Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

The Ancient One had reminded Solomon more than once.

"You're a sorcerer borrowing the power of the Vishanti," she had said. "So don't carelessly call upon their name, especially before you've acquired all the rings."

"By the Vishanti…" Wong muttered under his breath, "we're in serious trouble."

Emojie Tuttel was using the spirits she controlled both as weapons and as tools to suppress them. Her ring gave her dominion over the numerous grotesque, oversized spirits now swarming toward them.

Wong tried to punch them away, but his fists were useless. They passed straight through the spirits, leaving him with nothing but a cold, empty sensation. If not for the protective spell that Solomon had cast on him, Wong would have already been possessed or had his soul devoured. Meanwhile, the beams of positive energy Solomon fired from his fingertips were barely slowing down the spirits.

"What are we going to do?" Wong shouted in desperation.

"I don't know…" Solomon admitted, sweat pouring down his face. He had underestimated the power of the British Museum's guardian. Emojie Tuttel could openly wield the full might of the Vishanti's ring, while Solomon had to siphon it in secret. They were on completely different levels when it came to raw magical output.

Suddenly, it was as if a snake had coiled around Solomon's neck, its cold and soft touch sending a shiver down his spine. He felt warm hands brush against his face, and darkness descended over him like the silent wings of an owl. His vision vanished.

"Call my name, child of man," a soft voice whispered in Solomon's ear. "I am the rain, the clear skies, the spring thunder. I am the goddess of cities, of birds, and of serpents. I will be your shield and your spear."

Solomon calmed himself, recognizing the identity of the being contacting him through his education.

"Praise to you, Tritogeneia, the serpent-like, ever-changing dragon," Solomon responded with heartfelt reverence. "I offer olive oil, figs, and a woolen robe in your honor, with the name of the goddess who wields the golden spear."

"In the name of Aetheria, the goddess of the high skies!" Solomon's voice rang out, and suddenly, the divine energy in all the museum's artifacts began to stir as if it were boiling. Wong watched, wide-eyed, as the scene unfolded before him.

A figure, formed of pure divine energy, appeared behind Solomon. She wore an Arcadian-style Greek helmet, carried a long spear, and held a giant round shield. Her towering form barely cleared the ceiling, yet Solomon, still blind, could not see her. He simply continued to recite the prayers, each phrase ringing out like the clash of a bronze spear against a shield.

"In the name of Anemotis, the wind goddess!"

"In the name of Gorgophone, the slayer of Gorgons!"

"In the name of Parthenos, the virgin goddess!"

"I command you! Depart from this realm!"

The divine figure behind Solomon extended her hand, and a surge of divine power swept through the room, shattering the spirits and breaking the chains that had bound them.

Emojie Tuttel stood in disbelief. In her eyes, she was the righteous guardian of this place, upholding the family duty passed down from her great-great-great-grandfather. This responsibility, while burdensome, had also been a source of pride. Controlling the spirits was the Tuttel family's mission, all thanks to the infinite power of the ring...

"Hurry!" As the darkness dissipated and Solomon's vision returned, he shouted to Wong, "Take her ring!"

Without her spirits, Emojie Tuttel was helpless in combat. She had never received any formal magical training, not even the most basic defensive spells. Wong quickly recovered and rushed forward. The elderly Tuttel was no match for him, and he easily pried the ring from her hand.

"No! My ring!" Emojie cried. As soon as the ring left her finger, her magical invisibility faded, revealing her tattered clothes and wild white hair. She now looked like a madwoman, her frazzled appearance bordering on the grotesque.

Grabbing Wong by the hand, Solomon bolted for the museum's exit. As they sprinted out, a small white snake slithered up Solomon's leg, slipping silently into his robes and coiling around his arm with an icy touch.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" a tourist approached Emojie.

"What are you looking at? You can't see me!" Emojie Tuttel's voice cracked with hysteria. The magic that had once sustained her mind was gone, and her age caught up with her quickly. Her skin, already wrinkled, began to shrink and tighten further.

To the tourists, it looked like she was raving.

"I'm the guardian! I'm the only one who can stop you from being destroyed!" Emojie Tuttel shouted, her eyes wild and desperate as she screamed at the people around her, trying to prove that she was a savior bearing the burden of others' sins.

But by now, some of the tourists had taken out their phones and were calling the police.

Out on the street, Solomon and Wong were panting heavily. Wong slapped his broad chest, grinning. "You sure pulled off something amazing there, Solomon."

"Let's hope so, Senior Brother," Solomon replied, lifting his sleeve to reveal the small snake coiled around his forearm. "But everything comes at a price."

Solomon knew that something strange had happened. He hadn't invoked Athena's name, and yet she had appeared. The Greek gods were supposed to have left Earth long ago, so why did one come to his aid? He needed to speak with the Ancient One about this. Until then, his mind would not be at ease.

"So, where to next?" Wong asked, still recovering but smiling with the thrill of their adventure. "Another quest?"

"I think we need a break, Senior Brother," Solomon said, motioning for Wong to tuck the ring into his pocket. "Let's return to Kamar-Taj."

The ring, which Emojie Tuttel had worn, had been altered with unnecessary additions—such as long, decorative fingernails. Solomon planned to give the ring to the Ancient One so she could restore it to its original state. After all, many of the magical artifacts in Kamar-Taj were created by the Ancient One herself, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

But that wasn't Solomon's main concern.

When the Ancient One saw the small snake coiled around Solomon's arm, she signaled for him to remain calm.

"The Celestials haven't been watching Earth constantly," the Ancient One began, pouring two cups of tea. "I already told you why the new gods left. But I never said they couldn't return secretly. Athena is here, as well as Hecate and a few others."

"All of them?" Solomon's eyes widened in shock.

"Not all," the Ancient One clarified. "Too many new gods remaining on Earth would be... crowded. Besides, this isn't the age of godly worship anymore. Humanity now reveres science. Even if a god appeared before them, most would probably think of ways to capture and dissect it.

"I don't dislike this shift, though. Magic is meant for the few, while technology is humanity's true future." She pushed a cup of tea toward Solomon, who drank it in one gulp. The weariness from the intense spellcasting washed away, like grime rinsed from leaves after a summer rain.

"Some of them have returned," the Ancient One continued, "but I suggest you wait until you've gathered all three rings before seeking out this particular one." She pointed at the snake lazily slithering across the table. Oddly enough, both Solomon and the Ancient One could read an expression on the serpent's face—a strange thought, but true nonetheless. The snake looked as if it were saying, "Whatever, do what you want, just don't bother me."

It lazily lifted its eyelids, glancing first at Solomon, then at the Ancient One, before attempting to swallow an orange from the table whole.

"Seems alright," the Ancient One said with a relaxed smile. "I'm not sure why the goddess of wisdom is interested in you, but I doubt it's anything too bad. I've never seen a snake that eats fruit in real life—only in games."

"But... I've never been a guest of a god before... Should I bring an offering? Olive oil, figs, or maybe a woolen robe?" Solomon asked, genuinely unsure of how to proceed.

"This is the 21st century, Solomon," the Ancient One said, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Don't be so old-fashioned. A bottle of wine or some skincare products would be much more appropriate."

With that, Solomon left the Ancient One's chamber, the snake still gripping the orange in its mouth. From a distance, he looked like someone carrying a ball attached to a string.

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