Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 658 Interrogation (First Update)

"Although you've just started the 'Monster Identification' course, and what I'm about to say is actually a bit beyond the curriculum, since we've encountered it, we might as well use real objects to illustrate," the sorcerer said with a smile and a gentle tone. If it weren't for the accompanying thunder, raindrops, howling wind, and the dim, ambiguous warm yellow light, he would have looked more like a responsible teacher than a blood-stained butcher. Wanda watched in trepidation as the sorcerer used a silver-plated steel stake engraved with runes to pin the vampire to the unfortunate car door. Surprisingly, he used only physical strength; it seemed he didn't need magic to deal with the vampire.

When faced with these man-eating monsters, Salomon always inadvertently reveals a terrifying brutality.

This is a common trait among all Kamar-Taj sorcerers. Ultimately, Kamar-Taj is an organization born of war, always ready to unleash magic upon humanity's enemies. Violence is Kamar-Taj's primary language; even the benevolent Sorcerer Supreme can instantly transform into the most vicious thug. Salomon was trained according to this model; he received the most complete Kamar-Taj education, and he would not back down even when facing the Vishanti. Kamar-Taj is for humanity, not the Triune Vishanti.

The vampire's sudden appearance startled her, but an inexplicable rage ignited within her, as if the existence of this inferior creature had offended her. In her fury, her prepared force field spell lost its aim, blasting both the car door and the vampire away. This fellow "teaching material," the unfortunate creature who had attacked Wanda, had been lying on the other side of the car door, his death incredibly gruesome—dirty, blackened internal organs scraggly protruding from his flattened body, his wrinkled, pale skin, tough as leather, riddled with wounds from broken, yellowish-black bones. Even from a vampire's perspective, the death was gruesome, like being rolled in a shredder.

Salomon didn't dare let her look at it for long; it took him quite a while to wash the car door clean in the rain.

Regardless, the car must be returned.

"The world's first vampires were monsters born from the most corrupt magic in the world. Although vampires later diverged into different clans, and their appearance and abilities changed, vampires and creatures born from corrupt magic have always existed on the same lineage, including other variants of the vampire family." Salomon used a knife to pry open the survivor's mouth so that Wanda could see the two filthy canine teeth. The rain did not stop, but the sorcerer's spell blocked the wind and rain outside a hemisphere with a diameter of three meters, making it convenient to conduct the lesson on the spot. The sorcerer sheathed his dagger. "Some vampires only drink blood, while others also crave human flesh. Werewolves, vampires, and ghouls actually all originate from the same power. No matter how their appearance changes, their weaknesses remain the same. Similarly, these monsters have an inexplicable craving for the bloodline they were before their transformation, a craving that combines hatred for the living, thirst for blood, and a deep-seated jealousy of pure souls."

Looking at the hideous monster groaning before her, Wanda, having regained some of her senses, seemed to revert to a frail woman. At least, her displayed terror perfectly matched this image; after all, very few people in the world had witnessed a live vampire dissection. The dried-up internal organs indicated that this vampire hadn't eaten in a long time; if it were of a high enough status, such a thing would be impossible. Beneath its leathery skin, there was no fat left, and even its major blood vessels had turned into shriveled, dark strips of flesh. Its long-dormant black heart was filled with foul-smelling pus and blood. Smoke billowed from the vampire's limbs, pinned to silver stakes, and foul-smelling pustules swelled around the wounds.

"Don't worry, this monster has a powerful regenerative ability."

Vampires are indeed immortal, but that doesn't mean they're completely immune to pain. Moreover, very few vampires in the world have the opportunity to witness their internal organs and muscles being slowly and meticulously dismembered, the perpetrator's movements elegant, their hands moving cleanly and efficiently, their face filled with genuine satisfaction. Even an immortal monster would be traumatized by such a sight. Wanda was no exception; she had never seen anything so disgusting. Salomon considerately stopped his work, waiting for Wanda to climb out of her vomit, and readily offered her his special smelling salts and mouthwash he'd bought at the supermarket. He was proud of his skill; even the Kamar-Taj dungeon guardian who had taught him this craft couldn't have done it better.

The sorcerer pointed his dagger at the trunk of the jeep.

Wanda recalled the scene they had discovered in the crypt beneath the Jerusalem church and gagged again. Wrapped in a tarpaulin in the trunk were over a dozen blackened skulls, which Salomon had personally retrieved from the charred remains and maggots burying their ankles, then resurrected with dark magic to recreate the putrid carcass. Even in the acrid smell and swirling soot, he tirelessly pointed out the cause of death to Wanda—without exception, murder. It was a blood sacrifice bound by kinship, and even a novice like Wanda knew the terrifying power such a sacrifice could yield. This also meant that the signs discovered at Kamar-Taj were not a whim of the vampires.

"I thought of this when we found those unidentified corpses in the church's crypt. Remember the intelligence we got about Jerusalem? The whole town is full of inbreeding freaks, so those deformed skeletons most likely came from the Boone family. Whether this vampire is one of those freaks or not, whether it's flesh resurrected by dark magic or not, it will be incredibly tempting to Boone-blooded vampires. The temptation deep within their souls will guide them to us, like broadcasting a message only they can hear on a spiritual level." Salomon skillfully plunged the tip of his knife into the wound, deftly separating the skin from the muscle. "See it like this, Wanda? This is one of the paths many fallen spellcasters choose. If you become like this, I will kill you without hesitation."

"Listen carefully, Wanda. This is a lesson my teacher taught me, and I'm teaching it to you now: Be vigilant; magic always comes at a price. Hold onto hope, and never fall into the darkness of magic, even if that darkness comes from within yourself. You may not understand the meaning of these words now, but you will in the future. This is a choice that every spellcaster must face."

Wanda Maximov heard a genuine threat from her teacher, even more serious than the reprimand she had received in church. But this time, she had nothing to complain about. Wanda nodded vigorously; she didn't want to end up like that, wishing she were dead.

Salomon smiled only after receiving an affirmative answer from his apprentice.

His fist, like a warhammer, smashed the vampire's fangs, silencing its groans.

"You vile creature, the suffering you've endured is enough to make you honest and upright. Tell me, where is your master? What is his purpose? What do you know? Tell me everything you know, and I will grant you the death you desire most!"

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)