Chapter 73: Soul Magic

Zod had learned from the Ancient One that the girl's origin was far from simple. The Ancient One speculated that she might be the creation of a dimensional demon, similar to the way the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak had turned Cain Marko into the Juggernaut. This demon, like Chthon, who gifted the Scarlet Witch with chaos magic, was using the girl as a conduit to deepen its ties to Earth, potentially to facilitate an invasion.

Furthermore, the Ancient One explained that the girl's powers were derived from "soul magic"—a dark form of magic that used souls as fuel. The more evil or powerful the souls consumed, the stronger the resulting magic. With enough souls, the user could perform feats like mind control, memory reading, creating space barriers, or even reversing time. Zod was intrigued but cautious, recognizing the immense potential of such a power.

However, there was a dark catch: the vast majority of the souls harvested—around 90%—would be taken by the dimensional demon who empowered the magic. The Ancient One also revealed that all souls on Earth are destined for either the Hell dimension or the Heaven dimension. If a demon lays claim to a soul through their powers in a real dimension, then the soul would belong to them.

Zod understood the risks and agreed with the Ancient One's decision to seal the girl's soul magic. "No problem. I have no objections," he said calmly, aware that provoking a dimensional demon wasn't worth the risk, even with his advanced abilities.

The girl, now known as Morgan, was hesitant. The idea of losing her newfound powers was troubling. After all, soul magic seemed immensely powerful, and she rationalized that by using it to target evil souls, she could be doing the world a favor.

But the Ancient One remained firm and sealed the girl's magic. Afterward, she departed quickly, leaving Zod with no chance to ask more questions.

"What's your plan for the future?" Zod asked Morgan. By now, he had learned all about her background. She had grown up in an orphanage and was still in high school. Her appearance—her glowing blue hair and eyes—hadn't changed back to normal after the sealing of her magic, making her feel out of place in the world.

"Mr. Heath, can I stay with you?" Morgan asked. She had nowhere else to go and had formed a growing attachment to Zod.

Zod smiled. "Of course. I'll introduce you to some friends, their situation is similar to yours."

Morgan's face flushed with excitement. Soon after, she met Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Pietro was immediately intrigued by Morgan, but when he invited her to a race to show off, she turned him down. Morgan's past had left her with a deep hatred for reckless drivers—her mother had died in a car accident caused by a wealthy, irresponsible driver.

Zod had larger plans in mind, though. He ordered Uld to build a private academy, similar to Professor Xavier's school, where he could train and mentor the young superhumans he was gathering. As for the adults with powers, they would eventually join his elite organization, the World Serpent.

Meanwhile, Jessica Campbell—another young superhuman in Zod's care—had woken up from her coma. Upon learning the full extent of her family's tragic car accident, she struggled to come to terms with the months that had passed. But Zod's comforting presence helped ease her into acceptance.

Jessica's powers, however, hadn't fully manifested yet. Zod wasn't concerned, as her abilities were relatively weak in comparison to the more powerful beings he had encountered. Still, she was integrated into the growing group of superhumans, including Wanda, Morgan, and Pietro.

Soon after, Zod's attention shifted to a new headline: Dr. Reed Richards, a renowned scientist, was planning a space mission to explore a solar storm. This research project was funded by none other than Victor von Doom.

This was the beginning of the Fantastic Four's origin story, Zod realized. It was playing out exactly as in the movies. Reed had previously sought financial backing from Zod's company, Blade Technology Industries, but his proposal had been ignored. Zod had no interest in space exploration, focusing instead on more immediate technological advancements like the launch of a new satellite.

Desperate, Reed had turned to Doom, whose blind faith in Reed's genius would ultimately lead to catastrophe. Zod pondered whether exposure to cosmic rays might hold potential for himself as well. He knew that the upcoming cosmic storm was no ordinary event.