Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 311 Myriad Demon Gods (Second Update)

The steaming mutton fat bubbled and released an unparalleled aroma of fat, instantly whetting Salomon's appetite. Hecate didn't put on oven mitts; instead, she reached directly into the oven, picked up the scalding hot baking tray, and poured the mutton and roasted vegetables into a large shallow dish on the table.

"Take this." She shoved the pita bread into Salomon and Athena's hands, giving them no chance to refuse. Hecate placed the baking tray in the sink, then turned and took a bottle of wine and three ceramic cups from the wine cabinet. Athena began to teach Salomon how to eat Greek roasted lamb chops—the method was simple: while the pita bread was still warm, stuff it with lamb, yogurt, lemon juice, and scallions. The lamb pie was served with sweet wine, as the yogurt used in the pita bread was homemade by Hecate; it was unsweetened and very tart.

The two gods and one person sat around a table covered with a floral tablecloth and began to eat. Salomon frequently praised Hecate's cooking. The Titan goddess of magic seemed quite pleased with the sorcerer's praise, which made her even prouder than praise for her magic.

"I haven't used magic in a long time." Hecate's expression was completely unsuspecting, as if she hadn't used any magic to insulate herself from the heat. "So don't ask me any more questions about magic," she said. "If you're here for dinner, I don't mind entertaining you. I know the Sorcerer Supreme's plans for you, and whether you want me to stay on Earth is up to you. I just prefer staying on Earth; after all, my tastes are quite consistent, and Xandarian snails are awful. If you don't mind, I can tell you how many other terrible things there are in this universe—more than all the magic in this world."

Athena secretly rolled her eyes. Even Zeus held the goddess of magic in high esteem, and she was utterly helpless against Hecate's terrible attitude. "Alright," the goddess of wisdom sighed, "we'll just drink and not talk about magic. Salomon isn't only skilled in magic; his fighting skills are superb too."

"Very good." Hecate nodded in satisfaction, pouring a glass of sweet wine for Salomon and Athena respectively. "Men should use weapons; magic is a woman's business."

"I think you're implying something, Hecate!"

No one asked questions while they ate, and even Salomon, full of questions, quietly enjoyed the food instead of cawing noisily like a raven. Salomon had his own understanding of Hecate's somewhat unreliable answer, and after careful consideration, he found that it did indeed make sense.

With all inner and outer planes now occupied by magical entities, faith may be the price the Vanir gods pay for casting spells. Many spells require invoking the power of extradimensional magical entities, the so-called Daedric Princes. Salomon serves as an example: fire spells invoke the Faltin, such as Faltin Fire; wind spells invoke the Vatum; spells involving steam, snakes, and water invoke the Valtorr; spells involving protection and binding invoke the Raggadorr and Seraphin (created by Oshtu), such as the Ring of Raggador and the Shield of Seraphin commonly used by Kamar-Taj sorcerers; and spells involving illusion and mirroring invoke the Ikonn.

In addition to the aforementioned magical entities, there is Munnopor, a living world with three humanoid forms and surrounded by twelve moons; Cyttorak in the Crimson Universe; and the Seventh Throne, which can directly invoke the power of Hell.

Spellcasters can travel to the Split Dimensions via a dimensional portal called the "Wandering Path." Salomon passed through there when he first faced Dormammu—he was sent there by the Sorcerer Supreme, and he didn't get a clear look at what it was like. The largest dimension of the Split Dimensions is called the Dark Dimension. Besides that, there are the Purple Dimension, the Dimension of Fear, the Dimension of Madness, and many more smaller dimensions, inhabited by numerous magical entities whose power spellcasters can draw upon.

The most powerful magical entities (including the Vishanti) have even formed an alliance, completely monopolizing all magical planes. The arcane mage knows the names of all magical entities and how to invoke their power. While acquiring this power would allow his magic to progress rapidly, he currently doesn't need to do so, because acquiring magic that doesn't belong to him comes at an astonishing price. The arcane mages of Kamar-Taj all had to pay a price when acquiring Vishanti magic, and magic outside of contracts requires even more.

Strange was the kind of arcane mage who hadn't learned how to renege on debts; he was the only one who would foolishly abide by his deals with various magical entities. The Sorcerer Supreme's true expertise lay in how to legally renege on debts without angering magical entities, how to minimize the cost of spellcasting, how to manipulate competition between magical entities to gain profit, when to borrow magic, and when to minimize interest.

Salomon was a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme, and he had already tested these methods on Dormammu.

Don't think his stories to Dormammu were a waste of time. With each story he told, the Vishanti grew more tense, fearing that Salomon and Dormammu had struck some kind of deal. Later, even Oshtu, who was most severe towards him, reduced the price Salomon had to pay. Even after confirming that Salomon hadn't completely sided with Dormammu, the Vishanti turned a blind eye to Salomon's ability to borrow magic from the Dark Dimension, offering no symbolic punishment whatsoever. Not to mention when Salomon used the power of Yog-Sothoth; the Vishanti not only showed no reaction but even helped protect Salomon's soul from madness.

The real skill lies in knowing how to renege on a debt. No matter what price the demon god demands, the sorcerer has ways to circumvent it.

The one who was best at defaulting on his debts became the Sorcerer Supreme.

Furthermore, Salomon believed that Hecate hadn't finished speaking. The power of faith was certainly not everything, and the power of Vanaheim, where the Vanir gods resided, should not be ignored—or perhaps Vanaheim and Asgard were merely means to carry faith, and those places were the source of power for the Vanir and Aesir pantheons.

This also explains why the Sorcerer Supreme said that the Aesir and Vanir pantheons would gradually lose their power after leaving their territories. Furthermore, the reason Hecate hasn't used magic for so many years is because Olympus is no longer on Earth. Among the Olympian gods today, perhaps only a physical deity like Athena, who rarely uses magic, can still lavishly wield power—the book Athena wrote under the pseudonym Minerva was also one of the means to gather faith, although her original intention was merely to correct the world's misinterpretations of Greek mythology.

Furthermore, Hecate's comments about Salomon's soul also made him somewhat uneasy. The reason for this was the doubts he had had about himself over the years, as well as the question of the relationship between the stigmata and himself, which was a difficult philosophical question to answer.

Did he grow a stigmata on his hand, or did a version of him grow on the stigmata? What is his relationship with the stigmata? What is the connection between his personal nature and the stigmata?

If Athena knew what he was thinking, she would probably give him a good whack on the head and make him forget these utterly idiotic questions.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)