The Generals sensed the birth of a new companion and eagerly scurried back to Tony.
The moment they emerged from the shadows, they saw Tony's utterly baffled face.
"Boss, what's wrong?"
Tony decided he couldn't suffer through this alone. He had to drag them into it too.
So Tony had them watch Hyperion's Dark Lands together.
Spider-Man: ???
Doctor Octopus: ???
Mephisto: ???
Everyone else: ???
What the hell was this?
Were these Dark Lands of yours even remotely legitimate?
These truly were Dark Lands that defied description.
Hahahahaha!
The world had gone mad. Even mice were serving as bridesmaids for cats.
Loki didn't understand, but he was deeply shaken. "Wait, this shit actually works?"
Mephisto chewed his finger. "In theory, torment is a form of darkness too. Theoretically, it's feasible."
Spider-Man sighed. "Our abilities only set the floor. Our imagination determines the ceiling."
Before meeting Mephisto...
Who could have imagined that you could build vast Dark Lands through sheer bullshitting?
Mephisto had achieved it with just a few mind-control spells!
This was even more fucking ridiculous.
Torment as normal people imagined it: beatings, bondage, someone drilling into a wall, stubbing your toe on a bedpost.
Torment as goofballs imagined it: tickling someone's soles, tickling them all over, tying them up and reading their middle-school diary aloud.
Torment as Hyperion imagined it: The Call of the Times calisthenics routine!
Tony shook his head and dismissed the image. "Once they awaken over the coming days, we'll create the Soul Realm."
"Yes, boss."
Tony said, "Mephisto, help Loki seal off everyone's Dark Lands. Focus on your cultivation, and turn the inhabitants of your territories into elites. In this universe, only the strong get a say."
In this universe, Thanos could instantly wipe out half of all living beings by putting on the