His promise was like a thousand-ton boulder—unyielding, immovable despite the storm.
He carried himself like a strict, merciless judge, and every word he spoke carried the weight of a final verdict.
He had promised Stephanie power, promised the Malick family glory—and now, all those promises had been fulfilled. Stephanie held great authority, empowered to command Immortal City's recovery of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bases, equipment, and personnel. The Malick family had risen to dominance within HYDRA, especially after Whitehall's death, which had left the younger HYDRA faction gasping for air.
So when he said there would be a child with the surname Malick in the future, the weight that had long hung over Gideon Malick's heart finally lifted. Stephanie's heart bloomed with joy, her face flushing with a rosy glow. Not long ago, Gideon had regretted getting rid of Stephanie's boyfriend from her university days. Now it seemed she had found a far better match. This meant the Malick family had latched onto a very favorable vessel—though in Gideon's imagination, Solomon's organization ultimately aimed for domination over Earth. He had no idea that this was not a sailing ship like the Galen, but a cosmic battleship.
"You really shouldn't be drinking such poor wine." Stephanie beckoned a servant, instructing the longtime Malick household retainer to fetch a bottle of rare vintage from her private cellar. "A 1970 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru. That year's Romanée-Conti was the most perfect wine at the last blind tasting. Its mineral elegance and lingering finish are the result of decades of patient aging. I personally selected this bottle—it's been stored away all this time."
She blinked shyly.
The body does not lie. Stephanie thought she should probably change clothes before returning to work later. She wouldn't mind doing something with Solomon in the bedroom—if her father weren't present, even the dining room would do, even now. But she knew Solomon still had work to do, and her Sovereign would never abandon his duties for her. But that was precisely what she liked—an ambitious man.
"I'm sorry this is all I can offer. It may not have the bold bouquet of a La Tâche Grand Cru, but I think it's very fitting for this kind of evening, isn't it?"
The daughter of HYDRA stared intently into the eyes of the arcane master, as if they were the most beautiful sight in the world.
"I wouldn't mind tasting some of the finest wine on Earth, Stephanie," Solomon replied softly. In that moment, the icy rift between the Malick father and daughter melted away, as if cool mountain snowmelt had washed through their hearts, erasing all irritability and resentment. Tita, who had just dispatched a combat operative to follow the servant into the cellar, cast a disdainful look—her contempt directed at Stephanie, who in her eyes was already prepared to conceive. Tita didn't mind her Sovereign having multiple women, but she didn't believe he cared about any of them in particular. Stephanie had clearly misunderstood.
And indeed, their understandings of the situation were quite different.
The Malick family was a master of intrigue, subterfuge, and internal governance. Ever since HYDRA's inception, the Malicks had endured, and Solomon would not let such excellent material go to waste. The Malicks might not achieve eternal life, but their genes would be passed down forever. Once Stephanie completed her work, HYDRA would cease to exist—Malick was HYDRA, and Stephanie's genes were HYDRA. That child would be born in the genetic engineering lab, becoming one of Solomon's most reliable assistants.
Solomon alone would not be enough to face the coming darkness. In the future, there would also be children carrying the DNA of the Round Table Knights, as well as elite guards created from the DNA of countless historical geniuses. Solomon would have many loyal talents and helpers, each as important as his own limbs. Even putting aside threats from the material plane, just one Mephisto already required Solomon to remain on high alert. And beyond that were Marduk (Baal, the First Demon Pillar), Dormammu, Cytorrak, the Beholder, Chthon—monsters from other dimensions.
The pieces against the First Demon Pillar had already been laid; now he was waiting for them to take effect. The Ghost Rider meant to counter Mephisto was currently under tight watch by Kamar-Taj. When the time came, Solomon could deploy the mad angel and exploit certain loopholes in their contracts. Solomon was now preparing for every threat that lay ahead—including his "childhood playmate," Dormammu.
When it came to Dormammu, Solomon had not the slightest sense of ease.
Though he had often entered and exited the Dark Dimension under the Ancient One's guidance, that didn't mean he underestimated Dormammu's power or overlooked the entity's ambition to devour the material plane. All cruelty and conspiracies remained hidden behind the curtain. Dormammu had held off because the Sorcerer Supreme had stood in the way, preventing him from seizing and corrupting Solomon's soul. But that hadn't stopped Dormammu from seeking other means to achieve his goal.
Take, for instance, the woman the Ancient One had always warned Solomon about: Morgan le Fay. [Earth-199999 version]
It was said her physical body was imprisoned by Merlin in Avalon's Castle le Fay, while her astral form now wandered the Dark Dimension, searching for a way to break free. If even a fragment of Dormammu's power were ever pushed out of the material plane, Morgan le Fay would surely be empowered by him and cast into the mortal realm as a tool. It was inevitable that she and Solomon—whose surname was Pendragon—would eventually cross paths.
Outside Castle le Fay stood a New God.
This being wandered Avalon's lands—a weak, post-industrial concept made manifest. A massive, mobile mechanical fortress powered by a captured Celtic deity. Rumor had it that Merlin was connected to the city. Otherwise, the slumbering Gods of Manchester would never have chosen to remain there.
Morgan le Fay was a tremendously powerful arcane master, capable of drawing upon the powers of Dormammu, Chthon, and Mephisto. She was one of the most formidable black magicians in the material plane. Her name was on Solomon's list of future enemies. He didn't mind people using black magic—what he couldn't tolerate were those willing to sell humanity to the Elder Gods. So as long as Morgan didn't go too far, Solomon's tolerance for her was actually quite high. If they could stand on the same side one day, all the better. Even the Ancient One had said that if Morgan le Fay could restrain herself, she might yet be spared.
After all, she was one of the last surviving relics of Camelot. The Ancient One wanted to see as many of those old souls endure as possible.
At the same time, the Ancient One also hoped to witness the birth of children carrying the DNA of the Knights of the Round Table. Even if they would be used as tools in the future, she didn't mind—in fact, she welcomed it. Because it meant the legacy hadn't been broken. The knights of the past had fought for humanity. So would the knights of the future. Always.
The genetic code for the Round Table Knights: Sequence One.
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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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