Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Yes.

Mephisto is right here.

Kama Taj.

Hawke was already quite familiar with the scent of his old friend.

His gaze passed through the buildings of Kamar-Taj and then landed on the building emanating Mephisto's aura.

That building not only carries the presence of Mephisto.

There was even a familiar scent.

"Stephen?"

"He used black magic without authorization and walked through dreams, so he will face questioning from the Kamar-Taj Council."

The Sorcerer Supreme, standing to the side, glanced in the direction of Hawke's gaze and then explained to Hawke, "Stephen Strange will be under the supervision of Kamar-Taj until the interrogation is over."

Upon hearing this, Hawke raised an eyebrow, realizing why Mephisto's aura was present.

Well known.

Stephen used the dark magic of dream walking to allow his soul to pass through the world of the dead and descend into the body of a deceased person.

one more time.

Dream walking seems to have a similar effect to the ascent of consciousness provided by the Supreme Sorcerer King and others.

However, the two are very different.

Dream walking is black magic.

Ascending consciousness is white magic.

Simply put.

Ascending consciousness will not be tainted by any cause and effect, and will not allow you to walk in dreams. When you use it, you will be associated with Sithon, and at the same time, you will also be associated with Mephisto.

You travel through dreams, but you are not a follower of Sithon, so naturally you owe Sithon a favor.

same.

You are not truly dead, yet you use the hellish space as a transit point for your soul. Once again, you will owe the Lord of Hell a favor.

The reason Wanda wasn't held accountable by Kamar-Taj wasn't because Hawke was there, but because Wanda herself was a free agent.

But Stephen is different.

Stephen is taken.

The Vishanti were Stephen's energy providers. Regardless of Stephen's reasons, he was eating Vishanti's food but getting involved with Sithon and Mephisto, which was not allowed.

Unless Stephen's arguments can convince the council of Kamar-Taj, his best outcome is to be expelled from Kamar-Taj.

but……

After hearing that Stephen would be confined here until he underwent a hearing in Parliament, Hawke still thanked the Sorcerer Supreme of this timeline.

The Supreme Master Wang's honest face remained calm.

"I was just following the rules. My teacher said that following the rules is not necessarily a good thing, but it will definitely not turn into a bad thing."

"A good teacher produces outstanding students."

Upon hearing this, Hawke said something in response, then his gaze fell on the building that was tainted with the aura of hell, and the aura of Mephisto was becoming increasingly intense, and he spoke slowly.

The sound was not loud, even inaudible to ordinary people, but Mephisto heard it very clearly.

"Hey Lao Mo, wanna come out and have a chat?"

"..."

Mephisto, whose soul was located and sent to Earth to observe the world of the dead, had a smile bloom like a chrysanthemum when he saw that the person who violated the laws of death was actually the former Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj.

But before he could happily reveal his true form and meet Stephen, he heard a seemingly intimate call in his ear, and instinctively turned his head to look.

into the eye.

He saw the Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj, although he would not normally associate with Kamar-Taj.

But this time it's different. This time it's their people, and it's their former Sorcerer Supreme who borrowed his Hellish space.

and so--

Mephisto was not intimidated at all. Unless Kamar-Taj no longer acknowledged Stephen as one of their men, he wouldn't mind using this opportunity to make Kamar-Taj owe him a favor.

But the voice was not that of the Sorcerer King, so Mephisto immediately turned his gaze to the man and woman standing next to the Sorcerer King.

Wanda was not tainted by the aura of hell.

Since Wanda's dream journeys only took her into her alternate body, without passing through hell, she naturally had no connection with hell.

So Mephisto's gaze swept over the target for a moment, then locked onto Hawke, and once there, he couldn't look away.

"hiss!"

"Death comes first."

"What did I see?"

Mephisto's pupils contracted for a split second the moment they landed on Hawke. Then, invisible to the naked eye but visible and perceptible to both the Sorcerer Supreme and Wanda, billowing black smoke erupted from the building where Stephen was being held, transforming into black plumes of smoke that fell before Hawke.

next second.

"what!"

"A soul from another universe."

With a sigh unique to Mephisto, a figure emerged from the smoke of war. He had gray hair and looked remarkably like the Ghost Rider from the movie. Holding a gentleman's staff, Mephisto stared at Hawke with his demonic eyes: "No, your soul tells me that you seem to be a soul of this world as well, but you don't seem to belong to me."

Hawke looked at Mephisto who had appeared before him, and upon hearing these words, a bright smile appeared on his face.

"You want to control my soul?"

"If you allow it."

Mephisto smiled broadly: "I would be more than happy to govern the soul of a chief god."

Hawke raised his eyebrows.

"Alright, how about I ask Death? Her subordinates want to take control of my soul, I want to ask her opinion."

"..." Mephisto's expression froze, his smile vanished, and he glanced at Hawke again. Then, he sensed a faint trace of his superior's death from Hawke's soul.

"Ha ha!"

Mephisto's expression changed instantly, and he burst into laughter: "How could that be? You are friends with Mephisto in your world, so we will become friends too."

well.

As expected of you, Mephisto.

Hawke smiled broadly.

"friend?"

"of course."

"Since we're friends, I want a soulmate. It shouldn't be a problem between friends, right?"

"of course."

Without hesitation, Mephisto flicked his right hand, opening a portal to Hell beside him: "The souls of Hell are yours to choose from, my friend."

Wanda, who was standing to the side, was shocked when she saw Pietro appear in the Hell passage. She called out to Pietro and then headed towards the Hell passage.

Hawke quickly pulled Wanda back: "That's not Pietro."

Wanda was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

next second.

She looked into the hellish passage, but there was no Pietro; everything that had just happened was just an illusion.

The moment the portal to hell opens, any living being can see the life they most wish to be resurrected through the portal.

But if you believe that, you've really been fooled.

because--

This is a one-way street. If you go into hell through this passage, it's almost impossible for you to come out again.

Because this passage only allows souls to pass through, and once a soul enters hell, it is no longer in its own hands, but rather in the hands of the ruler of hell.

one more time.

As expected of Mephisto, knowing it's impossible yet still doing it, trying to see if you can trick the soul of a chief god.

Hawke narrowed his eyes, looking at Mephisto, who was all respect and making an inviting gesture toward the passageway: "I've met two Mephistos so far. I thought you would be different from the other two, after all, you look completely different from them. But now, I can only say, as expected of you, Mephisto."

Mephisto's smile remained unchanged.

"My invitation is sincere."

"I'm going to hell."

Hawke smiled broadly: "But I prefer to go to hell in the flesh. I think we might need to have a good talk then."

Mephisto's expression changed at this moment.

He's not the kind of fool who won't turn back even after hitting a wall; he's the kind of person who only realizes the value of milk after the child is dead. Simply put, he'll only give up when he's truly heartbroken.

Therefore, Hawke's words completely shattered any remaining hope in Hawke's heart.

Hawke saw through his scheme.

However, Mephisto was not angry. After his expression changed for a moment, he returned to normal and looked at Hawke with a smile: "Then I will be waiting for you in Hell."

Say it.

Mephisto stopped lingering and turned around. The black smoke rose again, then swirled into a ball in Hawke's sight and swept into the opened soul passage.

The soul portal closed instantly after Mephisto left.

Hawke watched Mephisto disappear, then looked away and sighed, "Sure enough, this Mephisto needs some training too."

He had indeed harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that this different-looking Mephisto might be kinder than the two Mephistos he had seen.

Because that way, he can avoid one fight and head to the main timeline of this universe.

It turns out he was overthinking.

No matter how Mephisto's appearance changes, their nature remains just as wicked.

But it doesn’t matter.

Hawke shook his head, then looked at Wanda beside him, took her hand, and smiled, "Don't worry, I will bring Pietro back from hell."

Wanda and Hawke looked at each other. "Why did I think you were exaggerating just now, but now I don't think so at all?"

Hawke shrugged: "Because I never lie to you?"

Wanda smiled.

"Oh, Hawke, you're too modest."

Have I ever lied to you?

"That's too much."

Wanda smiled and looked at Hawke: "I'll tell you the whole story when we get home."

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Dharma King, who was standing nearby, immediately said, "I'll see you off."

talking.

Wang then drew a portal directly to Wanda's current retreat to a rural farm in New Jersey.

Hawke stared at the portal that Wang had drawn in the blink of an eye, then looked at Wang with a half-smile.

"Don't you want to stir up trouble?"

"Don't dare!"

The Supreme Dharma King's expression was solemn.

He simply wanted to get rid of that pair of evil dragons and phoenixes as quickly as possible.

no other meaning.

...(End of chapter)