[Herastan - Moon Demon]
[A dimensional demon with the head of a human and the body of a dragon, capable of controlling powerful moonlight energy...]
[Summoning method: During a total solar eclipse, sacrifice...]
Luke hadn't even finished reading before he scoffed and flipped to the next page.
"What kind of nonsense is this? A total solar eclipse? Should I check an astrology chart while I'm at it?" he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Summoning hell demons was way easier.
Why were these dimensional demons so high-maintenance?
It wasn't just the complexity of the rituals.
Some required specific sacrifices.
Others needed exact locations and planetary alignments.
No wonder they didn't get summoned often on Earth.
Luke sighed and kept flipping through the 'demon directory' the Ancient One had given him.
After skimming a few more entries, he felt his eyelids growing heavy.
Sleep was creeping up on him.
"Alright, one last page. If this one's another pain in the ass, I'll just summon a few more hell demons instead."
Struggling to stay awake, he turned to the next entry.
[Shaco - Shadow Demon]
[An evil spirit born in the shadow dimension, possessing powerful shadow magic and the ability to summon shadow soldiers...]
[Summoning method: Arrange a ritual using human blood... Call out its true name from within the darkness...]
Luke perked up instantly.
"Hold up. This one actually sounds doable."
The sleepiness vanished as he sat up straighter.
Unlike the others, this ritual didn't require rare celestial events or complicated sacrifices.
Just human blood.
Granted, it was a lot of blood—enough to completely drain multiple people.
Luke tapped his fingers against the book, thinking.
Sure, asking the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj to donate blood for a demon-summoning ritual was... not an option.
Yeah, that would go over well.
"I mean, hospitals have plenty of blood, right? I could just buy some. No one said it had to be fresh."
Luke smirked.
He liked the idea.
But then he glanced at his pockets.
Broke.
"Ehhh... I'll deal with that later. First things first—let's get some more demonic power from an old friend."
Stretching his fingers, he slipped on his Sling Ring, traced a fiery sigil in the air, and stepped through the portal.
The night passed.
As the first light of dawn touched the peaks of Makalu—the fifth-highest mountain in the world—the landscape gleamed under a golden sunrise.
Except for the summit.
Which was scorched black.
Luke dusted soot off his shoulders, stepping out of a fading portal.
"Ahem. Pleasure doing business with you," he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Now, who's next?"
Luke waved his hand, and the exorcism array engraved on the stone flared up with brilliant white light once more.
"Fraud!!"
"Human!!!"
"I'll remember this!!!"
Amidst the screams and curses, another unfortunate demon was forcefully expelled back to hell.
This wasn't the first one Luke had summoned that night… honestly, he'd lost count.
The peak of Makalu was drenched in demonic energy, thick enough to manifest as a dark mist swirling around the mountaintop.
The eternal snow had long been incinerated by hellfire, leaving behind only blackened rock scarred by countless scorch marks.
"Damn, this stinks," Luke coughed, waving a hand in front of his nose. He had been dealing with all kinds of hell demons for hours, and the thick stench of sulfur clung to his lungs.
But it was worth it.
The demonic power coursing through his body had multiplied tenfold compared to yesterday.
No, more than that.
And the best part?
This rate of power gain was ridiculous, even by the standards of Kamar-Taj—no, the entire Marvel universe.
Let's not forget, just three days ago, Luke was just an ordinary guy, fresh from another universe, with no combat ability whatsoever.
Now…
"I wonder if I could take on the Hulk in a straight fight."
It wasn't just an idle boast.
He glanced at a nearby boulder, easily weighing several tons, and flicked his wrist.
Boom!
The massive rock disintegrated instantly, reduced to fine powder.
And that was just his base strength.
If he fully embraced his demonic transformation, his combat potential would skyrocket even further.
"I should be able to go full demon now."
Feeling the raw power flowing through his body, a grin spread across Luke's face.
He had no idea how many demons he had 'borrowed' power from tonight.
The summoning process was random—sometimes he'd get weaklings, other times formidable entities—but they all had one thing in common: they were completely mesmerized by Luke's 'Holy Soul.'
The demons barely hesitated before signing contracts with him.
And once they did, Luke didn't just take a fraction of their power—he drained them dry.
Some demons handed over 90% of their strength before even realizing what had happened.
Honestly, Luke had underestimated the absurdity of the 'Holy Soul.'
To put it bluntly…
In the eyes of these demons, Luke was like an irresistible goddess, standing before them completely exposed.
A divine temptation, impossible to ignore.
Even the more cautious demons hesitated only briefly before eagerly signing away their power.
"Huh. This must be what it feels like to be a heartless player tricking innocent people."
Luke chuckled to himself. He felt a tiny prick of conscience.
Then shrugged it off.
He immediately began setting up the next summoning circle.
Candles? Check.
Six-pointed star? Check.
Chanting the incantation? Smooth as ever.
"Next one, please!"
Boom!
The familiar hellfire erupted once more.
But this time… nothing happened.
"Huh?"
Luke repeated the ritual, but still, no response.
Silence.
Complete, deafening silence.
He frowned, watching as the last candle burned out, leaving him with… nothing.
"Wait… did I just get blacklisted?"
Luke could hardly believe it.
Then again, with the amount of power he had siphoned from hell's residents, it wasn't surprising.
The demonic energy within him had already reached a critical mass. His body had absorbed all it could for now.
There was no point in continuing.
"Eh, whatever. Not like I needed them anyway."
With a satisfied nod, he clapped his hands and dismissed the summoning circle.
He turned, opened a portal, and casually stepped through, leaving Makalu Peak behind.
At the same time, in the depths of one of the Seven Hells—
Limbo.
A name was spreading through the demonic ranks like wildfire.
Mordo!
Fraud!
Trickster!
A shameless conman with a Holy Soul!
The demons, infamous for their cunning and deceit, now faced a bitter truth:
They had been played.
By a human.
Rage festered and grew, their collective resentment boiling into a singular, terrifying force.
"Mordo!!!"
"You deserve to die!!!"
"A thousand deaths wouldn't be enough!!!"
...
"This machine is blessed with magic. You can rest assured that it will never be damaged."
Kamar Taj.Training Square.
Mordo's words from yesterday still echoed through the square.
And yet, the supposedly indestructible dynamometer he had proudly declared 'blessed with magic and impervious to harm' was now nothing more than a pile of twisted scrap.
The training square itself was in complete disarray—cracked stone, debris everywhere, and the once smooth bluestone tiles shattered into pieces.
Wong, alongside a group of apprentices, was crouched down, temporarily assuming the role of masons as they worked to repair the destruction.
And the culprit behind this mess?
Luke.
Standing awkwardly, he scratched the back of his head as he faced the Ancient One.
"Uh… if I said it was an accident, would you believe me?"
The Ancient One remained silent, her expression unreadable as she stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking.
"The cost of the damages, including material, transport, and labor, adds up to eighty thousand."
"...???"
Luke's mouth opened, then shut, as he looked between the Ancient One and Wong, who was drenched in sweat as he worked.
There was something he wanted to ask but hesitated to say out loud.
"You're wondering why we don't just use magic to fix this, aren't you?" The Ancient One guessed correctly, her voice calm.
Luke nodded slightly. She sighed before answering.
"Not everyone has access to magic the way you do. Misusing it can come with irreversible consequences."
"Ah, I see," Luke muttered, then paused before adding, "Wait—where the hell am I supposed to get eighty thousand?!"
The Ancient One said nothing, merely turning to look at him in silence.
Luke exhaled sharply, shrugging. "Got it."
They didn't need to say it.
If he didn't have money, then he needed to leave Kamar Taj and earn some.
Simple as that.
It wasn't a bad idea anyway—he could take care of himself, and besides, maybe it was time he left.
As if reading his thoughts, the Ancient One gave him a knowing look before speaking again.
"You've drawn some unwanted attention with your actions."
Luke frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Your activities have caught the eye of a Hell Lord."
"...Which one?"
"Belasco. The ruler of Limbo."
Luke blinked. "Limbo? That some kinda tourist spot?"
The Ancient One raised a brow. "It's a name for the dimension known as Limbo."
Luke still didn't look concerned. "So, what's special about this Belasco guy? Is he strong?"
"Pseudo God-King level."
Luke gave an appreciative nod. "Oh, that's pretty high up."
His lack of reaction left the Ancient One visibly puzzled for the first time.
She studied him, as if trying to determine whether he was fearless or just an idiot.
Finally, she took a deep breath, seeming to make a decision.
"You should go."
Luke tilted his head. "Huh?"
"Go. Leave."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
No waiting for the future—she was already regretting bringing him here.
Since the day Luke had arrived, peace had been an increasingly rare thing in Kama Taj.
"Off you go. Cause chaos elsewhere. Preferably far away from here."
She didn't wait for him to respond.
Without another word, she turned, opened a portal to the Mirror Dimension, and stepped inside, vanishing from sight.
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