Although the "Dark Void," as an extra-dimensional being, was already a target hunted by Kamar-Taj, that didn't stop the order from accepting a commission from Kunlun. In exchange for helping to eliminate traitors within Kunlun, some members of Kamar-Taj would be allowed to attend Kunlun's martial arts exchange event. Faced with such a request, the Ancient One didn't even bother to lift an eyelid—something the senior stewards could easily handle didn't warrant any grand gestures.
Truthfully, Kamar-Taj didn't hold much respect for these so-called cultivators who held themselves in such high regard. Especially considering that the self-styled ruler of that demi-plane, who went by the ridiculous alias "The Supreme Heavenly Lord of the Vast Golden Palace, the Natural and Wondrous One, the True and High Celestial Merciful Sovereign of Jade, Pardoner of Sins and Bestower of Blessings, the Great High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament," had done things that were nothing short of disgraceful. It was as if he were completely unaware that the real deities of Taoism still resided in the upper planes known as the Great Luo Heaven.
During the Third Descent of the Celestials, all gods withdrew from the material plane. Every Earth pantheon born after the self-consuming god-eaters retracted their influence from the physical world. It was during that time that Kamar-Taj was officially named, representing the rise of humanity. If the Ancient One truly wished, she could enter that demi-plane—Kunlun's so-called "blessed paradise"—and slaughter all the dragons there. But out of respect for Kunlun's long-standing noninterference in human affairs and their participation alongside Odin in the First Descent War, she decided to leave the honor to Solomon.
The Ancient One had already slain a dragon once—during the crusade launched in her knightly days, aimed at exterminating all extra-dimensional creatures born from the aftershocks of the Third Descent. That dragon had been the white wyrm that bore all of Britain. As for Solomon, he was eager for the chance to slay a dragon—not just out of disdain for those who claimed to inherit immortal arts, but also because of a prophecy brought by Father Morrow.
Maybe Father Morrow's mind had been damaged from years of heavy drinking, but he had once foretold that Solomon would slay a dragon. The dream had been vague, yet Solomon believed it true. Whether the prophecy referred to Kukulkan or the dragons of Kunlun made no difference to him.
Lara Croft, whose fate was intertwined with the feathered serpent god Kukulkan, had already been maneuvered into place as part of Solomon's plan. As for the methods to deal with the dragons of Kunlun, Solomon had yet to set them in motion.
For the sake of humanity's independent evolution, there were always gods that needed to be killed.
Gaia, the Earth Mother, had also had a hand in the Third Descent. One of Kamar-Taj's founding purposes was to prevent Earth-based deities from interfering with human development. Solomon was the perfect tool to achieve that aim, and he didn't mind fulfilling this inherent mission. He asked himself: if his foster mother were to violate the rules set by Kamar-Taj and interfere with humanity, what would he do?
There was only one answer.
He bore the sacred sword. He had no choice. He had to give up things of incomparable value.
The arcanist gathered his scattered thoughts and looked up and down at Matthew Murdock, now clad in a freshly tailored suit. The Dark Void's fate was now tightly bound to the man before him. With that connection, Kamar-Taj could now track the extra-dimensional shadow creature's movements at minimal cost—without resorting to high-level artifacts like the "Cauldron of the Cosmos," which demanded an enormous price for accurate divination. Magic came at a cost, and Solomon was nothing if not a miser when it came to such things.
"That's much better than that cheap suit you had on before. You actually look like a lawyer who defends big corporations now," he said. "Welcome to the world of top-tier tailoring. You're going to fall in love with Scabal."
"I don't think the salary from Nelson & Murdock can cover this suit," the blind lawyer replied, tilting his head as he tried to loosen the overly tight tie. Accustomed to American-style suits, Murdock found the snug British tailoring a bit too restrictive—almost hard to breathe in.
"If you can get me some green chili sauce, I'll get you a more comfortable tie," Solomon said with a smile. "I know a lot of your clients are Mexican immigrants. Not a bad trade, right?"
"Once again, you show off your information-gathering skills, Solomon Damonet."
"And you've shown off yours. You might be the first blind man in the world who can read a nameplate." The arcanist stood and shook the lawyer's hand. "Are you sure you don't want a ride back to Clinton? I've never had anyone ride in my Aston Martin. You've still got bruises on your face—need something to speed up the healing?"
"Thanks, but no. I took some ibuprofen this morning," Matthew Murdock replied kindly, returning the handshake. "I can take the subway. Not many cases at the firm these days anyway… You know, because of the explosion in Hell's Kitchen. I've been meaning to say—your height is absurd."
"Until next time. My maid will give you my contact info. You'll know when it's time to come find me."
"I know. See you around, you strange man."
Only after the lawyer had left did Dana, who had maintained the proper silence of a maid, finally speak. "Master, is this person important?"
Solomon shook his head in denial.
Seeing her confusion, Solomon explained.
"Matthew Murdock is just bait to draw out the Dark Void. Even the stewards of Kamar-Taj can't enter the Shadow Plane to hunt down the demonized shadow creature called 'The Beast.' The Shadow Plane is too vast, and infiltrating it is extremely dangerous," he said. "On the other hand... we're about to pay a visit to Athena's friend—our dear Vanessa. She's currently dating some poor fool. I don't really like her taste in art, but as an old friend, we owe her a proper warning."
"You mean Wilson Fisk?" Dana frowned. As the invisible leader of the Sisterhood, she was naturally aware of all their field encounters. Even Tita often consulted this first-generation artificial human because she had spent the most time with Solomon and best understood how her master thought.
Solomon took the documents Dana handed him. Stephanie had already signed them, but they required Solomon's final approval. Benefits for retired U.S. soldiers weren't always great, so Stephanie had been doing her best to poach talent from the American government—recruiting soldiers into the agency Victoria Hand worked for. The files were ideological screening reports. Once Solomon signed them, those men would have new jobs and be able to support their families.
"He's just a gang boss," the arcanist said, lifting his pinky to express full disdain toward the ever-shifting structure of New York's underworld. New York, being a city of immigrants, was fertile ground for gangs that grew like weeds—kill one boss, and another would replace him. The deal with former mafia boss Elijah was nearing completion. That godfather-like figure, once a teacher of sorts, was about to be cleaned up and enter the intelligence department of the Immortal City under a new identity. The final obstacle to that deal was none other than Wilson Fisk—recently emerging in Hell's Kitchen, already powerful enough to challenge the Irish and Russian mobs. The so-called "Kingpin" had seized control of the human trafficking pipeline, which had caused some trouble for the Sisterhood's operations.
As a result, Elijah had already sent his trusted men to negotiate with Solomon about how to get rid of the newcomer.
"If necessary," the arcanist said, waving his fingers—a silent yet unmistakable implication.
Out of respect for Athena's long-standing friendship with Vanessa, he would offer a warning. But if that warning went unheeded, well—he'd leveled gang strongholds in Manhattan with heavy artillery before.
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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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