Side Quest Unlocked

Who was Mephisto?

He was the genuine Lord of Hell!

Across the vast, boundless multiverse, he was renowned for his cunning and cruelty.

He stood on the same level as formidable figures who dominated their respective domains, such as Satan, Dormammu, and Odin.

Wes immediately became wary again. "So, Magus, you're not here to give me a gift. You're here to assign me a mission?"

"Mephisto? No, I think you overestimate me, Magus."

Wes knew full well that his current strength was nowhere near enough to face Mephisto head-on. That would be sending him to his death for nothing.

Seeing that Wes had clearly misunderstood, Ancient One explained unhurriedly, "I'm not asking you to confront Mephisto directly. After he was driven from Earth all those years ago, his true body could no longer descend here. Now, he can only rely on avatars to beguile humans."

"Even if it's only an avatar, I still can't handle it." Wes frowned.

"I never said I wanted you to deal with him." Ancient One stopped keeping him in suspense and said seriously, "I want you to protect something—the Sanctum Sanctorum Contract."

"Once the mission is complete, the gift will naturally be yours. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with it."

Wes did not believe Ancient One's words, but he could not directly refuse the request of someone so powerful.

He remained silent for quite a while. Ancient One merely drank her tea quietly and waited for Wes's answer.

"Can you guarantee that I won't run into Mephisto while carrying out this mission?" Wes still felt uneasy and asked cautiously.

"I guarantee it. I can swear to God..." As Ancient One spoke, she raised her right hand as if preparing to take an oath.

Wes's face instantly darkened, and he said helplessly, "Now that you've put it that way, I'm even less willing to go."

Swear to God? If you ever met God and didn't take a swing at him, that would already mean the two of you were on pretty good terms.

After careful consideration, Wes ultimately decided to agree to Ancient One's request.

Of course, he could have vanished directly through the panel, but Wes did not want to do that. He could not guarantee that the next time he came to the Marvel World, he would still be able to sit across from Ancient One and drink tea with her so amicably.

Besides, he was indeed a little curious about the gift Ancient One had mentioned.

"Take this."

Ancient One handed Wes a flawless white quill.

"It will guide you to the Sanctum Sanctorum Contract."

The moment she finished speaking, Ancient One vanished without a trace, as though afraid Wes might change his mind.

"Did I just get played?" The corner of Wes's mouth twitched.

"I'll trust you this once. The Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't stoop to deceiving me, would she?"

"Jandi!"

At Wes's call, the House-elf Jandi appeared before him.

"At your command, Master," Jandi said respectfully.

"Put everything away. I'm going to rest."

"As you command."

Wes then returned to his bedroom, intending to recover his strength properly.

The following afternoon, Wes appeared on Arthur Avenue.

What he did not know was that, after layer upon layer of rigorous screening, his photograph had finally appeared on Nick Fury's computer screen.

"This is the mysterious Magus."

Nick Fury maintained his usual cautious attitude.

"Since last year, the intelligence division has been reviewing the identity information of everyone on Arthur Avenue. Whether they were local residents, passing tourists, or even homeless people, each one underwent at least three comprehensive background checks."

"During the process, we even helped the FBI locate several fugitives."

Coulson shrugged, seemingly exhausted by the high-intensity workload.

"So, what exactly is so unusual about this Wes Erwin?"

Nick Fury's gaze was sharp as he pressed further.

"Over the entire past year, aside from tourists from out of town, he was the only unfamiliar face on the whole street."

As Coulson spoke, he rubbed his increasingly thinning hair.

To be clear, in order to thoroughly investigate every resident on the street over the past year, including all manner of tourists, he had poured an immeasurable amount of effort into the task.

"Moreover, his background is far too clean."

Nick Fury nodded slightly, signaling for Coulson to continue.

"According to our detailed investigation, Wes Erwin mysteriously disappeared from an orphanage at the age of eleven and never returned afterward."

"There are no education records, not even a single medical record, and he has never even applied for a credit card. No Twitter account, either, and no close associations with anyone."

"His car was purchased with cash. Over the past ten years, he has left pitifully few traces in this world, as though he had been living in another unknown world all along."

Coulson's gaze was resolute as he said with certainty, "Sir, I'm eighty percent sure that Wes Erwin is that mysterious Magus. Even if he isn't, he must be hiding an enormous secret."

"Anyone without a credit card is obviously suspicious." Nick Fury pondered for a moment, then said, "Keep a close eye on him. Deploy three teams to follow and monitor him around the clock. Use satellites if necessary. I'll grant you temporary Level 7 clearance."

"Mission accepted, sir!"

Without hesitation, Coulson immediately went to mobilize personnel and make the necessary arrangements.

Wes drove swiftly out of New York, following the direction indicated by the quill.

Before long, he had left New York State.

He had no idea that he was already being followed.

"Sir, he's heading north. The terrain there is wide open, which makes it unfavorable for us to tail him."

After hearing his subordinate's report, Coulson made an immediate decision.

"Deploy the satellites at once. Keep him under constant watch. Take turns following behind him, and don't let him discover you."

"Have the intelligence division analyze his route and determine his likely destination as soon as possible."

The moment the orders were issued, dozens of agents sprang into action.

Wes handed the steering wheel over to Jandi, while he sat in the back seat and took out a notebook to read intently.

Later, he simply used magic to make the car drive itself by following the quill's direction.

Other than stopping for fuel, the car never halted along the way.

After all, Wes's magical suitcase contained ample supplies, as well as enough space for him to rest.

This put Coulson and his agents through absolute misery.

After arriving in Texas, the car left the main road and drove onto a narrow path.

After a bumpy journey, it finally reached an utterly desolate graveyard.

The quill pointed directly toward a dilapidated wooden shack.

After getting out of the car and stretching his body, Wes could not help complaining, "This trip was awful. It would've been much more convenient to ride a flying broomstick. I need to find time to give this car a proper upgrade."

The journey had truly been uncomfortable, and Wes planned to use alchemy to turn the car into a luxury model.

Wes turned to look at the ramshackle wooden shack and murmured, "Is this where the Sanctum Sanctorum Contract is?"

He walked forward and raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Creeeak—"

The door let out a teeth-grating groan.

However, Wes was not greeted by the warm smile of a friendly owner, but by the cold barrels of a double-barreled Shotgun.