"Ongoing minor tremors across the state of Maine... the governor urges citizens to remain calm and stay indoors... and now, we turn to geological expert Richard—" Solomon dropped the TV remote as though he had been granted divine mercy, hastily answering the phone call that had come through the hotel front desk. The sleepy voice of the host was torturous; this transfer was a much-needed escape from the soul-numbing broadcast.
"Mr. Augustus? This is Bonhams Auction House. The painting you purchased will be delivered to the Brunswick Inn Hotel within five hours. Please be ready to sign for it." Solomon hung up and glanced at Wanda, who was hunched over the table, intently carving a protective talisman into a bronze plate. He thought about sharing the update with her.
This was part of a long-term mission to recover The Book of Darkness or any surviving fragments. Solomon had been pursuing this objective for nearly a decade. His lead this time came from a peculiar artwork: a grotesque and clumsy imitation of a Madonna and Child, its figures obese and sagging like nymphs from a Peter Paul Rubens painting, yet filled with grotesque malice. The expressions on their faces were twisted, their sagging flesh marked with countless small bumps that looked less like muscles and more like writhing worms. In the shadowy oil-painted background, strange and deformed creatures frolicked in the dark.
This terrible yet irresistibly compelling painting was auctioned as an anonymous 18th-century Rubens imitation. Solomon, trusting his instincts, bought it and gained the opportunity to examine it up close. He contacted the seller and, through a generous sum of money, extracted the story behind it. The seller was a distant descendant of the Boone family—specifically a relative of the mad writer Charles Boone, named James Robert Boone. The painting and several other items, including a damaged crucifix and a card scrawled with strange writing, had all been brought back by Charles himself.
Desperate for money to feed his addiction and ease the pain of rheumatism, the seller shared a bone-chilling tale with Solomon: it involved an evil house, a deserted town, a child without eyes, a two-headed calf, many mad living men, and even more mad dead ones. This wasn't a sensational lie to increase auction prices—Solomon could tell. The story matched perfectly with a location north of Falmouth, near the confluence of the Royal River and the Androscoggin, just upriver from Brunswick. The Boone family's old estate still stood there, not far from the ruins of the long-abandoned town of Chapelwaite.
Solomon was convinced when the seller mentioned a book. Upon being shown the card, he knew without a doubt that the tale was real. He had set aside everything after the Ultron incident and returned to the library at Kamar-Taj, digging into historical records. There, he found a mission file from over a hundred years ago referencing Charles Boone and the town of Jerusalem's Lot. At the time, Kamar-Taj's records considered it a typical ruined town, with some signs of dark magic but no significant anomalies.
That book was titled The Secret of the Worm, and the card Charles Boone had mailed contained a summoning spell capable of calling forth a colossal being from beyond the universe.
The next time Solomon tried to contact the seller, the man had died—an apparent overdose on the street.
That was the police's conclusion. But Solomon thought otherwise. While the seller's groin bore multiple injection marks, Solomon remembered that he previously only snorted drugs. A transition from nasal use to groin injection in just half a month was highly improbable. Everything became clear when he discovered a small, seemingly insignificant tattoo on the seller's body.
The symbol belonged to a cult founded in the 16th century in the mountains of Romania, later spreading to England and Scotland. After Kamar-Taj had wiped them out, the Cult of Kolonzon reappeared in America.
The name of the demon of Kabbalah.
Solomon anxiously touched the silver key hidden beneath his clothes.
He couldn't find the seller's soul and couldn't summon a spirit to provide answers. But when he tried to cast a spell, the silver key seared his flesh with heat, and the mark on his hand pulsed in warning. This was connected to the Nameless One—the master of time and space, the unifier of all. He could now be certain: vampires and cultists alike were involved with the town of Jerusalem's Lot. If not for the painting and Kamar-Taj's informants reporting traces of vampire activity, Solomon might have overlooked the place entirely. But he now knew the seller's death was linked to the cult that worshiped Yog-Sothoth, the All-in-One.
And he was certain someone was trying to use the book Charles Boone had once seen—to summon a creature.
This matter fell to Solomon to resolve, while other sorcerers, the Sisterhood, and intelligence agents moved to eliminate the hidden Cult of Kolonzon within the United States. Agent Victoria Hand halted her pursuit of Hydra and devoted herself entirely to this purge.
"No comment," Agent Hand said bluntly, refusing Natasha Romanoff's attempt to dig for information.
Solomon and Wanda's sudden disappearance unsettled Romanoff. As the Avengers' assigned liaison (at least publicly) to the Immortal City, she needed to be informed of Solomon and Wanda's actions—they were unstable variables. Normally she could play both sides as a double agent, but now, with three helicarriers active and mission sites including civilian zones, the risk level had skyrocketed. Despite that, Immortal City was preparing for high-intensity warfare, treating this cult eradication as total war.
Agent Hand, her face emotionless, brushed past Natasha. She was in the middle of preparing the memory-wipe protocols. Every mortal agent involved in the operation would have their memories erased—complete amnesia regarding what they saw. It was a non-negotiable rule. Those who refused would be executed on the spot. She had to be strict—she knew just how easily mortals could fall. A whisper, a symbol, a smile, and even the most steadfast elite could become cultists for life.
Stephanie's father, Gideon Malick, had climbed to a position where he could assist the Immortal City—thanks to Solomon. This mission would be his chance to prove his worth. Loyalty was rewarded, but only useful people were truly loyal.
"Agent C-A1, commander of the England division," Agent Hand said, handing over a file. "This is your operational directive. Agent C-A2, commander of the Scotland division—your file. The CIA will provide intel support, but keep your mouths shut. Maintain your professionalism as agents. I'll personally lead the North America division's tactical unit. When the Sovereign Signal is given, we move simultaneously."
"Even the operation in the city center?"
"If necessary, artillery will erase all traces," Hand said coldly, glancing at C-A2. "Civilian casualties are inevitable. Proceed with the mission, Agent Weaver. This will be the last time I call you by that name."
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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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