Chicago at midnight, the neighborhood near the train station is still lively.There are people looking for pleasure in the bars, daring fireflies standing under the streetlights scratching their heads to solicit customers, and homeless people and addicts huddled in dark corners.The cars coming and going on the streets, the neon lights on both sides of the streets, and the glow of the lights all make up a picture of the world at night.It's an ordinary day, an ordinary night.Until a sudden explosion woke up the lively neighborhood, like dropping a bomb into a deep pool.With the loud roar of "boom", everything in the entire psychic shop was drowned, and the collapsed walls and violently shaking earth even affected the small shops on both sides of it.In the billowing black smoke, terrifying sparks kept pouring out of the psychic shop, and the shattered fragments of those objects mixed with the smoke and smashed into the streets, and the cars parked on the side of the road clicked.The violent explosion also destroyed the water pipes and gas, and in the spark, the gushing gas caused a second explosion, but this time the explosion was much weaker than the previous one.The frightened people rushed out of the shops on either side and gathered on the other side of the street, whispering to each other as they looked at the psychic shop, which was completely covered in abnormal smoke.There are many people who think that it must be the old psychic medium who is chattering with gods and gods who has made something that shouldn't have appeared, and as a result, it has attracted punishment.Others thought it was just an ordinary gas explosion, but the old liar was just unlucky.Someone called, and ten minutes later, the speeding fire truck rushed out of the darkness, and the firefighters in orange clothes began to prepare to extinguish the small shop, which was still billowing with smoke.In the midst of the chaos, no one noticed.A young man with a pale face and a black blanket staggered into the dark alley next to him, holding on to the wall as if he was seriously ill, through the smoke and covering.That's Merlin.The loss of control of magic comes and goes quickly.The dark magic in his body seemed to be to punish the old liar who didn't know whether to live or die, and after the rampage condensed into a dark storm and erased everything about the old liar, he quickly returned to Merlin's body in obedience.The young man who had turned into a dark storm had also returned to his mortal body, with no scars on his body, not even his clothes intact, and even when he was in a blur of consciousness and instinctively fleeing from the exploding shop, he took the old crook's wallet.But that doesn't mean Merlin doesn't have anything to lose.It was as if the old liar had opened some kind of "seal" in his body, and the dark power that had been dormant was alive again, as if the magic that had been sleeping in his soul had been completely awakened.The power was undoubtedly evil, and it took a life after it was revived, and the self-inflicted old liar almost sacrificed his own life to unleash Merlin's "power".It wasn't what Merlin wanted, he didn't have the ability to use that power right now, he couldn't even mobilize it.He could only feel the scorching dark aura rushing through his veins, and no one knew what it would do in the next moment.In the alley leading to the train station, Merlin walked forward weakly, under the light of the street lamp, Merlin's fingers were still wrapped around black smoke like the ash storm just now, very faint, not to be able to see it without care, but it meant that the magic had begun to infect his body...
His face was frighteningly pale, and he walked in the shadows like a weak ghost.Shadows, shadows swirled around him, seemingly waiting for Merlin's summons, but the young man did not want to summon them at all.His brain was muddy, and he could barely think after passively, "hand-to-hand" a human life, he just wanted to get out of here, as far away from the demonic Green Bell as possible buried in the ruins of the explosion.That's hoodoo...
It is even more dangerous than the power of the Three Palaces Demon, because there is no limit to that thing, at least the power of the Three Palaces Demon, it will not attack anyone indiscriminately.However, Merlin didn't know that after he left, something else happened in the city.Four hours after the bombing, at 4 o'clock in the morning.After Chicago firefighters extinguished the flames at the psychic shop and collected the bones of an old crook who had lost his breath and was almost blown to pieces, the police searched and found something else."
Sir, we found some burnt clothes and a crate, which was not owned by Old Peter, and we can almost be sure that there was another person in the store at the time of the explosion."
A police officer reported their findings to his superiors, and his rhetoric was hard not to conjure up something worse."
So, you don't think it was an accidental explosion?
There's something hidden in that, right?
”The sheriff, who had been called out of his bed in the middle of the night and had been busy until now, was impatient, and while he was drinking coffee, he looked at his subordinates, and he said without looking up, "Is there anything else you have found?"
I mean, can you be sure of the identity of the mysterious man who was with Old Peter?
”"Well, not yet, sir."
The young officer scratched his head and said to his officer, "It takes time, you know, it's a messy neighborhood, and old Peter is a liar with a lot of convictions, and his social circle is rather chaotic. ”"Then go check!"
The old sheriff slapped the table, he didn't care how the old crook died, or who killed him.He just wants to go home and get a good night's sleep now.But just as the officer was about to respond to his boss, the door to the Chicago police department office was suddenly pushed open.A tall black man with toad glasses, a suit, and a suitcase walked into the office and closed the door.He took off his glasses, revealing his eyes as thin as an eagle, and he looked at the sheriff and the constable in front of him, took out a document from his pocket, and placed it on the sheriff's desk.The badge was peculiar, and its insignia was a gray eagle with wings spread against a ring background.And on the ring is a three-word name, which is StrategicScientificReserve, a very awkward and quirky phrase.The old sheriff glanced at the document, his expression immediately became serious, he looked at the black man with a silent air in front of him, and he asked, "When did you start to take care of these criminal cases?"
”"We don't care about criminal cases, Sergeant Phils."
The black man pulled out a chair and sat down across from the sheriff, and he calmly replied, "So if a case requires us to intervene, it proves that it is not a simple criminal case."
Introduce yourself, Senior Agent of the Strategic Science Corps, Nick Brown.
Fury, I'm here for last night's bombing, I heard, the Chicago Police Department was at the scene of the crime, found something unusual?
”"We found a lot of things."
The old sheriff glanced at the officer who was standing aside, who put away the file and wanted to leave.
Fury's finger was pressed against the dossier.This action is very unceremonious and full of aggression, and in a place like a police station, such an act can easily be considered a provocation.The young officer looked at the old sergeant, who nodded slightly, and the young officer glared at Fury rather unconvinced, then straightened his clothes and turned away angrily.It wasn't until there were only two people left in the office, the sheriff took a sip of coffee, he glanced at Fury, then reached out and opened his drawer, took out a small box, and put it in front of Fury's eyes."
But I think you're probably here for it.This is Old Peter's collection, the whole shop has been blown up, but it is intact, and more than 4 police officers have reported to me that when they approach this thing, they will hear strange whispers, only this box that was found together can drown out the sound. ”"This thing reminds me of all those voodoo things I encountered in Vietnam."
The old sheriff looked at the box in front of him, and he moved his body a little uneasily, as if he wanted to get away from it."
Well, it looks like the legendary Green Bell."
Agent Nick.
Fury was not afraid, he reached out and opened the box, and saw the green bell in it, and the quaint thing looked like a relic."
This thing is an unverifiable creature of dark magic, and it has appeared at least once every hundred years in recorded history.Its tracks can be found throughout Europe, South America, and some Indian tribes, each accompanied by a large-scale paranormal event. ”"You deserve credit for your prudence, Sergeant, and you saved everyone in this building, so to speak."
Agent Frey discreetly placed the box in his suitcase, locked it with a 12-digit secret, and then conveniently put away the file on the sheriff's desk.He put on his sunglasses and nodded slightly to the old sergeant: "Sergeant Firth, it's our responsibility to contain these dangerous things, and this case has also been taken over by the Strategic Science Corps, let your boys forget about it, it's good for both of us." ”"Hmm" The old sheriff didn't object, in fact he wished that the indifferent black man in front of him would take away the damn thing, but before Agent Frey left, the old sheriff asked, "Is my old boss, His Excellency Pierce, okay?"
”"He's very nice, and he told me to come here as fast as I can, just for fear that my old friend will get into trouble."
Fury smiled back and said to the sheriff, "He misses you guys. ”"Of course, Pierce is such a person, and if it weren't for him in Vietnam, we old bones wouldn't have come back."
The old sheriff said with a smile, and he waved his hand at Fury: "Then, I won't send you, Agent Fury, you also saw it, I'm quite busy." ”"Well, goodbye then, Sergeant.Good luck. ”————————————————— "Kids?
Kid, are you okay?
”On the train leaving Chicago for the next city, Merlin, wrapped in a black blanket and surrounded by nightmares, is awakened by a gentle voice.He opened his eyes blankly, and under the sunglasses, there were two heavy dark circles under his eyes, obviously, he didn't sleep well.As far as the eye can see, the night outside the train window is still dark, but dawn is approaching.Merlin got up from his seat by the light of the carriage, and he saw an old man on crutches looking at him with concern.When the old man saw that Merlin was awake, he handed him a handkerchief."
Wipe the blood, kid, you look like you need help."
Merlin paused, he tried to breathe, but a smell of blood rushed into his nostrils, and he wiped his nostrils, and his fingers were stained with blood again.He had another nosebleed.The symptoms of mana erosion have worsened."
Thank you."
Merlin took the handkerchief handed by the old man and wiped the nosebleed away, and as he looked out the window at the deep night, he suddenly remembered something terrible.He looked back at the old man, and he asked in a slightly hurried tone, "Now, what time is it?"
”"Huh?"
Merlin's question made the old man pause, and the well-dressed old gentleman, who was on crutches, looked at his watch and said to Merlin, "It's 5:45, child, what's the matter?"
”"It's been almost six hours..."
Merlin clutched his hair in pain, and he fell into a strong sense of uneasiness: "I've been asleep for so long, hell, time, it's coming." ”"What time?"
The old man asked again, and saw Merlin get up from his seat, and he hurried to the next carriage of the train, as if to leave the place as fast as he could.And just then, as the train sped forward, the train suddenly pulled into a tunnel, and darkness, even more gloomy darkness enveloped the entire carriage at this moment, as if to foretell that something bad was about to happen.Merlin looked back with a wistful look at the old man behind him who was trying to help him, and the other people in the carriage.In the vision of the spiritual vision, a cloud of black smoke like smoke has completely filled this carriage, this train.The source of those black smoke was himself.There was a loud bang, and the fast-moving train seemed to be pushed outward by an invisible hand, and the whole carriage jumped.Merlin's entire body was thrown against the tumbling wall of the car in a whirlwind, and Merlin almost fainted after several successive impacts.And the next moment, an even more terrifying collision and vibration caused the entire train to stop abruptly in the harsh friction sound.A wail, screams, and a palpable panic, in the flickering lights, heralded a catastrophe.Merlin's worst nightmare finally broke out.This train full of passengers... derailed.()