Shane Freak
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Chapter 681: The Salesman and the Porter (Part 2)
🕑 Added 2023-10-24 10:50:59 +0000 UTCIn DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Having devoured all the Member Gifts for the upcoming season, the creature known as monstermoment vanished into thin air.
Indeed, it simply disappeared. Mephisto, in his immense frustration, could not detect any signs of teleportation. Even the faintest trace of its soul's essence was absent. How could such a massive monster just vanish without a trace?
All the demon gods present were dumbfounded. Where were their Member Gifts? Such a colossal treasure, how could it just be gone?
"Does that newcomer even understand the rules?!" some demon gods roared in fury. "How dare he monopolize the gifts for himself?"
"Where is he?!" Mephisto bellowed. "If he's still within this space, he can't remain hidden. Find him!"
"I've never sensed such an aura before," another demon god remarked. "Could he be a newly born demon god? But how can a new demon god be so powerful?"
Mephisto transformed into his human form, ready to confront the Ancient One. But he noticed the Ancient One's face twisted in anger. Before Mephisto could speak, she attacked him, shouting, "Mephisto! This is your doing, isn't it?"
"It wasn't me!" Mephisto retorted. "Was it you, Ancient One? You've always been so cunning! You must have planned to monopolize them all!"
Both Mephisto and the Ancient One soon realized that neither's surprise or anger was feigned. If neither of them was behind this, then who was?
In an instant, their suspicion turned to Odin and his group. Nothing went amiss last time, but now that the Asgardians have arrived, a monster suddenly appears and devours everything?
Odin had more pressing concerns. Helen was missing, which was a significant matter, and the Asgardians present were all busy searching for her.
Mephisto eyed Odin cautiously, sensing the potent energy waves emanating from him, even from a distance. It was a well-known fact in the space that Asgardians grew stronger with age.
"I refuse to believe it," Mephisto muttered. "No matter where he's gone, if he's still within this space, he can't hide forever. We'll turn this entire space upside down if we have to." And with that, he left. The other demon gods shared similar thoughts.
If the monster had consumed all the energy and fled, then whoever managed to capture and consume that monster would essentially possess all the Member Gifts. That was an immense treasure, capable of elevating anyone's power.
Of course, hardly any demon god suspected that the Sanctum Sanctorum was behind this. Most demon gods looked down on humans. They acknowledged the Sorcerer Supreme's strength, but they believed humans, due to the nature of their souls, couldn't possibly consume that much energy all at once.
The reason the Ancient One and Mephisto didn't immediately clash was this. Mephisto knew that even the modified body of the Ancient One couldn't absorb such immense energy instantaneously without damaging her soul. This was a fundamental human limitation.
Every demon god's attention was focused on their own kind because only Cosmic Gods could consume such vast amounts of energy in such a short time without imploding.
However, despite their extensive search across all dimensions of this space, they couldn't locate the peculiar monster.
Mephisto, having witnessed all this, was even more determined. This old devil wasn't one to work for others without compensation. Letting an unknown monster devour all the spoils would be a huge blow to his reputation.
Mephisto even ventured into Dormammu's dark dimension, bravely withstanding Dormammu's attacks, searching every nook and cranny but finding nothing.
So, where did this mysterious monster vanish? It had returned home, in the most literal sense.
In a space filled with gray mist, hovering above a vast city on a small island, Schiller and Helen, who had transformed back into a little girl, high-fived. Helen cheered, then let out a loud burp and giggled.
Upon descending from Thor, her first instinct wasn't to absorb power.
She had witnessed the standoff between Solus, elevated above the multiverse, and Stark. Despite her youthful demeanor, Helen realized the potential dangers of a battle at such a level, especially if Stark wasn't adequately prepared.
Her initial reaction was to seek reinforcements for Stark.
Helen was smart. She knew that the most significant limitation for Iron Sorcerer was energy. Only with abundant magical energy could Stark maintain his form. If his power were to decline, the entire space might be in peril.
So, Helen's first move was to find Sorcerer Supreme Strange, knowing that Kamar-Taj had vast energy reserves.
She immediately flew back to Earth, only to be caught by Schiller, who had been waiting nearby.
Originally, Schiller had been waiting for Stark, intending to utilize Stark's elevated powers for his plans. However, upon seeing Helen, he had a new idea.
Helen, mostly acting on instinct, was unaware of her immense strength, but Schiller knew.
Looking at Helen, who had transformed her life form, Schiller slightly altered his plan. He instructed her briefly above Earth.
Later, Helen first cleaned up the battlefield where Stark had previously battled the Morlun Clan. Anything left there had little resistance. More importantly, beings from the day of destruction could evolve either by imitating or consuming other beings.
After consuming the remaining members of the Morlun Family, Helen gained the ability to drain life force. With this newfound power, she descended upon the battlefield where the demon gods were engaged in combat. Without hesitation, she unleashed her full strength and took away all the Member Gifts in a single sweep.
Some might wonder, if this power was so potent, why couldn't the Morlun Family drain the demon gods themselves?
The answer is simple: the vampires of the Morlun Family are social creatures. Their individual strength is merely one-thousandth of their collective power.
But it's different for 'destruction day'. She is a mighty creature that exists as an individual. Their baseline conditions are entirely different, and so the same skill can yield different results.
Consider a mosquito, no larger than a fingernail. It bites a human, causing a minor bump at most. But imagine if that mosquito was as large as a truck – the situation would be entirely different. 'Destruction day' is that truck-sized mosquito. Moreover, her exceptional evolutionary trait allows her to infinitely optimize any acquired skill. A skill initially intended for a single target becomes a group attack. A mosquito larger than a truck, with multiple mouths, is lethal to any life form on Earth.
Of course, the demon gods' lapse in vigilance was a factor. They had obtained the Member Gifts too easily and never anticipated someone intervening. Preoccupied with their battles, they neglected to guard their spoils, allowing Helen to seize the opportunity.
Helen's sudden disappearance wasn't a coincidence. Schiller had been waiting in the wings.
Being a mere human, without the vast energy of the demon gods, he was like a grain of sand on a vast beach, going unnoticed by the powerful demon gods.
Once Helen consumed all the energy, Schiller swiftly pulled her into the ring world, the same place where 'destruction day' was stored previously. So, Helen truly returned home, and in glory.
When Schiller reappeared, he was in a secret room within Kamar-Taj, the meditation chamber of the Sorcerer Supreme. Protected by magic from previous Sorcerer Supremes, it was incredibly secure.
Schiller, Nick, Strange, Helen, and Pikachu gathered, with Nick making a gesture symbolizing "money" and looking at Schiller.
Schiller shook his head, saying, "Don't rush. I'm not trying to deceive. Mr. Sorcerer Supreme Strange, it's your turn to perform."
About ten minutes later, Mephisto received a call from Strange. In a grave tone, Strange said:
"I've heard about the incident, and I deeply regret it, Mr. Mephisto. No one saw this coming. The Sanctum Sanctorum also bears some responsibility. Therefore, we are willing to compensate..."
"Given the sudden nature of this incident, we couldn't account for all the Member Gifts. We will compensate at 80% of the last counted Member Gifts. Shortly, we'll broadcast across space, and dedicated personnel will deliver. You just need to wait in your respective dimensions..."
Mephisto was stunned. Such generosity was unheard of. In the universe, survival was all about strength. If you're beaten or robbed, you only have your weakness to blame. Mephisto had accepted his loss, but he never expected the Sanctum Sanctorum to actually compensate.
Once the announcement went out, nearly all demon gods were calling to confirm, especially curious if the delivery would be made by the Ancient One.
When Mephisto truly received the compensation, all Cosmic Gods were shocked. Was the Sanctum Sanctorum really willing to bear such a loss?
As more and more energy was dispatched, Nick felt the weight of the expense. Standing by the energy core, he asked Schiller, "Are you trying to establish the Sanctum Sanctorum's integrity? This is a significant amount of energy..."
"Integrity is valuable," Schiller casually replied. "But I prefer profitable deals."
Nick nodded, "It's energy we took, after all. Taking their Member Gifts and compensating them isn't too bad."
Schiller shook his head, and then, echoing throughout Kamar-Taj, a broadcast played:
"The Sanctum Sanctorum deeply regrets the recent incident. Despite the challenges, we uphold our integrity and ensure timely compensation, without delay."
"However, it's well known that Earth has limited resources. After this event, our energy reserves are even more depleted. If such incidents recur, we might not be able to fully compensate..."
"Life is unpredictable, and space is fraught with dangers. In times of unexpected calamities, the Sanctum Sanctorum sincerely recommends – the Space Energy Insurance Package!"
"Risks are everywhere. Insurance shares the burden with you!" [XD]
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Next Chapter>>Chapter 682: The Salesperson and the Mover (Part Two)
