Marvel: Sign-In System – Starting with the Glint-Glint Fruit

The two of them had not signed a contract, but with countless Hell Lords watching, Belasco could not resort to underhanded tricks.

It was not because Belasco had some noble respect for keeping his word.

Even if he cheated and won this game, he would most likely face Matthew’s retaliation.

Matthew could withdraw this time, but what about next time?

He could simply come back and find Belasco again, and Belasco was not confident that he could defeat him.

If Belasco were seriously injured, the other Hell Lords would never let such an opportunity pass. They would inevitably take advantage of his weakness.

At that point, even threatening them with his so-called “trump card” probably would not work anymore.

Fortunately, Belasco was extremely confident.

This was his home ground.

How many demons were there in Limbo?

There was simply no way to count them.

There were billions, even tens of billions, along with countless demonic creatures of every size and kind.

Even if those demons were wiped out and killed, Limbo would simply generate more on its own.

With a single thought, Belasco could spawn an entire demon army at once. There was no way to kill them all.

On the contrary, enough demons could simply wear down that human army of barely more than six thousand soldiers until none remained.

The unspoken agreement between him and Matthew was that neither of them could personally enter the fight.

Spawning demons did not count as personally taking the field.

Belasco was certain he would win.

As for Illyana being taken away by Matthew?

Belasco was not worried for the time being. He knew very well that as long as he still held the bloodstone, sooner or later, Illyana would come to him on her own.

Matthew, meanwhile, brought Illyana back to Earth and headed to Kamar-Taj to see if the Ancient One could do anything about her condition.

When in doubt, ask the Ancient One.

Matthew had become even better than his predecessors at taking advantage of her help. His skin was thick enough that he felt no shame about it whatsoever.

He approached the whole thing as though it were perfectly justified.

After all, he was the Emperor of human civilization, the one guiding humanity forward.

Wasn’t the Ancient One also part of humanity?

So what was wrong with having her put in a little effort for humanity—and for Matthew?

Did she want to retire early or not?

Matthew was sure the Ancient One would not hold even the slightest grudge.

As long as he could calmly ignore the faintly helpless look in her eyes, the world remained a wonderful place.

Inside the main hall of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One, dressed in white sorcerer robes, studied the timid little girl standing before her. She then took the bloodstone from Matthew and began examining it.

Once the Ancient One stopped staring directly at her, Illyana finally relaxed a little.

That bald old woman was terrifying. It had felt as though her entire soul had been stripped bare and seen through completely—the kind of person who was countless times stronger than Belasco.

The girl was certain of it.

As for whether the Ancient One was stronger than the gentle older brother beside her?

Illyana never even considered the possibility. In her eyes, her big brother was the strongest person in the world.

(Colossus, roaring in power armor as he fought demons in Limbo: ????)

“Unfortunately, part of her soul was indeed forged into bloodstones by Belasco using a special method. The damage is irreversible. With my current level of magic, I cannot restore it.”

After examining the bloodstone in her hand for a moment, the Ancient One gave her conclusion.

The soul was both complicated and simple.

It could be powerful yet fragile. Under certain circumstances, even a fragile soul could unleash unimaginable strength, but once the soul itself was injured, recovery was extremely difficult.

Even Hell Lords, powerful as they were, generally paid little attention to physical wounds.

Many of them could have their bodies torn apart and still remain unharmed.

But even a minor injury to the soul could take thousands of years to recover from.

That was why many curses were such powerful forms of dark magic.

They did not merely attack flesh and blood. They also targeted the soul.

Matthew had already expected this, so he was not surprised.

Illyana, however, looked dejected.

She had thought there was no hope left for her at all, but the Ancient One’s next words lifted her spirits considerably.

“However, this may not be entirely a bad thing for her.”

“Her soul was unusual from birth. Belasco cut away part of it, then used a special method to fill the missing portion with dark magic. In doing so, he unintentionally granted her an extremely powerful and unique force.”

“If that power is fully brought out and allowed to grow, she may eventually reach heights no one expects.”

The Ancient One, who effectively had the advantage of knowing how events were supposed to unfold, naturally knew quite a bit about Illyana.

She also knew how powerful this twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl had been on the original Sacred Timeline.

Her Soulsword, which was especially effective against demons and dark powers, was an exceptionally powerful weapon.

If its potential could truly be developed to the fullest, then even if Illyana never became the Queen of Hell or gained authority over Limbo, she might still reach the same heights she originally had.

And Matthew, a man capable of creating miracles, might even raise her beyond that point and set her on an entirely different path.

“Emotions are a powerful force. They cannot be completely discarded simply because someone used certain methods to strip them away. They are only buried inside you, waiting for you to awaken them and bring them back.”

“The past has already happened and cannot be changed, but the present and the future are in your hands. Do not be afraid. Do not fear. You are the master of your own life, Illyana.”

The Ancient One looked at Illyana as she spoke, her words carrying deeper meaning.

Illyana fell into thought.

Matthew, meanwhile, continued drinking his tea at ease, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.

The Ancient One was a wise person and exceptionally skilled at guidance. It saved him quite a bit of talking.

“This war has drawn the attention of quite a few people. Matthew, you’ve now fully exposed yourself to their gaze.”

After finishing her advice to the girl, the Ancient One turned to Matthew.

“That was inevitable from the moment I decided to fight this war.” Matthew smiled faintly.

His words sounded calm, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath them.

He had never been the type to shrink back in fear.

Early on, he had been willing to keep a low profile while building his strength, but that had been caution, nothing more. When someone needed to die, he had never hesitated.

Of all the things he had done before, which one had not carried the risk of unpredictable consequences?

And yet he had done them all anyway.

Now, even more so.

So what if those gazes had turned toward him and Terra?

Matthew had already built up a foundation of power.

He had reached level six and unlocked his ultimate.

It was already too late to start targeting him.

Unless one of the ancient powers from the universe’s distant past personally stepped in, the road ahead of him would inevitably continue to be laid through upheaval.

His momentum was already established.

If anyone wanted to stop him now, they would first have to see how many lives they had to spare.

Besides, those cunning old beings would not enter the fray so easily. Most of them would simply watch from the sidelines.

For beings who were nearly immortal, time was nothing more than a number.