Marvel: Godhood Unlocked, I Choose Sci-Magic Dual Cultivation

Constantine's hand trembled, and his last cigarette fell to the floor. He hurriedly picked it up and brushed off the ash.

He was filled with regret, inwardly crying that he had been duped...

"But..." Dane said leisurely.

Hope rose in Constantine's heart along with his tone.

"All reasonable expenses can be reimbursed."

"But only reasonable ones, understand?"

I don't understand! Constantine's face darkened.

Dane decided to be more specific, lest the man expect Umbrella to pay whenever he went looking for a nightingale. He couldn't afford that embarrassment!

"No prostitution, gambling, or drugs! Smoking and drinking are limited! Any battle damage incurred while fighting for justice will be fully covered."

Constantine looked at the last cigarette in his hand and asked uncertainly, "So I'll still have to earn my own money for cigarettes and alcohol from now on?"

He did not mention women. With Constantine's looks and gift for conversation, he never lacked temporary companions.

Dane patted his shoulder earnestly. "Smoking and excessive drinking are harmful to your health!"

As he spoke, he took a contract from the drawer and handed it to Constantine.

"Sign it. Once you do, you'll be mine from then on."

Though Dane's words sounded a little strange, Constantine still signed his name without hesitation.

After this incident, he had developed quite a bit of faith in the Justice League's image, so he did not hesitate.

This was also what they had agreed on beforehand.

Constantine left with his head hanging low. He had thought that finding a rich boss meant he could simply coast to victory.

Who would have thought he would still need to earn his own money for cigarettes and alcohol?

However, Dane had promised that if Constantine needed magical materials for casting spells or practice, those costs would be fully covered.

Constantine was somewhat hesitant. Because of his past experiences, he had always been unwilling to use his dark magic too often.

Yet Dane seemed to be encouraging him. Did he not know that using dark magic brought misfortune to people?

But Constantine did not know that Dane not only knew, but had also used his God of Death divinity to grant him a "blessing."

Of course, among the Aztec pantheon, "curse" might have been a more fitting term.

Within the Americas, he would no longer suffer misfortune from using dark magic, and dark powers would not be able to kill him.

His soul had already been marked by the God of Death.

Even outside the Americas, anywhere in the world, no other mystical force would be able to seize his soul.

Constantine surely had no idea just how "scheming" Dane was. The contract he had Constantine sign also contained a magical contract from the realm of yin and yang.

It was etched into the decorative patterns along the edge of the document. This was, in truth, a two-faced contract.

In other words, without realizing it, he had already "sold" his soul to Dane.

If any demon dared to come and fight Dane for that soul in the future, Dane would teach it what cruelty meant!

What it meant to come through the internet and chop you down!

The Enchantress's Submission

The Los Angeles incident had come to an end, and the members returned to their daily lives.

But this time, Clark seemed a little upset that Superman had not made an appearance.

"You carried out this operation without bringing me along!"

Clark had learned the details of the incident from Cortana.

Dane asked in confusion, "Weren't you busy with farm work lately?"

Yes, the multimillionaire... no, that was no longer right.

Clark Kent, the wealthy tycoon who was very likely worth over a hundred million now, was most passionate about farming.

Dane felt that this guy might have been from the same hometown as him in a previous life. Otherwise, why was he so devoted to agricultural work?

And he refused to use his powers to finish quickly, insisting on planting slowly like an ordinary person.

He said Old Kent had taught him that one must always remain humble before the land and nature.

Dane had been deeply moved by his humble heart, so he had not called him for the demon-fighting raid.

Clark hesitated for a moment before saying slowly, "Actually, being late by a little while wouldn't have mattered..."

Dane sneered. "The enemies there were all demons. They have plenty of little tricks for manipulating people's hearts."

"I was afraid that after you got there, it would be hard to tell whose side you were actually helping!"

Clark raised his head and slapped his chest hard enough to shake the heavens. It really did shake the heavens; the entire Justice Hall heard it.

He promised, "Absolutely impossible. My will is as unbreakable as my body!"

He had that confidence.

After all, even Dane could not break through his defenses without using magical lightning.

But Dane did not have much confidence in him. Clark was still an innocent virgin, after all.

Even if he could withstand a demon's temptation, could he withstand a generous, intellectual big sister like the Spirit of Los Angeles?

Her embrace was very broad! Perfect for warming little puppies like him.

So Dane could not be bothered to argue with him and simply said, "This matter is already over. If you want to prove yourself, you'll have to wait for next time."

"Then you have to promise that next time, you won't secretly go on missions without telling me and the others!"

Dane reluctantly agreed. Having received his promise, Clark left in satisfaction.

After he left, Dane turned and returned to his Rock of Eternity.

He intended to research a divine artifact capable of containing the Power of Death.

But as soon as he began researching, he discovered a problem.

He wanted to make the artifact into a concealed weapon that could kill instantly, sealing the victim's throat with a single drop of blood.

But that belonged to curse-type magic, which did not fit Shazam's attributes very well.

Solomon had only taught him methods for dealing with demons, not how to wield evil powers.

That was understandable. It was meant to prevent Shazam's inheritors from going astray in pursuit of dark power.

But they clearly had not accounted for someone like Dane, leaving him at a loss for a moment.

Still, he quickly found a solution.

Everyone surely remembered that Dane was no longer the only resident of the Rock of Eternity.

Zatanna and June Moone lived there as well.

Because of June's unique condition, Zatanna had persuaded her to remain at the Rock of Eternity.

At least in this sacred place of magic, she did not have to worry about the Enchantress inside her suddenly emerging and harming innocent people.

And after Dane renovated the place, he had set up a magical version of the internet, allowing them to communicate and exchange information with the outside world through computers.

They simply could not trace the IP address.

Dane had Cortana try tracking the Rock of Eternity's IP address. In the end, it showed a location near Jupiter...

In short, until the Enchantress threat was completely resolved, June would be staying at the Rock of Eternity for the time being.

But that made the atmosphere somewhat delicate.

Zatanna had her own work too. She often had to go out to perform, since she needed to make money.

As a woman determined to be independent and self-reliant, she could not possibly accept being kept by Dane.

She would not refuse the occasional gift, but if he gave her money, she would probably get angry.

So much of the time, the Rock of Eternity held only Dane and June Moone, a lone man and a lone woman...

Feeling that the atmosphere was strange, Dane had avoided staying at the Rock of Eternity for quite some time.

Now that he had finally returned after so long, he had nearly forgotten there was someone else here.

The Enchantress, this evil god, was exceptionally skilled with curses!

But she might not cooperate. She probably hated Dane to the bone by now.

After thinking it over, Dane finally made a decision.

If a man wasn't ruthless, he couldn't stand firm.

June Moone, don't blame me.

That night, Dane used Dreamwalking to enter June's mental world.

During her time at the Rock of Eternity, June's mind had strengthened somewhat, barely enough to accommodate Dane's mental invasion.

Within June's inner world, the Enchantress spotted him at a glance.

Without saying a word, she turned and ran.

Of course, Dane would not let her escape. He reached out and snatched her back as easily as grabbing a chick.

"What do you want?!" The Enchantress glared at him resentfully.

Dane found this somewhat troublesome, but he had little patience for an evil god and could only resort to rough methods.

"I recall that the Primordial Witch Cult follows the law of the strong ruling the weak. I need you to acknowledge me as your master now. Will you?"

"In your dreams!"

The Enchantress flew into a rage. She had run rampant for thousands of years. No one had ever dared enslave her; she had always been the one enslaving others.

"So there's no room for negotiation?"

Dane asked regretfully.

Then lightning flared in his hands, and living lightning snakes crawled over the Enchantress's body.

They shocked her into screaming wildly.

Aah—!

Dane carefully controlled his divine power. It had to be enough to torment her, but not enough to cause June any real harm.

But the Enchantress had a strong will. He gained little that night, though he was already prepared for a long campaign.

It was just a little awkward when he saw June the next day. She practically avoided him.

But that could not shake Dane's resolve. Every night, he gave the Enchantress electrotherapy on schedule.

Who would have thought that after doing it for a while, the Enchantress's own strength actually improved slightly...

"Forget it. As long as it achieves my goal, consider it a bonus for you."

After nearly a month of this, he finally sensed that the Enchantress's attitude had begun to soften.

Though he felt that something about the direction seemed off.

Then one day, Dane discovered that the Enchantress was actually wearing a pleased smile while receiving her electrotherapy. He froze.

Then he stopped, while the Enchantress looked at him as if wondering why he was not continuing.

"Is there something wrong with you?"

His face darkened. I'm seriously administering electric torture, yet you're making that expression.

You're making me suspect you have a safeword. Are we playing some kind of weird game?

But the Enchantress clearly did not see it that way. She had already realized that Dane had no intention of killing her.

On the contrary, though she appeared to be suffering during this period, her power had improved slightly.