Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1726 The Future of the Eternals

After nearly a month of preparation, the Guardians of the Crusader thoroughly mastered the operation of the research ship according to the user manual left by the Kree. At the same time, the expeditionary soldiers placed the bodies of their fallen comrades on iron plates, then hoisted them with chains and placed them behind the engines of the Kree research ship, using the flames from the engine exhaust generated when the Guardians of the Crusader started the ship to burn the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

During this period, the Emperor issued orders, and members of the Brotherhood of the Shield, including those from the Turquoise Staircase (Sinai Peninsula), also traveled towards Egypt, preparing to board the spaceship back to Elidu. This signified the end of Elidu's thirty years of preparation; all the Emperor's influence spreading across the Earth began to recede; reports on the development of the "well-field system" and commerce had accumulated over thirty years; and this phase of the sociological experiment in Elidu was drawing to a close.

The next step was to move Elidu's grain warehouses into the Kree Empire's research spaceship, and transfer all educated students from Elidu's public schools, their families, and all officials from the administrative system (excluding the religious administrative system) to the spaceship. After all, the Guardian Order had too few members and could only rely on educated humans to operate the spaceship.

The Emperor did not remain there indefinitely; Captain Miller and the Guard Order could handle the rest.

Inanna set off first as instructed and found Icarus, who was still in the Sinai Peninsula.

As agreed, Icarus was to meet with Cronus, the King of the Eternals, to relay the Emperor's thoughts and requests, and to present the Emperor with Cronus's reply. When Inanna found him, Icarus was in the makeshift hut he had built in the Black Desert. As an Eternal with superhuman strength, Icarus could have easily reached the location of the Earth machine in a single day, but he refused to reveal the information he had exchanged with Cronus.

Inanna believed the emperor had anticipated this outcome, which was why he sent her—Icarus, upon hearing the truth, chose to back out—so the goddess from the wilderness chose the simplest and most direct method: let the fists do the talking. When the emperor found Inanna, he discovered she had imprisoned Icarus inside a mountain in the Black Desert. This black mountain reeked of burning, as if it were located in the underworld.

The low hillsides, which previously had no caves, now bear clear traces of melting on their rock walls, resembling magma that gradually solidified after a volcanic eruption. This is something only the large-scale molten metal mining tools manufactured by future Martian foundries could achieve.

Inanna once secretly revealed her power to the emperor.

The authority that arose from the worship of her by the people of the Mesopotamian plains was not as simple as casting love spells and making aphrodisiacs. Although in this era, the power to control fertility and sex could completely dominate human destiny, it was not as obvious as her other powers.

She was revered as the goddess of Venus, and whenever the people of Mesopotamia gazed at the night sky, they could pray to the bright stars. Inanna could borrow the power of Venus—or more precisely, the power of Venus as imagined by people at that time, unrelated to the physical properties of Venus. Because of her honesty, the emperor filled Inanna's treasury with jewels and gold, making her arguably one of the richest people on the planet.

This was an extremely powerful spell, one that Inanna had never used before.

Icarus was lucky to become the first person in the galaxy to be hit on the head by a miniature Venus and survive. In contrast, the ecosystem of the Mesopotamian plain was not so fortunate. Although the energy released by the miniature Venus created by Inanna with her psychic powers did not cause a mass extinction, the Black Desert, which would have taken thousands of years to form, is now truly a reality.

Even kilometers away, the emperor could smell the acrid stench emanating from this land. Plants and animals within a radius of several kilometers were completely carbonized. Storms of silica crystals, like billions of tiny daggers, relentlessly gnawed at every rock in this desert over the next millennia. This place would soon become a barren wasteland, the carbonized bones of dead animals ground to powder in just a few years, dancing with the frenzied storms of glass. Humans once lived here; those who failed to escape before Inanna unleashed the stars perished, their civilization's progress abruptly halted.

This forced the Emperor to allocate some funds for cleanup work, as relocating the afflicted human tribes to the Kree ships required providing them with enough food to survive. Inanna felt no remorse; she was unaware of the humans' plight, and even if she were, she wouldn't care.

The Emperor wouldn't blame her for this. Although she had a human appearance, she was essentially a product of a deep fusion of an extradimensional entity and a physical body. Humanity was meaningless to her in the face of moral standards formed through social norms and hormones. She was essentially the same kind of person as the Emperor, but she lacked the education the Emperor had received. The Emperor's humanity was given to him by the Sorcerer Supreme, while Inanna's humanity came from beasts and nature.

She is a deity, a calamity.

Heaven is ruthless, treating all things as straw dogs. To the gods, all living beings are merely sacrifices; the gods show no mercy to the innocent, only to humans. The emperor recognized this long ago, and even if he forced Inanna, she would not change. Even if she accepted more faith and completely transformed from a nature deity to a social deity, Inanna's essence would not change.

He said more than just that to Inanna.

Over a decade ago, the Emperor and Inanna joked that if they encountered a flying, steel-bodied being with eyes that emitted heat rays, the best way to deal with it would be to find a glowing green stone. Inanna never quite understood the Emperor's dry humor, but Icarus wasn't Superman Clark Kent, nor was he a Kryptonian.

Icarus's strength is not much less than that of Superman in his normal state. The thickness of this rocky mountain cannot stop Icarus. If he wanted, he could easily smash through the mountain with his fists or melt the rock with his heat vision. But now Icarus lies dejectedly on the ground, unwilling to turn his head even when the Emperor walks in.

Inanna stubbornly believed it was a disguise and constantly tried to intimidate Icarus so that he would reveal his true colors.

The emperor glanced at the bitter-faced Eternal warrior, then turned to stroke the head of the large black panther beside him. This panther was adorned with gold jewelry, its entire body decorated with lapis lazuli and turquoise, and its head wrapped with a deep red silk ribbon. This was Inanna. To guard Icarus and pursue him when necessary, Inanna had chosen to transform herself into a feline, but the psychic energy she emitted easily distinguished her from ordinary animals.

Even without a second vision, the magnificent gold jewelry and gems alone are enough to demonstrate this leopard's extraordinary nature; after all, ordinary leopards couldn't afford such expensive jewels and ornaments. This transformation magic was something the Emperor learned from Bayonetta, and then he taught it to Inanna, enabling her to fully wield the "beast" authority of the Wild Goddess—entering Elidu to receive human worship did not diminish her former power, but rather made her even stronger—after which, the magic of transforming into felines was passed down through generations of Shadow Witches, until the last witch used her long legs and love to capture the heart of a young sorcerer from Kamar-Taj.

However, the Emperor could not tell Inanna about this future. Even though Inanna and Bayonetta looked remarkably alike, the Emperor could not yet see the guidance of fate, nor could he understand the subtle connection between Inanna and Bayonetta. Only time could give him the answer, and he had plenty of time now.

The emperor showed no mercy to his prisoner. He lightly nudged Icarus's thigh with the tip of his boot, and the Eternal War King sat up, his eyes half-closed, without raising his head. The emperor's tone remained as calm as ever, devoid of emotion. "You didn't come to me, Icarus. You broke your promise."

"You're right," Icarus scoffed. He stood up, brushed the dust off his thighs, and said, "And then?"

"You have already verified my statement," the Emperor said calmly, completely unconcerned about Icarus's nonchalant attitude. His anger stemmed entirely from Icarus's breach of contract, and had nothing to do with Icarus's attitude, as the latter's emotions could not alter established facts. "What did Cronus say?"

"He told the truth."

What are your thoughts?

"I know your opinion." Icarus sneered. His hair was disheveled; for the first time, the demigod, like a sun fallen upon humanity, disregarded his appearance, letting dust and fragments of solidified rock mingle in his hair. "The gods' goal is the souls of humanity. The Eternals are merely their farmers. All their self-righteous honor and justice are nothing more than a means to protect their master's future harvest!"

Icarus grew increasingly enraged, until finally he roared, the veins beneath his neck bulging, and a dazzling golden light spilled from his eyes, a storm gathering around him. By human standards, Icarus was undoubtedly a god, and the wrath of a god in mythology is undeniably terrifying. Inanna could destroy this grassland and create an eternal desert, and Icarus could do the same.

"That's right, we're all fools! The Eternals can't even break free of their collars! The Eternals are merely the hounds of the gods, forever!"

The Emperor calmly watched as the Eternal War King, so close to him, erupted in rage. He studied Icarus's expression and saw the anger hidden deep within. He knew what Icarus wanted. "You want death," the Emperor said. "Utter death."

Icarus remained silent and chose to remain silent.

The cave calmed down again, and the dust stirred up by the storm slowly settled.

He lost all glory. As the most valiant and warlike individual among the Eternals, he was created to protect Earth and uphold the cause of the Eternals. All the honors of justice were bestowed upon him like crowns. He had defeated powerful psionic entities from outer dimensions, repelled alien exploration fleets attempting to colonize the planet, and destroyed unstable genetic hybrids created by the gods.

But Cronus acknowledged the Emperor's definition of the Eternals. The harsh truth told him that he was merely protecting this experimental field from interference, like a glass lid protecting a petri dish. All pride was shattered; honor was only a tether to this fighting hound. The praise he had heard from Cronus and the other Eternals was nothing more than bloody flesh hanging before him. He could no longer deceive himself, no longer wear the ugly truth as praise.

The Eternals cannot seek revenge against the gods because they are all subject to the genetic program the gods set for them. The Eternals cannot even attain eternal peace, and ultimately face death. The first generation of Eternals created by the gods were truly immortal, but the gods used incomprehensible technology to create Earth's machines, and then used these machines to bind the Eternals, allowing each Eternal to be reborn from the depths of these machines in the shortest possible time after death.

The emperor yearned for such technology. The gods represented the pinnacle of physical and cosmic technology, possessing many supernatural and almost magical techniques. With these technologies, humanity under the emperor's rule would achieve extremely high levels of productivity, and with these unparalleled technologies, humanity's destiny to conquer the galaxy would become a reality.

The emperor drew his holy sword and pointed it at Icarus, instantly turning the cold, damp cave into a blazing, bright place.

"Tell me where the Earth Machine is, and I will grant you utter death," the Emperor said earnestly. He knew all too well that a long life was no different from a curse, and the same was true of bound immortality. The Sorcerer Supreme's will was stronger than that of ordinary people; without the mission and lofty sense of responsibility to protect the real universe, such a long time would be nothing short of torture. The Eternals were the same; when Icarus discovered that his once lofty mission was nothing but a self-deceiving lie, all he craved was true death.

"I assure you, you will have eternal peace. This sword was forged in the furnace of this planet, and you know what it represents. This sword can fulfill its promise."

The Eternal Warrior King gritted his teeth and said, "Who can guarantee that you won't harm humans?"

"No one, I will not allow anyone to stop my plans."

"Whether the Eternals agree with you or not, you will destroy them, won't you?" Icarus laughed self-deprecatingly. "In any case, you will destroy the shackles the gods have placed on the Eternals, so why should I make things easier for you? If I refuse you, you'll threaten me?"

"No, I am not threatening you, Icarus." The Emperor looked down at Icarus. "Alas planned to create a new race of elves through technological means. Zuras opposed this, and the elves split as a result. In fact, Alas's plan was very likely to succeed. I believe that the split, orchestrated by Cronus's two sons, was at Cronus's behest. In order to try to break free from the control of the gods while keeping the other elves from realizing the truth, they deceived all of you."

The Kamar-Taj Library does not have detailed records of such a major event as the Eternals' split, which is very likely because Agamotto, who witnessed everything at the time, did not consider the Eternals as a target—Agamotto's attention was focused on preventing extradimensional invasion of the real universe, and these artificial immortals of the Eternals were not enemies—the conclusion that the Emperor told Icarus now was entirely deduced by him from the information he already had.

However, Agamotto told the Emperor something not recorded in the Kamar-Taj Library: the cause of death of Cronus, the Eternal King. As immortal beings, the Eternals could be reborn even after death, with the sole exception of Cronus. After his death, his soul became an extradimensional entity, his consciousness merging with Earth's machines. His uniqueness stemmed from his attempt to isolate the energy bestowed upon him by the gods, triggering a program set by them. A violent explosion killed Cronus, and even the activation chambers for the Eternals' rebirth could not reconstruct his body.

Therefore, the Emperor believed that the Great Split of the Eternals was very likely orchestrated by the bodyless Cronus, and that both factions were led by his sons. Regardless of the outcome, the Eternals would continue. Extrapolating from future events, it was highly probable that Alas's experiment to create a second generation of Eternals through technological means would succeed, because the second generation of Eternals, through natural reproduction, would give birth to the future Dark Lord Thanos.

However, the second generation of Eternals, having lost much of their advanced technological support, were trapped on a planet for unknown reasons during the Great Eternal Split, until resources were exhausted and society collapsed. Icarus was unaware of this information, much less knew that the Eternals' most successful "creation" would become the enemy that humanity had to defeat on its journey into the universe.

The Eternals have hidden the Earth Machine very well, and Agamotto has neither the interest nor the time to search for it. If Icarus could tell him, it would save him a great deal of time. Eight thousand years have passed, and every minute and second must be used to its fullest potential.

The emperor never considered himself guilty of concealing this information. Perhaps some would accuse him of crimes, but as long as that person could breathe, it meant the emperor's work had been effective. This was a lesson Nick Fury had taught him: there is no morality in protecting humanity; murder, kidnapping, torture, lies—anything can be done as long as it's profitable.

When Nick Fury first heard Salomon talk about Kamar-Taj's ideals, he assumed that Kamar-Taj was also an organization that upheld the ideal of protecting the world. Therefore, he always consciously or unconsciously instilled the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s style of operation into Salomon.

This can be considered as tearing away the last shackles that Kamar-Taj and the Sorcerer Supreme had placed on him.

At the time, Nick Fury didn't know what this meant. When Salomon and Victor von Doom launched the war to unify Yugoslavia, and Salomon transformed into the Emperor, the Lord of Kamar-Taj, and the Lord of Man recognized by Asgard, the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was left with only endless regret.

Nick Fury tried to salvage the situation, but even his most elite female spies were won over by the Emperor, and the Skrulls he was working with were reduced to a handful due to the Emperor's hunts. At this point, Nick Fury had completely lost control of the Emperor.

No one in this world can control the emperor, no one can stop him, and no one can stop him from holding a sword to anyone's throat, not even Bayonetta and Jenny.

"Your choice isn't whether or not to tell me about the Earth machines, but the future of the Eternals. Choose cooperation, and the Eternals will have a future." The Emperor pointed his sword at Icarus. Icarus felt the Emperor's eyes were sharper than a sword, the gaze sweeping over his throat almost piercing him. "Refuse to cooperate, and the Eternals will pay the price for the time I'm wasting. You must make a choice now."

"Now?"

"Now!"