Chapter 005: Reminders and Warnings

swish

Moments later, the pale-faced Merlin returned. As he took the tissue handed to him by the Phantom Stranger to wipe his mouth, he glanced back at the restroom with a look of lingering fear.

Merlin looked at Phil and said

You know, the greater the strength, the more difficult it becomes to enhance it

Did you go to borrow money

Good

Judas explained to Merlin with a relaxed expression

He stood in the empty house, with no other evidence to prove that Judas had been there except for the two cups of coffee on the table in front of him

As for your soul, there is no need to worry about it. The Three Palaces have said that your soul is quite unique, and this is true. You will safely pass through this tribulation. However, how can one cross the threshold of death without leaving something behind

He felt a chill, stemming from the fear of the impending events

Phil gritted his teeth and nodded

No!

Phil took the somewhat heavy handbag, opened it for a glance, and his eyes immediately widened.

Although the farm's sales were heavily pressured by the intermediary company due to time constraints, a sense of urgency stemming from instinct left Merlin with no time to consider these matters

I have just removed the magical mark left on you by the Three Palaces, and it can no longer 'see' you, so rest assured

In a certain sense, this is indeed the case

I do not want you to live in poverty. This is just a deposit, and there will be additional funds transferred to James's bank account, which should be sufficient to support you until you reach adulthood. By that time, when you and I have jobs, everything will improve

After the death of Merlin's parents, he inherited the ancestral home of the Riley family. However, that house was demolished, and Merlin's adoptive father, James, used the compensation money to purchase a farm for Merlin, as a legacy to be left to him in the future

James lay in the emergency room before him, behind that thick glass, dozens of tubes inserted into his body, these medical instruments sustaining his life, fragile as a candle in the wind

Never before

Judas adjusted his hat, took a sip of coffee, and said

No, I sold the farm

Does he have a choice

Tonight

Merlin did not disturb his mother's rest; he called his younger brother over. At the corner of the hospital room, he handed the handbag in his hand to his brother

He survived, but he is merely alive

Come here, Phil

Under the binding of the azure light, Merlin was unable to move a single finger, not even able to blink. He watched helplessly as wisps of dark red smoke-like substance were "extracted" from his body by Judas, resembling some kind of bizarre detoxification ritual

After a little over ten minutes, the tardy Merlin arrived at Madison's hospital. Upon seeing Merlin enter the ward, Mrs. Coulson wept as she embraced her son, while Merlin comforted the grieving mother and looked at his father.

It said that the contract can take away my soul, is that true

... ...

He must arrange everything as quickly as possible; the warning from the Phantom Stranger has always lingered in Merlin's mind. Judas has informed him that his time is running out. Merlin can easily sense an ominous feeling from this.

All of this feels like a dream, just like the dream from last night, so real yet so lacking in a sense of reality

Phil was still waiting outside James's hospital room, while Anna, Mrs. Colson, was dozing in a chair. She had been very sad these past two days, which had left her extremely fatigued

But at least his strength is real

Manipulating the inner collapse of a zombie is always much simpler

Therefore, they enjoy playing such tricks, leaving soul-controlling insects or other things within your bodies, and then manipulating these insects to create false sensations, as if they can dominate everything

At 9 o'clock in the evening, a haggard Merlin entered the hospital carrying a black handbag

Trust me, Merlin, you would not want to know what kind of future it means to be the 'son' of the Three Palaces

No

The fingers of the Phantom Stranger pressed against Merlin's heart, forcefully pulling outward, a struggling dark red force was violently extracted, writhing like a worm in his palm, yet was easily crushed by Judas, allowing it to dissipate into the air

I want to inform you in advance that you will lose something

Go see your father, get along well with your family, Merlin, cherish them, the time left for you is truly limited

The Three Palaces look down upon the Seven Lords of Hell, considering them a weak group composed of cowards and schemers, attempting to dominate Hell through political maneuvering, striving for a true unification of the dark world. However, the Seven Lords of Hell each have their own ideas, constrained by the influence of Heaven and other forces, making the so-called unification an unattainable grand vision

At the moment the contract takes effect, it is advisable for you to keep your distance from mortals, if you do not wish for them to be affected

Merlin's heart was in turmoil, and he did not know how to face it all. It seemed that overnight, the peaceful world had completely vanished, replaced before his eyes by a bizarre and strange world, a world that was difficult to like.

midnight

Well, let's just consider it as treating him to a cup of coffee

You are crazy! That was left to you by your father

Phil believed it to be true, unaware that the young man did not notice the hint of tension and a slight fear that appeared in his brother's eyes as he turned to leave

But now I cannot tell you how to exploit loopholes, because even if you knew, you would not be able to do it

Merlin stepped out of the hospital. The summer night should not be too cold, but at the moment he saw the deep, flowing darkness beyond the lights, he instinctively tightened his coat around him

Merlin ... ... truly, it is because I rejected that demon that my father ... ...

Merlin couldn't help but touch his neck, and he said

Phil Coulson sat to one side, his young face filled with hesitation and confusion

But that contract

Merlin patted his brother's shoulder and said ambiguously

I will take care of the matters with the intermediary. Those scoundrels took advantage of our urgent need for money and lowered the price of the farm. We cannot allow them to exploit this situation any further

Phil was truly shocked this time. He grasped Merlin's wrist and scolded him

The Phantom Stranger assumed the posture of a marionette, yet this explanation did little to reassure Merlin

Additionally, tomorrow night at midnight

However, in reality, you can live peacefully among humans as long as you do not seek death yourself. Those demons, including powerful sovereigns like San Gong, find it difficult to truly harm you. Unless you are overwhelmed by the fears within your own heart, which is precisely the outcome those demons wish to see

The Phantom Stranger took a pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at the time on the watch, and then explained to Merlin:

Judas left quietly, as if he had come, leaving only Merlin alone in the entire café

Help me keep mom calm, don't let her go home yet, and wait for me to return, okay

Phil looked at Merlin with confusion

The handbag was filled with stacks of green dollars, seemingly amounting to over one hundred thousand.

Well, good

Faced with his brother's questioning, Merlin, who usually does not smoke, unusually took out a slightly crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket

The actions of the Three Palaces are brutal, akin to those of savages. They seldom employ contracts to gather promising souls. Your current predicament is purely a result of the competition between the Three Palaces and Mephistopheles. Those two individuals are both ambitious and are competing in every aspect

But I do not need it to live well, yet James needs to undergo surgery. I have seen many such patients in Rubers' private hospital; they require a substantial amount of money for maintenance after the operation. You need to go to school, and mother has to take care of father. James's pension and insurance are simply insufficient to cover these expenses

Phil lowered his head, looking at the handbag in his hand, feeling the weight of the handbag, and after a moment, he nodded.

This somewhat unconventional child seems to have grown up overnight

I can

Merlin is not going to handle any intermediary matters

Merlin extended his hand, embracing his bewildered and frightened younger brother. He patted Phil's back and spoke softly

Judas noticed Merlin's concern. This mysterious figure paused for a moment, changed the subject, and said to Merlin:

He said with uncertainty:

The figure of the Phantom Stranger gradually faded in Merlin's eyes, and before he completely disappeared, he winked at Merlin

There is not even an option to escape

Yoda let out a low, rumbling laugh, turning towards Merlin's back, and struck three hard knocks behind him, at which moment Merlin's bindings were also released

I know, brother

He still couldn't accept everything that was happening before him, and there was a hint of guilt in his gray eyes. When he saw Merlin walking towards him, Phil instinctively stood up, nervously looking at his brother, and said:

Merlin, having attained freedom, suddenly felt a strong urge to vomit. He covered his mouth and rushed into the restroom of the café

Get ready. Do not ask more; what you need to know now, you already know. In the future, it will likely be difficult for you to see me, but when necessary, I will not be late...

Phil lowered his voice and questioned his brother:

Mortal beings often believe that demons or devils are omnipotent; in reality, their activities in the human realm are more restricted than you might imagine. The farther they are from hell, the more their power is diminished

Merlin lowered his head to check the time, coughed lightly, extinguished his cigarette, and said to Phil

Where did you get the money? Merlin

He is about to confront his destiny

He opened the window, lit a cigarette, and amidst the swirling smoke, he took a deep drag and coughed a few times. In a hoarse voice, he said

You

Those insects

Do not ask anymore

The Phantom Stranger extended his hand and patted Merlin on the shoulder, as if bidding farewell, and said to Merlin:

The fingers of the Phantom Stranger lightly tapped Merlin's forehead, as if engaging in casual conversation, while he spoke to Merlin about these strange matters that mortals could not know and likely could not comprehend

He looked at the haggard face of his younger brother, sighed, and placed his hands on Phil's shoulders. He said to the 15-year-old boy:

Therefore, before the conclusion arrives, he must do his utmost to arrange a good future life for his family

Merlin looked around and said to Phil in a lowered voice

In short, let's not tell mother for now, shall we

Merlin took out his wallet from his pocket and placed a bill on the counter. He glanced back at the table, where there were two cups of coffee. Merlin paused for a moment, then took out another bill, considering it as payment for the phantom stranger who had dined and dashed.

This has nothing to do with you, forget it, Phil, it was just a dream.

I need to step out for a while, and I may return after midnight. Please take good care of them for me, alright

Soul-collecting insects, a means unworthy of the stage

You must grow up, as quickly as possible, and you must take good care of your mother and father. Can you do it?

Like a madman trapped in self-delusion

Mephistopheles is very skilled at using contracts to create powerful warriors for himself, but in this regard, Sangong is truly an amateur. To put it simply, that contract is actually incomplete, at least not as rigorous as a devil's contract; it has loopholes that can be exploited

On the day after James's car accident, Merlin had been busy.

However, the arrogant San Gong yearns to become the true King of Hell. Despite possessing several hellish dimensions, it still falls slightly short compared to the authority of the true King of Hell. For many years, it has employed a cruel method to strive for the arduous enhancement of its own power.

Judas stood up, adjusted his hat and clothes, and reminded Merlin

What are you going to do

As midnight of the third day approaches, the contract of the Three Palace Demon will be fulfilled

The ownership of this farm has always been under Merlin's name, and he is now 18 years old, fully qualified to freely manage this property

He does not know what he is about to face, nor does he know what his outcome will be