Chapter 196: The changes in hell leave them in disbelief
Soon, the group arrived at the perimeter of the castle, still wondering why Mephisto had brought them to the outskirts of the castle.
They were supposed to see the evidence, but now they had already left the castle.
But just as they stepped out of the castle and reached the perimeter, a sea of flowers came into their view.
Not only Loki, but even Surtur let out an exclamation.
After all, they had just used a portal to arrive directly inside Mephisto's castle. They hadn't passed through the outside World, so they didn't know what kind of World existed around Mephisto's castle.
As everyone knows, Mephisto is the lord of hell, and everyone has a general idea of what hell looks like. It can be terrifying, or it can be pitch black, but it is absolutely impossible for it to be covered in flowers and trees, with the sounds of birds chirping from time to time.
If this were anywhere else, they might believe it, but this is hell. How could hell look like this? Seeing the scene before them refreshed their perception of hell once again.
Loki: "What is this? You tell me this is hell? Are you sure we didn't accidentally wander into some fairyland? How could this be hell? How could hell grow like this?"
But when Loki turned his head to look, it was indeed the hell castle.
And now, he didn't know whether he should believe everything he saw in front of him.
Surtur: "Damn it, are you telling me this is hell? Are you kidding me? We are just separated by a river; I live right next door to you. How did I not know you had changed so drastically?"
"What's going on? Could it be some kind of illusion? Shouldn't hell be gloomy and full of resentment? How can I not feel any of that here? There's even a hint of warmth and beauty."
"What exactly did you do to your hell? Or did you cast some kind of magic?"
Seeing the two of them so shocked, Mephisto couldn't help but put on a smile. After all, it was clear that his goal had been achieved.
Mephisto continued, "magic? This isn't magic; this is a genuine change. Although I am the lord of hell, I did not create this World, so I cannot make changes to it."
"I have long had enough of this place full of resentment and gloom. If it weren't for the fact that my strength would be greatly reduced if I left, I would have left long ago."
"But now, everything in front of me has directly dispelled that thought. At least for now, I am very willing to stay in this place and enjoy my good life,"
"Not just dealing with those souls of mine, but also interacting with these beautiful flowers, plants, and creatures."
"As for what you said earlier about whether I used any illusions, I can tell you now that this is a genuine change. If you don't believe it, you can go to the front and enjoy it. Suit yourselves."
"Back to the main topic, didn't you say earlier that I made a deal with Hode? Well, this is the deal Hode made with me. I give him two souls, and he helps me change the appearance of hell."
"Although this doesn't bring much change to my strength, it makes me feel better and makes me less disgusted with this place."
"They say I'm the lord of hell, but it's more like I'm a demon imprisoned here. But now it's completely different, and all of this is the change Hode has brought me."
"And Hode only wanted two souls. Since that's the case, I'll give them to him. To me, those two souls don't have much of an impact."
"At least he was able to change everything here. Of course, if you guys can do the same, it wouldn't be impossible for me to give you the souls you want."
"If you had such ability, I would send Gorr's soul directly to you."
They were originally planning how to get the soul, but after seeing the changes in hell, the two were speechless.
Although Hode didn't sign a contract with him, the changes Hode brought to hell and his abilities were indeed beyond what they could achieve. They didn't have such powerful abilities to be able to change the terrain and appearance of a realm, which again refreshed their perception of Hode.
Clearly, they were now completely convinced by Hode's strength, and they no longer had any reason not to believe Mephisto. It's no wonder that his intelligence report didn't mention any deal between Mephisto and Hode; after all, Hode could change an entire realm 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, neither of them spoke. It was clear that they had been conquered by Hode's strength.
Loki: "No need, we believe you."
"In that case, I retract what I said earlier. My information was indeed inaccurate, which led to a misunderstanding. I apologize to you."
"Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, tell me, what must we do for you to hand over Gorr's soul? What kind of deal do you want to make? Or rather, just tell us directly what you want from us."
"Of course, it must be within our capabilities."
Upon hearing Loki's response, Mephisto was naturally satisfied.
"Good, that's all I needed to hear."
"But rest assured, I am not an unreasonable person, even though any soul obtained from me must involve a deal."
"It depends on the nature of the soul and the compensation you provide."
"But after all, we are quite familiar with each other. To be honest, I will need to rely on you to defeat Hode in the future. I won't hide it from you—the reason I am not cooperating with you now is because I don't believe you have the certainty to defeat Hode."
"And unlike you, my life is currently in Hode's hands. If I had cooperated with you last time and you failed to defeat Hode, I don't know if Hode would have killed you, but my life would certainly be forfeit. I don't want to lose my soul so early; I haven't had enough of being the Lord of Hell yet."
"You are asking me for the Side Character's soul. I can give it to you, but my requirement is that when you have gathered enough power and are ready to attack Hode, you must include me."
"Of course, I will only join you when you are absolutely certain that you can defeat Hode and go toe-to-toe with him."
"As for now, it's safer to listen to Hode; my life is more important."
Chapter 197: The Cowardly Mephisto
"Besides, I'm not stupid. Given Hode's strength, it's best to obey him now and resist only when I have the capability later."
"After all, if I were to clash with him directly, I might end up like the Side Character, turning into a pathetic soul."
"Since my life is at stake, and I currently lack the ability to defeat Hode—and you do too—what reason would I have to confront Hode? Even if I went, it would just be throwing my life away, and I don't want to die in vain."
"Of course, you can say I have issues or whatever, but I'm telling you the truth. If you want the Side Character's soul, you must agree to my condition."
"I don't think this is a bad deal for you. After all, you just want the Side Character's soul to help defeat Hode, right? Me giving you the soul now is helping me as well; I am considering my own future. Of course, I'm not afraid of you knowing that this is exactly what I'm thinking."
"I've spoken plainly to you now. I think those who understand, understand. As for how you decide, that's up to you."
Just as Loki chose to agree to his request, Surtur pulled Loki aside to discuss it in a low voice.
"Wait, don't you feel like there's a trap here? I don't think Mephisto is kind enough to just hand over this soul to us."
"After all, while these souls aren't essentially useful to Mephisto, they can still increase his power a little. Moreover, this soul is Gorr."
"As for the rest, it goes without saying. You and I both know exactly what kind of strength Gorr possesses."
"Even though he has lost his soul, it can still provide Mephisto with very powerful soul energy. Although Gorrisn't a human, any soul can increase Mephisto's power. And now, he's just giving Gorr's soul to us like this."
"His request is just for us to take him along in the future, it's that simple. I think there must be a trap."
"Maybe he'll go back on his word later, or set us up in some other way. I think someone like Mephisto is very capable of doing such things."
"Mephisto isn't kind enough to give us these things, especially not for such a simple request. If he really gives it to us just like that, then he certainly isn't the real Mephisto."
"I think we should think about this a bit more. After all, who knows if he's really setting us up? If there is a trap, wouldn't we be the ones affected in the end? Although the probability of a trap might not be high, I believe we should take precautions. After all, getting this so easily surely isn't that simple."
Seeing Surtur so agitated, just as Surtur was about to continue speaking, Loki interrupted: "I remember before I came with you, I told you what he was thinking. Do you remember?"
"We are both demons, there's no need to think as complicatedly as humans. In our World, there are only simple things: defeating a common enemy and unifying."
"As for Mephisto, he counts as a member of our team. Although he hasn't ostensibly agreed to cooperate with us, he has more or less joined our ranks; we just can't count him in right now because his life is at stake."
"So no matter how you look at it, what he did is fine. After all, he just wants to save his own life, and him helping us is just for his own sake. Of course, as demons, we certainly don't have as many emotions as humans, just like you and me."
"Aren't you and I also in a purely transactional relationship? Whether from the beginning or now, it's just that our goals are the same: to defeat Hode."
"It's just that Hode is our common enemy right now. As for anything else, there's naturally nothing to say."
"So to me, there is no issue with what Mephisto did, because he just wants us to help him defeat Hode. Right now, we indeed lack the capability; if just the two of us go to fight him, that's just suicide."
"And if he joined us now, he would naturally be discovered by Hode. Otherwise, why do you think Hode knows about him?"
"You have to know that Hode possesses the Dimensional Portal. Perhaps he can even see Mephisto's status right now."
"Of course, if what Mephisto said were known by Hode, that would be a different story."
"However, I believe that although Hode can monitor his every move, he wouldn't be that idle. Moreover, since he has enough strength to make Mephisto submit, he can be confident in trusting him."
"But right now, neither you nor I possess that kind of strength, so for us, this is already enough."
"And what Mephisto said is the truth. From the beginning until now, as long as there is sufficient capability, he will naturally join us; it's just that now is not the time yet."
"But regardless of whether it's the right time, at least he is willing to give us Gorr's soul. Logically speaking, if you want to make a deal with Mephisto, you either have to be desperate for him, or give him something that can enhance his strength."
"Or you have to pledge your most important items here. In short, wanting to make a deal with him is inherently a difficult thing, and it could very likely result in a significant decrease in your strength."
"Therefore, the souls Mephisto possesses aren't something just anyone can obtain. So for 705u.com-53 Reading Club, for those who are dying, they can only die; there is no ability that can help them resurrect."
"Because they do not have the capital to make Mephistoagree to a deal."
"So from the beginning until now, very few people have obtained souls from Mephisto. Since he can give us this soul without asking us to do anything, it shows that Mephisto himself has something he needs from us; he wants us to help him accomplish more things."
"After all, if Mephisto loses us, then he can only be a puppet of the Regicide for the rest of his life."
"For him, this is the most unacceptable thing. The reason he listens to Hode now is just a helpless move; after all, he has no other choice."
"It's not just that he can't beat Hode; if he angers Hode, the final result would be death right here."
Chapter 198: There is a reason why Hode didn't kill him.
"And as the administrator of Hell, as the Lord of this Hell, if he were to die, the consequences would naturally be unimaginable."
"Not just before, but even more so now."
"And it is precisely because Hode calculated this that he didn't kill him. Regardless, he is still a Lord, different from other ordinary people."
"Of course, it's also possible that Mephisto is cowardly and clinging to life, so he just submitted to Hode and became Hode's lackey. He is quite sensible."
"If that weren't the case, then the outcome might have been different."
"But regardless of which outcome it is, for us, there are certain benefits. Although he is helping Hode now, when we decide to go to war, his allegiance will be different."
"And obeying Hode is also a helpless move for him. I think our teammate is truly too powerful, although one can sense that Hode doesn't like fighting."
"Hode also dislikes war. What he hopes for is that all living beings in this World coexist peacefully. However, what he doesn't know is that there can only be one type of powerful being in this World: either humans, gods, or demons. If they all want to be the boss, then what kind of peace can one speak of in this World?"
"Of course, looking at the current situation, it is clear that those gods have already listened to Hode, so gods can be directly ruled out."
"And now, the only ones left in this World are us demons."
"If he wants peace, he possesses powerful energy. Trying to make him listen to us or submit is absolutely impossible."
"After all, in their eyes, demons are absolute villains, and since he likes war, he only has the option of making us submit."
"Only by bringing everything under his command is it possible to ensure this entire World coexists peacefully."
"But he needs to know that here, gods and humans can maintain absolute peace, but demons cannot. He cannot control our thoughts. As demons, defeating the gods is our ultimate goal, because we want to become the kings of this World."
"And it is they who should submit, not us. Dignified demons, actually submitting to a human? Even if he has absolute strength, so what about '705u.com-53 Reading Club'? Just because he is a human, this is absolutely impossible."
Mephisto also quickly understood. Regarding Hode, the first thing they needed to do was to defeat him.
Only in this way could they take back their home turf.
Of course, Loki knew that none of this would be so easy.
Although he wanted to have all the demons launch an attack on Hode right now, given the current situation, it was very likely that Hode had already subdued a large portion of the demons in this World.
After all, Gorr had disappeared, and Mephisto had already become Hode's subordinate. Similarly, it was very likely that other figures had ended up in the same situation; either they listened to Hode, or they were eliminated by Hode, it was just that he hadn't received the news yet.
The demons eliminated or subdued by Hode were not in the minority, and now, for them to gather these demons to launch an attack on Hode, the difficulty was naturally exceptionally high.
After all, many people would surely have the same thought as Mephisto. As a lord of Hell, he was still worried about his own life. If we don't have enough strength, he really might not join us.
But the other lords in the Universe were also very likely to have already been subdued by Hode, and their thoughts would be the same. If there was no absolute strength, they would absolutely not stand on the opposite side of Hode.
If that were the case, Loki and Surtur would be in trouble, because they had no way to ensure they could defeat Hode.
If they didn't have their help, let alone defeating Hode, it was very likely that even they would end up being subdued by Hode in the end.
Then this World would truly be peaceful as always, all listening to Hode's words.
For this reason, he absolutely could not let such a thing happen.
Surtur saw Loki's expression getting worse and worse, and even he felt concerned.
"What's wrong with you? Why does your face look so pale? Did something happen?"
"Your expression was fine just a moment ago, how did it change so suddenly?"
Looking at the simple-minded Surtur in front of him, Lokiwas even more worried.
If Hode found Surtur and offered him enough reward to make him join Hode's camp, based on his understanding of Surtur, this matter would likely succeed nine times out of ten.
For someone like Surtur, as long as Hode offered some reward or gave him enough promises, he might just abandon the darkness for the light; that is entirely possible.
Because he could clearly see that the current Surtur was not very obsessed with this World and not obsessed with his status; it was just that he was the one driving Surtur.
But if Hode's appearance disrupted their plans and disrupted his thoughts, then defeating Hode would be out of the question.
But after all, nothing had happened yet, so putting pressure on Surtur like this wasn't quite appropriate.
For this reason, Loki pulled Surtur and walked back.
Continuing to speak: "It's nothing, let's head back. Now, let's go get Gorr's soul and resurrect him."
"Our primary task now is to resurrect this big shot first. After all, without his help, it is indeed quite difficult. He is the only one who can directly resist and defeat the gods, it's just that with Hode's appearance, everything is different now."
The two followed Mephisto into the interior of the castle. Halfway there, Mephisto stopped and spoke up: "However, I want to make this clear to you first. Although Gorr's soul is with me now, his wife and daughter have already been persuaded by Hode. They are living by Hode's side now. Even if you resurrect Gorr, he might not necessarily continue to be Hode's enemy."
"Perhaps they have also listened to Hode together. If that's the case, what will you do?"
"I don't know if you understand Gorr's situation, but according to what I know, the reason he hates those gods is all because of his wife and daughter."
"And since Hode has taken his wife and daughter by his side, he naturally won't treat them badly; perhaps he will even give them a good living environment."
"At the very least, they won't be living the miserable life they lived before. If Gorr finds out about this, and if his wife and daughter have developed some feelings for Hode, guess what the final outcome will be? Which side will Gorrchoose to stand on?"
"So I think before resurrecting him, all of this needs to be thought through."
Chapter 199: Facing Gorr, They Stopped.
"After all, it's just a soul; if I give it to you, I give it to you. It doesn't have much impact on me. However, I also hope you can consider it clearly. After he is resurrected, will he listen to you, or will he return to Hode's side? After all, when they went to war with Hode, it was voluntary, because he couldn't do it."
"But if you resurrect him and make him continue to fight against Hode, that might not be certain. Before, it was impossible for him to listen to Hode, but after being resurrected once, it might not be the same."
"What's more, his wife and daughter are still on Hode's side. If they are eating well and living well, he might even be grateful to Hode, wanting him to join you to deal with Hode—I don't think that probability is very high."
"Of course, I'm saying so much just because I hope you can consider it clearly and consider all the possibilities. At the very least, when he is resurrected, he should be on your side. If he ends up on Hode's side, then there's really no need to fight."
"Even the gods are wary of Gorr's strength, otherwise they wouldn't have asked Hode to come out and eliminate him."
"With such strength, if he really becomes our enemy, then we will have gained another formidable opponent. Wanting to defeat Gorr is not an easy thing."
"Although the main beneficiaries of Gorr's actions are the gods, and it doesn't pose much harm to demons, even without all this, it is very likely to be a tough battle."
"So, what I am telling you now is that before you resurrect him, you must think all this through and ensure he can listen to you."
"If you aren't sure, then you'd better not act rashly. It's not that I won't give you Gorr's soul, but that you don't have the ability to control his soul, nor the ability to make him submit to you."
Hearing this, Loki and Surtur fell into deep thought. After all, they indeed hadn't thought of this point.
What they had thought at the time was just that because they were his enemies, and he himself hated those gods, it was logical that he would join their team, but they had completely left his wife and daughter behind.
If Hode treated his wife and daughter very well, even if Gorr was resurrected, what mattered most to Gorr was his wife and daughter, and then everything else.
If Hode treated them very well, then Gorr might not necessarily be Hode's enemy.
If Gorr ended up on Hode's side in the end, it was possible that their plans would be known to Hode.
After all, Hode had killed Gorr.
A dead person suddenly resurrecting—if it were a normal resurrection, it wouldn't have any impact on them, and they would naturally be used to it, but Hode's abilities were not like those of the gods.
Hode killed Gorr, so it was absolutely impossible for Gorrto return to this World.
And Hode was also extremely smart. If he knew that Gorrhad returned to this World, then it would definitely have some connection to Mephisto, and in the end, it might even implicate us. And the one who would be defeated after that would not be Hode, but us.
Thinking of this, for a moment, they didn't know how to explain all of this.
And now, after Mephisto saw the expressions of the two, he naturally guessed their thoughts.
It was clear that they hadn't thought of this point, nor had they thought about whether Gorr would thank or retaliate against Hode after being resurrected.
But since his wife and daughter were staying in that place, if Hode treated them well, then Gorr could only thank Hode, not retaliate.
Perhaps in the end, even his wife and daughter would speak up for Hode. Since he has managed to resurrect, what he would surely imagine is being with his wife and daughter, rather than continuing to wage war against them. After all, the root cause has been resolved. The reason he was willing to give his good fortune to Hodewas simply because he couldn't bear it at the time.
But what about now? What if he has already died once? If he knew that his wife and daughter were living well now, then the consequences would be somewhat different.
"Indeed, I truly hadn't considered these issues. After all, at the time, I just felt that Gorr himself was very pitiful. Isn't Hode keeping his wife and daughter by his side a way to make him obey Hode as well?"
"As for the rest, there's no need to mention it. This is indeed something I failed to consider; it is my fault."
Even Surtur spoke up at this moment: "In that case, should we still continue to resurrect Gorr?"
"Or should we resolve the situation with his wife and daughter first? If we appear, wouldn't his wife and daughter be doomed?"
"Even if I appeared now, trying to take his wife and daughter away from there wouldn't be very likely, would it?"
"No matter what, it's still a bit unrealistic. Whether back then or now, our main purpose in resurrecting Gorr is to defeat Hode."
"If even Gorr goes over to Hode's side and ignores us, wouldn't we be the ones suffering?"
"Now that the matter with his wife and daughter hasn't been resolved, if we just rescue him directly, wouldn't that cause a lot of problems?"
"But then again, his wife and daughter are currently with the Master. If one wants to rescue his wife and daughter, they must pass through layers of trials."
"If we end up being willful like little kittens, we will also be influenced by Hode. If that happens, then there will truly be no one who can defeat Hode."
With that, they abandoned the idea of defeating Hode, because defeating Hode was their final goal, "705u.com-53 Reading Club".
Having come here, they finally managed to recruit a powerful helper, but they overlooked him himself.
After all, if the issue with his wife and daughter isn't resolved, even if they resurrect him, it would be meaningless.
Moreover, after Gorr died, he surely would have wanted to defeat all those gods, but now that his wife and daughter are with Hode, this made him stop in his tracks. Otherwise, how could he have been so easily killed by Hode?
Mephisto followed up by saying: "So, do you still intend to continue trying to resurrect Gorr, or will you resolve the issue with his wife and daughter first?"
"After all, for him, death might be his best option. Perhaps he wouldn't obey Hode's orders or associate with those gods, but now that his wife and daughter are over there, you still need to think it through."
Chapter 200: Mephisto Compromises
"After all, it's just a soul; I'll give it to you if you want it. It doesn't have much of an impact on me. However, I also hope you can consider clearly: after resurrecting him, will he listen to you, or will he return to Hode's side? After all, he was willing to go to war with Hode at the time because he couldn't do otherwise."
"But if you resurrect him and make him continue to fight against Hode, that might not be certain. He wouldn't have listened to Hode before, but after being resurrected once, things might be different."
"What's more, his wife and daughter are still over at the headquarters. If they are living well and eating well, he might even be grateful to Hode. I don't think the probability of him joining you to deal with Hode is very high."
"Of course, I'm saying all this just because I hope you can consider everything clearly and weigh all possibilities. At the very least, when he is resurrected, he should be on your side. If he ends up on Hode's side, then there's really no point in fighting."
"Even the gods are wary of Gorr's strength; otherwise, they wouldn't have invited Hode to eliminate him."
"With such strength, if he really becomes our enemy, then we have gained another formidable opponent. Defeating Gorr is not an easy task."
"Although the primary beneficiaries of Gorr are the gods, and it doesn't pose much harm to demons, even without all that, it would very likely be a hard-fought battle."
"Therefore, what I am telling you now is that before you resurrect him, you must think all of this through and ensure that he will listen to you."
"If you aren't confident, then don't act rashly. It's not that I won't give you Gorr's soul, but that you lack the ability to control his soul and make him submit to you."
Hearing this, Loki and Lote fell into deep thought. After all, they truly hadn't considered this point.
What they thought at the time was just that because they, the "705u.com-53 Reading Club", were his guarantors, and he himself hated those gods, he would naturally join their ranks. However, they completely left his wife and daughter behind.
If Hode treats his wife and daughter very well, then Gorrmight really not necessarily be an enemy of Hode.
If, in the end, Gorr stands on Hode's side, perhaps their plan will also be known by Hode.
After all, Hode was the one who killed Gorr.
A dead person suddenly resurrecting—if it were a matter of previous interference, it wouldn't have any impact on them, and they would naturally be accustomed to it. But Hode's abilities are different from those gods.
Hode killed Gorr, so it is absolutely impossible for Gorr to return to this World.
And Hode is extremely clever. If he finds out that Gorr has returned to this World, then it must have some connection with Mephisto, and in the end, it will even implicate us. And the one who gets defeated then won't be Hode; it will be us.
Thinking of this, for a moment, they didn't know how to explain all of this.
And now, after Mephisto saw the expressions of the two, he naturally guessed their thoughts.
Clearly, they hadn't thought of this point, nor had they considered whether Gorr would be grateful to or seek revenge on Hode after being resurrected.
Chapter 201: Only Choice Is to Hand It Over to Them
But since his wife and daughter are staying in that place, if Hode treats them well, then Gorr can only be grateful to Hode, not seek revenge.
Perhaps in the end, even his wife and daughter would speak up for Hode. Since he has managed to resurrect, what he would surely imagine is being with his wife and daughter, rather than continuing to wage war against them. After all, the root cause has been resolved. The reason he was willing to give his good fortune to Hodewas simply because he couldn't bear it at the time.
But what about now? What if he has already died once? If he knew that his wife and daughter were living well now, then the consequences would be somewhat different.
"Indeed, I truly hadn't considered these issues. After all, at the time, I just felt that Gorr himself was very pitiful. Isn't Hode keeping his wife and daughter by his side a way to make him obey Hode as well?"
"As for the rest, there's no need to mention it. This is indeed something I failed to consider; it is my fault."
Even Surtur spoke up at this moment: "In that case, should we still continue to resurrect Gorr?"
"Or should we resolve the situation with his wife and daughter first? If we appear, wouldn't his wife and daughter be doomed?"
"Even if I appeared now, trying to take his wife and daughter away from there wouldn't be very likely, would it?"
"No matter what, it's still a bit unrealistic. Whether back then or now, our main purpose in resurrecting Gorr is to defeat Hode."
"If even Gorr goes over to Hode's side and ignores us, wouldn't we be the ones suffering?"
"Now that the matter with his wife and daughter hasn't been resolved, if we just rescue him directly, wouldn't that cause a lot of problems?"
"But then again, his wife and daughter are currently with the Master. If one wants to rescue his wife and daughter, they must pass through layers of trials."
"If we end up being willful like little kittens, we will also be influenced by Hode. If that happens, then there will truly be no one who can defeat Hode."
With that, they abandoned the idea of defeating Hode, because defeating Hode was their final goal.
Having come here, they finally managed to recruit a powerful helper, but they overlooked him himself.
After all, if the issue with his wife and daughter isn't resolved, even if they resurrect him, it would be meaningless.
Moreover, after Gorr died, he surely would have wanted to defeat all those gods, but now that his wife and daughter are with Hode, this made him stop in his tracks. Otherwise, how could he have been so easily killed by Hode?
Mephisto followed up by saying: "So, do you still intend to continue trying to resurrect Gorr, or will you resolve the issue with his wife and daughter first?"
"After all, for him, death was his best option. Perhaps since he agreed to follow Hode's orders, it's impossible for him to associate with the others, but now his wife and daughter are over there, so you all should think this through carefully."
Chapter 202: Mephisto's Advice
Facing Mephisto's advice, Loki and Surtur fell into deep thought.
After all, what he said was indeed correct. Even if they rescued Gorr now, what would it accomplish? His wife and daughter were still in Hode's hands.
Perhaps Gorr was even truly willing to die; otherwise, why would he have delivered his own life to Hode and let Hodeexecute him?
The reason he let Hode execute him—and the "705u.com-53 Reading Club"—was simply that he didn't want to see such facts, nor did he want to acknowledge Hode's actions and what Hode had done for him, because the harm those gods had caused him was simply too great.
Only by becoming a soul and living in Hell could he finally reach his end. If they rescued Gorr now, it would be tantamount to causing him secondary trauma, because he would only be able to join their organization, while his wife and daughter remained by Hode's side. Even if these people rescued him, what would it accomplish?
From beginning to end, Gorr never longed for anyone to save him. All he wanted was to leave this World, to leave his wife and daughter, and let them live in happiness, since they had been saved by Hode.
A person like him shouldn't be here disturbing them, because he couldn't do it—he couldn't coexist peacefully with those gods—so he could only live a miserable life in this Hell.
But if Loki and Surtur were to rescue Gorr now, the Worldwould face another great catastrophe. Not to mention whether Gorr would thank the two of them for saving him, he might even feel disgust toward them.
And as for future cooperation, that was out of the question. If they rescued him, his main priority would be to find his wife and daughter to see if they were doing well.
And since Hode was so powerful and resourceful, how could he possibly fail to discover Gorr's existence?
But I think he wasn't stupid either. Since he was killed by Hode, there was no reason for him to be resurrected unless someone went to Hell to save him.
But the probability of such a thing happening was extremely low. Who would specifically run to Hell to rescue Gorr, unless it was Hode himself or some other demon?
And the purpose of rescuing him could be guessed after a moment's thought: wasn't it just to rescue him and eventually form a powerful team to kill oneself?
But if that were the case, given Hode's abilities, it was impossible for such a team to form so easily. And with Gorr's help, Hode could find those demons even faster to eliminate them...
Besides, Gorr's wife and daughter were still in Hode's hands; how could he not comply? If Hode were to threaten Gorr, saying that if he didn't provide the list, he would do terrible things to his wife and daughter, how could Gorrallow such a thing to happen?
Therefore, all things considered, after rescuing him, he would still stand on Hode's side instead of working with them against Hode, because his wife and daughter were still being held hostage by Hode.
Hode's influence was also not small. Besides those gods, many demons in the Demon Realm had already been exposed—assuming one wasn't blind. Although those demons might have been forced to join Hode because Hode possessed such powerful abilities, they had no way to control Hode and had already been subdued by Hode's strength.
Chapter 203: Loki's Plan Fails, A Helpless Choice
Since that was the case, obeying Hode was the best option for them, and now it had also caused great trouble for Surtur and Loki, because they had no way to defeat Hode.
Trying to rescue his wife and daughter from Hode's hands could be said to be a completely impossible task.
After all, as far as they understood, Hode was not alone; he also had those false gods by his side.
And powerful gods were living alongside Hode. If the two of them were to try to rescue his wife and daughter, it could be said to be an impossible task, and they might even be killed directly by Hode.
Clearly, the hope of rescuing Gorr and having him join their team was directly shattered.
Because they had no way to bear all of this.
Perhaps in the end, their enemy might truly turn out to be the Gorr they had rescued. Therefore, they didn't know whether they should rescue Gorr now or go back first to discuss what to do.
But what they knew now was that they couldn't rescue Gorr, because they didn't have absolute certainty that they could make Gorr trust their words.
And make him join their team to fight against Hodetogether.
After all, at least in Gorr's eyes, Hode was the one who had saved his wife and daughter, and he also intended to let Gorr live with his wife and daughter, as long as he stopped being an enemy of the gods.
But the harm those gods had caused him was simply not something Hode could make up for.
Even if Gorr no longer resented Hode or the gods, and his wish had already been fulfilled—having seen his wife and daughter—even so, he still could not forgive everything the gods had done. His heart was still unwilling to accept all of this, which was why Hode killing him with one strike was the best form of release for him.
Mephisto also saw the point of anxiety for the two people in front of him; after all, they indeed had no way to rescue Gorr and ensure that Gorr would listen to them and fight against Hode together.
Mephisto didn't make things difficult for them and continued speaking: "Of course, the conditions I proposed are always open to you. If you don't want to rescue Gorrnow, it doesn't matter. When you have the ability later, or if you want to rescue Gorr, you can just come to me."
"As long as you don't forget the things you promised me, there will be no problem."
Loki thought it over and felt that what Mephisto said made some sense; now was indeed not the time to rescue Gorr.
Perhaps in the end, Gorr might even turn the tables and ask why they had rescued him, and things like that; at that time, it would be they who would have a hard time dealing with the situation.
And they hadn't gathered their personnel yet, so it was very likely they would be targeted by Hode, and in the end, the ones to be eliminated would be the two of them.
After all, they had witnessed Hode's abilities, and Hodejust didn't want to bother with these small fry; fighting them would just be a waste of his time. Hode naturally wouldn't easily make a move against objects that could be easily eliminated even if left to those gods.
Loki spoke up: "Since that's the case, let's drop this matter for now. We'll come back for Gorr later when we think of a solution."
Chapter 204: Make Other Demons Submit to His Feet!
But Loki realized it, yet Surtur did not.
"What? Why are we just leaving like this? Does that mean we aren't saving Gorr? Then what was the purpose of our coming here this time? Just to take a stroll?"
"Although staying in that lava all day is a bit boring, that's not a reason for us to come here and go back without doing anything, right?"
"But by the way, why did we decide not to save Gorr?"
Loki looked at Surtur in front of him, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say to him. This was no longer a matter of his thinking not keeping up with the pace.
This was already a question of whether there was something wrong with his brain.
Facing these foolish questions asked by Surtur, he couldn't be bothered to answer anymore and just perfunctorily replied: "Are you kidding? I've been talking for so long, and you haven't understood a single word? Since that's the case, I won't bother saying anything more. As for now, going back is the best choice; it's just not the right time for Gorr yet."
"After all, we didn't make enough preparations before coming here; coming to save him would only damage the relationship between us and him."
"Now that we're going back, at least we have a direction for our efforts, and at least we know what to do next."
"Huh? Then what should we do next?"
Looking at the slow-witted Surtur in front of him, Lokifinally decided to ignore him and just looked at Mephisto in front of him.
He continued to speak: "It's fine, don't mind him. Let's continue with our business. Since that's the case, we'll head back first. Let's leave Gorr with you for the time being; we'll decide whether to save him or not when we see the situation later."
"Fine, then I will wait for your news in Hell."
"Good."
With that, Loki and Surtur left Hell and returned to their residence.
The Fire Realm.
Surtur spoke up: "But if we don't go and rescue Gorr, what are we going to do next? Are we just going to wait like this? Or should we go find other demons to cooperate with, and then try to find an opportunity to rescue Gorr later?"
As for this question, Loki was still thinking about it. After all, he didn't know which direction to develop in to rescue Gorr's wife and daughter; that was certainly not very realistic, needless to say.
But if Gorr's wife and daughter remained by Hode's side, he would have no way to accept all of this.
Perhaps in the end, he would even have to work with Hodeagainst them, which would be counterproductive. It would be better to just let it turn into a soul and remain in Hell.
Because only in this way would they avoid any conflict, and they wouldn't gain another formidable opponent; after all, they were well aware of Gorr's strength.
However, if they didn't focus on Gorr and didn't save his wife and daughter, they would only be able to seek out other demons and find them to cooperate in defeating Hode.
It's just that Hode's influence is vast, and he didn't even know if other demons were like Mephisto, following Hode's orders and doing anything for Hode.
After all, Hode's strength would very likely make other demons submit to his feet.
Chapter 205: Loki's Insidious Plot
After all, he didn't know the movements of other demons, and Gorr's wife and daughter couldn't be saved for the time being. So, all they could do was gather external forces, unite with other demons, and find those with strength comparable enough to harm Hode to ally with him against Hode. After all, this was all he could do right now.
This was also a good opportunity to see if other demons had been subdued by Hode and were only following Hode's orders.
If not, that would naturally be good, but if so, it would be quite difficult. After all, if all the demons were like this, then finding helpers to deal with Hode would be very hard to accomplish. They were all waiting for someone with high strength to defeat Hode, but such a person didn't exist here. Only by gathering the energy of all the demons might it be possible to compete with Hode, and this was their only chance to defeat Hode, their only chance to fight for their own territory.
Those demons who were born hating the gods, if they obeyed Hode, it was highly likely they were forced because Hode possessed absolute strength that they lacked. But if they knew it was possible to defeat Hode, and there was a way to defeat Hode, he believed those demons would definitely agree to cooperate with him.
Loki continued, "What we need to do now is nothing more than two things: either find Gorr or find other demons. But clearly, the channel of Gorr has been extinguished; after all, we currently have no ability to rescue his wife and daughter from Hode's side, so this idea can only be shelved for now. Besides looking for Gorr, in order to defeat Hode, what we need to do next is to incite the energy of other demons to confront Hode together."
Surtur: "So what you need to do now is go to other realms, gather the other demons together, and finally launch an attack on Hode, right?"
"Then I won't accompany you. After all, I have left this Fire Realm for a long time, and my strength is gradually weakening. I must go back to recover."
"Fine, that works. Then I will go to the remaining demons myself; after all, it will definitely be more convenient if I go."
In the farmhouse. At this time, Hode was still at home eating grapes and watching the TV in front of him, while Ara and the Little Girl were also sitting beside him, obediently watching the funny content on the TV.
"Hahahaha, so funny! Mom, I didn't expect there to be such good TV in the human World. Living here is indeed happier. On our original Planet, we couldn't get enough to eat or wear, and even Dad left us."
"But come to think of it, where is Dad? Why hasn't he come to pick us up? What exactly is he busy with? Since I was resurrected, it seems I have only seen Dad once there."
Looking at the pitiful Little Girl in front of him, Hodecouldn't help but explain: "Do you miss Dad? Right now, Dad might still be far away doing a mission. He will only be able to come back to pick you up after he finishes."
"However, you can also live here with Dad. After all, if you go back to the Planet you used to live on, the life you lead will definitely be the same as before. And after such a long time, your Planet must have changed a lot."
"Are you unhappy living here? Or?"
"How could that be? Big Brother, I am very happy living here."
Chapter 206: The Little Girl's Bold Idea
"Every day there is endless delicious food, and the older brothers and sisters will play with me, and there is such interesting TV to watch. The most important point is that I can stay with Mom every day."
"Actually, Big Brother, I am a little curious about something."
The Little Girl stopped talking at this point, which made Hode curious about what question the Little Girl would ask.
"What's wrong? If you have any questions, just ask directly."
The Little Girl still looked hesitant; the words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't say them, so she swallowed them back again.
Seeing the Little Girl like this, Hode was quite anxious, as he really wanted to know what the Little Girl wanted to say.
"What's wrong? Just say whatever you want to say. It's okay, no need to be so hesitant."
After hearing Hode's words, the Little Girl turned to look at her mother again. After receiving confirmation, she stammered: "Actually, Big Brother, I'm just a little curious. There are so many older sisters in this house. Are they all your girlfriends?"
Pfft... Wanda, who was just taking her first sip of water nearby, spat it out directly after hearing what the Little Girlsaid.
"Sorry, I just choked. Don't mind me, you two continue."
Saying this, Wanda got up to start cleaning, and Lorna also got up to help. It could only be said that not a single person was idle.
After all, they could never have imagined that such words would actually come out of the mouth of a Little Girl, even though she was probably only around ten years old.
Ara, upon hearing the Little Girl speak, naturally hurried to explain: "Sorry, she's just a child, and children speak without thinking. I don't know where she learned these things. Don't pay attention to what she said."
But the Little Girl didn't want to give up just like that; after all, she had been thinking about this question in her heart for a long time. It was because she was really curious that she decided to ask a few questions.
Although she was a child, she understood some things about these issues, so for her, there was still some curiosity.
It was precisely because of this that she wanted to ask that question. In other words, although she had always regarded Hode as a Big Brother.
But after such a long time of contact, she had some thoughts in her heart about how Hode treated her.
Moreover, whether human or animal, everyone goes through puberty, it's just that... animals are more obvious about it.
And during such a long time of getting along, although the Little Girl knew that both her age and species were completely different from Hode, and even their living habits might be somewhat different.
But she knew that Hode was genuinely good to her; basically, whenever there was something delicious, he would save it for the Little Girl, and Hode was naturally exceptionally kind to her. Of course, in Hode's mind, all of this was normal behavior, after all, she was still just a child.
Plus, Hode was the one who sent her father to Hell; if he wasn't good to the Little Girl, that would be a bit too much.
Therefore, being good to the Little Girl was naturally expected, but because the Little Girl was currently in puberty, and the only male she often came into contact with was Hode.
Although she always called Hode "Big Brother," in her heart, she had long since developed a different perspective on Hode.
Chapter 207: This is an Out-of-Bounds Question!
Of course, coupled with the fact that Hode himself was very outstanding, no matter what aspect it was, with Hode, it would be handled perfectly.
Plus, Hode often gave her delicious food, took her out to play everywhere, and gave her very good living conditions. Although while doing these things, it wasn't just him, the Little Girl, and Wanda who were there.
But at the time, the Little Girl didn't notice these things at all; after all, her gaze was entirely on Hode.
Because every time Hode took the Little Girl out to play or do other things, the others would follow behind, or rather, participate with them.
Plus, there was a TV in Hode's home, and the content played was definitely relatively modern. After watching for a long time, over time, she would naturally understand some things.
And the word "girlfriend" was exactly what she had seen from the TV; after all, she didn't think these older sisters had a simple brother-sister relationship with Hode.
And, children who are in puberty have more complex thoughts, and often the things they think about are a bit different.
Asking this question was something she had pondered in her heart for a long time; the Little Girl had always wanted to know what kind of relationship Hode had with those older sisters.
Although for her, even if those older sisters were Hode's girlfriends, it didn't really explain anything.
Perhaps if Hode had so many girlfriends, even if she were added to the mix, it wouldn't matter at all.
However, this was also the main reason why the Little Girlsummoned the courage to ask Hode.
After all, these questions had been in the Little Girl's heart for a long time. If she hadn't said them out loud, she herself would have been very distressed.
At this moment, Hode was also stunned by what the Little Girl had said. He had never imagined that the Little Girlwould actually ask him such a question.
Hode had thought the Little Girl would ask about her father, but he had not expected the question to be this.
After all, in Hode's eyes, the Little Girl was just a normal ten-year-old child; logically speaking, she shouldn't understand these things.
But now, the Little Girl had asked him such a question, and for Hode, no matter how he answered it, it would bring him negative repercussions.
The Little Girl's mother also saw the distress of Hode and the others, and continued by saying: "Sigh, just pretend she's saying it for fun, no need to answer her. I don't even know where she learned this from..."
Just as Ara finished speaking, the Little Girl immediately followed up: "No, Mother, I'm not saying it for fun. I really want to know if Hode and those sisters are in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."
Ara had originally wanted to explain for the Little Girl, as this question had clearly already caused distress for Hodeand the people living here.
They were outsiders after all, and living here was entirely due to Hode's kindness.
Naturally, they had no reason to inquire about Hode's personal life.
Regardless of whether these people were Hode's girlfriends or not, it had nothing to do with them.
They just needed to do what they were supposed to do, and the moment the Little Girl asked that question, it meant they had already crossed the line.
At this moment, Ara didn't know how to start explaining to Hode. After all, she had already helped the Little Girl ask these questions to Hode, and she knew the Little Girl's status; saying such things was absolutely inappropriate.