Chapter 177: A Deal with the Devil

The spacious living room fell into an eerie silence...

Mindy, who had been peeking out from the bedroom, immediately ducked back inside, her small face turning grave. She crossed one arm over her chest while pretending to hold a pipe with the other, smacking her lips thoughtfully.

'This is bad… really bad…' Fully immersed in her inner monologue, she imagined herself as Sherlock Holmes, puffing on an invisible pipe.

The little girl hadn't expected her new friend to make such a bold request to Sean. Gali didn't seem like the type to be so forward…

She quietly pushed the door open again, peeking out to observe.

Sean seemed to be caught off guard too, as he stared into the girl's earnest, sparkling eyes.

'Is society really this open now?' he mused.

"You smell really good," Gali repeated, her eyes shining as if she had stumbled upon some dazzling treasure, "You fit father's criteria for a mate."

Sean pressed a hand to his forehead: 'What kind of upbringing had led to this girl's almost naive personality? Did her father never teach her basic restraint?'

Suddenly, the finger pressed against the girl's forehead trembled. The energy within him seemed to surge uncontrollably toward her.

In that intangible mental space, Sean sensed something terrifyingly abnormal about her... a ravenous, devouring instinct, like a miniature black hole silently absorbing everything in its path.

This was a cosmic entity beyond human comprehension. Beneath her slender and delicate frame lurked an overwhelming power, like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.

He hadn't noticed earlier because she had suppressed her instincts, masking her true nature…

Sean's mind raced.

If Mindy's description was accurate, this runaway girl's origins were anything but simple. Before facing the cosmic warlord who would soon arrive, would he first have to contend with a being feared across galaxies?

Though the ancient entity known as Galactus lacked the vast armies of other cosmic overlords, his habit of consuming entire planets made him far more terrifying.

Originally named Galan, he was the last survivor of Taa, one of the universe's most advanced civilizations.

A cataclysmic explosion had bathed the planet in deadly radiation, wiping out all life except him. Infused with immense energy, he became plagued by insatiable hunger, a need that only grew as his power did.

To survive, he had no choice but to consume vast amounts of energy. Over the eons, Galan forgot his name...

As his power escalated, the intervals between feedings shortened. At first, he targeted uninhabited worlds, but eventually, he overcame his empathy for life, viewing himself as a higher existence.

Thus, Galan became Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds...

"Where is your father?" Sean asked softly.

No wonder the girl radiated energy like a black hole. As the offspring of the universe's most fearsome devourer, she had indeed inherited his power.

"Somewhere far away. I ran off without telling him," Gali whispered, clearly proud of her little rebellion.

'A runaway cosmic teenager? What kind of ridiculous plot twist is this?'

Sean sighed, then allowed his energy to flow freely.

Golden light flickered at his fingertips and vanished the instant it touched her skin.

Gali's cheeks flushed, her expression morphing into pure bliss. She licked her lips, her becoming voice soft as she pleaded, "More… just a little more…"

In the bedroom, Mindy's face was stern. She debated whether to intervene before her friend fell prey to Sean's clutches– wait, no, actually, Sean seemed to be the one in danger here.

The "feeding" lasted about ten minutes before Sean exhaled and withdrew his finger. Seeing her still-unsatisfied look, an inappropriate phrase popped into his head:

"The ox plows until it drops dead…"

Gali's eyes sparkled even brighter. She hadn't expected to find someone who met her father's standards on such a backwater planet.

"Don't worry, I'll be moderate," she said, twisting the hem of her dress. With her hunger slightly sated, she returned to a more composed state.

Sean studied her gleaming eyes, and a strange thought crossed his mind...

'When Galactus finds out his daughter was whisked away by a man she barely knew, will he come to crush my skull?'

...

~Hell's Kitchen – Matt Murdock's Apartment~

The blind lawyer stared at his hands in disbelief... He was actually seeing them, not just reconstructing their shape through heightened senses...

For the first time since losing his sight, Matt Murdock could see again. The cluttered liquor bottles on the floor, the dust-covered surfaces, the two figures standing in his apartment... everything was vivid and real.

One was Madame Gao, former leader of the Hand. The other was a silver-haired old man leaning on a silver cane topped with a skull. Dressed in a black overcoat, his pale face carried a faint scent of sulfur.

"Who are you?" demanded the wary Matt.

Half an hour ago, this man who called himself Mephisto had promised to restore his sight. With a wave of his hand, the darkness that had defined Matt's world vanished.

No longer did he need sound waves or tactile feedback to construct mental images. His eyes did the work for him. The shift unsettled him... he could feel his resolve wavering.

"I'm a demon from hell, or so your kind likes to call me," Mephisto chuckled, his sinister aura filling the room, "In truth, I'm merely a fair trader. I grant wishes and desires in exchange for delicious souls. I can smell it on you, Matt Murdock. The righteous lawyer. The vigilante. The devout Catholic."

Mephisto glided closer, like a specter slipping into the mortal world, "Tell me, Mr. Murdock... has your God eased your suffering? Has that Almighty being delivered salvation to the oppressed? You champion justice, yet become a demon by night. You revere the law, yet trample it underfoot. As a lawyer, you cannot defeat evil. As a vigilante, you're hunted, despised by the very people you protect."

A grotesque laugh escaped Mephisto's lips as his eyes flickered with hellfire. Shadows twisted around him, forming horns atop his head.

"What do you want?" Matt asked coldly.

"A deal," Mephisto said, his gaze lingering on the lawyer. A sinister smile crept across his pale face, "I'm in need of a new knight. The last one was… disobedient. He abandoned his task. This time, I want someone reliable."

"I don't make deals with demons," Matt refused, "Even if it means losing my sight again."

"Must you be so rigid, Mr. Murdock? Justice and darkness are not mutually exclusive. You're a lawyer by day, and a vigilante by night... both serve your ideals." Mephisto gestured out the window, "This place is called 'Hell's Kitchen'. I rather like the name."

"...On the surface, it's orderly. But beneath? Crime festers. Drug dealers, prostitutes, smugglers, corrupt brokers… They leech off the weak, ruling through violence and money. The people are waiting for a hero, Matt Murdock. The choice is yours... embrace the dark to wield true power, or continue this futile, meaningless existence." Mephisto produced a parchment scroll, a contract for the soul.

The archaic script, written with a quill, writhed like living tendrils and exuded malice, "Complete one task for me, and I'll return your soul. A fair trade, no deception."

Matt closed his eyes. Like a radar, he absorbed the cacophony of Hell's Kitchen... the hidden crimes, the violence disguised as order. The ugliness was always there, lurking beneath the veneer of civility.

With a long exhale, he opened his eyes and took the contract, "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing strenuous," Mephisto said, retrieving the signed parchment, "My child is missing, and my previous knight fled. A mess, really. You may continue your vigilante work. When I need you, I'll come..."

"...When next I visit, I hope this place lives up to its name." Mephisto tapped his skull-topped cane against the floor.

He and Madame Gao dissolved into smoke and vanished as if they had never been there.

Matt clutched his chest, feeling a scorching power ignite within him. As he recalled the demon's parting words, doubt crept in.

'Did I make the right choice?'