Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

After the blood was drawn and sealed in a vacuum vial, it could be stored for seven days at a constant temperature of 4°C. Thor's blood samples, however, could last much longer because of his fundamental difference from humans. Even with his divine power sealed by Odin's spell, Thor still possessed an incredibly long lifespan.

Nevertheless, Solomon decided to return to Kamar-Taj and store the blood samples in his own refrigerator. He wasn't some vagabond mage who carried everything with him all the time. Who knew what accidents might happen? He also fastened the rapier Jeanne had gifted him to his waist and informed the Sorcerer Supreme of his actions. To his surprise, instead of being reprimanded, the Sorcerer Supreme showed no reaction and even supported Solomon's idea of letting Earth's military forces clash with Asgard's.

"This is just a small trial," the Sorcerer Supreme said, "a warning to humanity, reminding them to stop squabbling over crumbs on the ground and to look up, climb the blades of grass, and gaze across the field. There are dew drops, winds, and the corpses of fallen animals—things far more valuable than sugar. Humanity may face storms, hunts, and challenges, but the future world will no longer tolerate them being petty. Countless enemies and disasters are already approaching Earth."

"It all depends on how determined Odin is. Maybe he's counting on Thor to explode with one last burst before death. But even Odin can't control everything in such fine detail," the Sorcerer Supreme continued. "Just don't let Thor die. That's the only condition. Earth still needs him. The Nine Realms need him."

"I'll make sure of it, Master," Solomon nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps... you should reach out to Thor," the Sorcerer Supreme hesitated slightly, knowing that Solomon and Thor didn't exactly get along. "It's up to you, no pressure."

"Yes, Master," Solomon bowed before exiting the Sorcerer Supreme's meditation room. He was about to reopen a portal back to Old Bridge Town when Kaecilius spotted him and called out.

Kaecilius looked displeased, with gray stubble reappearing on his face. "I didn't get to attend the parent-teacher conference," he said grumpily, clearly upset about Athena taking his place. "I'm your guardian. Who's that woman?"

"Another guardian the Sorcerer Supreme found," Solomon shrugged. "Are you really upset over something like that? I thought it was because the Sorcerer Supreme didn't take you to Asgard!"

"I'm not some child whining for candy. I've been to Asgard plenty of times," Kaecilius rolled his eyes. "I just want to know why that strange woman is your guardian. I don't trust her."

Since the Sorcerer Supreme hadn't disclosed Athena's existence to anyone else, Solomon couldn't reveal too much. He offered a vague excuse. "She's an acquaintance of the Sorcerer Supreme," he said. "Maybe part of it's because you can't help me with homework anymore."

"Bullshit!" Kaecilius frowned, clearly unimpressed. "Just because of that?"

"Alright, let me ask you—what happens to lithium-ion batteries in cold environments…?"

Kaecilius raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, we can skip that question. The real question is, where are you going? Back for lunch?"

"I'm off to babysit a golden-haired infant," Solomon sighed. "As for lunch, I'll pass. I'm in the mood for Mexican food today. I have a feeling I'll enjoy the green chili sauce."

Nick Fury hadn't used Solomon's information to go directly into town to find Thor, mainly because he wasn't sure of Thor's current mental state. By common logic, Thor was now like an agent whose personal information had been leaked, weaponless and vulnerable. In that kind of situation, Thor would likely feel unsafe. Approaching him directly might backfire.

Thus, Fury opted to "wait for the god to come to his hammer."

He also notified Agent Coulson, instructing him not to harm anyone who might enter the temporary research base. As usual, Fury maintained his mysterious style, not divulging too much information. Coulson understood his boss's rules: don't ask questions you shouldn't.

This gave Solomon the opportunity to enjoy a meal at the only restaurant in Old Bridge Town. He didn't use any illusions to hide his rapier because he figured his strange attire would draw enough attention on its own. If he encountered Thor, it might even reveal his magical identity, something Solomon wasn't keen on flaunting. He was here to eat, not show off.

To his disappointment, the restaurant didn't offer many dishes with a strong New Mexico flavor, but to his relief, they did have green chili sauce. Although his appearance was unusual, it wasn't a reason for the restaurant to refuse him service. The owner didn't stop him from ordering, though the number of dishes he ordered did draw some suspicious glances.

"You're the second person today with such a huge appetite," said Izzy, the waitress, as she placed Solomon's food on the table. She couldn't help but complain about the strange customer she'd served earlier. "A blonde guy ate an entire plate of steak, eggs, and tortillas. His friend barely touched their food. And he broke one of my cups! If it weren't for that girl having been in town for a while, I'd have thrown him out! And Jack and Pete, those cowards, were actually afraid of him!"

"Wasn't it because he was so huge that you didn't start a fight?" said a chubby man sitting at the counter, likely the aforementioned Jack, who looked to weigh at least 350 pounds.

"I'm a woman! You're a man! I've always known you were a wimp, and so are all the other men in this town!" Izzy slammed the coffee pot on the counter, nearly making Jack's plate jump and spill his scrambled eggs. "No more refills for you!"

"Come on, Izzy," Pete whined in a drawn-out voice. "You saw how strong that guy was. My God, it felt like he could lift a car!"

"That's because you're a wimp too!" Izzy marched over to Solomon with his soda. "I could take on three of you!"

"Has that girl been here for a while?" Solomon asked casually. His charm made it easy for people to warm up to him, and Izzy didn't mind chatting with this good-looking customer.

"She's been around for a while. Supposedly, she's an astronomer named Jane Foster. They say she drives out to the desert every night, though no one knows why. There's nothing out there. She's staying with another girl, and all the men in town can't stop staring at her... If only they had the guts to look at me!" Izzy continued, "But some people have seen strange equipment at Smith's Garage. She's staying there, along with an old man who looks like some kind of professor. Oh, right, you wouldn't know about Smith—his wife ran off with someone else after Stark Industries pulled their funding. Things have gone downhill since then. Nobody rents cars anymore, and Smith's wife ran off with some trailer salesman from town."

Izzy was quite talkative, but Solomon didn't mind. One of the perks of using a teleportation spell was that he could travel anywhere, anytime, so he enjoyed learning about local stories.

Izzy kept ranting, "Damn rich people, forgetting about us after they take what they want! I cheered when Stark disappeared! If it weren't for my daughter liking that playboy, I'd have bought fireworks to celebrate! Now half the young people in this town are drug addicts, and the rest have gone to the big cities to work. At least those kids are doing something useful. Even washing dishes in the city is better than wasting away here. Those who stay are ruined—wandering around town all day with no work. And that damn medical marijuana clinic is open all the time. The doctor gives prescriptions for anything. Feeling down? Here, have some weed! It's insane. My daughter talks about wanting to try it all the time! Back in the day, that stuff was illegal. But since 2007, the government's gone crazy, trying to turn everyone into addicts!"

"Your biscuits and gravy are delicious, Izzy," Solomon said, trying to steer the conversation. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"I don't know where you're from, young man," Izzy said, glancing at Solomon's rapier. "Are you from a circus?"

"I'm a wizard, Ms. Izzy," Solomon replied openly, knowing that the truth would be met with disbelief. He quickly followed up with a lie. "I'm just traveling with a friend. When we passed through, we heard about a satellite crashing and thought we'd check it out. I heard your restaurant is the best in town."

"There's only one restaurant in town, kid. No need to butter me up," Izzy huffed, though she clearly appreciated the compliment. More local gossip spilled from her mouth. "You could read my palm if you want. I don't know much about the satellite—let Jack tell you. Jack... Where the hell are you, you coward?!"

——————

Solomon stood at the edge of the crater, looking down at the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. research base. It was night, and the base was brightly lit. Despite the floodlights sweeping across him, no one noticed his presence.

He was waiting.

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