If he hadn't realized it, this rookie little fish wouldn't dare to bite such a wealthy "bait."
So Marvel Qi hesitated, a little embarrassed, and asked, "Big brother, just give me a straight answer. Otherwise, this list will be too much for me to handle, right?"
The hint was obvious.
Clearly, he was too cautious to accept outright, wanting to politely refuse, yet too timid to actually do so.
Mephisto found his caution amusing.
As an old demon lord, it was the first time he had ever seen a hellish deity so carefully resisting candy-coated offers.
He chuckled lightly, "Haha, little brother, your caution is far more refined than that old fellow, Strange. If he had the chance, he would probably… clear every Kamar-Taj in every universe, right?"
"Hmm, not exactly. More accurately, it would be their Kamar-Taj trash heaps?"
"Heh… big brother, you're joking, right?"
Marvel Qi gave an awkward laugh. "Master Strange is a scholar of deep discipline; he still retains a measure of rationality."
In Mephisto's eyes, Marvel Qi's respect for the legendary Old Master Strange who nominally served as his teacher, even gifting him a dimensional space was meaningless in practical terms.
Even though there were small tricks involved, and even Strange himself might not have had a high chance of obtaining this dimension… ultimately, the old master had helped him.
Marvel Qi had no choice but to cooperate with this "benevolent teacher" relationship.
And this old master might have lacked other virtues, but he did possess one: though bottomless in ambition, he retained a tiny shred of goodness.
For Marvel Qi, still in the early stages of his development, that was extremely important.
At least, he was a near-great figure capable of traversing multiverses, likely having visited countless realms.
And besides, his big brother Mephisto's remarks were downright refined!
What did he mean by "well-mannered"? Was it a subtle jab at Marvel Qi's morals and values?
If not for his lack of strength, unable to handle Old Master Strange like a villain, Marvel Qi might have already processed the new weapon storerooms of Iron Hell, dumped the Kamar-Taj waste heaps, and even cleared out that bizarre Fragment X mansion in mere minutes.
Seeing Marvel Qi's unwavering, determined demeanor, still chasing the truth, Mephisto finally relented.
"Very well! Little brother, this big brother will also tell you another great secret."
Sigh… I only hope that no other demons hold a grudge against me for what I've done.
After a round of faux humility, the demon lord revealed the truth to Marvel Qi.
"Little brother… actually… you don't need to sign that contract. You… understand what I mean, right?"
With that mysterious tone and choice of words, Marvel Qi instantly grasped Mephisto's meaning.
My real name… is really that special?
Realizing the implication, Marvel Qi outwardly appeared thoughtful, but inside he was overjoyed.
He fantasized endlessly: Could it be… I actually hold some kind of exalted status?
In an instant, countless titles flashed through his mind: Jade Emperor, the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, Buddha… even Satan, God, Kukulkan!
He had pushed his imagination to its absolute limit.
Luckily, he had learned from the experience of seniors across the river: no matter how much the protagonist fails or seems boring, they could never be invincible from the start.
So Marvel Qi quickly suppressed his prideful excitement and turned to say respectfully, "Thank you very much for your guidance, big brother Mephisto. This little brother has learned so much."
"Look at you, becoming humble and polite; you truly are a fitting disciple for Master Strange."
Mephisto, speaking with a clichéd old-K-drama tone while maintaining distance, said, "But that has nothing to do with me; all thanks to your brain functioning well, and the old… old master Strange, with his profound knowledge, so you cannot thank the wrong person."
"Especially… if you intend to use this little surprise to trouble some brainless, foolish folks, you must remember… never mix up the names!"
Mephisto's tone carried a deeper meaning, clearly implying that Marvel Qi might use this mysterious little secret to challenge those lazy or reckless senior figures.
Moreover, the old trickster was subtly giving his approval as a master of scheming.
It was obvious an endorsement for his "away game."
Marvel Qi, innately clever, immediately responded politely, "Big brother Mephisto, would you like some tea? I'll have Master Strange bring some Kamar-Taj's signature snow tea for you to taste."
"After all… I have always let you take care of me."
Heh… ha…!
Mephisto, with his old gentleman's facade, found this peculiar trust amusing.
After laughing for a moment, the old schemer graciously suggested departing.
"All right, all right! You're still a bit too naive, not realizing how formidable your big brother really is. We'll talk again next time, and then we can enjoy your sulfur-flavored Iron Hell wine to our heart's content!"
After speaking, Mephisto faded from the hellish dimension, his old gentleman's attire dissipating into ash as the demonic flames consumed it.
When the dimensional gap was left empty, Marvel Qi finally realized that the old trickster had gone!
So… he's actually okay with this version of Master Strange?
Reflecting carefully, Marvel Qi still bowed to the void in gratitude. "Thank you very much for your guidance and care, big brother Mephisto. This little brother will never forget it!"
After saying this, Marvel Qi, as if possessed by a spirit, shed real tears, crying truly for the first time.
The scene even resonated with the residual sanctity left by the old schemer. His voice echoed again through the void.
"You, who know me, are the little brother I respect, Mickey. You… truly are an honest person!"
Then, with a gentle warning: "Little brother, remember, you must handle the Mickey Mouse Club carefully; many clever boys in our circle are interested in you."
"They haven't approached you, simply because each has their own limits."
While speaking, he gently explained the dark histories of these "old friends."
"Some are too lazy, like a certain lazy one who only wants to squat in his little domain, lingering in the crimson chaos until old age."
"I mean, there's also the Scarlet Witch 'Cutesy Crimson' in your universe. Little brother… you should understand who I'm talking about, right?"
Cosmo!
A name that made Marvel Qi's soul shiver.
This was a heavyweight figure!
Although a bit lazy, he was a pure troublemaker!
His danger level far surpassing a demon lord like Mephisto, who liked playing with contracts yet still adhered to some degree of "agreements"!
Being targeted by a massacre-obsessed figure like him could mean instant annihilation.
Marvel Qi broke out in a cold sweat.
And it wasn't over yet.
Mephisto continued listing other complex names, some familiar to Marvel Qi, others entirely unknown, but even without thought, it was clear they ranked alongside dark powerhouses like Cosmo.
The good news? Most of them were trapped elsewhere.
Yes, except for lazy groups like Cosmo's, most other proactive figures were stuck in their own voids.
To find a dimensional space like Marvel Qi's, approved by Old Master Strange and sanctioned by the Great Eternal, was purely… a dream.
Wait! How did this old trickster even find me?
Is he really that special?
As this thought surfaced, Mephisto seemed to anticipate it, replying with self-praise.
His voice, sharp as a singer's note, declared: "I… am different from them! I, this person, possess outstanding interpersonal skills."
"So… only I could have tracked down your Old Master Strange, suspected him of selling his rear just to locate you, my rare trans-dimensional little brother!"
After saying this, he added, "The lazy ones avoid trouble; the more guests, the less likely they come."
The old demon lord, Mephisto, then vanished completely into the mysterious void.
Leaving Marvel Qi alone in his Iron Hell nest, drowning in an ocean of explosive information, his mind racing with thoughts:
Old Master Strange sold his rear? Who to? Could it… be the Eternal?
Being watched by powerful figures from the start, what do I do? This is urgent!
How can I deduce from a demon lord's words which medium, heavy, and super-heavy traps were set? Impossible! Invincible! Urgent!
Time slowly passed.
It was already afternoon.
But even after a morning spent wrestling with these questions, apart from learning some gossip about familiar faces, Marvel Qi had no real leads.
For the truly critical problems, he had no clue.
Realistically, considering these major events in the Marvel multiverse, the only thing he could do was pray that his consciousness might miraculously ascend to an omnipotent universal level.
As for asking Old Master Strange for help to avoid being a foolish protagonist building carriages behind closed doors… a good idea, but unfortunately, the old master was uncooperative. With Mephisto appearing, Marvel Qi had no way to contact him.
It was as if the old master deliberately avoided suspicion.
After a morning of alternating between gossip and stress, interspersed with the joy of eating melon, Marvel Qi let out a mournful cry and collapsed onto the thick counter the one Phoenix Mother had labored over for him, specially crafted for his SHIELD operations.
Originally, SHIELD intended only to restore it to its original state.
Only later, when Phoenix Mother's maternal instinct flared, did she, with a wave and some reasoning, within three seconds secure the precious fruit of victory Black Widow!
Now, lying on this thick tabletop, Marvel Qi felt somewhat dazed, sensing the texture on his face, sighing: "What a perfect tabletop… lying here feels ideal for nesting!"
After a whole morning of mental exertion, Marvel Qi had not even eaten lunch, lying atop Phoenix Mother's labor, planning to rest a while.
After all, there were no clients at the time.
A short rest was reasonable.
This had nothing in common with truants or lazy people!
Alas, if not for the agreement stipulating that a portion of the shop's monthly revenue be proportionally invested into the academy to cover costs for lower-grade boys and girls Marvel Qi would have shut the shop.
I wanted to close the store; after all, running such a small business is less satisfying than earning souls the hard currency Big Brother Mephisto desires!
In fact, if he weren't afraid that suddenly closing the shop would worsen his situation, Phoenix Mother might have questioned why he changed his handling of matters so drastically.
Marvel Qi might have attempted to exchange soul rewards for Mephisto's delivery demons to earn a few shiny gold coins.
So, in a sense, it benefited all three parties.
Marvel Qi could slack off, the little demons could satisfy their cravings, and Phoenix Mother still had a perfect, filial, and caring son!
This was… a rare, fortunate arrangement, difficult to find even with a lantern!
Unfortunately, Phoenix Mother was too shrewd; even Hank wouldn't have easily noticed.
After all, scientific elites often lack the emotional intelligence of humanities and psychology experts, yet could still manipulate the mind.
And Phoenix Mother herself, paired with a professor, formed a strong team: one a female humanities teacher, the other a formally-degreed psychology professor.
With such a combination, Marvel Qi, a dropout from a "nameless academy," had no confidence to challenge such a formidable duo.