Solomon believed that Natasha Romanoff's genetic code held immense potential, which is why he had made that promise to her. In his future plans, assassins carrying fragments of Agent Romanoff's DNA would become his shadows. Though he intended to include assassination and stealth as part of the training for his future Imperial Guard, their main role was to protect him and fight alongside him on the battlefield—not to achieve covert goals through silent kills.
Thus, Solomon needed to combine genetic engineering and alien technology to cultivate a dagger in the shadows. This dagger would strike at the hearts of enemies from unseen places, saving time and minimizing cost to accomplish objectives that could not be handled publicly. When Solomon revealed part of this plan to her, Natasha Romanoff's expression darkened. She believed Solomon intended to fulfill her wish through cloning—but what she wanted was to carry and give birth to a life herself, not to have it grown in a lab. A gestation pod, to her, was not the same as fulfilling her dream.
Foreseeing this reaction, Solomon had already led her out of the Bodleian Library.
"You can vent your emotions now," he said. "All I can tell you is that this is the method with the lowest cost. Whether we use magic or technology, restoring your organs will require many surgeries. It's a painful process, Natasha. External cultivation is simpler, easier. We could even create a new you—and transfer your soul into the new body…"
The last part made Natasha hesitate.
"A new body? One with intact organs?"
"Yes," the arcane master nodded. "If we use magic, this kind of technique isn't even difficult for Immortal City at this point. All your experiences and memories would remain. In every meaningful way, that version of you is still you. You'd just be switching bodies."
"It sounds too good to be true. So, what's the price?" The spy narrowed her eyes. "You don't want me to just sleep with you, do you? I know what books were on your Eton reading list. The Selfish Gene was one of them."
"You remember those girls from the Sisterhood?"
"Of course. You handled that well," Natasha nodded. "I promised I'd go visit them, though I haven't had the time. Give them my apologies—you know how busy things have been with the Avengers…"
"I have other children," Solomon said, pausing, as though searching for the right words. "They're Syrian war orphans. I had the Sisterhood retrieve them from the battlefield one by one. Don't ask me why Syria—I won't tell you." Strangely, Natasha gave him an approving glance. Sensing something, Solomon suddenly found the next words difficult to say.
"I want you to help train them."
Natasha nodded with a smile. "Like the Sisterhood girls? No problem, Solomon. You did a good thing."
Solomon stared into her gray-blue eyes without speaking. The smile faded from the spy's face.
"Didn't you?" A sense of unease crept into her. "Don't tell me…"
"Yes. Red Room training," he said grimly. "But a thousand times more brutal."
"F*ck you, Solomon!" Natasha Romanoff exploded like a cat whose fur had been scorched. It was the first time Solomon had seen her lose control—but he had expected this. "Don't even think about it!" she shouted, her voice raw with fury, drawing stares from passersby. Shame had no room amidst the tidal wave of anxiety and rage rising inside her. "I will never agree! Dream on!"
Strangely, those who had been about to come closer turned and walked away as Solomon scattered an unknown powder in the air—suddenly remembering pressing matters elsewhere.
"Where is your humanity, Solomon? Are you seriously trying to recreate the tragedy that happened to me in others?" Natasha demanded furiously. "You collected those war orphans just to turn them into tools?"
"Yes. Everyone must sacrifice for the future—including me."
Solomon fell silent for a moment, then gave his definitive answer. It stabbed into Natasha's heart like an ice pick, dragging her from the raging waves of emotion.
"In the future, humanity itself is at stake. Even death can't stop Kamar-Taj from its mission to protect mankind—including myself," he said, his eyes clear. Natasha instinctively sensed he was telling the truth. "We don't have much time, Natasha. All humanitarian concern becomes meaningless in the face of what's coming. I'm not a utilitarian, but utilitarianism is the most practical choice. I know that's not an excuse to sacrifice the few for the many, but I can't turn away from a method that can save most people—perhaps only after the disaster will people realize that sacrificing a few to save many was the right choice. But right now, humans are emotional creatures, trapped in moral dilemmas."
"What did you see, exactly? When did you see it?" Natasha suddenly remembered Solomon's prophetic abilities. She suspected he had known something since childhood. The fact that he'd been preparing for it all these years, through the creation of Immortal City, proved it. "Ten years old? Fifteen? Tell me, Solomon."
"Since birth," he said quietly. "There isn't just one disaster coming. I'm maintaining timeline stability so that we can reduce the number of variables and find a chance to win when it happens."
The flames of Natasha's anger burned out, leaving only drifting ash. She suddenly pitied the boy standing in front of her.
He was like an insect trapped in amber, endlessly struggling against hardened resin, trying to escape a fate he couldn't avoid. He saw too far ahead. Few could truly understand him. People could only misinterpret his intentions through the back he left behind. They couldn't hear the distant cries for help he let out. It was, without question, a tragedy.
"No. That's my answer." She sighed, then took the arcane master's hand and said firmly, "But you can tell me about it. We can solve it together. We still have the Avengers. If you've foreseen a catastrophe that threatens all of humanity, we have to act. Stark will mock you, but he'll find a way. Rogers too. The Avengers are a family. You should join us, Solomon."
"Fate is a slippery thing, Natasha," Solomon said, pulling his hand back with quiet grace. "I've long since prepared myself for this. I'm not so fragile that I need comforting. I won't tell irrelevant people things they shouldn't know. I won't stake our hopes on a few individuals. This is a disaster the entire human race must face. A handful of people and current technology simply aren't enough. This isn't arrogance—I've simply found a viable path to solving the problem. The reason I need your genetic material is to minimize casualties after victory. So… this is your final answer?"
Natasha Romanoff hesitated.
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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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