Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 648 Brunswick (First Update)

Investigating the list of Puritans who sailed to Maine in the 1850s was an extremely difficult task, as the census system was very inadequate at the time, which brought Salomon's investigation to a standstill. Fortunately, the families he was investigating were quite prominent in the area, and their lineages extended across Europe and North America along the route of the voyage. Salomon's work was able to continue through correspondence between the families. Professor Selvig's help was also indispensable—upon learning of Salomon's request, he immediately and cheerfully drove with the sorcerer to the family's old house in England, and through the local library, he retrieved obituaries and news articles from old newspapers, helping Salomon to piece together the general events. However, the results of the investigation were chilling; Darcy, who was watching nearby, nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the compiled documents, which were covered in old paper and smelled of dust.

This family seemed to be shrouded in the shadow of death. Neither the notorious but illustrious elders nor the estranged descendants died of old age. Some fell seriously ill at a young age, while others disappeared quietly after starting families and careers. The longest-lived was a writer, but he fell into uncontrollable madness after returning to his old home in Maine in middle age.

Following this lead, Salomon returned to Maine after many years.

He doesn't miss this place at all.

Salomon declined Professor Selvig's offer to accompany him, knowing the mission was extremely dangerous. Maine seemed perpetually entangled with the unspeakable Outer Gods, and this mission was no exception. There was no support; aside from the Venerable One and certain elders of mystical families, few in Kamar-Taj possessed magical skills surpassing his own. Therefore, he had to complete the mission alone.

He took his apprentice Wanda and drove along Highway 196 to Brunswick on the central coast of Maine. This was the mouth of the Androscokin River, the location of Salomon's last remaining lead. The dark wings of death spread here, and malevolent whispers permeated every inch of the land; to the sorcerer and Wanda, the air itself seemed thick with madness. Since the Salem witch trials, Maine's fate had been on a path of destruction. For the fledgling witch Wanda, this mission was extremely dangerous. Whether in the castle or her New York penthouse, Salomon had kept the true nature of the magical world outside her. Ever since Wanda became reluctant to delve into Jia Ying's mind, the sorcerer chose to bring her here, letting her witness firsthand the terrifying truth of this world—the magic of this world originates from the Outer Gods; all the Old Gods and Earth Gods have the blood of Azathoth flowing through their veins; the magic of all the Outer Dimension Gods carries a horrifying dark side; even Salomon's own soul was shaped by this power. The price of casting spells is incredibly heavy; madness is a byproduct of magic. Every spellcaster in Kamar-Taj is charging down a path of self-destruction for the safety of the Prime Material Plane, with no possibility of turning back.

Salomon quickly used his connections to obtain library cards for the two men to access Bowdoin College Library and scheduled meetings with the college's folklore and history professors for the following day.

"Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a family member of a faculty member at Bowdoin College, and published by Bowdoin. Famous American Civil War General Oliver Otis Howard and Hugh McClock, Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln, were both Bowdoin alumni. If you're an American high school student, you'll know that the famous author Hawthorne was also a Bowdoin graduate. We're just a 25-minute drive south to Portland. We'll stay overnight in Brunswick, waiting for our meeting tomorrow… Wanda, how are you?"

The air here made her dizzy, her cheeks flushed, as if she had a high fever. Whenever she moved even slightly away from Salomon, she needed to constantly adjust her breathing, clearing the darkness constantly overflowing from her mind. But when she was near the sorcerer, these symptoms would vanish instantly, as if Salomon was the only place of peace, and the curse could not approach him. Salomon cupped the witch's face, carefully examining her pupils. He could feel the blood flowing beneath the thin skin of her neck and her throbbing pulse; Wanda's body temperature and heartbeat were rising abnormally. She felt incredibly sensitive to touch; the slender fingers resting on her neck were icy cold, and her skin, calloused from years of wielding swords and guns, stung and swelled. She felt a hard shell covering her lips, and thirst gripped her mouth. Her heart was racing, but her limbs grew increasingly weak and powerless. An indescribable pain spread through her lower abdomen, and the accompanying pleasure almost knocked her to the ground.

"Are you dizzy?" Salomon had anticipated that the shared magical energy might cause Wanda an adverse reaction, but he hadn't expected it to be this serious. The witch nervously closed her eyes. After receiving an affirmative answer, Salomon helped her into the passenger seat of the Aston Martin DB7, canceling their visit to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, even though they had already arrived at the building with its domed roof. "Come on, I'll take you to the hotel. We'll have amulets engraved there. You should remember me teaching you how to draw amulets against the Old Gods, right?"

"I remember," Wanda mumbled, managing to squeeze out a few words.

"This Aston Martin DB7 was a gift from my foster mother when I went to college. When you and Pietro both go to college, I'll give you each a car—perhaps Pietro prefers to drive himself, so he'd need a pair of wool knee pads more than a car." Salomon stepped on the gas, trying to distract Wanda with a joke. Wanda's current condition prevented her from using a portal—Kamar-Taj, while seemingly simple, was a powerful spell that used magic to synchronize the time difference between the inside and outside of the portal, much like a wormhole. A portal using the veil of the material universe as an intermediary was simpler. A spell was quietly cast on the witch. Wanda felt a slight stinging sensation on her skin from the magic, but this pain was quickly overshadowed by dizziness. The spell took effect quickly, but Wanda's pain gradually subsided, and by the time they arrived at the inn on the noble street, the annoying pain that had plagued her was gone.

She looked at Salomon with a face full of guilt. Because of her, Salomon's plan had been interrupted.

"Don't overthink it. Unexpected situations are bound to arise during missions." Salomon got out of the car, walked to the other side to open the door for her, and helped her out of the passenger seat. "Your magical allergy is quite severe. Let's finish making the amulet first. I hope you remember to bring your own toolkit. Although the mystics of Kamar-Taj have spent hundreds of years clearing the curse from Maine, the presence of the Outer Gods isn't so easily eradicated."

She quickly released the sorcerer's arm after getting out of the car. Their luggage had already been delivered to their room at the airport, and now she just wanted to change her clothes as soon as possible. She was sure Salomon could smell the pheromones on her, and she didn't want Salomon to think she was a wanton woman.

The sorcerer glanced discreetly at the passenger seat, then considerately took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"Did he find out?"

Wanda's mind began to wander, and her cheeks burned again. She followed the sorcerer, feeling dizzy, but her thoughts raced. If they hadn't already reached the main hall, she might have suddenly collapsed and burst into tears. This was far more difficult than defeating Ultron; the mental anguish was far greater than the physical suffering. Only now did Wanda begin to understand Salomon's predicament.

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(End of this chapter)