Solomon was driving along a silent country road. The pitch-black forest stretched its slender, snaking limbs toward the car windows, and the tires crushed fallen leaves with a continuous, crackling sound. A gloomy sky crept up behind them, and as expected, the storm arrived—raindrops drumming on the roof, damp, chilly air creeping up from the floor. The arcanist had to turn on the headlights of the rented black Jeep and reduce speed to avoid hitting wild animals fleeing from the downpour. The atmosphere was stifling; the headlights flickered through the curtain of rain and the thick white pine forest growing atop low hills. In this near-total darkness, only distant, muffled thunder occasionally lit up the horizon.
He and Wanda were driving toward the latest epicenter he had detected, and intelligence from Kamar-Taj confirmed that dark forces were gathering. Solomon had even switched vehicles midway—for better camouflage as mortal bait. Apart from the amulet hanging around Wanda's neck, his silver key, and the ring he couldn't remove, they carried no magical items. High-grade enchanted objects weren't so easily detected, and the only thing that might give them away—the amulet—had been stuffed inside Wanda's undergarments, leaving her flushed with embarrassment.
From the outside, no one could tell she was wearing one at all.
Perhaps sensing the destruction of Jerusalem's Town, the expected string of cannibalistic incidents had abruptly ceased.
Solomon had not left Jerusalem Town empty-handed. In the Jeep's trunk was something wrapped in a waterproof tarp—an object he had found beneath the thoroughly incinerated church. Even Wanda's foresight hadn't revealed the hidden basement under the church, which had somehow survived the blaze. The scorched earth had killed off the dense clusters of worms below, and the heat-expelled stench had made it just bearable enough for Solomon and Wanda to explore the site.
"Those vampires…" Wanda frowned. "Will we find them at the epicenter?"
"We've left the breadcrumbs," Solomon replied, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty. Driving on a night like this was dangerous, and the closer they got to the epicenter, the worse the weather became. The plummeting temperature could ice the roads, making them slick and treacherous. He gripped the wheel carefully, ready to tap the brakes at a moment's notice. Even if they crashed, he and Wanda would be unharmed—but the car was rented. He needed to return it intact. Why? Because even mundane contracts, once agreed to, had to be honored.
"If they've learned to use modern technology, they'll find us."
So will others, Solomon thought.
Kaecilius had taken Tony Stark hostage to prevent the Avengers from intervening in the operation. But Solomon didn't know how long that would last. His agents were reporting real-time updates from within the Avengers: Steve Rogers and Clint had chosen caution; Maria Hill and Vision believed the matter needed swift resolution—S.H.I.E.L.D.—no, the Avengers—must not bow to terrorists, especially when they had the capability to act. Natasha Romanoff and Pietro had remained silent, each occupied with their own concerns—Pietro's family was now working with Solomon, and Natasha was feeding Solomon intel, doing her best to prevent all-out conflict between the Avengers and the Immortal City. Having witnessed the surface-level power of the Immortal City firsthand, Natasha knew the Avengers didn't stand a chance—especially given the city's support from mysterious magic. She didn't want to see her extended family utterly destroyed.
Only Solomon could stop a war—but right now, he was dealing with a magical crisis.
Several hours passed. The temperature continued to drop. Rain pounded louder and louder on the roof. Even Wanda was starting to feel the oppressive atmosphere. Only Solomon remained lighthearted, launching into a discourse on Henry David Thoreau's The Maine Woods, describing the forests of Maine. It helped distract Wanda from the oppressive surroundings. "'Virgin wilderness and the garden of the gods'—that's how Thoreau described it," the arcanist said. "Compared to Walden, I prefer The Maine Woods for its vitality and celebration of nature."
Suddenly, a swarm of black bats burst from the white pines, slamming against the windshield. An earthquake rocked the vehicle, and the pavement swelled before collapsing. The mountain groaned, stones tumbled from the cliff, hammering down on the car alongside the rain. Solomon slammed the brakes, yanked the wheel—the car nearly skidded out of control. Wanda gasped for breath, the seatbelt squeezing her tight.
"What just happened?" she asked in panic.
"We're under attack," the arcanist replied. He pulled over quickly, flipped on the reading light, and scanned the interior and systems before peering through the rain-smeared windshield. "They've spotted us."
"What do we do?"
"Try to look scared, Wanda." Solomon's expression was playful at first, but he quickly contorted his face into a convincingly panicked look, almost making Wanda laugh despite the situation. "Don't forget the psychological profiling. And the mutilation on the bodies. Vampires enjoy tormenting mortals—only terrified prey gives them the thrill of the hunt. We're the prey now, so let's act like it."
They finally managed to compose their expressions. Wanda clutched Solomon's hand tightly, cheeks red, letting out a high-pitched, kitten-like scream of mock terror. But for a while, nothing followed—only thunder above and eerie silence along the forest's edge. Finally, at Solomon's urging, the witch reluctantly released his hand. The arcanist stepped out of the car like a nervous mortal, pistol in hand. He deliberately moved with cautious steps, aiming the weapon at the woods. Meanwhile, Wanda discreetly traced an intricate gesture beneath the car door, ready to support at any moment.
They looked like foolish horror movie cops trying to handle everything with a pistol.
As Solomon reached the rear of the car, two black figures sprang up from the cliff's edge.
One of the vampires had wrinkled, aged skin and not a single hair on its head. As it lunged at Solomon's back, it let out a low, gurgling growl. The vampire smiled, pouncing on its prey—only for the "prey" to become a predator in a blink. It saw the mortal turn, his rain-drenched face no longer showing fear—but smiling instead. Scarlet magic condensed into a warhammer and smashed the vampire—along with the car door—out of sight. The arcanist grabbed the vampire's throat. Sparks crackled in his palm, and the stink of seared flesh filled the air, broken only by the vampire's scream.
"You always think humans are prey. Haven't you learned anything? Don't you know how to use a gun?" Solomon instantly saw that this vampire had low bloodline purity—its strength only slightly above human. The simple act of drying his own hair with magic nearly broke the vampire's spirit. It had never encountered a mortal capable of defeating it solo. The small, hunched undead looked like a child in the hands of the two-meter-tall man.
This was the first time the vampire had felt fear.
"Now," Solomon said coldly, "you're going to tell me where your master is."
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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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