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The system's response was vague, but Luke got the gist: all interpretation rights belonged to the system.
"Alright, that's reassuring," he muttered to himself.
With that conversation over, Luke swung his legs over the bed, slipped into the apprentice robes, and stepped outside.
Reading? Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen.
Training Grounds
Mordo wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw Luke approaching.
"Very few people actually finish that book," Mordo remarked. "The author's writing style is... less than engaging."
He grabbed a Sling Ring from a nearby shelf and tossed it to Luke. "How about we jump straight into practice?"
"Absolutely."
Luke quickly slipped the ring onto his fingers, eager to get started.
"Teleportation is one of the most commonly used spells by sorcerers. It's not too difficult, great for beginners, and—most importantly—it looks cool," Mordo said with a small smirk.
As he spoke, he raised his hand, fingers tracing a circular motion. Sparks crackled in the air, forming a glowing portal large enough for a person to step through.
Mordo stepped through and reappeared behind Luke in an instant.
"The key to mastering this spell isn't just about memorizing runes or chanting incantations—it's about belief."
He continued, "Magic is borrowed energy. The Sling Ring will help you channel it faster, but you need to focus."
Luke mimicked Mordo's motions, silently reciting the incantation while trying to draw a portal.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
...
Ten times.
Eleven times.
...
Mordo's expression grew increasingly perplexed. His teaching style gradually shifted from complex explanations to simple fundamentals.
"Don't force it. Clear your mind, find your inner stillness."
"Focus on the mantra..."
"Try to establish a connection with the Vishanti."
Mordo's once intricate lessons had now been reduced to something as basic as one plus one equals two.
Yet, despite all this, Luke wasn't getting anywhere.
More specifically... he couldn't even establish a connection with the Vishanti at all.
The Trinity of Gods—Oshtur, Hoggoth, and Agamotto—weren't answering.
"Uh…hello? Anybody there?" Luke tried again, chanting the spell.
Nothing happened.
Learning teleportation magic had turned into drawing useless circles in the air.
Even Doctor Strange had managed to summon a few sparks when he first attempted it.
Luke? Not even a flicker.
"..."
After several more failed attempts, Mordo fell silent.
For the first time, he considered that he might've misunderstood why the Sorcerer Supreme had brought Luke here.
"So... why exactly did the Ancient One bring you here?" Mordo finally asked.
Luke let out an awkward laugh. "Uh, well… that's a long story."
Was he just doomed to fail at white magic altogether?
There was no other choice.
If the "official banks" refused to lend him power, then he'd just have to go to a different lender.
'Fine. This is on you guys!'
"Or… would you rather go back to theory first? Strengthen your foundation?" Mordo suggested carefully, now fully aware of Luke's magical... challenges.
"I'll inform the librarian—Wong, the sorcerer you met earlier. He'll prepare some suitable books for you."
"Sounds good to me!" Luke said instantly, his enthusiasm returning.
If he could gain access to the library, it was a huge win.
He glanced at Mordo with newfound appreciation.
'What a lifesaver.'
This was a crucial step toward his real goal.
If he wanted to strike "deals" with extra-dimensional entities, he first had to know how to summon them.
The Exorcist System only provided methods to banish such beings.
But as for summoning them?
That knowledge was buried somewhere in Kamar-Taj's library.
"Thanks, Master Mordo."
"Just call me Mordo."
As Luke rushed off toward the library, Mordo stood there for a moment, watching him go, still a bit stunned.
Was it really possible for someone's magic talent to be so bad that even the Vishanti refused to acknowledge them?
...
Entering the Kamar-Taj Library, Luke suddenly felt a strange sensation—like something was scanning him down to his bones.
It was unsettling but faded quickly.
"That's just a security spell," a deep voice explained. "Prevents anyone from smuggling in magical artifacts or stealing books."
Luke turned toward the voice and saw a stocky man stepping out from behind a pillar, holding a book in one hand.
"Your name's Luke, right?" the man continued. "Mordo just filled me in on your situation."
Luke nodded. "Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you, sir."
"Just call me Wong," he corrected, setting the book aside and motioning for Luke to follow. "Come on."
They walked deeper into the massive library, surrounded by towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes and scrolls.
The air smelled of parchment and ink, with a faint hum of enchantments woven into the structure.
"This section is reserved for actual sorcerers," Wong said, glancing at Luke. "And by that, I mean those who can actually cast spells. But I make the rules here, so I'll allow you in."
He stopped at a shelf, running his fingers along the spines of the books before selecting a few and handing them to Luke.
"Start with these—The New Universe, The Chronicles of Magic, The Mystery of Agamotto, and The Great Vishanti," Wong said. "They'll help you understand the origins of magic and the Vishanti. You'll need that knowledge to create magical pathways."
Luke accepted the books but noticed Wong studying him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
He could tell Wong was trying to figure him out.
"What?" Luke asked.
"It's just…" Wong hesitated, then sighed. "Even in Kamar-Taj, not everyone can master magic. Some never make it past the basics. But you? You couldn't even establish a connection with the Vishanti. That's… impressive in its own way."
Luke winced. "Yeah. Thanks for the vote of confidence."
As Wong turned to leave, Luke's gaze drifted to a particular row of bookshelves in the corner of the library.
Unlike the others, these books were wrapped in thick chains covered in glowing runes.
"What about those?" he asked, nodding toward them.
Wong barely glanced at them. "Those? That's the Ancient One's collection."
Luke's curiosity flared. "Can I take a look?"
Wong raised an eyebrow but then smirked. "Kamar-Taj believes in sharing knowledge… to a point. Some things, however, are not meant to be practiced."
Luke met his gaze. "That wasn't a no."
Wong let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. "Fine. Read all you want. Not like you'll be able to do anything with them anyway."
Luke took that as permission and immediately set down the books he was given, heading toward the locked tomes.
He reached out for one, his fingers grazing the cool metal of the enchanted chains.
At that moment, another sorcerer entered the library, and Wong gave Luke one last glance before turning away. "
These books stay here," he warned. "If you want to read them, do it now."
Luke waited until Wong disappeared before pulling a particular book from the shelf—The Book of Cagliostro.
The moment he touched it, the chains unlatched with a soft click. He quickly flipped to the middle, skimming the pages—only to find a crucial section missing.
"Damn… No instructions for summoning Dormammu."
He sighed, snapping the book shut.
The missing pages were exactly what he was looking for—the key to drawing power from the Dark Dimension.
But without them, that door was closed.
Luke leaned against the bookshelf, deep in thought. 'Guess I'm too late. looks like Kaecilius already took it.'
Dormammu was no longer an option.
Luke had no choice but to search the shelves for alternative contacts.
His eyes scanned over the ancient tomes until one with a fiery red cover caught his attention.
The "Book of Hell."
As he carefully opened it, the parchment pages, aged and brittle, revealed detailed illustrations of demonic figures accompanied by cryptic text.
The book documented various hell dimensions, each ruled by different entities.
Luke's excitement grew as he read names that carried immense power: Mephisto's Hell, Lucifer's Hell, and Hela's Underworld.
"Jackpot! These are all potential clients."
Just as he muttered to himself, a loose parchment slipped from between the pages and fluttered to the ground.
He bent down, picked it up, and studied the symbols.
A complex six-pointed star was drawn in thick black ink, alongside a small annotation:
"For advanced combat training - now deprecated."
Luke's brow furrowed.
Intrigued, he flipped through the book, scanning for context.
He soon understood—this was once a summoning ritual used by Kama Taj to conjure lesser demons for training magic apprentices in combat.
However, a certain hell lord had taken offense to this practice, forcing the ritual to be abandoned.
"The training program might be scrapped, but the summoning spell should still work."
Without hesitation, Luke slipped the parchment into his pocket, carefully returned the "Book of Hell" to its place, and exited the library.
As he crossed the threshold, the eerie sensation of being scanned once again swept over him—just like when he first entered.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
It seemed this particular parchment wasn't cataloged in the library's security spells.
Wong was still busy recommending books to other mages, too distracted to notice Luke's departure.
Back in his quarters, Luke spread the parchment on the table.
He had no idea if the Ancient One was monitoring him, but at this point, he had bigger concerns.
In a universe filled with alien warlords and superpowered maniacs, he needed strength—fast.
He wouldn't survive long without it.
This could be his only chance.
"First, draw a six-pointed star on the ground, place candles at each point, and drop a single drop of blood in the center..." Luke read aloud, memorizing each step of the ritual.
But he wasn't reckless.
Before proceeding, he mentally accessed the Supreme Exorcist System, scrolling through the exorcism encyclopedia.
"Wait... it's this simple?"
The book listed multiple methods for demon expulsion, and the top result was absurdly easy: find an open space, draw a counter-seal, and it would be enough to banish most lesser demons.
No elaborate setup, no candles, no blood—he could literally just use a chalk.
"System, are you absolutely sure this will work?"
[Host, please rest assured. This solution is 100% reliable.]
"Alright."
Reassured by the system, Luke steeled his resolve.
Worst case scenario, he could always flee.
After all, this was Kamar Taj.
No matter what crawled out of the summoning circle, it wouldn't last long against the masters here.
At worst, he'd get kicked out for "unauthorized summoning."
Totally worth the risk!
...
Taking a deep breath, Luke got to work.
In one corner of the room, he drew a detailed exorcism circle, ensuring its integrity by creating a second one for backup.
Once satisfied, he moved to the center of the room and followed the summoning instructions.
He sketched the six-pointed star. Arranged the candles. Lit them.
"I summon thee from the depths of Hell... wait, is this a female demon's name?"
He squinted at the parchment before shrugging. "Never mind."
He took a deep breath and pricked his finger, letting a single drop of blood fall into the center of the sigil.
BOOM!
The candle flames roared to life, shifting from warm yellow to the crimson glow of hellfire.
A thick, sulfurous scent filled the air, heavy and suffocating.
A low, guttural voice rumbled from the shadows.
"Who dares summon me?"
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