Though he could drown Zod in wealth, Staf chose a different approach.
"An oil field in Texas?" Ould exclaimed, startled by Staf's latest offer.
Staf had proposed giving Zod a Texas oil field if he succeeded in developing a cancer drug. This was no small incentive. The idea of owning an oil field, a symbol of generational wealth and security, was the dream of many. While new energy was beginning to compete with fossil fuels, an oil field still held considerable value.
Zod knew well that Texas, the Middle East, the North Sea, the Caspian Sea, and Siberia supplied the majority of the world's oil, contributing significantly to the global energy system. Oil still represented an economic powerhouse—fuels and raw materials essential to industries like automotive, aviation, aerospace, and petrochemicals. Zod's new energy technology, on the other hand, was a direct threat to this empire. Unlike oil companies dependent on capital flow, Blade Technology Industries thrived on revolutionary technology and patents, challenging the longstanding financial order.
Staf's proposal was an invitation for Zod to join the oil industry, luring the world's most promising new energy innovator into the oil empire. Zod's latest invention, a magnetic-beam nuclear fusion reactor, no longer relied on palladium but instead operated on magnetic beam technology. It wasn't as powerful as Stark's arc reactor, but it surpassed traditional palladium reactors on every front.
Since Tony Stark's disappearance, Stark Industries had become a target of oil tycoons. Obadiah Stane had received substantial investments in nuclear energy research, with investors hoping to monopolize new energy sources just as they did with oil.
Zod's reactor, however, faced public resistance, with rumors fueled by powerful interests claiming that magnetic-beam fusion could be carcinogenic. Still, investors approached Zod with astronomical sums, enticing him to turn Blade Tech into a corporation even larger than Umbrella. But Zod's upbringing had instilled a profound distaste for the excesses of capitalism.
"Petroleum…" Zod sighed. He could eventually render oil obsolete as an energy source, reducing it to mere raw material use. Technologies using magnetized water could create plastics without petroleum, and plasified water could substitute for ethylene and other petrochemicals.
But Zod knew that displacing oil would disrupt global finance and economy, affecting billions. His vision could transform society, but the current economic model wouldn't allow it. Such was the plight of a forward-thinking genius: limited by a system resistant to change.
"Fine, I'll agree to his terms," Zod decided. He had planned to release a cancer treatment anyway.
Staf, relieved, accepted his own course of cancer treatment to buy time until Zod delivered. Unbeknownst to him, Zod planned to delay the drug's release for some time.
Kamar-Taj
Meanwhile, in Kamar-Taj, Morgan was deep in her studies. She focused on the white magic of the Vishanti, which required no cost—unlike other magics, which could attract dark entities with a mere spell. As the child of a Dimensional Demon, Morgan knew that using any dark magic would signal her presence to these beings, making her a prime target.
While practicing, Morgan stumbled over an ancient tome, falling with a start. She recalled the stories of Kamar-Taj's library, filled with enchanted books. Could this tome have...tripped her?
Opening it, Morgan found only blank pages. But as she turned them, words began to appear, revealing ancient knowledge on fighting dimensional demons, as well as symbols and spells. She was entranced by its depth—until a voice snapped her back to reality.
"Morgan!" came the warning call. She looked up to see the Ancient One, who closed the book with a sharp motion.
"This is the Darkhold. Where did you find it?" the Ancient One demanded, her voice filled with concern.
The Darkhold, or the "Book of Sins," was a relic of immense power and corruption. Thousands of years ago, Chthon, an ancient demon, inscribed his spells upon parchment to ensure his influence endured even after exile. These writings became the Darkhold—a conduit through which Chthon could exert power over Earth.
While it contained potent spells, the Darkhold was notorious for corrupting those who used it, promising boundless power while seducing souls into Chthon's grasp.