Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 249 The Demons of the Lower Dimensions Unite (Second Update!)

Salomon appeared calm, but in reality, he nearly jumped up upon hearing the news. The first experiment summoning the demon atop Mount Checheri was conducted under a full moon, and the feminine power represented by Lilith was at its strongest that night. If Belial hadn't occupied the summoning channel, Lilith might very well have emerged from the summoning circle.

Moreover, according to legend, Lilith seems to have some ambiguous relationship with King Solomon. The thought made Salomon want to cover his face. Lilith's intention in getting involved in Mephisto's conspiracy was obvious: to capture him. Salomon felt he was destined to be a scapegoat for King Solomon. Belial wanted to sign the pact, Lilith wanted to capture him, and the Sorcerer Supreme seemed to be happy about it. However, Salomon wasn't without options—when a woman wants to fight, the best way is to call on two other women who don't get along with her.

So, as the sorcerer rode back on the android-driven motorcycle, leaving Captain Rogers and the action team behind, he sent a text message to Bayonetta and Jeanne, telling them to get ready, and naturally, he called for help—Bayonetta obliged with obvious indulgence, while Jeanne remained defiant, trying to use her less-than-skilled sarcasm to mock Salomon. After nearly half an hour's drive (mainly due to the rugged terrain causing slow speed), he returned to the path south of the monastery and re-entered the monastery.

Here, he saw many tall military tents erected, with Quinjet fighters and Airbuses parked nearby, and medical personnel bustling about inside. Among those brought into the tents were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, as well as enemy mercenaries and private militias; the latter were handcuffed and their clothes were much more disheveled than the former.

"What happened?" he grabbed an agent who didn't seem particularly busy and asked. "Was this place attacked?"

"So close," the medic said listlessly. "The mercenaries rappelled into the monastery from the north, but were repelled by the sentry machine gun turrets and agents set up by the Romanovs. I'm about to be driven mad by the screams of the wounded. We don't have enough morphine or OxyContin, not enough anesthetics or surgical instruments, not even enough body bags. We're currently using surgical equipment borrowed from the scientific department, and their researchers have even put aside their work to help. But this isn't a pen, it's a field hospital, I don't have enough medicine… Damn Nick Fury…"

The doctor waved his fist and walked away on his own, leaving Salomon standing there dumbfounded.

"Is he...?"

"Yes, Master, this staff member seems to be cursing his boss."

"Fine, it's none of my business anyway." The sorcerer was about to turn and leave when he remembered something. He quickly chased after the muttering doctor and asked for Johnny Blaze's location. "Master." The android who had been following behind her master was puzzled by Salomon's actions. She tilted her head and asked, "Ghost Rider is extremely uncontrollable, why does Master want to activate him?"

"Spirit of Vengeance, dear Dinah." The arcane mage walked towards a small tent at the edge of the medical ward. Whether it was because the doctor had injected Johnny Blaze with a sedative powerful enough to paralyze several elephants, or because the beds at the SHIELD field hospital were more comfortable than his wooden plank bed in the repair shop, Johnny Blaze showed no signs of waking up. Salomon called for a researcher from the Science Division to give him an injection, and while waiting for Johnny Blaze to awaken, the arcane mage patiently gave Dinah a little extra instruction.

"According to legend, the Spirits of Vengeance are angels who oversaw the Great Flood, but in reality, the earliest Spirits of Vengeance were likely products of natural occurrence. At that time, the connection between the inner planes and the prime material plane was unstable, and the Spirits of Vengeance were likely born from this. These Spirits of Vengeance are called Primal Spirits of Vengeance, and the one inside Johnny Blaze is a Primal Spirit of Vengeance, and possibly the most powerful one," Salomon said. "Of course, this is just speculation, hence the many 'possibilities.' According to the classification in the 'Order of Angels,' the Spirits of Vengeance should be of the upper three levels of Thrones. Regardless of their origin, Spirits of Vengeance are incredibly effective against beings from both the upper and lower planes. Now, the lords of the lower planes have united, but Mephisto's purpose remains shrouded in mystery. His avatar's goal is that boy, Danny, but his true purpose is unclear. Therefore, I need a powerful and insane Ghost Rider to deal with the war that may come."

"Someone informed me you're back." Nick Fury walked into the tent without batting an eye, seemingly unaware that he was interrupting the conversation. "Where's Captain Rogers?" he asked, "and my agents. You went to rescue them, where are they now?"

“I got back ahead of them, and they should be back soon. I remember there were a few jeeps there.” Salomon wasn’t annoyed that his class had been interrupted. He said, “Our enemies aren’t just one Lord of Hell anymore. They want not only that boy, they want me too.”

"Want you? Why?"

"This matter is quite complicated, and it's better if you don't know. In fact, I don't know much either. But I discovered a demon worship cult that doesn't belong to Mephisto among those supernatural beings, and I think that's enough to prove the alliance of those lower-plane lords." The arcane mage didn't appreciate Nick Fury's inquisitive expression; he pointed to Johnny Blaze, who had just been injected with drugs and looked like he had a hangover.

"We'd better leave here, taking everything with us. If we leave that boy with Mephisto, whether that Mephisto is the real Mephisto or an avatar, we won't fare well. We also can't leave Johnny Blaze with him. The Spirit of Vengeance can't fall into Mephisto's hands again. This is the only chance the Spirit of Vengeance has had in nearly ten thousand years to escape the clutches of the devil. He will play a significant role in our future battles against the outer dimensions. Don't worry, without sufficient blood sacrifice, their true forms cannot come outside the prime material. Even if they do, they have no power in this world—remember what I told you? This is Earth, the territory of the Sorcerer Supreme. This is Midgard, a vassal state of Asgard. Even the lords of the lower planes wouldn't dare risk this."

Although Salomon said this, he felt a little uneasy, because some of the mercenaries fought under the guise of the devil.

“Very good, I had the same idea.” Nick Fury suppressed his curiosity and showed Salomon the flight paths of several fighter jets on his phone. “There’s nothing we can do here,” the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. said. “We have to retreat, so I canceled the ground-attack missile bombardment and switched to fighter escort. We can’t take too much, but the good news is we still have enough C4 plastic bombs, and we won’t leave the howitzers for them. We’ll take all our agents, the wounded, and the monks. As for the artifacts in the Sacrament, that’s your responsibility. When Captain Rogers returns, I’ll ask him to cover our boarding—and you can help out if you can.” Fury gestured with his chin towards Johnny Blaze. “Also, keep an eye on this guy. He absolutely cannot get out of control on the plane. I don’t want to lose the Airbus. This is a gift.”

"Coulson?"

"So you already know? Please don't tell him too much. He still thinks his heart only stopped beating for eight minutes," he said. "I want to bury this secret forever... Well, not forever, actually. He'll find the answer himself sooner or later. That's better than me telling him myself. At least my guilt won't be so heavy."

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(End of this chapter)