Chapter 378: Coulson’s Magical World Adventure

Describing the nature of spirit entities using current human science is undoubtedly challenging. No instrument can detect ghosts that exist in the ethereal plane. They lack temperature, density, and mass, making them impossible to observe through scientific means. Yet, in certain circumstances, these beings rise from the silent depths of the ethereal sea to influence the material world in their own way.

Against such foes, the best approach is to enter the foggy ocean of the ethereal plane, drive the spirit to the shoreline where the material and inner planes overlap—the ethereal boundary—and force it into the material plane. However, this is a formidable task. Spirits can traverse freely between the two planes, while humans require powerful spells to even reach the ethereal boundary. Deeper into the core of the ethereal plane, the magic required grows exponentially stronger.

Conveniently, Solomon had extensive experience traversing the ethereal plane during his earliest missions alongside a witch. To him, spirits were no more troublesome than angels.

This time, however, Solomon wasn't here to eliminate the target but to let his apprentices hone their skills. He needed a target that would resist but not pose too great a threat.

The plane made a remarkably smooth emergency landing. Once Solomon opened the cargo bay doors, the mystics stationed throughout the Airbus gathered around. Simmons watched as Solomon issued instructions, prompting the mystics to step out of the cargo bay. Skye followed them into the bay—Coulson had already communicated with most of the crew via radio, instructing Skye to stay close to the mystics for safety.

"Wait a moment; Wong will bring the two female apprentices and Hannah Hutchins here," Solomon said, ignoring Coulson's look of protest and continuing, "Your electromagnetic shielding won't help her, Coulson."

"No, I was going to say that the cell is locked from the outside—it can't be opened from within," Coulson replied with an innocent blink, not intending to contradict Solomon's plan. From experience, opposing Solomon's decisions rarely ended well. "Maybe I should ask May to help your team open it?"

"No need. I trust they've learned the spell to unlock mechanical locks." Although Solomon said this with confidence, he wasn't entirely sure. He'd written the Knock spell into their textbooks, a spell effective on any mechanical lock, but he could only hope Wong hadn't been too lazy to study it.

The wait was agonizing, especially for Skye, who couldn't bear to see someone as kind as Hannah Hutchins suffer.

"We were attacked," Wong announced as he entered the cargo bay, causing both Skye and Coulson to pale. Hannah Hutchins, still shaken from the attack, leaned heavily on the two female apprentices supporting her. If not for the plane's emergency landing waking her up, Solomon's earlier magic would have allowed her to sleep peacefully, waking refreshed to face a new day with all nightmares behind her.

But things rarely went so smoothly.

"The guy was weak," Wong said in a bored tone. "I hit him once, and he disappeared."

"Did you see his face?" Simmons asked urgently.

"How would I know? I don't recognize him," Wong shrugged.

"It's Tobias," Hannah Hutchins whispered, her voice trembling. Without the apprentices holding her up, she might have collapsed. Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke, her emotions spiraling. "I saw his face—it's Tobias. He's the technician from there. He's here to take revenge on me. God, I deserve this. I deserve to suffer…"

Skye, who had been about to comfort her, found herself at a loss for words. The apprentices gave Solomon helpless looks. No matter how much they tried to console her, Hannah Hutchins was convinced the fault was hers. These apprentices, all of whom had joined Kamar-Taj after Solomon's missions began, had trained for years before undertaking their first assignment. Yet they hadn't anticipated that the real challenge would be the victim, not the target.

Kamar-Taj hadn't prepared them for this.

"Ward, come in. Have you found Fitz? May, where are you?"

"Yes, sir, I've found Fitz," Agent Grant Ward's voice came through the radio, tinged with strain. "We were attacked and are locked in the power distribution room." Fitz then took over, his voice frantic. "He's moving back and forth with a wrench, disappearing and reappearing constantly!"

"That matches the intel," Coulson noted.

"I encountered him," Melinda May's stern voice chimed in. "He was in the lounge."

Whatever happened next, Coulson had full confidence in May's combat skills.

"It's Tobias," he said, sharing the recent revelation.

"He's still carrying that wrench—probably the one he had during the explosion," Fitz added.

"Could it have been used on the coupling assembly?" Ward speculated, rubbing his sore neck. Skye reminded them that Tobias had submitted the fault report. She'd read the details—he had repeatedly filed complaints against Hannah Hutchins. Even Hannah admitted that if she had taken the reports more seriously…

"We believe Tobias likely caused the accident," Fitz's voice, transmitted through the radio, sounded distant. "During our inspection of the coupling assembly, Simmons and I found no issues."

"Until Tobias showed up," Simmons interjected. "He said it was hell. I think it's more like another planet. Tobias seems to be in some kind of superimposed state. But the contradiction is, how can someone both complain about safety issues and cause the problem?"

"Enough," Solomon interrupted bluntly, clearly fed up with the speculation. This was just a minor task—not something worth overcomplicating. With the right preparation, even ordinary people could handle such an exorcism.

"Once I catch him, you can ask all the questions you want."

Solomon instructed them to escort Hannah Hutchins off the plane, positioning her within the protective circle of apprentices. A circular portal, sparking with dazzling flames, opened before him. Coulson winced as the portal carved a deep gouge into the floor, silently hoping it hadn't severed any vital wires.

Through the portal, Skye caught a glimpse of the scene beyond.

This wasn't her first time seeing a portal; the last one had swallowed the entire plane, transporting them from the U.S. to the U.K. But this time, there was no discernible difference between the portal's interior and the view outside—it was just nightfall, albeit shrouded in thicker mist.

Wait. Summer nights don't produce fog. And this is the inland U.S.!

"Agent Coulson," Solomon said, handing his favorite agent a pistol. A sleek black M1911 with an 11-round capacity, its surface adorned with intricate Gothic-style gold engravings. It was a gift Solomon had meant to give Coulson for a while but hadn't found the opportunity.

"Interested in a little adventure on the inner planes? This gun's great for shooting spirits."

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