Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1649 Before the Coronation of Kamar-Taj

There are magical schools on Earth, ranging from a few to several thousand members. During the siege of the Immortal City, many schools that were once registered in Kamar-Taj but have since declined due to the loss of their successors were discovered. Many of these schools lost contact with Kamar-Taj in recent centuries. If it weren't for the need to integrate magical schools on Earth, rebuild Kamar-Taj's authority, and prevent psychic accidents, those nearly extinct schools might have remained dormant, eventually becoming forgotten skeletons in forests, deserts, and mountain caves, until a destined person unearthed their former treasures and wisdom.

Those people are likely to meet a tragic end; there is no incident involving psychic powers that is not dangerous.

The magical schools that originated from their respective civilizations on Earth can all trace their roots back to the ancient sorcerers and shamans' exploration of nature and outer dimensions. The knowledge they inherited has, to some extent, transcended the taboos set by Kamar-Taj, which is why the Emperor was so eager to unify all magical schools on Earth. After the loss of the Sorcerer Supreme, certain unfortunate individuals forced to cross the line due to their predicaments, and madmen long suppressed by the Sorcerer Supreme to explore, will no longer have any scruples. The Emperor can only use explosive guns, chainsaw swords, and the cruelest punishments to re-establish the authority of the new order. Despite the Sorcerer Supreme's lenient treatment of those magical schools during his lifetime, in the era a thousand years ago when psychics were abundant, Kamar-Taj's authority was also established by the Sorcerer Supreme with the blood of his enemies.

Victor von Doom, a former Kamar-Taj sorcerer, faced hostility from high-ranking sorcerers such as Wu Guiyue and the recently released Mordo. Although Kamar-Taj suffered no casualties in its pursuit of Victor von Doom, he remained one of the few traitors to escape, a source of immense shame for the sorcerers who had secretly orchestrated the hunt. Now, the Regent stood beside the sorcerer Hamil, engaging in a brief exchange with the seasoned and composed sorcerer, paying no attention to the Staff of All Magic beside him, which radiated a magenta psionic glow and appeared to be made of white ceramic.

Mordo did not speak again; he remained silent.

It was as if from the moment he was defeated by the emperor, he lost all authority and vitality.

He learned from the Emperor and the Sorcerer Hamil, among others, that the orders he received did not come from the Sorcerer Supreme, but from a demon possessing him. In other words, he had become an accomplice of the demon, even nearly preventing the Emperor from entering the main hall. His delaying tactics were tantamount to stepping on the gas pedal to the Sorcerer Supreme's demise. Even though others explained that his actions did not affect the Sorcerer Supreme's fate, this humiliating statement sounded more biting to him than mockery.

"Aren't you going to tell Mordo the truth yet?" the mage Hamil asked in a low voice. "He's trustworthy, Victor."

"I haven't lowered his rating because of past grievances, Mage Hamil." Victor von Doom had already removed his helmet. "Modu's abilities are trustworthy, but he failed the psychological assessment. We won't allow any unstable elements to enter the core plan's execution level, and psychological assessment is one of the most important evaluation criteria, as you should understand."

"I can only offer advice, Victor. This world belongs to you, not to us old folks."

"Everything we do is for the vision of the Supreme Master and Kamar-Taj."

“He is now the Sorcerer Supreme,” Master Hamil advised. “You should change your way of speaking.”

“I think he has his own ideas, and he will entrust Kamar-Taj to the right people to manage.” Victor von Doom laughed, his smile bright and gentle. “This is the starting point and cog in all his grand plans, a symbol of integrating all resources and power to strike at humanity’s enemies. Kamar-Taj is important, and Mage Hamil will remain important for the foreseeable future of humanity.”

"You don't need to comfort me, Victor. I don't see the future of Kamar-Taj as important as I do. I know why the Sorcerer Supreme didn't want to kill you when you betrayed him—because you always upheld the ideals of Kamar-Taj. However, I suspect that your encounter with him was part of His Highness's plan."

The mage Hamil raised his head and looked at the tall figure standing at the top of the steps.

Pure golden and white psychic energy emanated from the air around him. A blonde woman, far taller than the others, stood beside him, unaffected by the Emperor's psychic radiance. The mage Hamil, a sorcerer with a vast, library-like knowledge, knew that the Emperor's psychic properties were extremely unique.

"Like his predecessor, the Sorcerer Supreme, he never reveals all his plans to anyone else. He is the only one who knows all of the Sorcerer Supreme's plans. Is he willing to be honest with you, Victor?"

"No, I understand the necessity of secrecy. A secret is both a weapon and a friend, as one of the agents I know said." Victor von Doom shook his head. "He has his reasons for keeping secrets, and I trust him completely. He has proven himself capable of fulfilling this ideal, which is why I trust him."

Master Hamil shrugged.

"Now I have reason to believe that this is the Supreme Master's plan."

Preparations for the coronation ceremony proceeded smoothly, with the Sisterhood becoming the only organization outside the Royal Guard capable of handling both internal security and logistical support. The Kamar-Taj sorcerers watched as transport planes landed one after another at the expanded airfield, carrying supplies, including weapons, to the plaza via bipedal engineering transport mechs and forklifts. Engineering machinery began operating; construction teams pried open the plaza's paving stones to lay tracks, and large quantities of rubble and soil were removed, crushed, ground, and smelted into usable building materials. The construction wasn't limited to the Kamar-Taj courtyard; numerous lighting installations, automated turrets, and mid- and terminal air defense systems were deployed near the Kamar-Taj headquarters within ten hours. Mobile anti-aircraft missiles were installed in the valleys on both sides to prevent any potential attacks, given Kamar-Taj's extremely sensitive location; even the slightest misstep could trigger a large-scale war.

Viktor von Doom believed that these political factors were absolutely not part of the Emperor's considerations for the coronation ceremony. He reasoned that the anti-aircraft missiles' flight radius extended all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and even if conflict did break out, the Emperor could keep all the surrounding countries of Kamar-Taj calm and reaffirm Kamar-Taj's ownership of the land ahead of schedule. The price would be abandoning the interconnected plans of conquering Europe, seizing the Himalayas—a region whose symbolic significance now outweighed its productive power—and breaking numerous trade agreements between Eurasia. However, this price was currently bearable, though Viktor von Doom found it somewhat unsettling, as it would force many plans to be altered and fail to achieve their initial objectives, resulting in substantial economic losses.

The emperor assured him that Constantinople and the Anatolian Plateau would be reconquered as planned.

Victor von Doom spent a brief night at Kamar-Taj. The mages who had fought in the Battle of Attilan were also asleep from exhaustion, but the Emperor did not rest. He stood atop the highest courtyard steps, overlooking Kamar-Taj. Sleep had lost its meaning for him; he stood there releasing his psychic energy—only certain powerful psychics knew that the Emperor had spent the entire night battling ghosts from another dimension. As night fell, without the need for new lighting, the Emperor's psychic radiance illuminated the area without a trace of shadow, until the sun climbed over the other side of the ridge, finally ending the night filled with eerie chill and noise.

"Do you know how few people slept soundly last night? The noise from those construction vehicles was unbearable," Victor von Doom squinted and stretched. A night without official documents, banquets, or meetings was a rare moment of leisure for him. After a night of work, many courtyards had been transformed; bullet holes had been repaired, bloodstains cleaned, and if one ignored the various anti-aircraft structures erected on the surrounding mountains of Kamar-Taj, it would seem like a peaceful haven once again. The towering snow-capped peaks reflected the sunlight, and the sky was clear, as if yesterday's gloom had dissipated. Few knew that this was the Emperor's effort last night. The Royal Guard stood silently behind the Emperor, their armor covered in a thin layer of dust—the protective spell of Kamar-Taj was in effect, and dust could not possibly penetrate the barrier to reach them—only when the cold breeze blew did the grayish-white ash rise from their bodies, making their golden armor gleam once more.

"How many demons have you killed?" Victor von Doom asked. "What's happening with Dormammu?"

"Nothing, Victor." The Emperor shook his head. Despite not having slept all night, he showed no signs of fatigue, as if it were just another day of working through the night on official documents, rather than a soul entering the Aetheric Dimension to unleash a massive war of slaughter. "I want to know the progress of last night's work."

"Still no, illegal psychics can't be found so easily."

"Then the coronation ceremony must proceed, and the relevant documents must be sent to the Nine Realms again." The Emperor finally left the spot where he had stood all night, followed closely by the Royal Guard into the courtyard that had once belonged to the Sorcerer Supreme. Athena, too, had not slept, but she chose to remain on the stone chair belonging to the Sorcerer Supreme in the courtyard, rather than standing outside the door. The Holy Sword was sheathed again, and the blinding psionic light gradually faded, as if the Emperor had once again become an ordinary person in civilian clothes. Athena merely raised her eyes to glance at the Emperor entering the courtyard, then closed them again and remained silent. Victor von Doom did not understand what had happened last night that caused Athena to suddenly lose all her enthusiasm.

"Now help me sort through my belongings, Victor. The Sorcerer Supreme will not have a funeral; we don't have time. We will invite guests, but I don't think any other nation besides Asgard will send envoys here."

"It appears that your coronation ceremony will be extremely simple."

(End of this chapter)