Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1163 Awakening (Second Update)

When Frigg and Odin mention Salomon, they don't use the word "Solomon," but rather the pronunciation of a very ancient deity from the Canaanite and Levantine civilizations—El, the supreme god of the pantheon, or simply Elohim. In Northwestern Semitic languages, the sound "El" can refer to any god or specifically the supreme god. Many words in the Hebrew Bible have roots related to this sound, such as Israel and Ishmael, until it was replaced by the sound "Yah" from Yahweh after Exodus. Furthermore, Elohim is the plural form of Eloha, referring to the concept of God and sometimes also to extraterrestrial beings.

Regardless of how the Sorcerer Supreme concealed his disciple's origins, Odin, having lived through the most ancient period of the War of the Gods, was certain of Salomon's connection to Elohim. Furthermore, the strange phenomenon Frigg observed when examining Salomon's lifelines—the closer to the future, the more ancient the depiction of the lifelines—led Odin and Frigg to their speculation over a decade ago that Salomon was connected to Elohim, the supreme god of the Pantheon. Their investigation into the secret of Salomon's true name uncovered some unspeakable truths. However, even powerful spellcasters as wise as Odin and Frigg could not comprehend the true meaning of the word "Elohim," which only specifically signifies an extraterrestrial being.

The Aesir's hostile work against Salomon was abruptly halted only after the Sorcerer Supreme issued a direct warning and cast the most powerful spell on his disciple's true name for protection. Even now, Odin and Frigga secretly refer to a portion of Salomon's name as Elohim to avoid the spell and to subtly refer to him.

The Sorcerer Supreme never told Salomon about the malice the Aesir harbored towards him over a decade ago, and it remains so now. Because there's no need. Someone as intelligent as Salomon could easily guess from the Aesir's behavior that if the Aesir hadn't been helpless against him and Kamar-Taj, and powerless against Ragnarok, they would never have allowed someone as unconventional and capable of breaking the deadlock to exist.

The Venerable One circled the furnace that had been cast into the shape of a lion's mouth.

Although this device has an extremely beautiful classical appearance, it is essentially a Z-pulse power device, one of the prototypes used to explore nuclear fusion pulse generator technology. After the Immortal City collected data and built its own controllable nuclear fusion power plant, the original experimental equipment was modified into industrial equipment.

Today, this equipment, which uses transformer oil and deionized water as insulators, can reach a core temperature of 20 billion Kelvin once it is turned on. Even with ample insulation, the servitors of the industrial equipment installed near the forging furnace have to be equipped with protective plates and cooling systems to withstand such high temperatures. Due to the advanced materials science, the flashover phenomenon (discharge along the surface of a solid insulator when the gas or liquid dielectric around the solid insulator breaks down) that would normally occur under high voltage has not occurred, which is why these servitors have not been damaged and can operate for extended periods of time.

The waves of heat and steam billowing from the forge had no effect on the Sorcerer Supreme. He stopped with interest before the forge, watching Gungnir, submerged in pure water and enveloped in countless lightning bolts, through his thick, ablative armor. Despite the extreme heat, Gungnir, which resembled an Iron Age weapon, remained completely still, as if the terrifying plasma were as gentle as a flowing stream. Only golden specks of light, seemingly appearing from nowhere, slowly rose, gradually stripping away the spear's disguise and restoring its metallic sheen. All of this was hidden by the thick armor plates, invisible to anyone but the Sorcerer Supreme.

The man in charge of all this paid no attention to what was happening in the forge, nor did he show any impatience due to Gungnir's changes, because everything that was happening in the forge was within his expectations. He was shirtless, sweating profusely, carving symbol after symbol on the black marble floor of the forging hall.

"You might as well increase the power a bit more." The Sorcerer Supreme straightened up and said sarcastically, "I remember this equipment can reach 40 billion Kelvin, which is more advanced than the facilities at Sandia National Laboratories. It should be able to melt this spear."

"I never intended to reforge Gungnir this way; this is to awaken it."

Salomon didn't look up, continuing to kneel on the ground and carve runes almost invisible to the naked eye with an electric scalpel heated to thousands of degrees Celsius. His eyes were red from the toxic fumes, and he only looked up occasionally to replenish his fluids and electrolytes. Each time he completed a rune, a short, red-hot phrase emanating a foul magma odor would be left on the floor of the forging hall. These phrases could be blessings, protections, or curses, while in the center of the hall was the singularity symbol representing the Big Bang (arrows extending in eight different directions), symbolizing the beginning and the end of all things.

"I promised Odin that Asgard would continue, but only in my way," he said. "There will be no more Odin, Thor, Loki, Frigga, no more Jormungandr the Cosmic Serpent, Fenrir the Great Wolf, and Hela. Everything will be given new names and new myths. To other humans in the future, it will seem like incurable superstition, but it will still be fulfilling the covenant, because the spirit of Asgard will continue."

"Odin anticipated this possibility," said the Sorcerer Supreme. "What did he say?"

"After I killed all the Valhalla warriors in his illusion, he could only nod and give me everything I wanted." Salomon gasped, blowing on his fingers that had been burned by the electric knife. This was a job risk; as a skilled and self-sufficient spellcaster, crafts such as sculpting, sewing, painting, and gardening were essential skills for him, and working with advanced equipment was commonplace.

"If I had the experimental data on the Rainbow Bridge from Asgard, perhaps my work could be shortened by thousands of years. You also told me that the branches of the World Tree are not a physical entity, but the Rainbow Bridge itself. Therefore, I think the key to unlocking the secret of the Rainbow Bridge might be Gungnir. Odin thought I wanted to use the Rainbow Bridge in the same way as the Aesir, but the secret of the Rainbow Bridge is not that simple. I don't believe that the love story of two wizards created the Rainbow Bridge."

"You always think with a rational mind when it comes to romantic stories. How could Bayonetta and Joan of Arc tolerate you living this long?" The Venerable One found a chair and sat down. Stephen Strange had already woken up in the hospital. The first thing the Venerable One did upon arriving in the Immortal City was to inform his disciple of this news, instructing Salomon to prepare in advance and review previous contingency plans. In fact, Stephen Strange didn't have much savings and needed to pay off a large mortgage every month. Because his previous income was quite high, a few surgeries were enough to pay off his monthly share, so he had no concept of savings and instead spent his money on luxury goods.

Now, Stephen Strange's hands have lost their former function. Following the accident, the insurance company deliberately delayed negotiations regarding compensation and medical expenses. Soon after losing his income, Stephen Strange will be trapped in a vicious cycle, no different from the plight of homeless people on the streets. The Sorcerer Supreme sought out Salomon to use his street connections—specifically, his connections with Athena's side and Fisk Wilson (Kingpin)—to prevent Stephen Strange from being driven to despair and committing suicide, or from becoming addicted to illicit drugs.

Athena agreed to help, and she gave Salomon the contact information of a luxury goods buyer.

Not all members of high society treat luxury goods as disposable items; some simply want to fit in, which is why the secondhand luxury goods market has always been thriving. After some negotiation, Stephen Strange was able to offer a good price when he began selling his luxury goods.

Fisker Wilson also reached an agreement with Salomon after receiving a phone call while in prison.

He issued a stern warning to all drug dealers in New York: no one was allowed to sell Stephen Strange any drugs, or they would be crushed in the head by a car door (a street legend of Fisker Wilson). In exchange, Fisker Wilson was able to use his official connections to be granted medical parole and leave prison early to return to Manhattan to continue his career as a crime tycoon (the black glove of high society).

"Will you call the witches and tell them I'm visiting today?" the Sorcerer Supreme suddenly asked. "Will you tell the maids what I want to eat?"

Salomon's movements suddenly became sluggish.

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(End of this chapter)