Kaecilius's POV
A portal opened beneath my feet and transported me to a shattered moon deep in an abandoned system. A figure waited for me on a rocky outcropping overlooking a vast army that stretched into the void. It was a Chitauri army unlike any other in the galaxy. The figure in armor made of biological matter disguised as vibranium had made sure of it.
It was shaped like a man, with bluish skin, stormy grey eyes that glowed, and hair that flowed in space. It was a second-generation Demon-Kree hybrid, and it went by Kal-Tar. The rumor was that it was one of Mundus's brood, cast out when it failed to reach the saturation stage within the first century of its life.
But that changed when it came across a dying sorcerer. He was the leader of the Venagarians, a race of humanoid beings Mundus had targeted.
The sorcerer was a proud host of a symbiote that had been passed down through the leaders over several hundred generations. As the story goes, the symbiote, Nok, agreed to allow Kal to bond with him in exchange for saving the lives of the sorcerer's people.
He held up his end of the deal, and a hundred years later, all that remained of their civilization was the Black Horde, a group of fifty freedom fighters and mercenaries who were all hosts of symbiotes.
It was unknown if Kal had simply gathered more symbiotes like Nok or if they were offspring of the ancient being, but every member of the Horde was powerful. Absurdly so. They were all adept at magic, telepathy, and some even possessed demonic energy, though I couldn't confirm if it came from an artifact, their bodies, or the symbiotes they wore.
Even Lauren couldn't take them down. And she had the Necrosword. Kal had found a way to block her influence somehow. After that, the Apostle of the Avaricious was unwilling to fight them.
And it was for that very reason that I said yes to Kal when it approached me about a partnership, despite my distaste for its kind.
It wanted the Necrosword, believing it was powerful enough to help it kill Mundus once and for all, and I wanted Dante Sparda distracted and, preferably, dead.
Our interests aligned.
"Is the army ready?" I asked, walking up to him.
He responded without looking at me. "Lukan is putting the finishing touches on the central mind as we speak. It will be enough."
I turned my attention to the central ship. It was nearly as large as the moon that used to be here, but from this distance, it was no larger than Kal's head.
"You still doubt us?" He turned to me.
Of course, I did. They had no idea who they were up against. Not really.
"Dante Sparda is not the first demon lord we've butchered, and he certainly won't be the last," Kal said confidently, a bloodthirsty smile on his face.
"He beat Lauren," I warned him, even though I shouldn't really have. "He beat his brother, an Outer God, and everything that has ever gone up against him."
"He hasn't faced the Black Horde," he said, crossing his arms.
I said nothing more on the matter, electing not to waste my breath.
"You have the coordinates," I said, opening a portal in front of me. "I have final preparations to make."
I stepped through it and arrived at the ritual site. Cold winds blew through my cloak, and I drank in the cold air, mentally readying myself for one last spell. You see, it wasn't simply enough to unleash vampires across the globe, unchain the Hulk, and orchestrate an alien invasion. I needed a final contingency, a means to ensure my success no matter what.
I called on my first Class Skill, (E) Grand Spell Library, and shut my eyes, descending into a mental library and drawing on my copy of the Book of Caligostro. It was why I'd come for Kamar-Taj that day, when I nearly died. Dante might've stopped me from leaving with the original book, but I'd touched it, and that was enough for my skill to memorize everything inside it.
Several conjured hands twisted out of dimensional energy and wove a devilishly complex spell, something I was unsure I would've spent my entire lifetime trying and failing to master.
A massive spell spiral appeared beneath me, dark energy tumbling out. Another spell circle materialized in front of my forehead and shrank, stitching itself into my skin and soul like a brand. I bit down a scream as my body doubled over and my soul shuddered. Energy flooded my body, and with it came power. Power unlike anything I've ever felt. Power beyond my imagining.
A notification flashed in my vision.
You've formed a permanent link to the Dark Dimension and constantly draw on its endless power.
(E) Energy Siphon – Adept is helping you purify and add the Dark Dimension's power to your mana pool permanently, but beware—you've become a conduit of power for the Dark Lord Dormamu. He will try to corrupt you entirely and take over your body.
150,000/150,000 MP
The last line of the system's warning robbed the moment of any joy and reminded me of what I'd sacrificed.
There was a reason I relied on philosopher stones, alchemy, and dimensional spells despite having such a spell in my back pocket. Yao would've stopped me at nearly any cost if she were still here. There was a price to be paid for infinite power, and it was constant attrition, a perpetual war with a highly motivated dimensional Lord.
I wasn't ready to enter into a forever war with an Outer God after Lauren vanished, but I was now.
It was worth the risk. They were worth the risk.
Read ahead on Patreon.com/artandcreativewriting