As Barton's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice, a face that had left a deep impression on him suddenly appeared in his line of sight.
When he saw that face in the moonlight, Barton's mind was instantly shaken.
He had seen this person in the crowd during the daytime performance, and the strange feeling from back then was still very clear to him.
"Who are you?"
Barton, currently unable to move, looked at Mephisto standing by his bed with some fear.
"Who I am isn't important. I watched your performance today. You are an excellent Rider, and I hope you will ride for me in the future."
Mephisto said with a strange smile.
"Ride? Haven't you already seen that I've lost my legs? So, are you here to deliberately humiliate me?"
After hearing what Mephisto said, Barton's eyes immediately widened, and he spoke with an indignant expression.
"No, I'm here to give you a chance."
"Life is unpredictable. Just this morning, you were able to race freely in the show, but now you can only lie in a hospital bed, unable to move."
"But I can help you, get you back on your feet, and back on your motorcycle."
"So, are you willing to make a deal with me?"
As Mephisto's words fell, the sky outside the window suddenly began to change dramatically.
A bolt of lightning struck, and the immense light illuminated everything in the ward, casting a clear Shadow of the person by the bed onto the wall.
That was not a human Shadow at all, but the Shadow of a demon with goat horns.
However, Barton couldn't see it; he was contemplating Mephisto's words.
"How will you help me?"
Barton asked in a deep voice.
"The point isn't how I'll help you, but what you can offer for me to restore you to normal?"
Mephisto lured the soul to fall, step by step.
"Name your price!"
Barton hadn't yet understood the meaning behind Mephisto's words.
"Heh!"
"I want… your soul!"
Hearing these absurd words, Barton immediately lost interest, believing that the person in front of him was merely mocking him.
"I see distrust in your eyes, but this is your only chance in this life to stand up and ride a motorcycle again!"
"And all you need to do is sign this contract."
With that, Mephisto pulled a parchment contract from his embrace and handed it to Barton.
Barton became even more indignant after hearing this; he couldn't move at all now, let alone sign any contract!
However, the content of the contract quickly caught his attention!
When he saw that the initiator of this contract was Mephisto, his eyes suddenly widened.
He was no stranger to the name of this devil; he appeared in many myths and legends.
"It seems you have agreed to the terms of the contract."
Mephisto spoke, and with a slight movement of his eyes, a drop of blood flew from Barton's fingertip and landed on the contract.
"Now, the contract takes effect. Revive, my Rider!"
Mephisto suddenly pressed a pulsating flame against Barton's chest.
That was Zarathos, once another powerful Hell elemental demon lord, who grew strong by devouring human souls.
This made him a direct competitor to Mephisto!
Thus, his ultimate fate was to be ensnared and killed by Mephisto, all his consciousness erased, his soul enslaved, becoming the raw material for Mephisto to create Ghost Riders.
Those possessed by Zarathos and transformed into Ghost Riders would be more powerful than the former Spirits of Vengeance and also possess greater potential.
"Ah!"
"So hot, I feel like I'm going to ignite!"
Barton instantly felt a strong burning sensation spread throughout his body after Zarathos's soul merged with him.
The next moment, he, who had already been amputated, astonishingly grew two new legs.
Barton stumbled to the window, then crashed through the glass and fell out.
The Doctor and Nurse of the hospital had already heard the commotion in Barton's ward and immediately rushed over to check the situation.
Pushing open the ward door, they saw a young man in retro clothing give them a gentlemanly smile before disappearing without a trace.
Upon discovering that the patient in the bed was gone, they immediately looked towards the broken window.
Outside the window, on the lawn, a person enveloped in billowing black smoke was walking forward.
"Quick, call the Police immediately."
The Doctor had never seen such a scene; after a moment of stunned silence, he immediately instructed the Nurse to call the Police.
Here, Barton felt each step he took was unusually heavy.
Because his feet were covered in Fire, causing him to sink deeply into the ground with every step.
At the crossroads ahead, Mephisto was watching him with a smile.
"What have you done to me?"
Barton walked forward and angrily questioned Mephisto.
"Done what? Of course, I've enabled you to stand up again!"
Mephisto looked at Barton as if admiring a perfect work of art.
"You've turned me into a monster."
An enraged Barton reached out to grab Mephisto's neck,
but he was stopped by just a glance from him!
"Now you must do two things for me. First, find a traitor named Carter Slade and retrieve the contract of san venganza from her."
"Second, find the giant dragon that has descended upon Earth for me. He bears my mark. Once you find him, use your Penance Stare to burn his soul and bring his body back to me."
Mephisto said to Barton with a smiling face.
"Impossible, I will not work for a demon."
Barton firmly refused!
"I'm sorry, my child, you have no right to refuse!"
With that, Mephisto extended his finger and lightly touched Barton.
"Roar!"
Immediately, a roar from the depths of his soul was heard.
The next second, rolling Hellfire ignited on his body, burning away his flesh and blood, leaving only a skeleton enveloped in flames.
"Go, my Rider!"
Hearing Mephisto's words, the flaming skeleton silently walked towards a motorcycle parked by the roadside.
He gently brushed his skeletal claw over the body of the bike.
Immediately, burning flames covered the entire vehicle, and its body began to transform, becoming grotesque, terrifying, yet possessing a strange beauty.
Then he swung his leg over and sat on the motorcycle, but before leaving, he gazed deeply at Mephisto with his hollow skeletal eyes for a few seconds.
"Has it already begun to merge with the host and develop a new consciousness so soon after possession?"
"As expected of the one I chose, you will become my most excellent Rider, but never think of escaping my control, or you will lose everything."
Watching the departing figure, a chilling smile appeared on Mephisto's lips.