Winds of Calamity

"D-Demonstrate?" John’s pupils contracted as he rapidly considered the meaning behind Zhang Ye’s words.

Zhang Ye paid no attention to the storm raging in John’s mind. He took the wand from Pietro’s hand—though this withered vine could barely be considered a wand—then walked over to John, handed it to him, and said,

"I’m quite interested in your magic. Since you have a powerful barrier here that can block outside prying eyes, no one will notice what happens inside. Go ahead and cast some magic here. Let me see it for myself."

There seemed to be nothing wrong with those words on the surface, but John, already scared out of his wits, sensed a deep threat beneath them. No one would notice this place… Did that mean no one would discover it even if he died here?

"Take it!" Seeing John hesitate for so long without even raising his arm, Zhang Ye finally barked in a low voice.

At that, John hurriedly cleared the chaotic thoughts from his mind. He quickly took his wand back from Zhang Ye with both hands, then forced a smile uglier than crying and slowly asked,

"Then… what kind of magic would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Anything will do. Black Magic, illusions—whatever. At the very least, let me see what magic actually looks like with my own eyes." Zhang Ye took a few steps back and raised a hand in a gesture of invitation.

"Okay, okay." John did not dare refuse. He nodded hurriedly, then fearfully glanced at Kara and Pietro on the other side. Noticing that both of them were watching him, he could not help but shudder.

Slowly exhaling, John turned toward the wall within the lair. "Then I’ll start with some of the simplest, most commonly used magic."

Zhang Ye said nothing, merely waving a hand in response to urge him to get on with it.

It had to be said that although John looked terrified beyond recognition at the moment, the instant he prepared to cast magic, he seemed like a completely different person.

He stretched out his left hand flat before him and raised his wand high in his right. His entire bearing changed in an instant. His elegant posture and fluid movements vaguely recalled the Vampire Baron he had once been.

There was no incantation—or perhaps John’s abilities did not require one at all. He merely struck a simple pose, and an unknown current of air began circling through the deep underground lair.

The sudden gale whipped up Zhang Ye’s trench coat. The appearance of this supernatural energy immediately made all three of them excited. After all, none of them had ever seen magic before.

John moved. His hands swayed elegantly through the air, and in an instant, the airflow seemed to take on physical form. Even from Zhang Ye’s perspective as an ordinary person, he could clearly see the "wind" curling around John’s hands as it flowed continuously.

The ancient books scattered across the ground flipped wildly in the gale, making rustling sounds, but no one paid them any attention at that moment.

"Is this the magic you were talking about?" Zhang Ye asked slowly.

"No, I haven’t started yet." John paused for a second upon hearing Zhang Ye’s words, then continued moving his hands.

Soon, the air currents were "fixed" in place by an unknown force. It was difficult to imagine what rapidly flowing wind would look like when frozen in place, but Zhang Ye and the others witnessed a scene beyond comprehension.

The currents continued racing about, yet under John’s control, they transformed into incomparably sharp floating blades. Like blades made of transparent glass suspended in the air, they were nearly impossible to discern with the naked eye.

"This is one way to use Winds of Calamity." John controlled the wind blades in the air as he explained. To let the three of them observe the spell more clearly, he deliberately kept the blades hovering before them.

"Winds of Calamity is a type of Black Magic. I learned it years ago from books I stole from some black magicians. Those books contained several pages from the Book of Cagliostro, along with notes from other black magicians. They preserved the methods for learning and using this Black Magic quite well."

"When using Winds of Calamity, it can be transformed into all kinds of weapons. Once someone is injured by these weapons, the power and toxins of Winds of Calamity prevent the wound from healing quickly while also damaging the victim’s bodily functions. It is highly effective against all kinds of creatures."

Observing the wondrous magic known as Winds of Calamity up close, Zhang Ye could not help marveling inwardly.

The magic in the Marvel Universe was honestly quite interesting. In the comics, it bore some resemblance to the magic in Harry Potter. It was all a kind of "mind-over-matter" energy, almost like making wishes.

He had never personally experienced these supernatural forces before, but now that he had truly witnessed the existence of magic, Zhang Ye naturally would not let such a good opportunity slip away.

"Not bad. It seems you haven’t disappointed me. So, how do I use this magic next?" Zhang Ye’s tone grew somewhat eager.

Hearing this, John dispersed Winds of Calamity, then carefully studied Zhang Ye. After a long while, he spoke thoughtfully. "Uh, using magic isn’t a simple matter. As I said before, it requires wizards to meditate and train for a long time."

"You mean I have to train before I can use this magic?" Zhang Ye said lightly.

"You could say that." John lowered his head and replied obediently. "The source of magical power mainly relies on a wizard’s own energy—Psychic Energy and spiritual energy. Beyond that, there is also Cosmic Might and magical energy from other dimensions, but everything begins with the wizard themself."

After saying that, John could not see Zhang Ye’s expression beneath his mask. Fearing that Zhang Ye might be angered, he hurriedly continued,

"Actually, some magic can be used without training. Aside from these commonly used Black Magic spells, I also know a little about sacrificial magic. If you would like to experience it, I can satisfy your request."

"Oh?" Zhang Ye raised an eyebrow and looked at John with interest. "Sacrificial magic? There won’t be any danger, will there?"

"Please rest assured, there absolutely won’t be any danger. We would only steal an infinitesimal amount of energy from other dimensions to cast some simple spells. That amount of magical energy is practically negligible. There will definitely be no danger." John hurriedly assured him.

Seeing John’s guarantee, Zhang Ye nodded slightly as well. If it was merely a simple magical test, it should be harmless enough. Besides, there were so many superheroes in this world. Even if something went wrong, they could clean it up. There should not be any problem.

With that thought, Zhang Ye smiled faintly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s begin!"