A Battle That Will Decide Humanity's Future

"What? Carol Danvers has disappeared? Repeat that shit one more time!"

Nick Fury, who had just returned to the ground from outer space, let out an almost hysterical roar at a Skrull spy embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D.

He had taken enormous risks traveling back and forth between deep space and the ground just so he could meet this old friend and inform her of Earth's current situation, so she would not provoke people she should not provoke.

After all, humanity on Earth was no longer politically or economically independent. It was closer to being a "vassal" or "protected state" of the Ninth Layer of Baator.

Although many Human Federation higher-ups tried their best to avoid acknowledging it, the one-eyed director knew full well that it was an ironclad fact.

Without the great demon god Raymond holding the line, either Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension, invading before, or the Chitauri's large-scale invasion, might have wiped out Earth and humanity outright.

So although they had to pay a considerable number of souls as tribute every year, it was not something humanity found difficult to accept.

In fact, before signing the contract, several permanent members of the Security Council and S.H.I.E.L.D. had sent representatives to inspect the place.

They discovered that this world called the Nine Hells was not only nothing like the terrifying place described in religions and myths, but was instead filled with a familiar, highly modern atmosphere.

Its welfare benefits, income levels, and social policies were incomparably better than those of any country on Earth.

As long as one did not recklessly get oneself killed, one could achieve immortality at the level of the soul after death.

Of course, the prerequisite was being able to resist the enormous temptations lurking everywhere.

But that clearly involved personal freedom and choice, and