Chapter 161 This is ridiculous
"He doesn't seem that powerful, so why are you, Master, so afraid of him?"
"You are the Master of Hell, why would you fear a mortal?"
"Besides, as long as you, Master, don't leave Hell, what use is his power, no matter how great? In Hell, you are invincible."
"Even if he wanted to kill you, it would be impossible. It's too embarrassing for us, living in Hell, to be afraid of a mortal."
At this, Mephisto looked helpless. While what he said was true, it would indeed be very difficult for Arthur to truly kill him.
In Hell, though he wasn't invincible, his energy was inexhaustible. With this power, his strength grew stronger and stronger, and Arthur couldn't harm him at all.
But Arthur was no ordinary person; there had to be a reason he was so wary of him.
Moreover, since Arthur could change this place, he could naturally destroy it too. More importantly, as far as he knew, Arthur could also seize others' abilities and make them his own.
This was the most terrifying point. Even if Hell gave him infinite energy, allowing him to continuously accumulate power, Arthur's ability was too heaven-defying.
If he also learned this ability, then Mephisto would truly be at his wit's end.
Even in Hell, he would be led around by Arthur.
Facing Arthur, he couldn't tell for a moment who the true demon was.
Because Arthur's strength was indeed too great.
...
In Mephisto's eyes, Arthur might even have a daughter. As they discussed Arthur now, he might appear in Hell the next second.
At that time, he might suffer greatly.
Mephisto's consistent attitude towards Arthur was: as long as there was no hostility, do not provoke him.
The main reason was that he currently had no ability to contend with Arthur.
Even if he wanted to compete with Arthur, he would have to wait until he had the ability to contend with him, until he was confident he wouldn't be suppressed by Arthur. At that time, he would definitely make Arthur suffer immensely.
As the Master of Hell, he was afraid of a mortal; if this got out, he would surely be ridiculed.
"Forget it, stop talking. If Arthur comes out of that Dimension Door again and appears directly here, we'll be the ones who suffer in the end."
"Don't ask why, but this matter cannot be known by other demons, otherwise, where would I, this Hell Lord, put my face? How would others see us? It's very likely anyone would come and step on us."
"Although we only fear Arthur, and don't need to fear others who come to cause trouble, it really doesn't sound good if this gets out. I believe you also care about your reputation."
"The Master is right, then fine. But how much longer do we have to live like this? Are we going to live under Arthur's Shadow forever?"
"Or are we just going to keep working for him like this?"
"That's impossible, of course. No matter how powerful Arthur is, how could he make us work for him forever? Right now, I'm just waiting for an opportunity to get rid of him."
"As long as he's gone, we'll be free and won't have to suffer this torment anymore."
"I am the Hell Lord, managing tens of thousands of souls. Can I not deal with one Arthur?"
"As long as I don't leave this Hell, and you give me a little more time, I am still confident I can defeat him."
"Of course, all of this requires time and strength. Without these, everything is in vain."
"In short, you are my subordinates. Even if I drain all your energy, I might not be able to defeat Arthur."
"What's more, don't forget, there's also a demon tied up by Arthur in this Hell."
"You've all seen his power. If you don't want to end up like that, it's best to be honest now, at least be more restrained in front of Arthur."
"Alright, Master, we'll listen to you."
"I can't believe we have to take orders from an ordinary human. It's too humiliating."
Just as they were still whispering, suddenly, a voice rang out, making them instantly panic.
"Master, two people have come outside, saying they want to see you. They look very fierce, definitely not here for good."
Hearing this, Mephisto shivered involuntarily.
Could it be that speaking of Cao Cao makes Cao Cao appear? Did they really hear what we just said, and that's why they came?
It's over, this is bad.
"Fierce? Is it Arthur again? What do they want? Hurry, let them in!"
But the subordinate below stammered, "Master, those two look very fierce, like demons, not Arthur and his group."
I've seen that human before, I can still recognize him, but this time it's not them, but two demons I've never seen before.
They said they came to find you, so I specially came to report to you, Master. Do you want to see them?
Demons?
At this moment, Mephisto was also completely confused. Logically, in this Hell, how could outsiders want to come here?
After all, this is Hell; once a mortal enters, the consequences are unimaginable.
But now, two strange "I" have arrived, and they are here to see him, which left him completely bewildered.
However, as the Hell Lord, he still had to meet outsiders, especially since the other party was also a demon.
"Alright, let them in. I want to see who comes looking for me at this time."
"Yes, Master, I'll go get them now."
Soon, Loki and Surtur stood before Mephisto.
"Long time no see, Mephisto," Surtur said first.
One was the Lord of the Fire domain, the other the ruler of Hell; their domains were very close.
They were not enemies, nor friends, but maintained a delicate balance.
"Why are you here? Why aren't you in your Fire domain, running over to my place? If I remember correctly, like me, if you leave your domain, your strength should be greatly reduced, right?"
"I don't even dare to leave Hell. You came to see me, do you have something important?"
"But speaking of which, who is this person next to you? I don't seem to have ever seen him."
"Hell Lord, you truly have a short memory. Have you even forgotten me?"
"I am Loki, do you remember now?"
"Loki? You are Loki?"
"So, what brings you two, from so far away, to my Hell? I remember we're not that familiar, are we?"
Loki continued, "Although we weren't very familiar before, this time there is indeed something we need your help with."
"Ask me for help? I manage so many souls here, you're not here for souls, are you?"
"So it was you who gave Arthur his soul?"
"You really betrayed us and sided with Arthur? We, as demons, are taking orders from a mortal. Aren't you afraid of shaming us demons?"
"What exactly do you want to do? I'm telling you, my Hell is not a place where you can run wild…"
"Although we don't interfere with each other, if you make the first move, I won't hold back and will directly turn you into souls."
Surtur said, "Don't be angry, let's talk nicely. We're not here to fight this time; we're here to cooperate with you."
"Whether or not you listen to Arthur, I just want to say, what kind of system is it for a demon to bow to a human?"
"Or did Arthur give you some benefit that made you willingly take his orders?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you're definitely not willing. We demons are inherently the most noble existence in this World, and humans are merely ants under our feet."
"Taking orders from a mortal, that's not like you."
Hearing this, Mephisto no longer concealed it: "How is this possible? As a demon, how could I not know these things?"
"If he wasn't too strong and threatened me, why would I listen to him?"
"It's just that his current strength is indeed beyond my ability to contend with. If I could defeat him, would I still listen to him? He would have been eliminated by me long ago."
"I only ended up in this situation because I had no other choice. Otherwise, how could I, the dignified Hell Lord, the ruler of Hell, take orders from a mortal? Isn't that a joke?"
"It's just that Arthur's strength is too terrifying, I had to bow my head."
"Since you know Arthur, you must have witnessed his power, so I won't say more."
Loki said, "So we came to you this time to join forces against Arthur. I know his strength is indeed greater than ours, and a direct confrontation would definitely be futile."
"But if we demons unite and act together, there's still a chance to defeat Arthur."
"I know your abilities are limited, but what if we add ours? Then the odds of winning will be much greater."
"After all, if we fight alone, we simply cannot win."
"So cooperation is the best choice."
Mephisto also began to think seriously. Although Loki and Surtur's words also made some sense.
He himself actually didn't want to be dominated by Arthur forever.
He was the Hell Lord, once invincible, a figure who had reigned supreme, but now everything had completely changed.
Ever since Arthur appeared, everything had changed. The World that should have been his to rule had now made him Arthur's subordinate.
In front of Arthur, he was like a younger brother. If Arthur said east, he wouldn't dare go west.
How could he be willing to continue such a life?
If he truly couldn't defeat Arthur, he wouldn't have endured it in silence.
Although Loki and Surtur had come to him for cooperation, his power would indeed become somewhat stronger.
But he was also very clear about the strength of these two. At their current level, even with himself added, the probability of defeating Arthur was not high.
Moreover, once they opposed Arthur, not to mention him, perhaps all of them would suffer, and Hell would not be as vibrant as it was now.
The reason Hell still had some vitality was because Arthur changed the soil here, allowing plants to grow.
If I hadn't helped Arthur, this Hell wouldn't have become what it is now, and the reason it became this way is entirely because I once helped him.
To help him find those two souls, I paid a price; this is what I deserve to bear.
If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have found those two souls at all.
So this matter itself doesn't prove anything. But if they are willing to join forces with me to fight Arthur, and if their strength is truly very strong, then even if I join, there is indeed a possibility of defeating Arthur, then there's definitely no problem.
After all, if there's even a glimmer of hope, it's worth trying.
Of course, if they still can't defeat Arthur in the end, the result will be complete annihilation.
Although I look down on Arthur and am unwilling to take his orders, it's absurd for a Hell Lord to obey a human.
But the reality is that Arthur's strength is simply too great. If I oppose him without absolute certainty, I will only be eliminated by him in the end.
I don't want to be his puppet, but it's better than being eliminated.
What's more, Arthur had previously defeated Lu Fasi and imprisoned him in Hell. With such strength, it goes without saying how powerful he is.
Lu Fasi was one of the top demons, yet he was still imprisoned by Arthur. What does this indicate?
If it weren't for the fact that I am now the Hell Lord, the ruler here, who would be willing to stay in such a place?
Only here can my power continuously grow. Being with souls every day, how is that different from being imprisoned?
However, I am free here; I can move around as I please, simply because I am the Master here.
But once I leave Hell, my strength will drastically decrease. Not just Arthur, any random demon or god could defeat me.
Wouldn't that be even more miserable? To prevent such a thing from happening, I can only continue to stay in this Hell, accompanied by those souls.
Chapter 162 It's actually good for me
Even in this Hell, I still can't defeat Arthur, and he keeps suppressing me.
If it weren't for the fact that I am the Hell Lord here now, Arthur probably wouldn't even give me a task; he might just kill me directly.
Now that these two have come to me for cooperation, I have some understanding of their strength.
They are not weak, but they are not strong either; together, they are probably only at a medium-to-above-average level.
It's clearly impossible to defeat Arthur by relying on them.
Even if I join them, can we defeat Arthur? The answer is clearly no.
Because Arthur not only has the protagonist by his side but also those deities who think they are useful but are actually useless.
This also greatly restricts my actions.
Even with the two of them now, our strength is still not enough; in the end, it would just be a futile sacrifice.
Mephisto thought for a long time and finally decided not to cooperate with them, because the risk was too great; if it failed, his life would be on the line.
Although he was very unwilling to obey the organization's orders, the organization's power was indeed beyond his ability to contend with. Without absolute certainty, he would never oppose Arthur.
It's best not to make an enemy of someone like Arthur. Although Arthur knows Mephisto, he certainly won't truly obey his commands, only because of Mephisto's strength.
However, at least with strength, Mephisto wouldn't dare to act recklessly; at least he wouldn't openly confront them.
Arthur himself doesn't like conflict; he prefers peace. Even when facing Gorr, he only wanted to use Gorr's wife and daughter to influence him, to make him join his faction. Unfortunately, Gorr was disobedient, so if they couldn't be friends, he could only send him away.
And Mephisto was very smart, choosing to trust Arthurand not become his enemy. In this way, no one would harm him, and he might even receive some benefits. For Mephisto, this was actually not bad, only his reputation was damaged. After all, a demon obeying a human's words would certainly not be glorious if word got out.
But no matter what, Mephisto still followed Arthur's arrangements.
Loki and Surtur had been waiting for Mephisto's reply, and they were getting a bit anxious.
Loki was even more clearly impatient; logically, this matter shouldn't require so much thought.
This was the only chance to defeat Arthur, and as a Hell Lord, he was naturally unwilling to be constantly ordered around by an ordinary human.
This was also why he came to Mephisto.
Loki continued to ask, "How is it? Why are you thinking so long? Have you finally made up your mind? Are you willing to cooperate with us, or continue to be Arthur's puppet?"
"I think that as the Hell Lord of this realm, you certainly aren't willing to be commanded by a mortal your whole life, are you? How embarrassing. And since we both know about this, do you think other demons wouldn't know?"
"So I think cooperating with you is the wisest choice; you should understand this yourself, right?"
"Besides us, no one will help you. The final outcome will be to continue obeying Arthur and living this kind of life."
"A dignified Hell Lord, working for an ordinary human—if word of that gets out, it's a bit inappropriate, don't you think?"
Surtur, standing by, also urged, "That's right, cooperating with us is the most rational choice. How can fighting alone be stronger than joining forces with us?"
Although it's not easy for our current strength to defeat Arthur, it's better than you alone, right? And we've been neighbors for so long; although our relationship isn't harmonious, don't you think being friends is more suitable?
I have no other intention; I just hope you can seriously consider this issue, because I think this is not only about whether we can defeat Arthur but also about whether we obey Arthur's words.
We invited you to cooperate because we value your abilities. If we can truly join forces, the chance of victory will increase by another point.
Surtur and Loki kept talking, but their words essentially conveyed the same few points.
However, Mephisto had considered this problem, but what he considered was not whether cooperating with them offered a chance to defeat Arthur, but whether he could truly defeat Arthur. If cooperating with them still meant he couldn't defeat Arthur, then he would be the one to suffer in the end.
Although he was unwilling to obey Arthur's commands, he valued his life more than that.
Although he is the Hell Lord, in charge of all souls, if he dies, who will manage Hell? It's even hard to say if he can be resurrected.
Opposing Arthur, unless there is absolute certainty of winning, simply blindly attacking and looking for opportunities everywhere is useless.
Mephisto also spoke, "I know what you mean, and you also know that I am indeed unwilling to always obey Arthur."
"However, you said one thing wrong: there is no cooperation between me and Arthur; it's just that his strength is too great, and I had no choice but to surrender."
"Of course, I'm still not convinced in my heart. As you said, obeying Arthur's words does my reputation no good at all, so I have been looking for an opportunity, waiting for a chance to defeat Arthur."
Hearing this, smiles couldn't help but appear on Surtur and Loki's faces.
They thought Mephisto would definitely agree to cooperate; since he had said so much, it would be too strange if he didn't agree.
Just as they were about to successfully persuade Mephisto, what Mephisto said next surprised them somewhat.
Mephisto continued, "Although I just said that, if I really join forces with you against Arthur, do you have 100% certainty of defeating him?"
"I don't think you do, and neither do I. Even if the three of us combine, the reason we are powerful is because we have infinite energy in our respective domains. But once we leave our domains, our strength will be greatly reduced."
"Let alone whether Arthur will kill us, we might not even be able to defeat ordinary beings. In this situation, what do we have to contend with Arthur?"
"Although I don't want this kind of life, at least this way I can save my life and be sure that I am still alive. If I really cooperate with you to fight Arthur, I think you understand the final outcome without me having to say it."
"So I'm sorry, please forgive me for not being able to cooperate with you, because compared to the safety of the people, I value my own life more."
"I know you are also unwilling to obey Arthur's words and all want to contend with him, but you should also be clear about how powerful Arthur's videos are."
"In this situation, confronting Arthur, I can only say you have courage, but I cannot do it."
"As the Hell Lord, I'm afraid of being called afraid of one person, which really doesn't sound good, and it will certainly make many people look at me differently."
"But if you stand in my shoes, or in Arthur's shoes, this is the safest and wisest choice. At least I can save my life and won't be manipulated by Arthur at will."
After Mephisto finished speaking, he led the two to the cage where Lu Fasi was imprisoned.
"See? That demon locked inside, you must have heard him roaring loudly when you came to find me, right?"
"You should also be very familiar with the Luminous One inside; I won't introduce him again."
When Loki saw Lucifer imprisoned in the cage, looking utterly tormented, he was immediately greatly shocked.
He knew something about Lucifer.
Although he was a fallen Angel, his strength was still very powerful, yet now he was imprisoned in this Hell, suffering torment.
Logically speaking, he was originally a Hell Lord who governed a realm of Hell; how could he appear here, confined in a cage, living such a miserable life?
He was originally a Hell Lord, with unfathomable strength.
If Mephisto really imprisoned him here, why didn't he just sign a contract with him and seize his soul?
Why imprison such a demon instead of making him submit directly?
Logically, there should be no connection between the two of them. Although both were Hell Lords, they kept to themselves and did not interfere with each other.
Their domains were also completely separate, so how did Lucifer end up here? It's unlikely Mephisto imprisoned him. Could it be Arthur?
But why would Lucifer be involved with Arthur?
Surtur also felt very puzzled: "Lucifer was a powerful Angel, and later he became a Hell Lord on his own, establishing his own domain."
"Why is he here?"
"Although your strengths are comparable, you have no enmity between you, so why is Lucifer here?"
Loki: "You're right, but Lucifer's strength is indeed a bit greater than yours, although we haven't fought."
"However, in terms of strength, Lucifer is clearly much stronger than you."
"Then why is he here? And still imprisoned in a cage?"
Mephisto brought them here to see Lucifer, so he naturally wouldn't hide anything.
"That's right, Lucifer's strength is indeed superior to mine; I admit that."
"But I must tell you, Lucifer and I have no relation whatsoever. We are two completely different Hell Lords."
"Although both are Hell Lords, he created his own Hell; it's a new World he established himself."
"But I am different, so I have no connection with him, and I cannot leave my territory, because all my abilities come from Hell. There are many souls here that can provide me with energy."
"These contracts can continuously give me power, so I have no need to needlessly capture and imprison Lucifer here."
"As for why he is imprisoned here, I will tell you now. Although I don't know exactly what happened at the time, I can roughly guess that Arthur and Lucifer had a fight then."
"Lucifer was captured by Arthur; this has nothing to do with me. As for why he was defeated by Arthur, and why Arthur didn't just kill him, I don't know."
"I can only say that Arthur's strength is far greater than you imagine; he cannot be easily defeated by a few of us joining forces."
"You should know how powerful I am, but in front of Arthur, I'm like an ant; I can't even touch one of his fingers."
"You understand how strong Arthur is without me having to say it, so I want to remind you: if you don't have absolute certainty of defeating him, don't act recklessly."
"Otherwise, the only ones who will suffer in the end are yourselves. I don't want to take this risk; I think I still have a long life ahead."
"Only those who are dead are fools. Why go against the organization? Although we demons are supposed to deal with humans, with those so-called good people, do you think I can stand their ways?"
"Many times I want to tear Arthur into a million pieces. Why can an ordinary human command me? But the reality is I can't defeat him, so I can only accept my fate."
"The winner is king, the loser is a bandit—this saying is not without reason. At least I still want to live, and I can still accept my current life."
As for you still wanting to find other cooperation, that's up to you. I've already advised you. If you are just stubborn, then I can do nothing. My advice is, it's best not to provoke Arthur, otherwise, you simply cannot bear the consequences.
Although you will eventually be defeated by Arthur, and your souls will return to me, which will increase my strength, this is a good thing for me. But after all, we are all demons, and I think we should still help each other a bit. What I'm doing is indeed unfair to you.
That's why I said, if you don't have enough strength, don't provoke Arthur. If you don't have absolute certainty, even if you go to him and fight him, there will be no benefit; you will only lose miserably, and your souls will return to my Hell, only to make my strength ascend to another level.
Of course, if you don't go to him, I have no objection; that actually benefits me too. But if you want to drag me along, then forget it.
I don't want to suffer needlessly like you, fighting someone I can't possibly defeat.
And after Loki and Surtur heard Mephisto's words, they also felt that their actions were indeed too foolish...
They originally thought that no matter how powerful Arthur was, as long as there were enough people, they could kill him. But now even Lucifer has been defeated by Arthur and imprisoned in Hell.
Everyone knows Lucifer's strength, but even with all his power, he was no match for Arthur and was directly imprisoned.
Clearly, the current Arthur has far exceeded their capabilities and is simply not someone they can contend with.
But even so, they would not give up easily. For them, Arthur was the greatest enemy of their lives, and they had to eliminate him no matter what. But the most important thing was—
Now Mephisto was clearly unwilling to join forces with them against Arthur, which meant their chances of winning were reduced by another point.
Chapter 163: Almost Impossible
But even so, they wouldn't give up. Because Gorr was still trapped in Hell, if they could rescue Gorr, the final outcome of who won or lost was still uncertain.
Moreover, besides Mephisto, there were many other powerful demons they hadn't approached yet.
Mephisto disagreed because he didn't believe they could defeat Arthur, but it wasn't necessarily the same for other demons.
Besides Mephisto, there were many other demons waiting for them to contact; they would surely find someone willing to fight Arthur together.
But the most urgent task now was to rescue Gorr first.
After all, Gorr was the most crucial part of their entire plan.
Although Gorr had only recently died, since he had already arrived here, it would be a wasted trip if they left without rescuing him.
Loki then said, "Since that's the case, we won't force you. After all, we only came to hear your opinion. If you don't want to cooperate with us, then let's just pretend this never happened."
"However, before we leave, we would still like to ask for your help."
Mephisto had already refused their invitation, but besides fighting a common enemy, they were originally all demons.
If it was just a small favor, Mephisto had no reason to refuse.
"A small favor? You go ahead and say it."
Loki and Surtur exchanged glances, and then Lokicontinued, "Since you don't want to cooperate with us, we naturally won't bother you anymore."
"Whether to cooperate or not is your own choice. If you are willing to continue obeying Arthur's command, I have nothing more to say."
"Of course, we also have another purpose for coming here this time, and that is – can you give us Gorr's soul?"
"That should be very simple for you, right? You've helped Arthur before, so one more of us won't make a difference."
Hearing the name "Gorr," Mephisto suddenly remembered that Arthur had just killed a fellow a few days ago, and that soul had just arrived in Hell.
If he remembered correctly, that person should be the Gorrthey were talking about.
Who didn't know Gorr the God Butcher? He was determined to challenge the gods, but ended up in such a plight.
But Mephisto also began to ponder. Gorr had only died a short while ago, yet they came to ask for him so quickly.
Moreover, Mephisto himself relied on these souls to strengthen his power.
And the soul of Gorr the God Butcher was different from the souls of other ordinary people. Although he could control human souls, he was powerless against people like Gorr.
But now that Gorr's soul was already in Hell, Mephisto had the right to decide his whereabouts.
Of course, a transaction always had a price.
After all, if he sold souls from here without getting anything in return, he, the Lord, would be too useless.
Arthur was able to take two souls, firstly because Arthurwas strong enough, and secondly because he promised to help Mephisto transform Hell.
At least with Arthur's help, Hell was indeed more vibrant than before, which could be considered Arthur's repayment to him.
Whether it was a demon or a human, if they wanted to do business with him, it was basically impossible to close a deal without certain abilities or without being able to give him what he wanted.
And these people in front of him, although they were demons, since they delivered themselves to him, their power was there; it would be a waste not to take it.
Mephisto's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a strange smile, with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Because these two individuals in front of him held a high position in Hell, especially Surtur, who was the Master of the Fire domain, his strength was naturally self-evident.
And when Mephisto learned that they had come to make a deal with him, his attitude immediately took a sharp turn.
He said with a smile, "So you want to buy souls from me?"
"Then you should be familiar with the rules here, right?"
"You can buy souls, but the value of the soul determines the corresponding price you have to pay. You understand this principle, right?"
Upon hearing the word "buy," Loki's face instantly turned cold, and his smile slowly disappeared.
They were both demons, yet when Arthur came, he could take them directly, but when it came to them, they had to exchange things for a contract. This was clearly Mephistotreating them differently.
This made the two of them frown. Loki directly questioned, "What do you mean by this? We are all demons, yet we have to exchange things for a soul? Isn't this too much bullying?"
Surtur also spoke, "We are neighbors, right next to you. You are being too disrespectful."
"You make us sign a contract and pay a reward, but you don't do that with Arthur."
"Arthur takes souls from you casually, never needing anything, not one or two, but many."
"If others knew that the Demon King of Hell would cooperate with humans and treat different people differently,"
"Putting everything else aside, just this alone is enough to make you lose face."
"Although you are the King here, what if you weren't in Hell? What if you were outside?"
"I still hope you can recognize your position, otherwise it won't look good when you lose face."
"Of course, we are not saying that what you are doing is wrong. You are the King here, and doing business naturally requires a return, we understand that."
"But that cannot be your reason for treating us differently. Your refusal to accept our proposal and cooperate with us is your freedom, and we have no right to interfere."
"But when Arthur came to you for those two souls, he didn't give you anything and just took them directly. Now I only want the soul of a supporting character, yet you insist on us giving you a reward."
"Is it because the soul of a supporting character is a gift package, or is it more valuable than the souls of ordinary people? So you are deliberately trying to trick us?"
"Or are you just after the benefits we have? Don't make us look down on you, alright?"
"As fellow demons, is it necessary to fear Arthur to this extent? For Arthur, you even disregard the rules, but then you impose the rules on us. Isn't that inappropriate?"
After Loki finished speaking, Surtur next to him continued, "That's right, you don't cooperate with us, you don't help us fight Arthur, but there are still plenty of demons willing to cooperate with us. Now we are just asking you to hand over the soul of a supporting character, yet you treat us like this."
"You don't dare to offend Arthur because he is too strong, but what about us? Just because you say so, can we be bullied by you arbitrarily?"
"You are the boss here, that's true, but if we join forces against you, it's not impossible. What's more, my Fire domain is nearby."
"Do you think you can defeat us?"
It was clear that both Loki and Surtur were prepared to fight for the supporting character's soul.
Because they weren't angry about needing the soul, but about needing a certain reward to sign the contract.
But it was different with Arthur; he didn't need any reason at all, nor did he need to sign any contract, and he just directly gave those two souls to Arthur.
Regardless of whether souls have different ranks, for the Hell Lord, every soul affects his strength.
If a soul disappears without any return, his strength will decrease.
And Mephisto's ability was to control human souls; he couldn't control souls like Gorr's at all. Even if they were left in Hell, they wouldn't be of much help to him.
But it was different when Arthur got those two souls, because he himself controlled the souls of ordinary humans.
If he gave away these two souls without any reward, his strength would definitely be weakened.
So, logically, Mephisto wouldn't give the souls to Arthurso easily, but he just did it.
The main reason was that he was afraid of Arthur; he had an inner fear of Arthur, so he could only obey Arthur's commands.
But when it came to them, they only wanted the soul of a supporting character, and Mephisto couldn't control these souls, so even if he handed them over, it wouldn't have any impact on him.
The reason Loki and Surtur came here was because they knew that to get this soul, they had to sign a contract with Mephisto and give him the corresponding reward.
They themselves didn't mind this request; after all, taking something meant paying a price, and since there was no existing relationship between them, signing a contract to get the soul was perfectly normal.
But the reason they were so angry was because Mephistotreated Arthur completely differently, having no demands whatsoever from Arthur.
And Arthur didn't give Mephisto any reward when he left, but when it came to them, they had to sign a contract.
Arthur was just a powerful ordinary person, but Mephistowas completely obedient to him. The reason was simple: he couldn't defeat him.
In other words, as long as someone's strength was greater than his and could threaten his life, there was no need to go through those complicated procedures.
Since that was the case, they naturally adopted the same approach; instead of giving him benefits, it would be more satisfying to just take action directly.
But Mephisto frowned. He had been smiling, thinking that the two wanted to sign a contract with him and that there was a possibility of cooperation, but he didn't expect them to just want to take things for free.
What was even more outrageous was that they even brought up Arthur as an excuse. Wasn't this just sophistry and taking advantage?
Everyone who came to Hell knew that to obtain a soul in Hell, one had to trade with Mephisto and complete the soul transfer.
Only by giving him a satisfactory reward would he hand over these souls to those who needed them.
However, for Mephisto, Arthur was indeed an exception. He wasn't just afraid of Arthur; he was genuinely terrified of him, only worried about angering him and ultimately losing his life.
But rules were rules, and even Arthur had to abide by them. Arthur himself was aware of this, after all, he had already taken two souls from Mephisto, and his own ability had been weakened considerably as a result.
Furthermore, since Mephisto was already obeying him, Arthur had no reason to take his things for free; he understood this principle in his heart.
So, before leaving, he specifically transformed Mephisto's Hell. Although he didn't give Mephisto any tangible benefits, such a transformation was something not everyone could achieve.
Moreover, Mephisto was already tired of staying in this place. As a Lord, besides staying in his own territory, his strength would greatly diminish once he stepped outside.
So, in essence, he was like being confined in this Hell, and in this Hell, apart from souls, there were only the cries of demons, or he had to face a group of ugly demons every day, and the environment was utterly dreadful.
Rather than saying he was the Lord of Hell, it was more accurate to say he was a pitiful prisoner.
And Arthur helping him transform this place was undoubtedly the greatest help he could receive. At least now, this place didn't feel like a cage; it was almost like the outside World.
Even staying in Hell, he could see vibrant flowers and plants, things that made people feel comfortable.
So, for Mephisto, this deal was actually not a loss at all. Only someone like Arthur could change the environment of a place.
Because every domain was unique, changing its topography and appearance was simply impossible.
Of course, unless the domain was built by the Masterhimself, then there might be a slight possibility.
But Hell clearly wasn't; changing its original appearance was an almost impossible feat.
Yet Arthur managed to do it.
So even then, giving these two souls to Arthur didn't cause Arthur much loss.
And clearly, Loki and Surtur were unaware of this matter.
If they had known, they wouldn't have said that Arthurgot something for nothing, nor would they have said that Arthur took the souls directly without giving Mephistoany benefits.
One could only say that their information was limited, and it had nothing to do with Arthur and Mephisto.
Mephisto faced these two individuals who immediately accused Arthur of getting something for nothing and felt that they were different from Arthur.
They even wanted to complain, how could Mephistotolerate that? He clearly hadn't done anything wrong, yet now he was being slandered.
He was already annoyed about obeying Arthur; in this World, the fewer people who knew, the better.
But now these two people insisted on exposing him over this matter. Although he couldn't defeat Arthur, that was because Arthur was too strong, and he truly had no choice.
But dealing with these two people in front of him was actually not difficult. After all, he was in Hell, and there were countless demons in Hell who could help him.
To fight Mephisto in Hell, unless it was someone like Arthur, no one could defeat him.
Chapter 164 I know this kind of person too well
It wouldn't be easy for these two to defeat Mephisto; they might even be subdued by him.
Moreover, they are currently in Hell, not on their home turf.
So, for them to challenge Mephisto to a duel is simply asking for trouble.
They stand no chance of winning; on the contrary, they might be counterattacked.
Logically, very few people would genuinely oppose Mephisto in Hell.
They would either be expelled or dealt with. In Hell, Mephisto's power is limitless; as long as he is there, he cannot be defeated.
Of course, except for Arthur. No matter how much energy Mephisto has, he is still helpless against Arthur. But besides that, no one can suppress him in Hell.
Even these two powerful demons before him are no exception.
Loki, indeed, has some skills and is not easy to deal with. But Surtur, as the Lord of the Fire domain, will have his strength greatly reduced once he leaves his domain.
In his current state, let alone fighting Mephisto, he might not even be able to withstand a few moves.
So, their current conflict with Mephisto is truly the most foolish course of action.
Causing trouble on someone else's territory is no different from seeking death.
If Mephisto wanted to deal with these two, it wouldn't take much effort, as they are not easy opponents. However, he actually prefers not to confront them directly, as they are all demons, and perhaps they might even unite to deal with Arthur in the future.
As for why it's "in the future," it's because even if he cooperates with them now, he can't defeat Arthur. Arthur's current strength is beyond what these two can match. These two might not even win against Mephisto, let alone contend with Arthur.
The reason for saying "in the future" is that he knows if they truly intend to fight Arthur, it will surely attract more demons to their cause, and then it might indeed be possible to eliminate Arthur, as long as everyone works together.
But for now, Mephisto does not intend to join them, as he is unsure how many people these two can rally to fight Arthur. Whether their future strength can truly defeat Arthuris anyone's guess. If he were to follow them now, it would simply be asking for trouble.
Without certainty, he would absolutely not act rashly. When facing Arthur, he would avoid him if possible and try not to make an enemy of him, at least for now, to preserve his life. Arthur will not move against him temporarily; they maintain a superficial peace. But if Mephisto were to join their side, it would be utterly hopeless.
Once discovered by Arthur, if he couldn't win, it would truly be over. He might not even have a chance to resist and would only become a soul to be slaughtered. As a Hell Lord, he knows very well what fate awaits a soul; it's worse than death.
Therefore, facing these two, he still hopes not to make things too tense. Although it's impossible to be allies now, who knows what the future holds? So he chose to explain to them and resolve the current conflict.
This would at least clear up misunderstandings, and perhaps even make them willing to trade with him. Moreover, it wouldn't worsen their relationship, and he could gain some benefits from them. In the future, he might even join their ranks to deal with Arthur. Taking a step back now is the best option for him.
Seeing the two about to make a move, some minor demons in Hell immediately rushed in front of Mephisto, adopting a battle-ready stance. These demons were also already prepared for battle.
But soon, Mephisto stepped forward and stopped the conflict.
"Step back, I'll handle this."
His subordinates, however, were displeased, clearly unhappy with his decision.
"Lord, these two are clearly up to no good; they want your life. They don't want to trade for the souls you've collected here; isn't that just freeloading?"
"Besides, these two don't look good. Don't worry, Lord, if a fight breaks out, we'll immediately call other demons in Hell for help."
"To deal with these two, Lord, you don't need to lift a finger; just leave it to us."
These few subordinates glared at Loki and Surtur, ready to engage at any moment.
But Mephisto had no intention of confronting them directly. If he fell out with them now, who else could he turn to for help in defeating Arthur in the future?
As long as he endured for a while in exchange for future stability, he was certainly willing.
"Stop! All of you, retreat!"
"These two are no threat to me, and it's clear they've misunderstood something. You go back first; I'll handle this."
"But, Lord..."
"I said it again, retreat!"
Mephisto's tone was firm and intimidating, sending shivers down their spines.
The demons below dared not say another word and quickly left.
They didn't want to anger Mephisto, otherwise, they would be the ones to suffer in the end.
After everyone had left, Mephisto finally spoke, "My subordinates don't understand the rules; please don't mind them, both of you."
"Can't we just talk things out? There's no need for such a big fuss. If things really get tense, it won't benefit either of us."
"And from what you just said, it's clear there's been a misunderstanding."
"Although I am indeed afraid of Arthur, because his strength is too great, even in Hell, he can send me to Hell."
"But Hell has its rules, and even Arthur cannot break them. How can you be sure that I handed souls over to Arthur without receiving anything in return?"
"How can you be so sure that the message wasn't simply wrong?"
"I don't know where you got your information, but the rules of Hell cannot be messed with. To take souls from me, no matter who it is, they must trade with me."
"Even Arthur is no exception."
But even with Mephisto saying this, Loki still didn't believe him.
Because the information he had received earlier never mentioned any trade between Arthur and Mephisto.
If there truly was one, he would have known about it immediately.
Mephisto conducting business with others always followed procedures. Since he could get information, he should also know about Arthur's dealings with him.
Although the specific details might be unclear, he would at least know that it happened.
So, Mephisto saying now that he had traded with Arthurwas clearly a lie.
Loki naturally wouldn't believe his words.
"Why do you think I would believe you just because you say so?"
"You say there was a trade, so there must have been one, right? But you can't produce any evidence. Yet, I haven't heard of Arthur having any dealings with you."
"Now you say Arthur has a trade with you, do you think I should believe what I've seen, or your one-sided story?"
"As for this issue, I don't want to delve into it anymore. You are afraid of Arthur and don't want to confront him directly; I understand that."
"But Surtur and I asked the same question, just about another soul. Yet you treat us so differently; I don't think there's anything more to say."
"Of course, if it really comes to a fight, on your territory, even if we join forces, we might not win against you, not to mention you have so many subordinates."
"We don't want to pursue this matter anymore; let's just leave it at that."
After Loki finished speaking, he turned to Surtur behind him, "Let's go, as if we never came."
"You can continue to be Arthur's puppet and do his bidding. It's fine if you don't want this Hell Lord position; being so cowardly is truly disgraceful."
"It's rare to see someone afraid of even an ordinary human boy."
"That's enough; there's no point in staying here."
Loki pulled Surtur, preparing to leave, but Mephistosensed that something was wrong.
If they truly left, he would ultimately only remain Arthur's puppet.
He had always served the organization because he lacked the ability to contend with Arthur. If he lost them, he wouldn't dare to cooperate with them now because they currently couldn't defeat Arthur.
But that might not be the case in the future. When they gain the ability to defeat Arthur, Mephisto would still rely on them to escape his current predicament.
If he fell out with them now, in the future, let alone help, they might even eliminate him together, which is not impossible.
For his own future, Mephisto decided to stay.
"Wait, don't you believe I have a trade with Arthur? Don't you want evidence? I can show you right now."
Just as Loki was about to lead Surtur out of the palace, he heard Mephisto willing to provide evidence and immediately stopped. Although he still didn't believe Mephisto would have a trade with Arthur.
But since Mephisto could produce evidence, there was no harm in looking.
If it was fake, Loki already had a countermeasure.
Surtur, on the other hand, didn't think that far ahead; he was just curious about Mephisto's words: "Why don't we go take a look? Maybe there really is something. But if Arthur truly has a trade with him, then wouldn't your intelligence be wrong?"
"Do you really think he'll produce those so-called pieces of evidence? Although Mephisto always has contracts for his trades, and some seals cannot be faked."
"But how can you be sure this is definitely Arthur's guard? Maybe it's someone else? Besides, Mephisto is in this line of work; even if he wanted to forge one, it wouldn't be difficult for him."
"The key is whether he's willing, but forged items can usually be spotted at a glance."
"However, for outsiders like us, distinguishing the authenticity of these witnesses is indeed a bit difficult."
"After all, this is his territory, and it's not a very big matter, and trades are confidential, so it's impossible for him to just let us see them."
...
"Then, in that case, why would Mephisto show us these things now? Is he trying to curry favor with us? Is it necessary?"
"It's certainly not necessary. But if he doesn't curry favor with us, he won't be able to escape Arthur and stop being his puppet."
"If he really goes against us, he'll be the one to suffer in the end."
"So, don't think he's not cooperating with us now because he looks down on our strength, thinking we can't defeat Arthur at all, and he won't stake his life on us."
"When we genuinely gain the ability to defeat Arthur in the future, he will definitely come to us for cooperation again; I understand such people too well."
"But no matter what he does now, it's his freedom; we can't force him."
"But if he doesn't hand that soul over to us, he knows the consequences himself."
"In short, we have decided not to cooperate with him anymore, and we might even become his enemies. If we truly become his enemies, then he will never be able to defeat Arthur and will have to continue listening to Arthur for the rest of his life."
"If you put yourself in his shoes, you can guess his thoughts. Whether in the past or present, he has never wanted to be too involved with the Lord, nor does he want to listen to Arthur. He outwardly obeys Arthur now simply because Arthur is stronger than him, and he can't win. Once Arthur has a thought, he could be eliminated at any time."
"We all know Arthur's strength; I won't say more, but I'm telling you, he's doing this now just to curry favor with us and make us continue to believe him."
"Because he needs us, not now, but in the future."
"After all, with the strength of one person alone, Arthurcan never be defeated."
"The only way to defeat Arthur is to unite more people and act together; only then is there a chance of success."
"If it's just one person, or two people acting together, trying to harm Arthur, it's simply impossible. Arthur's strength..."
Chapter 165: Keep a low profile, my life is important.
His power is too strong; a gentle touch can turn those people into ash.
One could only say that Mephisto is quite intelligent; he knows what we want, and he also knows why he is doing this.
So now he can only curry favor with us, but whether what he says is true or false, and whether Arthur made a deal with him, nobody knows. It's also possible that Mephistojust made it up, then manipulated it to pretend it was a deal Arthur made with him.
Of course, if we want to figure this out, it might take some time, but rest assured, I have a way to distinguish if this deal is real.
After all, true and false deals have a fatal flaw; it's not difficult to uncover.
If it's fake, I'll know immediately, so you don't need to worry. Even if what he gives is fake, it means our relationship with him has completely broken down.
So don't worry, although we've lost a capable subordinate, it doesn't significantly affect us, as there are plenty of demons in this World.
Powerful villains are everywhere. Even without Mephisto, we don't need to rush, because we don't lack him; rather, he lacks us. Besides us, no one can help him escape Arthur.
Of course, I know he understands this point very well in his heart, so no matter if what he says is true or false, it has no impact on us. If what he says is false, then we don't want the souls of those supporting characters either.
Hearing this, Surtur had some objections. After all, if this deal was fake, then Mephisto should have given us the souls. If we just don't take them, what about the supporting characters?
After all, the supporting characters' strength can truly make the gods fear.
No matter what, a capable person like Gorr is absolutely indispensable.
Surtur continued, "Then we'll just give up one. I think our main purpose in coming here this time is to create conflict, right? If we just leave like this, what about Gorr? Are we just going to give up on him?"
To be honest, whether we have Gorr or not doesn't have a huge impact on us, although with him joining, our combat power will indeed increase significantly.
But that's only on the premise that we can cooperate with Mephisto. If we can't cooperate and we take this soul, then we owe him a favor.
If that's the case, then we won't have a legitimate reason to openly fight alongside him in the future, and we might even have to help him. If we don't take his soul, then there will be no relationship between him and us in the future. Do you understand what I mean?
You must see things through and not give the other party any opportunities. Once you give an opportunity, it means you admit you're not capable. You need to understand this yourself.
Surtur listened with a mix of belief and doubt, feeling a bit dizzy but generally understanding.
He continued, "Alright then, in that case, let's not take Gorr's soul for now."
Although I've always felt it's a pity to lose such a powerful helper, after all, there are truly few people who can harm the gods, and those gods are particularly afraid of Gorr's energy.
With his immortal body and the power of the Black Sword, no one can defeat him except Arthur.
If we lose him, our strength will also be greatly reduced. After all, other lords, like me, will have their power significantly decreased once they leave their domain, not nearly as strong as they are on their own territory.
Once they leave their domain, their strength might drop by more than half. In that case, even if we lose Gorr, we won't be able to defeat Arthur later...
What's more, Arthur is with those gods now, and the gods' power is not weak. We not only need to defeat Arthur but also contend with those gods. Defeating the gods is the most important thing, and Arthur is just an ordinary person; he is actually not much of a threat to us. Our ultimate goal is not Arthur, but the gods behind him.
But to deal with those gods, Arthur is the biggest obstacle, because now those gods are all following Arthur; he is their leader.
If we want to move against those gods, the simplest and fastest way is to eliminate Arthur first, because the power of those gods is not even one percent of Arthur's.
Without Arthur, what can those gods use to contend with us? From that moment on, this World will be ours, and no one can compare to us.
We will become the most powerful existence in the World. What's wrong with that? But the most important thing is to eliminate Arthur first; he is our biggest obstacle.
Listening to you, it doesn't sound bad. Ruling one's own territory is boring; if we're going to rule, let's rule the entire World.
5.3 Mephisto led them to see the so-called evidence.
Logically, if Arthur and Mephisto were to sign a contract, the ceremony should take place in a room.
But now, Mephisto was clearly taking them outside the Hell Lord's castle.
This left Loki and Surtur bewildered.
"What's going on? Is he taking us out of the castle? Didn't he say he would show us evidence? Why did it suddenly change like this?" Surtur looked confused, completely not expecting Mephisto to take them out of the castle.
Who knows? Anyway, if we don't see the evidence in the end, we'll just leave.
In any case, it doesn't affect us much; the key is what he does.
That's right.
Soon, they arrived outside the castle. Just as they were still confused about why Mephisto would take them outside, a sea of flowers suddenly appeared before their eyes.
Not only Loki, but even Surtur couldn't help but exclaim.
Because they had entered Mephisto's castle directly through a portal, without passing through the outside World, they had no idea what the outside of the castle looked like.
And as everyone knows, Mephisto is the Hell Lord, and the general impression of hell is usually gloomy, terrifying, and endlessly dark. How could there be so many flowers and plants, and even bird calls?
If this were another place, it might be believable, but this is hell. How could it become like this? The scene before them completely subverted their understanding.
Loki: "What's going on? You tell me this is hell, am I mistaken and stumbled into some wonderland? How can this place be like hell? How can hell look like this?"
But when he looked back, it was indeed the Hell Lord's castle.
Now, he didn't know whether to believe what he was seeing.
Surtur: "Damn! Are you sure this is hell? We're just across a river, I live next to you, why didn't I notice you changed so much?"
What's going on? Is it an illusion? Shouldn't hell be gloomy, terrifying, and full of resentment? How come there's no such feeling here at all, but rather it's a bit warm and beautiful?
What have you done to your hell? Or did you use some magic?
Seeing their surprise, Mephisto couldn't help but smile, clearly his goal had been achieved.
Mephisto continued, "This isn't magic; it's a real change. Although I am the Hell Lord, this is not a World I created, so I cannot change it at will."
Originally, this place was full of resentment and pain, and I had long wanted to leave. If it weren't for my power being greatly reduced if I wasn't here, I would have left long ago.
But now, seeing all this, I've abandoned that idea. At least now, I truly enjoy staying here and living a comfortable life.
Not only dealing with those souls but also getting along with these flowers, plants, and trees.
As for what you said earlier, whether I used any battle magic, I can tell you now, this is a real change. If you don't believe it, you can go ahead and see for yourselves, whatever you like.
Back to the main topic, didn't you say earlier that I made a deal with Arthur? This is the deal between me and Arthur. I gave him two souls, and he helped me change the appearance of hell.
Although this doesn't greatly increase my own strength, it can make me feel better and make me dislike this place less.
Outwardly, I am called the Hell Lord, but it would be better to say I am a demon trapped here, but now it's completely different. All this change was brought to me by Arthur.
And Arthur only wanted two souls, so if that's the case, I gave them to him. To me, those two souls are nothing major.
At least he greatly changed my interests. Of course, if you also have this ability, I have no problem directly giving you the souls you want.
If you also possess such ability, I will directly deliver Gorr's soul to you.
Originally, they were still thinking about how to get the souls, but now, seeing the changes in hell, both of them were speechless.
Although Arthur did not sign a contract with them, the changes and abilities he brought were indeed beyond their comparison. They also didn't have such strong abilities; he could even change the topography of an entire area, which completely refreshed their understanding of Arthur.
Clearly, they had been completely subdued by Arthur's strength and no longer had any reason not to believe Mephisto's words. No wonder his intelligence didn't mention any deal between Mephisto and the master, after all, Arthur could change an entire place with just a wave of his hand.
Mephisto continued, "Are you satisfied with this evidence? Or do you still not believe it?"
At this moment, both of them remained silent, clearly completely conquered by Arthur's strength.
Loki: "No need, we believe you."
Since that's the case, I retract what I said before. Indeed, my information was inaccurate and caused a misunderstanding. I apologize to you.
Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared, tell us, how can you give us Gorr's soul? How do you want to trade? Or what do you want to get from us, just say it directly.
Of course, it must be within our capabilities.
Upon hearing Loki's reply, Mephisto was naturally very satisfied.
Good, your words are enough for me.
But rest assured, I am not an unreasonable person. Although to get a soul from me, you must make a deal with me.
It depends on the level of the soul and the compensation you give me.
But ultimately, we are already very familiar, and to be honest, I will still rely on you to defeat Arthur in the future. I won't hide it from you, the reason I'm not cooperating with you now is because I don't think you're confident of winning against Arthur.
And I am not like you; my life is currently in Arthur's hands. If I had cooperated with you last time and you couldn't defeat Arthur, I don't know if Arthur would kill you, but my life would definitely not be saved. I don't want to lose my life so early; I haven't had enough of being the Hell Lord yet.
You want the souls of the supporting characters. I can give you those souls, but my condition is that when you gather enough power and go to fight Arthur, you take me with you.
Of course, that's when you are absolutely confident you can fight Arthur; only then will I join you.
For now, it's better to follow the advice of being low-key. My life is important.
Besides, I'm not stupid. With Arthur's current strength, I'll definitely obey him and then rebel when I'm capable later.
What if I fall out with him now? I might end up like those supporting characters, becoming a pitiful soul.
To save my life, I don't have the ability to defeat Arthurright now, and neither do you. If that's the case, why should we go against Arthur? Going would just be suicide, and I don't want to be that fool.
Of course, you can also think I have a problem, but I'm just telling the truth. If you want the souls of the supporting characters, then agree to my condition.
I don't think this is a bad deal for you, after all, aren't you just trying to use these souls to deal with Arthur? Giving you these souls is actually helping myself. I'm thinking about the future, and I'm not afraid of you knowing that this is what I think.