Ajak did not wait long outside the gates. After a quick phone exchange behind the doors, the guards returned.
"The leader has agreed to receive you. Please follow me."
The gates swung open. Ajak stepped through, escorted by a guard. Soon, a shuttle car arrived, carrying her deeper into the Assassin Brotherhood compound.
From the vehicle, her eyes fell upon the towering structure that dominated the horizon. The Karin Tower—three thousand meters high. Every visitor who entered here could not help but stare at it.
The car stopped before a sleek white building. Led by attendants, Ajak entered Smith Dole's office.
Smith regarded her calmly. He already suspected the reason behind this visit: the Dragon Balls. But seeing her arrive alone, he asked with measured politeness,
"Lady Ajak, to what do I owe this visit?"
She met his gaze, voice steady.
"Mr. Smith, there is something I wish to consult with you."
His lips curved into a smile.
"And what would that be?"
Ajak asked without hesitation:
"They say Shenlong can grant any wish. If one day Earth were to shatter, could we wish upon the Dragon to restore it?"
Smith's mind immediately went to Tiamut, the Celestial slumbering in Earth's crust. When it hatched, the planet would split apart, all life annihilated. He knew Ajak's fate in one timeline—murdered by Ikaris for choosing compassion over duty, for daring to protect Earth's people. He also knew the other outcomes: the Eternals killing Tiamut before emergence… or Agatha Harkness twisting fate to absorb the Celestial for herself.
And he knew each path drew the gaze of Arishem.
A scheme formed in his mind: if Agatha could feed on a Celestial, why not his own Spirit Tree once it took root? Could he plant it in the Atlantic, let it consume Tiamut's power, and produce fruits of unimaginable strength? The risk, of course, was facing Arishem—and the entire Eternal host.
Outwardly, Smith's smile didn't falter.
"The Dragon's power exceeds your imagination. Restoring a planet? That is child's play."
Relief touched Ajak's face. If Shenlong could restore Earth, then perhaps Tiamut could be born and Earth saved in one stroke.
"Besides the Dragon Ball Tournament, is there any other way to earn a wish?"
Smith shook his head.
"No. Unless you gather all seven Dragon Balls yourself ahead of time. Then the wish is yours directly."
She calculated. Ten years or so until emergence. Enough time to collect them.
"If we win the tournament, can we hold the wish until it is needed?"
Smith's answer was firm.
"No. To win and refuse to wish is to forfeit."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Tell me, Lady Ajak—do you truly believe Earth will one day explode?"
Ajak smiled lightly.
"In the cosmos, no star, no world is eternal. Even suns burn out."
She would never confess the truth of the Celestial inside Earth.
"One more thing," she asked. "How often is the tournament held?"
"Once a year," Smith replied.
Ajak nodded.
"Thank you. The Dragon Balls are the only hope to cure Tina's curse. We will fight with everything we have in the next tournament."
Smith shrugged casually.
"Then I look forward to the spectacle. Good luck."
Ajak handed him a card.
"My contact. Should you ever need our aid, you may call upon me."
She departed. On her way out, she passed Xu Wenwu and his family. She recognized the woman at his side as the wife resurrected through a Dragon Ball wish. Her thoughts sharpened. Others who had wished had also remained within the Brotherhood. Why? Was there more to Shenlong's power than she had been told?
As Ajak's figure disappeared, Smith leaned back, mind already spinning around Tiamut. The death of the Celestial in one timeline had revealed something extraordinary: its corpse was pure original adamantium. Not alloy, not vibranium—raw, indestructible metal of the highest order.
An ocean of resources lay hidden in that slumbering god. But to claim it, he would need the Eternals themselves to strike the killing blow.
And the question remained: was Tiamut born as adamantium flesh… or did Sersi and the others alter its very matter when they froze its emergence?
······
(End of Chapter)
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