After Sebastian departed, Casillas turned to the Ancient One, concern etched on his face. “Master Ancient One, can Sebastian really handle this alone? If he needs support, I can help. My injuries aren’t so severe that I’m completely useless.”

The Ancient One’s expression softened, a hint of warmth in her eyes that spoke of her growing trust in her students, including Casillas.

“Casillas, I’m glad you and Sebastian have forged a friendship, but you underestimate his strength. He’s grown far beyond the novice who first arrived at Kamar-Taj.

Against most demons, he can not only protect himself but fight effectively. You needn’t worry about him.”

“Besides,” she continued, “he operates best alone. Without others around, he can wield his full range of magic without restraint, unleashing his true potential when facing enemies.”

“Hidden magic?” Casillas asked, his brow furrowing.

The Ancient One nodded, her tone calm and unbothered. “Yes. Sebastian’s magical heritage includes both light and dark spells. He typically relies on light magic—or, at most, milder forms of dark magic. But the darker spells are often more potent, as any mage knows. When alone, he can tap into his full strength without hesitation. With others present, he might hold back to avoid concern.”

“Dark magic?” Casillas echoed, intrigue mixing with caution.

The Ancient One regarded him with a measured gaze, her wisdom tempered by a sigh. “Kamar-Taj has long viewed dark magic as perilous, and many who wield it fall into corruption. Yet, magic is shaped by the user’s heart.

Not every dark mage becomes evil. The danger lies in dark magic’s subtle erosion of the mind. A weaker will can succumb, turning to malevolence.”

She paused, studying Casillas. “Among Kamar-Taj’s mages, only you and Mordo are ready to explore dark magic. Mordo’s rigid nature makes him unsuitable, but you, Casillas, have the potential to wield it responsibly.

After this demon crisis is resolved, I’ll guide you in studying dark magic. Until then, strengthen your resolve to resist its influence.”

A stable world doesn’t shift dramatically because of one person’s arrival.

The Ancient One’s decision to teach Casillas dark magic or the emergence of the Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, follows the world’s natural course.

Johnny Blaze became the Ghost Rider through a desperate bargain. As a child, to save his father from cancer, he signed a contract with Mephisto, Hell’s cunning lord. The deal was a devil’s trap—cursed with tragic consequences. Though his father was cured, he perished in a performance accident soon after.

The loss revealed Mephisto’s treachery, driving Johnny to flee his hometown, seeking escape from the demon’s grip.

He became a renowned stunt rider, leaping motorcycles across the country, a star haunted by his pact.

Johnny underestimated Mephisto’s power and deceit. Years of peace were merely Mephisto’s choice to leave him dormant.

Now, with Mephisto’s son, the Witch Heart Demon, arriving on Earth, the stakes have changed. The Witch Heart Demon seeks the Contract of San Venganza to amplify his power, aiming to challenge Mephisto for control of Hell’s dimension. Mephisto, however, won’t idly let his son claim such a prize.

From Sebastian’s perspective, the Contract of San Venganza holds deeper significance beyond mere power.

The contract binds only a few hundred evil spirits at most—enough to boost the Witch Heart Demon’s strength but not enough to establish a demonic stronghold on Earth. Even a “Demon Earth” would be a mere speck, a small town at best.

The Witch Heart Demon’s plan seems shortsighted, a naive bid to seize his father’s relic and challenge him. Without the Ghost Rider, Mephisto could still easily outmaneuver his rebellious son.

Still, Sebastian had no intention of letting the contract fall into anyone’s hands.

Whatever its true purpose, he wanted it for himself.

Sensing a fiery, volatile energy rippling through New York City, Sebastian made an excuse to his family about attending a friend’s all-night party.

Transforming into a swirl of black smoke—a refined Apparition—he sped toward the energy’s source, materializing on a nearby rooftop.

From his vantage point, he watched the Ghost Rider battling the Air Demon on another building’s roof.

Sebastian held back, observing as the Ghost Rider’s blazing power incinerated the Air Demon, reducing it to ash.

One of the Witch Heart Demon’s three formidable lieutenants was gone, leaving the Earth Demon and Water Demon. The Witch Heart Demon’s strategy—sending his forces one by one—was baffling.

A coordinated assault might have overwhelmed the Ghost Rider, but this piecemeal approach ensured failure.

Sebastian couldn’t fathom the Witch Heart Demon’s reasoning, wondering if Mephisto had crafted his son without a shred of tactical sense.

Sebastian rose slowly, watching as the Ghost Rider, having vanquished the Air Demon, roared off the high-rise on his blazing motorcycle.

After clashing with the police and encountering his childhood sweetheart, the Ghost Rider sped away, and Sebastian prepared to follow.

As expected, the police’s attack prompted the Ghost Rider to race northwest, his chariot leaving a trail of scorched tire marks.

Sebastian popped a piece of chewing gum into his mouth, stretched, and transformed into a swirl of black smoke soaring into the sky.

He melted into the clouds, trailing the Ghost Rider from a distance without pause.

He kept his distance deliberately. It wasn’t fear of the Ghost Rider, but a calculated choice.

If the Ghost Rider sensed him, Sebastian risked losing the trail to the Contract of San Venganza. Since recalling fragments of the Ghost Rider’s story, he’d pinpointed the contract’s location: a cemetery guarded by the previous Ghost Rider.

Specifically, it was hidden within a shovel held by the former Ghost Rider, now the cemetery’s keeper.

With no intention of wasting time, Sebastian aimed to secure the Contract of San Venganza from the start, though its true purpose remained a mystery.

He’d begun tracking the Ghost Rider in the early morning.

As he followed, the sky gradually lightened, dawn breaking over the horizon.

Guided by the Ghost Rider, Sebastian arrived at the cemetery where the previous Ghost Rider and the Contract of San Venganza were concealed.

He lingered on a nearby hill, waiting for Johnny Blaze, now reverted from Ghost Rider to human form, to depart.

Sebastian had no desire to confront the current Ghost Rider, whose Spirit of Vengeance made him formidable. His own strength wasn’t yet sufficient for a direct clash.

The former Ghost Rider, Carter Slade, retained only a flicker of the Spirit’s power, a foe Sebastian felt confident facing.

As Johnny rode off on his motorcycle, Sebastian materialized outside the cemetery in a wisp of black smoke. He strode forward, entering the grounds and approaching Carter Slade.

“Hello, what are you doing here? Are you trying to bury someone, or is there something else?”

“I’m from Kamar-Taj,” Sebastian replied.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep