hotmtlnovel Chapter 4018 MU Superbody Major Event (98)
Chapter 4018 MU Superbody Major Event (98)
Chapter 4018 MU: The Superbody Incident (Ninety-Eight)
Constantine, a cigarette dangling from his lips, walked up to Strange, hands on his hips, and stared at him silently. After a long pause, he nodded somewhat vaguely and said, "I told you you weren't like Constantine."
"You don't seem like it either, do you? You answered Batman's call to join this war, wasn't it to find a way out? Maybe I can help you."
Constantine didn't deny it; he simply tilted his head slightly and said, "To be precise, I had a premonition of Satan's arrival. As long as I can avoid him, it doesn't matter where he goes. Meeting you is a pleasant surprise, Your Excellency the Sorcerer Supreme."
Then he suddenly laughed, lowered his head, shook his head, and said, "'Supreme Sorcerer'? That sounds really... interesting."
“Nothing’s more interesting than your lungs.” Strange picked up the film again and pointed at it. “Have you ever regretted doing this to your body?...Come on, what stupid question am I asking? If you regretted it, you wouldn’t keep smoking.”
"You want to be a smoke-free ambassador too?" Constantine asked, looking at him.
He plopped back down on the bed, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and said, “What can I do? I’ve seen strange things since I was a child. If I tell people, they think I’m mentally ill. But those things haunt my mind, keep appearing in my dreams, and torment me every second, making it impossible for me to concentrate on anything. Nicotine and alcohol give me temporary numbness, but that’s all.”
“So this is the kind of path your demons take,” Strange said with a sigh.
“Aren’t you?” Constantine asked, raising an eyebrow.
"How should I put it? The devils here take the gentle approach. They usually don't choose to scare you, but instead ask you very warmly and politely what you need, digging out every bit of greed in your heart as a condition for a deal, coaxing you into willingly signing an unequal contract with them."
Constantine stiffened for a moment, then exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "If you keep saying that, I might fall in love with Satan."
How does he treat you?
“He has a special fondness for me,” Constantine said with a self-deprecating laugh. “On the day I die, he will come to take my soul himself.”
Strange asked himself again, "If I remember correctly, Satan is another name for Lucifer? Is there something going on between them?"
“Not the same Lucifer,” Schiller’s voice rang out again. “While Heaven and Hell in the other world are shared by the multiverse, they are limited to a portion of the universes. This Constantine is in an alternate universe, where Hell is not shared with other universes; it has its own independent Heaven and Hell, and God and Satan are not from those other universes.”
Within the DC universe, the comic book universe shares a common Heaven and Hell, while adaptation universes such as the cinematic universe are not included. Adaptation universes like those of Batman Bebe, Batman Alter, and Batman in Arkham are independent systems. Although Lucifer can manage these universes because the copyright originates from the comics, their Heaven and Hell are not shared with the comic book universe.
Another typical example is the American TV series "Lucifer". The Lucifer in this universe is not the Lucifer in the comics, nor even his clone, but an independent character. The same is true for Heaven and Hell in the series.
The cinematic universe that Constantine belongs to has its own rules of operation. Simply put, God and Satan have a wager that neither can directly interfere in human affairs. Therefore, if they want to compete, it depends on humanity's own choices—doing good leads to heaven, doing evil leads to hell. Humanity votes with their lives, letting the two decide the victor.
It sounds fair, but it's not at all. Both Heaven and Hell are constantly pulling strings. Demons influence humanity at crucial moments of choice, plunging them into the abyss; angels, on the other hand, continually urge humanity to ascend to Heaven.
Constantine was rather unlucky; he possessed an exceptionally high level of intuition, allowing him to see demons and angels who came to Earth to cause trouble. These entities greatly influenced his mental state, making him a top-tier exorcist.
Similarly, his innate high level of inspiration made his soul incredibly appealing to the devil. Satan had already declared that Constantine's soul could only belong to him. God clearly held a different view, and the two were constantly locked in a struggle.
"After I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I knew I was close to death, but I didn't want to hand my soul over to Satan, so I answered Batman's call and came here. Although Satan can't catch up with me, my life is already on a countdown, it's just a matter of where I die."
Strange was silent for a moment, then said, "You should try harder. Cancer isn't entirely incurable."
“Yes, but that only applies to early-stage cancer. For someone like me, it’s already too late,” Constantine said, looking at the ceiling.
Strange didn't know how to refute it. Lung cancer is one of the most despairing cancers, especially the small cell lung cancer that Constantine had. The disease is extremely aggressive and spreads very quickly. By the time symptoms appear, it has basically spread throughout the body, and there is no cure.
Given the extent of his lung damage, the patient should theoretically be very weak, but Constantine was no ordinary man. He was an exorcist who could occasionally summon a couple of demons for a treat, but this was merely a combination of strong painkillers and stimulants—a temporary fix. Once the medication stopped, Constantine would soon die a painful death.
"It seems you took his last medication," Strange thought to himself. "Now he has no choice but to be treated."
"It's alright, we can always bring in the gray fog." Schiller's voice remained calm. "I only decided on conservative treatment out of respect for his personal beliefs. Otherwise, what's cancer cells anyway?"
Strange agreed; no cancer could withstand the gray fog. However, Constantine's mental state was truly worrying. What if he suffered a mental breakdown after you quietly treated him and then told him he couldn't go to heaven?
So Strange decided to test the waters. He said, "I told you, I can help you. I know you might not like magical methods, but our universe is technologically advanced. There's a country in Africa that has mastered the technology to completely cure cancer. Even if surgery is required, you can trust my skills."
Constantine did indeed turn his head to look over.
“I didn’t expect that even now, you still wouldn’t use magic to heal him.” Strange understood his choice. He said, “Why are you so resistant to magic? Do you have a strong religious belief?”
“Religion? It’s more than just religion,” Constantine shook his head. “I know many ordinary people see the Bible as just a story, but I know it’s real. Angels and demons alike have always existed. Just because most people can’t see them doesn’t mean those who can are crazy.”
"Okay, I know these things are true and reliable to you. So why not cooperate with them and heal yourself?"
"Who to collaborate with?"
"Anyone, is a demon acceptable?"
“I want to go to heaven,” Constantine said.
“That’s exactly why I want to go to Heaven,” Strange said, somewhat puzzled. “What’s so great about Heaven?”
“When your other option is Satan, wouldn’t anyone want to go to heaven?” Constantine retorted.
Strange hesitated; this kind of choice was meaningless to him. It was like asking whether to choose the Vishanti or Mephisto—but in reality, there was no difference. Although the Vishanti might seem less evil, and Mephisto more cunning, when it came to actually needing them, it was hard to say who was more reliable.
“You’ve got one thing wrong,” Constantine said. “You think I have a choice, but I don’t. From the moment I was born, Satan has been watching me, and every single moment I’m alive is a struggle to get rid of him.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Constantine said with a self-deprecating laugh, “but no matter what I do, I can’t go to heaven. People who commit suicide can’t go to heaven.”
“Catholic doctrine?” Strange paused for a moment before saying, “Then why don’t you just not commit suicide?”
"Smoking is a form of slow suicide, because lung cancer caused by smoking is also a type of suicide."
Strange slapped his forehead and said, "Whoever made this rule must be medically illiterate. According to current scientific research, smoking does increase the risk of lung cancer, but it's not necessarily the main cause. In that case, breathing is also a form of slow suicide, because everyone who breathes eventually dies."
Constantine sat there silently, and although it wasn't outwardly apparent, a heavy sense of weariness emanated from him.
Strange suddenly realized that it was all a trap set by Satan. Constantine had been able to see those demons since childhood; he must have been terrified, deeply troubled, and tormented by it. To calm himself down, he would seek the help of addictive substances, whether it was cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs, which could temporarily free him from his nightmares.
But once he uses these things, the gates of Heaven will be forever closed to him, and his soul will fall into the hands of Satan. Doesn't that seem like a Satanic conspiracy?
The idea that evil deeds lead to hell and good deeds to heaven is a complete lie to humanity. Humans are far too vulnerable to these beings; they don't even need to do anything. Just their frequent appearances are enough to terrify you, even driving you insane. In such a situation, who has the energy to do a good deed every day?
Perhaps Constantine understood this point. His obsession with going to heaven was not because heaven was so wonderful, but simply because he didn't want Satan to succeed. It was also the most powerful act of revenge he could take.
Strange sighed and said, "Since things have come to this, why don't you take a gamble and cooperate with me? Maybe things will turn around. What do you say?"
"Tell me what you want to do first," Constantine lit another cigarette, then suddenly coughed violently. He covered his mouth with his hand, and blood trickled from between his fingers.
Strange immediately pressed on Constantine's shoulder and used magical energy to repair part of the bronchial damage, helping Constantine clear the phlegm from his airway.
Constantine took a deep breath, then began to gasp for air, like a drowning person suddenly brought ashore. After a moment, he looked up at Strange and said, "Thanks, this might be the first breath of air I've had all year. I've blocked Batman's surveillance; he might be here soon. Get to the point."