Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 572 The Secret of the Divine Source (First Update)

This was a meal prepared by the top chefs Stephanie had hired for Salomon. She had paid a hefty sum for their lifetime service, placing them on the Sky Carrier to provide delicious food for command. Salomon regretted not having time to savor the spicy skewers he'd had in so long, but the enormous, specially supplied Angus beef burger was enough to calm his restless stomach during the command operations. Everything he ate underwent rigorous testing, and everything had to conform to the recipes registered by Dinah to ensure his health.

Of course, that's based on human physical capabilities. Salomon isn't an ordinary person; his body was created by the Earth Mother herself, and he consumes far more food than an average person. He liked the chef's homemade pickles, and if he had the chance, he would definitely praise the guy.

Even while eating, his eyes were glued to the video feed transmitted from the visual aids systems of hundreds of Sorority powered armor units. The microphone inside his helmet reduced the deafening roar of the explosive gunfire, then amplified the volume of conversations and ambient sounds to ensure he didn't miss anything crucial. The local's voice was transmitted flawlessly to the command center on the Skycarrier, nearly choking Salomon as he stuffed food into his mouth. Salomon watched as the man skillfully employed his superior combat techniques, killing a Trinity mercenary wielding a rifle with a single dagger.

The blue stardust shimmering at the edge of his brain suddenly exploded, and prophecies from the future and the shadows of fate gnawed at his consciousness. He recognized the man. Although Salomon had never met him, his memories and his prophecies told him that this man had known him for quite some time. The other man also remembered him, so much so that the moment the hydraulic hatch of the assault transport ship opened, his eyes immediately locked onto Salomon standing among a group of androids. Without a word, he recognized Salomon and then greeted him with a rather familiar, dusty greeting.

Salomon's mouth immediately tasted bitter.

"How the hell have you become so young?" The man stroked his beard, forcing a smile, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. He spoke in very ancient Greek, a language Salomon was very familiar with. Athena had taught him to interpret Greek oracles and magic in this language. "I knew you were immortal, but I didn't know you could also become young. Damn magic!"

He suddenly sighed. Behind him, thick smoke billowed into the sky, and orange-red flames licked uneasily at the frost-covered plants, slowly and steadily melting the permafrost that had remained unchanged for millennia. His expression was extremely melancholy, as if the fire and the stench of death behind him were very distant. He indifferently ignored the corpses left by the Sisterhood and the blood-stained stream at his feet; rather, he found Salomon's appearance before him somewhat unacceptable, as if he had never imagined that Salomon would actually show up.

The battle here ended quickly; the androids, like a white whirlwind sweeping across the mountain ridge, easily extinguished Trinity's faint flames. They leaped onto the assault transport ships and charged towards Trinity's command post, as instructed by Agent Victoria Hand. They would eliminate the mercenaries and then obtain intelligence about Trinity for Salomon.

"Have you come to end my mission? Can I truly be free now?"

"I don't know. There are still many things I don't know," Salomon shook his head. The energy within this man indicated that he was no ordinary person, and he had already guessed the man's identity. An ordinary person's soul wouldn't age so drastically; he could even smell the stench of this man's decaying soul, a stench that even extradimensional bacteria didn't want to approach. "I need you to explain this to me properly, Undying Prophet. We have time to talk slowly. The Holy Trinity is no match for those girls."

The man's name was Jacob, and the red-haired girl beside him was Sophia, whom Laura had seen before. Tita's men found Laura Crawford at a beacon tower not far from here, where she was fighting Trinity's mercenaries. She was initially delighted by Salomon's appearance, but then she stared at the arcane mage with suspicion, unsure if Salomon's reason for being there was to obtain the [Divine Source].

“We still have time to talk. Laura, I promise you’ll know all the truth you want.” Salomon followed Jacob into the observation post built by the locals. No need to cross mountains again; highly mobile assault transport boats would take them to their designated location. Jacob’s daughter, Sophia, was extremely alarmed by Salomon and the group of androids, so much so that she and Laura quickly reached a consensus: she wanted to persuade her father to be vigilant, but Jacob seemed completely unconcerned about Salomon’s purpose in being there.

“The real treasure isn’t the Divine Source,” Jacob said to Salomon as they walked up the observatory steps, Sophia and Laura Crawford following behind, while the others remained nearby in case of a Trinity attack. “I don’t know how you’ve forgotten these things, but I’m telling you, the Divine Source is merely a byproduct, and one you created yourself.”

Laura could hardly believe her ears. The Divine Source was something Salomon had made himself? What was going on? Was Salomon actually over a thousand years old, and had he been deceiving her all along?

“I don’t want to deceive you, Jacob, so I must tell you the truth.” Salomon glanced back at Laura, whose emotions were inexplicably agitated, then looked into Jacob’s eyes. “I haven’t lost my memory. I truly don’t know you, because that’s the result of time travel. My future self jumped to the past timeline and held things for my present self through your past self. In other words, I haven’t experienced everything you’ve gone through in the past. Unless I complete this time loop, I can’t leave the Divine Source for you in the past. Although I still don’t know what my future self needs you to hold onto, I know I can trust you, just as my future self trusts you.”

Jacob glared angrily at Salomon.

"Damn it! I knew you, this magician, would always get into trouble you can't handle. You didn't tell me about this!" He waved his hands, saying, "If I'd known it would be this complicated, I wouldn't have begged you to save me!"

“I suggest you start from the beginning, Jacob.” Salomon stood at the top of the steps, squinting at the distant snow-capped mountains. The breathtaking scenery created when sunlight streamed from the warm valley onto the icy peaks drew his attention. “This concerns the time loop. Every action you take here will affect the past. If I miss any detail, you might not be standing here now. Perhaps…”

Even Sofia.

Jacob glanced at his still clueless daughter and sighed deeply.

"You're truly despicable, Salomon," he said. "You prophesied that I would have a daughter, but you didn't tell me she would be born at this time. Come, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

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(End of this chapter)