The Sorcerer Supreme reminded Salomon more than once.
"You are a spellcaster who steals the magic of the Vishanti," the Ancient One said. "So don't casually call out the Vishanti's name, especially not before you have acquired all the rings."
"Vishanti above..." Young Master John muttered, "We're in big trouble."
While suppressing these spirits, Emogen Tuttle also used them as weapons. She used the magic from the ring to command these monstrous, massive, and dense spirits to swarm them.
Young Master John tried to wave his fists to ward them off, but it was completely useless. His fists always passed through the spirits, gaining nothing but a chilling touch. If it weren't for the spells attached to him, Young Master John would have been possessed or had his soul devoured by the spirits by now. Furthermore, the positive energy rays Salomon shot from his fingertips were completely unable to stop the spirits from approaching.
"What do we do?" John shouted.
"I don't know either..." Salomon was sweating profusely in anxiety. He admitted that he had underestimated the guardian of the British Museum. This guardian could casually use the Vishanti's ring, while Salomon could only stealthily acquire magic. The output of their magic was simply incomparable.
Suddenly, like a venomous snake coiling around his neck, a soft, cold sensation came from behind Salomon. He felt a pair of warm hands caress his cheeks, and as if night had arrived with the flapping wings of an owl, Salomon lost his sight.
"Call my name, son of man," a soft voice whispered in Salomon's ear. "I am the dew, I am the clear sky, I am the spring thunder, I am the goddess of the city, the goddess of birds and snakes. I will be your shield and your spear."
Salomon calmed down. His education had already told him who this was.
"Praise be to you, Tritogeneia, brilliant as a snake, the ever-changing dragon [Note: Tritogeneia means 'third-born'], I will offer olive oil, figs, and wool robes to you," Salomon said sincerely. "In the name of the goddess who holds the golden spear."
"In the name of Aetheria (Goddess of the Upper Air)!" With Salomon's voice, the divine power involved in all the collections of the British Museum stirred, like boiling water. John stared dumbfounded at the scene before him.
A maiden formed of divine power appeared behind Salomon. She wore a Greek Attic helmet, held a spear and a large round shield. Her height was just slightly lower than the ceiling, but Salomon saw nothing. He just followed the instructions of the voice, chanting. Each time he prayed, the sound was like a bronze spear striking a round shield.
"In the name of Anemotis (Goddess of the Wind)!"
"In the name of Gorgophone (Gorgon Slayer Goddess)!"
"In the name of Parthenos (Virgin Goddess)!"
"I command you! Leave this realm!"
The maiden behind Salomon extended her hand, and surging divine power shattered these spirits, simultaneously releasing the shackles that had long bound them.
Emogen Tuttle couldn't believe what was happening before her eyes. In her view, she was the silent guardian of this world. Starting from her great-great-great-grandfather, they had been guarding this place. This responsibility tormented them while also making them proud. Guarding these spirits was the mission of the Tuttle family, all because of the infinite power of this ring...
"Hurry!" The darkness dispersed, and Salomon regained his vision, but before he could open his eyes, he shouted to John, "Take off her ring!"
Having lost the spirits, Emogen Tuttle had no idea how to fight. She had never received any magical education, not even the most basic self-defense techniques. After Young Master John reacted, he rushed forward. The elderly Emogen Tuttle was completely unable to resist. Young Master John easily grabbed her hand and pulled off the ring.
"Ahhh! My ring!" When the ring was removed, Emogen Tuttle was no longer invisible. Her clothes were tattered, and her messy white short hair made her look a bit like an old madwoman.
Salomon quickly grabbed Young Master John's hand and ran out of the museum. A small white snake silently and quickly crawled up Salomon's leg, burrowed into his clothes, and finally, with a cold touch, coiled around his arm.
"Are you okay, madam?" A tourist walked over.
"What are you looking at? You can't see me!" The magic left her, no longer supporting her brain. Emogen Tuttle's nerves began to age, and her already wrinkled skin became even more shriveled.
To others, she was talking nonsense.
"I am the guardian! I am the only one who can stop you from being destroyed!" Emogen Tuttle began to shout and scream. Her eyes flashed with madness. She kept yelling at the people around her, trying to prove that she was a saint who lived bearing the sins of others.
But tourists had already picked up their phones to call the police.
Young Master John and Salomon stood on the street, out of breath. Young Master John patted his thick chest and said, "You really have a knack for this, Salomon."
"Hopefully, senior brother," Salomon rolled up his sleeve and looked at the small snake sleeping peacefully on his forearm. "All this comes at a price."
Salomon was very clear that he hadn't called Athena's name, yet Athena had appeared on her own... Hadn't the Greek pantheon left Earth long ago? He had to ask the Sorcerer Supreme clearly, otherwise, he wouldn't be at ease.
"Alright, where do we go next?" While still shaken, Young Master John grinned and said, "Any more adventures?"
"I think we need a day to rest, senior brother," Salomon gestured for Young Master John to put the ring in his pocket. "We're going back to Kamar-Taj."
Because Emogen Tuttle had added many unnecessary things to this new ring, such as long fake nails, Salomon handed the ring to the Sorcerer Supreme and asked her to help modify it to make it a normal ring—after all, many magical artifacts in Kamar-Taj were made by the Ancient One, so this shouldn't be too big of a problem.
But Salomon's main purpose was not this.
When the Sorcerer Supreme saw the snake coiled around Salomon's forearm, she motioned for Salomon to calm down.
"The Celestials don't always pay attention to Earth. I've told you the reason why the New Gods left," the Sorcerer Supreme poured two cups of tea. "But I also didn't say they wouldn't secretly return. Now, not only is Athena on Earth, but also Hecate and others."
"All of them?" Salomon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Of course not all of them. After all, it would be a bit crowded with so many New Gods staying on Earth. And it's not an era of worshipping gods anymore. Humans now advocate science. Even if gods appear before them, they will only think about how to capture and dissect them.
Of course, I don't dislike this phenomenon. After all, magic only blooms in the souls of a few people. Only technology is the future of humanity." The Ancient One pushed a cup of tea towards Salomon. Salomon drank the tea in one gulp, and the fatigue from casting spells disappeared like dirt being washed off leaves by an early summer rain.
"Some have returned, but I advise you to meet this one after you have acquired all three rings," the Sorcerer Supreme pointed to the small snake lazily crawling on the table. Surprisingly, both Salomon and the Sorcerer Supreme could see expressions on the face of this small snake—it sounds strange to say, but it was true. The snake's expression at the moment was probably similar to "whatever," "do what you want, don't bother me," and so on.
It reluctantly lifted its eyelids, looked at Salomon, then at the Sorcerer Supreme, and then opened its mouth wide, trying to swallow an orange on the table.
"Looks like it's doing well," the Ancient One said with a relaxed expression. "I don't know why this goddess of wisdom is looking for you, but I don't think it will be too bad. After all, this is the first time I've seen a snake eat fruit, in reality, not in a game."
"But... I've never been a guest of a god... What gift should I bring? Olive oil, figs, or a wool sweater?"
"It's the 21st century, Salomon," the Sorcerer Supreme said with a look of disdain. "Don't be so old-fashioned. A bottle of wine, or even skincare products are good gifts to bring when visiting someone."
Salomon picked up the small snake that had just stuffed the orange into its mouth and left the Sorcerer Supreme's meditation room. From a distance, he looked like he was holding a ball connected to a string.