Equivalent Exchange

"Marvel's Magnetic Field Rotation"

"Yes, as long as your effort is commensurate with the value of your reward."

Mephisto calmly replied, "If you don't trust me, we can make a contract—although I am the devil, I value contracts above all else. Unlike those angels who only demand sacrifices and never give anything in return, we follow the principle of equivalent exchange."

Equivalent exchange?

The power to set prices rests in Mephisto's hands. He can say that the value of a soul is comparable to the entire Earth, or that a certain fact is equivalent to a person who has not yet been born. What he holds is the most expensive. With this ability, he has Doctor Doom many times. He also holds Doom's mother's soul, forcing the filial son Lord Doom to swallow his anger.

"Okay." Doctor Death nodded; he had traveled a long way to New Mexico specifically for this.

While Mephisto was scheming against him, he was also scheming against this Monarch hell.

Seeing that Doctor Death had taken the bait, Mephisto, like a knight reaching into his belt, pulled out a scroll-like contract from behind his back and handed it to Doctor Death.

Placing the half-finished beer on the bar, Doctor Death clapped his hands, took the contract, and unfolded it. Before he could even glance at its contents, a sharp blade suddenly sprang from the barrel and sliced across Doctor Death finger—according to the contract, confirming its contents was not limited to signing.

After all, education has only been widespread for a few years, and the illiteracy rate was terrifyingly high in the past. If Mephisto took a fancy to someone's soul, but that person happened to be illiterate and unable to write their own name correctly so that a contract could not be signed, that would be awkward.

Therefore, as long as something belonging to the contractor appears on the contract, it is considered complete, including but not limited to signatures, fingerprints, blood... To take it to an extreme, if you spit on the contract, Mephisto can still consider it your signature.

As for the hidden mechanisms on the scroll, Johnny Blaze, the modern-day Ghost Rider, was tricked in this way. He foolishly opened the contract, and before he could even take a look, he cut his hand, using his blood to complete the contract, thus trading his soul to Mephisto.

But that's not all. Johnny Blaze trades his soul for his father's health, who is terminally ill with cancer. The very next day, his father dies after failing a motorcycle stunt performance, and Johnny loses his loved one. Then, under Mephisto's control, he misses out on his childhood sweetheart and loses his love.

In just a few days, Johnny Blaze lost almost everything, while Mephisto, who hadn't paid a cent, made a fortune.

Now Mephisto is using this trick on Doctor Death. Considering the opponent's physical strength, his blade is imbued with magic and the power of the Hell Dimension. Among the metal materials on Earth, there is none that it cannot cut through, except for Wakanda's Vibranium.

However, Doctor Death's Titanium Extreme Golden Body was fused with Adamantium Alloy, which was even stronger than Vibranium. The flying blades cut his fingers, creating a series of sparks, but they didn't even break his oily skin, leaving not a single white mark.

"You bastard, you knew you were just trying to fool me!" Doctor Death tossed the contract away with one hand, then used the power of the Magnetic Field Rotation to turn it into dust.

A contract is only valid and protected by rules after both parties sign it. However, an unsigned piece of paper is like excrement in a toilet, easily destroyed. The magical protection Mephisto bestowed upon the contract only lasted a few microseconds.

"If you don't want to trade honestly, then don't do it!"

With a flick of his wrist, like flipping a table, Doctor Death slapped Mephisto's chin. The force of the Magnetic Field Rotation instantly reduced his projection to ashes... no, not even a speck of dust remained.

Just as Mephisto disappeared, a waitress came out of the kitchen carrying two plates.

Doctor Death slapped twenty dollars on the bar and said, "The extra is your tip."

To be honest, the food at the street-side bar wasn't very good, especially with all that weird hot sauce. But for Doctor Death, it was his first meal in this world, making it incredibly meaningful.

However, the waitress's cooking skills were really not very good.

He had to finish the food he ordered, even with tears in his eyes, and Doctor Death to eat half of the two dishes despite the discomfort. Suddenly, someone pushed open the bar door, and the night wind, mixed with raindrops, blew in.

Another well-dressed old man arrived, dressed in missionary robes, carrying a cane with Crystal top. He had thinning hair and a pale face, looking like he was on his deathbed, but he was in excellent spirits.

Without a doubt, this is Mephisto reappearing in a different form.

"Damn you, you bastard, how dare you show your face in front of Lin Bei again!"

Seeing this, Doctor Death slammed down his spoon and, taking the opportunity, refused to eat anymore. "Don't think I don't know how important that contract is to you. You want me to do something but you're trying to trick me. Let me tell you, this will cost extra."

The commotion was clearly suspicious, and the blond waiter immediately hid under the bar, pulling out his phone to call the police.

"This is the real contract." A document was handed to Doctor Death. Compared to the previous one, which was ornate and solemn, this one was just a piece of paper. Mephisto said, "My requirements are written on it. You can fill in the details of the reward you want at any time."

"I have many clones. Although each one belongs to my main body and shares common abilities and memories, each one has a different style of doing things. The method I used just now was rather despicable."

"Alright, then I'll make my request." Doctor Death took the contract, glanced at it, and said, "I need a method for manipulating human desires and extracting magic power from them."

As soon as he finished speaking, a text appeared out of thin air on the contract. It was the same sentence Doctor Death had just said, but in a more formal written form. This meant that Doctor Death had signed the contract, and the transaction between the two parties was complete.

"As expected, you knew about my hidden tricks..." Mephisto laughed, but his smile was tinged with coldness, as if he wanted to chew the Doctor Death to pieces, skin and bones.

Manipulating human desires and exploiting human sins are the devils' specialties and the foundation of their existence. Signing this contract is tantamount to emptying one's pockets and handing over half of one's wealth.

But once a contract is signed, its terms must be followed. These are the rules he set, and you can't overturn them yourself, or you'll ruin your own reputation.

"Haha, the fact that this contract was reached means that the reward I offered wasn't a bad deal for you." Raising the contract in his hand, Doctor Death said, "Do you want me to reveal your entire plan? Then you'll become the target of everyone's criticism."