Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

Up until now, Solomon still belonged to the lawful faction, though the laws he followed weren't the ordinary laws of society, but those set by the Sorcerer Supreme. Kamar-Taj wasn't some secret agency like the Men in Black, where they could easily catch someone pursuing the mysteries of the universe and wipe their memories. Unless someone attempted to publicly reveal these secrets, Kamar-Taj wouldn't stop anyone from pursuing magic. After all, some of their apprentices had come to the Sorcerer Supreme for that very reason.

However, Luca's situation was different—he was a victim's family member, naturally entitled to know the truth. That was why Solomon told him about the events. Sending him into the realm of Purgatory and warning him about the risks was the most help Solomon could offer.

Luca was unlike the ordinary people who had obstructed Solomon's hunts for vampires or werewolves in the past. He hadn't broken any of the Sorcerer Supreme's rules. Once Luca promised not to expose the existence of these mysterious forces, his only goal was to find out the truth and avenge his father.

To wipe someone's memory for that would have been tyrannical.

Solomon's nature, formed in his past life, made it difficult for him to stand by and watch someone march toward their death. Even when he saw a kitten wandering onto a busy road, Solomon would feel compelled to save it, let alone a human life. In his eyes, Luca was like that kitten, lost in the dangerous world of the supernatural. Even though the cat was determined to keep moving forward, Solomon couldn't help but explain the dangers to him. Although the harsh memories Solomon carried had made his heart grow cold, he hadn't yet fully changed after just a few years. Advising Luca to bring a gun was the last act of mercy Solomon could offer.

This wasn't about a "strong mentality." It was a matter of human decency. Solomon hadn't yet become a cold, ruthless person. Reality wasn't some mindless power fantasy where everyone bows before a single person with "kingly might," nor was Solomon someone born with a "strong mentality" that allowed him to treat life as disposable. That kind of thinking is absurd.

If anyone believes that entering another world and gaining supreme power would mean people should obey you, while you could quickly discard your old beliefs and personality, they're either crazy or foolish.

Yet it's undeniable that everyone harbors dreams of breaking free from limitations and doing whatever they want, just like ordinary people fantasize about what they would do if they were rich. That's the kind of dream that creates so many self-proclaimed visionaries—it's called a dream when said kindly, but a delusion when not.

The first lesson the Sorcerer Supreme wanted to teach Solomon was temperance. Resisting the temptation to act recklessly and avoiding the madness of absolute freedom were essential, especially when drawing power from the Dark Dimension. Otherwise, it wouldn't be long before he was consumed by it. It's foolish to think one can resist temptation only after facing it—just imagine the urge to shop late at night. Everyone ends up buying things they don't need without even realizing it. If we can't control ourselves in everyday life, how could we possibly expect to do so in more critical situations?

Even with the blood on his hands, Solomon understood the weight of a life. He wouldn't easily take the life of an ordinary person unless it was absolutely necessary. The Sorcerer Supreme wanted Solomon to reflect on the significance of each life he took for this very reason. That reflection had helped him climb out of the madness of his memories.

If Solomon ever abandoned these principles and grew indifferent to the value of life, it would mean he had crossed the line drawn by Kamar-Taj. At that point, it would be the Sorcerer Supreme's duty to deal with him.

Even if another mage from Kamar-Taj stood in front of Luca right now, they could only advise him to stop. Seeing Luca's stubbornness, Solomon knew that persuasion was futile, so he wouldn't obstruct Luca's path of revenge any further.

"The place where angels descend is called Purgatory, and it's separated from our world by only a thin veil. Your mind isn't strong enough to see them, but I can send you there," Solomon said. "You'll need a gun."

Bayonetta, however, was not pleased with Solomon's actions. To her, Luca was just an ordinary person, and sending him into Purgatory was as good as sending him to his death.

"That angel has long been dead," Bayonetta said. "After I emerged from the lake, it was killed."

Solomon shrugged at Luca. "Now you don't even have a target for your revenge. So, let's make a deal."

"A deal? What kind of deal?" Luca asked in surprise.

"A contract witnessed by Vishanti," Solomon said, pulling out a scroll of parchment. "In the world of magic, promises are useless. You say you won't reveal these secrets, but I can't trust that because, to me, you're just a stranger. So, if you don't want your memory wiped, you'd better sign this contract."

"And what happens if I break the contract?" Luca asked hesitantly. Anything involving magic seemed dangerous to him. Bayonetta, though opposed to Solomon's approach, couldn't argue since Solomon's demand was about protecting the secrecy of the supernatural world—a position she had no grounds to challenge.

Solomon stared into Luca's eyes without saying a word.

"Will it kill me...?" Luca took a deep breath. "Fine, I'll sign." He scribbled his name on the freshly written contract. "Now tell me where to find my leads."

"Vigrid," Solomon replied, carefully rolling up the parchment. The ink on it was still drying. "That's where the last Sage resides. Badr, the head of the Izzawel Corporation, is that Sage. But like I said, take a gun. It's dangerous there. If you uncover anything, you can contact us. This is my number."

"Are you guys also trying to figure out what's going on there?" Luca asked in surprise.

"Yes, you're not the only one investigating," Solomon said. "Recently, the number of angels has surged, and we haven't been able to get close to Badr. He hasn't shown himself until now."

"Alright, alright, I'll investigate," Luca sighed, cutting Solomon off before he could continue. "No help, no exposing our connection, I get it."

"Good." Solomon nodded. He pulled a small statue from his pocket and placed it on the ground. A white pegasus with golden reins and wings appeared. Solomon climbed onto its back and said, "Now, I suggest you leave. I can hear the police sirens approaching."

"Police? Where did the—Fck! I'm out of here!" Luca ran toward his olive-green car parked near the church, disappearing from Solomon's sight. Solomon motioned for Bayonetta to get on the pegasus, which flapped its wings and soared into the sky. Before the police arrived, the two had passed through a purple magical portal and vanished entirely.

"Boya, why did you send him to investigate Vigrid? Is Enzo's intel too expensive now?" Bayonetta asked from behind Solomon as they flew toward Rodin's Inferno bar. Along the way, she couldn't resist raising the question.

"Bayonetta, Luca wants the truth, so I'll give him the truth. Whatever he faces after that is his business. I've already warned him, but he didn't listen. As long as he doesn't expose anything to the public, he's harmless," Solomon said. "There's no memory wipe, no mysterious cleanup crew. We're not some serial killers."

"Seems I didn't misjudge you, you soft-hearted little thing," the witch teased. "So, what's next?"

"Then you did misjudge me," Solomon said. "Next, we find Enzo at the Gates of Hell bar. His intel was seriously flawed this time."

This chapter is for those readers demanding that the protagonist develop a "strong mentality" and calling for memory wipes. As I've said before, this isn't a power fantasy. The protagonist doesn't do whatever he pleases. He's in the lawful camp—gradually shifting from lawful good to lawful neutral and eventually to lawful evil. If you're looking for a character who acts without restraint, there are plenty of other books for that, but I won't write that way.

As for those saying, "How dare Luca shout at the protagonist," or "There's no respect for the strong," well, I've said all I can. If you don't like it, feel free to remove it from your shelf.

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