Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 657 Role-Playing in the Rain (Second Update)

Salomon drove along the quiet country road, the dark forest stretching its long, winding branches towards the car window. The wheels crunched over the fallen leaves, creating a dense, rustling sound. The somber sky followed behind, and the storm arrived as expected. Raindrops pattered on the roof, and the damp, cold air seeped in from beneath their feet. The sorcerer had to turn on the headlights of the rented black jeep and slow down to avoid hitting wild animals scattering in the rain. The air was oppressive; the lights pierced the cold rain and the dense white pine forest on the low hills, flickering in and out of focus. In this almost completely dark night, only the occasional distant rumble of thunder illuminated the horizon.

He and Wanda drove towards the latest epicenter they had investigated, and intelligence from Kamar-Taj confirmed that dark forces were gathering. Salomon even changed vehicles midway—to better disguise themselves as mortal bait, they carried no magical items except for the amulet Wanda wore around her neck, his silver key, and the ring he couldn't remove. Those high-level magical items weren't so easily detected; the only possible flaw—the amulet—was tucked into Wanda's underwear, making her blush deeply.

From the outside, no one could tell that she was also wearing a talisman.

Perhaps sensing the destruction of Jerusalem, the cannibalism that was supposed to continue came to an abrupt halt.

Salomon didn't leave Jerusalem empty-handed; in the trunk of his jeep lay something wrapped in a tarpaulin. He'd discovered it in the crypt beneath the completely burned-down church—a crypt that even Wanda's visions hadn't noticed before, a crypt that had survived the fire. The dried-out earth had killed the swarms of worms in the crypt, and the rising heat had dispelled the stench, allowing Salomon and Wanda to endure the terrible conditions and venture inside.

"Those vampires..." Wanda frowned. "Can we find them at the epicenter?"

"We've left clues," Salomon said, his tone uncertain. Driving in the rain like this was extremely dangerous, and the closer they got to the epicenter, the worse the weather became. The sudden drop in temperature could easily cause the roads to freeze, making it very likely that the car would skid. He carefully steered the vehicle, ready to brake at any moment—even if there was an accident, he and Wanda wouldn't be injured, but the car was rented, and he had to return it intact. The reason was simple: even a contract in the mortal realm, once agreed upon, would be honored.

"If they learn to use modern equipment, they should be able to find us."

Salomon thought that others might be able to find us.

Kasirius used Tony Stark as a hostage to prevent the Avengers from intervening in the operation. However, Salomon didn't know how long this could be delayed. His spies kept him updated on the situation within the Avengers: Steve Rogers and Clint decided to proceed cautiously, while Maria Hill and Vision believed they needed to resolve the matter quickly. S.H.I.E.L.D.—no, the Avengers—absolutely could not yield to terrorists, especially when the Avengers were capable of handling the situation. Natasha Romanoff and Pietro remained silent, each with their own concerns—Pietro's family was now working for Salomon, and Natasha Romanoff was again reporting to Salomon, trying to prevent a large-scale conflict between the Avengers and the Immortal City. Having witnessed the Immortal City's apparent power firsthand, Natasha believed the Avengers had no chance of winning, especially with the Immortal City's magical support; she didn't want her extended family to be completely destroyed.

Only Salomon can stop the conflict, but he is currently busy resolving a magical crisis.

Hours later, the temperature dropped further, and the torrential rain pounded against the car roof, the sound growing louder and louder, affecting even Wanda with its oppressive atmosphere. Only Salomon remained relaxed and cheerful, beginning to explain to Wanda the descriptions of the Maine woods by the famous 19th-century writer Henry David Thoreau, which gradually made Wanda forget the eerie atmosphere around her. "'A virgin field and a garden of the gods,' that's how Henry David Thoreau described it," the mystic said. "Compared to his other work, Walden, I prefer the natural charm presented in 'The Woods of Maine.'"

Suddenly, a swarm of black bats flapped their wings and burst out from the white pine forest, slamming against the car window. The violent earthquake shook the vehicle; the concrete road bulged and then collapsed. The mountainside groaned, and rocks fell from the cliff, mingling with the rain and crashing onto the car. Salomon slammed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel, nearly losing control of the vehicle. Wanda was nearly suffocating from the seatbelt.

"What happened?" Wanda asked in a panic.

"We're being sniped." The arcane mage pulled the car over to the side of the road. He quickly turned on his reading lights, rapidly checked the vehicle, and then peered out through the wipers and the blurry rain. "They've noticed us."

"What should we do?"

"Treat her as panicked as possible, Wanda." Salomon's expression was cheerful, but he quickly put on a show of genuine panic, almost making Wanda laugh and forget the attack they had just suffered. "Don't forget the psychological profiling, and the signs of torture on the corpse," Salomon instructed. "Vampires enjoy torturing mortals; they only find pleasure in hunting prey that is sufficiently terrified. We are the prey now; let's act like prey."

Finally, they managed to calm themselves down. Wanda gripped Salomon's hand tightly, her face flushed, letting out a perfunctory, cat-like squeal. However, for a long while, apart from the thunder in the clouds, the edge of the forest remained utterly silent. It wasn't until Salomon reminded her that the witch reluctantly released her hand. The sorcerer, like a mortal, drew his pistol and stepped out of the car. He deliberately moved cautiously, pointing the gun at the forest. At the same time, Wanda secretly made extremely complex hand gestures under the car door, ready to provide support at any moment.

They acted like bumbling cops in a horror movie, trying to deal with every threat with a pistol.

As Salomon walked toward the back of the car, two dark figures pounced up from the edge of the cliff.

The vampire, with its wrinkled, aged skin and bald head, emitted a low, viscous growl as it pounced on Salomon, whose back was turned. The vampire smiled as it lunged at the lamb to the slaughter, but the lamb instantly transformed into a wolf. It noticed the mortal suddenly turn around, the panic on his rain-soaked face vanishing—he had seen it, and was even smiling at it. Crimson magic coalesced into a hammer, smashing the vampire, along with the car door, away. The sorcerer gripped the vampire's throat, sparks condensing in his palm, the stench of burning flesh shattering the silence with the vampire's roar.

"You always think humans are prey, you've made no progress at all. Don't you know how to use a gun?" Salomon could tell at a glance that this vampire's bloodline wasn't high, and its strength was only slightly above that of a mortal. His act of using magic to dry its hair nearly drove the agonizing vampire to the brink of collapse; it had never encountered a mortal who could defeat it single-handedly. The thin, hunched undead looked like a child in the hands of the two-meter-tall man.

This was the first time a vampire had felt fear.

"Now, you need to tell me where your master is."

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(End of this chapter)