Shadow of the Beautiful World

Warm fires burn on the cliffs on the north wing of Asgard's Hades.

It was a makeshift bonfire, and Merlin was sitting on a polished stone, clutching a stick with bread and ham on it.

There must be no such things in this hell that has been abandoned for 1,000 years.

This is the food that Merlin carries with him. Even though he can live without eating now, his human habits are still affecting him.

Little Hella was sitting opposite Merlin, she was kneeling on a rock, her eyes were fixed on the food tumbling on the flames.

She peeked at Merlin from time to time, as if she was very interested in this strange heavenly father.

Those controlled frost giants guarded under the cliff, like loyal guards, guarding their goddess.

The effect of puppet manipulation blessed by the power of the void is astonishing. Merlin once controlled hundreds of thousands of low-ranking devils at one time. To control a few frost giants who are not even legendary, it is naturally easy to grasp.

The best part is that these idiots themselves don't realize that they are being controlled, and they don't have any memory of being controlled at all.

Like a real marionette...

You can never realize that behind all your actions, there is a manipulator.

Here, let's eat.

A few minutes later, Merlin handed the baked bread and ham to little Hella opposite him.

The latter's throat moved, but she stubbornly turned her head away, as if she dismissed the food.

But after a few seconds...

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The sound from the stomach was like a protest, making Hela's little face flush with embarrassment.

Eat, don't be shy.

Merlin said gently, like a strange uncle:

You are growing your body, you must eat enough.

Shut up!

Little Luoli screamed ferociously, then snatched the wooden stick from Merlin's hand, turned around, and started to eat.

Merlin didn't care much.

He picked up a wooden stick and stirred the bonfire in front of him to make the flames burn more vigorously.

Against the backdrop of the flames, Merlin's shadow spread all over the cliff, like a gloomy swamp, where monsters hiding in it would jump out of the shadow at any time.

He looked at the back of little Hela, and narrowed his eyes.

Merlin is not blind. Although the death godhead in Hela's body is locked in the 8-year-old state by the time gem, divine power is divine power.

How could it be possible that Merlin, who had been in contact with Odin and the big snake, didn't know the unique power of this Asgardian?

And he also knew from the king that the Supreme Mage repelled the Skadi, Odin and Hela who invaded the earth one day ago...

So the identity of the 8-year-old girl in front of her is clearly revealed.

Hella!

Merlin suddenly said something.

This sudden call made Hela's body stiffen, and the half-eaten bread and ham slipped from her hand.

But it didn't fall to the ground, but was held by little Hila's hand by the invisible gravity.

Hehe, it really is you.

Merlin chuckled lightly.

That laughter made little Haila's teeth itch with anger, and she wished she could pounce on him and bite him.

What a badass!

But since the other party has broken her name, there is no point for little Hella to continue.

While biting the ham, she turned around, stared at Merlin, and said fiercely:

Yes, I am Hella, what's the problem?

Problem... no.

Merlin looked at the Goddess of Death who was fixed at the age of 8. He could feel that Hela was so weak that even Steve couldn't beat her.

He looked again at the frost giants at the foot of the cliff, and said:

Skadi thinks you are useless, so she is going to give up on you, and you have to prove that you are worthy, so as to win Skadi's trust and let her take you back to Asgard...

However, due to some special reasons, you may not be able to produce an army of dead souls now.

You... how do you know this?

Hela's eyes widened. The conversation between her and Skadi was obviously known only to the two of them!

I listen with my ears.

Merlin pointed to his ear mysteriously, he sat up straight, and said to Hela:

Let's make a deal, little Hella, I'll give you three Asgardian ghost legions. If you need demons or demons to help you fight, I can also provide them to you. This will allow Skadi to see you The ability, so that you will not lose face.

You would be so kind?

Hela looked at Merlin suspiciously. She took a bite of the bread and said while chewing:

You haven't told me who you are yet.

Do not you know me?

Merlin looked at little Hela in surprise, and he suddenly realized that Hela was released from the seal only yesterday, and it was impossible for this little guy to know what happened in the past few years.

All right.

Merlin said to little Hella:

Then let me introduce myself, my name is Merlin, you can call me Raven, as you can see, I am a Lord of Hell...

Cheat ghosts!

Hela interrupted Merlin's words in a bad tone, she pouted and said:

I have never heard of a Raven Lord of Hell, you can't lie to me!

Uh, I'm new.

Merlin spread his hands and explained:

I became the Lord of Hell only a few months ago, you don't know it's normal, then, I have some relationship with Skadi, Odin, and your brother Thor, you can see me as their friend.

Women like Skadi have friends?

Hela sneered, she shook her head, the ball on her head was dangling, she said with disdain:

That woman doesn't have a real heart at all. She is as ruthless as ice and snow. Who would be friends with her? You said you were Odin's friend, so why did you help me?

Your joke is really lame!

I mean it.

Merlin sighed, and he said with some loss of interest:

If you don't believe it, forget it. Let's talk about the topic just now. I will help you stand firm in the dark coalition facing Asgard. Even if you want to return to Asgard to restore your strength, I will help you. Are you willing to accept it?

Little Hela didn't answer.

She stared at Merlin without taking her eyes off it. After a few minutes, she threw the last piece of ham into her mouth. Merlin handed over the wet towel in good time. Hela wiped her hands and said:

Why are you helping me? And, what do you want from me?

You are the master of this underworld.

Merlin didn't answer this question directly. He turned his head and looked at the large area under the cliff. There was the north wing of Asgard's Hades, which looked like a huge palace.

But now the palace has collapsed together with this piece of hell, leaving only ruins covering a huge area.

He looked at the ruins, and the strange monsters wandering in the ruins.

Those guys have the appearance of humans, but behave like beasts, chasing and roaring in the ruins, and occasionally fighting like angry beasts.

Merlin noticed that there were strange wounds on the backs of those frantic creatures, as if the original pair of wings had been torn apart.

He said:

No one knows those creatures better than you... who are they? Why are they trapped here? And the number has continued unabated for over 1,000 years?

they?

Hela stood on the rock at her feet, looking down the cliff.

She saw the creatures Merlin was talking about, and she suddenly laughed.

Laughing back and forth, the little girl's immature laughter echoed on the dark cliff, outlining a different kind of horror.

I do know them well.

Little Haila crossed her waist and said to Merlin:

They are angels~

Their leader once made a foolish choice to snatch my sister, Odin and Frigga's first daughter, Audrey Odinsdotia, from the Golden Palace to force God-kings join them in their war against hell.

Hella described a story that Merlin had heard in her sharp voice.

More like a commentary on that unfinished story.

she says:

The god-king rejected that stupid proposal, so the chief of the angels killed the poor baby in front of him and Frigga. My sister died at birth... her death brought a A terrible devastation.

Odin angrily tore the planet where the angels were hiding from the world tree, and the queen cursed those damned guys with the most terrifying curse.

Hela pointed to the beast-like broken-winged angels on the cliff, and she said:

They suffer in life, and after death, they can only serve the goddess of death in this hell as an inextricable slave.

Every day of their existence is torture. This hell deprives them of their sanity and makes them live like wild animals.

Little Hela no longer looked at the dead bones swallowed by hell, she turned her head and said to Merlin:

But I can't control them anymore, I'm too weak now.

Um.

Merlin nodded thoughtfully.

After a few minutes of thinking, he said to Hela:

Can you give them their wisdom back? Well, let me put it more bluntly.

Merlin raised two fingers, against the flames of the bonfire, he said to little Hella:

I'll give you three armies of Asgard's dead souls that can be controlled by you, and let you win the trust of Skadi. In exchange, you hand over these uncontrollable lunatic angels to me. It's an equal deal, no problem?

sounds good.

Little Hella poked her face with her fingers, she looked at Merlin, and she said:

But what do you want them to do? Even if their memories are restored, they are still a bunch of lunatics brainwashed by casteism, and they will not accept your orders.

This is my business, little Hela.

Merlin stretched out his hand and rubbed little Hella's head, as if he was playing with his own sister.

He stood up and stretched out his fingers, the orange halo of the King of Vainglory flowing in his palm.

He said to Hela:

Of course, we have to sign a small agreement to prevent Skadi from knowing about this matter. You don't have to worry about those frost giants, they won't remember what happened here.

Hela looked at Merlin's outstretched hand.

She deliberately refused.

Although she looks only 8 years old, she is not really an 8-year-old child. Although she cannot control her emotions occasionally, her wisdom is still there.

She didn't believe the inexplicably appearing Lord of Hell with a friendly face, but after thinking about it, Merlin's suggestion seemed to be the only way for Hella to break the situation.

Three Asgardian ghost legions should be enough to satisfy Skadi.

Her pact with Skadi could also go ahead.

What has she lost?

It's just a bunch of damned, cursed lunatic angels, anyway, even before Hela was sealed, they had never heard of it...

make a deal!

Little Hella no longer hesitated.

She raised her hand and placed it in Merlin's palm, the orange light spots melted into their hands, and the contract was established.

Hela yanked hard from her shoulder, and a black feather was pulled out of the air by her, as if it was pulled out of her body, and the little girl grinned in pain.

She threw the feather to Merlin, and while rubbing her aching shoulder, she said:

You can use it to take away those lunatic angels, but there are only these here, and the angels that are sent over later will not be under your control.

Merlin nodded, and he raised his finger.

With the rings of the children of Hell, say to Liana, Queen of Hell's Limbo:

Liana, put the army of Asgardian souls in your hand at the entrance of Asgard's underworld, and someone will come to receive them.

As compensation, I will give you three armies of omnics in a month's time.

make a deal!

The Border Queen was also very straightforward, Liana didn't even ask Merlin what she wanted those dead souls for.

She rented 30 powerful hell legions from the Hell of the Two Kings, and the Asgard souls who were detained by her at the beginning are now dispensable.

Merlin lowered his head, looked at little Hela, and said:

You go to the entrance of hell, and soon you will get your legion.

It's you!

Little Hela didn't show any happy expression, instead, she pointed at Merlin with anger on her face, and she screamed:

It was you who detained my dead soul!

You also sold them back to me for nothing! You, bad guy! Big bad guy!

Tsk tsk, this is swearing! Children can't swear!

Merlin frowned, stretched out his hand and slapped little Hela on the head, and said:

A cute little girl like you can't talk like that. Didn't your parents teach you? Oh, sorry, I forgot... You are a rebellious daughter who tried to kill her father.

Merlin looked at Hela, his figure disappeared like melting in the orange halo.

He waved goodbye to little Hella, and said:

The first transaction is completed, little Hella, it's a pleasure doing business with you. If you still need help, you can use that contract to contact your Uncle Merlin... Goodbye!

ah!

Hela was swayed by the villain Merlin.

The little girl was so angry that she kicked the stone with one foot, but the familiar pain came from her toes again.

Wronged.

I feel very wronged.

The little girl's thinking took effect again, filling little Haila with a terrible feeling of being bullied, and tears swirled in her eyes again.

But don't cry!

Hold back! Can't cry!

Little Luoli sniffled.

She viciously waved her fist in the direction where Merlin disappeared.

Hold on, big bad Merlin!

When I regain my strength, I will definitely go to your hell and beat you hard!

Skin and bones!

Use your skull as a bowl!

Goddess of Death, never break your promise!