Hell was supposed to be terrifying.
Instead, it was boring.
Wang Nanxuan sat on a throne carved from black obsidian and stared across an endless wasteland of burning earth and drifting ash. Above him stretched a sky of rolling black clouds, lightning flickering silently behind them.
The air smelled of sulfur.
The ground looked like it had been scorched for eternity.
And the entire dimension was completely empty.
No demons.
No monsters.
Not even an insect.
Wang Nanxuan sighed.
"Other people transmigrate into fantasy worlds full of adventure," he muttered. "I transmigrate and inherit… an empty Hell."
He snapped his fingers.
A floating stone block appeared in front of him.
A clay dwarf jumped upward and slammed its head against the block.
Ding.
A red mushroom popped out.
The dwarf rushed forward, swallowed it whole, and instantly doubled in size.
Wang Nanxuan watched the scene silently for three seconds.
Then he waved his hand.
The dwarf, the stone block, and the entire Super Mario–style scene dissolved into ash.
"Still boring."
He leaned back into the throne.
This dimension belonged to him.
Every flame, every rock, every piece of drifting ash moved according to his will.
Because he was its ruler.
The Lord of this Hell.
The problem was simple.
He was also the only living thing in it.
When Wang Nanxuan first arrived in this world, controlling an entire Hell dimension felt incredible.
For about a month.
After a year…
It felt like solitary confinement.
His gaze lifted slowly toward the sky.
Beyond the layers of dimensional space floated a vibrant blue planet filled with life.
Earth.
For some unknown reason, his Hell was connected to that world.
Naturally, he had tried entering it.
Many times.
Every attempt ended the same way.
The planet was surrounded by a massive golden barrier formed by three radiant nodes linked together by flowing magic.
The first time Wang Nanxuan approached it, his projection had barely reached the barrier before—
CRACK.
A golden whip of magic appeared out of nowhere and shattered it instantly.
He had tried again.
And again.
And again.
None of it worked.
Which meant only one thing.
Earth had a guardian.
A powerful one.
Even a Hell Lord like him didn't want to test that magic head-on.
"The more I look at those three nodes," Wang Nanxuan muttered, leaning back on the throne, "the more they resemble some kind of magical power grid."
"So where exactly did I transmigrate to?"
If things continued like this, he might actually go insane.
Worse still…
He couldn't even die.
As long as this Hell existed, its ruler was immortal.
"…Hmm?"
Suddenly, Wang Nanxuan straightened.
Something was moving near Earth.
A shadowy figure was approaching the planet.
Strange dark energy wrapped around the figure's body, slipping through the golden barrier's detection like smoke through cracks.
Wang Nanxuan's eyes lit up.
"Well, that's interesting."
Without hesitation, he released a projection and drifted closer.
The projection silently attached itself to the stranger's coat.
The figure's strength was far below Wang Nanxuan's, so he noticed nothing.
The shadow reached the golden barrier and pressed his hand against it.
The dark energy surrounding him began to corrode the magic.
Slowly…
A tiny hole opened in the barrier.
Then the figure slipped through.
Wang Nanxuan grinned.
"Thank you very much."
The opening was extremely small.
To ensure he could pass through, Wang Nanxuan condensed ninety percent of his power into a curse and planted it inside the stranger's body.
The remaining ten percent stayed hidden on the stranger's clothing.
Moments later, the figure fully entered Earth.
Behind him, the golden barrier sealed itself again.
Wang Nanxuan exhaled slowly.
"I'm in."
"Whatever happens now, this projection stays on that planet."
"Otherwise I'm going to die of boredom before anything else kills me."
Texas.
Lightning flashed across a storm-filled sky.
A figure appeared on the ground in a burst of flames.
He threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha! I, Blackheart, have finally entered Earth!"
"Old man, just wait!"
"Once I find the Contract of San Venganza, both Earth and Hell will belong to me!"
The man wore a long black coat. His skin was pale and his expression twisted with malice.
He was the son of the Hell Lord Mephisto.
Blackheart.
Hidden within the folds of Blackheart's coat, Wang Nanxuan froze.
"Blackheart?"
"That name sounds familiar…"
A moment later, realization hit him.
"Wait."
"Isn't that the villain from Ghost Rider?"
Wang Nanxuan's eyes narrowed.
"No…"
"This isn't just Ghost Rider."
"This is the Marvel Universe."
"The three golden nodes weren't some power grid."
"They were the magical seal of Kamar-Taj."
"And the bald sorcerer who destroyed my projection earlier…"
"The Ancient One."
For a moment, Wang Nanxuan went silent.
Then a slow smile spread across his face.
"This might actually work."
"If things go well…"
"No one will ever stop me from entering Earth again."
Blackheart soon arrived at a biker bar.
A tall guard at the entrance stepped forward to block him.
Blackheart lazily tapped the man's chest with one finger.
The guard's body instantly turned black, spreading from the point of contact.
Within seconds, he collapsed.
A dried corpse.
"Sulfide poisoning," Wang Nanxuan observed quietly.
Blackheart sneered.
"Fragile humans."
He walked inside the bar and slaughtered everyone.
Wang Nanxuan's eyes brightened.
"An unexpected bonus."
While Blackheart killed the victims, Wang Nanxuan silently harvested their souls.
Blackheart himself possessed no soul, so he never bothered collecting them.
After the massacre, Blackheart began summoning his allies.
Soil gathered in the corner of the room and formed a bald man.
Earth Demon.
A figure rose from spilled alcohol on the floor, his body entirely liquid.
Water Demon.
Then a violent gust of wind blew through the shattered doorway and condensed into a bearded man.
Wind Demon.
These three had once been fallen angels who fused with natural elements on Earth.
Judging by their ragged clothes, life hadn't been easy for them.
Blackheart addressed them.
"Help me find the Contract of San Venganza."
"When we have it… we will rule everything."
The three demons exchanged glances.
"Fine," one of them said.
"We're tired of hiding from Kamar-Taj and Heaven."
"We want power too."
Just as Blackheart prepared to continue—
A thunderous voice echoed from outside.
"Blackheart!"
Mephisto had arrived.
Wang Nanxuan remained hidden.
On Earth, he wasn't afraid of Mephisto.
But for now…
The devil king couldn't know he existed.
Dressed like an elegant old gentleman, Mephisto tried to persuade his son to return to Hell.
Blackheart laughed.
"You've lived long enough, old man."
"It's time you died."
Being a prince had one major problem.
The king never died.
That was why Blackheart wanted the Contract of San Venganza.
With it, he could build a Hell on Earth and become a ruler himself.
Mephisto's expression darkened.
"On Earth, I may not be able to stop you."
"But my rider will."
"And when he finds you…"
"He will kill you."
The devil lord vanished into smoke.
Blackheart laughed arrogantly.
"Ghost Rider?"
"The Hellfire he carries will soon belong to me!"
"I, Blackheart, will rule both Hell and the human world!"
Then—
His body suddenly froze.
A quiet voice echoed inside his mind.
"Sorry, Blackheart."
"Your part in this story ends here."
"Time to exit the stage."
Dark energy erupted from Blackheart's body.
It wrapped around him like smoke.
And his body began shrinking.