The Martian Foundry was not merely a production site for Solomon's ambitions—building interstellar warships and colossal robots—it had also become the de facto home for any research project deemed too sensitive for Wakanda. Genetic experiments, arcane technologies, advanced artificial intelligence—anything that couldn't be entrusted to Wakandan hands was now under Malbus's direct oversight. With the exception of Maya Hansen's ongoing gene-alchemy work, nearly every project requiring industrial-scale output had been relocated to Mars.
It didn't take long for Shuri, Wakanda's ambassador to the Eternal City, to sense something was off.
Though the industrial facilities within the Eternal City were still running, her development assignments had suddenly dried up. Overnight, researchers from the Eternal City had withdrawn from the joint Wakandan project Ancient Remains, taking with them the most critical material of all—the corpse of a Celestial. These cosmic beings were pure mechanical lifeforms, and their corpses emitted exotic energies and materials from which both Wakanda and the Eternal City had gained tremendous technological insights. Even after prolonged study, the body of such a powerful cosmic entity remained an unsolved enigma. Wakanda believed it could usher in another technological renaissance.
"This is a long-term collaboration, Solomon. You can't just back out unilaterally," Shuri snapped, slamming her hand on the table with such force that the synthetic guards outside the office nearly stormed in, ready to draw blades.
"Many projects have stalled because of this! The Wakandan royal family invested heavily in the Celestial corpse—you can't just pull the plug!"
After several days of rest, Solomon looked more vibrant than before. In response to her complaints, he stuck out his tongue playfully. His expressive demeanor made him seem almost human. The white handkerchief in his suit pocket, marked with a vivid red lipstick print, and the black-violet tie pin were unmistakable touches from the witches—details he quite admired.
"Happy Halloween, Shuri," he said with a wry smile, brushing aside the fake paperwork and revealing an economics magazine underneath. "According to our agreement, the Celestial corpse belongs to the Eternal City. The contract clearly states that Wakanda was only temporarily loaned access. What you've contributed doesn't begin to warrant ownership."
"We're only researching it! The scientific value of the corpse is irreplaceable to Wakanda!"
"Time's up. Learn to appreciate the merciless logic of contract law. I'm acting exactly as the terms dictate." There was no hint of guilt on Solomon's face—as far as he was concerned, this wasn't a conversation with a teenager, but a negotiation with Wakanda's scientific authority.
"I have other plans for that corpse," he added smoothly. "Miniaturized cosmic super-robots aren't exactly easy to come by."
Shuri exhaled sharply, like a dragon ready to breathe fire. As Wakandan princess, she had never been on the receiving end of such disrespect.
"But it's not without compromise," Solomon said, flashing a smile.
Shuri perked up immediately. His tone suggested he hadn't entirely shut down research on the Celestial corpse. Her scientific curiosity—especially for extraterrestrial tech—was impossible to restrain. Like a cat teased by a feather, she couldn't help but pounce.
"Celestial research is now restricted to a select group. I won't let the secrets of the corpse become public knowledge. All related projects are classified and can only take place in a secure location. Wakandans may join—but only those who voluntarily pledge to remain there for life."
After more than an hour of uninterrupted negotiation, Shuri and Solomon reached a partial agreement. Both sides compromised, albeit grudgingly. This time, Shuri was careful—she demanded they draft a written contract first and modify it clause by clause.
"I'll convey your conditions, Solomon. Then we'll speak again. Not my brother. Not my father. Just me. I know what you want. I'll help you build your war machines—if you give me access to more of your classified projects."
"Congratulations. You've made the wise choice. As long as that knowledge isn't shared with Wakanda, your terms are acceptable to me." Solomon was content as he metaphorically dropped another fish into his basket. He'd been waiting in the office all morning for this bite, and now it had landed.
Despite how much he valued her, Solomon had no intention of sending Shuri to the Martian Foundry. That operation remained strictly off-limits, its secrecy paramount. But Shuri's talents—her brilliant mind and innovation—were worth more than the five tribal councils of Wakanda combined. Even more than the Black Panther, blessed by Bast. For Solomon, her loyalty was worth at least three sky-carriers.
Mars' Olympus Foundry was still under construction, and for now, the burden of high-tech development had to fall on Earth. Shuri was crucial to that. Her expertise could be directed toward Solomon's Knowledge Injection project—because he wasn't foolish enough to believe a few weeks of education could transform war-torn Middle Eastern illiterates into spaceship engineers. Standardized augmentation through brain-machine interfaces and biochemical enhancements would be the only path forward. As Solomon had said to Malbus: Mars would not house useless mouths. Natural selection was simple, brutal, and effective.
Under the pressure of labor and discipline, those illiterate recruits would abandon their useless religions and embrace the power of science. Solomon had complete confidence in Malbus's methods—after all, the Fifth Demon Pillar was the offspring of an ancient god and had spent two thousand years in the lower planes building obedient organizations.
And Solomon still needed soldiers—many of them. With industrial-scale output and authoritarian rule, once the Martian Foundry was operational, Solomon would become the most powerful warlord in the solar system in mere years. Until orbital platforms were complete, his Eternal Navy remained the only fleet in the system capable of interstellar travel. The only true space navy. And their first adversary would be none other than Thanos the Mad Titan.
Thanos's reputation across the universe stemmed not only from his personal combat prowess but from the terror of his Black Order—a horde of gene-enhanced, death-defying war beasts and pirate fleets. Having assimilated the Chitauri raiders, his numbers had swelled to monstrous proportions. Outer regions of many interstellar civilizations had no means of defending themselves against a force that appeared and vanished at will. By the time fleets mobilized, Thanos had already disappeared.
And his so-called victories? Those were against fledgling civilizations barely out of their home planets. Against true space empires—like the Kree or Shi'ar (not counting Xandar, which Solomon derisively categorized as soft, democratic, and capitalist)—the Black Order, without the Infinity Stones, couldn't even crack their internal defenses.
But for Earth, Thanos posed a catastrophic threat.
No violent war on Earth could halve the population as quickly or as efficiently as Thanos's plan. It was a wanton waste of humanity—an existential threat to civilization itself. Solomon would never allow him to obtain the Infinity Stones, nor to extinguish human lives with a snap.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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