold, and the variations derived from each key point numbered in the millions, their possibilities far exceeding the critical value that this chess game could simulate.

The Sorcerer Supreme blindfolded himself with a tattered gray cloth, a metaphor for his current predicament. Even as a being skilled in prophecy, he could only blindly speculate about the future. In all his deductions and simulations, distant memories washed over his mind, a dark storm gathering around him, shrinking the area illuminated by his weak lamp. Beyond the glimmer lay endless abyss and chaos, eternal disorder and heat death. They swore to forever fight against this infinite terror, to fight for the future of humanity. They vowed to fulfill their duty forever, that even death could not halt their steps. December 1995—for another dimension, this meant nothing, but for the Sorcerer Supreme, it was a glimmer of hope—the child born to fulfill his mission was destined to endure countless hardships and betrayals.

"Camelot is doomed." The Sorcerer Supreme let out a long sigh. Her voice choked with emotion, as if accepting all the sins. The past could not be undone. For a thousand years, the Sorcerer Supreme had repeatedly sifted through every decision, even the motives and expressions of every person, hoping to find any evidence to support her ideals. Even now, the Sorcerer Supreme knew that her decision to exterminate the behemoths was not wrong, but for Camelot, such an ideal was still too early. "This is the inevitability of history. I am not qualified to bear this responsibility. You can do better than me, my dear child."

"What has happened cannot be changed, teacher. We have simulated it thousands of times," the Emperor said. "Moredre is your warlord, and he will eventually rebel. Have I disturbed your reminiscences of the past?"

"And your answer, my dear child?" said the Supreme Master. "Your wisdom far surpasses mine or anyone else in the world; you are capable of offering advice to avoid the Battle of Camlann."

"Why are you seeking my advice?"

"Because I'm afraid, afraid of failing my duty. Driving away the behemoths isn't the whole story; many other terrifying things threaten this young race."

What would you give up for me?

"everything."

"You have already given so much, my teacher."

The Supreme Sorcerer swept the chessboard off the ground, and the pieces tumbled into the darkness.

"Time waits for no one, my child. I have no choice; I cannot stop the storm from coming."

"You have a choice."

A burning sword appeared out of thin air in the Emperor's hand. He stood up, the psychic light emanating from him illuminating a large area of ​​open space. He reached out and grasped the Sorcerer Supreme's hand, an incredibly powerful suction pulling the latter into the endless darkness behind him. The Sorcerer Supreme rarely saw such an expression on his face; it was a genuine, heartfelt emotion.

"Whatever is manipulating you, I will banish it for all eternity. Forgive my rare irrational decision, I will protect your soul, and you will gain eternal freedom. I swear by my true name, nothing can stop me from practicing this way."

"No, I am not describing my death, my dear child," the Supreme Master blinked. "I am describing your death."

Night falls.

The clouds in the Kamar-Taj sky continued to swirl, crimson lightning bursting from them and crashing down. A sinister storm, pressing downwards, pierced the protective barrier; the heat generated by the collision of shattered runes rivaled that of a solar flare. Star-like flashes gathered in the clouds before falling, and ash from the burning rocks of etheric flashes drifted in the air, forcing the arcane mages to huddle together to cast spells against the strong winds and intense etheric heat. The final barrier of the courtyard flickered at a frequency unbearable to the naked eye; platinum runes floated, drifted, and then fell at the arcane mages' feet in material form. In her dizziness, Wanda Maximoff managed to discern runes related to "expulsion," "identification," and "exorcism" from the fragmented text, indicating that this barrier did not physically prevent others from entering, but rather expelled malevolent etheric spirits on a non-material level.

The heat beneath the feet of the Royal Guard felt as if the entire planet were ablaze. Their armor easily shielded them from the terrifying heat, but a thin layer of ash, from the burnt-out rock, still clung to the intricate reliefs. The mage Daniel told the others that a battle beyond their reach was raging in the courtyard—a pure clash of psychic powers. Urged by the Royal Guard, Daniel could only begin to recount what he had seen through his second vision. Wanda Maximoff and Athena, however, needed no retelling; they could see for themselves what was happening within the etheric storm.

He saw psionic spears, radiating the heat of solar flares, ignite from a lighthouse atop a magnificent palace floating in the void, piercing the aetheric vortex across the asteroid belt. Yet this immense power failed to create even a ripple within the vortex; only an even more violent aetheric storm responded. The veil of the material universe was being constantly eroded, and the aetheric storm in Wanda Maximoff's eyes gradually merged with the layers of dark clouds above Kamar-Taj. Crimson lightning peeked through the clouds, then vanished. Then, she saw a broad, orange-red streak of fire sweep across the sky, disappearing from one horizon to the other.

The planetary defense system activated automatically.

This is the most powerful planetary shield in the Milky Way; very few forces in the world can break it.

As the white linen leather belt was fastened, his vision was also blocked by the blindfold.

His arms were pressed tightly against his chest, like a pharaoh lying in a tomb. His legs were also firmly bound by tight leather straps, his shoulder muscles were stiff, and his elbows and knees were completely immobile. He felt his elbows swollen due to poor blood flow, and his arms and shoulders ached from the bindings of the straitjacket.

"Without me, you wouldn't be able to leave this place. You know that's possible if I hadn't been waiting for you in that parking lot."

The caregiver turned off the lights in the room, and the pale moonlight shone through the iron bars of the narrow window and climbed up the rough cement wall.

"Your talent is too great; the world is not ready to accept you. You know that humanity will fear you, even if what you want to do is in their best interest. They do not deserve your loyalty. Humanity is short-sighted and foolish, and will repeatedly stumble on the same issues. You know you cannot make them see things as far as you do, my dear child. Your spirit and flesh are deeply intertwined; you know that losing control means killing everyone in this city, even everyone on this planet. That alone is enough to instill fear in them, and even your facade of submission will not suffice."

His raven-like long hair cascaded over his snow-white straitjacket, the rough fabric rubbing against his skin, causing him considerable discomfort. But this external discomfort did not affect his thinking, and the Sorcerer Supreme did not expect to hear his reply, for the Sorcerer Supreme knew that the latter was casting his empty gaze behind the blindfold toward a more distant and uncertain future.

“No one will believe your warnings; they are too foolish and too short-sighted. You know I am telling the truth.” The Supreme Master stepped forward and laid the restraint bed flat. “Let us look at the 1,113th future,” said the Supreme Master. “You will understand that what I have said is the truth.”

Wanda Maximov hesitated for a moment, but she couldn't help but tell Athena about her discovery.

“Something’s not right. I’ve seen the defensive palace and fortress that the teacher built in the etheric dream, and that lighthouse. Although these are metaphors, I understand their purpose.” She pointed to the overcast sky, where a sliver of white light remained unwavering amidst the crimson lightning. “Now the ether behind the veil is beginning to influence reality. I believe that light is the glow emanating from the lighthouse in his memory. I can feel it.”

"You are right, Wanda Maximov."

As Tatiana's squad arrived, some of the heavier equipment was moved to the plaza in front of the Seventh Nexus courtyard. At this time, the arcane mages led by Daniel were behind the prefabricated defensive scaffolding, together with Tatiana's battle sisters. The Royal Guard stood beside Wanda Maximov; as those who knew Athena's true identity, neither Amon nor Amphitryon had the mind to focus their attention on this dangerous target. Upon hearing Wanda Maximov's account, the two Royal Guards immediately confirmed her statement.

“That was indeed the glory of our Lord,” said Amphitryon. “But now is not the time to proceed with the next task, Ms. Maximov.”

"A mission? What mission?"

"When the situation requires, you will need to go into the courtyard to stop the storm from spreading," Amphitriteon said. "Our Lord believes that the planetary defense system's automatic operating power is insufficient to defend against this etheric storm. Master Daniel will take you to the control hub in Kamar-Taj, where you will temporarily maintain the planetary defense system's operation and increase its operating power to the maximum."

Why don't I know about this mission?

"You know, but to maintain the secrecy of the operation, we deliberately made you forget this part of your memory."

Amon uttered a coded message.

Upon hearing the word, Wanda Maximov immediately recalled her conversation with the Emperor aboard the assault transport ship, and the knowledge he had imparted to her, including the operation and keys of the planetary defense system. This level of secrecy was extremely common within the Guardian Order, especially concerning highly classified defense systems like the planetary defense system. Almost all data was stored in the frozen cellars of the Immortal City, and not a single word, not even a memory, was allowed to be taken out. She glanced at Athena beside her, who looked eager to fight a war. Clearly, Athena knew that her mission wasn't just maintaining the planetary defense system, but a small part of a much larger plan.

Wanda Maximov belatedly took a bottle of liquid from a small bag at her waist.

Golden mead, that's what she remembered it by.

(End of this chapter)