15. Bargaining
"Hey, you're not crazy, are you?"
After the gates of hell, Merlin asked for a new reward, and before the archangel Gabriel could answer, Constantine, who was standing beside Merlin, jumped up first.
Holding his head in his hands, he said to Merlin:
"What's so good about this place? What do you want it for? ”
Scratching his hair, he said in an incredulous tone:
"It's like you've spent more than a decade plotting how to escape hell, and in the end... You've bought the whole hell again. ”
"Let's change the requirements."
Johnny also lowered his voice and said to Merlin:
"I think it's a terrible idea, even if you just promised the angels to do things for heaven it's better than staying here forever."
"Shh
Merlin held out his finger and put it to his mouth, and he winked at his two friends, and he said:
"I know what I'm doing, I'm more sober than ever, trust me! All right? ”
Merlin soothed his restless friend.
He turned his head to look at Gabriel, and he said in astonishment:
"What are you doing here?"
"I made a request, and you should return to heaven to report to your Lord and give me an answer, shouldn't you?"
"I..."
The Archangel was a little overwhelmed by Merlin's request.
In her tens of thousands of years of life, she had never encountered anything like this.
A ghost in hell is like heaven asking for control of a piece of hell.
This sounds a bit fantastical.
"I can't promise you."
Archangel Gabriel gritted his teeth and said:
"This hell is the Lord's creation to punish those..."
"Don't say that to me."
Merlin waved his hand, and he took the cigar from Zakon's hand, hooked his finger at Johnny, and lit it up in the flames that burned in his skull.
The raven let out a puff of smoke, and he hugged his shoulders and said to the archangel:
"You don't have to stress to me over and over again what a sacred duty this land has..."
"I want it! All you have to do is answer me, yes or no! ”
"If you can't decide for yourself, ask your Lord."
Merlin spread out his hands, and he said:
"With all due respect, Madam Gabriel, you are just wasting our time together. Maybe it's not worth much to you, but my time is precious. ”
"Impossible!"
The Archangel said:
"There is a precedent for this, for Heaven has never in history given the earth with a divine mission to anyone other than the followers of my Lord, let alone the hell itself, which is my Lord..."
"Okay, you mean it can't be done?"
Merlin waved his finger impatiently.
Behind him, Ghost Rider and Zakon grabbed the creatures lying on the ground and threw them at Merlin's feet.
Merlin stepped on Malachi, the angel of the stars, who was wailing incessantly, and said to Gabriel:
"You may go, Lord Archangel."
"Keep an eye out for things like the Heavenly News lately, maybe soon, the scandal between Heaven and Hell will ferment and spread throughout the realms at a breakneck speed, and every believer will know that something ugly has happened in the Holy Heaven."
"The angels who symbolize God's will are in the same league as the demons who bring calamity... There may be a crisis of faith as a result. ”
Merlin flicked his fingers, his voice softer, and he said:
"I also have some 'friendships' with those hell lords, I think they will help me with this, after all, it's just a word, and I can weaken the power of heaven with my mouth, why not?"
"Poor God will be disgraced by the greed and stupidity of his subordinates, and his reputation will be thrown into the mud of truth, and then sneered at by his peers."
Merlin breathed a sigh of relief, and he said:
"Let me tell you, Lady Gabriel... The truth is sour, more corrosive and more burning than the dirtiest, most cruel and evil lies. ”
"But I don't think you care about that."
He spread out his hands and put his feet on the whimpering angel of the stars, and he said:
"The stingy man is always like this, always eager to hold every card in his hand, but when the disaster comes, it is too late to be generous..."
Gabriel's expression changed slightly.
With her wings stretched behind her back, she said:
"There's another way..."
"Huh"
The scorching flame slammed into Merlin like a sword... Malachi, the angel of the stars, at his feet.
She's going to destroy the evidence.
The Archangel's divine power erupted, like a glorious flame that engulfed everything, tumbling and blasting towards Merlin, but it was blocked by the invisible wall of space, and a crack appeared in the shield of the Ancient Body.
But Merlin and Malachi at his feet were unscathed.
"I'm going to guard against you!"
Merlin sneered, and he kicked Malachi, kicking the Star Angel behind him.
Johnny swings his chain and catches the badly injured angel.
Merlin's voice resounded in the minds of Ghost Rider and Zakon:
"Go back! Retreat to the door. ”
"She didn't dare chase after her..."
Merlin gathers his magic, like a wall in front of Johnny and Zakon, who are dragging the evidence of the scandal in front of them.
In the wave of the Archangel's attacking power, he laughed out loud.
On the border of Hell's Gate, Merlin waved his finger, and a black light stabbed Gabriel in the air, but the latter dodged him.
Surrounded by the surging dark magic, Merlin was clothed in the darkness of the scattered shadows, and he ascended into the sky and said to the archangel with a cold face:
"Even you will be afraid of this wasteland, and if you come in, you will be like us, and you will never want to go out."
"We'll be good neighbors, Gabriel."
Merlin Says:
"Your presence will make the land shine, and I think those mad demons will probably enjoy the feeling of tearing an angel apart."
"I'll make sure one last time."
Merlin senses that Zakon and Johnny have retreated to the gates of hell and are ready to return to the wasteland.
He looked at Gabriel and said:
"Negotiations broke down, right?"
The archangel kept a cold face and did not speak.
"As you can see, I have nothing left to lose... So don't expect me to take care of it too much when I'm crazy..."
Merlin's voice also became cold, and he said:
"Go back and wait for the scandal to ferment, maybe heaven will fall because of it."
He let out a sneer, and he said:
"I will savor this sin in the endless time that I can be buried in heaven and buried with me, and I will savor this sin... I'll enjoy it. ”
"But Gabriel, don't forget, when Heaven falls into flames, it also has your share of sin."
"You could have been smarter and avoided this."
The archangel was now clad in a golden streamer, her unisex suit transformed into a gilded suit of armor, and she held a sword and shield in her hand, and every feather on her wings shone brightly.
The golden sash danced around her waist, like those mythical heavenly warriors who stepped into battle.
She was furious.
There was a coldness in her eyes.
"I advise you not to do that, Merlin."
"You're on earth, and..."
"Whatever you want."
Merlin interrupted Gabriel, his voice cold.
He said:
"If you can catch any of my relatives, even if I lose... But try carefully, Gabriel, and once you fail once, you will get into even more trouble for your heavens. ”
"If you're not blind, you can see what's happening in Asgard."
Merlin Says:
"After the fall of the Divine Domain, maybe the next one should be Heavenly Mountain."
The archangel pursed his lips.
She knew what Merlin was referring to.
The resurgence of the goddess Scati was not only noticed by Asgard, but the hoarfrost she represented was a threat to all things in the world, and the Heavenly Fathers were meeting for this purpose as she confronted Merlin.
Asgard had already begun to call for help, and the other Heavenly Fathers seemed reluctant to get involved in this trouble.
It's no secret that the universe is evolving at an accelerated pace.
The arrival of hoarfrost is just a sign...
The archangel is now also in a kind of difficult situation to ride a tiger.
If Merlin is not stopped, heaven will be in trouble;
Threaten Merlin, and heaven will be in trouble;
The guy had everything arranged before he died.
Merlin's relatives are protected by the most powerful force in the world, and no one can threaten him with this weakness unless he launches a war of annihilation and kills all the gods among them.
Continuing negotiations may resolve all this, but his asking price...
It's just too high.
Damn it...
Sure enough, anything associated with ravens won't be easy.
"It's hard to choose, right?"
Merlin folded his hands on his abdomen, and as if he were wearing a black robe with an extremely long hem, he hovered in the air and said to the archangel:
"With all due respect, Archangel, this is no longer a problem you can solve..."
"Go back, and ask your Lord, for I think he must be wiser than you."
Gabriel flapped her wings, and she stared at Merlin with a look that almost murderous.
Merlin knew that the small-minded angel hated him, but it didn't matter, he didn't care.
As he watched, Gabriel quickly rose into the sky.
The moment she disappeared into the tumbling clouds, Merlin breathed a sigh of relief.
Bluffed...
In his current state, it is still very difficult to deal with an archangel, and once Gabriel is a little more reckless, there will be no room for things to turn around.
Merlin didn't want to get things done without it.
At no time can you do things perfectly.
That means tearing the skin, being outright hostile, and doing nothing good other than getting into trouble.
This is a negotiation.
Resolving issues at the negotiating table is the best outcome.
Now it seems that the pressure tactics have worked out and things are moving in his favor.
A moment later, a ray of light descended from the sky and fell on the ground in front of Merlin's eyes.
He breathed a sigh of relief and glanced back at the nervous Zakon and Johnny behind him, and he gestured to them to retreat into the gates of hell if anything.
This place that trapped them has now become their last retreat.
It's unpredictable.
Merlin moved his shoulders, and he took a deep breath and floated into the pillar of light in front of him as a ghost.
The moment he came into contact with the pillar of light, his vision changed rapidly.
The sound of the swaying sea sounded in his ears, and at the moment when the light faded slightly, a beautiful and secluded blue sea and blue sky appeared in front of Merlin's eyes.
At the end of the delicate white sandy beach, a white parasol stands.
On a table, two glasses of juice are placed, and on either side of the table, there are two sun loungers.
There was a man lying on the chair on the left.
And the archangel Gabriel, like the most obedient servant, stood beside the mysterious fellow.
She glared at Merlin.
She wasn't deflated yet.
Alas, women are all cautious.
Even angels with endless power are the same.
Merlin walked barefoot on the beach, the sand was warm in the sun, and the delicate quicksand was intertwined between his toes, which was very comfortable to step on.
After 7 months in hell, Merlin was truly relieved by the scene.
With the sound of the sea breeze stirring the palm trees, he walked to the sun lounger, and instead of looking at the person lying beside him, he leaned comfortably there, allowing himself to relax.
The sea breeze hit the face, it was comfortable and relaxing.
"Ugh..."
A soft sigh came into Merlin's ears, and a gentle, indistinguishable voice rang out:
"You've also commanded a group, an organization, Merlin. Riley, have you ever been in the same awkward situation as I am now? ”
The man asked.
Merlin was basking in the sun, and he shrugged his shoulders and said:
"Yes."
"If the subordinates are incompetent, or do something wrong, and cause trouble that they can't solve, the boss has to step in... Give them a blame and resist all the bad consequences. ”
"It's hard, but it's the most basic requirement to be a leader..."
"We can be cunning, we can be vicious, we can be fierce, we can be shameless... But there must be responsibility. ”
"That's a good point."
There was a chuckle from the voice, followed by the sound of juice suckling.
A moment later, at the sound of the cups being placed on the table, he added:
"Since you can understand my difficulties, let's be more honest."
"Gabriel's disposition is right, you did us a favor, but these things are not enough for you to get that wasteland... Your asking price is too high. ”
The voice was a little depressed and said:
"It took me more than half a year to create it, you know, it only takes me an average of 7 days to create a world..."
"I thought it was just a story."
Merlin chuckled, and he said:
"I didn't expect it to be true."
"Legends often contain truth, Merlin."
The voice sighed, and he said:
"But if you want it, it's not impossible... As for me, I have a lot of troubles to deal with every day, some of which are very headaches. ”
"I mean, if you can do me one more favor, I'll give it to you."
Merlin was silent for a moment, and then he said:
"What's the busy?"
"Ever heard of the Giant Beast?"
The voice said to Merlin in a chattering manner:
"That legend that no one wants to talk about, even in hell."
"Hmm."
Merlin nodded.
"Help me calm it down."
The voice said:
"The universe is evolving at an accelerated pace, and it doesn't seem to want to sleep anymore, I want to talk to it, but it doesn't want to listen to me... It's the primordial shadow, and it's always disgusted with the light I emit. ”
"It's going to swallow me in one bite."
Merlin Says:
"The universe is getting more and more complete, your strength will become stronger and stronger, and its power will become stronger and stronger, and in front of it, the Heavenly Father is just a slightly difficult little worm."
"You can't deal with it, how can I..."
"No, no, no."
The voice explained:
"Don't be frightened by the myths, the beast, it's a... Anyway, it's an interesting will, it's not belligerent, as long as you can find the right way, it will be happy to talk to you. ”
"And I don't think there's anyone better suited to the stars than you. You gave us freedom, you gave it freedom, as long as you don't shout and kill, it will sell you a face. ”
The voice chuckled a little, and he said:
"Will you help me?"
"I..."
Merlin hesitated, and after a few seconds, he breathed a sigh of relief, and said:
"Okay, I'll help you, I'll find a way to talk to it, but I can't guarantee the result."
"That's enough."
Something was thrown into Merlin's hands.
It's like a quaint key.
Everything around began to crumble, and in the point of light in which everything dissipated, the voice said:
"The wasteland is yours, but you'd better not release everything inside, they're being locked up there for no reason."
"Also..."
"Thank you for the freedom you have brought us, Merlin."
"A lot of people are thanking you."
"Oh, I almost forgot... Odinto, I thank you, and besides, he wants you to take the time to take care of your wife, who is doing mischief. ”
Merlin smiled too, and as the light dissipated, he said:
"I'll try my best."
"Let him bear with it a little longer."