Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 709 The Ring of Intimidation (First Update)

Because all the military equipment in the Immortal City was manufactured according to Salomon's approach to solving the fear of insufficient yield, the actual performance of some weapons was unpredictable before test explosions. Salomon planned to move the testing grounds for missiles and aerial bombs to Mars to avoid tactical misunderstandings about weapon power and incorrect applications. He sensed something was wrong the moment the bunker-buster bomb exploded; he found the blast radius to be unusually large.

To pay for his mistake, Salomon had to take out the Silver Key and, in a very short time, cast several spells to protect the industrial and residential areas that shouldn't have been affected. You can think of it as an incredibly large-scale [Protective Fire] and [Protective Sound] spell, which is why Scott Lang could see the silent shockwave.

"I think I broke every inch of glass for miles around. Even the naughtiest kid in his life has never smashed that many windows," Salomon told a not-so-funny joke. He had been watching the explosion site closely; the smoke and dust rising from what used to be Pym Technology had drastically reduced visibility throughout the city. Hope Dane was quite certain that even the "cold storage" designed by Dr. Pym himself couldn't withstand such an attack. However, the impact of the explosion went far beyond that. Gangs took advantage of the chaos, 911 emergency services were overwhelmed, countless people wandered the streets in bewilderment, and social media was flooded with posts about the explosion, speculating whether it was a terrorist attack. The hyena-like media outlets were already preparing news helicopters, eager to grab an exclusive story.

The chaos spread throughout the city with the sound waves of the explosion, and Salomon, the instigator, couldn't help but sigh.

"I'll give you a sum of money to handle compensation in the surrounding area. I think that'll be good for Pym Technologies, won't it?"

"I will take responsibility for this," Hope Dane said, her voice trembling slightly.

"The current situation requires the National Guard to maintain order, but I'm not sure when they'll arrive. After all, when New York was invaded by aliens, the National Guard was completely blocked outside the city. The police's firepower might not even be as strong as the gangsters'; I remember those guys had rocket launchers," the sorcerer said dryly. The current situation is similar to the Battle of New York; the highways are definitely blocked, people inside the city want to get out, and people outside want to get in. "Perhaps Scott, you could put on your uniform and go to the streets to help the police maintain order, do something a superhero should do."

"And what about you?" Scott countered.

"I will offer help, but not in the way you imagine," Salomon sighed again. The explosion caused no casualties, but the ensuing chaos was enough to trigger a massacre. At this very moment, people were already dying in the streets, simply because they were too panicked to retrieve their wallets during a robbery. He was utterly disillusioned with the local security situation in America. He had managed to prevent a bunker-buster bomb from affecting the entire city, yet people still died—the arcane mage heard the wails of those souls; regardless, this blood debt was his. "I'll go to the worst slums, where the most gangs and illegal guns are. I'll put them all to sleep, seal off the entire block, and completely resolve the violence. As long as no one wakes them, they'll have a good sleep."

"Those are mostly Black people and Middle Eastern immigrants. You know you could get sued for racial discrimination, right?"

Salomon leaped onto the railing, drawing two long silver swords adorned with exquisite vine patterns, startling the others. His expression was serious as he stared intently at the chaotic crowd below.

"And then? Did you think I was going to talk my way out of this? Did you think these two knives would show any sympathy for Black people, gay people, transgender people, and Middle Eastern immigrants? These two knives aren't elected politicians; they treat everyone the same. Then call me." Without hesitation, he jumped, plummeting straight down from the rooftop. Scott Lang rushed over to see what was happening, only to see a flash of light disappear in the air before Salomon vanished from sight.

"Cool! What kind of superpower is that? I want to learn that trick too!"

Hope felt a chill run down her spine; she could foresee a mountain of tasks piling up before her.

Pym Technologies would definitely take the blame, because since the explosion happened at Pym, everyone would assume it was an experimental accident. Unless she could provide evidence of an airstrike, but the fact that she had all employees relocate made it hard not to suspect that Pym Technologies had staged the incident. She just hoped Salomon had enough money to establish a foundation and appease everyone. A surge of frustration welled up inside her, and Hope stomped her foot, but then gasped. Leaning against the balcony railing, she yelled at Scott Lang, "Idiot, come help me! I think I twisted my ankle!"

Salomon walked through the dilapidated streets.

This is a slum in a big city. Although it doesn't have the shacks typical of South American slums, the peeling walls of abandoned buildings, the garbage-strewn lawns, and the ever-present threat of shootings have driven the wealthy away long ago. Violent crimes occur in broad daylight. Salomon initially didn't care much about such things, but with the Pym Tech bombing and the ensuing chaos, the gangsters eventually returned to their old ways. To atone for his mistakes, Salomon, armed with knives and daggers, ventures into this community where even the police avoid, ready to stop any potential violence.

He will not give any warnings; anyone who dares to pull out a gun in front of him will be attacked.

"Aura, that's it." He instructed the leader of the heavy firepower squad assigned by the Sorority to protect him, instructing her to handle the gangsters' vehicles. Even lightly armored vehicles couldn't withstand the plasma cloud with its solar flare-like heat and tungsten-core self-propelled munitions, let alone cars and wooden structures. After he and Aura cleared a block, ensuring all potential for violence was eliminated, he cast a spell, putting everyone in the area to a deep sleep.

Only after that did he move on to the next block. This process took half an afternoon. He had thought he would have to keep repeating what he had done before, but after dealing with the problems in two blocks, the armed gangsters did not hesitate to put down their guns and surrender on the ground when they faced him.

A rumor had already spread like wildfire that "a ruthless vigilante with heavy firepower has entered the neighborhood." If they were facing the police, the gangsters might have considered resistance, knowing the consequences of a police officer shooting a Black man. But now they were facing a butcher—a butcher who wouldn't reason, only kill. No one dared to resist. The limbs and blood left behind by Salomon were proof enough of his intimidation. Even the larger, more defiant gangs didn't act; they were terrified by Aura's heavily armed squad. Only those drug-addicted bastards chose to fight back, becoming the sorcerer's warning to the neighborhood.

No one called the police because everyone living here knew it was pointless; no police would come to maintain order. Even if the National Guard could reach the city through the congested roads, those soldiers wouldn't choose to help the people here.

The sorcerer stomped flat on the assault rifle barrel and walked away, ignoring the thug lying on the ground, sweating profusely with nervousness. In half an afternoon, he had completely resolved the problem that had plagued the city for over a decade. The most chaotic place had suddenly become the most orderly, and every household had thrown out their guns and bullets as Salomon had requested.

"If the Avengers saw me do this, they might fight me." Salomon shook his head and removed the gleaming steel ring floating above his head. This was a magical artifact called the [Ring of Intimidation], which emitted a mind-altering aura. Salomon used this artifact to subdue those with weak wills, so as to avoid getting more unnecessary blood on his hands.

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(End of this chapter)