Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 623 The Fifth Demon God Pillar (Second Update)

"Phoenix, let's go." Salomon greeted him from the fixed portal to Kamar-Taj, and then the air began to expand, bursting into a dazzling display of flames. A large, golden-red bird perched on Salomon's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling his cheek. "Let's go find Malbus [Note 1]," Salomon said softly. "I wonder if that lion will obey my commands."

"Oh! I believe it can't wait!" Phoenix said in a pleasant voice.

"Don't be so optimistic, Phoenix. I remember the lion's seal, but I'm not sure it will be willing to serve me again." The arcane mage was far less cheerful than Phoenix. "If it is completely corrupted by the power of the abyss, I will have to seek the help of the Manchester gods."

"I can bring my twenty legions, my lord."

"Let's do it this way." The arcane mage stepped through the portal into a space filled with smoke and the smell of sulfur. The portal, sparkling with golden-red flames, closed behind him. Salomon placed the small statue of Pegasus on the ground and then summoned the mount given to him by the goddess of wisdom. Pegasus, happily munching on an apple, hadn't even had time to react before being summoned here. "You need to lose some weight, my little pony. You'll never be able to run if you don't." The arcane mage patted the white prancing horse's rump, then dodged the whipping tail. He straddled the horse, pulling on the golden reins. "Hurry up, we have so many places to go today. Phoenix, gather the legion, then we'll go see Malbath."

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"It's sealed; we can't open it," Stark said, looking at the Regeneration Cradle. "Even if we did, it would take a lot of time."

"We need to initiate the process and then dismantle the body's tissues from the inside out," Bruce Banner outlined the idea of ​​breaking down the contents of the regeneration cradle, but Stark didn't immediately respond.

"Could Natasha leave you messages outside the internet, like those old spy tactics?"

"There is a way, I will find him!" Since Natasha Romanoff was taken by Ultron, Clint had been restless. He hurried downstairs; having something to do made him feel a little more at ease. Seeing Clint leave, Tony Stark slowly circled the lab, looking like a schoolboy dawdling at his doorstep, unwilling to go to school. Dr. Bruce Banner could tell Stark was preoccupied. He said, "I can destroy the body tissue, but only if you can shut down the operating system Dr. Zhao implanted."

"Hmm," Stark drawled, "Well..."

"Oh! No!" Dr. Banner quickly shook his head. He had been working in Stark Industries' laboratories since the Battle of New York, and this long period of interaction allowed him to guess what Stark was thinking. He had always believed that Stark's ideas were quite correct, until this recent event. They had to destroy the body created by Ultron; there was no other way.

"You have to trust me," Tony Stark said quickly.

"I don't really believe it."

"Remember our ally, the guy who protected the military's nuclear weapons codes from Ultron? I've found him!" Stark turned to the holographic screen and began operating. Dr. Bruce Banner was curious why Stark brought this up. Then, Jarvis's Matrix appeared on the holographic projection screen. It was a complete and functioning Jarvis. Dr. Banner's eyes widened in surprise. He even carefully examined the Matrix's operating logs, fearing that Stark was creating an illusion to deceive him.

"Hello, Dr. Banner," Jarvis said politely as always. "I didn't completely stop Ultron, but its progress was slowed down by another force."

"Ultron didn't attack Jarvis out of anger," Stark said, "but because he feared Jarvis's abilities. So Jarvis went underground, dismantled his systems, erased his memories, but preserved the communication protocols. He didn't even know he was there until I fixed him!"

Now, Tony Stark's intentions were quite clear. Dr. Banner glanced at the Regeneration Cradle. "So you want me to help you implant Jarvis into this thing?"

"No! Of course not!" Tony Stark exclaimed immediately. "I want to help you implant Jarvis into this thing. You know more about organic biology than anyone else!"

"Do you think Jarvis's computational matrix can defeat Ultron?"

“Jarvis defeated him from within without his knowledge. This is a good opportunity for us to create a perfect Ultron, free from his murderous nature.” Stark spread his hands. “We must do this.”

"I think it's worth a try," Jarvis said without any modesty. Just as Dr. Banner was about to continue the argument, a loud noise interrupted him. An assault transport ship came to a steady stop on the Stark Industries headquarters' helipad. Because Salomon hadn't considered noise reduction, and given the requirements for firepower, the assault transport ship was quite noisy in flight. The noise of the shattering windows rudely interrupted Dr. Banner and Stark's argument, but they soon saw the assault transport ship leave Stark Tower—the Quinjet helipad wasn't large enough to accommodate a transport ship capable of meeting both firepower and transport needs, especially when fully loaded with ammunition.

Clint rushed over, "Hey! Miss! You can't go there!"

"Hello, Miss Diana. It's been a long time."

"Get out of the way." Dina, wielding a prototype chainsaw sword and dressed in a suit custom-made for her by Salomon, stormed from the helipad into the laboratory. Without hesitation, she activated the chainsaw; the dragon's heart excitedly drove the serrated teeth to spin, the violent noise like a roar from the depths of hell. "The monarch is searching for an alternative; this project must be halted until then." Dina glanced at Jarvis. She handed Stark a portable hard drive with an incense-scented aroma. Only after Dr. Banner carefully received it did she tell them what it was.

"This is the reason for Ultron's betrayal." Seeing that the others did not rush forward, Dinah slowly deactivated her chainsaw sword. "The monarch calls it 'demonic code' or 'information demon.' If possible, please run and view it within a virtual machine; otherwise, any artificial intelligence can easily be corrupted. The general reason these codes appear is that they are a way of thinking that naturally arises when artificial intelligence encounters cosmic mysticism."

"And then? What does this have to do with what we're supposed to do?" Stark asked, displeased. "Hey girl, I watched you get your body. Before that, you were no different from Jarvis. And how did you know what we were talking about? Was it a prophecy?"

"First: I am not an artificial intelligence, I am an android. I possess a soul, a soul of alchemy bestowed upon me by the Sovereign," Dinah said expressionlessly. "Second: That gem is the singularity of cosmic energy. If you do this, that body will form another 'Information Demon,' and Jarvis will no longer be Jarvis. You cannot guarantee that the Ultron you recreate will shed its murderous nature. You are gambling with the future of humanity, Stark, and my Sovereign will not allow this to happen. If you wish to continue, then open the Cradle of Regeneration. I am ordered to take the gem."

"Where is Salomon?" Dr. Banner asked. "Why doesn't he come himself?"

"He's gone to hell."

[Note 1] Malbas is the fifth demon in the 72 demons of King Solomon, a ruler of 36 legions and the chief of Hell. His special ability is to discover the truth. Hidden treasures and secrets are all exposed before him. He is also skilled in healing arts and mechanical technology, and can grant his summoners the ability to transform. Although he usually appears in lion form, he can transform into human form at the summoner's request. In Plancy's *Dictionary of Hell*, Malbas is referred to as the Grand Commander of Hell. He also appears in Shakespeare's works.

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(End of this chapter)