The dry, freezing snow, driven by howling winds, relentlessly forced its way into the gaps of his scarf. He exhaled a breath of warm air, but the moisture instantly crystallized into ice on the fabric. The thick wool socks inside his insulated boots had turned stiff from the cold, and his heavy windproof wool pants, damp with sweat from an earlier climb, had frozen into solid chunks. It felt like if he took a few steps, the pants would clink against each other like a childhood triangle instrument.
The polar day was fading, its deep red glow stubbornly staining the distant horizon. Winds carried a veil of snow across the ice sheet, creating a thick, white mist that obscured everything ahead. The entire landscape seemed blanketed by a dense, smog-like layer of industrial pollution, rendering it blurry and indistinct.
This was not the coastal region where most Antarctic research stations were located. This was the thick ice sheet near the pole—no seals, no penguins, only endless snow-covered crevasses and the vast glaciers blanketing the Antarctic continent.
If he closed his eyes, he could hear the ice shifting beneath him—a faint, grating moan of pressure and friction, like the heartbeat of the land, pulsating since ancient times. The movement of the glaciers caused the ice to crack, releasing trapped air bubbles, making Antarctic ice incredibly pure.
He had initially thought about taking a few pieces back to drop into a glass of whiskey. But then he considered the possibility of ancient, resilient bacteria lying dormant within the ice, waiting to be awakened. That thought quickly put an end to his foolish idea.
This was far from the optimal season for Antarctic exploration. The past few months of surveying had yielded nothing, but they couldn't leave just yet. They had to continue digging, uncovering the secrets buried beneath the Antarctic ice sheet—searching for a rare metal and the remains of a Celestial.
He was only able to participate in this expedition because his second academic term had ended. Wakanda had yet to find what they were looking for and urgently needed his magical foresight.
He hopped in place a few times, barely lifting his feet off the ground, just shifting his heels. But even that slight movement was enough to make him feel warmed up again.
The base was just ahead.
Solomon silently cursed his own negligence. He had underestimated Antarctica's harsh environment. He hadn't worn triple-layered thermal and moisture-wicking clothing, relying instead on relatively lightweight attire and magic to resist the cold. But magic couldn't counteract the sudden, extreme temperatures near the pole—below -50°F. Nor could it prevent his clothes from freezing.
And then, of course, he had accidentally fallen into a crevasse, damaging the Wakandan-manufactured portable heating device at his waist beyond repair.
One disaster after another had left him in a dire situation.
His fingers were numb—he couldn't even put on his Sling Ring.
He really should have brought Dave. That bumbling fool was likely the only human Druid left on Earth after Balthazar's death. And Solomon knew Dave had learned some of Balthazar's most valuable spells. A Druid should at least be capable of controlling wind.
He really didn't want to wait until his fingers were frostbitten and falling off before attempting a Greater Restoration spell to regrow them. That spell wasn't his specialty. The best he could manage were standard and Lesser Restoration.
Even worse, he couldn't cast those here.
A mysterious force in this region interfered with spellcasting. Any healing spell infused with positive energy could backfire, leading to uncontrolled tissue growth.
Which meant he might end up with extra fingers.
He couldn't transform into an elemental, either. Becoming an air elemental would risk him being swept away by the wind, turning into a water elemental would freeze him solid, fire would immediately extinguish, and earth would cause him to sink.
But none of that mattered now—the Wakandan prefabricated shelter was just ahead.
He definitely had frostbite. Probably chilblains, at the very least. If his ears or toes actually fell off, he would have to go back to Kamar-Taj and study regenerative magic properly.
The remains of the Celestial had affected the climate in this region. That was the conclusion reached by Wakandan scientists. They suspected that Antarctic Anti-Vibranium was also buried here. The strange energy signals in the area masked the unique signature of Anti-Vibranium, rendering Wakanda's usual metal-detecting technology useless.
Vibranium was virtually indestructible, resistant to mechanical and thermal stress, because its negatively charged atomic lattice formed complex crystalline structures—similar to covalent hexagonal bonds—coiling into nanotube-like formations. This structure allowed Vibranium to absorb impacts better than even its own atomic arrangement.
Anti-Vibranium, however, was its polar opposite.
This rare Antarctic variant emitted vibrations that weakened metallic bonds, liquefying solid metal.
That was what Wakanda was trying to detect.
Vibranium adhered to the first law of thermodynamics, forming both metallic and ionic bonds to adapt to different structures and functionalities. Its negative charge layered in three-dimensional crystalline formations, creating an electrically neutral lattice. When kinetic energy disrupted the structure, the charge realigned, generating a voltage difference across the lattice, converting kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Princess Shuri was currently developing a nano-scale capacitor to integrate into the Black Panther suit.
If Vibranium was the world's strongest shield, then Anti-Vibranium was the sharpest spear.
This was the foundation of Solomon's collaboration with Wakanda—especially now that King T'Chaka was committed to opening up Wakanda to the world. Wakanda needed to secure sole control over this resource.
"You really didn't have to come all the way out here," Solomon grumbled, sitting on a tiny stool beside a heater, clutching his ridiculously ornate tea cup.
His toes itched—a clear sign of developing frostbite.
He took a sip of his tea and let out a satisfied sigh.
Bringing his own tea set to Antarctica had been a brilliant decision.
At first, the Wakandan scientists had found his insistence on bringing tea utterly absurd. But they quickly realized how much better life was when you had a steaming cup of tea in a frozen wasteland.
"You expect me to be stuck underground designing tanks all day?!" Princess Shuri rolled her eyes and continued analyzing the geological data. "You're exploiting my labor!"
Vibranium and Anti-Vibranium had both arrived on Earth via meteorites. Such high-impact collisions would have definitely altered the geological structure—especially for Anti-Vibranium, a comet-borne material. Its impact zone must have formed basins or mountains, just like the ones that shaped Wakanda's Panther and White Gorilla tribes.
Shuri planned to use the geological scans to pinpoint the meteorite's landing site.
Their first exploration target was Vincent Massif, the highest peak in the Ellsworth Mountains. But Wakanda had found nothing.
They were now following the range along Ronne Ice Shelf in two separate teams—Sentinel Ridge to the north, Heritage Ridge to the south.
Thankfully, Wakandan aircraft were well-equipped for polar travel.
After another fruitless mission, satellite scans detected anomalous weather patterns, catching Shuri's attention.
She immediately redirected the southern expedition team closer to the pole.
If Solomon's predictions were correct, the Celestial's remains should be in that area. And if they were lucky, the Anti-Vibranium deposit would be nearby.
Now finally warm again, Solomon put his Sling Ring back on, opened a portal, and pulled out a blanket and a reclining chair.
She watched, unimpressed, as he stripped out of his frozen clothes, changed into warm, dry sleepwear, and got comfortable.
"I'll be here if you need me," he muttered, pulling the blanket over himself.
If Shuri found anything, she could wake him up.
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