Chapter 117

"But..." 

Seeing Kaecilius' hesitation, Abel knew he was tempted, so he pressed further, saying, "Perhaps you think that by joining the Dark Church, you'll gain access to the Dark Dimension and Dormammu's power. But you must also know, from when we wiped out the Dark Church, that those guys were all corrupted by the Dark Dimension and Dormammu's influence. They became neither human nor ghost. Are you sure that by accepting the power of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu, you'll still remember your original ambitions?

Even if you do, can you guarantee that your goals won't be twisted by the Dark Dimension and Dormammu's power? Will your dream of saving humanity and bringing peace ultimately destroy it instead?

I remember very clearly that Dormammu didn't show any kindness to Earth. He wants to bring the Earth into the Dark Dimension and destroy both the planet and humanity. Do you really think you can stand against Dormammu?"

The continuous questioning finally shattered the last hope in Kaecilius' heart. He sighed, leaned against the wall, and asked, "Abel, can you really give me enough power? Can you help me advance further on the path of magic?"

"If you believe in me, then follow me. I can't promise that your dream will come true, but I can promise that you'll gain enough magic power by staying with me. Unrestricted magic power."

Kaecilius was silent for a moment before his eyes grew firm again. He stood, walked over to Abel, grasped his outstretched hand, and said, "From now on, I am your loyal follower, Master Abel. I will do everything in my power to follow your commands. That is the price I pay for learning magic from you."

"Good! The deal is sealed!" 

Just as Abel finished speaking, the door suddenly swung open. Two men in local attire stood there, looking at Abel warily. One of them called out to Kaecilius, "Kaecilius, who is this? If you don't give us a good explanation, don't blame us for being harsh with you!"

Abel glanced at Kaecilius and asked, "Are they from the Dark Church?"

Kaecilius nodded. "Yes, they're the ones I contacted. I was supposed to follow them to the Dark Church's temporary headquarters, but now it's no longer necessary."

Abel nodded in understanding. Immediately, the wooden floor beneath the two Dark Church members began to sprout vines, which quickly grew and entangled them.

Abel then summoned his wand and cast a spell that delved into their minds. A green light shot into their eyes, ears, and noses, probing deep into their souls and extracting all the information they knew about the Dark Church.

When he withdrew his wand, the two Dark Church members collapsed to the ground, tears and drool streaming down their faces. Their minds were broken, with no chance of recovery. Abel had seen the memories of these two men—memories filled with filth and depravity. Killing them outright would have been kind; this was their best possible fate.

"Kaecilius, are you interested in destroying a temporary Dark Church headquarters?"

"At your command, Master Abel!"

"Alright, let's go!"

Abel slipped on his Sling Ring and, with a wave of his wand, opened a portal. He and Kaecilius stepped through it.

They arrived in the cabin of a freighter sailing across the Atlantic, traveling between North America and Europe. The Dark Church used the freighter's mobility to avoid detection.

From the memories of the two Dark Church members, Abel already knew the situation. Everyone on the freighter was part of the Dark Church. Those who refused to join had been either thrown overboard or expelled. Abel felt no pity as he made his way to the captain's room, where the Dark Church leaders were gathered. His plan was simple: take out the leaders, and the rest of the members would be like headless flies—no longer a threat.

Meanwhile, as Abel and Kaecilius headed toward the leaders, a figure carrying a trident climbed onto the freighter from the sea. Moving effortlessly, he reached the deck and paused, sensing something. After a moment, he chose a direction and advanced.

Two Dark Church members patrolling with guns noticed him and immediately opened fire. The figure calmly drew his trident, hurled it, and skewered one of them through the chest, pinning him to the wall. 

The remaining member fired at him again, but the bullets bounced off as if hitting solid steel. The intruder continued forward, unfazed by the gunfire. Only heavy weaponry could pose a real threat to him.

Stunned, the Dark Church member realized he stood no chance and turned to flee. But before he could move, the intruder grabbed him by the throat and snapped his neck without hesitation.

After tossing the body aside, the intruder pulled his trident from the wall and shook the corpse off the weapon. Then, with the trident in hand, he moved toward the captain's room—where Abel and Kaecilius were also headed.