Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Chapter 236 The Celestial Group Behind Heaven (A 5K-word Chapter!)
Hawke led Katherine Pierce, who was following behind him, back to the main building of the manor.

However, when Catherine walked to the main building of the manor, Caroline, who was sitting on the sofa talking to Elena and the African-American witch Bonnie, subconsciously stood up.

After all, it was Catherine who smothered her to death in the hospital, which turned her into a vampire.

Therefore, Caroline is very sensitive to Catherine's scent.

"Catherine!"

"what?"

"hiss!"

Elena and the African-American witch watched as Caroline suddenly stood up. After asking a question, they then saw Catherine not far away, following behind Hawke. She looked exactly like Elena, almost like they were made from the same mold, but her temperament was completely different from Elena's. They were two extremes.

Gwen raised an eyebrow as Hawke led Catherine in, got up from the sofa, and walked over.

“Gwen, Pierce, Katherine Pierce.”

“Ms. Pierce, Stacy, Gwen Stacy, my fiancée.”

"Hello, Ms. Stacy."

"Hello."

Gwen shook hands with Catherine and said with a smile, "Welcome to Forks Estate."

Catherine said thank you.

Hawke then said, "There are some things I need Ms. Pierce's help to verify. I'll take her back to her room first."

Gwen nodded upon hearing this.

"it is good."

"Let's go."

Hawke said something to Catherine, then walked toward the staircase leading upstairs.

After apologizing to Gwen, Catherine caught up with Hawke, and the two went upstairs one after the other. They returned to Hawke and Gwen's room, went inside, and closed the door.

Seeing this, Gwen looked away and returned to the sofa.

next second.

She looked at Caroline, who was staring intently at her, as well as Elena and Bonnie, the African-American witch, who were also staring wide-eyed. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Caroline.

"what?"

"hiss!"

Caroline gasped again, her eyes darting around. She lowered her voice and looked at Gwen in disbelief: "Cousin, you just watched your husband lead Catherine into the room like that?"

Jesus.

God.

The Virgin Mary.

Is this what city people are like?
Is this how you play?
Gwen was taken aback when she saw Caroline leaning close to her, speaking in a low voice, her eyes darting around. Then she realized what was happening, looked up, and tapped Caroline on the head.

"Oh!"

"Ouch, that hurts, cousin."

"Even though you're a vampire now, I'm still your cousin."

Gwen rolled her eyes: "What are you thinking? Hawke must have something important to say to her since he asked her to come over."

Caroline grinned, rubbing her head where Gwen had just slammed her head against the wall, and listened to Gwen's words with some curiosity.

"what's up?"

"It's none of your business."

"Can……"

Caroline blinked and looked at Gwen, who had a very calm expression: "Cousin, aren't you worried that Hawke won't be able to resist temptation? Catherine is very beautiful, and besides, she's a vampire, she's very good at seducing men."

Gwen laughed, looking at Caroline with a bright smile.

"You mean I need to worry about Catherine?"

"of course."

"Catherine is a bad woman."

Caroline spoke quickly, then looked at Elena and the African-American witch: "Am I right?"

Elena and the African-American witch did not speak, they simply nodded.

Gwen chuckled and looked at Caroline: "Guess what will happen next if Catherine seduces Hawke?"

Caroline thought for a moment.

"Will Hawke take the bait?"

"Hawk will kill her, without any hesitation."

Gwen smiled and glanced at the dazed Caroline: "If you weren't my cousin, believe me, none of you would have come back alive last night."

She doesn't understand vampires.

But she knows Hawke very well.

and so……

After saying that, Gwen got up from the sofa and walked towards the backyard.

She planned to visit the estate's back garden to see if there were any good varieties that she could transplant to the back garden of 521A Palm Street when she returned.

As for what Caroline said, she was worried that something might happen between Hawke and Catherine.
Ah.

Gwen never doubted Hawke's loyalty to her, just as she never doubted her own charm.

in the room.

Katherine Pierce stood there, her eyes glazed over.

Deep within the soul.

Hawke, using the Sun Ring made from the Reality Gem that Katherine Pierce wore to transmit a message, stood in a pure world, looking at Katherine before him, dressed in white, with a crystal-clear soul and slightly closed eyes.

"You can see for yourself; it's in the deepest, most profound part of the soul in Heaven. Once you see it, you will know."

"The deepest part of the soul."

Hawke recalled Mephisto's mysterious words once more, his six senses converging as he peered into the deepest recesses of Catherine's soul.

next second.

He saw a colossal creature that was sacred, ancient, enormous, and inhuman, beyond description in any language.

But Hawke knew what it was.

He had even seen it.

Just a while ago.

Celestial Group!
But not Thiam, the god who is still sleeping on Earth.

This deity should be—

Arithm?

at this time.

Hawke's heart skipped a beat, and in that instant, his sixth sense kicked in, causing him to withdraw all his attention and pull himself out of Catherine's soul.

The sixth sense warning also disappeared.

and so……

Is this what Mephisto wanted him to see?

Behind the Heavenly Dimension, are there Celestials?

Hawke thought to himself.

at the same time.

Catherine's unfocused eyes returned to normal.

Hawke suppressed his confusion and smiled slightly at Catherine, who had regained her senses.

"Thank you."

"It's an honor to be able to help."

"You really helped, thank you again."

Hawke smiled as he spoke, then looked at Catherine, thinking of the doppelganger of Catherine downstairs, and said, "The first time I helped you, I helped you escape from the grave. Now you've helped me again, so this is my way of repaying you..."

Upon hearing this, Catherine quickly waved her hand, "No need, you've already helped me escape from the grave, that's enough."

Hawke smiled slightly and looked at Catherine.

"Would you like to hear what my reward is?"

"Need not."

Catherine was very decisive, shaking her head and saying, "For me, helping me escape the grave is enough."

She is a smart woman.

It always has been.

If she weren't smart enough, she wouldn't have escaped from Klaus's clutches; if she weren't smart enough, she would have been captured by Klaus countless times during her five-hundred-year escape.

Catherine knows how to interact with people.

Especially with some powerful figures you can't afford to offend.

Unlike Damon.

Hypnosis, hypnosis, all he knows is hypnosis. Sooner or later, he'll accidentally hypnotize some nobody that a big shot cares about, which will lead to his death.

That's why the rebellious Damon was never her favorite.

She still preferred Stefan, who was as cautious and prudent as herself and knew how to use ordinary people to hide himself.

Catherine thought to herself, then looked at Hawke and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Hawke glanced at Catherine, who seemed genuinely uninterested in his upcoming reward, and chuckled.

"The gifts I want to give are ones that few people wouldn't want."

"so……"

“You can end your five hundred years of escape now. When I see Klaus, I will tell him to stop hunting you.”

Well known.

Hawke doesn't like owing favors.

He prefers reciprocity to making promises of favor.

The most important thing.

It is the same whether you are driving one sheep or two sheep.

Since he had already promised Gwen that he would meet with Klaus to talk about Elena, there was no harm in telling Catherine about it.

one more time.

Klaus will agree, for his sake.

After Hawke finished speaking, he smiled as he watched Catherine's expression visibly shift from initial shock, then to astonishment, confusion, and finally, relief and disbelief. After Catherine processed Hawke's words, she realized what gift he had given her, and her heart pounded with excitement. Her mouth agape as she looked at Hawke before her.

"I...I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you."

Hawke smiled slightly: "You helped me and I thanked you. Now it's my turn to help you, so thank you is enough."

Catherine took a deep breath, having no doubt about the truth of Hawke's words, and looked at Hawke with gratitude in her eyes.

"Thank you."

"This is enough."

Hawke smiled and then opened the door.

after awhile.

After seeing Catherine off at the manor gate and watching her leave, he returned to the manor and found Gwen in the greenhouse at the back of the manor.

"Your guest has left?"

“Caroline’s last name is Fox. Strictly speaking, we are the guests.”

Gwen, who was admiring the flowers in the manor, stood up, looked at Hawke who was walking in from outside, corrected him, and then nodded and said, "Yes, they're gone. Where are your guests?"

Hawke nodded as well.

"Just saw them off."

Has the confusion been resolved?

"No, it's actually bigger."

Hawke said this, then hugged and kissed Gwen: "I need to go see Mephisto again."

Upon hearing this, Gwen released the hug and looked at Hawke.

"To cooperate with Mephisto?"

"Let's see what price he's willing to pay."

"Last time you believed in Mephisto, you almost fell for his tricks."

"I know."

Hawke understood that Gwen was reminding him that demons were not to be trusted, and smiled as he said, "But a demon who smiles while hiding a knife is always better than an angel who appears holy on the outside but stabs you in the back, don't you think?"

Gwen rolled her eyes at Hawke.

"We really have no chance to go to heaven."

"Opportunities are earned, Gwen."

Hawke smiled, casually tearing through space, then looked at Gwen: "Going to heaven is pointless. You have to be devout and do good deeds, it's too much trouble. It's easier to fight your way into heaven than to pass the exam. So don't worry, I'll fight my way into heaven for you."

Say it.

He stepped out and entered the spatial rift, which instantly closed.

Gwen watched Hawke disappear, shook her head and smiled, then squatted down again, looking at the flowers and plants in front of her while checking prices on her phone.

In a word.

She doesn't want anything that isn't expensive.

The Hell Dimension Tavern.

When Hawke pushed open the door and walked in, Mephisto was not sitting at the old table this time, but instead appeared behind the bar.

Mephisto, with his back to Hawke and rummaging through the wine shelves, spoke without turning his head.

"I remember that when Earthlings reach a cooperation agreement, they would drink champagne to celebrate the successful cooperation."

"I haven't decided yet whether or not I want to cooperate with you, Mephisto."

Hawke sat on a high stool, placed his hands on the bar, and looked at Mephisto, who was turning around with a bottle of champagne in his hands: "After all, you're already a person who has lost my trust with me. What if we cooperate and you stab me in the back?"

Upon hearing this, Mephisto met Hawke's gaze, thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"It is indeed possible."

"Oh, thank you for your honesty."

"Hey, I am the devil, and the words of the devil are not to be trusted. You can't even believe the punctuation marks in my words."

"so……"

Hawke realized what was happening and looked at Mephisto with a half-smile: "You're lying again. You won't stab me in the back."

Mephisto shrugged, took out two glasses from below, and popped open the champagne glass to symbolize the celebration. He poured the champagne into the two glasses while glancing at Hawke.

Can I kill you?

"No."

"If I stab you in the back, you won't lose anything, will you?"

"But I would feel disgusted."

Hawke took the glass of wine Mephisto offered, glanced at Mephisto, and then said directly, "Is the Celestials behind Heaven?"

Upon hearing this, Mephisto looked at Hawke with some surprise.

"You know them?"

"So fresh."

Hawk chuckled and looked at Mephisto: "Didn't I know you when I was still an ordinary person?"

Mephisto shook his head: "Their legends circulate only in the universe; people on Earth have never heard of them."

Hawke didn't come over to chat with Mephisto; he went straight to Mephisto.

"Does the Celestials use the Heavenly Dimension to rapidly create new Celestials?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Mephisto looked at Hawke with genuine surprise, his expression not feigned: "You know that too?"

Hawke chuckled.

"This is what you said."

"I never said that."

"You said that after the Heavenly Dimension acquires a life-bearing planet, it will use the soul of that life-bearing planet as fuel for attacking the next life-bearing planet. And behind the Heavenly Dimension is the Celestials, and the birth of a new Celestial also requires life energy. Heaven needs souls, and the new Celestials need life."

"The most important point."

“I have seen the gods.”

Hawke held the champagne glass in his hand, looking at Mephisto with a half-smile: "The one sleeping inside Earth."

Mephisto gasped and scrutinized Hawke from head to toe.

"But you are still alive."

"Yes."

Hawke shrugged, enjoying Mephisto's genuine shock this time.

If he hadn't wanted to tell Mephisto that he had also absorbed Thiam's life energy, he thought that if he had, Mephisto would have been even more incredulous.

Mephisto was indeed shocked.

Although, theoretically speaking, he, like the Celestials, is directly led by the 'Death' and 'Eternity' of the five great creator gods.

but……

There are many death lords like him in the realm of death.

But the Celestials are servants of 'Eternity'.

It's obvious who is closer.

but……

After his initial shock, Mephisto looked at Hawke and said, "Since you already know this, you also know that the Heavenly Dimension is enough for your universe to expand, so you should cooperate with me even more."

Hawke shook his head.

"Shouldn't I cooperate with the Heavenly Dimension? The Celestials are backed by the Heavenly Dimension."

"They're going to destroy the Earth."

"None of my business."

Hawke scoffed and looked at Mephisto: "Let it be destroyed, it has nothing to do with me."

Anyway, he can traverse the universe now. If Earth is about to be destroyed, he can leave Earth with the people he cares about and the people Gwen cares about the moment before.

As for where we'll go if Earth is gone.

That's not a problem.

The universe is so vast, he can go anywhere.

The most important thing.

Hawke looked at Mephisto: "You know I don't really need a real-world fulcrum as the coordinates for my universe."

A real-world foothold would indeed make it easier for him to develop the Phoenix Universe in the future.

But it's not a necessity.

After all, the Phoenix Galaxy is right there in reality. If all else fails, he can go to the Phoenix Galaxy and start his own universe.

At most, he'll just be remembered by the entire Marvel Universe.

After all, what he did was tantamount to robbery.

But behind the Heavenly Dimension is the Celestial Group. If he were to seize the Heavenly Dimension, he would also be targeted by the Celestial Group.

and so……

Hawke looked calmly at Mephisto: "A single Heaven dimension isn't enough to pay for my cooperation with you. You're offering too little, old Mephisto."

Upon hearing Hawke call him "Old Mephisto," Mephisto couldn't resist the urge to go catch a fish for Hawke.

But he forced himself to suppress this inexplicable impulse and met Hawke's gaze.

"What else do you want?"

"soul."

Hawke had already decided what he wanted before he arrived. Looking at Mephisto, whose expression suddenly darkened, he said, "Don't worry, I don't intend to ask you for a third or half of your soul. The souls I kill in the future will belong to my Underworld. Is this a reasonable request for you?"

Mephisto chuckled.

"What if I agree to it, and then you wipe out all life on Earth the next day?"

Am I that cruel?

"Would you like me to go with you to see the tribe you slaughtered?"

"If black doesn't count, I just don't understand. When you took over the Earth, why did you think of including black in life? It's disgusting."

"This is my business."

Upon hearing this, Mephisto refused to take the blame and revealed his true red demon form, looking at Hawke: "If you think I made the earth turn black, then you've got the wrong person. You should be going to settle accounts with the Heavenly Dimension, after all, Jehovah is black."

Hawke: “…”

(End of this chapter)