Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 432 The Essence (First Update! Requesting Recommendation Votes!)

"call--"

The piping hot black tea, with its sweet honey flavor and rich aroma, tumbled down the throat, diluting the burning stomach acid that had accumulated. The drinker involuntarily let out a long sigh, letting the rising steam from the cup envelop their vision, condensing into almost imperceptible droplets on their long eyelashes. The faint sunlight, spreading from the window to the bedside, filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains, scattering colorful light on the tiny condensed dewdrops.

Diana was almost overwhelmed by the scene before her, and the other members of the sorority who had been guarding the area were also incredibly excited. It wasn't just that their master was safe and sound, but also because they had witnessed the beautiful sight of their noble mistress at dawn. The sorority members felt a deep sense of satisfaction when they were with their master, and her composed demeanor upon waking made them tremble with excitement. But their excellent obedience kept their expressions hidden behind their heavy helmets. They planned to boast to their companions after the mission was over; this would make them the envy of the sorority.

Catherine would be furious, Sevier thought gleefully. As a newcomer to Tita's team, Catherine was always eager to show off her proficiency in the skills, and Sevier always privately called her "the blabbering little dog," who always ran headfirst into obviously blatant traps during sorority games.

Sevia didn't dislike her, but she couldn't resist teasing her impatient sister. She planned to admire her master's beauty a little longer; after all, she was wearing a helmet, and even Ms. Diana wouldn't notice that she, who was supposed to be staring out the window, was trying to peek into the room out of the corner of her eye.

"How are you?"

"It's nothing, I just need to eat something."

Sylvia couldn't help but frown, as the voice interrupted her master's tea-drinking. However, she couldn't be angry with the woman, whose skills and knowledge were crucial to her master. Salomon offered only a calm but reassuring response to Maya Hansen's greeting. Salomon didn't intend to reveal what he had seen or learned; the knowledge was far too vast, and if it weren't for the hot tea Diana had brought, he might still be quite confused.

It could also be due to low blood sugar. Diana told him that he had several high fevers while he was asleep, and she had to change his glucose solution and try to lower his temperature multiple times.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but Maya Hansen had changed into completely different clothes than before he fell asleep, so it must have been more than a day. Meanwhile, he was quite satisfied with Diana's service—he woke up to find himself receiving an intravenous glucose injection, and his skin felt refreshed; clearly, Diana had wiped his body with a towel more than once.

"Dinah," he asked the maid who was waiting beside him, "what happened while I was asleep?"

The maid told Salomon everything that had happened while he was asleep. This included the visit of the Wakandan royal prince, the arrival of the young sorcerer and Athena to visit him in his illness, and Harold Finch and Samun Shaw being stopped at the door by the Sorority.

"What are they doing here?" Salomon asked curiously. But Dina suddenly felt embarrassed because she couldn't answer her master's question. Noticing her emotions, Salomon tried to ease the maid's awkwardness by gently comforting her, saying that it must be a trivial matter between mortals and there was no need to worry too much; it wasn't a mistake on Dina's part.

But this seemingly heartwarming scene was a different story in Maya Hansen's eyes. She witnessed the bizarre spectacle firsthand, and she saw Salomon's humanity both lost and restored. Maya Hansen was convinced that Salomon must have been different before and after his slumber.

"I know what you're thinking." Before Maya Hansen could finish her thoughts, Salomon spoke first. He was indeed different, but not because of his knowledge, but because of his progress in stigmata. He asked Diana to go to his study and bring him the Kabbalah he had stolen from the monastery. Pointing to the parchment covered in Hebrew writing, he explained his changes to Diana and Maya Hansen.

The Tree of Life has ten points, called the ten Sephiroths (singularly called Sephira), and twenty-two paths connect them. Starting from the lowest realm of matter, the higher one climbs, the closer one gets to the spirit, the further one moves from matter, and the more transcendent one becomes. These ten points correspond one-to-one with his stigmata, containing unimaginable power. Salomon made progress within these slumbering stigmas, and his consciousness is attempting to transcend the source of knowledge, ascending from the mental to the spiritual level—his ultimate goal is to reach the crown (Kether) at the top and the three Veils above it, known as "the unmanifested." According to idolatry, these three layers also correspond to the upper three levels of the seven and three heavens, the abode of God and the archangels.

This is a magical advancement, the crown jewel of his magical career. But it's not so easy to achieve; it requires a lifetime to reach those "unmanifested" three layers of Veils. Those three layers are Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur. The top layer is infinite light; if the Little King Mage or the Venerable were here, others would know that the light that emanated when Salomon's first stigma went out of control originated from there.

This is a description of the soul's state; the Venerable One will follow the Eternal God to explore that unknown realm.

Of course, Salomon didn't intend to discuss too much occult knowledge with Maya Hansen right now. Even though she already had a certain foundation in alchemy, her familiarity with magic was probably not as great as that of the High Priestess of the Sora Redwood Druid Order. She still needed to learn, and so did Salomon—he needed to translate that knowledge into theories that humans could understand, and for that, he had to begin studying cell biology and virology to correlate his knowledge with them.

At the same time, Maya Hansen also needs to combine Salomon's knowledge with practical work.

"I have suffered from the torment of the Stigmata since birth; it is both a blessing and a curse. It torments my soul constantly. Every time I open the Stigmata, my spirit endures extreme pain, torment, and chaos." Salomon recounted his suffering in the most calm tone, his expression unwavering, as if the pain were something he was accustomed to, no different from drinking a cup of hot tea. "But I can control the Stigmata, control this curse. It submits to me, not the other way around. I have been practicing since birth. The Venerable One protected me with the Shroud of Relics, and under that protection, I learned how to face the knowledge that impacts the soul."

His tone exuded strong confidence, and the condensation on his eyelashes vanished, making his eyes appear incredibly sincere. It was as if boiling water was melting solid ice, forming a warm lake that soothed the soul, allowing one to unconsciously relax in the perfect temperature, pores opening, and a comfortable drowsiness settling in.

Salomon was unconsciously influencing others without his knowledge. This was his biggest change; something within him was slowly beginning to emerge.

“That knowledge is nothing, Maya. I’m not so easily changed,” he said with a smile. “I promise.”

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(End of this chapter)