LIGHTNOVELONLINE 35. Change of Destiny
If I was lucky, Pandora's Actor might gain access to the Book of Vishanti and that would teach me powerful light/order-based spells. I did not have hopes for this as I did not think that Pandora's Actor would become the sorcerer supreme.
The deficit could be made up by obtaining knowledge from the Darkhold. As for it being a book of sins and evil, hell if I care! Of course, I would take some precautions when using it as I did not want to be corrupted by Cthon.
Even if it's not possible to use it directly, it can definitely be used for some experiments right?
I don't think I can obtain the one 'true' Darkhold from comics which the Scarlet Witch fuses with but I can try to obtain the one from the MCU. And that's exactly what I am trying to do.
Even if my guess is wrong and this version of the Darkhold is not as strong as the comic version, the MCU also had quite a few powerful spells to learn. All in all, I don't really lose anything.
Agatha Harkness was the one to obtain the Darkhold in 2023 after which Wanda had gotten hold of it. Now, I could just go to Wundagore Mountain to read the original carvings that were transcribed into the Darkhold, but I did not want to catch an Elder Gods' attention before I was fully prepared.
Instead, I'll simply get Agatha Harkness under my command and have her read the Darkhold for me and then provide the knowledge.
At worst, she can let Wanda become her student like in Wandavision and let her decipher it completely. Then perhaps I can have Wanda as my subordinate as well.
Anyway, I will convert the knowledge into something more appropriate for me instead of just using those spells directly.
Why did I choose the MCU version? Simply because it's easier to handle this version of Agatha. The comic book version of Agatha Harkness had lived for centuries and even existed from before Atlantis sank.
She was already a powerful sorcerer by that point and would go on to learn witchcraft. Controlling an old woman with centuries of experience versus controlling the MCU version, it was clear which was easier. Oh and also, of course, she was weaker. That made the job easier.
Perhaps, I could give Agatha the heresy nullification. I don't know if it will be effective or not but that can also be used to experiment the extent to which resistance and nullification work. It can show me the upper limit if you will.
In case the Darkhold is able to corrupt her despite granting her nullification skills, it just shows that the Darkhold is stronger. But if by chance it does not, I will get to know that the resistance and nullification skills are stronger than I originally expected.
There is a lot to be tested and gained either way without actually losing anything. In case this attempt fails completely, I can simply use the tempad to try once more.
I have arguably all the time in the world as well as the ability to travel in time. The conditions for such a test could not be more in my favour.
This time sanctuary is being built in the 17th century. It was currently the period of the Salem Witch Trials in this particular MCU timeline. And soon enough Agatha's mother would try to kill her for learning dark magic.
Forget Cthon, Vishanti, or Goddess of Witchcraft, I'll become the goddess of magic by mastering all of the magic types. Gotta catch 'em all! Just kidding.
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Third Person PoV:
Amid the pinnacle of the Salem witch trials in the year 1693, Agatha Harkness found herself ensnared, forcibly dragged across the forested expanse, and subjected to a trial that culminated in her being securely fastened to a wooden post elevated by a few steps.
Agatha's own mother Evanora Harkness was responsible for this. For her who knew nothing about the future, perhaps this was supposed to be her darkest hour. The only light visible was that of the dimly lit torches surrounding the wooden post.
"Agatha Harkness. Are you a witch?" Evanora Harkness asked
"Yes! I am a witch!"
"Yet you have betrayed your coven."
"I have not!"
"You stole knowledge above your age and station. You practice the darkest of magic."
"I know... I know nothing of these crimes! I... I swear it!"
"Enough deception!"
"I did not break your rules. They simply bent to my power. Wait. No. I cannot control it! I... If only you would teach me! Help me! Please! Mother, please!" Agatha desperately pleaded.
Evanora was not willing to listen anymore as she signalled the other witches to launch multiple energy beams toward her. Agatha immediately closed her eyes expecting pain to inflict her but the pain never came.
Agatha opened her eyes and looked towards the energy beams that had stopped midair. Her mother as well as the witches were frozen as well. It was as if time itself had stopped. No, it was very likely time had stopped.
A fissure in space had opened up in front of her when she was not paying attention and from it came a being who she could not make out at all except it had the colour white. Following that being were two children with pointy ears and heterochromatic eyes.
But Agatha paid the children no attention as her she was focused on the being leading them. The immense amount of power she felt in that being was beyond the confines of her imagination.
She was also certain that this existence was responsible for the act of stopping time. Even among the knowledge of magic she had secretly read, such acts were barely mentioned. It seemed like an almost mythical feat.
She soon heard the voice suspected to belong to the existence in front of her within her mind.
'Agatha Harkness, do you wish to change your destiny? Become my subordinate and gain the power to change your fate.'
And so the gears of destiny started turning once more in an already chaotic multiverse.
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*For convenience's sake, I made it so that others can move within the [Time Stop] spell in Overlord as long as the caster allows them to move during the duration of the spell.
It was not mentioned if such an application is possible or not in the light novels, but then again, barely anything about time-related magic was ever mentioned.
I will also slightly extend the duration of the [Time Stop] spell.
Also, in the MCU Agatha is nowhere near as knowledgeable or experienced as the comic version so she thinks of these things to be very difficult. She would have lived anyway without Shiraori's intervention, but she does not know that.