The conflict was bound to erupt sooner or later, and only by staying out of it could one intervene at the right time and steer events toward the desired outcome. Even if he wasn't interested in the conflict, the Arcanist had no desire to involve himself in that cesspool of a dispute. Besides, he had matters of his own to attend to. The prophesied date of the Feathered Serpent God Kukulkan's resurrection was drawing near, with a margin of error no greater than ten years.
Aztec deities, too, were beings born of ancient divine blood. In the face of a creature that had once borne the title of god and was obsessed with blood sacrifices, everyone at Kamar-Taj remained on high alert. Only the Ancient One and Solomon, who could also see the future, seemed less tense—because Solomon had already grasped the pattern of Kukulkan's return: Lara Croft. He needed time to prepare for the coming dragon-slaying and leaving New York was not a difficult decision to make under such circumstances.
Solomon agreed to the request to keep a low profile and promised Agent Hill that he would live a quiet life and refrain from any "illegal" activities—the "illegal" here referred to actions that defied secular law, such as unauthorized border crossings or unlicensed killings of enemies. Although Agent Hill was skeptical, she had no way of restraining an Arcanist, so she had to take Solomon at his word. She told him that his purchase of a manor hadn't escaped the Avengers' intelligence network, and that while moving to Oxfordshire might mean detaching himself from New York's vortex, it didn't mean no one could keep an eye on him.
That's what she said, and then Solomon sent his assault transport vessel to destroy former S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites, now turned U.S. military spy satellites. Although Agent Hill knew Solomon was involved, she had no evidence to protest with—because she had no idea that Solomon possessed the capability to operate in outer space. Even the U.S. military believed it to be a rare meteor event. Their radar systems couldn't detect the heavily modified gunship designed for special operations, nor could they detect the actions of the Immortal City hacking into the military's Starlink system.
This wasn't because the U.S. military was incompetent, but because the Immortal City had access to technology far beyond this era.
Until Earth fully digests the technology taken from the Chitauri, most alien races capable of leaving their home planets could still inflict catastrophic damage on the now-disunited Earth. So-called superheroes, lacking organization, discipline, and sufficient numbers, were incapable of changing anything. If the National Guard had been able to enter Manhattan during the Battle of New York and the military had reacted swiftly with armed helicopters, perhaps the Avengers wouldn't have been needed at all.
The Avengers were merely an emergency response unit, a role defined by Nick Fury. And that's exactly what they were. Take one example—after Stark shut down his weapons division, all weapons he developed followed one principle: they had to fit inside the Iron Man suit. Costly, compact, and less effective than a single tank shell. This isn't to dismiss the value of powered exosuits entirely, but rather to highlight the difference in intended purpose. That's why Solomon discarded Stark's high-tech aesthetic frills and instead equipped his powered armor with thick plating, weapons, and energy packs, maximizing the armor's ability to enhance a soldier's combat capacity.
Solomon also owned a set of powered armor, though his was not forged by dwarves. Instead, it was a black power suit created with combined technology from Wakanda and the Immortal City. Aside from the eagle crest spread in flight, the armor bore no markings.
In the newly renovated master bedroom of the manor, the witch sat in a soft chair, bathed in the warmth of the afternoon breeze. She wore a thin white nightgown, and her long hair—somehow already regrown—piled over her shoulders like the distant storm clouds beyond the window. Ravens flew away from the approaching storm; muffled thunder and the scent of damp rain slowly swept in from the gray horizon. Dana stood silently by her side, holding a thermos.
The fireplace crackled quietly as the witch opened the window for some fresh air. But unexpectedly, the air outside was just as heavy. She couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation toward Solomon for insisting on moving to England—especially after seeing his current state.
"What is this?" Bayonetta asked irritably, pointing at two round metallic discs on Solomon's chest. She quickly noticed more of them—on his thighs, arms. These silver discs were embedded deep beneath his skin and would've gone unnoticed had Solomon not taken off his clothes.
"A minor surgery, darling." The Arcanist walked over, placing his hands on the witch's shoulders as he began showcasing the Immortal City's latest technological achievement.
Stark's Iron Man suit operated via force feedback. Even though he could receive signals through subcutaneous implants and respond via pre-installed subroutines, his armor still relied on force feedback. That worked fine for Tony Stark, but for Solomon and his genetically enhanced warriors, it wasn't nearly enough—their movement speed far surpassed that of normal humans.
Compared to force-feedback systems, neural-direct control for powered armor offered much faster response times. If they wore ordinary powered suits, the joint motors would likely break down from being unable to keep up. To solve this, he needed devices capable of detecting neural signals, and that's what the things on Solomon's body were—preliminary surgical implants for neural-linked powered armor, developed jointly by Princess Shuri and Maya Hansen.
This was originally Wakandan technology, shelved due to lack of application. After Shuri revived it and modified it, she finalized the surgical procedure together with Maya Hansen's biotech lab. Under Solomon's authorization, they employed a particularly dangerous symbiote, which, after magical treatment, yielded the surgical material they needed. With the help of high-tech robotic arms, they completed the entire process in half a day. The incisions healed quickly—Solomon bled even less than he would've from a paper cut.
"Armor only dulls magical perception. You're just making spellcasting harder for yourself!" Bayonetta lowered her gaze and picked up the book she had just set down. She adjusted the fallen strap on her shoulder, saying nothing about how she'd spent an hour checking and confirming the number of implants on Solomon's body.
"Trust me, that won't be a problem." Solomon winked. "Though I do want to see how the witches cast their spells. Where's Jeanne? Weren't we supposed to wait for her today?"
"She went shopping in London, Master," Dana answered, calm as if she hadn't just witnessed the witch and Solomon's flirtation. "Two combat personnel are accompanying and transporting her. Shall I contact the security team to coordinate?"
Bayonetta blushed for once. "Don't tell anyone. It'll make me look greedy."
"Ahem, Dana, I need you to arrange for someone to store the powered armor I brought back into the armory."
The maid glanced at the witch, obediently accepting the command meant to send her away.
"Shall I close the door, Master?"
"Of course!"
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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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