Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1737 Seventy-two Hours

"Why did he come back? We have been looking for him for so long. We have tried divination by internal organs and birds. We are just short of asking Madame Butterfly and Madame Styx!" Joan of Arc crossed her arms and cursed angrily. Divination is an extremely energy-consuming task. It is tiring enough to find answers from all the vague omens, not to mention slaughtering the lamb and removing the internal organs by herself. This kind of work requires a lot of cleaning before it can be done. On the day of the internal organs divination, she soaked in the bathtub for two hours to clean up the sheep smell on her body.

Every breeze here carried the stench of feces and industrial waste, and she didn't want to stay here for a second. When she thought about the energy and time she had put in, Joan of Arc wished that Salomon would appear in front of her immediately and let her empty the magazine or chop hard. Extremely irritated, Joan of Arc tried to calm down by taking deep breaths, but the foul air made her mood worse.

"Our divination triggered his defense mechanism, so he came to you? He won't be hiding in fear now, will he? Also, this mission should be issued to us by Kamar-Taj. The missions in the South Asian subcontinent are all the territory of Kamar-Taj's mystics. He must have some conspiracy to send us here!"

"Is he a conspirator in your mind?"

Bayonetta smiled and waved, then took the lead through the portal and returned to the Oxfordshire manor.

"He told me that Vishanti no longer responds to the requests of Kamar-Taj's mystics. The mystics have lost their safest source of magic power and can only draw the most primitive and violent energy from the outer dimensions." The black-haired witch shrugged. She has always been unable to understand the sense of superiority of the mortal mystics of Kamar-Taj. As the oldest heritage in the world, they are indeed qualified to be arrogant, but they are not Agamotto or the Supreme Sorcerer. When Bayonetta thought of those usually high-ranking mystics frowning and carefully drawing energy from the outer dimensions, she found it funny.

"I never felt that Vishanti's magic was much safer than raw extradimensional energy. The drawbacks of physical mutation still exist, but it is safe enough for the arcane mage."

"This is big news." Joan of Arc frowned and threw off her high heels. High heels played the original function of their design in the South Asian subcontinent. The feeling of stepping on an unknown, stinking soft material made her shudder. Now there is a pair of shoes missing from her shoe cabinet forever, and she will never wear those high heels again.

"What does Kamar-Taj's loss of its safe source of magic have to do with him hiding out?"

Bayonetta also threw away her high heels. She took the sparkling wine from the android maid, and the cold wine finally made her get rid of the heat of the South Asian subcontinent. Bayonetta, who was in a better mood, said slowly, "When he came back, he told me an ancient story. Do you remember the creation legend? The oldest one, the story before the birth of life."

"Mother Earth and the Creator gave birth to Atum, ending the invasion of the evil gods from other dimensions on the ancient Earth?" Joan of Arc collapsed on the sofa, enjoying the coolness brought by the air conditioner. She didn't want to move at all now. She made up her mind that she would never accept the kind of mission near the equator next time.

“This is a myth that almost no one believes.”

"At the end of the legend, Atum ate all the invaders from other dimensions and threw himself into the sun." Bayonetta drank the cold wine in the glass in one gulp, and her body, which had been tortured by the hot and humid air, finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Solomon was also created by Mother Earth. Will he have the same ability?"

"I don't understand." Joan of Arc had a premonition of some terrible fact and she was a little unsure.

"To be more precise, is he the second generation of Atum? A long time ago, he told me that the stigmata he had when he was born contained magical knowledge from the multiverse. Isn't this the embodiment of the authority of Atum the God Eater?" Bayonetta told Jeanne as she instructed the android maid to prepare bath water. "The ending of the myth is that Atum threw himself into the sun and purified his sins, and the gods were born from the source material purified by Atum. I don't think this planet has the energy to create a second Atum, so the material used by Mother Earth to create Salomon is most likely the first generation of Atum. To be more precise, it is Atum after he threw himself into the sun to purify himself. Mother Earth will not let go of such a useful tool."

Joan of Arc was hit hard by the information and had not yet recovered. She could only pick up the wine glass and take a sip, followed by another glass.

It was not until she drank the fifth glass of sparkling wine that she came to her senses. Even for an ancient clan that had been passed down from generation to generation, the myth of Atum was too far away. Even though she had long known that the birth of Salomon was related to the Earth Mother, she still felt that it was a bit far-fetched to accept that Salomon himself was likely a god that existed before the birth of the gods of the wilderness.

Bayonetta's expression was serious, this was no joke.

Jeanne knew very well that Salomon must have hinted at her saying this, or it was simply Salomon's own idea, spoken through Bayonetta's mouth. The black-haired witch raised her glass, "The current situation in Kamar-Taj is likely related to him, otherwise he would not have come to me on purpose to tell me this meaningless myth."

"You mean, he ate Vishanti? That's an extradimensional god that existed before humans were born!" Joan of Arc was surprised. A god exists throughout the past, present and future since its birth. Vishanti existed before Oshutu or the oldest Hogoth were born. Gods are born every moment in the extradimensional world. Those gods who are not strong enough will be eaten by other extradimensional gods or dissipated in the terrifying extradimensional waves. It was not until Agamotto ascended that the curtain slowly opened, revealing the trinity Vishanti, who was powerful enough to exist in the extradimensional waves.

Vishanti, like Raggadoor, Archon, and Vattum, are all secondary gods, representing a certain power. Although they are not as powerful as the ultimate gods who represent concepts, each of them is older than the physical universe. They are far from being comparable to the gods born out of worship on Earth, the gods of the wilderness born naturally, or the Asgardians who call themselves gods. Their sphere of influence is not limited to Earth or a certain galaxy, but is widely present in multiple intelligent races.

"If the assumption is true, then he is in a pretty bad situation right now."

Bayonetta raised the corner of her mouth.

All her anger was vented yesterday, and she knew that she couldn't blame Salomon. As a being whose birth was part of the plan, Salomon's role was to save the world, but he intended to let herself control the sword, so this situation occurred.

"Trapped in the container of humans, he is unable to control this power, so he cannot explain the situation directly. We can only understand the truth through indirect means. Any of his actions, even just thinking, will cause reactions from the outer dimension, just like a massive celestial body can distort gravity and light. It is a phenomenon rather than existence." Bayonetta said, "Compared to calculating gravity, he is still easy to understand. Even the hints are so straightforward."

Joan of Arc thought a lot.

Whether Vishanti still exists has nothing to do with the witch. The Shadow Witch and Vishanti have no covenant. The witch's power comes from the outer-dimensional demons such as Lady Butterfly and Lady Styx. They are not even as good as the secondary gods like Vishanti. She is considering another thing. The ancient Atum completely fell after eating all the outer-dimensional demons and became a terrifying God Eater. What will Salomon become after eating Vishanti?

This matter is very important to the witch. No one wants their ally to turn into a horrible monster.

"Why did he do this?" Jeanne asked, "I don't see any conflict between him and Vishanti. The cooperation between Kamar-Taj and Vishanti has always been smooth."

"Oshutu and Hogoth are not human. Only Agamotto is human."

Bayonetta narrowed her eyes, recalling the whispers that Salomon had spoken to her last night.

"When Agamotto became Visshanti from the first Supreme Sorcerer, no matter what his aspirations were when he founded Kamar-Taj, Visshanti's goal was no longer to save the world. Humans meant nothing to Visshanti, and the magic power that provided Kamar-Taj was safe was only because Kamar-Taj was founded by Agamotto. He and Visshanti had different powers. He needed humans, but Visshanti didn't. Do you remember the three legendary rings that could control Visshanti?"

"It's been so long... So, he knew from the beginning that this would be the outcome? As far as I know, he was only twelve years old at that time!"

"I'm sure he didn't know this before he experienced time travel, otherwise he would have told me."

Bayonetta didn't intend to tell Jeanne that she actually knew when the plan was born. She remembered every detail clearly, as if it had happened not long ago in front of her. Inanna, the original Shadow Witch, the goddess from the wilderness, Bayonetta saw all this through Inanna's dream. However, Bayonetta was not sure what the relationship between herself and Inanna was, because the books of the Shadow Witch clan did not record Inanna's final ending.

The legendary Inanna is a goddess with a cat head who can transform into a snake or a bird - now all witches can transform into cats, snakes and birds, and this complete inheritance is indisputable evidence - when she stepped into Eridu, she changed from a beast to a human god and accepted human offerings. Inanna selected some talented people from the female priests to form the original shadow witches, and after ruling the oldest city of Eridu for many years, she followed the emperor to settle in the mountains of Asia and build a palace.

Many Shadow Witch researchers believe that the so-called palace is actually a fragment of an extradimensional space.

Since then, Inanna disappeared in the long river of history. There is no written text or legend to prove her whereabouts, and no one can find her trace. Kamar-Taj’s neighbor Kunlun is likely to be built on the basis of that palace. Perhaps the so-called dragon of Kunlun is also Inanna’s pet.

"By the way, where is Wanda?" Bayonetta asked.

Jeanne looked around and suddenly thought of something. "Damn it, he took Wanda away! Looks like he's in big trouble, even the witch apprentice has to be dragged in to help! If Vishanti can't provide power to the Kamar-Taj mystic, then the things he hid in Kamar-Taj..."

"Ma'am." The android maid had a towel hanging on her arm, "The bathroom is ready."

Bayonetta stretched. "Thank you, Nina, you know the most comfortable water temperature." She said to Jeanne, "Since we haven't gone to help yet, it means the situation is under control. I trust his judgment. Now it's hot spring time, maybe he will send Wanda back by dinner time!"

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When Salomon appeared in front of Wanda again, the red-haired witch was surprised to find that the spiritual energy of him, which she could still feel after closing her eyes, was gone. If he had not come to the manor through the portal, Wanda would have thought that her teacher had lost the powerful soul power like a god.

She knew that couldn't happen, so she just thought Salomon was using some hidden trick.

As a participant in the witch's prophecy ritual, she could clearly feel that the magic power she expended when predicting Solomon's location far exceeded the total limit that Bayonetta, Jeanne and she could expend. This must be the effect of some kind of anti-prophecy ritual.

"Where is Milia?" Salomon asked about the girl who was fostered in the manor.

"The maids have taken her to the sisterhood," Wanda said, "Ms. Bayonetta and Ms. Jeanne are not at the manor. Do you need to leave them a message?"

"They will know." Salomon was the first to pass through the portal, followed by Wanda Maximoff. She stared at the space on the other side of the portal with wide eyes. This was a manor shrouded in the morning light. An elderly black man with neat clothes and gray hair stood straight beside the portal. The moment he saw Wanda, he smiled and greeted her. His excessive politeness even made Wanda a little overwhelmed.

Fortunately, she saw someone more familiar, Dinah, the artificial maid who always followed her master.

"Where is this?" Wanda asked curiously.

"California, a vacation home belonging to the Savage family." Wanda looked at her teacher in confusion, and the latter said slowly, "I am Savage."

"I've read DC comics, and this name belongs to a villain." She pouted and looked out at the sea below the cliff in the distance. The orange-red sunlight swayed gently with the sea, breaking into millions of reflective mirrors. Such a scenery is worth the money spent by California's wealthy. "Anyone who knows you can guess that this is your alias."

"I am not the only immortal in this world." Salomon shook his head. He looked at the butler and Dinah beside him, "Please prepare a bedroom for Wanda. The bed in the master bedroom is big enough for five people." While the sun had not yet risen completely and the surface air remained cool at night, Dinah placed a parasol, a small round table and a bottle of chilled champagne on the lawn in the backyard of the manor. "Why did you bring me here? Oh... Thank you, Dinah." Wanda took the wine glass handed over by Dinah, "We have been looking for you for a long time with the prophecy, and you suddenly appeared like this. If I am not mistaken, you have been hiding with us all the time. The Savage family is definitely not your only alias."

"You're partly right, Wanda. I'm glad you thought of this. Maybe you can open a detective agency in the future." Salomon looked a little happy. Even Natasha didn't realize that the Savage family was not the only pseudonym he used. The Savage family was in Texas because Texas was located in the central part of the country, not too far from the East Coast or the West Coast, and Houston was not too far from the Mexican border, which made it very convenient to carry out some illegal activities or cover up some traces.

The Savage family is the center of his network in the United States. From the East Coast gangs to the West Coast politicians, the Savage family's network reaches every important person, collecting intelligence for the emperor's throne. As a family with a history as long as that of the United States, the Savage family is not a high-tech upstart in Silicon Valley that can make money with stocks and stories, and bribe politicians with political donations in exchange for political status. Guns and knives are the tools that the Savage spirit uses to repel greedy hyenas, not legal provisions.

Salomon did not intend to tell Wanda about this bloody history of his rise to wealth, after all, the Savage family was just an intelligence gathering tool lurking in North America. He told some boring stories, such as how he had to constantly prepare fake identities to maintain the Savage family's interpersonal network, and then go to American universities for further studies every few decades.

It's just that he didn't want to play house games with those chaebol families, so he disappeared after graduating from college, and Houston left behind the rumor that "the heir of the Savage family will disappear after graduating from college." These stories made Wanda giggle, and Salomon himself didn't know what was so funny about it. Why did the red-haired witch's sense of humor suddenly become lower?

"You are definitely not here to discuss making money and going to college with me, teacher." Wanda shook her head. "I predicted that Natasha was in the United States. Didn't you contact her? She is now wanted by the US government. I believe you will not let her be in a dangerous environment, suffering from pursuit and insomnia. This is how you treated me in the past. You can't bear to let us suffer any harm."

"You're getting sly, Wanda."

Scarlet Witch raised her glass with a smile, and Salomon could only clink glasses with her helplessly. Scarlet Witch tiptoed and swung her toes in joy. "You guessed it right, I'm staying with Natasha now. She's in Cape Verde, discussing with her sister how to rescue her former colleague. I'm only responsible for providing material support, and she can do the rest herself." He said, "I plan to go to Zurich with Natasha, and then we'll go our separate ways to complete our respective tasks."

"But I'm here." Wanda looked at Salomon's face, trying to find any signs of him lying. After a long while, she reluctantly admitted that she had gained nothing. "What do you want me to do for you?" She said in a self-deprecating tone, "Bayonetta, Jeanne, Natasha and me, do you want to add anyone else?"

"Of course not. I plan to give the Savage family to you and Natasha. After all, you have the best relationship."

Wanda blinked her eyes, suddenly thinking of Bayonetta's attitude towards her. She thought back to those nights in the New York penthouse, when she and Natasha had enjoyed pleasure together. These memories suddenly made her whole body hot and her face flushed. She still remembered that she and Natasha had agreed to raise a new life together.

"Natasha is about to get pregnant. I saw it in the prophecy." Wanda's eyes widened. She suspected that her teacher had used a shallow mind-reading skill on her. "The Savage family has existed since the founding of the United States. After more than two hundred years of wealth accumulation, the Savage family has a huge network of relationships in Texas and California. But you have to know that this is a free country that advocates the survival of the fittest. For the upper elite, the law is just a tool to restrain the weak."

"I don't think those idiots can cause any trouble to Natasha," Wanda muttered and put down her glass, "You'd better tell the truth, otherwise I will take your lies seriously."

"I didn't lie, but that was only part of the reason. The more important thing is the witch's possessiveness." Salomon sighed, "Unless it's a woman she approves of, lying on the same bed with me, I will eventually have to fight her with guns and swords. No matter how powerful the Black Widow is, she is still a mortal. She is no match for the witch. You have the best relationship with Natasha, and no one can help her except you."

"Doesn't Natasha have a sister?" Wanda retorted, "Lara Croft is also a mortal. I can feel that Ms. Bayonetta really wants her to join your bedroom party, and you like her very much. Does the title of nobility make her any different?"

"Except for you and Natasha, there will be no one else named Savage." Salomon raised his hands in surrender, looking very innocent. "You are now a qualified shadow witch, at least your personality is exactly the same."

"Ms. Bayonetta and Ms. Jeanne gave me a lot of guidance, I can't betray them." Wanda smiled sweetly, "If you tell the witches about this yourself, they won't let you go easily, so you need me to help Natasha, right?"

"Bayonetta likes you very much." Salomon didn't seem to intend to refute. "The Oxfordshire Manor will always be open to you."

"Tell me why you're hiding out and what you're going to do in Northern Europe. I don't think Natasha could keep you obsessed with the bed for so long. You must have some plan."

"About Vishanti." Salomon lost his smile, as if the flirting and joking just now were gone. He directly showed Wanda the three rings on his right hand finger - Wanda had known the legend of these three rings for a long time, but she thought it was too bizarre that she could command Vishanti with these three rings. Such a powerful god was definitely not an existence that could be restrained by magic tools - then she saw Salomon easily take off the ring, and the ring seemed to have lost all its power, the metal oxidized, the gems dimmed, and the legendary curse that could not be taken off once put on did not work at all.

There was only one possibility, that was that Vishanti could not maintain the curse.

Salomon told Wanda about his plan with Agamotto in the Himalayas eight thousand years ago before Kamar-Taj was officially founded. "The sudden disappearance of Vishanti will cause a series of reactions in the outer dimension, but the situation is still under control now, and Kamar-Taj is not in any trouble." Salomon said, "But I don't want some beings to know about this, especially the king who is about to reach the end of his life-the interests of humans and Asgard are not consistent-the dying lion will struggle and fight back desperately. I must hide my power in order to eat the largest part of the legacy of Ragnarok."

The prophecy of Ragnarok has already come true, and Fimbulwinter has arrived. As a witch, Wanda can naturally feel the undercurrents beneath the calm surface of the Outer Dimension Sea. Countless lives will be annihilated in this catastrophe and turned into nutrients to nourish the Sea of ​​Souls. Asgard has been waiting for that day since its rise.

Wanda couldn't imagine what kind of terrible power the dying Asgard would erupt, but she believed in Salomon's judgment of Asgard. If the Aesir could not maintain their dominance, the dying king would do everything he could to kill all possible successors. Now the Father of the Gods lives in Northern Europe, and no one would believe that he is here for vacation. Kamar-Taj believes that he is here to monitor humans, the most threatening ally - once only the Supreme Sorcerer in the Nine Realms could fight against the Father of the Gods, and now the successor of Kamar-Taj, the new Lord of Mankind, has power comparable to that of the Supreme Sorcerer, which is enough for the Father of the Gods to take seriously.

"So, war?" Wanda sat up straight with a serious expression, "What can I do?"

"The so-called Hall of Valor and the so-called goddess of death are Asgard's trump cards to overturn the gambling table. Hela cannot stay on Earth. She must go to Asgard and start the war. Bayonetta and Jeanne are the first line of defense. You have to deal with another person, Queen Frigga."

"That's one of the most powerful mages in the Nine Realms."

"The Queen's life has come to an end." Salomon tapped his fingers on the table, frowned, and finally sighed. "If the All-Father is willing to accept his fate, you don't have to do it. I don't think Frigga will take the initiative to fight us. There is no point, but the old lion will never bow to fate. He believes more in the spear in his hand."

"Are you planning to attack?"

"A duel of honor. Perhaps he has been waiting for this day since he handed Gungnir over to Kamar-Taj. This is a duel between kings, and the duel will decide who will be the protagonist of the next era. You, Bayonetta, and Jeanne are all here to ensure that this duel will not be disturbed." Salomon's tone was full of confidence, "I will not fail. Asgard is on its doomsday, and the Nine Realms, this outer dimension, will belong to humans."

"My Lord, the room is ready." The old butler brought a tray with a bath towel on it. "Madam," he nodded to Wanda, "I hope you like the decoration of the bedroom."

Salomon winked at Wanda playfully. "The weather in California is perfect for swimming. Do you want to try the swimming pool here?" When Wanda walked to the backyard under the guidance of Dina, he said to the old housekeeper, "Jamie, your granddaughter has retired from the Marine Corps, right?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Please ask her for me if she is interested in becoming Wanda's housekeeper. Wanda is too kind and she is not suitable for a world where the strong prey on the weak. Natasha feels guilty about her past blood debts and cannot kill again. I hope Jenna has not forgotten the skills she learned in the army. Eliminating those idiots who tried to drag the Savage family into the military's drug trafficking network is her first test."

"It is her honor, my lord." The old butler lowered his head and said, "I will give her the authority of the armory."

Wanda really likes the swimming pool in this villa, and the red bikini that Salomon chose for her is also very suitable.

The temperature in California rose a little too fast in the morning. By noon, the scorching sun had made the outdoor swimming pool no longer suitable for relaxing. When she came out of the swimming pool, she happened to catch Salomon meeting several guests in the villa's living room. Through the glass of the living room, she saw a blonde woman in a suit standing in front of Salomon. Wanda subconsciously checked her superficial thoughts, but her thoughts were reflected back like a mirror.

She was deeply impressed by another elderly man with an old face but great temperament. The malice that emanated from deep in his bones was chilling. Even the old butler left the living room after calling the guest's name, as if he didn't want to stay with the man for even a second longer.

"Who is that?" Wanda asked as she wiped her hair. "I feel an extremely terrible dark magic."

The old butler, who was holding the orange juice, frowned.

"Vampire, that demon has to be checked by the master every once in a while. When he dies depends on when the master takes action. He is a creature more humble than a hound. The master is willing to let him live because it is inconvenient for the master to take action against those politicians and businessmen." He slowed down his tone and treated Wanda like a mistress. "The master will return to the room later. Do you want to wait for him there?"

Wanda knew that what happened next was not something she could participate in. Even if the Savage family was handed over to her and Natasha, these tasks still had to be done by the people designated by Salomon.

When she returned to the Oxfordshire manor, it was already dinner time. Bayonetta didn't ask anything, but just smelled Wanda's scent and made the red-haired witch blush. Wanda's shy behavior made the witch poke her cheek while asking about Salomon's performance. The topic between the witch and the witch was exaggerated. If dinner hadn't been served, Bayonetta would not let this lovely witch go easily and would make her so embarrassed that she couldn't raise her head.

"We're going to have a pajama party in Jeanne's room tonight," said the black-haired witch.

"We don't have pajamas. You said pajamas are too ugly." Jeanne rolled her eyes. "Why don't you have a pajama party in the master bedroom? Why do you have to come to my room?"

"That's why we have a pajama party. My big boy is so strong that he broke the antique furniture!" Bayonetta said with a smile, which made Jeanne snort. The white-haired witch could guess Bayonetta's thoughts with her toes. Wanda was more Bayonetta's person than Salomon's.

When Salomon was still at the Oxfordshire manor, they would sleep in the master bedroom at night. Now Bayonetta seems to be interested in Laura Croft, who should not mind joining their game (the Croft family will need an heir sooner or later, and Winston, the butler of the Croft family, also supports this idea).

The clever black-haired witch had seen through Salomon's little thoughts, so she didn't blame Wanda for "defection", after all, Wanda had already joined the witch's game. The female spy was not an important matter, and if Salomon liked this mortal, she didn't mind letting him keep the toy.

Salomon and the witch were both too powerful, and it was difficult for their psychic genes to combine, which was much more difficult than the combination between the sage and the witch. Bayonetta's birth was a miracle. If this miracle was to be repeated, the best way would be to intervene artificially, but Bayonetta refused this method, and her competitive spirit would not allow Natasha to take the lead in this regard.

Salomon asked Wanda to bring back enough champagne to fill the bathtub, and Bayonetta was coaxed into smiling. Jeanne was a little angry, but for the sake of the rosé champagne bath, she decided to shoot Salomon one less magazine.

"When does he decide to start?" Bayonetta lay on the sofa with her long legs crossed on the armrest at the other end of the sofa. Wanda seemed to be a little slow to react, so the witch had to remind her, "When will he arrive in Zurich?"

"He didn't tell me." Wanda swallowed her dinner wine. "It is said that Gungnir will be delivered to Norway in 72 hours."