Chapter 53

"How did you… know where the Contract of San Venganza is hidden?"

"Perhaps this Contract of San Venganza is destined to belong to me."

He smiled at Carter Slade, then turned to walk out of the cemetery.

But at that moment, the sunlight that had originally poured over the cemetery suddenly converged. Abel looked up to see dark clouds covering the sky above the cemetery, blocking the sunlight and plunging the area into shadow.

He subconsciously felt something was wrong. Just as Abel intended to apparate and leave immediately, a tombstone was suddenly thrown from behind him, flying past his head and crashing into a tree at the cemetery's exit.

Turning his head, Abel looked at Carter Slade, who was now surrounded by flames, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"No matter who you are, return the Contract of San Venganza to me, or you will only be able to sleep here forever!"

With a smile, Abel replied, "If you were the current Ghost Rider and had a spirit of vengeance in your body, I might consider complying. But as the former Ghost Rider, with only a wisp of the spirit of vengeance remaining in your body, I don't think you have the ability."

Carter Slade didn't say much. He reached for a nearby pickaxe, and blazing hellfire erupted from his hands, engulfing the pickaxe in flames.

"Wow!" 

Carter Slade roared and charged toward Abel, wielding the huge, flaming iron pickaxe.

Boom!

The massive flaming pickaxe slammed into the ground, creating a substantial crater.

Abel transformed into black smoke, darting around Carter Slade.

In that moment, the black smoke coalesced, and Abel waved his wand, sending red light filaments shooting from its tip to strike Carter Slade, causing successive explosions!

"Confringo!"

Boom, boom, boom…

The explosions continued, forcing Carter Slade to stagger back.

Just then, his flaming bones gripped the iron pickaxe tightly and swung it toward Abel, sending a shower of earth and rocks mixed with flames flying in his direction.

"Protego!"

Bang, bang…

The invisible barrier resisted the barrage of earth, rocks, and flames.

But at that moment, Carter Slade lunged forward with his iron pickaxe and quickly closed the distance to Abel.

As the burning iron pickaxe swung down toward him, the wand in Abel's hand burst forth with blue flames, sending Carter Slade flying backward as if he had hit an obstacle, landing heavily on the ground.

"Everte Statum!"

Without pausing, Abel stepped forward and waved his wand, shooting a white light at Carter Slade. He quickly stood up, raising the iron pickaxe to defend himself, but that played right into Abel's hands.

"Expelliarmus!"

The iron pickaxe was yanked from Carter Slade's hands, spinning through the air before dropping to the ground as an ordinary iron pickaxe.

Abel watched as Carter Slade scrambled to get up and reach for the iron pickaxe. With a swift motion, he waved his right arm holding the wand, causing scattered earth, rocks, and broken tombstones to rise up and transform into spike-like spears, which all flew towards Carter Slade!

Seeing the spikes and spears hurtling toward him, Carter Slade roared, and his body erupted in blazing flames, generating such high temperatures that the spikes and spears melted and fell harmlessly to the ground.

With flames burning in his eyes, Carter Slade suddenly crouched down, placing his hand on the ground. Flames erupted from his body and surged into the earth, and with a wave of his hand, chains of burning flames shot up from beneath, snaking toward Abel!

Using the temporary chains summoned by hellfire?

Indeed, anyone who becomes a Ghost Rider cannot escape the fate of using chains.

Realizing this, Abel wasted no time; he transformed into black smoke, soaring into the sky to evade the rapidly approaching flame chains while searching for a chance to counterattack.

Abel had to admit, the Ghost Rider was remarkably resistant to his magic.

Even Carter Slade, who lacked the spirit of vengeance in his body, was using the power left by the spirit of vengeance to transform into a Ghost Rider, and Abel's magic had a very limited effect on him.

At least in the face of non-targeted magic, Carter Slade could ignore most magical attacks.

As the speed of the chains intensified, the hellfire enveloping them burned fiercely. Abel felt somewhat constrained but was not afraid of Carter Slade's attack, thanks to his Apparition.

The black smoke settled, revealing Abel in his true form.

Gazing at the chains that continued to pursue him, Abel swung his right arm holding the wand, igniting blue and white flames that erupted into a series of explosions, severing the chains directly.

With the chains gone, Carter Slade rushed toward Abel without hesitation.

Seeing Carter Slade barreling toward him, Abel aimed the tip of his wand, which instantly released a silver-white mist that sprayed over Carter Slade's body like a fire extinguisher. Carter Slade let out a roar as the hellfire surrounding him quickly weakened and extinguished, rendering him extremely weak. He slowly fell to the ground, his body emitting black smoke.

The power of the spirit of vengeance originated from hell, and it was restrained by the Patronus Charm, whose essence was greatly enhanced. It quickly extinguished under the silver-white mist of the Patronus Charm, inflicting heavy damage.

If there had been a spirit of vengeance in Carter Slade's body, that Patronus Charm might have caused only minimal damage. But since there was no spirit of vengeance within him, he could not withstand the effects of Abel's Patronus Charm.