Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 573 A Thousand Years of Watching (Second Update)

This is a rather long story; the encounter between Jacob and Salomon alone could take hours to recount. Everyone present was curious about what had happened in the past, and with Salomon having already dispatched forces to destroy the Trinity, Jacob had time to tell his tale. In Jacob's story, Salomon appeared in the mortal realm accompanied by a burst of golden light; anyone could see that he was no ordinary being.

Jacob explained Laura's question this way: "Because he asked me to use religion to conceal the existence of the 'Divine Source'," Jacob said casually. "If that's magic, then resurrection is evil sorcery. If that's a miracle, then I'm a prophet comparable to Jesus. I don't know why you harbor such malice towards Jesus, but I know your twisted sense of humor has fueled the Trinity's pursuit of me."

“I can apologize,” Salomon shrugged, making him seem quite human, a far cry from the aloof, blond giant who stepped off the assault transport. “But you have to admit, if you hadn’t used religion as a gimmick, those uneducated civilians would never have followed you, not even the Byzantine emperor would have helped you,” he said. “If you hadn’t used religion as a gimmick, you wouldn’t be alive today.”

"If so-called resurrection is all magic, then why are there images of angels in Baroque armor depicted in Syrian murals? You should know those aren't angels!" Laura, having received treatment, shook her head with difficulty. She looked at Salomon, "Then what exactly is that golden angel? Is that magic too?"

“No, that golden angel is what he entrusted to me for safekeeping, something I don’t even know, something that can’t yet be called human. That’s just one of the secrets hidden in Kit City; he asked me to keep more than that. Don’t look at me like that, Sophia, I completely don’t understand what the other things he asked me to keep are.” Jacob walked toward the huge bronze ring hanging in the center of the observation tower. “If it weren’t for that golden angel, with those civilians who were almost incapable of fighting, we would have been completely unable to escape the pursuit of Trinity and the Mongols—but He doesn’t awaken for long, only barely waking up when I and this mission face life and death. I gathered a group of highly skilled craftsmen and ordered them to build the magnificent Kit City to protect the golden angel’s sleeping place. We are now on the outskirts of Kit City, as for the Divine Source…”

“It’s the Philosopher’s Stone,” Salomon interjected. The power he sensed from the prophet contained the four elements and ether. Similar projects were underway in the Immortal City, and with extremely high priority. “The so-called Divine Source is very likely something I created in imitation of the real Philosopher’s Stone. The prophet’s resurrection was achieved using that replica.”

“You didn’t teach me how to use the Philosopher’s Stone, Salomon.” Jacob’s expression grew increasingly cheerful, as if Salomon’s arrival meant that what he had been hoping for was about to be accomplished. “What you gave me was a replica, and not a very good one at that,” he joked. “So, in order to have some self-defense capabilities while the Golden Angels slept, I used it a little. If you want to complain, now’s the time!”

Why should I complain?

"Because I must tell you, my method of using the Philosopher's Stone is entirely modeled after yours. I assembled an undead army to protect the Golden Angels. Now that army has betrayed me..."

Salomon sighed.

Immortality comes at a price, and for those soldiers who have died countless times, their souls will be devoured by the Philosopher's Stone with each resurrection. Coupled with Jacob's unorthodox methods and the weak will of ordinary people, it won't be long before those soldiers' souls are completely consumed and corrupted. Jacob, possessing the [Divine Source], is undoubtedly a talent carefully selected by his future self. Jacob is unaware that Salomon has already learned of this through Phoenix's eyes. He says, "If you want to reclaim that golden angel, you need to eliminate those undead soldiers entrenched in Kit City. There are Mongol soldiers, Byzantine soldiers, even the Trinity Knights I persuaded along the way, and the Soviets who came to establish this settlement. I only hope you bring enough men, because you're facing more than just ordinary soldiers."

Salomon looked at Laura Crawford, who was standing to the side.

“We need an archaeologist to assist with the excavation,” he said. “Forget about the Divine Source. If you’d like, I can show you the real Philosopher’s Stone, if you help me with this task. I desperately need it. Sorry, Laura, I can’t tell you why; it has nothing to do with whether I’m a mystic or not. I swear I knew absolutely nothing about this before. Oh! That’s a good punch!”

Laura Crawford expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the magical world's ravages of real-world history. No one knows if the artifacts unearthed during archaeological digs are furniture used by some living old man; for example, the fact that the Divine Source was created by Salomon is a direct mockery of her father's past beliefs. It's also possible that Salomon's usually approachable demeanor makes it impossible for Laura to perceive him as dark or sinister.

"Jacob." Salomon patted the Undead Prophet's filthy coat. "I need you to mobilize your people to join this work. You won't be able to stay here any longer. Even if this batch of Trinity is destroyed, the other Trinity will come back for you. I invite you to join the Immortal City, all your people."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Sophia asked. "Our people were born for this!"

"No longer, a greater cause awaits you," Salomon said. Jacob closed his eyes and nodded in agreement with Salomon. He looked very relaxed; more than a thousand years of vigil had finally come to an end.

"Shouldn't the girl have inheritance rights too?" he said. "Sofia will inherit everything I have."

"Yes, I can see that loyalty flows in her veins."

"What are you talking about, Father?" Sophia asked, her face full of confusion, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart. Since childhood, her father's abilities had made her see him as the greatest man in the world; Jacob could heal any illness with the herbs he made himself. She had always believed her father was invincible, but now she saw in Jacob a wound in his soul that would never heal.

“I’ve lived too long, Sophia. Immortality is a curse, not a gift, but a curse the human mind cannot bear. I’m just an ordinary person who was lucky enough to be resurrected. All my abilities are false; no god has ever granted me a miracle. You can tell your people that I’m just a liar who has been deceiving them all along. The best thing that ever happened to me was meeting your mother and having you.” He laughed bitterly. Jacob gently pushed his daughter away and knelt on one knee before Salomon.

"My watch is over," he said. "Your sword can neutralize the power of the Divine Source. I need you to release me, my lord."

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(End of this chapter)