Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

The Sorcerer Supreme felt both amused and exasperated at Solomon's attitude. Faced with Athena's request, the Sorcerer Supreme could only reluctantly agree.

She also believed that while young, Solomon should be exposed to many different disciplines. As long as his magical studies weren't neglected, she had no objection to his learning other things. 

The Sorcerer Supreme had to admit that among the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, few had an appreciation for fine arts, especially compared to Athena. Even the Sorcerer Supreme, despite her thousand-year-old existence, was no match for the goddess of wisdom in this respect.

At the main temple in the Himalayas, Kamar-Taj was more practical than artistic. Besides the vast collections of artifacts accumulated over the years from around the world, there was little to reflect the rich cultural and historical heritage of Kamar-Taj.

Even though Solomon's meals were served in Tang dynasty teacups, it didn't change the fact that Kamar-Taj had an incredibly bland aesthetic. The attire of the sorcerers was simple, made of dark, rough fabric, and even the meals at the dining hall were mostly plain—boiled cabbage, mostly. The Sorcerer Supreme was fully aware of why so many sorcerers preferred to head to the Hong Kong Sanctum during meal times.

Athena's gifts, on the other hand, were both meaningful and practical. Pegasus and the Aegis were items that could serve anyone for a lifetime. 

The fact that Athena had bestowed such valuable gifts on Solomon reassured the Sorcerer Supreme to some extent. At least she wasn't worried that Athena would lead Solomon astray.

However, Solomon himself wasn't particularly interested in learning how to fight with shields and spears.

To him, the primary purpose of the Aegis was to defend against attacks that couldn't be blocked by spells like the Shield of Seraphim or the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Unlike Captain America, Solomon didn't see the need to throw a shield around. After all, the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, modified by the Sorcerer Supreme, were already both offensive and defensive. A physical shield felt redundant.

As for Pegasus, Solomon had serious concerns about its safety. If he ever had to ride it, he would make sure to always have a Feather Fall spell ready in case of any accidents.

Although Athena's beauty was undeniable, Solomon found the experience of being around her somewhat uncomfortable.

Not because he harbored any particular feelings for Athena, but because the ancient Greek goddesses, especially Athena, seemed to have little regard for privacy or modesty. They appeared to make no distinction between men and women, and Solomon, still going through puberty, found himself needing to cast the spell Mind of Iron just to keep his focus during their lessons.

Every month, Solomon had to find time to travel to Athena Hill in New York, where he learned sculpture and art appreciation from Athena, performed tricks for the children at her orphanage, and studied mundane subjects like math, biology, chemistry, and physics—standard education for non-magical students.

The Sorcerer Supreme was also quite pleased that Solomon had found a teacher to help him with science.

Alongside these lessons, Solomon had to keep up with the Sorcerer Supreme's assigned curriculum, which included learning various foreign languages, alchemy, and potion-making. Every morning, he had to wake up early to practice defensive arts and study the infinite white magic of the Book of the Vishanti. Solomon often felt that this workload was more intense than his preparations for his high school exams back in the day.

He even believed that his knowledge might surpass that of a seventh-year Hogwarts student preparing for the N.E.W.T.s—if Hogwarts existed in this world, that is.

With such a vast workload, Solomon relied heavily on the Scholar's Touch spell, which allowed him to instantly read and absorb the contents of a book. Without it, he would have hardly any time to eat.

Now, Solomon understood the hardships that great sorcerers faced when they were apprentices.

Solomon now had access to two casting systems: the Vishanti magic and a second system that utilized Vishanti magic to power a Toril crystal wall spell-casting framework. These two systems complemented each other, allowing Solomon to progress rapidly through the lower ranks of sorcery.

Sometimes, when he looked at the three rings on his right hand, he couldn't help but feel astonished. By all rights, the Vishanti should have punished him for stealing their magic, but the Trinity of Vishanti had chosen to forgive him. Solomon could only speculate that this was due to his unlocking of the stigmata, which, in turn, seemed to be connected to the Tree of Life he had seen in his dreams. Unlocking its mysteries was something only he could achieve through further study.

To that end, he had dug into the Golden Dawn's research on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, adding even more to his already overwhelming workload.

If it weren't for his youth, Solomon might have started worrying about his hairline. Thankfully, the Sorcerer Supreme understood the importance of balancing work and rest. She granted him a day off each week, during which he didn't have to face the Dark Dimension or practice alchemy and potion-making. On those days, he was free to sleep in, undisturbed by anyone.

Solomon's dedication didn't go unnoticed at Kamar-Taj. When he presented his newly crafted dimensional bags, no one was surprised—even if the magic was unconventional. It wasn't black magic, after all. It was just that most sorcerers didn't bother learning magic that didn't directly enhance their combat abilities. If they needed something, they could simply open a portal with their Sling Ring.

The Sorcerer Supreme, however, was very pleased with Solomon's progress. It wasn't just the intricate embroidery on the leather bag that impressed her but the fact that Solomon wasn't focused solely on destructive or defensive spells. He was interested in magic as a whole, not just in how it could be used in battle.

This approach made him different from the other sorcerers at Kamar-Taj. For most of them, if a spell couldn't be used in combat, there was little point in learning it. Solomon, on the other hand, wanted to learn every spell he could, whether useful or not, simply because it intrigued him.

This difference in attitude was bound to lead to different outcomes.

In Solomon's mind, a sorcerer should be able to handle any situation. He didn't want to be a battle mage, like a warlock or psion. Those roles were focused on offense and destruction, which had nothing to do with being a true sorcerer.

If someone wanted to dominate the battlefield, modern technology could easily achieve that. Why waste time learning magic for that purpose?

The winter of 2007 passed with Solomon buried in his studies, until the Chinese New Year arrived. For non-Chinese, the holiday might not mean much, and the main temple at Kamar-Taj didn't celebrate it, but the Sorcerer Supreme would always give the Hong Kong Sanctum a break for the occasion.

Solomon was given an extra day off that Saturday, and Wong, the junior sorcerer, came to see him with a special proposal: a trip to New York's Chinatown.

Wong lowered his voice and said quietly, "Studying magic all the time isn't good for you. You're still too young, and the Sorcerer Supreme's expectations are too high. You need to connect with the mundane world more. Not that I'm badmouthing the Sorcerer Supreme, of course! I just don't want you to turn into a bookworm."

Since the Salem incident, Wong had successfully signed his contract with the Vishanti. He now carried himself with a newfound confidence, and no one could doubt his abilities as a sorcerer anymore.

After signing the contract, Wong's magic had advanced rapidly, and he had recently been promoted to a junior steward at the Hong Kong Sanctum. One of the reasons he had come to see Solomon was to show off his newfound skills.

Solomon, grinning, tossed Wong a leather satchel. It was a gift for Wong. He had crafted several dimensional bags, giving one each to the Sorcerer Supreme, Mordo, and himself. This one had been made specifically for Wong, as a token of their friendship and their shared experiences.

Wong was thrilled with the gift. Now that he had a little extra income, he could use the satchel to store his snacks, making it easier to grab a bite whenever he wanted.

"Let's go," Solomon said. "I'll need you to lead the way. I can't wait to get some Sichuan food."

___________________

Read Ahead

[email protected]/Mutter