"Alright!" Tony Stark rolled his eyes.
Now that things had been laid out so clearly, Stark had no grounds to force Solomon into joining the Avengers' operation. In front of Maria Hill, both parties signed a technology exchange agreement. From this point on, the Wakandan embargo on Immortal City's access to advanced technologies was rendered meaningless. Solomon was finally free to convert alien and futuristic technology into practical scientific products without worrying about restrictions from the Wakandans. The follow-up matters would be entirely handled by Stephanie; once she selected the right candidates for the Mars Foundry mission, the entire project would be transferred to her. A research division of Immortal City would be established, dedicated to the integration of advanced and arcane technologies.
Mechanical and biochemical surgeries, which were relatively common across the galaxy—so much so that even black-market operations in lawless zones offered them—had already been handed over by Solomon to Princess Shuri for localization and adaptation. The future researchers and builders would undergo these procedures to enhance their intelligence and technical abilities through mechanical and electronic augmentation. This portion of the plan could be directly implemented using part of the infrastructure proposals kept in the drawer of Stephanie's desk, laying the foundation for a comprehensive administrative system for the scientific department.
According to the agreement, the Vibranium mines in Antarctica belonged to Wakanda, while the Celestial corpse recently excavated from the glacier belonged to Solomon. Even King T'Chaka of Wakanda did not dare renege on such a significant agreement with Solomon. However, through Princess Shuri, he issued an official letter offering partial access to previously undisclosed Wakandan technologies, allowing a limited number of Wakandan scientists to study the Celestial body—which was exactly what Solomon wanted. Immortal City was not yet capable of analyzing the Celestial corpse on its own, so if the Wakandans were willing to share their expertise, Solomon saw no reason to refuse. He was exceptionally tolerant of the dying king. Though Solomon had not seen T'Challa for some time, he remained very interested in the Wakandan heir's movements, as they would determine the future of Wakanda's cooperation with Immortal City.
As per his agreement with Bast, Solomon was obligated to help Bast's chosen heir ascend the throne when necessary. But that was a matter for the future, with plenty of room to maneuver. Solomon had never seriously considered any personal bond with his Oxford senior, T'Challa. If necessary, even T'Challa could die—as long as Solomon could derive value from it. As for Bast's position, it was merely a strategic gesture to obtain technology. If a fallout ever occurred, Solomon, armed with the Holy Sword, had no fear of any extreme measures from the Panther God.
Stephanie let out a heavy sigh. She felt she should undergo mechanical and biochemical modification herself.
Although the first batch of older clerical personnel from the Sisterhood had already joined, as Immortal City's scientific projects continued to expand and external investments soared, Stephanie increasingly felt that the administrative staff under her command were insufficient. Especially given the need to maintain a stable and streamlined administrative structure, even if they halted all current operations and recruited the vetted conservative Hydra clerks, it would still be far from enough.
Her fingers subconsciously brushed the silver circlet on her head. This delicate headpiece bore vine patterns and a large deep red gemstone, with elegant silver branches hooked above her ears. Originally, she had been reluctant to wear something so disconnected from modern aesthetics, but this was a magical item personally gifted by Solomon, designed to enhance her brain's efficiency. In other words, it was a magic artifact that increased intelligence. Currently, only a select few in Immortal City possessed treasures bestowed by the Sovereign.
Sophia was among them.
Owing to Jacob's loyalty, Sophia and her people from the Lost City received exceptional privileges.
Even after changing into the high-tech combat gear and lightweight exoskeleton armor prepared by Immortal City for the human military, this daughter of the Undying Prophet still tied her red hair into a thick braid, exuding the aura of a wilderness hunter. In addition to the standard .50 explosive handgun, her gear included a pair of high-tech boots that allowed her to overcome obstacles even normal people—or those wearing light exoskeletons—couldn't surmount. The amulet around her neck further reduced her chances of being hit by bullets.
"This is the medical evaluation," Sophia said, placing a thick stack of test reports on Stephanie's desk.
Her voice was youthful and sharp, as direct as an arrow released from a bow.
The report was stamped by Maya Hansen, head of the bio lab, confirming that the boy Sophia had selected had exceptionally high genetic compatibility for the lab's gene enhancement procedures. Based on genetic lineage tracing and the DNA collected from the remains of kings by Solomon, the boy turned out to be, by sheer coincidence, of Byzantine blood. This might explain why the Byzantine emperor had supported Jacob—because Jacob had promised to preserve the Constantine bloodline to the present day. Whether or not this was deliberate, no one could say. And since Solomon had promised not to disturb Jacob's soul, the answers to all such questions had vanished with Jacob's death.
"After the surgery, he won't remember anything. Don't think you can use him to influence the Sovereign's decisions. His loyalty will belong to the Sovereign alone—it's encoded into his genes." Stephanie picked up the report and locked it in a heavy black iron cabinet. The loud metallic clang as she slammed the door shut echoed harshly. Her tone carried a hint of warning. "Right now, his gene compatibility is the highest, but that doesn't mean anything. The future Imperial Guard will be composed only of the most exceptional individuals. That boy is just one candidate. Also..."
She turned around, looking at the tall, straight-backed huntress.
"Your father once said he was not a messenger of God. That's something no human can claim to be." Stephanie was referring to a recently excavated ancient manuscript, unearthed by Lara Croft, Jonah, and the engineering team. The manuscript, written by Jacob's first disciple, Decius, detailed the events that took place after Jacob's arrival in Byzantium in the year 970. The record continued until 977, when Jacob was killed by Trinity, and his followers traveled to Syria to build the Prophet's Tomb.
This document was sent to Immortal City for urgent restoration and, with Sophia's approval, was temporarily loaned to Lara for her research into tenth-century Byzantine history.
What Jacob had said also explained why the crosses of the Lost City differed entirely from those of Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism—because he had long known that his faith was not in God. Sadly, with the passage of time, everything can be distorted. A span of over a thousand years had subtly transformed the beliefs of his followers.
While Solomon allowed them to continue honoring and venerating Jacob, the death of the Undying Prophet left his more fervent followers without an object of worship, and they refused to abandon their now useless faith. Left with no choice, Sophia had to send the young people from her tribe—those who were open to modification and education—into Immortal City's military camps for training and testing. Meanwhile, the most stubborn ones were sent back to the Lost City to work for the engineering team.
Only one boy passed the genetic screening.
He would receive comprehensive education in Immortal City—studying science, art, politics, and military affairs—becoming the first official candidate for the bio lab's Imperial Guard program. Once he donned the armor prepared for him, he would earn the right to fight alongside the Sovereign.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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