He also heard the scream echoing from the Sanctum behind him—but he didn't even flinch.
"Didn't expect the Cloak to have a sense of humor," Luke muttered with a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He shut the dimensional portal behind him with a flick of his hand, sealing both the Sanctum and the Rotunda of Gateways tight.
Felicia Hardy, currently trapped in there with only a broom, wasn't going anywhere—no matter how loud she screamed.
Not without his say-so.
"She'll live. Probably," he added under his breath.
Felicia had been testing his patience ever since she arrived, so this was just a little lesson.
A harmless bit of payback. Mostly.
Luke stepped into the inner sanctum of the Temple, the demonic energy within him humming in response to the mystical air around him.
His eyes settled on the core of the Sanctum—a massive, slowly rotating orb floating mid-air like a globe of stars. Peaceful. Still.
The lights swirling inside it showed no signs of unusual activity. Another quiet day.
"Good."
He turned and walked into a chamber on the left—an isolated pocket of mirror dimension carved out for training and observation.
The moment he entered, reflections wrapped around him. Shattered glass walls shimmered with fragments of the real world. Like a kaleidoscope made of reality itself.
One shard showed Felicia skittering away from the Cloak of Levitation.
Another displayed... a slightly more awkward angle.
"Ahem."
Luke cleared his throat and quickly shifted his gaze.
"This room's... efficient," he muttered.
It let him see everything within and beyond the Temple.
And being inside the Mirror Dimension means nothing that happened inside affected the real world.
He could rip this place apart during training, and no one outside would notice.
"Way better than being in Makalu," he said, smirking.
He pulled out a small leather-bound notebook from his belt and began flipping through pages marked with runes and old ink.
"Shadow Demon, summoned... Check."
"Limbo demons have officially blacklisted me..."
Luke frowned.
The book was an ancient one—gifted by the Ancient One herself—and within it were names, symbols, and dimensional coordinates.
He wasn't doing random summoning anymore.
Not since he realized the system's limits
Now he had a checklist.
Strong? Absolutely.
Controlled? Hopefully.
And above all—interested in him.
Whether it was his soul, his power, or some twisted sense of curiosity, demons needed a hook. Otherwise, there was no bargaining chip, no deal, and no leverage.
"Demons from Hell at least like to play by the rules," he said, flipping a page. "Contracts, deals, and they hate it when loopholes are used on them, but they love it when they're the ones using them."
Luke had actually found them easier to trick compared to other beings of chaos.
Unfortunately, they'd blacklisted him too.
"Wait a sec..."
His fingers stopped flipping.
"Why am I limiting myself to one hell?"
His mind flashed back to something he read in the Kamar-Taj archives—the Book of Hell.
There wasn't just Limbo.
There were layers. Versions.
Belasco's Limbo was one.
But there was also Mephisto's Hell. Hades' underworld. Surtur's Muspelheim. Even Hela's Hel—all distinct dimensions with their own laws and lords.
According to the records in the "Book of Hell," there was once only one Hell—a complete, unified dimension.
Back then, it wasn't the chaotic mess of realms it is now. It was a single, solid plane of existence.
A true dimension.
But something happened.
No one knows exactly what or why, but that single dimension fractured, breaking into countless smaller hells.
These shattered fragments were later claimed by various Hell Lords.
Sure, they all carry the title of 'lord,' but let's not get it twisted—they're not all on the same level.
Some of these so-called Hell Lords aren't even on par with Marvel's cosmic beings like the Celestials.
Others, though... some have reached power levels rivaling entire universes, maybe even multiple universes.
The key difference? Mastery over their respective dimensions.
"Hold on a sec," Luke muttered to himself.
"If the 'dimensional barrier' the Ancient One talked about is real... then what if I absorbed the power from all of these hell dimensions? Could I merge them? Restore the original, unified Hell?"
The thought hit him like a lightning bolt.
Luke, a man with access to demonic energy and powers, had already begun manipulating otherworldly forces thanks to his system.
According to what the Ancient One had said, gathering the energy of a specific dimension weakens the barriers between worlds.
So, if Luke could absorb power from each fragment of Hell and unify them within himself, maybe—just maybe—he could tear down those dimensional walls and fuse the fragments back together.
It was a long shot, sure. But it wasn't impossible.
"No, no, I'm getting ahead of myself," he sighed. "Let's just try summoning one of them first."
With a smirk, Luke mentally listed his targets: Lucifer, Mephisto, Hades, Hela...
"Alright then. Let's go with you. I summon you—Hela!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the system activated.
In the middle of the mirror dimension where he stood, a crack split open in the air.
A green glow seeped through the gap.
Luke squinted toward the rift, his demonic energy instinctively flaring up in defense.
A shadowy figure stepped out—tall, regal, and covered in tattered Asgardian battle armor that barely clung to her form.
"Hela?" Luke asked cautiously.
She didn't respond. Just stared at him from the edge of the portal, studying him.
Then, she spoke.
"Is Odin dead?"
Luke blinked, thrown off. "Uh... as far as I know, no."
Without another word, Hela turned and stepped back into the rift.
The crack began to close behind her.
"Don't summon me again until he is."
Snap.
The crack sealed shut, leaving Luke standing in awkward silence.
"Well... damn," he muttered. "That was cold."
Shrugging off the rejection, Luke shook his head and reset.
"Okay. Next up... Lucifer. I summon you!"
BOOM!
A thunderous blast echoed through the space.
And then—nothing.
"What the—? Did it fail again?" Luke frowned, confused.
He paused, wondering if some demon from Limbo Hell had been badmouthing him to the others.
Just as he prepared to summon another Hell Lord...
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the mirror dimension—smooth, warm, almost comforting.
"Human, are you looking for me?"
Luke jumped, spinning around. Somehow, without him noticing, a man had appeared behind him.
He was tall, flawless, with golden blond hair and sharp, symmetrical features.
Even Luke, who wasn't the type to care about looks, had to admit—this guy was stupidly handsome.
Not a single flaw.
"Wait... isn't Lucifer supposed to be a red demon with horns or something?" Luke thought, confused. That's what the Book of Hell described, complete with an illustration.
But the man in front of him looked nothing like that.
"Are you... Lucifer?" Luke asked, a bit uncertain.
The blond man chuckled lightly. "You summon me and then ask who I am?"
He began strolling casually around the mirror dimension, his steps slow and deliberate, eyes scanning his surroundings.
"Hmm... interesting. This world is... fascinating."
As he walked, he began to murmur names—each one heavier than the last.
"Eternity... Infinity... Oblivion... Phoenix Force... Death..."
Then, even more chilling ones: "Infinity Stones... the Living Tribunal..."
He stopped walking and turned, eyes locking onto Luke's.
A soft smile played on his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Luke stood frozen.
His gut told him something was off—way off.
This wasn't the Lucifer described in the Book of Hell. Not even close.
"Thanks for the invite," the man finally said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucifer... Lucifer Morningstar."
His voice was smooth, warm like morning light—but something about it made Luke uneasy.
Without saying a word, Luke reached into his coat and slipped out a stack of enchantment cards, fingers twitching with quiet intent.
"Relax," Lucifer said with a smirk, clearly aware of Luke's move. "I'll leave on my own. No need for you to get jumpy. Daddy dearest—well, God, let's just say He's got eyes everywhere."
He gave a long sigh before continuing. "I already have a good idea why you summoned me. Unfortunately... I have nothing to offer you for a trade."
He paused—then added with a glint in his eye, "But... as thanks for the invitation, let me offer a very small gift."
Lucifer raised one hand and tapped the air. A golden beam of energy shot forward and gently struck Luke in the chest.
[Ding!]
[Abnormal energy detected!]
[The system has successfully purified the incoming energy!]
Luke blinked. His body tingled for a moment.
"Oh?" Lucifer said, raising an eyebrow. "Seems like you've got more going on than I thought. How curious."
He smiled, this time with genuine amusement.
"What I gave you is a fragment of my Morningstar Power. Some call it 'God's Will,' though I've never liked that name. It'll keep you alive... basically forever."
He paused, then added, "Of course, you don't have to use it on yourself. You could spend it to bring back a few friends... or some ghosts. Your choice."
As Lucifer spoke his final words, his body began to dissolve—fading out slowly like ash in the wind.
"Luke, right? I look forward to our next meeting."
And with that, Lucifer Morningstar vanished completely from the mirror dimension.
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