High above, Ophir opened the Key of Solomon and began to recite. The call went straight to Heaven. Light answered.
Divine fire surged through him. His gray stone turned radiant white until he blazed like a beacon. The monastery lit under his glow.
The chant ended. A shockwave burst outward.
Demons staggered, bewildered. Since when do gargoyles glow? Then the wave hit them.
The weak screamed back into Hell. The strong staggered, feeble. The gargoyles didn't waste the chance—wings and blades turned the battlefield crimson.
Li Feng fought from the shadows, hurling cards at stragglers. His gaze tracked Mordo—sweat-drenched but relentless—then shifted to Adam.
Adam pinned a demon, fists pounding. "Where is Naberius?"
The fiend spat blood, laughing. "Waiting for you. The gargoyles guard you above all else. That leaves their queen. Zuriel already has her. Trade yourself, and she lives."
Adam froze. Leonore—the only one who spoke to him as more than a monster—was their heart. They'd trade him in a heartbeat.
He knew what he was: stitched flesh, no soul. But she had treated him differently. That mattered.
He beat the truth out of the demon with fists and holy water, then bolted—straight toward Leonore's prison.
Mordo watched him go, unsettled. Born against nature's law, yet is he evil? Or is he rewriting the rulebook? The gargoyles know he has no soul, and still, they trust him. What's balance, then?
Li Feng dropped in beside him, twisting the knife. "Heaven's soldiers guard him. That means Heaven itself knows. Two hundred years, and no lightning strike. Look closer—his spirit's changing color. He's on the verge of gaining a soul. When that happens, he won't be a monster. He'll be a man—with power."
Leaving Mordo to wrestle with that, Li Feng followed Adam's trail.
Meanwhile, Gideon took command. With Adam gone and Leonore captive, he made the call: exchange Frankenstein's notebook for their queen.
Mordo nearly spat. "Madness. Give them the notes, and the world burns."
The gargoyles ignored him. Leonore was their only link to Michael. To lose her was unthinkable.
Gideon flew to the Warden Theater with the notebook.
Adam, sprinting on foot, arrived just as Gideon returned—Leonore alive, the exchange completed.
Far behind, Li Feng stumbled in, gasping. Seriously? Adam and I left first, and you still beat us here? Damn wings.
Then he spotted a demon sprinting away, clutching the notebook. Adam saw it too and gave chase.
Li Feng groaned and jogged after. Normal humans call me fit. Compared to demons and Frankenstein's monster, I'm cardio trash. Fine. When I get back, I'm training until I can marathon you freaks into the ground.
He hung back as Adam stormed Naberius's lair. Guards fell one by one. Li Feng stopped at the threshold. Nope. That's the demon king's den. My script says Adam escapes with the notes anyway. I'll wait for the doctor.
Night fell. From the shadows, Li Feng spotted a blonde woman rushing out. He hesitated. Dr. Wade? Then Adam slipped after her. That sealed it.
What neither noticed was a demon in black leather stalking her too.
Li Feng smirked. Doctor, you're popular. Tonight, you've got a demon, a monster, and a mage tailing you—and for once, none of us want you dead.
When Wade realized she was being followed, Adam stepped in front, shielding her. He revealed himself quickly, urging her to stay close.
From the side, Li Feng nearly choked holding back laughter. Adam's earnest talk of demons, gargoyles, celestial wars—Wade's face was priceless.
I'm a scientist. Demons? Angels? Living statues? Poor guy's brain is scrambled, her expression screamed.
When Adam insisted that her employer was Naberius, demon prince, her look shifted to pity.
Li Feng lost it. He burst out laughing.
Adam spun, kicking open the door of an abandoned factory. Hearing the laugh, he shoved Wade behind him and snarled at the shadows, "Come out!"
Li Feng strolled forward, still grinning. "Relax. But honestly, Adam, dumping all that on her at once? She's never going to buy it."
Recognition lit Adam's eyes. "You." Relief softened his stance. But he still guided Wade inside, voice firm. "It's the truth. You've seen it yourself—you fought at the monastery, killed demons with your own hands."
The word sorcerer made Dr. Wade's eyes flick to Li Feng with sharp suspicion.
That cloak…what was it made of? His boots looked centuries out of date. And that paunch… really? A sword at his waist but no staff? This isn't a wizard, she thought. This is a lunatic. Same as Adam.
Li Feng only shrugged at her stare. Believe it or not, you'll figure it out soon enough. And now, Adam's stunt with the back door should've drawn a demon or two.
Right on cue, Zuriel burst into the factory, flesh igniting as he shed his disguise and revealed a monstrous face.
Wade froze, dumbstruck.
Li Feng calmly palmed a card, patted her shoulder, and said, "See? Demon. Want to drag it into a lab and dissect it?"
Adam already had his twin batons in hand. "Protect Wade," he barked, charging.
Li Feng flicked a burning card into Zuriel's face, then snapped his fingers. A hexagonal seal shimmered around Wade, tucking her into mirror space. "Forget running," he said. "Killing this thing together will be way more fun."
He peppered Zuriel with explosive cards, weaving a time-snare in secret, waiting for the perfect opening.
Normally, Zuriel's experience would've crushed Adam. But Li Feng's relentless interference—flames and concussive bursts needling the demon like hornets—kept breaking his rhythm.
Snarling, Zuriel adjusted. The mage's range was short. Close that distance, end the distraction. He kicked Adam hard, sending the patchwork warrior through a hole in the factory floor, then leapt down after him.
That was the mistake Li Feng had been waiting for.
The time spell lashed out. A watery shimmer draped Zuriel's body, dragging his movements into slow motion.
Li Feng drew his flaming sword and charged. One clean stroke—Zuriel's head toppled. The body dissolved to ash, the soul shrieking as it plunged back into Hell.
Exhaling, Li Feng leaned over the hole. "Hey, buddy. Still alive? Make a noise."
He reopened the mirror seal, pulling a pale, trembling Wade back into reality.
She staggered, clutching her chest. "First Adam, alive for centuries. Then my boss's people turn out to be demons. And now you. What is happening to my world?"
Li Feng snorted. "And you're supposed to be a doctor? Think of demons as aliens. Magic's just science you haven't published yet."
"Science?" she shot back. "Then explain why your cards ignited the second they touched a demon."
Li Feng conjured a flame in his palm. "Molecular vibration. Friction. Heat. Flame. Simple."
She rubbed her temple. Yes, molecules could burn—but controlled like this? Impossible.
"Spiritual force," Li Feng added smoothly. "Think brainwaves. Like flipping TV channels. Get the frequency right, and spells are just… channel surfing."
Before Wade could press, Adam clambered back up, battered but alive. His eyes locked on Li Feng. "That spell—why did Zuriel move like he was stuck in mud?"
"Temporal deceleration," Li Feng said. "Time drag. Everything slows."
Wade blinked. "Time? You bent time? Can you travel to the past—or the future?"
Li Feng winced. Great. Shouldn't have sold magic as science. Now she'll hound me forever.
He cut her off. "Quantum energy. That's all I'll say. More important—" He gestured at the shadows. "—Naberius isn't done sending demons."
Adam didn't argue. He grabbed Wade and led her back to his hideout.
Inside, Wade stitched his wounds, eyes darting to Li Feng with relentless questions.
Adam hissed through the pain. "Why are you following me?"
Leaning against the wall, Li Feng shrugged. "Curiosity. About you. About Frankenstein's notebook. To mages, you're a living golem. The difference? You think. That makes you unique."
He crouched to meet Adam's eyes. "Your body's already nurturing a soul. Hidden, waiting to hatch. When it does, you won't be a monster—you'll be human. A human with power."
Adam froze, stunned.
Li Feng's gaze slid to the notebook at Adam's belt. His hand brushed it, then lifted it free. "What fascinates me is how. What spark gave you thought? What force is forging a soul now? Time? Energy? Both?"
Adam didn't stop him, still reeling.
Li Feng flipped pages, quietly copying every formula into his own grimoire. "If you doubt me," he said dryly, "kill yourself. See if your soul drifts free."
Wade nearly dropped her needle. "Even if it did, dead is dead."
Li Feng smirked. "Not if you stitch him back together. He'd just respawn."
When he'd copied enough, he tossed the notebook to Wade. "Have a look. Plenty of lunacy in there."
Inside, he cursed. Damn it. I don't understand half of this. Electric eels? Really? Frankenstein was insane.
Wade was already entranced, her face glowing as she read. Adam slumped back, snoring.
Li Feng sighed. With the notes secured, there was no reason to linger. He cleared his throat, but Wade barely looked up.
"Mr. Austin, something?" she asked absently.
"Just this." He opened a glowing portal. "I've been gone too long. Time to return to my companion."
She waved him off, still lost in the pages.
Li Feng hesitated at the threshold, then gave one last warning. "Life is a gift. Don't tread too far into God's domain. Be careful."
With that, he stepped through, leaving Wade alone with the notebook—and her choice.
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