"So, how is it?" Natasha Romanoff asked. "We haven't had a talk like this in a while. Ever since the Ultron incident, you've been avoiding the Avengers, so they sent me to check in."
"What do you mean, how is it?"
"Oh, come on, Solomon." Agent Romanoff rolled her eyes. The man before her had a real talent for playing dumb, especially when others were trying to get information out of him. He hoarded knowledge like a miser hoards gold. Yet, despite that, he remained the irreplaceable expert in magic and their go-to occult consultant. "I'm talking about Wanda Maximoff. She's your apprentice, isn't she?" Natasha said. "We all know how dangerous magic is. Pietro's worried about his sister, and both Cap and Stark want to know what Wanda is capable of now, beyond what we've already seen. You should know that's important for the Avengers. I get that you don't want to share magical intel with non-practitioners, but pretend I'm a tape recorder. I promise no one will hear anything they shouldn't."
"She's studying knowledge of the astral plane."
"Don't forget you're talking to a recorder—a recorder doesn't understand what the astral plane is."
"She's still in the theory phase, not spellcasting. She's already capable of casting spells. I taught her a lot of technique back when I was training her in the castle."
Natasha thought back to Solomon's usual behavior and came to an unsettling conclusion: "So… you're saying Wanda didn't go all out against the Avengers?"
"Of course not. Magic has a price, and at that time, Wanda couldn't afford it," Solomon replied slowly. "The simplest spells could have been enough against the Avengers."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"I never underestimate you, ma'am. I'm only pointing out that the Avengers know nothing about magic and have no way to defend against it. Also, I know Stark has been developing anti-magic tech in secret, but it'll only work against the most basic magical projectiles."
"I'll pass on your sarcasm—Stark's going to flip when he hears it. You said Wanda is studying theory… are you telling me magic has a standardized curriculum?" Natasha chuckled at her own joke—until she saw Solomon staring straight at her over his teacup.
"You're serious?"
"Yes. Kamar-Taj has one. It takes about ten years to complete, which is why apprentices learn and train simultaneously. I'm an exception. I finished the theoretical foundation before I was ten and began formal magic training after that. What Wanda lacks is a proper understanding of the magical world. She needs to read a lot of books, do a lot of experiments. You can think of her as a private high school student cramming for the SAT. Best not to bother her unless it's necessary."
"Is the coursework really that hard? She seemed irritated when I visited her. I'm a woman, too—I understand how she feels." Natasha tried to sound casual. "Can you tell me what kind of theory she's studying? Just so I know whether it's harder than the SATs or just standard magic theory."
"You're pushing your luck, Natasha."
"I can hit the pause button when needed. No one will hear anything they shouldn't."
The experience of walking the Witch's Path was unpleasant—the most immediate sensations being nausea and vertigo.
It was also the road of truth and magic, leading to divine domains shaped by desire, will, and belief—realms forged from religions, myths, folklore, even fairy tales. These domains were expressions of primal concepts, magical entities closer to a different kind of spellcasting. Based on what Solomon had learned from Gaia and the Ancient One, Earth's pantheons—except Asgard—originated from concepts, not physical forms. He could assert with confidence that this was the source intention behind the Earth gods' power.
Not the actual source of power—but its manifestation, its concept.
But in the world of magic, in the astral plane, in the aetheric realm, even a concept could be transformed into a tangible mental reality.
So Solomon and Wanda entered the Witch's Path in their physical bodies—just as they would when entering the aetheric plane.
In the path of the feminine divine, a witch's power would be amplified, while a male spellcaster's would be suppressed—and vice versa. Solomon used this rule to ensure Wanda's safety while exploring the outer dimensions. However, due to the chaotic nature of the Witch's Path, this method wasn't foolproof. Danger lurked everywhere.
At Wanda's feet were two shadow hounds—her outermost line of defense.
These creatures, seemingly made of tar, were perfectly silent and served as excellent scouts.
The path's negative effects didn't impact Solomon. The reason was simple: his nature went far beyond human. The mystics of Kamar-Taj didn't need to explore the outer dimensions or magical origins in this way—the power of the Vishanti and their complete legacy offered them more tools. Even Solomon, during his past explorations, had invoked the help of Osh-Tur, the White Magic Mother.
Just learning spells wasn't enough to be called a true spellcaster. Theoretical research and exploration of the mental realm was only the beginning. Only those like Solomon, who began with theory, understood how important this knowledge was. Magic was merely the external application of power—knowledge was the wisdom that revealed truth behind phenomena. Books needed time to be read, and now Wanda had the time and energy to do it. Only through rigorous study, experimentation, and training—just like the mystics of Kamar-Taj—could she comprehend what others couldn't and become a true, independent spellcaster.
The end of the Witch's Path was the magnificent astral realm, and Solomon was pushing her toward that independent journey. It was what a responsible mage should do for their apprentice. But this was only part of her education. After finishing the hardest portion of the day's training, Wanda stretched and yawned. This session of the Witch's Path had gone smoothly—no invading entities, no mad sorcerers, no strange lifeforms native to the path. But exiting the path didn't mean her lessons were over. She still needed to study alchemy, protection spells, magical languages, gem properties, psionics, techniques to stabilize the soul's energy, and breathing methods to manage spell fatigue—all under Solomon's guidance.
The curriculum Solomon had planned for Wanda was the standard at a magic university from another crystal sphere—things rogue spellcasters with no complete legacy could never learn.
Experiments and studies that were once impossible to conduct in the castle were now fully accessible.
"As the spells you can cast grow more dangerous, you'll need to train under the protection of the Mirror Dimension. You can't cast the spell to enter it yet, since it's part of Trinitarian magic. So I'll teach you another spell instead—a spell to access the Mirror World, along with related spells like Mirror Teleportation." Solomon handed Wanda an old-looking book. "This is an excerpt from my own spellbook copy—I wrote it when I was twelve. It's perfect for you now."
"My spellcasting is at the level of a twelve-year-old?" Wanda asked, eyes wide in mock surprise.
"I'm a bit of an exception, dear Wanda. Once I recognized my own gifts, magic that's difficult for most became second nature for me. And for you, too. I believe in your talent."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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