American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

Mephisto looked at Nick with a scrutinizing gaze, who was trying his best to maintain his composure.

"Do you understand loans and insurance?" Mephisto asked, puzzled. He didn't detect the scent of money and greed from this person. Instead, he smelled something dark, something that other lords of hell dimensions might find interesting.

"Do you need someone with that kind of talent to help you with something? I can recommend the best financiers from Midgard," Nick said. Although he was a bit confused, based on Luke and Mephisto's previous conversation, and Mephisto's current question, he quickly guessed what he was thinking.

"No, I don't need anyone to help me with anything. I have harvested the souls of some bankers and financiers from your Midgard, and everything they had is mine. I understand their knowledge and methods. But I need someone who can help me fill in the details, someone who can work for me in the future, and someone who can teach my demons right now," Mephisto said.

"No problem, I can provide those talents," Nick said after thinking for a moment.

"Really?" Mephisto asked with a tone of surprise.

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"Of course," Nick said affirmatively.

"Can you make the decision?" Mephisto pressed.

"Of course," Nick nodded again, subtly. It was just a matter of a few finance people helping to fill in and build things within the framework. Nick believed that this wouldn't be difficult for those people.

"That's great. Of course, perhaps we should sign a contract first?" Mephisto said with satisfaction, taking out a piece of parchment. A black quill pen was writing on the parchment, creating a mixture of Hellish and Midgardian text.

"A contract? Of course, but I think contracts are sacred, and they need to be approved by the Ancient One and Odin, the King of the Gods," Nick replied cautiously and seriously. How could he casually sign a devil's contract? Did he not know what happened to the Ghost Rider? Even if he were to sign, at least the Ancient One and Luke would have to be there to agree and endorse it before discussing it.

"Ah, the rings!" Mephisto glanced at the mind rings on their fingers. The quill pen was still writing on the paper. "Don't worry, this isn't for you, it's for the talents you're going to find for me. The Ancient One and Luke strictly forbid me and my subordinates from entering Midgard. So, let's start with a hundred souls."

"What do you mean?" Nick was shocked by Mephisto's last words.

"Aren't you going to find talent for me?" Mephisto looked at him strangely.

"Yes, but I mean I can give people to you to, uh, work for you, and give some demons lessons, etc. They are selling their time and expertise, not their lives and souls," Nick said seriously. Just from this initial contact, he was beginning to realize that the way these demon gods think was different from humans.

"Don't be so troublesome. It's too much of a waste of time to teach those demons, and they might not even be able to grasp it. You can just give me the souls, and I can turn them into demons. If that doesn't work, I can just let the devils use contracts to possess and devour them, directly obtaining their knowledge. We have a lot on our plate right now, so let's save time as much as possible," Mephisto waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need that. That kind of efficiency was too low.

"I'm afraid that won't work," Nick said, decisively bringing up the Ancient One. "This needs to be discussed with the Ancient One and our internal affairs."

"You said you could make the decision," Mephisto stopped the quill pen, his green flames flickering in his eye sockets as he stared intently at Nick.

"I meant that I could help you work under the premise of ensuring their lives and safety," Nick emphasized again.

"You are also one of our collaborators, right? S.H.I.E.L.D.? Hmm, let me see, a service organization that serves our group?" Mephisto grabbed a piece of white paper from somewhere and looked at the information on it.

Nick's face darkened instantly upon hearing this.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation has been tarnished.

"Name your price," Mephisto said, somewhat helplessly. "How much energy currency per soul?"

"What?" Nick and Coulson opened their mouths in surprise.

"Name your price. Damn it, it used to be fine. But ever since you guys came up with all sorts of fees like residency fees, check-in fees, and activity fees, the Ancient One regularly and openly extracts a bit of energy from me. I can't even be sure if she's really only extracting that much. I'm just letting my agents harvest sinful souls to help you purify the world, and you're actually asking me for money in return?" Mephisto cursed. "Business in Midgard is so difficult now! Don't let me find out who came up with this immoral idea!"

"We don't engage in this kind of transaction," Nick thought it was too absurd. He never imagined that one day he would need to discuss the business of buying and selling souls with a lord of hell. He had only ever traded arms! However, Nick still tried to calm himself and continued his words, giving another solution: "We can send people here to open an office."

"Too inefficient," Mephisto muttered twice. He couldn't understand why something that was clearly just a matter of a soul had to be so troublesome and time-consuming.

"It has nothing to do with efficiency," Nick smiled helplessly.

"I suggest you ask those people for their opinions. If that doesn't work, dying talents are also okay! Compared to the short lives of humans, demons have much longer lifespans! Maybe they wouldn't mind living in a different life form? If there are still concerns, I can change this contract to a talent extradition regulation. They will be my first subordinates after I take office! There are no obstacles in the upper channels, and the treatment and career potential are excellent! I know some of your Midgard rules. If it's a talent you introduce, I can pay you an introduction fee. You can even share the money they earn in the future," Mephisto said, still not giving up, very cunningly trying to tempt Nick.

Mephisto's proposal was very tempting, which greatly moved Nick, who had a very low moral bottom line. If Luke was the one speaking, he might have agreed immediately. But the one speaking was Mephisto! A demon lord of a hell dimension! Without getting more information, confirmation, and guarantees from the Ancient One and Luke, Nick's inner vigilance and caution were extremely high.

"It seems you're still hesitant, but that's okay. We'll have opportunities to deal with each other in the future," Mephisto's bone mask revealed a strange smile, and then the entire virtual projection disappeared in place.

"Was that a dimensional demon god? It seems, um, he doesn't seem difficult to communicate with," Agent Coulson said, looking at Mephisto who had disappeared, with a touch of emotion. He had originally thought that those dimensional demon gods were beings who would invade and destroy the world at every turn, and were impossible to communicate with.

"That's because we have the Ancient One and Odin, the King of the Gods, behind us," Nick was able to recognize the reality of the other party's attitude. If there wasn't the power of these two backing them, even if Luke and Mephisto had a big deal in the works, the other party's attitude would never be like this now. Different races, different life levels, there are obstacles to communication.

"Is he gone?" Luke's voice suddenly sounded behind Nick. The three turned around and saw Luke standing a meter away from them, holding a heavy mask of an unidentifiable material.

"He's gone," Nick stepped aside and walked with Luke to the position where Luke had been sitting.

"How was the harvest?" Luke asked with a smile, looking at the three of them in silence, and said with some surprise, "You didn't seize this opportunity, didn't you? You didn't make a deal, and you didn't even get a consultation fee?"

"Con, consultation fee?" Coulson and Maria Hill looked at each other, and then looked at their commander in unison.

"He ran very fast," Nick didn't want to say that it was because he didn't have time to think of this. In order not to let Luke continue to ask questions and say something that would hurt his heart, he quickly took the initiative and asked his own question: "You created such a big scene, and we were the last to know. I'm very sad, Luke."

"There's no way, I've been so busy in the lab these past few days that my feet haven't touched the ground, and I haven't slept for three days," Luke said spiritedly, not at all like someone who hasn't slept for three days. "I've initially built a simple mind network in the Milky Way. Remember Loki's scepter? I've temporarily modified it to serve as the main server for the mind network."

"That should be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s thing, at least S.H.I.E.L.D. has the legal right to keep it," Nick took a deep breath.

"I didn't say it wasn't yours, but isn't it useful? It's better to shine and create value in my hands than to gather dust in some laboratory, right?" Luke said softly, but still able to hear the very perfunctory comfort to Nick. "What's more, it has created profits, and you and your S.H.I.E.L.D. also have a share, right?"

"Then please, when will it produce profits?" Nick sat opposite Luke and asked him face to face with a serious expression.

"The investment hasn't been recouped yet. But believe me, like communication, it's definitely full of potential," Luke raised his hand to give a guarantee. "I won't embezzle your share and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s share."

"Hopefully," Nick didn't want to waste time with Luke on these issues that couldn't be argued for the time being. His gaze fell on the mask that Luke put on the table. He sensitively felt a familiar power from this mask: "What is this mask?"

"Personality Mask," Luke's gaze also fell on the mask that he casually put on the table. "An alternative version of the Mind Ring, or rather, a Hellish foreign trade version."

"Can we use it?" Nick asked subconsciously.

"It's difficult. These are all specially customized according to the requirements of the hell dimension. They are more invasive, and the aftereffects are more stubborn and paranoid," Luke explained.

PS: I'm in a bit of a bad mood today, please forgive me.

PS: Thanks to Qin Shiyou Lan, Book Friend 20200716185943855, Night Visit to Moe Eater, Toe-Picking Toe-Picking Toe-Picking Toe, Following the Wind Mo Ying. Divine Mind, gsvgsgsdfa for the reward.