Reading settings
Chapter 268: Fulfill Your Promise
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"You don't have a trump card against Mephisto?! Then why did you make a deal with a demon!!!" Dormammu roared!
"What was I supposed to do? Since I'm no match for you, getting a demon to help isn't exactly unacceptable, is it?" Tony spread his hands, tightly clutching the Dark Core.
Dormammu looked at the nonchalant Tony and was so infuriated he felt like dying.
Falling into Tony's hands, he still had a chance to escape. At worst, he could secretly raise his power to a true Universe-level, completely nullifying the contract and even enslaving Tony in return.
That's right, the contract on the Parchment Scroll was a bilateral contract. One party was the slave of the other; whoever was stronger was the master. Such a vile contract had been unheard of for a long time. Mephisto, who could create such a contract, could have easily researched more complete one-sided restraints.
But the more he thought about it, the dizzier Dormammu became with rage.
This Tony absolutely used this bilateral contract on purpose. Only by gambling his life so recklessly would Mephisto help him with all his might.
And because it was Tony who summoned Mephisto here, as long as Tony won, Mephisto could reap two powerful Demigod slaves. But if Dormammu won, Mephisto wouldn't get a single thing and would have wasted a Parchment Scroll for nothing.
The more dangerous it was, the harder Mephisto would work, and the greater the loss to his already limited power.
Logically, the more likely Tony's backup plan would be to succeed.
But this damn trickster was yelling that he was completely unprepared?!
"Do you fucking want to follow this demon to Hell?" Dormammu shrieked!
If they went to Hell, even if they were lucky enough to escape, how would they locate one specific universe in the Multiverse? How could they possibly return?!
Not to mention, Demigods like them had no ability to break through the blockade of the Speed Force Wall!
Mephisto beamed, watching the two bickering slaves. He was in a great mood. The pleasure of toying with powerful souls held a fatal attraction for him.
Tony was still looking down, studying the Dark Core in his hands, pondering how to devour it without being restricted by the Dark Dimension. Without looking up, he said, "I really didn't prepare a backup plan, but I can't say the same for others. For example, a Sorcerer Supreme with incomparably high attainments in time, space, and souls."
Mephisto paused slightly, his expression turning a little grim.
Dormammu, however, became excited, a look of relief on his face. "That's right, that's right! That old woman, Ancient One, can definitely sense it! As long as she hasn't left the Dark Dimension, she'll definitely sense the demon's aura!"
This was very awkward. Dormammu, who hated the Ancient One the most, had no choice but to hope for her rescue.
Tony looked up at the ill-tempered Mephisto, enduring the rapidly spreading pressure from the contract, and said, "Where do you think I got that Parchment Scroll from? If the Ancient One hadn't agreed, could I have possibly obtained it? Not to mention you courting death by opening a passage to Hell, causing such a powerful space-time fluctuation..."
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste so much time talking nonsense with slaves. I'd just grab them and run."
Mephisto gripped his staff, just about to drag Tony away, when a fatal threat suddenly emerged. A golden Portal suddenly opened, and powerful Mystic Energy blasted toward Mephisto's projected clone.
"Ancient One—" Mephisto roared as he was shattered without any power to resist. His incomplete Spatial Passage, having lost its master, became extremely unstable.
Dressed in white robes, the Ancient One emerged from the Portal with a calm expression.
She had destroyed Mephisto's Avatar with a casual strike, as if it were as simple as breathing.
The Ancient One sized up Tony, revealing her familiar, gentle smile. "I didn't expect you could really make it this far. Most importantly, you succeeded."
"It was a gamble with my life. Who in this world can say they're certain of anything?" Tony grunted twice. "What about Shazam and those people from the Agalas Sanctuary?"
"They've left," the Ancient One replied. "Shazam's lifespan was already short. He needed to save his last breath to return to Earth. As for the Agalas Sanctuary..."
The Ancient One paused before slowly saying, "I'm afraid they're in big trouble. They rushed back."
"Big trouble?" Tony frowned.
Big trouble for the Agalas Sanctuary... He hoped it wasn't the matter he was thinking of. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be the Agalas Sanctuary; this entire Universe would be brought to its knees.
But that kind of thing was still far in the future. Right now, he was just a minor Demigod.
The Ancient One shot a faint, unreadable smile at Dormammu, causing the latter's eyelids to twitch wildly, his heart filled with guilt.
"Dormammu, your current state... is not bad!" the Ancient One said with appreciation.
"Not bad my ass! You old woman, don't think that the great Dormammu will yield to you just because I've fallen on hard times for a moment! I've seen and experienced far more than you have!" Dormammu's explosive temper flared, and he immediately started cursing. What did she mean, 'not bad'? Did he not have any dignity?
The Ancient One smiled, her expression turning dangerous. A spell of Soul Magic slammed into Dormammu's soul-form, causing him to let out a blood-curdling howl as black smoke began to rise from his soul.
With a second Soul Magic spell, the Ancient One stuffed Tony's soul back into his body.
The body, which had lost all signs of life, twitched its fingers slightly. Feeling the vastly expanded soul within an incompatible shell, Tony slowly stood up.
"No wonder some people would rather abandon their bodies and exist only in a soul state..." Tony jumped in place a few times, trying to adapt.
"It is merely a different path of evolution. There is no right or wrong," the Ancient One said faintly.
"What about Mephisto? Can we find a way to kill him and completely resolve the contract issue?" Tony showed no shame in burning the bridge after crossing it.
To maximize his gains and enslave Dormammu, he had to seek a demon's help. Even Kamar-Taj, which was also proficient in Soul Magic, didn't have any reliable enslavement spells. And even if they did, the weak Tony wouldn't have been able to use them.
Moreover, it would have been difficult for the Ancient One to lock onto Tony's location.
But the appearance of a Great Demon was a different story. The spatial, soul, and Hell auras were enough for the Ancient One to lock onto the location, come and execute Mephisto's Avatar, and save Tony.
If the Ancient One hadn't made it in time, Tony would have had no other choice but to brace himself and stall for as long as possible.
Even the Ghost Rider, who signed the most stringent of contracts, could resist Mephisto's control for a short time. Tony, at the very least, was a Demigod; he could hold out for a little while.
Plus, he had Dormammu to help. He was Tony's slave, not Mephisto's, so he was under fewer restrictions.
Now, Dormammu didn't say a single word, completely cowed.
He had figured it out. He was the loser here. He had been utterly screwed over, losing even the pants off his ass.
"Resolving the contract issue isn't difficult. The simplest way is to kill Mephisto. If you can't do that, you can use external forces to weaken the Demonic Contract, but you can't eliminate it completely. If you one day advance to become a Universe-level being, the contract will completely lose its effect on you," the Ancient One said.
Tony nodded and said, "I'll find time to study the core rules of the Dark Dimension and then figure out a way to take over this world."
He was already a Demigod and had touched the Dark Core, so he wouldn't easily be corrupted by the Dark Power.
The Ancient One turned back to look at the gradually dissipating Spatial Passage, observing it carefully. On the other side of the passage was the location of Mephisto's true body.
However, the Ancient One could vaguely sense that the aura of Mephisto's true body was rapidly fading. That fellow had sensed the change of events here and decisively pulled out and fled.
Very good. That was very Mephisto.
"Tony, from this moment on, no matter what, you have achieved the goal we agreed upon. Now, you should fulfill your promise," the Ancient One said suddenly.
"This is too fast. I'm not ready yet." Tony refused subconsciously. It was too abrupt. He hadn't prepared for anything and was powerless to bear this responsibility.
"Do you remember my words of warning, Tony? Ask your heart. You have long been prepared," the Ancient One said with a faint smile.
"Then where are you going? Earth is severely lacking in high-end Combat Power. Even if Dormammu is on our side now, he could turn on us at any moment. If some powerful enemy comes knocking, I won't be able to hold them off."
As he spoke, Tony glanced at the bewildered Dormammu with a look of disdain, which angered Dormammu so much that he nearly rushed forward to fight him to the death.
The great Dark Lord was being looked down upon? *I'm your servant, and you're fucking unwilling?!!! Who gave you the nerve?!!*
The Ancient One took a step and walked into the rapidly dissipating Spatial Passage, leaving behind her final words.
"Fulfill your promise, Tony, and I will completely clean up the remaining troubles for you. I will find Mephisto and then kill him—if I can actually manage it. This demon's cunning and shamelessness are beyond your imagination. If he is determined to hide, it will take me a very long time to find him."
"Tony, from now on, you are Earth's new Sorcerer Supreme, the Supreme Venerable of Kamar-Taj. You should learn to be a good Guardian."
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"You don't have a trump card against Mephisto?! Then why did you make a deal with a demon!!!" Dormammu roared!
"What was I supposed to do? Since I'm no match for you, getting a demon to help isn't exactly unacceptable, is it?" Tony spread his hands, tightly clutching the Dark Core.
Dormammu looked at the nonchalant Tony and was so infuriated he felt like dying.
Falling into Tony's hands, he still had a chance to escape. At worst, he could secretly raise his power to a true Universe-level, completely nullifying the contract and even enslaving Tony in return.
That's right, the contract on the Parchment Scroll was a bilateral contract. One party was the slave of the other; whoever was stronger was the master. Such a vile contract had been unheard of for a long time. Mephisto, who could create such a contract, could have easily researched more complete one-sided restraints.
But the more he thought about it, the dizzier Dormammu became with rage.
This Tony absolutely used this bilateral contract on purpose. Only by gambling his life so recklessly would Mephisto help him with all his might.
And because it was Tony who summoned Mephisto here, as long as Tony won, Mephisto could reap two powerful Demigod slaves. But if Dormammu won, Mephisto wouldn't get a single thing and would have wasted a Parchment Scroll for nothing.
The more dangerous it was, the harder Mephisto would work, and the greater the loss to his already limited power.
Logically, the more likely Tony's backup plan would be to succeed.
But this damn trickster was yelling that he was completely unprepared?!
"Do you fucking want to follow this demon to Hell?" Dormammu shrieked!
If they went to Hell, even if they were lucky enough to escape, how would they locate one specific universe in the Multiverse? How could they possibly return?!
Not to mention, Demigods like them had no ability to break through the blockade of the Speed Force Wall!
Mephisto beamed, watching the two bickering slaves. He was in a great mood. The pleasure of toying with powerful souls held a fatal attraction for him.
Tony was still looking down, studying the Dark Core in his hands, pondering how to devour it without being restricted by the Dark Dimension. Without looking up, he said, "I really didn't prepare a backup plan, but I can't say the same for others. For example, a Sorcerer Supreme with incomparably high attainments in time, space, and souls."
Mephisto paused slightly, his expression turning a little grim.
Dormammu, however, became excited, a look of relief on his face. "That's right, that's right! That old woman, Ancient One, can definitely sense it! As long as she hasn't left the Dark Dimension, she'll definitely sense the demon's aura!"
This was very awkward. Dormammu, who hated the Ancient One the most, had no choice but to hope for her rescue.
Tony looked up at the ill-tempered Mephisto, enduring the rapidly spreading pressure from the contract, and said, "Where do you think I got that Parchment Scroll from? If the Ancient One hadn't agreed, could I have possibly obtained it? Not to mention you courting death by opening a passage to Hell, causing such a powerful space-time fluctuation..."
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste so much time talking nonsense with slaves. I'd just grab them and run."
Mephisto gripped his staff, just about to drag Tony away, when a fatal threat suddenly emerged. A golden Portal suddenly opened, and powerful Mystic Energy blasted toward Mephisto's projected clone.
"Ancient One—" Mephisto roared as he was shattered without any power to resist. His incomplete Spatial Passage, having lost its master, became extremely unstable.
Dressed in white robes, the Ancient One emerged from the Portal with a calm expression.
She had destroyed Mephisto's Avatar with a casual strike, as if it were as simple as breathing.
The Ancient One sized up Tony, revealing her familiar, gentle smile. "I didn't expect you could really make it this far. Most importantly, you succeeded."
"It was a gamble with my life. Who in this world can say they're certain of anything?" Tony grunted twice. "What about Shazam and those people from the Agalas Sanctuary?"
"They've left," the Ancient One replied. "Shazam's lifespan was already short. He needed to save his last breath to return to Earth. As for the Agalas Sanctuary..."
The Ancient One paused before slowly saying, "I'm afraid they're in big trouble. They rushed back."
"Big trouble?" Tony frowned.
Big trouble for the Agalas Sanctuary... He hoped it wasn't the matter he was thinking of. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be the Agalas Sanctuary; this entire Universe would be brought to its knees.
But that kind of thing was still far in the future. Right now, he was just a minor Demigod.
The Ancient One shot a faint, unreadable smile at Dormammu, causing the latter's eyelids to twitch wildly, his heart filled with guilt.
"Dormammu, your current state... is not bad!" the Ancient One said with appreciation.
"Not bad my ass! You old woman, don't think that the great Dormammu will yield to you just because I've fallen on hard times for a moment! I've seen and experienced far more than you have!" Dormammu's explosive temper flared, and he immediately started cursing. What did she mean, 'not bad'? Did he not have any dignity?
The Ancient One smiled, her expression turning dangerous. A spell of Soul Magic slammed into Dormammu's soul-form, causing him to let out a blood-curdling howl as black smoke began to rise from his soul.
With a second Soul Magic spell, the Ancient One stuffed Tony's soul back into his body.
The body, which had lost all signs of life, twitched its fingers slightly. Feeling the vastly expanded soul within an incompatible shell, Tony slowly stood up.
"No wonder some people would rather abandon their bodies and exist only in a soul state..." Tony jumped in place a few times, trying to adapt.
"It is merely a different path of evolution. There is no right or wrong," the Ancient One said faintly.
"What about Mephisto? Can we find a way to kill him and completely resolve the contract issue?" Tony showed no shame in burning the bridge after crossing it.
To maximize his gains and enslave Dormammu, he had to seek a demon's help. Even Kamar-Taj, which was also proficient in Soul Magic, didn't have any reliable enslavement spells. And even if they did, the weak Tony wouldn't have been able to use them.
Moreover, it would have been difficult for the Ancient One to lock onto Tony's location.
But the appearance of a Great Demon was a different story. The spatial, soul, and Hell auras were enough for the Ancient One to lock onto the location, come and execute Mephisto's Avatar, and save Tony.
If the Ancient One hadn't made it in time, Tony would have had no other choice but to brace himself and stall for as long as possible.
Even the Ghost Rider, who signed the most stringent of contracts, could resist Mephisto's control for a short time. Tony, at the very least, was a Demigod; he could hold out for a little while.
Plus, he had Dormammu to help. He was Tony's slave, not Mephisto's, so he was under fewer restrictions.
Now, Dormammu didn't say a single word, completely cowed.
He had figured it out. He was the loser here. He had been utterly screwed over, losing even the pants off his ass.
"Resolving the contract issue isn't difficult. The simplest way is to kill Mephisto. If you can't do that, you can use external forces to weaken the Demonic Contract, but you can't eliminate it completely. If you one day advance to become a Universe-level being, the contract will completely lose its effect on you," the Ancient One said.
Tony nodded and said, "I'll find time to study the core rules of the Dark Dimension and then figure out a way to take over this world."
He was already a Demigod and had touched the Dark Core, so he wouldn't easily be corrupted by the Dark Power.
The Ancient One turned back to look at the gradually dissipating Spatial Passage, observing it carefully. On the other side of the passage was the location of Mephisto's true body.
However, the Ancient One could vaguely sense that the aura of Mephisto's true body was rapidly fading. That fellow had sensed the change of events here and decisively pulled out and fled.
Very good. That was very Mephisto.
"Tony, from this moment on, no matter what, you have achieved the goal we agreed upon. Now, you should fulfill your promise," the Ancient One said suddenly.
"This is too fast. I'm not ready yet." Tony refused subconsciously. It was too abrupt. He hadn't prepared for anything and was powerless to bear this responsibility.
"Do you remember my words of warning, Tony? Ask your heart. You have long been prepared," the Ancient One said with a faint smile.
"Then where are you going? Earth is severely lacking in high-end Combat Power. Even if Dormammu is on our side now, he could turn on us at any moment. If some powerful enemy comes knocking, I won't be able to hold them off."
As he spoke, Tony glanced at the bewildered Dormammu with a look of disdain, which angered Dormammu so much that he nearly rushed forward to fight him to the death.
The great Dark Lord was being looked down upon? *I'm your servant, and you're fucking unwilling?!!! Who gave you the nerve?!!*
The Ancient One took a step and walked into the rapidly dissipating Spatial Passage, leaving behind her final words.
"Fulfill your promise, Tony, and I will completely clean up the remaining troubles for you. I will find Mephisto and then kill him—if I can actually manage it. This demon's cunning and shamelessness are beyond your imagination. If he is determined to hide, it will take me a very long time to find him."
"Tony, from now on, you are Earth's new Sorcerer Supreme, the Supreme Venerable of Kamar-Taj. You should learn to be a good Guardian."
(end of chapter)
