Chapter 403: The High Wall Accord

Solomon underestimated Wakanda's speed in infrastructure development. The next morning, before heading to school, he stopped by the Immortal City, and his expression mirrored the groggy look Maya Hansen often wore after a long night. The portal connecting the Immortal City to Wakanda had remained open all night, allowing a steady flow of personnel, materials, and equipment. The war-torn ruins, which Solomon had once felt powerless to clear, were already being removed. Small aircraft hovered above the city's vast underground space, while the lighting embedded in the rocky dome was being repaired and replaced.

Although the restoration was far from complete, many of the lighting systems built by the ancient Shield Brotherhood were operational again. The suffocating darkness that had once loomed over the lifeless city was slowly retreating, replaced by the buzz of human voices and the hum of machinery. Scattered across the ruins, relics of advanced technology beyond their time were being collected and cataloged for further analysis.

T'Challa viewed this as Wakanda's first step toward opening itself to the world. Though he didn't know the details of his father's negotiations with Solomon, he was pleased with the mutually beneficial partnership. Wakanda was not losing out—in fact, it was gaining. In exchange for its aid, Solomon had shared information about the Shield Brotherhood and ancient secrets from millennia ago, as well as the location of an anti-vibranium deposit buried deep in Antarctica. This would provide Wakandan scientists with valuable material to further unravel the mysteries of vibranium.

The reconstruction of the Immortal City was only the beginning. The next phase involved establishing a mining base on Mars, where an automated facility would mass-produce the weapons and equipment Solomon required. Wakanda would also benefit, using the same infrastructure to develop its own technologies in preparation for its gradual opening to the world.

Mars was a natural choice due to its mineral wealth, which shared a common origin with Earth. Aside from water- and life-related minerals, most of Earth's minerals could also be found on Mars, making it an ideal mining site. However, Mars' harsh environment posed significant challenges, so Shuri proposed utilizing artificial intelligence to construct the base, a task that Wakanda's existing technology could easily accomplish with some minor adjustments.

This plan made perfect sense. The magic Solomon borrowed from the Vishanti couldn't support frequent trips to and from Mars. Everyone agreed on the proposal, and Wakanda's research institutions began operating at full capacity to provide industrial support for Solomon's vision.

Initially, King T'Chaka had considered building the mining base on the far side of the Moon. However, Solomon rejected this idea—Earth's proximity to the Moon made it too easy for secular societies to discover the operation. Furthermore, the Moon wasn't uninhabited. Solomon had no desire to interact with the superhuman Inhumans living there, nor did he believe they'd permit mining operations on their territory.

Solomon's ambitions didn't stop at mining. Once the initial infrastructure was complete, he proposed an even bolder plan: the development of a spacecraft. He envisioned building a small, interstellar ship capable of space travel, enabling him and T'Challa to explore the cosmos and seize alien technologies.

As the apprentice of the Sorcerer Supreme, Solomon's responsibilities extended far beyond Earth. The entire material plane was under threat from extra-dimensional entities, with Earth being the most delectable prize. A spacefaring warship was essential for his army, along with drop pods and other supporting equipment. When the current Sorcerer Supreme eventually retired, the gods' wars would reignite, and the battle between the upper and lower planes would flare up once more. At that time, Solomon would lead his warriors into the realms of gods and the murky depths of the abyss, proving the Sorcerer Supreme's power once again with blood and steel.

On the battlefield against extra-dimensional threats, there was no room for mercy—only death.

King T'Chaka approved Solomon's plans, incorporating them into Wakanda's long-term strategy. For Wakanda, maintaining its technological superiority and vibranium reserves was a prerequisite for opening up to the world. While the loss of these two advantages would be inevitable after opening, acquiring alien technology and locating new vibranium deposits would help offset those losses. Of course, this required Wakandan researchers to successfully decode alien technology without falling into the trap of technological dependency.

Monopolies are the most lucrative business, and Solomon's plan was to help Wakanda monopolize all the vibranium on Earth.

This was the fundamental reason King T'Chaka agreed to Solomon's long-term plan—Wakanda stood to gain immensely.

The only person bearing the brunt of this agreement was T'Challa's sister, Shuri. After reviewing Maya Hansen's research, she immediately joined the project while simultaneously tackling the technical challenges of Solomon's armor designs. She incorporated Shield Brotherhood technologies into the designs and began work on overcoming some of the more complex issues, such as:

Nutritional recycling systems: Ensuring that genetically modified soldiers wearing the armor could endure prolonged combat. Life support and sealing systems: Enabling wearers to survive in oxygen-deprived or extreme environments.

"She seems to have endless energy," T'Challa said with a laugh. "Even as a kid, she'd always be the one waking me up in the morning, like a cannonball of energy. Solomon, I don't understand—why are you still going to school when you've achieved so much?"

"Because my foster mother wants me to," Solomon replied, raising an eyebrow. The little black kitten in his pocket poked its head out and mewed softly. "Also, I need a place to keep this cat," he added. "My pet back home isn't too friendly toward it."

Back at home, the Cheshire Cat sneezed as Jeanne held it up by the scruff of its neck, inspecting its nose and eyes closely. The gray tabby squirmed and yowled, trying to escape her lap. Jeanne finally let go, and the cat tumbled to the floor before standing up and meowing indignantly.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll be gentler next time," Jeanne said dismissively, unbothered by the cat's protests. "You don't have the guts to complain to your owner, so you take it out on me instead? Pathetic!"

She prodded the cat's fluffy head with her finger. "He brought another cat home, and you don't even dare say a word. All you do is bully that little kitten. Your owner is such a flirt! If he's already bringing back other cats, it won't be long before he brings back other women too! And you? You'd sell your soul for a can of beef. How shameful!"

The Cheshire Cat licked its nose sheepishly.

Who could resist the temptation of a can of beef? Besides, the little black kitten didn't seem very intimidating. The Cheshire Cat had only tried to drag the kitten into the trash as a prank, but the kitten had thought it was just playing!

Although Bayonetta had tied Solomon down with her charms and affection, Jeanne was never fully at ease. She always suspected other women were trying to steal him away. Natasha Romanoff was one such woman—Jeanne had even secretly followed Solomon and Natasha, taking photos of their conversations.

Then there was Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death. Jeanne constantly worried that Solomon might succumb to political pressure and agree to a marriage alliance. And Maya Hansen, who worked with Solomon in private—who knew what might happen there?

"Cereza! Aren't you going to do something about him?" Jeanne demanded.

Bayonetta, lounging on the couch, playfully teased the Cheshire Cat's tail with her stockinged toes. The chubby gray tabby swatted at its tail in frustration, trying to shield it from Bayonetta's mischief.

"You should put a collar on him!" Jeanne exclaimed. "Men are like cats—without a collar, they'll wander off and get lost!"

"Did your mother tell you that?"

"She did!" Jeanne recalled her mother, a French Umbra Witch, who had once been a renowned noblewoman in the Valois court. Any man who fell into her mother's hands never escaped.

"Well, my mother never said anything like that," Bayonetta replied with a smirk. "She told me that tricks like those wouldn't be enough to win over my father, who was a Sage. I think her methods will work on Solomon too. Just wait—he'll come crawling back, crying and begging for forgiveness."

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