Chapter 416: The Cunning of Humans

The artificial intelligence had begun learning and imitating human behavior, but the unique cunning of mankind remained beyond its reach. Perhaps with time, the AI could learn Solomon's sharp tongue and biting sarcasm, but for now, under external pressure and faced with Solomon's demonstrated power, the AI had temporarily submitted.

To the AI, Solomon was the most cunning human it had ever encountered. Although he had agreed to help solve its problem, he insisted it would have to wait until after his homunculus army completed a period of training. While flipping through research materials for his thesis, Solomon simultaneously browsed the AI's intelligence on an organization called "Eternal Vigilance." Streams of text and images flashed rapidly across two screens, but not a single word escaped Solomon's scrutiny.

As his workload grew heavier, Solomon activated the "Stigmata."

It was well known that activating his Stigmata subjected Solomon to a deluge of informational shocks. However, over time, these flashes of memory had become refined, merging into the reservoir of his personal knowledge. This left him with excess cognitive capacity, enabling him to swiftly process and absorb vast amounts of information. Unless he unlocked new Stigmata for higher-level magical knowledge, he still had room in his mind to focus on other matters.

Though highly efficient, Solomon had disliked using the Stigmata since his school days. The rapid learning it provided left him with a hollow feeling deep in his soul, a disconnection from ordinary humanity.

"My soldiers are not disposable execution units," Solomon said, glancing at a paper in Nature's astronomy supplement on the center screen. He dismissed the AI's objections displayed on the left-hand holographic interface. Despite the continuous stream of data about the "Eternal Vigilance" organization on his right-hand monitor, Solomon missed nothing.

Earlier, that screen had shown Maya Hansen and Princess Shuri's work on genetic modification. This massive project had divided responsibilities: Solomon handled the alchemical aspects, Shuri focused on scientific research, and Maya unified both disciplines. The research had already filled a 200-terabyte hard drive, and the volume of data would likely fill an entire cabinet by the time human trials commenced.

Even with just three Stigmata active, juggling so much information remained a trivial task.

"Their power surpasses that of ordinary humans. Even so, they require military training before they can be deployed," Solomon continued, his tone cold and unyielding under the influence of the Stigmata. "No one can fight effectively without preparation—especially when they've only been out of their incubation tanks for a few days. Don't worry, the training cycle for the homunculi is short. We won't fall behind schedule."

Suddenly, Solomon's expression grew tense.

While he was aware of the homunculi's unwavering loyalty, he also knew some of them had unsettling moral boundaries. He had once considered warnings about this issue to be exaggerated, especially since Dana had shown no signs of such tendencies. But perhaps now that she had found kindred spirits, the newly awakened homunculi had started secretly sharing their thoughts about their creator.

The reports were… troubling.

Some of the more extreme homunculi wanted to remain perpetually by Solomon's side, attacking any creature that approached him, whether a cat or an ant. Others harbored fantasies of reproduction with their creator. Another faction, led by Dana, had proposed constructing a grand temple in the Eternal City to worship Solomon, complete with portraits and engraved tributes to his glory—and they intended to act on this idea.

This obsession greatly annoyed Princess Shuri, who had been tasked with providing vehicles for the homunculus army.

Although Shuri didn't know where these strange girls had come from, their demands for construction materials significantly hindered efforts to restore the Eternal City. In the end, Solomon had to step in and issue a firm ruling: the homunculi were strictly forbidden from any form of deification or adulation. He repeatedly emphasized discipline and duty.

To placate their fervor, Solomon granted them limited freedoms—allowing them to personalize their armor, provided it didn't impair functionality, and to form tactical squads for better coordination. Even the small black cat gifted by Bastet had become a beloved mascot among the homunculi.

However, mere video simulations weren't enough for proper combat training. Once their weapons and vehicles were finalized, the homunculi needed a specialized operational doctrine. Although Solomon was capable of drafting such a manual, he wasn't certain how it would hold up in actual combat. The worst-case scenario was that it would become as impractical as ancient Song Dynasty battle formations, leading the excessively loyal homunculi to blindly follow flawed instructions—resulting in catastrophic losses.

This was a scenario Solomon could not afford.

His military knowledge, taught by Athena, was rooted in ancient warfare tactics. While he could command large-scale operations in a pre-modern era, his expertise was ill-suited to modern combat scenarios. Therefore, Solomon needed an experienced field commander to train the homunculi and revise his strategies. Initially, he had hoped to recruit the Punisher, Frank Castle, but Castle had shown only disdain for Solomon. Left with no other choice, Solomon began recruiting retired military officers.

It wouldn't be long before a wave of new talent joined his ranks, Solomon mused.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had grown bloated and inefficient over the years, failing to complete its mission despite endless resources. Even worse, its director had allegedly colluded with alien parasites. Solomon had no intention of letting them off the hook.

Victoria Hand and her faction of loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents would soon be devastated by the upcoming Hydra uprising. When the time came, Solomon would seize their best operatives—both from S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. In truth, Solomon held no particular grudge against Hydra; in his experience, Hydra agents often performed their duties more effectively than their counterparts. To him, the feud between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra was a trivial matter of mundane politics, unworthy of his intervention.

His recruitment plan had already been printed by the AI. Both loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Hydra operatives were listed, with detailed profiles outlining their personalities. Solomon had even used divination magic to glimpse their fates, ensuring he would appear at the right time and place to offer them salvation—bringing them into the Eternal City's fold.

A notification flashed on his screen: Dana had sent him a report. It included designs for the homunculi's insignias and armor modifications, such as a crimson robe inspired by Solomon's own attire.

The file also contained training logs—live-fire exercises, melee combat evaluations, and more. Solomon sighed, closed the chat window, and disabled the AI's holographic projection without a second glance.

"That maid is getting out of hand," he muttered.

He hadn't designed those suggestive outfits just to receive selfies!

Dana knew his quirks all too well.

This wouldn't do. Solomon needed to reassert his authority as their creator!

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