Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 850 Tempering the Mind (Second Update)

It was entirely expected that Salomon would not be able to meet Stephen Strange the first time, but he was not in a hurry.

If the car accident was Strange's first setback, Salomon wouldn't mind bringing another one sooner. For example, he could appoint Christina Palmer to the hospital's management team, overseeing Stephen Strange's medical projects. Perhaps this would at least curb the arrogance of this foolish fellow—if it weren't for the need for an easily controlled figure like Strange to claim the title of Sorcerer Supreme, Salomon would prefer a more competent, responsible, and intelligent individual. He'd heard there was a very skilled and meticulous private investigator in London (shh!), and Salomon happened to have a business card he'd obtained from a taxi driver years ago, with a phone number that could contact that investigator.

If all else fails, he still has the Silver Key. Salomon has already chosen the next Sorcerer Supreme, and even if Stephen Strange in this world is a complete failure, Salomon can find a replacement: a blonde girl named Iliana Nikolaevich Rasputin, nicknamed Magik. He's not just looking for the Sorcerer Supreme, but also an assistant who can provide help. However, if possible, Salomon still wants to avoid cross-dimensional abduction as much as possible, so he must carefully examine Stephen Strange's talents and mind, and before bringing him to the Sanctum Sanctorum through Kamar-Taj's underhanded means, try to instill a sense of responsibility in his mind.

However, judging from the current situation, this annoying guy is unlikely to possess the qualities of "responsibility." Therefore, the car accident was necessary; the Venerable One had to subject Strange to hardship to temper him. Salomon wasn't a fan of hardship, but it's undeniable that hardship can forge the spirit. "Therefore, when Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it will first afflict their mind, exhaust their muscles and bones, starve their body, empty their resources, and thwart their endeavors, so as to strengthen their resolve and increase their abilities."

Although Salomon himself didn't think much of it, he had endured much torment that most people couldn't bear, both mentally and physically. Even the smallest of these trials—getting up before dawn for over a decade to practice martial arts and read—required a level of willpower that not everyone could possess. Not to mention the many things he encountered after taking on responsibilities; simply knowing his own true nature allowed him to ensure he followed the principles taught to him by the Venerable One.

The Sorcerer Supreme did not use any spiritual reshaping techniques on Salomorn.

Even without any prior warning, the Venerable One bluntly showed Salomon, who had just awakened in the dungeon, all his possibilities, some of which were so terrible they were physically disturbing—if he hadn't been adopted by Kamar-Taj, he might have gone mad because of the Stigmata, been swallowed by an outer dimension, or been thrown into some unknown corner of the timeline due to the Stigmata going out of control. Even if he were to live in some unknown era on Earth, he would most likely die from malnutrition, gunshot wounds, or at St. Elizabeth's Asylum. Such things, if they happened to an ordinary person, would likely cause that person to undergo a drastic personality change or become despondent, but for Salomon, it was like a thin layer of dust on a book, unable to affect his mind or change his behavior.

This mental state was far from ordinary, something Nick Fury saw from the start. Salomon was also self-aware; he knew this was a necessary state before shouldering heavy responsibilities. Only by gradually eroding his emotions and desires could he take on the future he desired. There were no happy endings; this world didn't follow Disney's script. Regardless, he was off work; that damned Stephen Strange could be put aside. Salomon sat punctually at the dining table in the Witch's Apartment in New York, shutting out all the aftermath of the Battle of Finnbowent behind the apartment door, patiently waiting for Dinah to bring dinner to the table.

After experiencing the Battle of Finnbowent, the witch completely let go of her inner turmoil, the only aftereffect being excessive drinking.

When Salomon returned home, his liquor cabinet was more than half empty. He had nothing to complain about, because this was the only happy ending he could achieve in all his timelines, and a few minor aftereffects really didn't matter. Before the main course was served, Joan of Arc shoved a large glass of sherry into his hand and watched him drink it.

The next morning, Diana happily changed the damp sheets and began her familiar daily routine.

But no matter how much Salomondo tried to downplay the impact of the Battle of Finnbowent, the people he needed to contact still came.

"I've been looking for you for a long time," Tony Stark said immediately. "What do you want to say about the situation in Kazakhstan?"

"Here, inside the bar?" Salomon looked around.

The bar's decor was quite retro, reminiscent of the 1980s and 90s. Game consoles and record players sat in a corner, and a dusty disco ball hung from the ceiling. This kind of American country-style bar usually didn't have many customers; even the bartender looked listless. The way he wiped the glasses with a dirty rag suggested it would struggle to stay afloat without external funding. Salomon had come after receiving the invitation, without any prior investigation, but he could still guess that this might be one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s former meeting points and transit points, even noting the bartender's muscular physique beneath his clothes.

"In a bar full of agents with guns, I don't see anything good about the combination of bullets and whiskey. If you have something to ask me, I can use what little patience I have left to explain, but don't use the Christmas party excuse. If I hadn't stopped my security personnel from clashing with these agents, no matter how many people you brought, they would have been killed."

"Okay, you're a big shot now, with bodyguards." Stark scoffed. "These guys were all placed by Agent Hill, it's not my business. They're mainly responsible for my security. I'm not interested in what you've done, but I want you to know the consequences of your actions. Do you know that the earthquake caused several oil refineries to shut down, and that oil prices in Kazakhstan skyrocketed? Do you know how many lives you've destroyed?"

"I know, it's necessary, at least they're still alive." Salomon didn't touch the glass on the bar. "As for all your questions, I can only answer 'no comment'."

"What if I insist that you tell me?"

"Then I'll officially ignore your application." Salomon rubbed his temples. Last night's drinking had caused some aftereffects, but not too serious; he'd even tried Bayonetta's family's secret hangover cure. "If things were serious enough that I had to blow up a mountain, do you think I'd tell you? Besides, I believe your inquiries are solely due to the White House's demands, aren't they?"

"You guessed it?"

"Let me ask you again, have you already reconciled with the Rockefeller family and are planning to jointly develop new energy sources?"

"You can see this on the news."

"You call yourself a tycoon, Tony Stark? You haven't improved a bit. All you've got is the Rockefeller family trying to figure out why the oil company that Standard Oil and the family of the former president of Kazakhstan jointly established stopped operating." Salomon stood up, patted Stark on the shoulder, and said, "You're getting worse, Tony Stark. You want to atone for your sins, but your sins are too great for you to repay alone."

Please vote for me!

I took my cat to get vaccinated, so the update is late. Sorry!

(End of this chapter)