Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 869 One-Way Transparency (First Update)

Salomon slowly walked onto the street and hailed a taxi.

"Mycroft Holmes has yielded," he said as soon as he sat in the back seat. The intelligence agents, unaware of his identity, would still relay the message to Victoria Hand via encrypted channel. Long before the gunship departed, Victoria Hand's agents had already been working to ascertain the defenses of the isolated island prison for Salomon; only such close cooperation would give Salomon enough leverage to defeat Mycroft Holmes. After the message was relayed, Salomon closed his eyes to rest. The taxi drove past Westminster Abbey and Methodist Church, straight from Westminster Bridge towards the London Eye, finally stopping in front of the famous graffiti-covered Banks Tunnel (Leake Street).

After paying, the sorcerer got out of the car and slowly walked into the highway tunnel.

Constantine was already waiting there. Hours of killing hadn't left him tired; he stood alertly in the center of the dimly lit tunnel, halberd in hand, a black carbon-plated combination lock at his feet. As Salomon approached, he opened the lock, revealing its contents—a black, portable force-feedback powered armor adorned with ornate Baroque-style gold trim. Compared to Salomon's previous armor, it was thinner, and its life support systems were less robust. This powered armor was a product of Malbus, modeled after Tony Stark's MK5 portable powered armor, designed to provide Salomon with sufficient protection in emergencies. Therefore, the thickness of the armor was limited by the structural constraints of its transformation capabilities. However, to compensate, the modular design allowed for the connection of numerous external components.

For example, there is the giant exoskeleton mech currently under development, which will become the main force for the Sisterhood's frontal assaults. This giant exoskeleton mech can be equipped with large guns, greatswords, missiles, and heavy armor, and also has extremely high flexibility, making it adaptable to various environments such as mountains and cities.

The inspiration for the single-soldier giant exoskeleton came from Tony Stark's Hulkbuster armor project, but as usual, Malbus removed many flashy and completely impractical features, which led to a holographic argument between Tony Stark and Malbus. However, if the pulse thrusters weren't removed, the cooling system, energy pipelines, and pulse engines would take up a quarter of the mech's total volume. It was precisely for this reason that Tony Stark's Hulkbuster armor was so vulnerable; Malbus promised Salomon that the fully armed single-soldier giant exoskeleton could dismantle Tony Stark's Hulkbuster armor like taking apart building blocks.

"The numbers have been reduced, but there are bound to be some who slipped through the net," Constantine said as he helped Salomon put on his force feedback armor. "We don't have time to search every corner of London's complex sewer system, and quite a few vampires escaped before we arrived."

“That was to be expected, Constantine. If Mycroft hadn’t realized things were getting out of hand, given his bureaucratic mindset, he certainly wouldn’t have sought help. Deceiving superiors is a bureaucratic instinct, even for someone like Mycroft, a cabinet secretary and head of MI6. That’s why this incident was beyond his capabilities, which is why we’ve been able to take the initiative.” Salomon adjusted his shoulder armor to allow for greater arm rotation. Gunships were rapidly transporting the Sisterhood, Wanda, and SAS, who had completed part of their mission, from one side of London to the other. However, they were short-handed and unable to conduct large-scale mobilizations or utilize heavy weapons in London’s city center and sewers, so the current situation was entirely predictable. After yielding, Mycroft Holmes provided Salomon with numerous advantages, such as temporary access to London’s surveillance network, allowing Salomon to mobilize his forces more quickly and precisely.

Mycroft gritted his teeth and declared that this treatment would only be given once, but he also knew that his abilities might not be enough to expel Salomon from the network. But between two evils, he chose the lesser; at least Salomon didn't pose another, more deadly threat. However, to put it more calmly, MI5 and MI6 were transparent to foreign intelligence agencies, so Salomon's addition made little difference—at least that's what Salomon advised. Mycroft barely managed to maintain his composure, lest he pull out his cane sword and stab the sorcerer a few holes.

Britain's defense policy is "to convince people that Britain is protected," not "to protect Britain." If the public discovers that many people have been brutally murdered in the streets, it would be detrimental to the Prime Minister's approval ratings. As a member of the bureaucracy, Mycroft Holmes still needs this Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister resigns because of this, the previous Cabinet Secretary's pension and future position will be lost. Mycroft Holmes repeatedly emphasized that Londoners must not hear gunfire tonight.

Britain has had gun control for many years; gunfire only incites unrest. If Salomon's hidden artificial intelligence hadn't been massively infiltrating London's information networks, disrupting communication near armed personnel, he might actually have agreed to Mycroft's request to eliminate the vampires using only melee weapons. Whether such efficiency would result in casualties was beyond Mycroft's consideration.

"The lives of ordinary people mean little to the British government, but they are important to us. Even if we don't consider it from a spiritual perspective." The sorcerer hung the grenade on the magnetic clasp at his waist, while simultaneously checking the gas charge of his plasma pistol one last time. He donned his helmet, uploaded the command chain, and hung the Asgardian-technology-infused power sword at his waist. "It was our fault to waste their lives on this. They deserved greater purpose, and I must make amends. Let's go, follow the sorcerers of the Kamar-Taj London Sanctuary; they've already taken action."

The test for Sherlock Holmes, the potential successor, was temporarily set aside. When the life of the person being protected was threatened, such questions became less important; even Salomon, as a member of Kamar-Taj, had to personally participate in the cleanup operation. Meanwhile, in the morning, Mycroft Holmes would opportunely propose a public infrastructure policy to the Prime Minister, including a complete overhaul of London's sewers. Although this proposal was unpopular, Salomon was confident Mycroft would find suitable justifications—such as providing employment opportunities for illegal immigrants or claiming that the 150-year-old sewers did not meet current environmental emission standards. In any case, Salomon demanded that Mycroft overhaul London's dark and murky sewer system, with Kamar-Taj's secular forces acting as contractors and arranging for sorcerers to be stationed there long-term.

Tonight, Kamar-Taj will drive the vampires back into the sewers and lock them up there. Once the policy is implemented, the Immortal City will use bullets, blades, plasma, and poison to completely eradicate them, finally ending the hunt that should have ended over a hundred years ago and a series of historical issues.

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(End of this chapter)