Marvel: I Awake the Little Cosmos-Chapter 593 - 561: Still Mephisto (Second Update!!)
Yes.
Mephisto is right here.
Kamar-Taj.
Hawk was already quite familiar with the aura of this old friend.
His gaze penetrated the buildings of Kamar-Taj and then landed on the building emitting Mephisto’s aura.
Inside that building, there was not only Mephisto’s aura.
There was even a familiar presence.
"Stephen?"
"He used black magic without permission, engaging in dream walking, which is why he has to face the inquiry of the Kamar-Taj council."
The Supreme Mage Wang, standing nearby, glanced over following Hawk’s gaze and explained to him, "Until the inquiry is concluded, Stephen Strange will be under the supervision of Kamar-Taj."
Upon hearing this, Hawk raised an eyebrow and understood why Mephisto’s aura appeared here.
As everyone knows.
Stephen used the black magic of dream walking, allowing his soul to traverse the realm of the dead and descend upon a deceased body here.
Once again.
Dream walking seems remarkably similar to the consciousness ascent provided by the Supreme Mage Wang and his associates.
But the two are very different.
Dream walking is black magic.
Consciousness ascent is white magic.
Simply put.
Consciousness ascent does not involve any karma, unlike dream walking, which immediately entangles you with Sithorn once you use it, and also involves Mephisto.
You use dream walking, but you are not a follower of Sithorn, so naturally, you owe Sithorn a favor.
Likewise.
You are not truly dead, yet you use the hell dimension as a transit station for your soul; once again, you owe the Hell Monarch a favor.
The reason Wanda is not pursued by Kamar-Taj is not because Hawk is on this side, but because Wanda is inherently a free spirit.
But Stephen is different.
Stephen has a master.
Emperor Vishanti is the provider of energy for Stephen, and regardless of Stephen’s reasons, he is benefiting from Emperor Vishanti while entangling himself with Sithorn and Mephisto, which is not permissible.
Unless Stephen can convince the Kamar-Taj council with his reasons, the best outcome for him would be expulsion from Kamar-Taj.
However...
After hearing that Stephen will be constrained here until he undergoes the council’s hearing, Hawk nonetheless thanked the Supreme Mage Wang of this timeline.
On the honest face of the Supreme Mage Wang, his expression remained calm.
"I’m just following the rules. My teacher said that following the rules might not always be the best choice, but it certainly won’t be a bad one."
"A wise teacher produces excellent students."
Upon hearing this, Hawk remarked, then shifted his gaze to the building tainted with hell’s aura, where Mephisto’s presence was growing stronger, and spoke slowly.
The voice was not loud, even inaudible to ordinary people, but Mephisto heard it exceptionally clearly.
"Old Mo, care to come out for a chat?"
"..."
As there were living souls traversing the world of the dead, Mephisto had been located and had come to Earth to observe when he discovered that the one violating the Law of Death was the former Supreme Mage of Kamar-Taj. His smile bloomed like a flower on his face.
But before he could even appear in his true form and meet Stephen, he was interrupted by a seemingly affectionate call, prompting him to turn his head instinctively.
In sight.
He saw the Supreme Mage of Kamar-Taj, although under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t interact with Kamar-Taj.
But this time was different. This time, it was their person, and their former Supreme Mage, who used his hell dimension.
Therefore—
Mephisto had no qualms, unless Kamar-Taj disowns Stephen as their own, he wouldn’t mind leveraging this to make Kamar-Taj owe him a favor.
But the voice didn’t belong to the Supreme Mage Wang, so Mephisto immediately shifted his gaze to the man and woman standing next to the Supreme Mage Wang.
Wanda had not been tainted by the aura of hell.
Because Wanda’s dream walking only involved her alternate self’s body, and it hadn’t passed through hell, naturally there was no relation to hell.
So Mephisto’s gaze quickly swept past and finally locked onto Hawk, unable to look away.
"Hiss!"
"By Death."
"What am I seeing?"
At the moment Mephisto laid eyes on Hawk, his pupils constricted imperceptibly, and immediately thereafter, an almost invisible thick black smoke emerged from the building temporarily holding Stephen, transforming into a black smoke signal that descended before Hawk.
The next second.
"Ah!"
"A soul from another cosmos."
Accompanying Mephisto’s unique exclamation, a gray-haired figure resembling the movie version of Ghost Rider emerged from the black smoke, holding a gentleman’s staff, and with demon eyes fixated on Hawk, "No, your soul tells me you seem to belong to this realm, yet you are not mine."
Hawk looked at Mephisto appearing before him and, upon hearing this, displayed a bright smile.
"You want to claim dominion over my soul?"
"If you allow it."
Mephisto also smiled brightly, "I’d be very pleased to claim dominion over a Main God’s soul."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"Sure, how about I ask Death, your subordinate wants to claim dominion over my soul, and see what she has to say."
"..."
Mephisto’s expression froze, the smile on his face faded, and he glanced at Hawk once more. From Hawk’s soul, he sensed a faint trace of his superior, Death.
"Haha!"
In an instant, Mephisto’s expression changed, and he laughed heartily: "How could it be, you are friends with the Mephisto from your world, so we should be friends as well."
Very well.
As expected of you, Mephisto.
Hawk beamed with a bright smile.
"Friends?"
"Of course."
"Since we’re friends, I’d like a soul. Between friends, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
"Of course."
Without a second thought, Mephisto waved his right hand, directly opening a passage to Hell beside him: "A soul from Hell, at your disposal, my friend."
Wanda, seeing Pietro in Hell through the passage, was shocked and called out Pietro’s name, intending to walk toward the Hell passage.
Hawk promptly held Wanda back: "That’s not Pietro."
Wanda was slightly taken aback by this.
The next second.
Looking into Hell through the passage, she realized there was no Pietro; everything was just an illusion.
The moment the Hell passage opens, any living being can see the life they most wish to resurrect through it.
But if you believe it, you’re truly duped.
Because—
This is a one-way road. Entering Hell through this passage makes it nearly impossible to return.
Because this passage only allows souls to pass, and once a soul enters Hell, its fate is decided by Hell’s rulers.
Once again.
As expected of you, Mephisto, even knowing it’s impossible, you still try, hoping to trap a soul of a Main God.
Hawk squinted, looking at Mephisto, full of respect, inviting him into the passage: "I’ve met two Mephistos so far, and I thought you might be different from them since you look completely different, but now, all I can say is, as expected of you, Mephisto."
Mephisto’s smile remained unchanged.
"My invitation is sincere."
"I will visit Hell."
Hawk also beamed brightly: "But I prefer to go to Hell in the flesh. When the time comes, I think we might need to have a good talk."
Mephisto’s expression changed.
He’s not the kind to keep going even if he hits a wall; he’s the kind to only give up once all hope is lost.
So Hawk’s words shattered his last bit of hope.
Hawk had seen through his plot.
However, Mephisto wasn’t angry. After his expression shifted slightly, he returned to normal and smiled at Hawk: "Then I will await your presence in Hell."
With that said.
Mephisto lingered no more. As he turned around, black smoke billowed, swirling into a mass and slipping into the opened soul passage in Hawk’s view.
The soul passage closed instantly after Mephisto left.
Hawk, watching Mephisto disappear, retracted his gaze and sighed: "As expected, this Mephisto also needs some instruction."
He indeed harbored a bit of hope that this differently-looking Mephisto might be kinder than the two others he’d encountered.
Because that way, he could skip a fight and head to this cosmos’s main space-time.
But reality proved him wrong.
No matter how Mephisto’s appearance changes, their nature remains just as vile.
But it doesn’t matter.
Hawk shook his head, then looked at Wanda beside him, holding her hand, and smiled: "Don’t worry, I’ll bring Pietro back from Hell."
Wanda and Hawk exchanged looks: "Why did I think you were bluffing just now, but now I don’t think so at all?"
Hawk shrugged: "Because I never lie to you?"
Wanda laughed.
"Oh, Hawk, you’re being too modest."
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"Quite a lot."
Wanda smiled, looking at Hawk: "When we get home, I’ll tell you slowly."
Nearby, Supreme Mage Wang overheard this and swiftly spoke up: "I’ll send you."
With that.
Wang quickly drew a teleportation gate leading to the countryside farm in New Jersey where Wanda was currently hiding.
Hawk looked at Wang, who had drawn the teleportation gate in the blink of an eye, paused for a moment, then wore a knowing smile at Wang.
"Enjoying the spectacle?"
"Wouldn’t dare!"
Supreme Mage Wang answered with a serious expression.
He simply wanted to see this troublesome pair off as quickly as possible.
No other intentions.
...
