Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 517 Dire Situation (Second Update)

Since Bastet decided to retract her blessing to T'Chaka, Salomon agreed not to pursue the matter further. The black panther, deprived of his blessing, wouldn't live long; the heart-shaped herb's effectiveness relied on Bastet's divine power, a problem that even Wakanda's advanced medicine couldn't solve.

Although Salomon tried both persuasion and threats in the temple, this did not prevent Salomon and Bastet from reaching a consensus. On the contrary, clarifying the bottom line created more room for cooperation, and the little black cat, as a tool to convey Bastet's will at any time, became a gift that helped them achieve a true cooperative relationship.

This is a kitten that will never grow up, and Salomon believes it reflects Bastet's current situation. The Egyptian pantheon, a pantheon that relies on faith for survival, abducted a group of slaves as a source of their faith before leaving Earth, and now dares not return, fearing the Sorcerer Supreme's retribution. Only a god like Bastet, adrift in exile, needs to build a legitimate force and gather faith.

However, the Wakandans weren't exactly devout to the Black Panther God, but they weren't particularly devout either; their attitude was more of a "it's free, so I'll believe a little" approach. Only the royal family was the true source of their faith, so this cat, serving as a vessel, never truly grew up. The Wakandans' sparse population had to share the worship of Bastet with other tribes' gods, because those were not to be trifled with—the White Ape tribe's gorilla god was Ghekre, the son of Bruku, the chief god of Voodoo and the god of judgment; the Lion God was Sekhmet, the war god of Upper Egypt; and the Crocodile God was Sobek, the chief god of Fayoum, possessing four divine powers.

[Note: Bastet is the goddess of war in Lower Egypt, but both Sehmed and Bastet are androgynous.]

Salomon suspected the cat's intelligence was somehow influenced by Bastet's power; not only did it seem dim-witted, its tongue always lingering in its mouth, but it also didn't know how to use the litter box. After licking up a bowl of milk, it climbed onto Salomon's lap with its swollen belly, risking vomiting, and went to sleep, leaving a trail of white paw prints behind it. Perhaps in its eyes, Salomon's lap was like a towering rock standing on the flat grassland, the only place where it felt safe.

"You know what?" the sorcerer said helplessly, "I think you might have seen Disney's Lion King. But you're a leopard, not a lion. Get up, you stupid cat, I still have to go and save someone's day!"

The only response he received was a burp that smelled like milk. Salomon slammed his hand on the table in exasperation, because the silly cat had spit up milk again.

This is why Su Rui smelled a sour odor on him.

"You damned cat!"

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When Salomon arrived at the accident scene, the unfortunate man was already dead.

Audrey Nathan collapsed onto the stage in a panic, and the magical stage light that Fitz had been adjusting, capable of producing wavelengths close to gamma rays, was smashed. Five androids stood in front of Audrey, unleashing a barrage of fire on Marcus Daniels with heavy bomb guns. Several small explosions every second attempted to repel the monster crawling towards Audrey, and even Hydra special forces members kept firing at the writhing black shadow that occupied half the theater.

However, ordinary bullets were of little use against the monster; only the constantly exploding bolt ammunition could harm it. The sorority's metal storm was accompanied by Marcus Daniel's screams, screams that were not human, with filthy whispers and repetitive shrieks that kept drilling into people's brains.

The tentacles formed by shadows would occasionally ensnare a special forces soldier and drag him into their bellies.

"Something's wrong, sir." Agent Hand, habitually using her old title when on missions, addressed Salomon as "Sir," instead of "Lord" like Stephanie. "Leopold said Marcus Daniels' abilities have been enhanced." Her speech was rapid, her voice involuntarily rising. At a normal volume, no one could hear her; the gunfire here was deafening. "The bright lights from the stage lights might have suppressed him, but he still absorbed the electrical pulse..."

Salomon nodded, indicating he knew what had happened. He looked down at the target below the tiered theater—a crater roughly twenty feet of seating had been melted into, the charred wooden seats and carpets emitting a horrifying stench, sporadic flames flickering in the gunfire, and thick, acrid smoke billowing from the theater ceiling like a somber cloud. Fitz's stage lights were never a foolproof strategy, and could even have made Daniel even more powerful. Combined with the massive energy from the plasma weapon explosion, they created this out-of-control monster.

This creature is resistant to blunt force, piercing, and slashing attacks from non-magical sources. It also possesses resistance to acid, ice, fire, electricity, and sound waves far exceeding that of ordinary organisms. The darker the environment, the stronger this creature becomes. For biological laboratories, a creature like Marcus Daniels would be the best research subject; beings from the Prime Material Plane that have integrated with the Shadow Plane to such a degree are indeed rare.

"No problem, I'll handle it." His voice was transmitted directly to the Hand agent's ears through magic, clear even in a whisper. "Don't tell anyone I was here. I mean, special forces."

Agent Hand glanced at Salomon, who was wearing pajamas and had the black cat in her pocket, and silently agreed to Salomon's suggestion. This image was indeed inappropriate in front of subordinates, especially when this superior reeked of foul odor. She directed the special forces soldiers to retreat under alternating cover through her earpiece, while the Sisterhood continued to provide suppressive fire. Once the ordinary people had withdrawn from the spell's path, Salomon reconnected to the Sisterhood's communication channel.

"Girls, Daddy's about to cast a spell."

The androids quickly took out folding shields and placed them on the ground.

First, a dazzling light struck the monster, and then it sprinkled a pinch of sulfur.

With a magnificent sound like that from heaven, a vertical column of platinum flame smashed through the theater ceiling, roaring and exploding on what had been Marcus Daniel's monster. Shadows within a 20-foot radius sizzled and melted rapidly like snowballs thrown into flames. Fire and light—this was the fifth-circle spell Flame Strike, modified by Salomon into a targeted spell, Vishanti's Wrath. Audrey Nathan, obscured by the homunculus, couldn't see what was happening ahead. She only felt the blinding beam of light and the deafening roar; the constant whispers that had been plaguing her suddenly vanished, giving her a great sense of relief.

She tried to stand up and look outside, but Catherine pressed down on her shoulder. She smelled the scorching heat of oxidized metal, and the air around her felt scalding.

"What happened?" she asked nervously. "Does S.H.I.E.L.D. still have backup? The TV said you've disbanded."

"Shut up." Catherine's voice came through the helmet's loudspeaker to Audrey's ears. The slightly distorted tone made her sound like a robot. Audrey dared not continue, because Catherine's fingers gripped her like iron clamps; by tomorrow, she would likely have a bruise all over her skin. Even the patch of skin she had accidentally touched from the gun barrel had been burned, peeling and quickly swelling into blisters.

Salomon changed his spells, increasing the energy output. During his spellcasting breaks, the Sisterhood also continued firing from between their blazing red shields, buying time for the arcane mage to cast his spells. He upgraded the first-circle evocation spell, Light Guided Arrow, to the fifth level, lashing Marcus Daniels like a whip.

Salomon gave a few instructions to the androids, then handed over command to Victoria Hand.

He must increase the production capacity of alchemical products and arcane technologies; the ammunition in the hands of the androids must be updated.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)