The Holy Son in Marvel

"I've said it before: we can sacrifice anyone, including ourselves…"

"Master, I don't fear death," Solomon paused, carefully choosing his words. "But what I fear most is losing myself. My aversion to faith and gods stems from a deep fear of losing my independence, of being unable to think freely. If I delve too deeply into certain types of magic, there's a real risk of losing my sanity—that is what I fear most. I can't afford to lose a clear mind, absolutely not."

"You need to strengthen your will and seek protection, Solomon," the Supreme Sorcerer agreed, feeling a certain satisfaction. Her disciple wasn't put off by such sacrifices; instead, he fully understood the costs, a testament to her teachings—or maybe it was simply that Solomon was already somewhat unhinged; who could say?

"In truth, you don't need to worry so much about losing your mind. You can invoke Oshtur's name before casting spells, weaving her name into the incantations. She will protect your rationality and mind. Under Oshtur's protection, you'll be able to study chaotic black magic extensively, as it will be Oshtur, not you, who confronts the madness. The Vishanti also need you to stand against Shuma-Gorath, the ruler of the Chaos Dimension, so they will support you as much as possible. You won't face contractual penalties for learning or using black magic." The Supreme Sorcerer looked at her disciple's troubled face and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"I thought my relationship with the Vishanti was limited to the three rings," Solomon replied, frowning. "Can't we just keep things simple? I assumed that killing dark magic creatures was fulfilling my duty."

"My dear Solomon," the Supreme Sorcerer chuckled, "the Vishanti, as one of the most powerful ancient deities, carry much greater responsibilities. Beyond Dormammu of the Dark Dimension, there's the Eye Demon Shuma-Gorath of the Chaos Dimension, Cytorrak of the Crimson Cosmos, Set of the Serpent Sea, Chthon of the Flickering Realm, even Nightmare of the Dream Dimension, and the Gray Gnomes of the Fear Hall. The Vishanti bear the responsibility of warding off any extradimensional invasion. The Supreme Sorcerer is their emissary. Other dimensions have their own Supreme Sorcerers, and I am the one for this realm. Clearing dark magic creatures is Kamar-Taj's duty, not the Vishanti's."

"Master, there's a question that has been bothering me for quite some time," Solomon finally gave in to his frustration. "Why Earth? Why is it always Earth?"

The Supreme Sorcerer pursed her lips and spread her hands in resignation. "I don't know," she replied. "Maybe it's because Earth is the heart of this universe, or for some other convoluted reason. I don't understand why this unremarkable planet is so unique, but we must accept it. Perhaps it's a good thing, giving humanity immense potential. The universe has never been peaceful, after all."

"But I can't shake the feeling that humans will end up destroying themselves before they reach an advanced civilization," Solomon muttered, rubbing his face and sighing. "World governments are like children playing with fire, constantly on the verge of setting the whole place ablaze. They might even do it just to keep warm."

"That's why this world needs us." The Supreme Sorcerer reached out to touch her disciple's thick, curly black hair. "I know playing caretaker isn't easy, but once I'm gone, what you do is up to you."

"No, thank you. Ruling the world sounds exhausting." Solomon rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to govern a bunch of idiots. They'll demand democracy, seats, transparency in magic—and I'll end up chopping off their heads. Devils are at least more endearing; the dumb ones don't survive long. Let's get back to magic—calling upon Oshtur's name before each spell feels unreliable. What if one day she doesn't respond? I need something more stable to protect my mind."

"Alright." The Supreme Sorcerer withdrew her hand. Her disciple was grown now, and it was no longer appropriate to pat his head like a child. But Solomon leaned forward anyway, resigned yet unbothered by her gesture.

"You need to establish a better connection with the Vishanti. Though I don't know why they accepted your contract, they must have their reasons and won't make things difficult for you. Aside from that, there's someone else you could meet—a witch with ties to Salem and Abigail Williams. She's been eager to know what happened during your adventure in Salem, so perhaps you could exchange that information for her help."

"Oh? Someone else knows about the Old Ones?" Solomon raised an eyebrow, as alert as a hyena. He felt there was still so much he didn't know about the world's secrets. But he had time to learn, which was, in a way, good news.

"Agatha Harkness," the Supreme Sorcerer replied. "She witnessed the entire incident when Abigail Williams lost control and didn't go insane. Although she doesn't know much, she may possess magic or artifacts that can protect your sanity. You could learn from her or borrow them—I believe she'd agree."

Agatha Harkness, a witch who survived the Salem witch trials, was one of the few long-lived practitioners on Earth, and she had always maintained contact with the Supreme Sorcerer. Believing that magic users could coexist with regular people, she had led her followers out of Salem after the trials to establish New Salem in Colorado. It was likely that her decision was influenced by the horrors unleashed by Abigail Williams, horrors that had shaken her to her core. Even after Balthazar confined Abigail, Agatha refused to return to Salem.

One thing puzzled Solomon: how did Agatha Harkness know he had gone to Salem?

"Do you remember when you went to Salem to retrieve the First Ring of Heavens?" the Supreme Sorcerer said. "You mentioned the unusual magic you encountered. In fact, you weren't the only one who noticed it. Agatha Harkness has been keeping a close watch on Salem for years, ever vigilant for any sign of Abigail Williams. The day you returned from Salem's past, Agatha was alerted by the unusual surge of power. Although it didn't cause significant harm, the mental state of local residents was somewhat affected. Agatha had intended to investigate, but when she realized it was Kamar-Taj handling the matter, she decided not to interfere. I'm certain she's eager to learn what happened there, and if she has what you need, you can exchange her help for any information you're permitted to share."

"Permitted to share?" Solomon glanced around, lowering his voice. "There's barely anything I can reveal about that!"

"That's for you to decide, my dear disciple." The Supreme Sorcerer withdrew a blanket from a portal, ending the conversation. "Now it's time to sleep. Solomon, you should get some rest too."

"Master, it's nighttime only in London; the Himalayas aren't exactly in the middle of the night."

"Well, no one says I can't nap during the day!" She wrapped herself in the blanket. "Oh, and remind Mordo not to disturb me—he's been getting increasingly chatty."

Remember to cast your votes! Second update coming later today. Agatha makes a good setup for future connections to WandaVision.

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