Chapter 296 The Eye of Judgment Activates
Because he possesses a natural perception of Ghost Riders, he is like a radar, easily able to pinpoint their location.
Johnny's skull eye sockets blazed with Fire, and the chains writhed in his hands like living things, exuding a suffocating pressure.
He sensed a powerful Ghost Rider within the mine, but at the same time, he also noticed Wanda and A2 blocking the entrance.
Although it was his first time encountering Wanda and A2, he sensed considerable energy fluctuations from both of them, especially the Chaos Magic on Wanda.
In his simple and crude understanding, any existence with such powerful energy fluctuations was definitely not an ordinary human; it was very likely a strange Witch!
And the woman next to him, with long silver hair, although her aura was somewhat strange, was equally not to be underestimated.
However, as an existence possessing the power of the Spirit of Vengeance, he was extremely confident in his own strength.
Coupled with his natural restraint over Ghost Riders, he naturally felt that the Ghost Riders here should be dealt with by him.
"Outsiders, make way! The sins within shall be judged by me!"
The Ghost Rider let out a low, hoarse roar, like sandpaper rubbing, with an undeniable tone of command.
Wanda frowned slightly; she could feel that this flaming skull in front of her was not a pure demon.
The core of its power carried a sense of rules, but the overbearing and violent aura made her very uncomfortable.
"Outsiders? Are you talking to us?"
A2 looked at the Ghost Rider with emotionless eyes; her personality was already cold, and upon hearing the Ghost Rider's words, she was instantly enveloped in killing intent.
"Are there others here? Ghost Riders from Hell Dimensionare not something just anyone can deal with. Retreat quickly, or you will be judged along with them!"
"Judge us too? What big words. It's been a long time since I've seen someone so clueless about death like you."
As A2 spoke, she raised her hand and swung it, and a Xiuchun Blade condensed from nano-Adamantiumsuddenly appeared.
At the same time, she took a swift step forward, her figure leaping out like a cheetah, arriving in front of the Ghost Rider in an instant.
The Adamantium Xiuchun Blade in her hand slashed towards the Ghost Rider's neck with lightning speed.
Such a fierce attack would undoubtedly decapitate an ordinary person.
But the Ghost Rider was clearly no ordinary person; just as A2's Xiuchun Blade was about to strike the Ghost Rider's neck.
A chain spewing Hellfire had already blocked it one step ahead.
"Clang!!!"
The Xiuchun Blade and the chain collided violently, emitting a piercing clang.
Normally, A2's Adamantium Xiuchun Blade could cut through iron like mud.
Let alone a mere chain, even a thick steel wall could be easily cut through like tofu.
But what surprised A2 at this moment was that her Adamantium Xiuchun Blade did not cut through the chain in one strike, which was simply incredible!
In just an instant, she understood that this guy, covered in flames, was not simple; the flames burning on him were definitely not ordinary Fire.
At this moment, Wanda, standing aside, frowned: "A2, his chain is enchanted, that's the aura of the Hell Dimension!"
"So, this guy's origin is the same as the Ghost Riders in the mine? Is he also a type of Ghost Rider?"
"The aura is somewhat similar, but also different; it should be a higher-level Ghost Rider!" Wanda said with a frown, a hint of solemnity on her face.
"You dare to compare me with those filthy and inferior Ghost Riders? Last warning, get out of here, or I will judge you!"
The Ghost Rider said coldly, his attitude extremely arrogant and overbearing, as if he were the embodiment of law, possessing the power to decide life and death for everything.
"I'll cut you down first!" Seeing the Ghost Rider's arrogance, A2 stepped forward, and the Xiuchun Blade in her hand slashed out again.
Knowing that the Ghost Rider in front of her was extraordinary, this time she held nothing back, her power even more terrifying.
"Woman, you seek death!"
The Ghost Rider was enraged by A2's disregard for him; he violently swung the Hell Chain.
Immediately, the chain, with a tearing shriek through the air and scorching heat, like a giant flaming python, directly lashed towards A2!
A flash of light gleamed in A2's eyes, her figure instantly blurred, moving sideways at a speed far beyond human visual capture, precisely dodging the chain's strike!
And at this moment, her Adamantium Xiuchun Blade, with a chilling gleam, slashed towards the middle section of the chain!
Clang—!
Sparks flew!
The Xiuchun Blade collided with the Hell Chain, emitting a dull roar.
A2 felt a scorching, corrosive energy tremor transmit through the blade, but she easily dissolved it.
And the Ghost Rider was surprised to find that his Hellfire, which was powerful enough to melt gold and break iron,
Still failed to instantly burn through the opponent's seemingly ordinary long blade?
Moreover, the opponent's strength and speed had also become stronger, which completely exceeded his expectations.
"Good strength! But you still must face judgment!"
The Ghost Rider roared, abandoning the chain, and his Hell Motorcycle surged forward. He extended his flaming bone claw, directly grabbing A2's head!
Attempting to subdue this woman in the most direct way, but A2 showed no fear, meeting him head-on!
Her fighting style was extremely vicious and precise, every move aimed directly at a vital point, a perfect combination of strength and speed!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The burning skull and A2 engaged in a fierce close-quarters battle at the mine entrance!
Flames and blade light intertwined, collision sounds incessantly!
The Ghost Rider's power was immense, and Hellfire had continuous burning and soul erosion effects.
But A2 was not human; she was a unique life form combining nano-Vibranium and nano-Adamantium.
Her physical strength was extremely high, and she could nanofy, thus immune to all physical damage, and had considerable resistance to energy attacks.
Moreover, her combat algorithm was extremely advanced, always able to predict or neutralize the Ghost Rider's seemingly chaotic and violent attacks.
After several rounds, the Ghost Rider surprisingly gained no advantage whatsoever.
Instead, he was forced into a frantic state by A2's exquisite and fierce blade techniques, with several areas of his flames extinguished!
"Damn it, how is this possible!" The Ghost Rider was both shocked and enraged; he never expected this woman to be so strong.
Even with his physical strength and Hellfire, he couldn't do anything to the opponent, which forced him to use his trump card!
With this thought, he suddenly retreated a step.
Immediately, the flames in his skull eye sockets abruptly turned a deep, dark red, as if capable of devouring all light!
He stared intensely into A2's eyes, letting out a low, magical roar!
"Look into my eyes, feel the sin of your soul! Accept the judgment of Hellfire! Judgment Gaze activated!"
Chapter 297 I've been waiting for you for a long time
The Penance Stare, one of Ghost Rider's most terrifying abilities.
It can directly scorch the target's soul, making them experience all the pain their victims suffered from the sins they committed in their lifetime!
For creatures with souls, this is almost a guaranteed kill!
A dark red light enveloped A2.
However... one second, two seconds, three seconds... A2 still stood silently in place, her silver long hair gently swaying in the surging energy.
Her cold eyes showed no change; she even tilted her head slightly, seemingly puzzled.
"What are you doing? Trying to stare me to death?"
A2 looked at the Ghost Rider in front of her with a playful expression, her eyes full of mockery.
Ghost Rider: "???"
The flames on his skull froze!
How could this be?!
The Penance Stare was ineffective?!
Could it be that the opponent had never done anything bad in her life?
No, that's absolutely impossible. This woman in front of him exuded a strong murderous aura.
This was clearly the aura of someone who had long been seasoned in battle.
Someone seasoned in battle would undoubtedly have hands stained with blood.
Even if she hadn't done anything 'bad', she certainly hadn't killed few people!
And as long as she had killed people, his Penance Stare should be able to detect it.
But what he saw at this moment was a blankness, as if the woman in front of him had no soul.
No soul?!
How is that possible?!
Even demons have their evil soul essence!
Every living being has a soul; otherwise, it would be impossible to survive.
Unless it's an anomaly like Blackheart, but he could clearly feel that this woman in front of him was completely different from Blackheart.
Although her appearance was human, she didn't feel human at all; she was more like a cold, unfeeling machine.
Wait!
A machine?!
Is this woman in front of him a robot?
No, no, no, how could a robot be made so realistic.
He had just clashed with her and clearly felt that she had warmth, which was the feeling of a human!
But if she was a Zhenren (Immortal), then why would his Penance Stare be ineffective?
Strange, this was too strange!
Ghost Rider was utterly perplexed, his mind full of questions, and just as he fell into a momentary daze and confusion due to this unprecedented situation, A2 moved!
"Is your attack over? Then it's my turn!"
A2 spoke calmly, and her speed instantly burst to its peak!
The Xiuchun Blade was swung again, and a massive amount of energy gathered on the blade!
"Your skeleton can fall apart!"
As her words fell, A2 swung her blade.
Immediately, countless sharp and unparalleled blade lights, like death lotuses blooming in an instant, completely enveloped the Ghost Rider!
The blade lights were not only as fast as lightning but also contained highly compressed impact energy!
Ghost Rider had no time to react; the Hellfire on his body was instantly cleaved apart by the violent blade aura, layer by layer!
Immediately, countless deep slashes appeared on Ghost Rider's solid spiritual bones!
The massive impact sent him flying like a tattered sandbag!
Boom!!!
He crashed through a pile of abandoned minecarts in the distance, buried under the rusted steel wreckage, his flames instantly extinguished, returning to his human form.
A2 stood with her blade sheathed, looking coldly at the wreckage: "The so-called Penance Stare and Hellfire are nothing more than this. If you don't know what's good for you, I don't mind destroying you!"
At this moment, Wanda stepped forward, looked at the wreckage, and shook her head: "Just a small fry. A2, let's go when you're done playing!"
Hearing Wanda's words, A2 nodded, did not make another move, and directly put away her Xiuchun Blade.
Just then, the evil spirits deep within the mine seemed to be disturbed by the commotion outside, and their aura became agitated.
"We need to hurry; those guys are getting more and more restless!"
Wanda said, leaping up and flying down into the mine shaft.
Seeing this, A2 immediately followed, and in the blink of an eye, the two disappeared.
A moment later, the steel wreckage suddenly exploded.
Ghost Rider, disheveled but with Hellfire rekindled, struggled out.
He looked in the direction of the mine entrance, and although no expression could be seen on his skull face.
The flickering flames in his eye sockets, however, revealed the surging emotions and immense humiliation within him.
"A being without a soul... Damn it... Mephisto, what kind of being did you make me provoke..."
He cursed in a low voice, feeling the weakening of his power and the damage to his spiritual body, knowing that he could not continue the mission today no matter what.
He glared fiercely in the direction of the mine, but ultimately, reluctantly helped up his equally damaged Hell Cycle.
Then, with a body full of embarrassment and a heart full of frustration, he transformed into a slightly dim fiery light and slunk away into the night.
This was his first crushing defeat since becoming Ghost Rider, and he was defeated so thoroughly, so inexplicably.
A2's soulless nature became an insurmountable chasm for his Penance Stare and left a deep psychological shadow on him.
Meanwhile, inside the mine, Wanda and A2's cleanup work had just begun.
Deep within the mine, darkness was like thick ink, almost swallowing all light.
The air was filled with sulfur, decay, and a bone-chilling coldness.
Countless twisted, wailing evil spirits, like a disturbed flock of bats, poured out from all directions of the mine tunnels.
They lunged at the intruding Wanda and A2 with endless resentment and greed for the living.
"It seems this has become a nest of evil spirits," Wandasaid calmly, but deep red Chaos Magic energy had already emerged around her, like leaping flames, illuminating her beautiful face as mysterious and powerful.
"Just scum. Clean them up," A2 said before her words finished, her figure already transforming into a silver lightning bolt, rushing into the swarm of evil spirits.
The Xiuchun Blade no longer had the previous impact energy attached to it but condensed into an extremely sharp cutting force field.
This was a weapon Loren specially developed to deal with spiritual bodies. Wherever the blade light passed, the evil spirits were cut into pieces by the terrifying slashes before they could even scream, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating.
Her movements were precise, efficient, without a single wasted motion.
Like the most precise killing machine, she stirred up a silver storm in the dark mine shaft.
Wanda, on the other hand, appeared more composed.
She floated in mid-air, her hands elegantly dancing, and deep red Chaos Magic spread out like living ribbons.
Once the evil spirits touched this energy, they instantly vaporized and evaporated like ice thrown into a steel furnace.
She didn't even need to aim; wherever her will went, the magic surged like a tide, purifying and annihilating swathes of evil spirits.
"The power of these evil spirits is converging deeper. Something is attracting them, or... controlling them."
Wanda cleaned up the minions while sensing the flow of energy.
She felt an ancient and tyrannical consciousness awakening in the deepest part of the mine, its power level far beyond these scattered stragglers.
A2 cut down the last few evil spirits blocking their way and said coldly, "Whatever it is, just kill it."
The two went deeper, and wherever they passed, all evil spirits were annihilated. Soon they reached the lowest level of the mine.
A huge, hollowed-out mountain belly space.
The evil aura here was almost solidified; the ground and walls were covered with dark red, pulsating, bizarre energy veins like blood vessels.
In the center of the space, it was not the stronger evil spirit aggregate they had expected.
Instead, it was a complex, constantly rotating magic circle made of pure Hellfire.
In the center of the magic circle, an extremely dazzling flame core floated, seemingly containing all the anger and destruction in the world.
Wanda's pupils contracted slightly; she felt a huge threat from that flame core. "This isn't an ordinary evil spirit..."
Just then, the flame core suddenly expanded, and a deep voice, as if countless volcanoes were roaring simultaneously, echoed throughout the entire space.
"I am Zarathos! The elemental Spirit of Vengeance! The wielder of Chaos Magic, I have been waiting for you!"
Chapter 298 This is a conspiracy!
As the words fell, a 'boom' resounded, and a massive flame instantly condensed into a blurry skull image.
Although this skull was still made of flame, its power far exceeded that of the previous Ghost Rider by a hundredfold!
A powerful mental pressure swept over like a tsunami. Miss A2 reacted extremely quickly, instantly blocking in front of Wanda, her Xiuchun Blade pointing directly at Zarathos.
"Something pretending to be a god, die!"
As she spoke, the Xiuchun Blade in her hand cut out like lightning, and a sharp cutting force field erupted.
An invisible stream of energy, with an unstoppable momentum, shot straight towards the flaming skull. The stream heavily struck the skull.
In an instant, it left a deep scar on the skull, but the skull showed no reaction, as if the object struck by the stream was not him.
At this moment, the wound healed quickly at a visible speed, recovering completely in the blink of an eye.
Such self-healing ability was in no way inferior to Miss A2, a Vibranium lifeform, and perhaps even surpassed her!
"Little girl, with your methods, you can't even harm my fur. Begone!"
Zarathos roared, and an extremely condensed pillar of Hellfire shot out like a giant python.
However, he did not attack Miss A2 herself, but rather struck the ground in front of her.
"Bang—!"
The violent explosion and Impact sent Miss A2 flying, crashing heavily against the rock wall.
Even with Miss A2's body, she was temporarily embedded in the rock, unable to break free immediately.
The Hellfire contained not only high temperatures but also a peculiar sealing power.
Although this power could not destroy Miss A2, it was enough to temporarily trap her.
"What a strange thing, it has no soul. But without a soul, it is useless to me.
So stay here obediently. After the matter is dealt with, I will come back to study you properly!"
Zarathos sneered, not putting Miss A2 in his eyes.
However, he had such confidence. After all, at his peak, even a dimension lord like Mephisto was not his opponent.
He was a Godfather-level existence, second only to a single Universe-level being.
Such formidable strength was rare even in the vast Universe.
So, naturally, he didn't take a mere Miss A2 seriously.
"Miss A2, are you alright?"
Seeing Miss A2 blasted away by Zarathos's attack, Wandacouldn't help but exclaim, her face showing worry.
At the same time, her hands moved rapidly, and deep red Chaos Magic transformed into a long whip.
In an instant, it wrapped around Miss A2, attempting to break the sealing power that imprisoned Miss A2 and pull her out of the rock.
But Zarathos had planned this for a long time; how could he give her such an opportunity?
Just then, an arrow condensed from Hellfire shot towards Wanda with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, it severed Wanda's magic whip, preventing her from succeeding!
"In front of me, you still dare to save others, woman, you are truly audacious!"
Zarathos sneered, and the giant skull slowly flew towards Wanda.
A World-shaking aura emanated from him, making Wanda's expression increasingly solemn.
As a powerful Witch, it was her first time experiencing such a terrifying aura.
She had never felt such an aura, not even when Ancient One was alive.
This showed how terrifying the strength of the Zarathos in front of her was.
Watching Zarathos constantly approaching her, Wandaclenched her hands in the air. Chaos Magic immediately enveloped Zarathos, seemingly intending to tear him apart.
But in the face of Wanda's attack, Zarathos was unconcerned. Not only did his body not get torn apart by Wanda, but it became even more solid.
"Woman, Chaos Magic is not used like that. Let me teach you!"
As his words fell, a magic circle suddenly appeared beneath Wanda's feet.
Immediately after, the entire magic circle's light instantly flared, and countless chains made of Hellfire shot out from the ground and the void.
They ignored space, even penetrating the magic shield Wanda had conjured, directly coiling around her limbs and torso.
Ancient runes flickered on the chains, emanating a power specifically designed to counter mental and magic origins.
"Damn it! What is this monstrosity!!!" Wanda's face paled in shock. She noticed her Chaos Magic, like a stream poured into a whirlpool, began to uncontrollably leak out.
She struggled fiercely, deep red energy erupting wildly, shattering many chains, but more chains wrapped around her, one after another.
The power of the magic circle created a strange resonance with her Chaos Magic, constantly amplifying the binding force.
"It's useless!" Zarathos's voice carried the ecstatic glee of a successful scheme.
"I meticulously set up this trap, using these lowly evil spirits to spread their aura, all to lure you here!
Your Chaos Magic is the best beacon for finding the darkhold. As long as I control you, the darkhold will be mine."
"Now, use your Chaos Magic to guide me!"
Zarathos roared, and the chains binding Wanda suddenly tightened. A powerful mental force brutally invaded Wanda's consciousness.
It wasn't reading memories, but directly activating and guiding the Chaos Magic within her, which shared the same origin as the darkhold!
"No!" Wanda let out a painful cry. Her eyes erupted with an unprecedented deep red light.
This light spread uncontrollably, sweeping across the entire space like ripples, and then extending towards more distant, deeper dimensions.
Under Zarathos's forced drive, Chaos Magic, like a precise radar, instantly locked onto a coordinate hidden in the cracks of the reality dimension.
A phantom of a book emanating endless gloom and forbidden knowledge clearly appeared simultaneously in Wanda's mind and in the flames before Zarathos!
"Found it! Hahahahaha!" Zarathos let out a deafening, wild laugh.
"As long as I possess the darkhold, I will reshape the laws of this World! The flames of vengeance will burn everything!"
He greedily noted down the coordinate, and the energy of the chains binding Wanda intensified again, clearly intending to use her as a continuous energy source or an important hostage.
"Your value is not yet exhausted. Come with me!"
The flaming magic circle began to spin violently, and space began to distort. Zarathos prepared to take the controlled Wanda directly to the location of the darkhold.
Miss A2, temporarily trapped in the rock wall, watched helplessly as Wanda was subdued and was about to be taken away. Her cold eyes couldn't help but reveal anxiety and fury.
"Release Wanda!" Miss A2 said coldly.
Immediately, her body transformed directly into a mass of black nanometer Vibranium particles, like a mist, breaking free from the cold rock wall.
Chapter 299 The Dark Book is mine!
Zarathos was ecstatically focused on tearing space, constructing a passage to the location of the darkhold.
The ethereal image of the book, radiating an ominous aura, became increasingly clear before him. He didn't even consider the soulless A2 a threat.
In his view, his Hellfire seal was enough to trap any conventionally powerful being, so trapping A2 would naturally be no problem.
But unfortunately, A2 was not a conventional existence.
She was a special being, somewhere between human and robot, a Vibranium lifeform distinct from any regular living creature.
Therefore, Zarathos's sealing power could only temporarily restrain her.
When she transformed into nanoparticles, she became an ethereal existence like smoke, making her escape from bondage a matter of course.
"To think you can trap me, you're still far too weak!"
Just then, A2, transformed into nano-Vibranium, re-materialized into human form behind Zarathos.
Concurrently, a disdainful snort escaped A2's lips.
As she spoke, a dazzling blue-white light suddenly erupted from her body, an energy level far exceeding what she normally used in combat.
A powerful Impact expanded outwards like a tangible force, directly shattering the Hellfire blocking her path!
"What?!" Zarathos sensed his seal being forcefully broken and spun around sharply.
He saw A2 had already broken free from the rock wall, her silver hair wildly dancing without wind, surrounded by destructive energy turbulence.
Her eyes became even colder and emptier, as if she had completely discarded all emotions, transforming into a pure killing machine.
"No matter what kind of existence you are, you should not lay hands on my Master, and even less should you attack my sister. You, deserve to die!"
There was no roar, only cold words. As A2's voice fell, her figure vanished instantly.
When she reappeared, she was already at the side of Zarathos's massive flame form, the Xiuchun Blade in her hand carrying an energy field that seemed to tear through everything.
It was no longer a slash, but a direct thrust, like a drill, towards his flame core!
"Ant! Arrogant!!!"
Zarathos roared in fury, condensing a highly compressed Hellfire ball and smashing it towards A2.
However, in her berserk mode, A2's speed, strength, and reactions had all increased by several levels.
She didn't dodge but directly met it with her blade!
Boom!!!
A violent explosion echoed through the mine shaft, and the Impact stripped another layer from the surrounding rock walls.
A2 was pushed backward by the force of the explosion, her feet carving two deep grooves in the ground.
But she stood firm, her blade still pointed at Zarathos.
And Zarathos's flame core had visibly dimmed a trace.
This collision interrupted Zarathos's process of maintaining the spatial passage; the ethereal image of the darkholdflickered and became somewhat blurry.
"Wanda!" A2 shouted to her companion, who was bound by chains, amidst the violent energy convection.
"Wake up!"
Wanda was in extreme pain, her Chaos Magic being forcefully extracted, making her feel as if her soul was being torn apart.
But A2's call, and the power she was overloading to save her, pierced through the mist of Zarathos's mental control like a faint glimmer.
"A2, thank you!" Wanda struggled to lift her head, a trace of clarity returning to her deep red eyes.
She saw the abnormal energy glow on A2's body and knew she was fighting for her life.
"My… Chaos Magic… I control it!"
Wanda gritted her teeth, no longer resisting the boiling magic within her, but instead trying to regain control of it.
She recalled the Sorcerer Ancient One's teachings: the essence of Chaos Magic was to modify reality, the manifestation of will, not pure energy output.
Zarathos sensed Wanda's resistance and grew even angrier.
"Dying struggles are useless; under my great power, everything will turn to ash!"
He abandoned the immediate construction of a complete passage and instead concentrated most of his power, intending to first completely suppress these two troublesome women.
The temperature of the entire space rapidly rose, the ground melted into magma, and countless giant Fire tentacles rose from the magic circle.
Like wildly dancing pythons, they simultaneously attacked Wanda and A2!
A2 transformed into a silver stream of light, weaving through the dense Fire tentacles; her blade light was like a bolt of silk, constantly severing the tentacles.
But the tentacles were endless, regenerating extremely quickly, and some even bypassed her, heading directly for the bound Wanda.
Just at this critical moment, a look of determination flashed in Wanda's eyes.
She no longer tried to break free from the chains but clasped her hands together sharply!
"If I cannot stop your guidance, then I shall twist your guidance!"
She no longer suppressed the Chaos Magic but actively injected it into the energy channel constructed by Zarathos.
But this time, what was injected was not compliant guidance, but guidance filled with her own will.
Boom!!!
Deep red Chaos Magic and dark red Hellfire violently clashed within the energy channel!
The once stable coordinates instantly became chaotic and distorted, and the ethereal image of the darkhold flickered intensely.
It was like a video with bad signal, sometimes clear, sometimes turning into a jumble of garbled energy noise.
"What have you done?! Fool!"
Zarathos was both shocked and enraged; he felt the location of the darkhold becoming elusive, almost slipping from his perception.
Wanda's drastic move directly ruined his plan.
The spatial passage began to become extremely unstable, and distorted energy turbulence raged through the mine shaft, tearing at everything.
"A2! Now!"
Wanda seized the moment Zarathos was distracted by the disruption of the ritual.
She concentrated her last remaining strength, and Chaos Magic, like red lightning, violently impacted the weakest nodes on the chains binding her!
Crack!
The chains shattered in response!
At the same time, in that instant, Wanda, using Chaos Magic, snatched the darkhold from the passage into her hands.
And almost at the same moment she broke free, A2 had already broken through the obstruction of the Fire tentacles and rushed to her side, embracing her body, which was swaying from exhaustion.
"Let's go!" A2 didn't hesitate for a moment, going full power, and carrying Wanda, she transformed into a silver meteor, shooting towards the mine exit!
"No! You won't escape! The darkhold is mine!" Seeing the darkhold snatched by Wanda, Zarathos let out an earth-shattering roar.
His massive flame form tried to pursue, but the passage, contaminated by Wanda, was backfiring, and chaotic energy stirred his main body, preventing him from immediately concentrating his power.
Rumble—!
Without the stable support of the core magic circle, coupled with the series of high-intensity energy Impacts just now, the entire mine began to collapse violently.
Huge rocks fell like rain, temporarily blocking Zarathos's pursuit route.
A2 carried Wanda, weaving through the collapsing passage at extreme speed.
She narrowly avoided the falling boulders and finally rushed out of the mine exit, returning to the night sky.
The two landed on the ground; Wanda leaned weakly against her, her face pale, but her eyes had regained clarity.
They looked back, only to see the entire mine entrance completely buried with a loud bang.
But the tyrannical aura belonging to Zarathos had not disappeared; it was merely temporarily suppressed deep underground.
"He's not dead yet." A2's face was filled with solemnity.
Wanda gasped, her eyes also gravely fixed on the buried mine.
"That guy's strength is no less than that of the Hell Dimension lord, Mephisto. It won't be easy for the two of us to kill him.
He's only temporarily trapped. We need to hurry back to Master; only he has a way to deal with such a terrifying guy."
"Okay, let's go!" A2 nodded, then carried Wanda on her back, intending to rush towards Loren's manor.
But just then, a crimson spatial rift suddenly appeared before them, and an old man with a cane slowly emerged from it.
"It's not so easy to leave; you must hand over the darkhold first!"
Chapter 300 Mephisto's Ambition
The sudden spatial rift, and the elder emanating a strong Hell Dimension aura who stepped out of it, instantly tensed the nerves of Wanda and A2, who had just escaped danger.
A2 almost instinctively shielded Wanda, her Xiuchun Blade unsheathed again, its tip pointing directly at the uninvited guest.
The nanovibranium particles of her body hummed softly, ready to decompose and reassemble at any moment.
Wanda, enduring her weakness, tightly clutched the darkhold in her hand, which radiated an ominous and powerful force.
Crimson Chaos Magic, like a protective viper, slowly coiled around her.
She recognized the newcomer: the characteristic aura that seemed to condense all the cunning and contractual spirit in the world, and the unfathomable power of the Hell Dimension.
Clearly, this elder was the mastermind behind a series of events recently—Blackheart's father.
Yes, it was the Lord of the Hell Dimension—Mephisto!
"Old ghost, do even you covet this forbidden book?" Wanda's voice held alert and a trace of imperceptible fatigue.
Mephisto wore a well-tailored vintage suit, holding a walking stick, a seemingly benevolent yet chilling smile on his face.
He bowed slightly, his movements as elegant as if attending a high-society banquet.
"My dear Miss Wanda, and this unnamed young lady."
His gaze lingered on A2 for a moment, a hint of inquiry flashing, but quickly returned to the darkhold in Wanda's hand.
"Covet? That word is too crude. I am merely here to reclaim it, or rather, to prevent a dangerous weapon from falling into the hands of a more unstable entity."
He paused, his walking stick tapping gently on the ground, producing a crisp sound, as if striking a chord in one's heart.
"I presume you have already witnessed Zarathos's madness. He is a fool who knows only destruction and revenge, utterly without restraint.
If he were to obtain the darkhold, the entire Universewould be plunged into an endless sea of Fire and chaos.
I imagine this is not a sight your Master behind you wishes to see, either, is it?"
"Slick talk! Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!" A2 interrupted coldly.
Then she said unceremoniously, "What essential difference is there between your goal and his?
You merely want to monopolize this power; stop pretending to be a good person here!"
Listening to A2's words, Mephisto did not get angry; the smile on his face remained, but his eyes deepened a few shades.
"My dear lady, you are only partly correct. I do indeed wish to obtain the darkhold.
However, I am still different from Zarathos. The difference is that I understand balance, and the necessity of order.
I can promise that if you are willing to give me the darkhold,
I can not only ensure your safe departure but also help you completely resolve the trouble that is Zarathos.
A mutually beneficial transaction, how about it?" He extended his hand, as if inviting them to complete a fair deal.
"No." Wanda's answer was decisive. She clutched the darkhold even tighter to her chest, and the light of Chaos Magic flared again.
"I cannot give it to you. Who can guarantee that you won't become the next Zarathos?"
She knew well the price of making a deal with a devil, especially this king of devils who was most adept at manipulating contracts and souls.
Mephisto's patience seemed to run out; the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a cold majesty.
"So, there's nothing to discuss? In that case, don't blame me for using more direct methods. This was never meant to be a negotiation."
His walking stick struck the ground suddenly!
Boom!
Centered on him, dark-red hellish energy spread outwards like surging tides.
The previously silent wilderness was instantly twisted; the ground cracked, revealing rolling magma phantoms beneath, and the air was filled with sulfur and desperate wails.
A powerful dimensional suppression descended, attempting to corrode Wanda's Chaos Magic and disintegrate A2's vibranium body.
"Be careful! His power can directly attack souls and the essence of energy!"
Wanda shouted a warning, pushing her hands forward simultaneously.
Crimson Chaos Magic formed a massive diamond-shaped shield, blocking the first wave of hellish energy.
A harsh corrosive sound emanated from the interface between the shield and the hellish energy; space itself was slightly twisting.
"Understood!" A2 responded concisely.
She chose not to resist the area-of-effect dimensional suppression directly, but instead her form instantly transformed into countless nano-particles.
Like a black sandstorm, she bypassed the most densely energetic areas, flanking and charging directly at Mephisto's main body!
The Xiuchun Blade was already in her hand during the nanometer particle recombination process, its edge condensing a highly compressed cutting force field, stabbing directly at Mephisto's heart!
"Interesting trick." A hint of surprise flashed in Mephisto's eyes, but he did not panic.
He didn't even move, merely raising his walking stick slightly, its tip precisely touching A2's blade tip.
Ding—!
A crisp sound, yet one containing terrifying energy fluctuations!
What seemed like a casual touch contained power at the fundamental level of laws.
A2 felt a cold, decaying power transmit up the blade, attempting to freeze her energy flow and disintegrate her vibranium body.
She immediately manipulated the nano-particles to vibrate at high frequency, forcefully shaking off this corrosive power, but her offensive was also momentarily halted.
"Your construct is truly peculiar. No soul, yet intelligence. A truly incredible existence. I am becoming more and more interested in the one behind you."
Mephisto said unhurriedly, and with a casual wave of his other hand, several black chains made of pure curses and contractual power appeared out of thin air.
Like living vipers, they coiled towards A2.
"But every existence has its rules of operation, and twisting rules is my specialty."
A2 slashed and broke a few, but the broken chains immediately transformed into finer black runes.
They attached to her armor and weapon, continuously attempting to infiltrate.
At the same time, Wanda was under immense pressure.
Mephisto's control over the Hell Dimension was extremely seasoned, and his magic was far superior to Wanda's.
To counter Mephisto, she injected a trace of Chaos Magicinto the darkhold.
She dared not read deeply, merely attempting to leverage its inherent power fluctuations to resist Mephisto's suppression.
The darkhold vibrated slightly, emitting a more intense, dim light, which indeed, to some extent, counteracted the erosion of hellish energy.
But the whispers and temptations contained within the book also became clearer, attempting to burrow into her mind and influence her sanity.
However, just as the two were locked in an inextricable struggle, suddenly there was a 'boom'.
In the distance, the buried mine entrance suddenly exploded!
A towering dark-red pillar of Fire, carrying endless rage and destructive will, shot straight into the sky!
Scorching magma and debris splattered like fireworks, and a flame giant, more solid and massive than before, stepped out.
It was Zarathos, having broken free from his restraints!