Solomon nodded slightly, stepped forward, and gently patted his shoulder, his gaze penetrating, as though he had already seen through everything.
"Erik, I knew you would choose to come to me. Your ideals align perfectly with Vought's mission. Only by staying at Vought can you grow stronger as quickly as possible and truly realize your ambitions. I thought you would deal with Shaw before coming here. It seems the news of the experiment that Raven inadvertently let slip prompted you to make your decision early."
Erik's heart jolted, and shock filled him.
The Vought Boss before him was meticulous and perceptive. In mere moments, he had deduced the entire chain of events with absolute accuracy.
He quickly gathered himself and spoke steadily:
"Boss, I only happened to hear about it. Raven didn't deliberately spread the news."
Solomon waved a hand, his expression calm and unconcerned.
"It's fine. Word getting out isn't necessarily a bad thing. It could give more unaffiliated Mutants hope and encourage them to join us. That's a good thing for us. Take you, for example. Wasn't it your desire for greater power that brought you to Vought?"
Erik nodded silently, a trace of obsession flashing through his eyes.
Only by growing stronger would he have the confidence he needed to kill Black King Shaw with his own hands.
As for loyalty to Vought, it had never been a permanent shackle.
As long as his own strength could surpass everything else, no one in the world could restrain him in the slightest.
The instant that thought crossed his mind, Erik's expression changed drastically, and his heart sank!
He had almost forgotten that Solomon was a top-tier Telepath who could peer directly into other people's thoughts!
Wouldn't that mean he had heard every one of those secret thoughts?
He