Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 512 Antarctic Exploration (First Update)

Dry, icy snow powder, carried by the howling wind, desperately seeped into the gaps of his scarf. He exhaled warm breath, but the moisture quickly froze on the scarf. Thick wool socks inside his warm boots were frozen stiff, and his heavy cashmere windproof pants seemed to have solidified from the sweat of his climb up the snow-capped mountain; it looked as if the pants would collide and make a crisp sound after just a few steps, like a triangular iron toy from childhood. The midnight sun was fading, and the dark red light stubbornly polluted the distant horizon. The howling wind whipped up snow powder that swept across the ice cap, like a thick white haze enveloping everything ahead, blurring everything as if covered by a heavy, industrially polluted cloud.

This is not the coastal area where scientific expeditions from various countries are stationed, but a thick ice sheet near the pole. There are no seals or penguins here, only ice crevasses covered by white snow, and massive glaciers that cover the Antarctic continent.

With his eyes closed, he could hear the sickeningly faint groans of the ice sheets grinding against each other, like the pulse of this land throbbing from ancient times to the present. This movement caused the ice caps to crack, and the immense pressure squeezed out air bubbles from within the ice, making the Antarctic ice incredibly pure. He had originally considered taking two pieces back to put in his wine glass, but considering that some tenacious ancient bacteria were waiting to awaken inside the ice, he abandoned this foolish idea.

It was no longer the best time for Antarctic scientific research; the explorations of the previous months had yielded nothing, but they had to continue and could not leave. They had to continue digging into the secrets hidden deep beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, searching for a rare metal and remnants of cosmic beings. He was able to participate in this expedition because the second semester had ended, and Wakanda, having not yet found its target, urgently needed his magical prophecy.

He bounced a few times on the spot. Although he didn't jump, just tiptoed, he felt he had warmed up again. He continued walking, as the base was just ahead. Salomon cursed himself inwardly for his negligence. He had forgotten the harshness of the Antarctic environment, hadn't worn three layers of warm and absorbent clothing, and was relying solely on relatively thin clothing and magic to keep warm—however, even magic couldn't withstand the sudden and severe temperatures near the pole (below -50 degrees Fahrenheit), and magic couldn't prevent his clothes from freezing. Furthermore, he had accidentally fallen into a crevice between glaciers, causing irreversible damage to the makeshift warming device made by the Wakandans around his waist. This series of misfortunes left him in a very bad situation.

His fingers were so frozen that he couldn't even put on the suspension ring.

He should have brought Dave along; that dimwitted fellow was very likely the only human druid on Earth after Balthazar's death. He believed Dave must have learned Balthazar's most secret magic; a druid would certainly know how to manipulate wind. He didn't want to have to try to regenerate his fingers after they froze off—that wasn't his specialty. He only knew basic and minor regeneration spells.

Worse still, even if he could cast it, he couldn't do it here. This place possesses a mysterious power that can interfere with spells; casting a healing spell could very likely cause tissue overgrowth due to energy interference. In other words, he might grow two fingers. He also can't transform into an elemental being; transforming into a wind elemental might blow him away, becoming a water elemental would cause him to freeze, becoming a fire elemental would extinguish him, and becoming an earth elemental would cause him to sink. But it doesn't matter; the Wakandan prefabricated house is nearby, and he'll be there soon.

He had a premonition that he might develop several chilblains. If he were to lose an ear or a toe to the cold, he would really have to go back to Kamar-Taj and study the books on how to regenerate limbs.

The remnants of cosmic gods have influenced the climate of this region. This is the conclusion reached by Wakanda scientists, who believe that Antarctic anti-vibration gold is also very likely buried here. The anomalous energy signals here mask the special signals emitted by the anti-vibration gold, causing Wakanda's commonly used metal detectors to malfunction.

Vibranium's indestructibility and resistance to mechanical and thermal stress stem from its ability to form complex lattices with other negatively charged elements, creating hexahedral covalent bonds with adjacent molecules and coiling into tubular structures similar to carbon nanotubes. This structure is exceptionally resilient to sudden external forces, even more stable than vibranium's own strong metallic atom arrangement. Anti-vibranium appears even more remarkable, acting in stark contrast to vibranium. This Antarctic vibranium vibrates in an unknown manner, weakening the metallic bonds in nearby metals and causing the solid metal to liquefy.

The Wakandas detected this kind of vibration.

Vibranium is a metal that obeys the first law of thermodynamics, capable of forming metallic and ionic bonds to adapt to different forms and functions, single-handedly supporting Wakanda's technological development. Vibranium's negatively charged elemental lattice is stacked in three-dimensional space, forming a specific structure that makes the natural lattice electrically neutral. When external kinetic energy disrupts this special piezoelectric crystal, the charges rearrange, creating a potential difference across the lattice and generating an electric current, converting kinetic energy into electrical energy.

Princess Shuri is developing a nanoscale capacitor, which she plans to use in the Black Panther suit.

If vibranium is the world's strongest shield, then anti-vibranium is the world's sharpest spear. This is the basis of Salomon's cooperation with Wakanda, especially given that the current Wakanda King T'Chaka is determined to open up to the outside world; Wakanda must firmly grasp this resource.

“You didn’t have to come all the way here.” Salomon sat on a small stool next to the heater, holding his ornate teacup. He felt an itch in his toes, most likely from chilblains. Salomon took a sip of tea and let out a satisfied sigh—he had brought the teacup with him along with his clothes, thinking he might not have tea in Antarctica. At first, the Wakanda scientists found the request to bring tea incomprehensible, but they soon realized how pleasant a cup of hot tea was in the icy environment.

"Am I supposed to stay cooped up in the underground city researching tanks? You're exploiting my labor!" Princess Shuri rolled her eyes and continued studying the geological structure near the South Pole. Vibranium and anti-vibranium both arrived on Earth via meteorites. The powerful kinetic energy would inevitably alter the geological structure, especially anti-vibranium comets, which are highly likely to form basins and mountains at their impact points, just like the current habitats of the Black Panther Tribe and the White Ape Tribe.

Su Rui plans to start by analyzing the geological structure revealed in the scan to locate the landing point of the anti-vibration meteorite.

The first exploration site was near Mount Vinson in Antarctica, the main peak of the Ayerswood Range. However, the Wakandas found nothing and could only explore along the Ayerswood Range, which stands to the east adjacent to the Ronnie Ice Shelf, splitting into two routes: the North Sentinel Ridge and the South Hrititch Ridge. Fortunately, the Wakandas' aircraft were of good quality and capable of traversing the polar regions. During the fruitless exploration, unusual weather detected by satellite caught Shuri's attention, and she ordered the exploration team on the South Hrititch Ridge to move closer to the pole.

She believed that if Salomon's information was correct, the remains of that cosmic god were very likely in this place, and the anti-vibration gold ore might also be nearby. Salomon, having put his sling ring back on, opened a portal and unwrapped a blanket and a recliner. He took off his frozen clothes and changed into dry, warm pajamas. He planned to lie down for a while and inform Su Rui when he had news.

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(End of this chapter)