Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

Lorna's parents were completely ordinary, without any special genes or abilities, yet the little girl in Solomon's arms had extraordinary powers due to a genetic mutation. According to Athena's examinations, the gene mutations in these children were unstable, sometimes appearing and sometimes not. Eventually, these mutations would disappear entirely.

Solomon believed this was the result of interference from parallel worlds, leading to multiple realities converging. Before this realization, he had always wondered: Where did the mutants go? Now he understood—they didn't exist in this world. The children Athena had taken in were likely parallel-world counterparts to mutants. If not, the source of their genetic mutations and abilities would be hard to explain.

Especially Lorna Dane—Solomon knew her name because, in another world, she was known as "Polaris." Without her powers now, it was perhaps for the best, allowing her to live a peaceful life under Athena's care. Of course, it didn't rule out the possibility that, due to a more stable form of interference, some mutants might emerge, particularly those with incredible power—like the Scarlet Witch. With his newfound understanding of parallel world interference, these children became a point of observation for Solomon, adding purpose to his life.

At least this allowed him to mentally distance himself from his classmates, many of whom had colorful parasitic entities perched on their heads.

Solomon's daily schedule was as follows: After breakfast, he would don the casual clothes handpicked by the Grandmaster (who had great taste) and be driven to school in London by Kaecilius. At 3 PM, after school, he would go to Athena's apartment for art lessons and check on the children. In the evening, he would have dinner with Bayonetta and Jeanne at their shared apartment (where he could pet the cats). Afterward, he would study magic, and before bed, he'd put on his lamb-themed pajamas and visit Dormammu in the Dark Dimension to say goodnight. Though Dormammu was always enraged, Solomon had long forgiven him.

Since Jubileus had been completely destroyed, angels rarely visited Earth anymore, and even when they did, they were just minor players. This left Bayonetta and Jeanne with a lot of free time. Jeanne found a job as a primary school teacher in New York, while Bayonetta became a nun for the financially struggling Lagrna Order, focusing on funeral services. With the witches having more leisure time, Solomon lost one of his few opportunities for adventure. Seizing this chance, the Grandmaster ordered Solomon to focus on school and get good grades. As for other tasks at Kamar-Taj, the Grandmaster didn't want him involved for the time being.

In this relatively uneventful year (where Solomon even started naming the extra-dimensional bacteria on his classmates' heads), Solomon lived a typical student's life—studying and taking exams. Yet, the magical world's influence seeped into every aspect of his existence. His thinking speed, for example, was much faster than most, and his grades were so outstanding that he qualified for the EU's Youth Science Competition.

Yes, a science competition. Science and magic weren't inherently incompatible, as the technological advancements in the Inner Sea world were driven by magic. Power armor, for instance, represented the pinnacle of personal protective technology. Although powered by magic in that world, Solomon had managed to replicate some of it using batteries. After reviewing some of his inherited memories, Solomon recalled parts of a technomancer's knowledge.

To fulfill the Grandmaster's command, Solomon reluctantly created a fairly useless gadget—a chemical analyzer. It was a handheld device with a retractable rod and a nozzle on one end, capable of quickly identifying synthetic drugs, poisons, and chemicals with high accuracy.

In the hands of an expert, it could be incredibly useful. However, it was useless for analyzing magical potions, which is why Solomon considered it pointless.

Nevertheless, the gadget received high praise from professionals, and the technology behind it earned Solomon an award. During the photo op, Solomon forced a smile, disliking the way capitalists pointed and whispered about him. It reminded him of his days as a lamb awaiting slaughter in the financial world. Around this time, Tony Stark, having taken an interest in the future of science, became one of the competition's judges.

"Interesting idea, Mr. Damonet," said the billionaire as he approached Solomon in a private lounge. This was Solomon's first encounter with Tony Stark. But to Stark's surprise, Solomon didn't seem particularly excited to see him, though Tony didn't mind.

Shaking the analyzer in his hand, Stark said, "I've tried taking this thing apart, but I've never seen technology like this. You did this all on your own? And you wear all those rings while working?"

"It's just a small gadget, nothing impressive. It's nowhere near your level of achievement," Solomon replied. "And yes, I made it while wearing these rings. It wasn't difficult."

Solomon wasn't exaggerating. Tony Stark's Iron Man suit contained numerous technologies far beyond modern science. Whether it was the electric propulsion system or the shock absorption design, everything was top-notch. Stark's ability to miniaturize these technologies and integrate them into his suit was a remarkable achievement.

Solomon's compliment seemed to lift Stark's mood a bit, but the anxiety on his face lingered.

"What's the cost?" Stark asked, attempting to mask his concern.

"Fifty pounds of gold," Solomon replied without looking up, continuing to pack his things. He knew why Stark was anxious—his palladium poisoning—but Solomon showed no interest in the problem, knowing Stark would solve it on his own.

"Gold? That's an ancient unit of measurement. But if mass-produced, I'm sure the cost could come down quickly. This could hit the market soon," Stark said with a twinkle in his eye. "You're about to enter high school. Have you thought about which university you want to attend? Would you be interested in joining after you graduate?"

"No, Mr. Stark," Solomon said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he headed for the door. "Like I said, it's just a small gadget, a product of a fleeting whim."

"But you could do more, couldn't you?" Stark persisted. "Your accomplishments are just shy of what I was doing at your age. At Stark Industries, you could achieve so much more. The world's future needs scientists like you."

"I don't think you understand me, Mr. Stark," Solomon turned, his face expressionless. "Science is just a passing interest for me. I have no desire to advance human technology. I did this because my teacher asked me to. Besides, you're not short on researchers."

"I can give you the patent!" Stark offered.

"You can have it," Solomon replied. "I don't care."

"I've never met someone stranger than me," Stark muttered as he watched Solomon leave the lounge. Not far from the door, Solomon saw a red-haired woman in business attire approaching from the other end of the hallway. He deliberately avoided looking at her and passed her by without a second glance.

It was Natasha Romanoff, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent assigned to monitor Tony Stark's health and conduct psychological evaluations. Solomon didn't want to draw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention, so he avoided her.

Natasha turned her head, watching Solomon's retreating figure. She had briefly reviewed his file earlier—Solomon Damonet, born on Christmas, parents unknown, guardian listed as a widower (Kaecilius), though evidence suggested the two had no real relationship. The suspicious background alone prompted Natasha to hurry over when she learned that Stark had met with him alone. Solomon's behavior only deepened her doubts.

After all, Solomon hadn't undergone any counter-surveillance training, making his actions and expressions awkward and unnatural. For a teenage boy to avoid even glancing at a beautiful woman could only mean two things: either he was shy, or he recognized her and didn't want to draw attention. And since Natasha hadn't seen Solomon blush, the latter seemed more likely.

For now, she suppressed her suspicions. The most important task was to assess Tony Stark's condition. Once she had some free time, she planned to dig deeper into Solomon Damonet's background through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database.

---

"Are you serious?" Solomon asked, his voice full of doubt. "You want me to attend Eton? What's next, Oxford? Are you planning for me to become a civil servant in Whitehall?"

"Actually, the Grandmaster doesn't mind what you choose for your future," Mordo said. "As long as you don't reveal the secrets of magic, you're free to do whatever you want. I think school will help refine your mind. Besides, once you graduate, you won't even need to work."

"Thanks, Mordo," Solomon replied sarcastically. "Full-time school, seriously? I can't even practice magic there. Do you expect me to read spellbooks in a dormitory full of regular students? I've spent years only able to use small tricks, and now that my magic has taken off, you want to stunt my progress?"

"But the Grandmaster wants you to attend a good school," Kaecilius, sitting nearby, added. "For some reason, she seemed very pleased that you won that competition. Now it seems she wants you to beat even more opponents."

Solomon had a sense of what the Grandmaster was thinking. As a Celt, she still harbored some resentment toward the Anglo-Saxons, who were the dominant group in Britain, along with some Vikings. She probably wanted Solomon, an Israeli or Hebrew, to make the Saxons taste defeat again.

It was one of the Grandmaster's quirks. Having lived so long, she was entitled to her whims. But it was a bit

 laughable that Solomon was the one to fulfill them. After realizing this, Solomon sighed.

"I'll talk to her," he said. "I'm sure she'll understand."

"I hope so," Kaecilius said, though he had also opposed the idea of Solomon completely detaching from the magical world. That was simply impossible. Now that Solomon's spellcasting abilities were rapidly advancing, the Grandmaster had him transcribe several spells into Kamar-Taj's library. Many apprentices were now studying his copies of spells like Sleep, True Strike, Misty Step, Magic Missile, Feather Fall, and Jump. These spells had become part of the core curriculum, and Solomon's reputation had soared. Some had even begun whispering that Solomon might be the next Sorcerer Supreme.

Thankfully, the idea of sending Solomon to a boarding school was a misunderstanding. The Grandmaster had only mentioned it in jest, but Mordo, being stubborn, had taken it seriously. When Solomon confronted the Grandmaster, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.

"You met Tony Stark today?" the Grandmaster asked.

"Yes, Teacher," Solomon replied.

"And? How was he?"

"What do you mean?"

"His character," the Grandmaster said, handing Solomon a bottle of orange soda, clearly having raided his fridge again.

"Flippant," Solomon answered.

"Don't be in a rush. He needs time to grow," the Grandmaster said. "And so do you. Have you decided on the path your magic will take?"

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