The Sorcerer Supreme had reminded Salomon more than once.
"You are a spellcaster who has stolen the magic of Vishanti," the Supreme one said. "So do not carelessly call upon Vishanti's name, especially before you have acquired all the rings."
"By Vishanti…" Wong muttered to himself. "We are in big trouble."
Amelia Tuttle, while simultaneously restraining the spirits, also used them as weapons. Using the magic within her ring, she commanded these massive, densely packed, misshapen spirits to charge forward.
Wong tried to push them away with his fists, but it was futile. His fists always passed through the spirits, leaving nothing but a chilling sensation. If it weren't for the spells attached to him, Wong would have been possessed or devoured by the spirits by now. Furthermore, the positive energy rays Salomon shot from his fingertips were powerless to stop the spirits from approaching.
"What should I do?" the Mage Wong shouted.
"I don't know…" Salomon, sweating profusely, admitted that he had underestimated the guardians of the British Museum. This guardian could wield Vishanti's ring with impunity, while Salomon could only access magic stealthily. Their output was utterly incomparable.
Suddenly, like a venomous snake coiling around his neck, a soft, cold sensation spread from behind. He felt a pair of warm hands caress his cheek, and like night arriving with the flutter of an owl's wings, Salomon lost his sight.
"Call my name, son of man," a gentle voice echoed in his ears. "I am the rain, I am the clear sky, I am the spring thunder, I am the goddess of cities, birds, and snakes. I will be your shield and spear."
Salomon calmed down. His education had taught him who this voice was.
"Praise be to you, Tritogleia, radiant as a serpent, a thousand-faced dragon! I offer you olive oil, figs, and woolen robes," Salomon said sincerely. "In the name of the goddess with the golden spear."
"In the name of Etheria (the goddess of the sky)!" At Salomon's voice, the divine power of all the collections in the British Museum surged to life, like boiling water. Master Wong stared at the scene in amazement.
A young woman composed of divine power appeared behind Salomon. She wore a Greek Arcadian helmet, wielded a spear and a massive round shield, and stood barely taller than the ceiling. But Salomon saw nothing; he simply followed the voice's instructions, and each prayer sounded like the bronze spear striking the round shield.
"In the name of Anemotes (the wind goddess)!"
"In the name of Gorgofona (the Gorgon-killer goddess)!"
"In the name of Parthenos (the virgin goddess)!"
"I command you! Leave this world!"
The young woman behind Salomon extended her hand, and a surge of divine power shattered the spirits, releasing the shackles that had bound them.
Amelia Tuttle couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had seen herself as a guardian, silently protecting this world, a duty she had held since her great-great-great-grandfather. This responsibility tormented her, yet also filled her with pride. Protecting these spirits was the Tuttle family's mission, fueled by the boundless power of this ring…
"Hurry!" The darkness dissipated, and Salomon regained his vision. But before he could open his eyes, he called out to Master Wong, "Take off her ring!"
Amelia Tuttle, without her magic, knew no combat skills. She had never received any magical training, not even the most basic self-defense techniques. Once Wong realized what was happening, he lunged forward. Amelia Tuttle was powerless to resist. He easily grasped her hand and ripped the ring from her.
"Ahhh! My ring!" Once the ring was removed, Amelia Tuttle's invisibility vanished. Her clothes were tattered, and her short, tangled white hair made her look a bit like a mad old woman.
Salomon quickly grabbed Wong's hand and ran out of the museum. Silently and swiftly, a small white snake crawled up Salomon's leg, burrowed into his clothes, and finally, with a cool touch, wrapped itself around his arm.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" a tourist approached.
"What are you looking at? You can't see me!" The magic power had left her, no longer supporting her mind. Amelia Tuttle's nerves began to age, and her already wrinkled skin shrank even more. To others, she seemed to be talking nonsense.
"I am the guardian! I am the only one who can prevent your destruction!" Amelia Tuttle began to scream, her eyes gleaming with madness. She kept yelling at those around her, trying to prove that she was a saint who lived on the shoulders of others' sins.
But some tourists had already picked up their phones and called the police.
Wong and Salomon stood on the street, breathless. Wong patted his chest and said, "You are truly skilled, Salomon."
"That's best, brother." Salomon rolled up his sleeves and looked at the small snake sleeping on his forearm. "All this has a price."
Salomon knew full well that Athena had appeared without him calling her name… Hadn't the Greek pantheon long since departed Earth? He had to ask the Sorcerer Supreme for answers, or he wouldn't be able to rest easy.
"Okay, where do we go next?" Wong said, still feeling apprehensive, but also grinning. "Are there any more adventures?"
"I think we need a day's rest, brother." Salomon gestured for Wong to slip the ring into his pocket. "Let's go back to Kamar-Taj."
Because Amelia Tuttle had added many inappropriate features to the new ring, such as long fake nails, Salomon handed it to the Sorcerer Supreme, asking her to help modify it so it would be a normal ring. After all, many of the magical artifacts in Kamar-Taj were created by the Supreme, so this shouldn't be a big problem.
But Salomon's main goal wasn't this.
When the Sorcerer Supreme saw the snake wrapped around Salomon's forearm, she gestured for him to calm down.
"The Celestials haven't always been watching Earth. I told you why the New Gods left," the Sorcerer Supreme poured two cups of tea. "But I never told you they wouldn't come back secretly. Now Earth has not only Athena, but also Hecate and others."
"All of them?" Salomon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Of course not all of them. After all, with so many New Gods on Earth, it would still be a bit crowded. Furthermore, this is no longer the age of god worship. Humans today prioritize science. Even if a god appeared before them, they'd only think about capturing and dissecting it.
Of course, I don't dislike this phenomenon. After all, magic blossoms only in the souls of a few, and only technology holds the future of humanity." the Supreme pushed a cup of tea toward Salomon, who gulped it down. The fatigue from spellcasting vanished like dirt washed off leaves by an early summer rain.
"Some have returned, but I suggest you meet this one after you've acquired all three rings." The Sorcerer Supreme pointed at the small snake lazily crawling across the table. Surprisingly, both Salomon and the Sorcerer Supreme could see an expression on the snake's face—it was a bit strange to describe, but it was true. The snake's expression now was probably something like: "Whatever," "Do whatever you want, don't bother me," or something similar.
It barely lifted its eyelids, glanced at Salomon, then at the Sorcerer Supreme, and then opened its mouth wide, attempting to swallow an orange from the table.
"It looks good," the Supreme said with a carefree expression. "I don't know when the goddess of wisdom will visit you, but I imagine it can't be too bad. After all, this is the first time I've seen a snake eating fruit. It's real life, not a game."
"But… I've never been a guest of a god before… What gift should I bring? Olive oil, figs, or a wool sweater?"
"It's the 21st century, Salomon," the Sorcerer Supreme said with disdain. "Don't be so old-fashioned. A bottle of wine or skincare products are perfect gifts for a visit."
Salomon, carrying the little snake that had just stuffed the orange into its mouth, left the Sorcerer Supreme's meditation room. From a distance, he looked like he was holding a ball on a string.
-End Chapter-
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