Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 247 The Unexpected Gains of the Androids (First Update!)

Although the howitzer ammunition reserves were limited, the single salvo was sufficient to counter the increasingly weakened enemy offensive on the main battlefield. Mercenaries were paid to fight, and arms dealers' private armies rarely had to risk their lives on the battlefield. As for other terrorist organizations, most were better suited to urban warfare; mountain warfare and positional warfare were the forte of regular armies. Nick Fury was quite pleased to see his troops outnumbered and gradually gaining the upper hand, although the firing rate was not high in order to conserve ammunition.

"Hopefully the F-22s will arrive soon," he said to the intelligence agent behind him who was doing clerical work. "If we had F-22s and ground-attack missiles during the Vietnam War, we would have won. I need a big enough explosion to get us out of here and do something else. Ask the fortifications to the north and south if they've encountered anyone trying to infiltrate." Both the north and south sides have naturally formed narrow passages leading to the outside. A little further out on the south passage is a gravel road that vehicles can travel on. The monks get supplies from the church via the south path—not everyone comes here in a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

The passage to the north is narrower, accessible only on foot. There's a well there, where many important artifacts of the monastery are stored; it's also where the sacristy is located. One branch of that passage leads to the purification ritual site, while another leads to the wine cellar. Nick Fury's concern is the north side. They don't have enough manpower to defend a cliff. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. has set up defenses at the northern exit, enemies could still bypass them and enter the monastery using rappelling or similar methods.

Therefore, he put Agent Romanov in charge of security there. However, Agent Romanov was not a soldier, but a spy, and he couldn't guarantee that Agent Romanov had enough experience to command those soldiers.

Captain Rogers and Salomon both started from the southern path. Using information from radio analysis of the enemy command post by S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence, Captain Rogers originally intended to carry out a decapitation strike via that path. Nick Fury believed Captain Rogers should be able to take down the enemy command center. However, he happened to run into a supernatural creature attempting to infiltrate the monastery via the southern path, leading to the battle where Salomon went to provide support.

However, that was also the direction that reassured Nick Fury the most. He didn't believe anyone could break through Salomon and Captain Rogers' defensive line; he had witnessed their abilities. Although Salomon wasn't wearing armor or carrying a lance, he believed that since Salomon could kill a Chitauri behemoth, killing a few supernatural creatures would be a piece of cake. As it turned out, he wasn't wrong, but he hadn't anticipated what Salomon was now facing.

When the colossal skeletal hound, towering three stories high, appeared, a chilling aura instantly enveloped the entire southern battlefield, as if winter had arrived prematurely. Heavy frost hung low over the dry, gravelly ground, and faint howls emanated from the creature's contorted, pained faces. Anyone witnessing this scene would involuntarily shiver. Salomon approached, his spirit guardians continuously releasing bursts of positive energy, instantly melting the newly formed frost and sending it rising as wispy steam. The frozen fog on the left gradually dissipated, and the blood-red sunset, hanging low over the barren desert hills, flowed across the land like blood gushing from torn skin, dyeing the remaining fog into distinct shades of orange-red.

Like orange marmalade, only with the stench of blood, Salomon thought silently, watching the undead creature emitting a low growl. He licked his lips and put the sling ring back on his hand—the undead feared positive energy and fire, and coincidentally, he was quite knowledgeable about positive energy spells and fire magic.

This is the work of a necromancer; the ability to create such a powerful undead creature on the spot demonstrates the caster's immense magical power. However, for a necromancer to intervene again after their ally has already failed is unwise—either this caster has never fought in their life, or they were forced into it. The ethereal tides caused by the necromancer's spell have roughly indicated the location, which is why Salomon sent the androids to find the necromancer's location; perhaps there will be unexpected gains!

The skeletal hound crouched low and leaped forward, its skeletons clanging against each other like drumbeats. Maggots and rotting flesh fell as it ran, the putrid stench arriving even before it did. Salomon wrinkled his nose and chanted the incantation in a nasal tone. The beast charged at the arcane mage, attempting to crush him under its paws made of several rotting corpses. A spirit guardian leaped from behind the arcane mage, blocking the skeletal hound's path. The convulsing corpses and yellowed bones on the hound's chest slammed into the shield bearing the Vishanti mark, and a blazing longsword radiating positive energy pierced precisely into the gap in the skeletal hound's chest—the heat intensified the stench, forcing Salomon to interrupt his incantation to avoid vomiting from the stench. Salomon took small steps back, and as he moved, the spirit guards followed, with the skeletal hounds quickly catching up. The stench of decay was even more nauseating.

"I didn't expect it to stink like this." He spat and muttered to himself, "Good heavens, don't necromancers care about hygiene?" He pulled a wand from his dimensional bag, intending to end this battle between the behemoths as quickly as possible. But this time he was more careful—"Damn it, don't let the rotting flesh splatter on me!" He swung his wand forward forcefully, and a bright flash flew toward the skeletal hound's head, then turned into a large patch of flame with a dull thud.

"Eat this fireball, you idiot!" He held his breath, covering his mouth with his hand to prevent rotting flesh or maggots from splattering inside. "There's one more! And this one! And this one!"

With each explosion, the skeleton hound's body disintegrated. As the undead creature tried to escape, it fell into a trap spell cast by Salomon. The strong green acid in the pit dissolved calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate in the yellowed bones, making the skeleton hound's leg bones soft and unable to support the undead's weight. Finally, the undead struggled and collapsed into the acid pit until Salomon swung his wand one last time, blasting the creature into pieces.

"Nice explosion." Captain Rogers led his team out from behind cover to greet Salomon. However, everyone did their best to stand on tiptoe and cover their mouths and noses to avoid inhaling the terrible air or stepping on the nauseating debris. "I've hardly ever seen you make anything that explodes," he said. "Perhaps you need something more modern."

"Are you referring to the World War II era when you say 'modernization'?" Salomon walked over, the enormous spirit following him. The behemoth made the others a little nervous. "Believe it or not, I'll use a smartphone, really. I'll send emails instead of using owls to deliver letters."

"That's quite a leap forward, isn't it?" Captain Rogers recalled his own experience using a mobile phone—a keypad phone. He had always felt that machines needed buttons, so he had never gotten used to buttonless smartphones. In fact, when he learned that Salomon was a wizard, his first thought was probably, "I'm not the most old-fashioned one here"—until he saw the sorcerer using a smartphone, he realized how modern wizards could be. Captain Rogers smiled and said, "Come with me, our mission isn't over yet. There might be more supernatural creatures ahead, and I need your help."

"Sorry, I can't leave yet." The sorcerer shook his head. "My maid hasn't brought that necromancer over yet. She's already run into that dark wizard, otherwise I wouldn't have won so easily. In fact, she also had a bit of an unexpected bonus." Salomon whistled, "A hot bonus beyond my expectations."

"How did you know? By radio?"

"Mind communication".

"Back then, the U.S. military was also researching this stuff, and I thought it was some kind of far-fetched idea."

"Let's stop dwelling on the past, old man. Come with me to accept this unexpected gain."

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(End of this chapter)