American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

228. The Stagnation of Magic.

"Feeling a bit sluggish, aren't we?"

A somewhat cheerful voice echoed near Baron Mordo's ear, causing his suspended hand to freeze in midair.

As his gaze shifted, he saw a strange figure in black suddenly appear before him, snatching away the Darkhold that was rightfully his. Baron Mordo stiffened in shock.

"No, impossible... How could you have found this place!?" Baron Mordo shouted, though his voice was hoarse and lacked sharpness.

Seeing Baron Mordo for the first time, Alex's eyes held a trace of scrutiny.

Mordo had once been a formidable opponent—a man controlled by greed and envy, burdened by an overwhelming arrogance that ultimately crushed him. In the end, he was destined to be slowly devoured by loneliness.

Watching Baron Mordo, who had aged decades in an instant, Alex slowly shook his head. "There's nothing impossible about it. Without Agatha's magical support, your sorcery circuits and magical formations have already collapsed."

"By the Dark Dimension!" Baron Mordo stumbled back a few steps. "I am the master of this dimension. How dare you set foot on my territory!"

Two orbs of dark green light erupted from Baron Mordo's hands, radiating death's energy. Alex recognized it instantly as the demonic power from the borders of Hell.

Blinding beams, accompanied by the wails of the undead, hurtled toward Alex. Yet he remained unperturbed. If Baron Mordo had been at his peak, this attack would indeed have been formidable. But now, he was hardly a threat. Before the incoming magic could reach Alex, it was swiftly neutralized by blue starlight, which materialized into countless stars around him, sparkling beautifully.

"Your rule over this town is meaningless. You aren't truly a lord of this dimension. The magical world you've created is nothing more than a filthy illusion sustained by the Darkhold's spells."

"Liar!" Baron Mordo, in his delirium, raised his head and mustered all his strength, gathering magical energy in his arms. "Give me back my Darkhold!"

The magic unleashed by the deranged Baron Mordo was destructive. Dark green flames filled the castle's interior, quickly shattering the stone walls. Massive stones, enveloped in green lava, began to coalesce into a humanoid form.

The enormous lava creature roared, toppling the numerous bookshelves that housed Baron Mordo's collection of magical texts. The books turned to ashes in the flames, but Baron Mordo cared not. All he wanted was to reclaim his Darkhold. This terrifying scene startled the raven on Alex's shoulder. It swiftly took to the air, circling Alex and cawing as if to warn him.

"You're only hastening your demise," Alex said coldly, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Consumed by madness, Baron Mordo had become a slave to dark magic. He continued to unleash and summon the world's inherent evils, and in an instant, those beings lurking in the shadows began to crawl out from every direction.

[Master, the surrounding parameters have reached the critical point. This space is about to collapse.]

Even without the Miss Minutes's warning, Alex could see that Baron Mordo had unleashed the nightmare within, somehow creating a world to nurture these monsters. Judging by these creatures and Mordo's vile incantations, it was clear the Darkhold was involved.

"Give it back... Give me back my Darkhold!" Baron Mordo howled. His lower half had fully merged with the lava giant, and his eyes were now glowing with a crimson light.

Fortunately, after devouring the Shadow King, Alex's psychic powers and mental strength had undergone substantial improvement. Otherwise, Mordo's full-force psychic assault could have easily disrupted Alex's magic.

[It's time to leave, Master.]

The Miss Minutes's voice sounded again, prompting Alex to nod quietly. But then, he sensed something, and his brow furrowed.

"...Wait."

Alex thought he had sensed it wrong, but when he extended his psychic awareness to touch Mordo's psychic storm again, he realized he had not. Amid the storm of madness, he could feel the overwhelming current of Baron Mordo's thoughts.

Countless thoughts materialized into words that flooded Alex's mind, causing him to look at Baron Mordo with a newfound complexity.

'Magic will never perish.'

'As long as I exist, magic will never perish!'

'I am the master of the Dark Dimension. I am the creator of magic!'

'The divine spark fades, and no longer will there be strange pupils in the shadows. The inspirations in the artist's mind will return to the void. The sprites in the leaves will be devoured by ants. The celestial symphonies have become a thing of the past.'

'All matters of magic will gradually wither.'

'Darkhold, tell me how to bring magic back...'

'I won't give up.'

"This guy..."

Alex's frown softened as he gazed at the now completely disfigured Baron Mordo, feeling an inexplicable mix of emotions.

A man who once collaborated with Red Skull, who united almost all evildoers to kill every superhero, was now striving to bring magic back into reality.

He had gone through countless struggles, even risking a break with Red Skull to seize the Darkhold. He had kidnapped Agatha and an entire town's worth of villagers, all to prevent the end of magic and revive the golden age of sorcery.

"Another poor soul deceived by the Darkhold."

Now Alex understood. Baron Mordo's desire to establish a "magical dimension" stemmed from his wish to create a grand world like Avalon, to plant the seeds of magic in reality. But unfortunately, this reality no longer had the nourishment needed to cultivate magic. Moreover, using the Darkhold as a medium, any seeds Mordo sowed were unlikely to bear anything good.

Even if he succeeded, if the world once again saw the birth of "magic," it would likely be something to bring the Dark God Chthon into this world. From the very beginning, Mordo's dream of returning the world to the golden age of magic was impossible.

"Open the portal."

Alex sighed, deciding to give the utterly deranged Baron Mordo one final feast. His fingers moved rapidly through the air, as if playing a piano, tapping the keys of the void. Soon, reality began to twist in abstract ways, rapidly changing.

"Don't think you can escape! Give me back the Darkhold!" Baron Mordo realized Alex was planning to leave. He roared in fury, preparing for a more ferocious attack. But then, a voice halted him.

"By the light of the Vishanti and the power of those who dwell in darkness, by the all-seeing eye of Agamotto, and in my name as Sorcerer Supreme, I command you..."

Baron Mordo, dazed, turned around and saw a middle-aged man floating in the air, clad in a cloak.

"You are to be confined in this realm—Mordo!"

....

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