Back at the manor, Kino entered his Speed Force state and finished reading everything in less than a second.
This was the first time he learned a new power without relying on Venom.
The other magic books were manageable, but the Darkhold carried a natural corruption of the soul. If Kino didn't have a Demon Lord's divine position, he would've already been consumed.
Moreover, using these magic spells always came with a cost.
The Book of Vishanti was relatively safer—it inflicted physical damage, spiritual consumption, and shortened one's lifespan. The more you paid, the stronger the spell.
That was how Doctor Strange could use powerful magic in just a few years.
Even with the greatest talent, accumulation was necessary.
Thankfully, these costs could likely be covered with healing potions, so it wasn't a big issue.
The Darkhold, however, contained spells far stronger than white magic—even their descriptions made that clear.
But the price was absurd.
Once you established a connection with the Darkhold, your soul would belong to its master—Chthon.
"Darker than me, even!"
At least Kino gave people a fair trade. Chthon demanded your soul just for a trial use.
Kino felt tempted by the magical power.
As satisfying as punching enemies to a pulp was, who hadn't fantasized about waving their hand and casting dazzling spells?
He had no shortage of magic power. The issue was that these spells belonged to someone else. To use them, one had to form a bond—only then could you tap into the owner's magic.
That applied to both the white magic and the dark magic books.
"I'll have to make a trip."
Chthon was no pushover like Mephisto.
In the magic world, Chthon was one of the highest-tier entities. Even Mephisto and Dormammu had borrowed his power before.
Although not unbeatable, Kino wanted to finish things quickly and didn't want another 10-day slugfest like last time.
He opened a portal.
Inside, Jean Grey (Phoenix) and Galantha were happily eating a massive ice cream sundae when the portal suddenly appeared.
Kino walked through, startling all the customers.
"Kino, what brings you here? Want some sundae?" Jean offered him a big spoonful.
Kino opened his mouth and ate it.
"I need your help. Got time?"
"Totally! What are we doing?" Jean asked, cheerfully shoveling the rest of her sundae into her mouth.
"I'm busy!" Galantha refused immediately.
Her plan for the day was to eat everything on that street.
"You're my employee. You don't get to refuse. It's work time."
Kino grabbed her by the collar and pulled her into the portal.
"Wait! My extra-large limited edition sundae!" Galantha reached out helplessly as it got farther away.
"I'll help you out!"
Jean quickly finished Galantha's sundae.
Galantha's gaze turned lifeless.
It was the first time someone dared to steal food in front of a Herald of Galactus.
The other customers finally recovered from the shock.
"Was that the Demon King?"
"Yeah, I saw him during the demon invasion."
"Who were those two pretty girls?"
"No idea. Did anyone get a video?"
"Forgot…"
It was the first public appearance of the Demon King… and no one recorded it.
"I think this place has security cameras."
"…"
The room went silent, and then—
"Boss, I'll pay $500 for that footage!"
"$1,000 from me!"
Uploading that to social media would definitely go viral.
———
In a dimension adjacent to Earth called the "Flickering Domain"...
This realm was shrouded in darkness and eerie energy, filled with mysterious power and dangerous entities.
"Chthon, you here? I need to talk!"
Kino stepped out of the portal with Jean and Galantha, who were still bickering.
A white-haired man stepped out from the black mist, arrogance radiating from his posture.
"Demon Lord, what do you seek?"
He was familiar with these Demon Lords—constantly showing up to borrow power, but they always gave him satisfying offerings.
"I want to use the Darkhold without paying a price. And if possible, I want a few others to do the same."
Kino waved the Darkhold.
"Why is that book in your possession?"
Chthon remembered that the current Sorcerer Supreme had sealed the Darkhold.
She was the strongest Sorcerer Supreme in history. He had planned to wait until her death before trying to reclaim the book.
"She gave it to me."
Kino spoke honestly.
"Are you mocking me?"
Chthon's expression didn't change, but the entire dimension trembled with dark power, echoing his anger.
"…I stole it."
"Impressive. Stealing it from the Sorcerer Supreme… Hand the book to my disciple, and I'll reward you with my power."
Chthon nodded approvingly.
"Who wants your power? I want access to your spells." Kino was speechless. Was this guy deaf?
"That kind of access is impossible. Take my power and get lost!"
The Darkhold was the key to his return to Earth. Even if this was only a fragment, he couldn't let others access it. Not even Demon Lords.
Chthon was Earth's first and strongest master of black magic. His dark power was nearly the sum of all dark magic on Earth.
That meant, if all humans became dark mages, his power could rival the Five Abstract Entities.
A red energy orb appeared before Kino. He accepted it—free stuff was free stuff.
"Don't blame me then. Jean, Galantha—go!"
At Kino's command—nothing happened.
"I thought you didn't like your sundae, so I helped you finish it."
"I was savoring it slowly! You just gulped it down."
"I'm sorry…"
Kino sighed as he stared at the stone-faced Chthon.
"I'll buy the entire street of food stalls later. Right now, let's deal with this first."
"No problem."
"Deal."
The two women instantly got serious and charged at Chthon with killing intent.
"Courting death!"
Chthon's face darkened.
A massive, blinding red energy beam shot out from behind him, carrying a world-ending aura, and surged toward the two women.
Jean, unafraid, ignited into flames, transforming into a blazing phoenix. With a piercing cry, she soared forward and collided with the red beam.
Meanwhile, Galantha activated her armor. Giant cannons emerged from her suit, and torrents of cosmic energy erupted, bombarding Chthon's position.
"Phoenix Force! A young Herald of Galactus!"
Chthon waved his hand and instantly wiped out their attacks.
"Leave now, and I'll overlook your offense."
"Cut the crap. Hand it over, and we're gone."
"Yeah, we've got food waiting."
Chthon's offer was ignored.
Although he wouldn't kill them, he could still leave them seriously injured—and their superior wouldn't object.
From his perspective, the Demon Lord was just a guide. The masterminds were these two.
[Power Scaling Notes from the Author]
Marvel power levels as per this story:
Omnipotent Cosmic Level: Top tier (e.g., One-Above-All, the Beyonders, Heart of the Universe Thanos).[Lucifer in this novel is also at this level, slightly weaker than OAA but stronger than OBA who can't move freely.]
Super Cosmic Level: Like Nemesis, source of the Infinity Stones, her death created multiple multiverses.
Multiversal Level: Includes the Five Abstract Entities (Galactus, Death, Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion).Phoenix Force also belongs here, capable of rewriting history.[Yes, the Phoenix seems weak here, but remember: she's only six months old and spends most of her time eating or playing.]Comic Thanos with the full Gauntlet and peak Scarlet Witch are also at this level.
Universal Level: Celestials, Silver Surfer, Ego (Star-Lord's father). Can affect an entire universe.(Their movie portrayals vary greatly.)
Skyfather Level: Odin, Zeus—mythological pantheon leaders who can destroy planets.
Earth Level: Most Avengers—Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America—are in this range. Powerful for Earth, weak in cosmic terms.
📜 Quote of the Chapter:"Even the darkest magic comes at a price—but some prices are too steep, even for a Demon King."
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