"Don't forget to carry out the tracing work. I know the gene lab is busy, and the internal affairs department is busy too, but this is a necessary procedure for discovering future Adapted Individuals. There must be more Adapted Individuals within the bloodlines of the genetically compatible. By referencing population flow and genetic inheritance, we can use these clues to find more genetically compatible individuals in the history of population movements," Solomon reminded. "The simultaneous appearance of two Adapted Individuals with Achaemenid Empire blood is no coincidence. I believe there are more out there. Do your best to locate the bloodlines of settlements lost in the war and collect enough test subjects. Give thanks to the secret techniques of Kamar-Taj—without them, I wouldn't have been able to dig up the remains of Cyrus II from Pasargadae, even if it was just a head."
"So it looks like one of my colleagues will turn out to be Cyrus II? I'm looking forward to working with someone so tolerant, someone who can be called 'righteous.' I hope the new colleague will possess Cyrus II's magnanimity and foresight. But allow me to remind you, there are no archives at that place. All records are passed down by word of mouth," Constantine said with a smile.
He never asked what was so special about these Adapted Individuals, nor did he ever consider why the monarch chose him for transformation. He didn't even question why the records described his ascension as so seamless. Constantine was familiar with every step of the transformation process. Solomon had never hidden anything from him, yet he still knew some things were not meant to be explored.
"I still insist that at least one out of these ten Adapted Individuals will successfully make it through the process of ascension," Constantine said, waving the little fork in his hand that was about the size of a long matchstick. "Call it a hunch—Adapted Individuals with personalities that are more aligned definitely have higher chances of success."
"I don't recall giving you the gift of prophecy when I created you, child. I'm quite sure I didn't throw any hallucinogens into the mechanical womb that day," Solomon said, his humor making Constantine laugh uncontrollably. The Magus pointed to the door. "Don't forget to take care of those boring administrative affairs for me. I'm planning to take a short vacation. If Stephanie asks, just say I'm busy with a project in Kamar-Taj. Oh, and don't forget to bring your lunch. Dana made your portion."
"I'll remember, my lord. I'll tell your personal assistant that the veal steak was delicious," Constantine replied with a smile, stood up, and bowed theatrically with his long halberd in hand. He had no prejudice against the artificial humans or the Sisterhood. He simply believed that the Sisterhood could not fully handle the monarch's security. Poisoning, long-distance sniping, landmines planted along key routes, bribing airline personnel to install bombs on private jets—real assassinations had countless methods that didn't require face-to-face confrontation. In Constantine's view, the Sisterhood could only handle direct confrontations with regular human armies and couldn't deal with covert threats. That was why he had clashed multiple times with Tita and Dana.
"I guarantee no one will find out you're slacking. Please give my regards to the lady of the house."
"Get lost already, you're getting on my nerves."
After Constantine left, Solomon let out a slow breath.
The existence of Adapted Individuals was also the mark he was leaving on history, just like Constantine. Only Adapted Individuals could receive the power and influence of the Stigmata and resonate with his soul. Constantine was, among all the Adapted Individuals, the one with the highest degree of compatibility. He had never told anyone about this—only Maya Hansen had noticed some subtle anomalies through massive genetic sequence comparisons. But even Solomon didn't know what had happened in the past. Perhaps it was an experiment, or maybe something else. Regardless, in terms of physical strength, longevity, and intelligence, the Praetorian Guard far surpassed the Asgardians. This was the result of the gene alchemy used to transform the Guard. In Solomon's heart, he hoped that future humans could become stronger, live longer, and be wiser than Asgardians—essentially become nearly immortal divine beings, like the Praetorian Guard.
But through natural means, not through the forced metamorphosis of gene alchemy and dark technology like the Guard.
As for Thanos' theory, Solomon didn't care at all.
The Malthusian theory of population was a purely mathematical conclusion—scientific, rational, and accurate. But the resources of the galaxy were more than enough for one species to use, not to mention that there were other galaxies to explore and exploit. Even if all of Solomon's plans succeeded, humanity would still need many, many years to exhaust those resources. The heat death of the universe would probably arrive before that day. And even if that day came early, with the technology humans would have by then, they could likely ascend to higher dimensions. There was no need to worry about that at all—by then his mission would be complete, and he could make his exit. If by then, beings higher than the Aesir gods still couldn't make decisions beneficial to the whole species, crying like oversized babies, then it meant humanity was beyond saving, and Kamar-Taj's mission would no longer be necessary.
As for other alien races—that had nothing to do with him.
Unless those alien races could accept human governance and dedicate themselves to the overall ascension of the human species. Completely and totally—none of that "13% of the population causing 50% of the crime" nonsense, nor controlling financial systems and manipulating politicians for their own benefit at the expense of humanity.
The universe is a place where social Darwinism is the law. If a species can't defeat invaders or find suitable planets to colonize, then that species is destined to perish in this survival-of-the-fittest cosmos. Thanos and his fellow Titans ended up as they did because they failed to channel all their strength into exploration, colonization, and obtaining enough resources to feed their population. Honestly, humanity might face the same outcome in the future. The current level of science and technology is utterly inadequate to resist alien invasion. Even the weakest interstellar fleet in the cosmos—the Chitauri bio-fleet—would be impossible for current humanity to withstand if it entered the solar system. After all, a warship's interception system is not just for show—even if half of Earth's population and half of the Chitauri soldiers vanished, Earth would still become a Chitauri colony. The worst-case scenario would be all of humanity becoming slaves and test subjects. Even those who betrayed their species and defected to the aliens would only end up as slightly better-treated slaves.
Even if it meant setting the galaxy ablaze in war, Solomon would never allow that to happen.
With that thought, he accepted the mouthwash Dana handed him.
The Praetorian Guard would be his sword, and he had to create more of them to fend off external threats.
As the first successfully transformed Praetorian Guard (excluding the clones used for experimentation prior to the transformation), Solomon intended to give Constantine a gift—a true divine weapon. A weapon embodying all his current knowledge, and one that could guide Constantine forward. At the same time, he planned to begin drafting the Praetorian Guard's tactical manual, a book that would include tactics, strategy, intelligence gathering, assassination and subversion, protection and patrol, weapon maintenance, and all the skills the Guard would need in the future, combined with his and Constantine's training and combat experiences on alien planets.
But that would have to wait until tomorrow. Today was his day off, and the witch was still waiting for him in the room!
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