57 Chapter 56: The Darkhold

The ethereal voice of the system echoed in Jon's mind,

[The legendary mission has been updated, adjudicating a thousand sinful souls, the current progress is 57/1000]

The words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the task at hand.

[The Soul Sacrifice Function has been successfully activated. The soul has been traded, and 800 penalty points were obtained.]

The number reverberated in Jon's mind, a thunderous echo that left him reeling. '800 points?!' His heart pounded in his chest, the shock of the number overwhelming him.

In the past, when he had used the Soul Sacrifice function to redeem Jigsaw's soul, he had only received 50 penalty points. But now, having vanquished the Juggernaut version of Kingpin, he was awarded a staggering 800. The disparity was startling, leading Jon to surmise that the size of the Soul Sacrifice penalty point was likely related to the opponent's strength or the quality of the soul.

Ghost Rider, the fiery avatar of Jon's vengeance, retracted the chain, the ethereal links disappearing into the ether. Kingpin's massive body, now devoid of life, began to descend towards the ground. But as it neared the earth, a violent scarlet energy erupted from within, a crimson explosion that lit up the night.

Ghost Rider turned towards the source of the energy, his hollow eyes narrowing as he saw Agatha floating in the air, her hands outstretched. The red energy was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, sucked into her palm where it transformed into a pulsating crimson energy that flowed into her body.

The energy was so potent that it disrupted the surrounding magnetic field, causing all electronic devices to lose their signals. The live TV broadcast, which had been capturing the epic battle, was abruptly cut off, leaving viewers in suspense.

Agatha, now imbued with the crimson gem's power, floated down to the ground. A triumphant smile played on her lips as she addressed Ghost Rider, "Thank you, Mr. Rider! Without your help, the Crimson Gem would not have gotten into my hands, and I would not have been able to obtain its power. The only person who could kill Juggernaut was you, Ghost Rider!"

In a matter of seconds, she had absorbed all the energy, her body glowing with newfound power. She turned her gaze to Ghost Rider, her eyes gleaming with greed, "And now, you can hand over the Hellfire in you!"

Ghost Rider's voice was a low growl, "You are really greedy! Be careful not to lose more than you gain!" With a swift motion, he swung his fire chain towards Agatha, the links whistling through the air.

But Agatha was faster. She reached out and caught the fire chain in her hand, the hellfire licking at her skin but causing no harm. The flames were extinguished, and Ghost Rider was forced back into his human form, Jon.

Agatha's laughter filled the air, "Oh, look at you! I didn't expect you to be so young!" Her eyes roved over Jon, taking in his youthful appearance.

Chris, who had been watching the scene unfold from the safety of his car, gasped in disbelief, "Oh my god, Jon...how could it be you?!" His voice was filled with shock and confusion.

Jon looked at his hands, his mind a whirl of confusion. He couldn't understand why he had suddenly lost his strength. His powers, his identity as Ghost Rider, had been stripped away in an instant.

Agatha's voice cut through his thoughts, "Your power is no longer effective here!" With a wave of her hands, purple magic power appeared. Jon's hands were twisted behind his back, his body floating in the air with Agatha's command.

Agatha's smile was a chilling sight as she reveled in Jon's predicament. "Didn't you notice? A spell has been cast around you! I secretly cast it around you just now while you were dueling with the Juggernaut! It seems you have a long way to go, kid."

Jon's eyes darted around, taking in the strange runes that danced in the air around him, pulsating with a purple magic power. His heart pounded in his chest, the realization of his situation sinking in.

"These runes, Mr. Rider! They create a specific space, only its caster can use magic in it! Ah, I know what you want to say! You think such a simple spell is impossible to trap the powerful Ghost Rider, is it right?" Agatha's voice was filled with amusement, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

She paused, letting the silence hang in the air before continuing, "Yes, Mr. Rider! But..."

With a gentle wave of her hand, a dark ancient book materialized in mid-air in front of her. It slowly unfolded, revealing pages filled with densely packed, incomprehensible spells.

"Darkhold Book!" Jon's voice was a whisper, his eyes wide with recognition.

"Also known as the book of sins!" Agatha added, her voice filled with reverence. "This simple incantation, if blessed by the power of Chthon, one of the Elder Gods of Earth and the planet's first master of black magic, can even suppress the legendary Chaos Magic!"

Agatha stepped forward, her eyes locked onto Jon's. "Now, hand over the Hellfire honestly, otherwise..."

Her hands gently rested on Jon's temples, the purple magic pulsating in her palms. "Thought control, a classic technique! Now that you have lost the protection of the Spirit of Vengeance, you are just a mortal. You only need a simple spell and a fragile mind, and you will obey my command!"

But Jon's response was not what she expected. A small smile played on his lips as he said, "No, you can't do it! If you could do this, you would have done it from the beginning!"

Agatha was taken aback, her hands falling away from Jon's temples. She took two steps back, her eyes wide with surprise.

Jon was right. Even though he couldn't use the Hellfire now, he was still guarded by the Spirit of Vengeance within him. Simple techniques like mind control wouldn't work on him, so her words were just an attempt to scare him. But Jon was not so easily frightened. His resolve was stronger than ever, and he was ready to fight back.

Agatha's smile returned, a chilling sight in the eerie glow of the magic runes. "It's amazing, Mr. Rider, that you can stay calm even in this situation, but one thing you forgot is that I have the initiative now!"

With a casual wave of her hand, a surge of purple magic appeared around Chris's neck. The magic solidified into a collar-like construct, tightening around his throat.

Chris gasped, clutching at his throat as he fell to his knees. His eyes bulged, his face turning a sickly shade of purple as he struggled for breath.

"Do you want to see him strangled to death? If not, hand over the Hellfire!" Agatha's voice was filled with malicious glee. "Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't care about him. I remember you have a sister, a sister. Sister, if necessary, I can visit them at any time!"

But Jon's reaction was not what she expected. Instead of panic, a sneer spread across his face. "First, even if I lose the Spirit of Vengeance, I am not an ordinary person; Secondly, your spell may have a strong binding force on the power of this world, but what about other worlds?" Agatha's smile faltered, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"Incarcerous!"

Jon's voice echoed in the silence, and in an instant, chains materialized out of thin air. They split into several strands, wrapping around Agatha and binding her tightly.

"How is that possible?!" Agatha's voice was filled with disbelief.

The chains tightened around her, her struggles proving futile. Her magic was disrupted, the chains proving too powerful for her to break.

"It seems that your spell cannot restrain magical power that do not belong to this world!" Jon's voice was filled with satisfaction.

The magic that had trapped Jon and Chris, as well as the purple space-controlling spell around them, disappeared. The chains around Agatha remained, her struggles growing weaker.

In the next moment, Jon transformed back into his Spirit of Vengeance form. He swung his Hellfire chain, the fiery links whistling through the air towards Agatha.

Agatha's expression darkened, her eyes wide with fear. In a desperate move, she transformed her body into a streak of purple smoke, disappearing into the air just as the Hellfire chain reached her. The battle was far from over, but Jon had proven that he was not as helpless as Agatha had believed.

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