Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1681 A Slight Punishment

The dense procession moved slowly along the narrow, slippery mountain path. Red-robed lamas with shaved heads, ascetics in orange-red and dark green robes, and villagers from the foot of the mountain shuffled through the night, chasing the light that climbed ever upwards on the snow-capped peaks. After the last rays of sunlight faded, the snow-capped peaks, interspersed with black rocks, were dyed orange-red by countless torches and supernatural glow. Sharp gravel covered the entire mountain path. Mules and horses carrying heavy gifts, draped in rough blankets, panted heavily, their hooves worn down, following the equally exhausted pilgrims, their breath steaming in the air, their skin bleeding from friction beneath the rough fabric.

As the center of the ceremony, the Emperor paid little attention to the procession on the mountainside. The ceremony and the subsequent banquet were not elaborate; the Kamar-Taj Sanctuary was known for its simplicity, and the sisterhood stationed there managed all the details better than anyone else. They even purchased the expensive ceramics, glassware, and gold and silver tableware used by the Emperor at his estate, and airlifted large quantities of ingredients and several unfortunate Michelin-starred chefs who had signed confidentiality agreements. Mortals didn't need the Guardian Order's excessive concern; the Emperor simply didn't want anyone to lose their lives because of this foolish and completely unnecessary ceremony.

He had already dispatched the Royal Guard, originally responsible for guarding the dungeons, as messengers to protect the safety of mortals. All he needed to do now was wait in the magnificent sanctuary atop the mountain for the ceremony to conclude, sign a few ancient contracts, and he would become the true ruler of Kamar-Taj. Almost all the occultists with influence in Kamar-Taj, including the guardians of the three temples and the deacons of the One Sanctuary, as well as sorcerers like Hamil, Wu Guiyue, and Daniel, gathered around him. Also present was Wanda Maximov, who, as the Emperor's representative of psychic forces outside of Kamar-Taj, participated in the conversation. This was not out of favoritism; she did indeed hold a position in the psychic department of the Immortal City.

The Emperor nodded, indicating that the place was absolutely safe, and that this conversation could not be observed by either the material or immaterial world. The topics discussed by the occult representatives were far more important than the ritual itself; they could even be said to represent the future direction of Kamar-Taj and the entire human world. Everyone knew that the new ruler of Kamar-Taj would bring a completely different governing philosophy from the previous Supreme Sorcerer. Judging from the Emperor's consistent behavior, Kamar-Taj might participate in secular activities in the future, abandoning the hermitage's tradition of seclusion.

Even while the Sorcerer Supreme was alive, the Emperor had already channeled some of Kamar-Taj's power into the development of the Immortal City's psychic powers. During the hunt for Quetzalcoatl, the Emperor convened a conference with cults worldwide, consolidating most of Earth's spellcaster resources. With Kamar-Taj at its core, the Emperor established the only legitimate psychic system on Earth, with multiple armed forces cooperating to eradicate corrupt cults. Arrangements such as having the Guardians guard the dungeons and placing defensive robots in the library and artifact storage room further demonstrated the Emperor's growing influence over Kamar-Taj. All of this was tacitly approved by the Sorcerer Supreme; no one desired the Emperor to take over Kamar-Taj more than the Sorcerer Supreme.

Even though the emperor still cherished Kamar-Taj, the administrative orders based on practical needs continued to advance steadily, gradually crushing the system left by the Sorcerer Supreme and building a more efficient and concise system.

The Psionic Department in the Immortal City is responsible for killing, while the Psionic Academy in Kamar-Taj is responsible for academic research.

Segmented and efficient, the leisurely strolls and serene gazes at snow-capped mountains are gone. The air is thick with the smell of steel and war, as evidenced by the anti-aircraft missiles and ballistic missile launch sites erected around Kamar-Taj. This world needs more forceful and realistic means to maintain its order. Protecting humanity is not just empty rhetoric; any fully educated sorcerer would accept this concept. Even if not everyone can accept the Emperor's methods of establishing a nation in the secular world, the Emperor has no interest in explaining himself to such a sorcerer.

"I will not discuss more distant goals; there is a more important issue that we must address now." The Emperor calmly raised a seemingly less important topic, as if deliberately doing so to appear just and righteous. "We need to bring that armed conflict to a close, to stop the bloodshed forever. For this, punishment and appropriate leniency are necessary. Punish wrongdoing, reward loyalty."

He used the term "armed conflict" rather than "rebellion," clearly showing considerable leniency and indicating that the Emperor did not wish to undermine the unity of Kamar-Taj. All factions within Kamar-Taj breathed a sigh of relief and were willing to make concessions. In return, the Kamar-Taj leadership agreed to the Emperor's plan to punish all the sorcerers involved in the armed conflict, as these sorcerers had lost their basic vigilance, failing to perceive the danger faced by the former Sorcerer Supreme and refusing to inform the Emperor, ultimately forcing him to resort to final measures.

The Sorcerer Hamil certainly knew that the story behind the Sorcerer Supreme's "curse" was not so simple, and neither were the other high-ranking officials of Kamar-Taj. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have needed to deal with those sorcerers who had turned against him so subtly. No one knew what kind of harm the Sorcerer Supreme had suffered during those years of wandering the galaxy, to the point that he had to seal off Kamar-Taj upon his return. This matter was certainly related to a conspiracy between the Sorcerer Supreme and the Emperor, but no one knew exactly what they were plotting.

He believed that even if the Sorcerer Supreme was afflicted by the "curse," he wouldn't be without time to arrange affairs at Kamar-Taj. Furthermore, the Eye of Agamotto, an artifact passed down through generations of Sorcerers Supreme, and the Ancient One's unparalleled understanding of time and space, meant the Sorcerer Supreme could certainly resolve the so-called "curse." However, this was not the case. At that time, any Sorcerer Supreme registered on Earth couldn't even notify the Emperor beforehand, and could only completely isolate themselves to prevent the spread of contaminated psychic energy. Subsequently, he issued contradictory directives, refusing any form of assistance or contact. This indicated that the dark power displayed by the Sorcerer Supreme in the final stages of his life was not an insurmountable "curse," but rather a more serious, fundamental problem.

His Holiness cannot be at fault, but someone must take responsibility for it, even if it is only symbolic.

Master Hamil glanced at Master Wu Guiyue, the guardian of the Hong Kong temple, who nodded.

They had discussed this issue long ago and reached a rather absurd conclusion. The Emperor's current attitude suggests that the possibility of such a disgrace is not low—after that incident, the Emperor didn't remain in Kamar-Taj, but entrusted many affairs to them. As exceptionally gifted spellcasters, they had ample time to discuss and uncover the closest possible truth. No wonder the Emperor refused to discuss anything about his experiences before killing the former Sorcerer Supreme; it wasn't entirely due to the pain of patricide, but more to protect the Sorcerer Supreme's reputation. Sorcerer Hamil suspected that the Emperor's constant travel during this time might very well have been to clear away evidence.

This matter must not be known to anyone else.

Master Hamil, Master Wu Guiyue, and several other high-ranking members of Kamar-Taj instantly reached a consensus: without the Emperor's instructions or hints, Kamar-Taj would impose a complete information blockade, destroy any records documenting the Sorcerer Supreme's time in that period, and severely punish any dissent against him. Master Hamil had originally intended to discuss Mordo's fate with the Emperor, but now it seemed unnecessary. The Emperor had his own plans and believed Mordo would not face any severe punishment.

Perhaps cleaning the training ground would help that stubborn and arrogant sorcerer calm his mind.

The emperor looked into the sorcerer's eyes and saw the answer he was looking for.

"Very well, then we still have other work to do. You know my next destination: Neptune. That spaceship's destination is Earth. After you enter eternity, there will be more and more of these temptations. I must intercept it there, even if it's a trap."

"I know it's useless to dissuade him," said the sorcerer Wu Guiyue. The occultists had already detected the psionic fog near Neptune, and many were skeptical of the Emperor's plan to break through the fog using a spacecraft. Wu Guiyue was an exception; she was arguably the most biased towards the Emperor. "What do you need us to do?"

"Carter Slade, Johnny Blaze, Robbie Reyes. I believe you all have read the origin stories of Ghost Rider, but I can assure you that the writings on those parchments are not entirely accurate." The Emperor displayed the ring to the other sorcerers. Summoning, teleportation, commanding, sealing—these were the powers wielded by the seal on the ring. "Ghost Riders, in a world that doesn't exist, have another name. They are byproducts of the unborn, driven by the Empty Throne, burning with pure vengeance as they roam the world. Don't worry about the petty thief who stole the Ghost Rider; Mephisto was merely an out-of-control experiment, powerless against me. Therefore, I can grant you the seal, allowing the Ghost Rider to serve Kamar-Taj."

Carter Slade was old and nearing death, Johnny Blaze was still wandering Europe, and Robbie Reyes was still roaming around Los Angeles, seeking out sin to fill his stomach. The Emperor didn't mention the personal wishes of the three Ghost Riders' vessels; to him, it was unimportant. The hosts' souls had long since been burned away, and what retained their self-awareness was merely the neural pathways in their brains. Although the sealing seal's effect was only temporary, a powerful, controllable spirit in the hands of an arcane mage could still do anything, and more importantly, protect the lives of arcane mages in today's increasingly dire security situation. This was crucial; the total number of arcane mages was insufficient to cope with the ever-escalating psionic threats worldwide. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have needed to establish the Immortal City's psionic department, using the bloodiest methods to gather spellcasting schools from around the world.

However, the three Temple Guardians noticed a crucial detail: the Emperor could control Ghost Rider, and the spirit was being controlled not by incantations but by the Emperor's own emblem. The Emperor had never revealed this ability to control Ghost Rider to anyone other than the Sorcerer Supreme, because Ghost Rider was not a known servant of the great being existing in a place devoid of time and space, and the ancient records inscribed on stone tablets and written on papyrus did not specify Ghost Rider's origin.

However, in this century, Ghost Rider, sacrificing the souls of its possessors, tore through the barrier to enter the mortal realm and has become stable there. This phenomenon indicates that an outer dimension is continuously supplying energy to Ghost Rider. At this point, the Emperor reveals his relationship with Ghost Rider, suggesting that he is not as simple as he seems, and that the higher-ups at Kamar-Taj do not have a complete understanding of him. The arcane mages are now forced to suspect whether the Emperor has made a deal with Ghost Rider's master, or whether the Emperor has gained complete control of Ghost Rider through some unknown means.

This is too difficult for them to understand.

Even though they were all disciples of the Sorcerer Supreme, the Emperor's relationship with him was noticeably closer than that of the others. This was entirely due to the Sorcerer Supreme's and his extraordinary talent; the other sorcerers simply couldn't keep up with their academic discussions, even those who were nearly two hundred years old were completely bewildered. While others were still stagnating, the Sorcerer Supreme and the Emperor had already delved into the outer dimensions, exploring the mysteries of what happened before the beginning of time. This was a realm unimaginable to the other sorcerers, beyond the reach of human intellect, and this sense of isolation created a distance between them and the Sorcerer Supreme.

The Sorcerer Hamil looked at the Emperor, whom he had watched grow up, with a complex expression, as the Emperor skillfully employed political maneuvering. The only thing that made him feel somewhat better was the Emperor's proposed plan; even if the punishment was merely symbolic, it still upheld the Sorcerer Supreme's reputation and showed them that the Emperor still regarded the Sorcerer Supreme as a teacher and family member. In a sense, only the Sorcerer Supreme and the Emperor were truly of the same kind in Kamar-Taj.

If Merlin knew what the Sorcerer Hamil was thinking, he would surely give him a thumbs up in praise, even if Hamil's line of reasoning was incorrect. The Sorcerer Supreme and the Emperor are indeed of the same kind, but this isn't entirely due to innate talent; rather, their very existence was influenced by external forces. One could even say that the Sorcerer Supreme and the Emperor weren't legally defined as natural persons; their psychic abilities weren't something natural persons should possess, but rather souls intimately intertwined with their physical bodies in the material world.

The Sorcerer Supreme knew that the Emperor, who was also not a natural being, possessed talents far surpassing his own. He was destined to change the world, but if he changed the world not to uphold humanity's duty but to satisfy his personal desires, it would be an irresistible catastrophe for both humanity and other intelligent species in the universe. Kamar-Taj could not bind him, so it needed to impose titles and responsibilities on him, giving him the highest mission. This was the most skillful means of control. The Emperor knew the Sorcerer Supreme's intentions, yet he was willing to bow his head and place the constraints upon himself.

He needs this mission to answer three questions from the philosophical community.

Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

"Let's end this ceremony as soon as possible." The Emperor looked around. At this moment, these sorcerers were no longer his friends, but his subordinates. He knew he had to treat them with the same attitude the Sorcerer Supreme had once shown. He had to remain impartial and detached from power, lest he be corrupted by it and become a monster. "I still have much work to do."

(End of this chapter)