CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 097: EXECUTE AGATHA! CLAIM THE DARKHOLD!

By noon, Lorien and Wanda had finished making lunch in the kitchen.

They called Hela and Gwen over to eat.

While everyone was enjoying their meal, Gwen glanced at Wanda’s rosy, glowing cheeks and said with admiration,

"You’re looking more and more beautiful, Wanda."

Wanda froze for a moment, then smiled in delight.

"Really?"

Without waiting for a reply, she conjured a mirror with magic and looked at her reflection.

It was true.

As the saying goes, there’s no bad field, only an overworked cow. No matter how tough things get, good care shows on the face.

And with Lorien restoring her with the Phoenix Force, Wanda’s beauty had reached a whole new level.

After all, what girl doesn’t like to look beautiful?

"Hehe~~"

Wanda grinned at her reflection, thinking it must have been thanks to Lorien’s "efforts" last night.

It had been exhausting, sure—but the results were worth it.

Besides, Lorien had promised to find a way to improve her physique and recovery, so it wouldn’t be as tiring in the future.

Putting away the mirror, Wanda happily resumed eating, occasionally picking food for Lorien and feeding him sweetly.

Of course, she often did that anyway.

Before long, everyone was done eating.

Hela quietly started to wash the dishes, but Lorien chuckled when he saw her.

"No dishwashing today. We’re here to have fun, not do chores. Just leave them and clean up with magic."

Hela paused, then cheered loudly.

"Great~!!!"

See? Nobody likes doing the dishes. No one. Absolutely no one.

After the meal, Lorien suggested,

"Let’s take a walk to digest. If we don’t head out now, the day will be gone."

Everyone checked the time—it was already past noon.

If they didn’t go out soon, what was the point of coming here?

He was supposed to be spending time with Gwen and Wanda... cough.

"Let’s go, let’s go."

With little time left, they skipped a midday rest and headed out for a stroll.

As the four of them walked along the village street, they still drew plenty of attention.

After all, all three girls were stunning, and Hela’s elaborate Lolita dress with little leather boots was especially eye-catching.

In New York, this wouldn’t be unusual, but in Westview, it was like walking under a spotlight.

Wanda noticed the stares and suggested,

"Maybe we should use magic to change our clothes. We’re standing out too much—it’s a bit of a hassle."

Lorien shook his head.

"No need."

He snapped his fingers.

Snap~

Instantly, no one was looking their way anymore.

"Are we invisible?" Gwen glanced at herself curiously.

But it didn’t seem like invisibility.

Wanda could tell it was a form of concealment magic, though she wasn’t sure exactly what kind.

"I lowered our presence and perception," Lorien explained.

"Unless we run into someone we know or stare directly at them, they’ll just see us as ordinary passersby and walk on without noticing."

Wanda understood at once—this kind of magic had to be high-level and intricate.

If you needed a comparison, the protagonist in a certain series of from Japan had a similar ability... though, unlike that, this wasn’t for show.

It made strolling around much more pleasant.

Wanda linked arms with Lorien without attracting stares.

Gwen could wander about looking left and right without anyone finding it odd.

And Hela’s skirt—well, no one was gawking at it anymore.

They were all weirdos. Well, except Lorien, in his own opinion.

They walked, browsed, and even bought things like fresh fruit without a hitch.

Once they left, the shopkeepers simply forgot them, as if they’d just been passing strangers.

"Hoo..." Wanda took a deep breath, still holding Lorien’s arm.

"The air here is so much better than in the city—fresher and cleaner."

"Yeah," Lorien agreed.

After a day here, he’d noticed it too. The air was crisp, with a faint floral fragrance.

The real reason was simple—no industry, no vehicle emissions. Only trees, flowers, and grass, making the air naturally pleasant.

Lorien found himself liking it as well, and began to think...

"If I get the chance, I’ll make our home like this too."

Wanda blinked, then smiled and rested her head on Lorien’s shoulder.

She knew his words weren’t just a casual remark. It was his way of showing he cared, and that made her feel truly happy.

From a short distance away, Gwen glanced at the couple who seemed to be in a constant state of public affection. She considered saying something, then decided against it. She had already teased them enough yesterday—better to let it slide for a couple of days. There would be other chances.

Meanwhile, Hela was trailing behind Lorien and Wanda, playing on her handheld console.

When Lorien looked back, she was deep into Zelda, slashing away at monsters.

As for the princess? What princess? Zelda has a princess?

Just then, Hela suddenly paused her game and glanced to the side. Lorien followed her gaze.

It was Agatha—the old woman who had given Hela a bad feeling yesterday—walking toward her home.

Hela looked to Lorien first, then raised her hand, ready to fire the Nightsword and pin Agatha on the spot.

"Wait."

Lorien stopped her.

"Hm?"

In the past, Hela might have attacked without hesitation. But now, she actually listened to Lorien, lowering her hand.

"You’re not going to kill her?"

"No." Lorien turned and waved. "Follow her and see what she’s up to. What we want is at her house. If she goes home, we won’t have to look for it."

At that, Wanda was the first to react.

"The Darkhold is with her?"

"Yes." Lorien made a small gesture, lowering everyone’s presence even further before following.

But Wanda hesitated.

"If she has the Darkhold, isn’t that dangerous? We should just deal with her now."

Wanda knew from Hela that Agatha had hostile intentions toward them—a typical sign of someone who had been cultivating the Darkhold’s dark magic. That alone was reason enough to kill her first and search later.

Lorien, however, smiled and shook his head.

"No need. Do you think everyone’s a genius like you? In her hands, that Dark Magic book is wasted. Even after all this time, she probably couldn’t even beat our weakest member."

Wanda blushed slightly at the compliment.

Hela: Huh?! What did you just say?

She shot Lorien a glare, but he only ruffled her hair.

"It’s true. Right now, you’re the weakest here."

Originally, Gwen would have been the weakest, relying only on her mutated spider powers. But Lorien had given her the original Symbiote battle suit, along with the god-slaying Black Necrosword. Her combat level now was firmly in the Elder God range, capable of killing even a Sky Father.

And that was before adding the Twelve Talismans.

That’s what it means to fight above your level—Lorien had built her up entirely.

"Haha~~"

Gwen crossed her arms proudly. It wasn’t even an exaggeration to say she could take Hela in a fight now. If Wanda failed to restrain her and she got in close, even Wanda could be taken down in seconds. Gwen was now the perfect mix of warrior and assassin.

"Hmph~"

Hela crossed her arms, already plotting how she would squeeze more from Lorien once they got back. The more she drained from him, the more her divine power would grow.

The group chatted as they followed Agatha, who remained completely oblivious to the four people tailing her in plain sight.

After a few twists and turns, they reached the backyard at the edge of town.

Agatha stopped outside, raised her hand, and cast a spell.

A thick black mist spread outward, and the backyard shifted to reveal its true form—Agatha’s underground dark magic lair, carved into the mountainside, with a tunnel leading down.

Seeing this, Lorien tilted his head in a silent signal.

Wanda extended one hand and made a squeezing motion.

Far ahead, Agatha was suddenly yanked into the air.

"Ah!?"

She gave a startled scream as an unseen force held her in place. Her eyes darted to the scarlet energy binding her, then to the group now standing before her.

"It’s you! How could you possibly know about this place?!"

Hela curled her lip.

"Knew you were keeping tabs on us."

Gwen nodded in agreement.

Agatha’s words were as good as an admission that she had passed by Lorien’s place yesterday on purpose.

Lorien nodded toward Wanda.

"Hypnotize her. Get the answers we need."

Wanda nodded back, then pulled her hand sharply.

Agatha was dragged toward them in midair, thrashing violently but unable to break free.

After a moment of useless struggling, her eyes fell on the scarlet magic surrounding her—and recognition flashed across her face.

"That’s Chaos Magic!

You’re the Scarlet Witch!"

Wanda smiled.

"Of course."

Agatha still looked composed, but Wanda was no longer the Wanda from Sokovia. Her magic now was far stronger than before—so strong that even the Book of the Vishanti was within her reach.

And as for a mere dark magic witch with a bit of talent? Wanda could defeat her without lifting a finger.

She wasn’t about to waste any more time.

Wanda raised her hand and made a small motion in front of Agatha. Instantly, Chaos Magic began to seep into Agatha’s mind.

"No! You can’t do this! You—"

Agatha didn’t even finish her protest before Wanda’s hypnotic magic took hold. Her expression went slack, all traces of self-awareness gone.

Lorien gestured to the others.

"Ask her anything you want to know."

Hela jumped in first.

"Why were you targeting us?"

Agatha’s vacant eyes stayed fixed forward as she answered.

"Because both you and the Scarlet Witch have magic and spirit within you. If I absorb them with dark magic, I can make myself stronger and live longer."

Her answer was short and clear.

Gwen stepped up next.

"How many evil things have you done? Tell us your motives and the whole process."

Agatha replied without hesitation.

"I deliberately spread news of the Darkhold to lure greedy sorcerers into Westview. Then I used dark magic to absorb them, destroyed their bodies, and erased the evidence."

Hearing that, Gwen nodded in grim approval.

"Then you deserve to die."

Once they were done questioning her, Lorien had nothing else to ask. He glanced at Wanda.

"Your turn."

Wanda lifted Agatha into the air with her magic.

"Where is the Darkhold?"

"In the basement."

"Is it dangerous?"

"No."

"How far has your dark magic progressed?"

"I don’t know."

Wanda asked several more questions, all focused on magic and safety. When she was done, she turned to Lorien, silently asking what came next.

He waved his hand dismissively.

Agatha was nothing more than a trivial nuisance to them.

As for letting her go? Lorien wasn’t that merciful.

Wanda understood and, with a flick of her wrist, opened a scarlet portal—its other side opening directly into space. The instant it appeared, the difference in air pressure sent a rush of wind into the void.

Wanda released her hold.

"Ahhh—!"

Agatha was sucked through in an instant, and Wanda snapped the portal shut.

Just like that, there was another frozen corpse drifting in the cosmos.

Lorien was almost relieved—he’d half-expected Wanda to crush her outright, the way he’d once taught. That would have been far messier. Tossing her into space was, in a way, far more ladylike.

Hela stared for a moment.

"Wasn’t I supposed to kill her...?"

Lorien ruffled her hair.

"You bloodthirsty little loli."

"But I haven’t killed anyone in so long..."

"I’ll let you take out some bad guys later."

"Okay~!"

To any normal person overhearing this exchange—talking so casually about killing—it would have been terrifying enough to make them run.

...

With Agatha gone, her basement lay wide open.

Lorien led the way inside.

"Let’s have a look."

Wanda, Gwen, and Hela followed.

The basement was dark and run-down—tree roots, dead leaves, and stone walls giving it a neglected, almost rotting feel.

But none of that mattered.

What mattered was... the Darkhold.

The basement wasn’t large. A short walk brought them to Agatha’s workspace. Beside it stood a table, and on that table lay a black book, over a foot tall yet barely as thick as a stack of coins.

Lorien tilted his chin toward it. The others turned to look.

"So that’s the Darkhold?"

Wanda stepped up to it.

It looked surprisingly ordinary.

"And... why does it look so tattered?"

Hela rose on her toes to peek.

"Hope it’s not broken."

Gwen joined Wanda for a closer look. Truth be told, the book wasn’t much to look at—no ominous glow, no flashy effects.

Lorien picked it up and flipped it open casually.

At once, a surge of black, soul-like energy rippled from its pages.

Wanda and Gwen immediately fixed their gaze on it, alert.

Lorien smiled and took the moment to explain.

"The Darkhold’s history goes back billions of years, to the fallen demon and Elder God, Chthon. Before being forced into exile in another dimension, he wrote it on indestructible parchment. Later, it was compiled into what we now call the Darkhold."

"But the book wasn’t written just to spread his dark magic—it was meant to corrupt the mind and soul of its user, so they’d open a gateway between his dimension and Earth."

The explanation left everyone with a clear picture of its origin.

Hela tilted her head curiously.

"So how’s Wanda supposed to use it?"

"That’s easy." Lorien smirked.

"Just erase the tricks Chthon left behind."