Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 157 Mephisto's Deal (First Update!)

"You think you can steal my soul with just an ordinary human body?" Salomon drew his wand and pointed it at the devil. He said, "Mephisto, I had no idea you could be so irrational."

"Robbery? No, no, no, I never do such things." The old devil put on an expression as if he had been insulted. "My job is to provide my clients with the best future, and high-value, undecided clients like you are extremely important investments. Just admit it, Solomon, you want to sit on that throne, and I want you to sit on the Seventh Throne, otherwise why would you send Captain America to face my knight? Perhaps this is just a subconscious act, but your heart is as evil as mine; you just want to see beautiful beliefs torn apart before your eyes."

The sorcerer raised an eyebrow; he had no idea why Mephisto would say such a thing. Seeing the old devil Salomon suddenly erupt into a hysterical laugh, Salomon stamped his foot, patted his chest, and coughed a few times.

“See, Solomon,” Mephisto said with a laugh, “that’s quite amusing that you’re not even aware of your own evil. Oh, dear Demon Lord, just like hypnosis in humans, you need something sufficiently shocking to temporarily put someone into a hypnotic state, like a sudden clap or snap of fingers, to prevent the brain from processing the unexpected situation and thus accept the next command. For an ordinary man like Steve Rogers, my knight was indeed shocking enough. His appearance destroyed everything that this uneducated soldier had ever known, a destruction that even surpassed the world he had seen 70 years in the future. I’m sure he no longer believes anything S.H.I.E.L.D. has told him. So what do you plan to do? Slowly destroy his faith in America or completely shake his values? Either way, it’s quite an interesting toy, isn’t it?”

"Just admit it, Solomon," Mephisto said softly, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward towards Salomon. "It's all your evil nature; you've been waiting for this to happen. What are you going to give Steve Rogers next? Money and information from pre-WWII American tycoons to the NC? The true origins of eugenics? Or even the Saxons' massacre of Native Americans? Steve Rogers is quite capable of accepting these truths now. I must say, you subconsciously lead people astray; you're a born Satan—far superior to that fool named Satan."

Salomon laughed as he watched the approaching old devil. "That's a good idea, Mephisto." The sorcerer had to admit that everything Mephisto said was part of his plan, though his purpose differed somewhat from what the old devil had described. While it wasn't a particularly important plan, Salomon was happy to see Captain America quickly find what he should truly fight for—not America, but something else truly important—however, within this plan, if Captain America failed to establish a new belief, utter corruption was not out of the question.

However, the sorcerer believed in Steve Rogers' soul. Perhaps it was precisely because he was an uneducated soldier that he possessed such pure conviction. Sooner or later, Steve Rogers would find something he was willing to protect; otherwise, he could never have wielded Thor's hammer. Salomon believed that even if Mephisto himself were to push this plan forward, Steve Rogers would not easily succumb.

"That's your idea, Solomon. I won't take away your fun. The soul of Steve Rogers after his complete fall is extremely valuable, and it's yours." Mephisto winked. "Here's a little insider information: Satan's son and daughter have been born, though their relationship wasn't great before. They can be of help to you. How about it? Want to make a deal with me and pull that idiot off his throne?"

"Are there rainbow candies in hell?"

"What?"

"How can a place without even junk food be called hell?"

"I've opened a junk food chain," the old devil seemed somewhat proud. "Right now, a third of the American population is obese, and obesity accounts for 18% of deaths among white people aged 40 to 85. This is part of my small investment, and I have to commend my investment acumen. Without my investment, junk food wouldn't have become so popular worldwide. Even if you go to other planets, whether it's the Nemesis Empire or the Shi'ar Empire, as long as they are races that need to eat, you can find my fast food chain by following the signs. This investment brings me a steady stream of income every year; it's the biggest income I've had since World War II. Ordinary people often think of us as terrifying, but that's not the case. We just want to do business—there are ways to do things during wartime and ways to do things during peacetime. A bullet may not kill one person, but a pen can determine the life or death of tens of thousands. This is how Nine Levels of Hell Investment Company operates. I formally invite you to join us and become one of us."

Salomon narrowed his eyes. Mephisto's intentions were essentially to oust a disobedient shareholder from the company, allowing his own person to take the position. The sorcerer believed Mephisto would definitely give him what he promised, but this was the devil, and Mephisto could take back those things at any time. Salomon wasn't foolish enough to believe a contract offered by the devil, but Mephisto had seen through his intentions, which was why he hadn't presented a contract but instead planned to draft the terms on the spot.

"I'm an honest devil, really." Mephisto licked the quill pen he'd somehow produced and began writing terms on a sheet of paper. "In our line of work, reputation is everything. Intimidation and coercion are outdated; they only alienate our clients. I learned this from the capitalists in hell, and I must say, they're really something. For the past century, their transaction volume in hell has increased year after year. Before I could completely extract this knowledge from their souls, they could even propose a deal—in the nine levels of hell, I've never seen such greedy people. They can even sell the rope that hangs them. Even Mammon wasn't as stupid as them."

“But I never said I agreed to sign a contract.” Salomon brandished his wand, looking at Mephisto’s astonished expression. “Because you don’t have the power to execute it, Mephisto. You can’t possibly fight your way into the Abyss and wrest the contract from Belial. That contract is binding on my soul, and your contract is useless until it takes effect. It’s a vicious cycle; until you get that contract back, all other contracts are useless.”

"My dear King Solomon, how could you think such a thing?" Mephisto replied with a smile. "This is a contract of value, like futures contracts for humans. We can extend the transaction period accordingly, and it will be fulfilled after you descend into Hell."

"However, that throne doesn't hold much appeal for me." The sorcerer took the silver key from his clothes. "I have other invitations."

"This is……"

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(End of this chapter)