Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 900 The Drum Brothers (Second Update)

The word "god-killing" used to mean blasphemy and impossible feats.

In recent years, however, the term has also come to mean "kill an Asgardian" or "kill an alien with an advanced civilization." Thanks to Salomon and S.H.I.E.L.D., most people today believe that the gods of history were actually aliens who descended to Earth—the Vatican claims that Jesus was definitely not an alien, and God was not an alien who created humanity. However, this hasn't stopped the "alien creation theory" from continuing to circulate among religious idiots, who still firmly believe that the Earth is flat, surrounded by icebergs, and that Earth is actually an experimental ground for various aliens. Salomon was somewhat amused and exasperated when he learned that the theories of these religious idiots had evolved again; these guys had actually guessed the truth by accident, guessing that aliens were conducting experiments on Earth.

However, compared to the problem of the Inhumans of Attilan on the moon, the problem of the soon-to-be-resurrected Feathered Serpent is more pressing.

This operation will not be like the Battle of Finnbowent, where only the Immortal City served as the main force to achieve certain objectives. This time, most of the arcane mages of Kamar-Taj will be mobilized, and many arcane deacons currently on missions are gradually finishing their work to prepare for this operation. However, Salomon is not satisfied; he is accustomed to being well-prepared, so he informed his apprentice, Wanda Maximoff (before she became Scarlet Witch), of the news about Quetzalcoatl.

"Are you ready to take this potion?" the sorcerer asked softly.

Wanda Maximoff's apartment alchemy lab was filled with modern chemical instruments, all gifts he had given her along with the apartment. Although Salomon hadn't taught her much, Wanda's progress was far greater than during her haphazard learning period, not to mention her later adult education. This alone demonstrates the importance of a systematic education—Kamar-Taj's superiority over other schools wasn't due to the sheer power of its spells, but rather its comprehensive foundational knowledge. Elements theory, planar theory, soul theory—everything a spellcaster needed to delve into unfamiliar magic, not to mention Salomon's occasional supply of tedious, lengthy books to the library.

The room was dark, and the orange-red afterglow gradually faded in the shadows of the curtains. This glimmer of light was priceless in Manhattan, for the low-rise buildings had long been robbed of sunlight; only those living in high-rise apartments could enjoy such a beautiful sunset. The witch examined the translucent red liquid in the test tube, her expression grave.

"Pietro has a mission," Wanda said, frowning. "The Avengers are taking him with them, and I'm worried about it."

"If you want to regulate your menstrual cycle, you can take birth control pills. As far as I know, your alchemy skills haven't reached a level that surpasses those of pharmaceutical companies." Salomon's words earned him a playful slap from Wanda. Wanda laughed. Salomon remembered her menstrual cycle, which made her feel good.

“You’re right. I also think the formulas found in ancient books are a bit unreliable. I bought this book at the Doorless Bar; it’s supposedly the only one left on the New York magic black market.” She glanced at her mentor and tucked her long, brownish-red hair behind her ear. People were already calling her the Scarlet Witch, not because of her clothes, but because of the color of her magic—that terrifying, blood-red chaotic energy. In fact, she had seen Salomon cast spells with similar blood-red energy before, but without exception, they were all extremely dangerous dark magic.

"Don't worry, I haven't told them about our relationship. If they knew you were my mentor, they probably wouldn't even sell me this book."

"I knew those guys were connected to the black magic items on the black market." Salomon flipped through the book Wanda had taken out.

The brown leather cover, brass-trimmed belt, and handwritten lettering suggest it dates back to the Golden Dawn period. For centuries before that, Europe was immersed in mysticism, with many charlatans writing books boasting of their abilities to gain patronage from nobles. If Kamar-Taj tolerated the existence of the black market for magic in the past because much of the dark magic failed to receive a response from beyond the dimensions, then Salomon's current crackdown on the black market is because certain dangerous rituals will receive a response in the future.

No professional magical knowledge is required; you just need to follow the ritual.

The more terrifying the black magic, the fewer requirements it demands; sometimes, one doesn't even need to understand who is being invoked to gain power. For example, summoning the blind and foolish Azathoth requires very few steps; one only needs to understand the incantation and recite it. Fortunately, Wanda's book doesn't contain anything like that. Salomon was certain that the alchemical potion would most likely not work, because the rest of the book was unreliable; he found numerous fallacies in a casual flip through it.

This was a common problem with spellbooks of that era, and it's not surprising.

"I'm here to invite you to a mission, Wanda." Salomon closed his book. He was about to continue when Wanda interrupted him with a gesture.

"I want to be involved throughout the entire process, instead of staying in New York like last time and knowing nothing about what's happening in Kazakhstan."

"I agree. The reason I left you in New York last time was because you weren't ready for the front lines yet, but this time it's different." Salomon nodded. "I need you to learn about the flora and fauna of the South American rainforest."

"This mission is in South America?" The witch frowned and put the potion aside. Like Salomon, she also caught a bright blue manta slug to process the alchemical waste. Judging from the colorful mollusk inside the flask, Wanda had contacted alchemy many times during this period.

"Is there anything related to magic in South America?"

"That's too much, darling. We can go see the Mayan pyramids. But before that, we need to go to the Doorless Bar first."

Wanda jumped up immediately, saying hurriedly, "It's not because of this book, is it?"

“I’m not that petty, Wanda. This book isn’t worth imposing the Kamar-Taj commandments on.” Salomon shook his head, picking up his coat from the coat rack. “I’ve found a magician familiar with South America who can provide us with clues.”

This connection was provided by the Temple Guardian Daniel Drum, one of his distant relatives.

The Drum brothers are not of pure Latin descent, nor did they ever formally study at Kamar-Taj. Instead, they learned magic passed down through their family tradition. This magic is a hodgepodge of Voodoo, Haitian legends, and Mayan mythology, passed down orally through folk songs and stories. This magic excels in curses, poisons, and spirits, making it one of the more formidable fighting schools among all. However, due to Kamar-Taj, many of the darker and more malevolent spells within this tradition were eliminated, as these were dangerous not only to others but also to the users themselves. Seemingly due to the price of magic, the Drum family prophecy foretold that twins are not a good omen; yet the Drum brothers have survived to this day and hope to continue living on.

This is the wish of the old sorcerer Daniel; everyone in the Dram family hopes to break the curse.

Salomon wrote a letter to the Drum brothers, asking them to meet at the Doorless Bar.

He wanted to ask Quetzalcoatl properly about the feathered serpent god.

The Dram brothers are also known as the Voodoo Doctors.

(End of this chapter)