The Holy Son in Marvel

After making progress with fourth-level spells, Solomon's confidence grew, and even his stride seemed more assured. He had reached the current depth limit of his abilities, and now it was time to expand his range of fourth-level spells. This was a process that required time and effort rather than a sudden flash of inspiration like ranking up. Now he would need to explore various spells and carefully choose the ones that best suited him.

As mentioned before, Solomon prioritized learning protective spells, and two fourth-level spells, Stoneskin and Dimensional Anchor, were at the top of his list. Along with his advancements in magic, his skill in alchemy was also slowly improving. Almost every qualified spellcaster learned alchemy, and at Kamar-Taj, alchemy resources and knowledge were readily available, supported by the dimensional nexus and backed by Vandazar Fort. The Supreme Sorcerer also taught alchemy to all arcane students. Yet, alchemy was unpopular among young spellcasters, as it didn't directly boost combat power and had little to do with the Vishanti-focused spells that many found essential.

This lack of interest was one of Kamar-Taj's shortcomings as a combat-focused group of spellcasters. It was rare to see a war-mage studying pure theory. Although the Supreme Sorcerer encouraged the study of alchemy, only a few of the more experienced arcane family members bothered with it.

Only someone as curious as Solomon would find genuine joy in experimenting with glass beakers and various solutions.

After advancing to fourth-level, Solomon found that he could further develop abilities in specific schools of magic. Previously, due to his naturally "servile" magical aptitude, he could summon a non-magical object he'd seen before, essentially like a lesser conjuration. Now, with deeper study in conjuration, he could even instinctively cast Misty Step.

Since he had learned the most protective spells, Solomon found that when he cast protection spells, he could weave a magical barrier around himself, similar to an abjurer's Arcane Ward. As his level increased, the barrier absorbed more energy-based damage. If he learned more advanced protective spells, he might eventually develop a reflexive spell-countering instinct. However, this was unlikely, as the Supreme Sorcerer wouldn't allow him to limit himself to protective magic; the Book of the Vishanti already had plenty of protection spells.

Furthermore, with the silver key around his neck and the Time Stone embedded in the Eye of Agamotto, Solomon had made substantial progress with divination spells. He could now glimpse fragments of destiny, seeing time as an unraveling mystery (similar to the Divination School specialty from 5E). Even so, he was far from the Supreme Sorcerer's level. Despite her frequent encouragement for him to use the Eye of Agamotto to explore potential futures, Solomon struggled to handle the influx of information.

But he was improving steadily, laying a strong foundation.

The Eye of Agamotto gave Solomon insight. He couldn't see parallel versions of himself, which was related to the Supreme Sorcerer's comments about his unique nature. Solomon believed this was necessary to complete "parallel world interference." He suspected the Supreme Sorcerer might have communicated with versions of herself from other timelines through the Eye of Agamotto. The Eye observed possible parallel worlds, so before a world's fate split, the Supreme Sorcerer could see another potential version of herself, which would then become a new parallel world.

When he asked the Supreme Sorcerer, she did not deny it. But she remarked that speaking with parallel versions of oneself held no benefit, which puzzled Solomon.

The Supreme Sorcerer simply pointed to the silver key on Solomon's chest and said no more.

"Hello there, Little Cloak." One weekend, after having lunch with Bayonetta, Solomon arrived at the New York Sanctum. The playful red cloak was repeatedly tapping against the window, eager to perch on Solomon's shoulder, but he rejected it each time.

"I'm already wearing enough red, my dear cloak. My high-collared clothes already restrict my neck movement, and adding you would ruin the layering of my outfit. So… sorry, but I'm not putting you on." Solomon used this tired excuse to turn down the sentient magical item's offer once more.

The Cloak of Levitation felt a natural attraction toward any highly talented arcane caster, which was why the Supreme Sorcerer called it "fickle." But even though the cloak liked him, Solomon wasn't interested in wearing it. Not only was it incredibly heavy, but Solomon thought the cloak would double his weight. A cloak was very different from a light, billowing cape.

When rejected, the cloak dramatically covered an area that might have been its "face," and its padded shoulders trembled as if crying. Solomon shrugged, showing no remorse. This wasn't the first time—the cloak would act pitiful after each refusal unless Solomon allowed it on his shoulder or left the Sanctum.

But he knew how to appease it. "Next time, I promise. Once I finish my tasks, I'll bring you to play with the Cheshire Cat." Solomon spoke soothingly as he pulled over the large Cauldron of the Cosmos beside him. The heavy metal pot dragged two deep parallel scratches into the dark wooden floor. He didn't mind; the floor wasn't enchanted, and he could repair it with a simple cantrip, no spell components needed.

"Cheshire Cat loves flying; it's been saying it wants to become a 'cat-mage' so it can show off to the neighbor's professor's cat. It's told me how much it likes her, though she sounds like a street thug, just like those squirrels. That's why I refused to waste my magic and love potions on it. Only you can make its dream come true, which would be better than letting it shred paper all day."

The cloak perked up, drawing its edges together and shifting its collar to the side like someone expectantly clasping their hands. Solomon sighed. The cloak really was charming, but it wasn't right for him. Besides, the Supreme Sorcerer had already reserved it for Strange.

Solomon bore no resentment over this. He'd already received more than enough; overall, he was content.

"But not now." Solomon pulled the cauldron backward with all his might—the main hall was not a suitable place for divination. The Supreme Sorcerer might consider the Ghost Rider unimportant at the moment, but his disappearance still bothered Solomon. Since using the Eye of Agamotto and the silver key was taxing, Solomon decided to use the Cauldron of the Cosmos in the New York Sanctum to trace the Rider's location.

He planned to use the Cauldron to get a rough idea of where the Ghost Rider was, then follow up with the third-level divination spell Clairvoyance to pinpoint Johnny Blaze's exact location. Success was up to luck; he might locate the Rider immediately, or he could spend the entire day searching in vain.

Solomon hoped for the former, as he still needed time to craft a magic item to fill the gaps in his arsenal. Not all magical items could be handed over to Rodin to make. After fulfilling Kamar-Taj's last order, the fallen angel now only accepted halos from upper-planar beings, and Bayonetta had few remaining materials. Rodin had already helped by crafting the Luoyang twin blades and the morphing staff as a favor.

Solomon still lacked a quality pair of magic gloves—he had an ideal target in mind. Not the modest "Apprentice's Trickery Gloves" or the "Arcane Striking Gloves" favored by combat-caster types. What he wanted were the "Iron Snake Bracers," which could transform gauntlets into metallic cobras.

However, crafting the Iron Snake Bracers required spells of the fifth, sixth, and eighth levels—Animate Object, Locate Creature, and Discern Location—which he couldn't cast yet. So he'd settled on a pair he could make: the "Vampire Gloves." These gloves only required the Bleed and Vampiric Touch spells, which he could craft over a few weekends.

In short, he was busy and needed to work efficiently.

"Solomon Damonet! You bastard, I know you're watching me!"

"Fck! Mephisto!"

Requesting recommendation votes here! I won't make single chapters just to ask for votes unless I write an end-of-month message and some Easter egg chapter about Nyaruko.

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