Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 929 Hope for the Future (First Update)

"We've entered Matses National Park. A short walk northwest will take us to our destination; our people are waiting in Rekna." Camilla, carrying her food and water on her shoulder, struggled across a gravelly stream. However, her words offered little reassurance. Matses National Park in Peru was vast; the expedition had crossed the border between Brazil's Amazonas state and Peru, heading west, and had yet to find any trace of human habitation. The humid, sweltering rainforest environment and the ever-present threat of malaria were far more terrifying than the mercenaries employed by Trinity. Fortunately, the Immortal City had been thoughtful, providing water purification tablets, insect repellent, and quinine-based medications to prevent malaria along with the food and water.

But Camilla would much rather have an electric mosquito swatter, or a working communication device, even if it meant using a hand-cranked generator. "We've walked more than two hundred kilometers, Camilla," Laura, an archaeologist also assigned to the transport task, said breathlessly. "It's the fifth day. Trinity can't possibly track us. Perhaps we should change our route; Rekner is just too far."

"Where do you think you're going, little girl? Rekna is the closest settlement to us," Camilla said coldly. "To the west is another nature reserve, and to the south is another national park. If we don't follow the Ucalia River, we'll die in the rainforest once our food runs out. Let me make this clear: I don't care if you live or die; I'm only worried about whether we can complete the mission."

"I know, I know, I just want to ask if there's any other way for us to contact the organization?" Laura said. "I know the Immortal City has a lot of high-tech equipment, so..."

"If our radio hadn't shattered along with the fuel tank, but we didn't carry many spare communications devices for easy relocation, we'd be relying on Peru's terrible communication network now." Camilla reached out to help Laura climb the muddy slope. Seven consecutive days of wilderness survival had exhausted everyone, not to mention the firefight they'd had with Trinity's search party five days earlier—if it weren't for the Immortal City's emphasis on firepower superiority and those baffling high-tech weapons, Camilla's team might have been completely wiped out. However, they were indeed helpless against Trinity's attack helicopters. With all their individual missiles exhausted, she had to lead her team through the rainforest, maneuvering to avoid being tracked by Trinity's air superiority.

Laura Crawford was ordered to reach Peru alive.

The Immortal City painted a picture of the future for her and invited her to join it. She witnessed firsthand the establishment of order on the African continent. Where once there was no ownership, people began to have their own lives. Western diamond companies and energy enterprises were ruthlessly driven out, replaced by educated locals and the Immortal City's administrators. Basic public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and prisons began to be built. High technology was no longer the privilege of the wealthy, but became the machinery for constructing houses and roads. Criminals were executed, children were forced to study, and everyone participated in the labor of building their own lives. Everyone's lives visibly improved, and the days of subsisting on mud cakes were no longer possible—although not everyone was willing to accept the Immortal City's rule, even with the whip in hand, the rulers forced people towards a better life.

Camilla herself became the protector of this wonderful life.

This is the scene she has always longed for, and she hopes that such a thing can happen in her homeland, Peru.

To eradicate poppy cultivation, eliminate gangs, corrupt police, and the American puppet government, and return wealth and power to every Peruvian. For this goal, she was willing to risk her life for the Immortal City, even though she had witnessed its brutality—as a member of the Peruvian anti-government forces, Camila knew it was necessary. Only those idiotic, self-righteous Westerners would ignore reality, turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people, and only know how to blindly call for peace.

For example, that idiot Coulson.

Night fell quickly, and to conserve battery power, Camilla ordered her men to use torches after temporarily shaking off their pursuers. This measure proved effective, as two days later they discovered they had less than 50% battery power left, and they couldn't possibly return to the site of the skirmish to retrieve the abandoned supplies.

"I hope the Immortal City discovers Trinity's armed helicopters," Camilla blurted out beside the campfire. Laura gave her a questioning look, and Camilla explained, "Actually, I don't know how much high technology the Immortal City has now, but before I left, I heard from a friend that the Immortal City now has an armed orbital platform. Just imagine, dropping a stick out of space..."

"The Rod of God has always been a failed project, Camilla," Jonah interjected. "Given the need for precision guidance, simply dropping a tungsten rod won't do much good, and it's not cost-effective."

“Throw anything else, I’m just giving you an example! Don’t laugh, Benjamin! Or I’ll dock your pay!” Camilla coughed twice. “What I mean is, our current operation is very likely being watched by satellites outside the atmosphere. Even if they haven’t found us yet, they might already be searching for us. Nothing is more obvious than a crashed attack helicopter, isn’t it? I’d like an assault transport ship; those things are terrifyingly fast. It only took us a short time to fly from Africa to South America, breaking through the atmosphere along the way. Benjamin couldn’t adapt and threw up his breakfast on the deck.”

"To be honest, I thought it was just a gunboat." Benjamin's laughter was deep, like an owl in the forest. "Nobody told me not to eat before boarding the assault transport."

He was one of Camilla's former subordinates in the government army and tried every means to rescue Camilla after she was imprisoned. However, the Peruvian government at the time did not intend to let go of an officer like Camilla who colluded with anti-government guerrillas, and also planned to purge Camilla's group. Therefore, when Immortal City rescued Camilla, its agents operating in the South American mountains also brought Benjamin along. This battle-hardened Latino man had dealt with drug lords and corrupt police officers. When Immortal City found him, the rifling of his AK-47 rifle was almost worn down, his clothes had not been washed for months, and his hair was full of dust.

If the Immortal City agent had arrived any later, he might have become a savage.

"So you spent half an hour washing the cabin deck," another man said with a laugh. Aaron, with his thick black beard, picked up a sausage skewered on a branch and shook it. "Unlike me, I even took a nap on the assault transport ship."

"Stop bragging, Aaron. You only lasted a little longer than me. Do you think we didn't see you throw up outside the cabin ramp?" Camilla mercilessly exposed her companion's boast. "Nobody expected that after you threw up, you would actually try to talk to those ladies in power armor. I really don't know where you got the guts!"

"I was just trying to woo a pretty lady, who knew those women would be so crazy!" Aaron's face flushed red. "What woman would beat up a man just because he hit on her!"

"Yes, Aaron," Camilla and Laura said in unison.

Everyone laughed, as if the pursuers from Trinity didn't exist. Surrounded by these loyal companions, Camilla felt that all problems were no longer problems, and she was full of confidence in the future.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)