What's it like to stumble upon the Darkhold inside an Egyptian pyramid?
No one has ever asked such a question— but Herman certainly could answer it.
He never expected that in his search for the Book of Amun-Ra and the Book of the Dead, he would not only uncover the resting places of Seth, the God of War, and Ra, the Sun God, but also come face to face with the Darkhold—one of the most powerful relics in the entire Marvel Universe.
The Darkhold.
A name that resonates across dimensions.
It's a relic whose value, in certain respects, surpasses even that of a single Infinity Stone. Legends claim that whoever possesses this tome gains the power to rule the world. And unlike most myths, this one isn't exaggerated in the slightest. The Darkhold truly contains power capable of creating a sovereign over worlds—perhaps even granting dominion over countless parallel universes.
Because of that, countless beings throughout Marvel's history have searched for it.
Hitler sought it. The Red Skull sought it. Even Nick Fury once sent agents in pursuit of it.
Yet no one ever truly found it.
Herman never imagined that he would be the one to encounter it—buried deep beneath the sands of Egypt.
The origins of the Darkhold are a matter of debate, but its appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is clear enough—it first surfaced during Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4.
It was described as a book capable of granting knowledge beyond human understanding—while simultaneously corrupting the soul of anyone who read it, driving them into madness and depravity.
And it's easy to see why.
S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists once used the knowledge within the Darkhold to perform the impossible—creating something from nothing, conjuring matter out of thin air. To them, the book was nothing less than a gateway for mortals to touch divine power.
But in the end, everyone who read from it went insane. So S.H.I.E.L.D. concluded that the Darkhold possessed the power to seduce mortals into ruin. And in truth, they weren't wrong.
The Darkhold is no ordinary artifact—it has a will of its own. It can read the thoughts of those who read it. The knowledge within isn't written in any specific language; instead, the book reshapes itself into whatever language its reader understands best. It can even present impossible knowledge—truths beyond the comprehension of any mortal mind—through mere words, granting its readers powers that defy all physical law.
Of course, given that the Darkhold was created by one of the most terrifying dark gods in existence, it's no surprise that its creator's will seeps into the minds of its users. To say the book corrupts those who wield it is no exaggeration.
That dark god is the Dimensional Demon God—Chthon.
One of the ancient Elder Gods.
He was among the very first life forms on Earth, possessing immeasurable magical power and strength that transcends any single universe.
Even Mephisto and Dormammu have borrowed his power. Dormammu may call himself a ruler of dimensions, but if he ever stood before Chthon, he would drop to his knees instantly.
If Chthon decided to erase Dormammu, Dormammu would probably thank him for doing it. That's how vast the difference between them is.
The might of this Elder God is beyond question.
And the Darkhold, being the record of Chthon's own dark deeds and spells, naturally carries a connection to his dimension.
The magic written within is known as Chaos Magic—one of the most powerful forms of sorcery in the Marvel Universe. It's a force so dreadful that modern sorcerers classify it as "Dark Magic," a power capable of inverting the very laws of reality.
The most famous wielder of Chaos Magic in all of Marvel is, of course, Wanda—the "child" Herman would one day take under his wing in another timeline.
Of course, the young Wanda of this era has yet to awaken her Chaos potential, using it only to unleash wild, uncontrolled bursts of power.
Chaos Magic is her birthright, but without proper guidance, she's like a child holding a nuclear bomb.
Even so, when grown, Wanda's strength will rank among the highest on Earth—a testament to just how terrifying the potential of Chaos Magic truly is.
And now, struck by the Chaos power manipulated by Seth, the God of War, Herman finds himself experiencing firsthand the level of power that Wanda will one day command.
The divine power within Herman surged violently, clashing head-on with the chaotic force. On the surface, it seemed like a stalemate—but in truth, countering the chaos unleashed by the Darkhold demanded ten times, perhaps even more, of his divine strength to keep it in check.
If not for the existence of his [Realm of the Dead], filled with countless souls supplying him with energy, his power would never have lasted this long. The energy generated by the Realm not only nourished his death magic but also replenished his divine reserves.
"So this was your plan all along," Herman said evenly, his eyes calm as he held back the Darkhold's violent power and looked toward Seth, the God of War.
To an outside observer, there was no sign that Herman was the one under pressure. Though the weight of the attack was immense, he remained composed—fully confident he could endure it.
The War God Seth was no different from the other wielders of the Darkhold before him. None had ever truly mastered the Chaos Magic within its pages.
Seth was relying solely on his divine rank to forcibly channel the terrifying chaotic energy contained within the Darkhold.
The book's true power had yet to be unleashed. It was like humanity discovering nuclear fission and fusion, only to use it to boil water—an act of sheer waste and arrogance. Perhaps only someone born with the gift of Chaos Magic, like Wanda, could ever truly decipher and harness the Darkhold's full power.
"Who told you to be so arrogant, thinking you could outwit me?" Seth's tone dripped with malice as his crimson eyes gleamed with hunger. "I've been trapped here for far too long. Your power... might finally grant me the nourishment I need."
There was naked greed in his gaze. The God of War was dangerously weak, desperate to devour a high-quality divine being like Herman.
The death energy coursing through Herman could reignite Seth's fading vitality. Truth be told, he had been coveting Herman's power from the start.
But since Herman hadn't stepped into the grand hall before, Seth's strength hadn't allowed him to attack. That was why he'd tried scaring him off or goading him into leaving instead.
He had already given up hope of ever tasting this "feast," but to his disbelief, this so-called "Stranger God" had turned out to be a reckless fool—charging straight into the Darkhold's reach without preparation.
It felt as if the will of the universe itself had decided to grant Seth a gift.
"I can feel the divinity within you!" Seth's expression twisted with madness. "If I can claim your power, perhaps this eternal torment will finally end!"
He unleashed the Darkhold's power with feral intensity, amplifying his assault. Golden and crimson light exploded across the hall, the two forces colliding in a maelstrom of destruction. The entire pyramid complex of the City of the Dead began to disintegrate, and the pocket dimension itself quaked with cataclysmic distortion.
The red currents in the air transformed into blazing scarlet fire. Waves of chaotic energy surged like raging rivers, crashing against the unmoving Herman, flooding through the City of the Dead like a storm of divine annihilation.
The city fell to ruin.
The ground scorched and split apart, the soil turning black and brittle. Crimson fire devoured the air, consuming everything like a burning canvas unraveling into ash. The entire pocket dimension was collapsing into nothingness.
"Oh my God! My God! This... this is..."
Evelyn had never seen anything so terrifying. Her face turned pale, her legs trembling uncontrollably. Watching the cataclysm unfold beyond the barrier, she collapsed to the ground, terrified that Herman's shield wouldn't withstand such overwhelming force.
"What have I gotten myself into?!" she cried, her voice cracking with panic. Encountering gods might have sounded legendary, but living through it was sheer horror. She was just a librarian—how could she possibly endure this?
If she could go back, Evelyn thought, she'd simply stay a quiet, obedient librarian. That way, she'd never have gotten mixed up in any of this.
Apocalypse Gods. Mummies. War Gods. Sun Gods. And now the mysterious wizard...
Alice in Wonderland? It wasn't a fairy tale—it was a nightmare.
Evelyn wanted no part in "experiencing" what it was like to be Alice. In this chaos, all she felt was her own insignificance.
She was an ant facing the vastness of the universe.
"I just hope Mr. Wizard wins..." she whispered.
As she watched the city crumble into ruin, only the vast golden hall still standing, all she could do was pray that Herman would defeat Seth, the God of War.
Evelyn didn't understand what this "Dark Book" was, but an unshakable dread filled her. Perhaps it stemmed from her instinctive fear of the Sun God Ra—an awe etched into her very soul.
After all, in her past life as a princess of ancient Egypt, Ra had been the supreme god she worshipped.
"Mr. Wizard, please don't fail now!"
Despite her reverence for the Sun God Ra, Evelyn still desperately hoped Herman's "hunting plan" would succeed. After all, from any angle, she was on Herman's side—and she doubted Ra would show mercy to one of his accomplices.
With a tangle of fear and determination in her chest, Evelyn fixed her gaze nervously on the battle unfolding between Herman and the God of War, Seth.
"Become my sustenance!"
Seth roared, his voice echoing through the collapsing hall. Having fused with the Darkhold for countless years, he wielded its chaotic power with ruthless abandon.
Unlike other bearers of the Darkhold, he possessed divine rank and didn't have to fear corruption from its darkness. After all, within his very nature, Seth already carried the title of Evil God.
The power of Chthon barely affected him—yet as he drew upon the Darkhold's strength, his own already-dwindling vitality and divine energy were rapidly being consumed.
Chthon's power made no concessions just because Seth shared the same name as his brother. To wield the power of the Dimensional Demon God, even Seth had to pay the price in life force.
Rustle—
Amid the ruins of the grand hall, only the Darkhold and the rune-engraved floor beneath it remained intact.
As Seth poured his divine might into the tome, the suspended Darkhold began to flip its pages rapidly, crimson markings spreading across each one like veins pulsing with life.
Countless strands of scarlet energy erupted from the book like the tentacles of Cthulhu, surging upward to blot out the sky, filling the entire pocket dimension that contained the City of the Dead.
The horrifying power of the ancient Dimensional Demon God Chthon raged without restraint, sweeping toward Herman with unstoppable force. The golden light shimmering across his body flickered, trembling on the verge of collapse.
"Hm?"
Herman looked up.
What filled his vision were countless crimson chains, filling every inch of space around him.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Before he could react, the golden barrier surrounding him shattered instantly, crushed under overwhelming power.
The crimson chains struck like lightning, piercing straight into his body.
"No!"
Evelyn screamed.
Protected by her energy shield, she had barely survived the apocalyptic devastation around her. Now, in the midst of the raging crimson storm, she saw the golden light covering Herman's body begin to fade away.
Her heart clenched.
The mighty Mr. Wizard... was he—about to fall?
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/PinkSnake