Marvel Magic Case Files.

Chapter 31 The Whetstone (Seeking Investment!)

Salomon's footsteps were silent, and the semi-circular orange-red spark in his hand faintly illuminated the dim corridor of Colin Manor.

Perhaps because Salomon was there, the Collins family avoided him like the plague. Even Willie, who was supposed to turn on the lights, stayed away. When night fell, the place was plunged into a deep darkness. Salomon didn't use any lighting magic, nor did he draw back the curtains to let the last bit of light into the corridor. Instead, he relied solely on the faint light in his hand to adjust to the terrible environment.

After a while, his pupils slowly dilated, allowing more reflected light to enter his eyes, enabling him to see more clearly what he was seeing—the black curtains swayed like living shadows in the windless corridor, the last rays of sunlight disappearing completely after flowing into the corridor, and night quickly enveloped the entire manor, the chilling aura brought by negative energy permeating every corner, only the three gem rings on Salomon's fingers still gleamed under the sparks, the reflected faint light of various colors occasionally streaking across the corridor.

"I've already sent them out for walks, including Victoria. Since becoming a vampire, she's taken to strolling under the stars; after all, she's completely said goodbye to her beloved sunlight and forests." Barnabas suddenly emerged from the darkness behind Salomon, still dressed in his eighteenth-century attire, leaning on his cane, his back ramrod straight, his white lace scarf impeccably tailored. "Are you really not prepared to keep your promise and turn us into humans, Mr. Damonette?"

"The Book of Vishanti truly has the perfect counter to that curse; for every black magic spell in that book, there's a corresponding white magic spell in the Book of Vishanti." Salomon stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed. He didn't turn around. "Even so, do you still think white magic won't harm you?"

"So..." the vampire slowly emerged, raising an eyebrow as he said, "I can never turn back into a human? And the method in the Book of Vishanti to lift the curse is simply to kill the vampire?"

"Yes, magic specifically designed to counter vampires. And..."

"What?"

"And I never promised you I would turn you into a human." Salomon slowly turned to look at the vampire, his hand still holding the spell. "My exact words were, 'This relates to my second question,' therefore, I did not break my oath. Mr. Barnabas, your story is very moving, but meaningless; I only need that book. As for the third vampire in town, he is also my target."

"So, you wanted to kill me from the very beginning," the vampire drawled, "and it doesn't matter what my story is like, am I right?"

"Yes," Salomon readily admitted. "You probably don't understand your uniqueness, Mr. Barnabas. You became a vampire through the magical curse of that book, not through procreation or the Embrace. Your power has virtually no upper limit. The last person to become a vampire using that magic was a long time ago, and all I know is that they were practically unkillable."

"Vampires are like cancer; just one can multiply into countless others. Mr. Barnabas, you're still too young for a vampire. You haven't accumulated much power, nor do you possess that terrifying immortality. Do you think I'd let you go now? Of course, these are all high-sounding words. In reality, even the dust from a vampire's annihilation is a precious resource."

"My very existence is original sin." Barnabas kept tapping the ground with his cane, making a dull thud. Although Salomon couldn't see his expression, he could feel the bitterness and agitation in his heart. He said, "My existence is original sin, and I have also made Victoria bear the burden of sin. We have been abandoned by God."

"Ever since the Venerable One drove all gods and demons from Earth, humanity has been abandoned. The development of civilization since then has been without the participation of gods or demons." Salomon stepped forward, lightly touching his heel; a complex magical structure flashed across his boot. The young sorcerer slowly approached, finally stopping at a suitable distance. "Don't think of ascending to Heaven, nor of going to Hell to atone for your sins. Your soul has already been predestined by that terrifying being. If I can kill you, your soul will only belong to the God of Black Magic, just like Angelique Butchard."

The Sorcerer Supreme could utter the name Sithon, but Salomon couldn't. He wasn't powerful enough to be considered a master, and even mentioning his name could draw attention to him. Although Sithon wouldn't be able to influence Earth due to the Sorcerer Supreme's presence, Salomon certainly didn't want to be on the list of the God of Dark Arts.

"Including Victoria?" Barnabas asked.

“No,” Salomon said. “If what you say is true, she was transformed after death. Although she cannot go to heaven, as long as she has not taken a life, she will not go to hell. Her soul will only return to death, to the place of eternal silence.”

The vampire remained silent for a long time. A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, tugged at his clothes as it swept through the corridor, as if urging Barnabas to make a decision quickly. Salomon also waited quietly for Barnabas's judgment, but regardless, he was determined to fight the vampire before him.

"When I was your age, I had just arrived in the New World. At that time, I didn't understand anything, but my father often told me, 'Family is wealth.' I have always regarded this as a philosophy of life, because it was through the efforts of family members that the Collins family was able to gain a foothold in Europe and the New World and develop into a prestigious family. In England, the Collins family still holds a title, and in the New England region of Maine, they have a near-monopoly on the fishing resources of the northeast coast."

Barnabas opened his arms as if embracing all the great achievements of the Collins family. He looked at Salomon and said with utmost seriousness, "We did this for the family. Whatever the outcome, I want you to promise me that you will never implicate the Collins family."

"I swear by the name of Vishanti, the source of white magic," Salomon nodded and said.

"Very good, I've finally seen where your faith lies." Barnabas nodded in satisfaction. "But I have one more question. You could have found me during the day, so why did you choose this time? Could it be that you...?"

The young sorcerer's expression was somewhat stiff.

He had never fought, nor had he ever attempted to kill any intelligent being. He admitted that the story of Barnabas had influenced him; after all, who wouldn't love a couple reunited after two hundred years? Who wouldn't wish for Romeo and Juliet to be together forever? Who wouldn't yearn to see the world filled with beautiful things and genuine emotions? Who wouldn't envy passionate kisses and the encounter with vibrant roses?

It's a pity they're just vampires. From Kamar-Taj's perspective, such creatures are destined to be eliminated. As long as Salomon stays in Kamar-Taj and draws magic from the Vishanti, he'll inevitably encounter such things. Even if he lets them go this time, he'll still run into them next time. Salomon has enjoyed the best magical education in the world, even the entire universe, and this has become a responsibility he cannot escape.

However, Salomon was absolutely unwilling to admit that he wanted Barnabas to gain some advantage. He didn't even dare to admit that he had, just a tiny bit, a desire to see Barnabas fail and retreat. Although those memories constantly influenced his personality, making his heart cold and hard, Salomon had only mastered a portion of the Holy Marks for a short time, and the soft nature he had developed in his previous life was difficult to change overnight.

Perhaps the Sorcerer Supreme realized this, which is why he sent Salomon to do this.

A young vampire like Barnabas could be killed by any high-ranking deacon of the temple with a single, all-out effort, without even needing the temple guardians to intervene. But Salomon's indifferent and apathetic demeanor was far too lazy; he had to bear something. This was what the Venerable had told Mordo—the least severe of the pain Salomon would have to bear, a pain not of his own.

This was one of the prices he had to pay for power. Barnabas, that vampire, was merely a whetstone prepared by the Sorcerer Supreme for Salomon.

"This is none of your business, Barnabas." Salomon's voice was as cold and hard as his expression. Another semi-circular magic circle unfolded in his hand, the arcane mage's face flickering in and out of focus amidst the shimmering sparks. Regardless of Barnabas's thoughts, Salomon would choose to do this, conceding a slight advantage merely to express his deeply hypocritical sense of guilt, like the white gloves before a duel.

"Let's finish this quickly, I don't want to wait any longer," he said.

P.S.: Seeking investment! Seeking recommendation votes!

One guy invested an extra 1 points, which puts a lot of pressure on me.

And another thing, why can't the characters make a more balanced heart shape? There are only two, and the numbers are different! It's driving my OCD crazy! Why can't they be a little more even? It annoys me so much every time I see it!

(End of this chapter)