Chapter 418: The Prelude

Even a learned figure like the Ancient One would admit that there are always new things to learn, so it was only natural for Solomon to acknowledge his own ignorance in certain fields. However, that didn't mean he would quietly accept nonsense when someone spoke about subjects he had mastered. When Nick Fury presented The Devil in Connecticut by the Warrens, Solomon couldn't help but shoot him a cold, disdainful glare.

Without a word, Solomon stood up, put on his Sling Ring, and prepared to leave. The Warrens were renowned paranormal investigators in New England, but Solomon considered them charlatans. To him, Fury bringing out such a book was nothing short of an insult.

"Can you hear me out first?" Nick Fury sighed in frustration.

His intention wasn't to endorse those so-called mediums. He understood that in an organization as professional as Kamar-Taj, those without genuine magical knowledge were viewed as frauds. Even Catholic priests often faced similar skepticism from true sorcerers. Still, Fury presented the book because he needed Solomon to occupy himself with something—anything that would keep him out of trouble. Recently, Solomon's wild remarks had led to public disturbances, forcing S.H.I.E.L.D. to send agents to manage the fallout, a major drain on their manpower.

Fury's covert internal investigation had reached a critical juncture. A few suspects had already been identified, and the investigation into the "Clairvoyant" was a key piece of the puzzle. The fact that Agent Coulson was "alive" wasn't exactly a secret among certain high-level agents, but his revival was highly unusual. Originally, the "T.A.H.I.T.I." project was intended to heal or revive seriously injured Avengers. However, after extensive experimentation, the project's main function had shifted to merely healing wounded agents, far from its original goal of resurrection.

Thus, Coulson's actual revival drew considerable attention. Fury intended to use this attention to bait hidden operatives within S.H.I.E.L.D. into revealing themselves. These hidden elements were bound to take an interest in Coulson's situation and Fury's secrets. The ripples created by this investigation would help Fury trace those deeper within the organization.

Meanwhile, Captain America and Natasha Romanoff were tied up with an investigation into the Lemurian Star and had no time to deal with Solomon.

As for Solomon's request for a Whitehall internship, Fury was convinced that the sorcerer intended to use magic to manipulate government officials—even the Queen of England. There was no way Fury would approve such a request. But he also knew that even if Solomon did follow through, he might never find out. All Fury could do was try to distract him.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has a collection of old classified case files," Fury said as he pulled a stack of dusty folders from a drawer. The brown covers bore no case summaries, only numerical codes and faint layers of dust from neglect. "These files document reports of demons, angels, and other supernatural sightings from 1946 to 2010. I brought up the Johnson case as an example since it's one of the few instances where 'demonic possession' was used as a legal defense in the U.S. court system. I know you're skeptical of this stuff, but maybe you'll find evidence of Kamar-Taj's negligence in these records."

"Are you going to help me secure that internship or not?" Solomon ignored the bait and reiterated his request.

"What do you think?" Fury asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Fine. You can't stop me from taking the exam myself, can you?" Solomon challenged. "If you do, that would count as interfering in the internal affairs of another country, which contradicts your usual rhetoric. Face it, Fury. You can't control me or stop what I plan to do."

"I know." Fury's lack of reaction was unexpected. Instead of the frustration Solomon had anticipated, the director maintained a calm tone. "Then why not tell me what you've been up to recently?"

"Sure," Solomon replied nonchalantly. "Preparing to conquer the world and finish my physics dissertation."

"Really? That's the excuse you're going with?" Fury snorted in disbelief. He could accept the dissertation part; he even had a copy of Solomon's preliminary paper, though he couldn't understand it. His team of physicists, however, had deemed it solid work. Fury was pleased that Solomon maintained his image as a diligent scholar.

But "world conquest"? Fury dismissed it as a joke.

"Conquering the world in a video game doesn't count," Fury quipped. "The real world is a lot harsher than you think. Your enemies so far have mostly been monsters. Once you start working at Whitehall, you'll realize that the people you consider allies could stab you in the back at any moment."

Solomon chuckled but said nothing in response.

He understood that learning about unfamiliar fields came with challenges, and he was prepared for it. However, he didn't believe his situation would turn disastrous. In reality, connections and networking remained the most powerful force in the world. Having climbed through elite institutions, Solomon had the connections necessary to integrate into governmental systems. He could patiently wait to graduate or pursue additional degrees. With his intellect, obtaining multiple qualifications in fields like archaeology and classical literature wouldn't be difficult—after all, Athena's years of mentorship had prepared him well.

"Stay put. I've already ordered lunch," Tony Stark said, lifting the helmet off his head and wiping the oil from his hands with a towel. The scorched mark on his eyebrow was particularly noticeable.

Stark had been engrossed in studying Asgard's disintegration field technology. The blend of advanced technology and magic in Asgardian craftsmanship made it difficult for Stark to fully understand, forcing him to replicate the effect using Earth-based methods instead of directly adapting the technology.

Solomon played a crucial role by deciphering the runes engraved within the disintegration field device. His task involved explaining each rune's function, an arduous process akin to deciphering the details of a hidden mechanism inside a sealed box.

Despite Solomon's guidance, Stark's attempts to reverse-engineer the technology had hit several dead ends, resulting in multiple test explosions.

Of course, Solomon doubted that Stark's technological prowess was entirely rooted in earthly knowledge.

"Stark survives being blasted out of the sky by tank shells without a scratch," Solomon mused. "His shock-absorption technology doesn't seem humanly possible. It's not even based on vibranium, which absorbs vibrations and releases energy upon reaching its limit. Stark's tech relies purely on mechanical structures to reduce impact, leaving him with nothing more than surface bruises."

As Solomon continued analyzing Asgardian tech, he also studied the black-box mechanisms within Stark's MK2 armor. Some of the technology bore similarities to concepts he'd seen in ancient manuscripts from the Eternal City—perhaps remnants of Howard Stark's legacy.

"How does it feel to be a nerd even on vacation?" Stark teased. "Be sure to let me read your dissertation. Honestly, you should've gone to MIT instead of Oxford. You'd have better opportunities here."

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