Marvel Comics: The Sentinel(Sentry) Chapter 195: Origins of the Supernatural

After reading most of the books in Kamar-Taj's library, Sean stepped through the central hall's portal and arrived directly at the London Sanctum... the magical heart of Europe...

If he wanted to find traces of phisto, this was the natural starting point.

The Hell Lord had countless avatars, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact location even with Skynet's surveillance...

Moreover, Sean was deeply curious about the Three Sanctums that ford the material world's defenses. He wanted to understand how this hidden order of sorcerers operated behind the world's veil.

Under Mordo's guidance, Sean entered the Sanctum's central chamber in West London.

Sorcerers in red robes bustled about, their expressions grave. Above the front hall hung a massive celestial orb, pulsing with a molten crimson glow, displaying a vivid geographical map of the European continent.

"This is Master Lucas Manderly, the keeper of the London Sanctum. You may direct any questions to him." Mordo introduced a white-haired elder, "Master Manderly also holds a position in the London Ministry of Education, so we jokingly call him 'Dumbledore.'"

Sean chuckled and shook Manderly's hand warmly. After brief introductions, Mordo explained their purpose... the Ancient One had sensed an unusual surge of supernatural activity across Europe, with extradinsional incursions increasing by 20%.

This was likely tied to phisto's impending rebirth ritual, drawing hordes of demonic minions.

Manderly nodded with a sigh, "It's not just demons from Hell. Even the vampires and werewolves, who usually stay hidden, have been erging more frequently. The Knightly Orders, Demon/Monster Hunters, and monasteries have all suffered casualties."

Hearing this, Mordo's expression darkened. The Ancient One's suspicions were correct... the heightened activity of these dark creatures suggested phisto wasn't rely seeking a human-demon hybrid vessel for his rebirth.

He was likely orchestrating a far grander sche behind the scenes...

"Vampires and werewolves?" Sean raised an eyebrow.

Though he had read about such beings in Kamar-Taj's archives, he still found it hard to grasp.

Manderly gave him a knowing smile, "The Sanctum's enemies aren't just limited to dinsional entities... There are also the creatures of myth; vampires, werewolves, vengeful spirits, fallen sorcerers… all beings inherently aligned with darkness."

The elder led them through a corridor into a grand study. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, and a crystal chandelier cast warm light over the mahogany furnishings, exuding an air of refined elegance.

With a wave of his hand, Manderly summoned a leather-bound to and flipped through its pages, "In the 5th century BC, the Black Death swept across Europe, claiming 25 million lives. Entire villages were wiped out, except for one man, Alexander Corvinus, who not only survived the plague, but awakened a latent gene within him, becoming the first immortal..."

"...Alexander had three sons. Marcus, who was bitten by a bat and beca the progenitor of vampires... long-lived but vulnerable to sunlight. William, who mauled by a wolf and beca the first werewolf... a savage beast unable to regain human form. The third bloodline remained mortal, living and dying as ordinary humans..."

"...For centuries, vampires and werewolves have waged war. But to sorcerers, they are all aberrations... dark creatures to be purged."

Manderly handed the book to Sean, "This contains extensive records on supernatural beings. Centuries ago, humans were re livestock in their eyes. Vampires bred werewolves as slaves and allied with nobility for wealth and influence... That was until a werewolf nad Lucian led a rebellion, becoming the first to regain human form. To this day, these two factions, born of the sa bloodline, still clash across Europe..."

"...So migrated elsewhere. The Volturi in Italy, for instance... a royal vampire clan who built Volterra, a city of their kind. A century ago, they signed a peace treaty with the Sanctum, swearing to conceal their nature and never harm humans. In return, sorcerers leave them be. Then there's the Cullen coven in Phoenix... The 'vegetarian' vampires, if you will. Quite admirable, really."

Sean arched a brow. The Sanctum's influence ran deeper than he'd imagined... essentially a supernatural S.H.I.E.L.D. overseeing dark entities.

Kamar-Taj stood as the sorcerers' sanctum, with the Three Sanctums beneath it monitoring extradinsional threats. Below them, knightly orders, monasteries, and secret societies trained mages and Demon Hunters under the guise of religion.

This vast, intricate network was staggering. Flipping through the book, Sean asked, "The Sanctum issues bounties?"

"Naturally. We even have a dedicated website." Manderly pulled out his phone, opening an app with a proud grin, "This is our latest innovation... 'Uber Hunt'... Linked to Kamar-Taj's central hub, it allows real-ti mission postings and tracks nearby Demon Hunters. After a successful trial in London, we're rolling it out globally."

He tapped the top-ranked Demon profile, "The Winchester brothers, New York's most notorious demon hunters. If their record holds, the Sanctum plans to recruit them formally."

Sean's lips twitched. He glanced at Mordo, who looked mildly stunned. Clearly, not all sorcerers were hidebound traditionalists. This was far more entertaining than he'd expected.

"What's phisto's bounty?" Sean inquired with interest.

Manderly's eyes widened. The top-ten bounties were rarely claid... most lacked the power to challenge such foes. Only soone on the Ancient One's level could hope to defeat a Hell Lord or high-ranking vampire.

"phisto, a Lord of Hell. Ranked top three... Bounty: €100 million, redeemable at any Sanctum."

Sean couldn't help but marvel internally. No sorcerer was ever poor, it seed...

That sum was enough to make anyone temporarily forget a Hell Lord's terror. Skimming the list, he noted other infamous demons... Cyttorak, ruler of the Crimson Cosmos... Zarathos, an ancient elental demon... All once-mighty beings now reduced to Sanctum bounty targets.

With a flick of his finger, Sean selected phisto's bounty.

Smiling at Manderly and Mordo, he said, "Playing demon hunter for a day sounds like fun..."