Chapter 56

"Tony, how is the progress with the injection? Did it succeed?"

A week after acquiring the Saint Van Gonzal contract, everything seemed to calm down. Abel hadn't heard anything about the devil or the Ghost Rider since.

On the contrary, it was Tony who sought out Abel, got approval for time off from Terea under the guise of attending a scientific experiment summer camp, and took him to Tony's temporary residence in New York. Together, they began working on administering the blood poison medicine. Tony was highly enthusiastic and dedicated to eliminating the unpleasant taste of the medicine.

Finally, after a week of collaboration, Abel and Tony successfully developed an injectable form of the blood poison medicine. To Abel, the idea of turning something that worked perfectly fine when ingested into an injection seemed like an unnecessary step, wasting time and energy. But Tony, who was constantly bothered by the taste of the blood poison, deemed it essential.

Moreover, with the injectable version, the medicine would be easier to store and carry. There would no longer be a need for Abel to prepare the medicine regularly; they could make a batch of injections at once.

"I finally did it. The injection retains the full efficacy of the potion. Now, you just need to inject it and avoid the unpleasant taste," Tony said, almost tearfully.

With a hint of amusement, Abel remarked, "This method could be useful for future potion products. If they taste as bad as this one, it would definitely hurt sales.

"Plus, using injections guarantees the safety of the formula, reducing the risk of anyone figuring it out.

"While it's almost impossible for someone to reverse-engineer a potion after it's been brewed, unless they use some powerful magic, you can never be too sure, right?"

"Exactly. The process isn't too complicated either. I'll take care of it when the time comes. But seriously, are you okay with leaving most of your company's business to me? It's your company!"

"It doesn't matter. I'm only interested in the money and the potion formulas. Everything else is just a hassle for me."

"Fine, fine. I'll handle the rest. You don't need to worry about it."

"Actually, you should say, leave it to Pepper!"

Tony laughed. "Hahaha, you're probably right."

"Now that your research is done, I should get going. I still need to get back home to spend some time with my mom," Abel said, standing up and putting on his coat.

"You're leaving today? It's getting late."

Abel shook his head. "It's fine. I need to pick something up anyway. The place I'm going to opens at night."

"Want me to have someone take you?"

"No need."

With a wave, Abel left, taking the elevator downstairs and heading outside.

He planned to visit a restaurant that only opened in the evenings to buy Terea a dessert they were famous for — her favorite. She had been trying to figure out the recipe for ages but couldn't quite get it right. Since Abel had been away for several days, bringing home Terea's favorite dessert would help him avoid her nagging.

As he stepped out of the building and was about to hail a taxi, he noticed a tall man leaning against a motorcycle nearby.

Johnny Blaze! The current Ghost Rider!

Without stopping, Abel glanced at Johnny nonchalantly, walking away like an ordinary person exiting a building.

But there were no such things as coincidences. Johnny's presence here was no accident.

Before Abel could get far, Johnny stopped him.

"Mr. Xiao, Abel Xiao, right?"

Abel looked at Johnny, feigning confusion. "Sorry, I don't know you. Who are you?"

"Mr. Xiao, I need the Saint Van Gonzal contract. I'm going to use it to save someone."

What? 

Could it be that the Witch Heart Demon found someone Johnny cares about?

"Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, Mr. Xiao, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb. I know the Saint Van Gonzal contract is with you. Please, give it to me!"

Johnny's tone grew firm, his anger rising. The vengeful spirit within him emboldened him with confidence.

"Please don't bother me... Officer, this gentleman is harassing me. Could you assist me?" Abel called out to the nearby police officers he had noticed earlier.

Immediately, two officers stepped out of their patrol car and approached Johnny, ready to restrain him.

"Kid, you can go. We'll handle this."

"Yeah, it's late. You should head home."

Abel nodded in thanks, ignoring Johnny's outbursts and quickly leaving the scene.

As for the Saint Van Gonzal contract, not only was it incredibly valuable with unimaginable powers, but there was also the risk of the Witch Heart Demon becoming stronger and more dangerous through the contract. With Mephisto involved, there was no way Abel could give it to anyone else.

It wasn't dark yet, so there was no chance of Johnny turning into the Ghost Rider. Besides, even if he did, Johnny wouldn't hurt police officers, who represented justice. Abel wasn't worried about their safety as he walked away.

After picking up Terea's dessert, Abel entered an alley, intending to open a portal directly to the roof of his house.

Just as he was about to retrieve his sling ring, he suddenly felt an invisible pressure closing in on him. At the same time, several hands, made of red brick and concrete from the alley walls, reached out toward him.

An ambush?

How did I not sense it?

Reaching for his waist, Abel summoned his wand, swiftly casting an invisible barrier around him, blocking the hands. He then transformed into black smoke, ready to escape.

But something was wrong — the space in the alley was completely locked. Teleportation magic, whether through a portal or a shift, was unusable.

This is a bit troublesome.

As Abel pondered his next move, the ground in front of him bulged and took form — a figure of blackened earth.

The Witch Heart Demon's Earth Demon had appeared.