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[Frog] Chapter 177: Mephisto’s Terms
🕑 Added 2024-11-26 03:46:41 +0000 UTCSomewhere in the universe, on a massive asteroid, the surrounding space suddenly twisted.
A swirling mist of blue energy appeared out of thin air, and from within it, two figures burst forth.
With the Emperor Sword in his hands, Alan swung fiercely, sending the Green Goblin hurtling backward.
In the vacuum of space, the Green Goblin tumbled uncontrollably, eventually stabilizing himself by anchoring his two black rods into the asteroid’s surface.
“Emperor, this is outer space,” the Green Goblin said with a crazed grin.
“A normal human cannot survive in the vacuum of space. What’s your plan—”
Before he could finish, he froze, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
The Emperor stood firm, unharmed. Not only that, but his aura seemed even stronger than before.
“This... this is impossible! Without the Master’s power, how can you possibly survive in space?”
Alan didn’t bother answering. He planted the Emperor Sword upright before him and said coldly, “Green Goblin, the power of the Space Stone is beyond your control.”
“Bring Mephisto out. Don’t waste my time.”
Seeing through his facade, the Green Goblin’s face turned grim. “You want to meet my Master? Then let’s see if you have the strength to earn that right!”
The Green Goblin’s glider appeared beneath him once more, launching him toward Alan in a vicious assault.
“Foolish.”
Alan lightly pressed the emblem on his Emperor Belt. The Wood sigil flared, its power surging into the Emperor Sword.
White wings unfurled from the back of his Emperor Armor, and though space was a vacuum, a mighty tempest erupted around them.
The winds in this void were ten times stronger than any storm on Earth.
The Green Goblin, charging forward, was stopped dead in his tracks by the sheer force of the storm, unable to advance even a single step.
“Emperor: Wind Piercing Strike!”
In the next instant, the winds stopped entirely. They were replaced by countless translucent wind blades, floating menacingly around Alan.
Pointing his sword downward, Alan commanded the storm of wind blades to rain down in a violent cascade.
The Green Goblin swung his black rods frantically in defense. But as soon as they collided with the first wind blade, the overwhelming force sent him flying.
A second blade pierced through his body.
Then another.
And another.
In moments, the Green Goblin was riddled with countless blades, his body torn into pieces.
Even the asteroid beneath them was shattered by the devastating force of the attack, scattering into a field of debris.
Suspended in the void, Alan looked down at the asteroid fragments. Among them floated countless pieces of the Green Goblin’s body.
Whenever the fragments tried to reform, a new burst of wind energy shredded them apart again.
“Mephisto, are you still just watching?” Alan called out, his voice cutting through the silence.
“Is this not your loyal servant?”
His gaze fixed forward, speaking as though the scattered remains of the Green Goblin weren’t worth his attention.
Amidst the floating debris, a lone intact eyeball stared at Alan in abject terror.
At this moment, the Green Goblin felt only pure, primal fear.
Compared to now, all those times he’d been sliced in half by the Emperor on Earth felt like acts of mercy.
Immortality, at this moment, was a curse. His consciousness remained painfully intact, forcing him to endure the relentless agony of his mutilated body.
Even the cries of his torment couldn’t escape; all he could do was plead silently through his shattered eye and ears, hoping Mephisto would save him.
As the Green Goblin’s terror deepened, a dense, blood-red mist began to coalesce in the space ahead of Alan.
From within the mist, Mephisto emerged, his crimson form slowly taking shape.
For the first time, Alan saw the Lord of Hell’s true appearance.
And he had to admit...
"Ugly."
Alan thought to himself as he observed Mephisto’s appearance. If the Lord of Hell could hear his inner thoughts, he’d likely have leapt into a fight immediately.
Mephisto merely glanced at the battered, barely recognizable Green Goblin before turning his gaze to Alan.
"Emperor, it seems you’ve been holding back on Earth when dealing with my servant," Mephisto said with quiet confidence.
"Was it because you feared me?"
In Mephisto's mind, this was the only reasonable explanation for Alan’s apparent mercy toward the Green Goblin back on Earth.
Alan was momentarily stunned by Mephisto's misplaced confidence. Was this Lord of Hell really this narcissistic?
"You’re overthinking it," Alan replied flatly. "I simply couldn’t control my power properly. Killing the Green Goblin outright might have hurt innocent people."
"And you? You’re nothing."
Mephisto’s blood-red face darkened with displeasure. He hadn’t expected such blatant arrogance from the Emperor.
"Emperor," Mephisto hissed, "arrogance comes with a price."
Alan sneered. "Mephisto, drop the act. Just tell me why you drained the Space Stone’s power from the Tesseract to transport me here."
"What do you want?"
Mephisto’s expression shifted to surprise. "You even know the Space Stone resides within the Tesseract?"
"It seems you know quite a bit," he admitted, his tone tinged with mild astonishment.
The Space Stone was one of the six Infinity Stones. Few in the universe even knew of their existence, let alone their locations. That Alan, the Emperor, was aware, intrigued Mephisto.
However, his surprise was short-lived. After all, there were a handful of individuals on Earth who also knew of the Infinity Stones, including one who guarded them with godlike power.
Of course, Alan wasn’t about to tell Mephisto about the "Mad Titan" who would one day collect all six Stones.
Mephisto continued, "I summoned you here for one reason."
He pointed to the broken remains of the Green Goblin. "You’ve proven your strength by reducing my servant to this state."
"So, here’s my offer: I will grant you the gift of eternal life. All you need to do is sign a soul-binding contract with me."
"And why," Alan asked, his tone dripping with disdain, "would I trade my soul for immortality?"
Hearing this, Mephisto burst into laughter, as though Alan had just told the most amusing joke in the universe.
"Hahaha! Emperor!" Mephisto's laughter echoed. "You can’t fool me. Even though I cannot see who you are beneath that armor, I know one thing for certain—you are human."
He waved his hand, conjuring a series of red misty portals behind him. Within each portal appeared humans of varying attire, age, and status.
Some wore royal robes, others priestly garments, yet all were engaged in the same act: kneeling before a statue of Mephisto, praying fervently.
Their prayers were for one thing—immortality. They were willing to trade anything to attain it.
"Look at these people," Mephisto said, gesturing toward the portals. "Some are kings, others high priests second only to gods."
"Some possess unimaginable wealth, others unparalleled intelligence."
"But all of them fear death. They crave my gift of eternal life."
Turning back to Alan, Mephisto said with a chilling smile, "You humans have always been this way."
"Your lives are pathetically short—merely…" Mephisto paused to count on his fingers with mock sympathy. "A few decades, at best."
"You, with all your power—are you truly content to succumb to death after just a few decades?"
"Look at these poor souls. To earn my favor, my blessing, they have drenched their hands in blood without hesitation."
"But you’re different. You’re special."
"You are the one I have chosen, Emperor. Become my faithful, exceptional servant, and I shall grant you eternal life!"
Mephisto’s words carried a seductive power, each syllable laced with temptation. As he spoke, a brilliant red flame flickered into existence in his hand.
"No one," he declared, "can resist the allure of immortality!"
"Come, Emperor!"
The surrounding space began to warp under Mephisto’s influence.
The Green Goblin’s single remaining eye lit up with a trace of joy.
From his shattered perspective, he could see the Emperor slowly, aimlessly walking toward Mephisto.
It was proof that Mephisto’s hypnosis had succeeded.
If the Green Goblin could speak, he would have praised Mephisto profusely for resolving the Emperor so effortlessly.
...
(To be continued...)
