The Immortal City had temporarily quieted. After ensuring that Root and Maya Hansen had left together, Solomon navigated the cleared pathways and the heaps of rubble cloaked in darkness, making his way to the brightly lit office building. For now, things in the city were under control, but the issues with the Sola Red Lindruid Order still required his attention.
The druids had eagerly absorbed the teachings Solomon had procured from Balthazar, a once-great druid. However, none of them displayed the natural magic and abilities one would expect from druids.
This outcome was disappointing but not surprising.
Magic in the Material Plane had nearly dried up, most of its essence absorbed by extradimensional demonic entities. Furthermore, Gaea, the Earth Mother deity, neither needed nor cared about worshippers and would never grant them power. Only a mage with strong ties to Avalon—like Merlin—could gain recognition as a true druid.
"Let's not forget the world's strongest force: nepotism, courtesy of Gaea's familial ties to Oshtur."
No wonder the druids of Sola Red had abandoned their ancestral magic in favor of Kabbalistic mysticism, numerology, and Solomon's sealing techniques. Even Balthazar, once a student of the world's greatest druid, displayed only a limited mastery of druidic magic.
True druids were almost extinct, with Merlin being one of the few remaining practitioners.
Solomon nudged away a curious sheep, a group of persistent turkeys, and even a stray golden retriever that had somehow joined the fray.
Since neither communing with animals nor nurturing plants had yielded the expected results, it was time to pivot. Solomon planned to guide the druids into practices like astrology, Kabbalah, tarot, and numerology, albeit at a carefully controlled pace. He realized this was a pressing issue when the city seemed on the brink of being overrun by animal waste. He had no intention of opening portals daily just to shovel manure.
The plants could stay as landscaping; the dog could become Maya Hansen's pet. As for the sheep, they were best suited for hotpot, while the turkeys, stuffed with butter and seasoning, belonged in an oven.
These tasks could be delegated to the nearly completed android army.
Solomon surveyed rows of glass tanks, each housing a meticulously designed body nearing completion. The runes etched into the tanks emitted a faint blue glow, illuminating the formation of muscle and skin. Even without overhead lights, the room glimmered with arcane luminescence. Solomon made precise adjustments to critical areas, ensuring perfection.
Unlike his personal maid, these androids had no pre-existing connection to him. Their intelligence would develop later. His role was limited to shaping their physical forms.
By utilizing a quarter of the ethereal particles with Philosopher's Stone-like properties, he could create a formidable personal guard. Soon, his maid would assist in training the androids. Additionally, the acquisition of Hammer Industries' weapons production lines needed to accelerate.
The latter task, however, required a specialist.
"Are you sure you don't need to sleep first?" Tony Stark asked, handing Solomon a glass of whiskey on the rocks. Tony was dressed in a black tank top, his fingers smudged with grease, as though he had just emerged from a sea of oil and machinery.
In front of them, a television played Casper the Friendly Ghost. Casper pranced across the screen while, outside, the city skyline glimmered under the dark canopy of night. Casper's faint figure seemed to dance on the reflective windowpane.
"No, I'm fine," Solomon replied, blinking as his eyelids threatened to stick together. He had studied an overwhelming number of scrolls recently, but it was a necessary effort. The tired eyes and ink-stained, cramping fingers were just part of the price of mastering magic.
Stark flopped onto the sofa, the springy cushions bouncing him up and down.
"Before you head off to college, you should at least learn to appreciate whiskey. Orphans usually miss out on these lessons from their dads, so I'll step up and teach you." Tony swirled his drink with a self-satisfied smirk. "Now, what's so urgent that you called me?"
"I need help designing a weapons production line and using J.A.R.V.I.S. to develop powered armor," Solomon replied, tilting his glass cautiously to take a sip. As expected, he choked, his throat burning as if he'd swallowed fire.
Tony gave him a skeptical look, opening his mouth to voice his thoughts, but Solomon waved him off, gesturing for the chance to explain.
In the world of cutting-edge weapons technology, Stark Industries was unmatched. Solomon had come to the right person for assistance.
"All the weapons and equipment will be for my android army. Don't worry—I'm not becoming an arms dealer," Solomon said once he'd caught his breath. He detailed his plans openly, knowing that Stark despised being kept in the dark. To accomplish his vision, Solomon needed Stark's expertise.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered his android army, what could Nick Fury do? Intervene in a war against hell?
Solomon elaborated on his strategy, explaining the role of android bodyguards and enhanced human soldiers, as well as the planned arsenal, including high-caliber kinetic rifles and powered exoskeletons.
Tony's expression shifted from incredulous to fascinated. "I had no idea magic could do this—genetic engineering included. You're telling me magic can do what science barely scratches at?"
"I've heard about demonic bloodlines. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant, I have access to certain files. But I didn't realize your feud with hell was this intense. You sure you don't want your teacher's help?"
"This is personal, Stark. My teacher has her responsibilities, and I don't need her cleaning up after me," Solomon replied firmly, setting his glass aside and turning it discreetly to hide a spill. "Besides, this army is meant to bolster Kamar-Taj's presence on the Material Plane. A fight against a demon lord is the perfect trial run. If it succeeds, I'll refine the plan. I've even set aside Asgardian tech and gold for compensation. If you agree, I'll handle licensing fees to avoid any corporate lawsuits."
"I've got some production lines left over from my Iron Man weapons systems. They're perfect for small-scale experimental batches," Stark said, clinking his glass against Solomon's. "But you'll have to figure out the rest yourself."
"Deal?" Solomon asked.
"Deal," Tony said, his grin widening with mischievous delight, as though he'd just scored a major victory. "Now, hand over that alien tech you've got. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been hoarding those Dark Elf ships, locking away even the bolts! Collecting them doesn't advance science—I'll show Nick Fury who the real genius is!"
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