Chapter 186: Appearance

The basement was no longer recognizable in its original form...

From the thirty-second floor high above, all that could be seen was a massive crater dozens of meters deep, as if a small meteorite had crashed here. The tremendous force had pierced through the entire building, tearing open a gigantic passage.

Unable to withstand the intense heat released, the blackened scorched earth had melted into tiny crystalline fragments.

The Sentinel stood at the center of the crater, beneath his feet lay a white skeletal frame. The hellfire swirling around his body gradually extinguished, dissipating into faint wisps of smoke drifting upward.

"Ghhh..." The severely injured Daredevil emitted intermittent, hoarse gasps.

He was barely recognizable as human anymore... the hellfire had burned away the flesh of his body, leaving only a skeleton as tough as steel.

His undying body, capable of withstanding missile strikes and laser cannons, had been bombarded by an energy beam for a full three minutes, shattering nearly every bone in his body.

The hellfire that once allowed him to rapidly heal his wounds was now nearly extinguished. The Spirit of Vengeance, possessing this human shell, had grown faint and indistinct, like a wisp of mist on the verge of vanishing...

Sean looked down at the body of the Ghost Rider Daredevil, the fusion of the Spirit of Vengeance and its host, one of Mephisto's proudest creations.

According to intel from S.H.I.E.L.D., the intense energy released by the Sentinel had caused low-intensity tremors in Hell's Kitchen for three minutes, nearly collapsing the entire Star Ring Tower.

Cars on the streets blared with piercing alarms, as if performing a chaotic, dissonant symphony.

The massive energy released from the Sentinel's body had not only torn through the thick layers of soil in the basement, but also unleashed shockwaves that pulverized everything in its path...

For Sean, this was the first time he had ever unleashed his power so freely. The faint golden glow around his body dimmed slightly.

After absorbing the massive dragon bones from the Hand, combined with his suit's amplification and energy absorption, his progress bar was now nearing the 50% threshold.

He had a vague premonition... once he broke past the 50% barrier, he might achieve an unprecedented leap in power.

However, the rate of his growth had begun to slow. Even with Dr. Otto's artificial sun, an immediate breakthrough was impossible.

Planting his foot on the now flame-less skull, Sean said softly, "Matt Murdock, you made the wrong choice. Not everyone has Faust's luck, escaping a demon's carefully laid trap..."

"...Did you really think Mephisto would be so generous, granting you power to uphold justice in the human world? He was only using you to commit more atrocities, harvesting souls as fuel." he glanced casually toward the shadows and added, "Am I right, Lord of Hell… Mephisto?"

A surge of frigid air erupted as dark currents coiled like living things, carrying the sulfuric stench of hellish magma.

An old man in a black priest's robe materialized out of thin air, his silver hair meticulously combed, gripping a silver skull-headed cane. In demeanor alone, he resembled an aristocratic noble from the last century...

"You dare speak my name so freely… Are you not afraid of invoking a demon's curse?"

Amid the howling winds, the Hell Lord who enjoyed walking the mortal realm had finally appeared.

He glanced at the fallen Daredevil and snorted, "Useless waste."

Mephisto's original purpose in creating the Ghost Rider was to forge a hunter who would gather souls for him and strengthen the hellfire.

However, his own power was restricted in the mortal world, and the Sorcerers of Kamar-Taj remained ever-vigilant against supernatural invasions. Thus, the Hell Lord had no choice but to work through intermediaries...

A hundred and fifty years ago, Carter Slade had been his first test subject... He was a greedy Texas Ranger imprisoned for his crimes, and was easily ensnared. Mephisto traded freedom for his soul, and after signing the contract, the poor fool became the first host of the Spirit of Vengeance.

Carter Slade's first mission was to collect the souls of 'San Venganza', a once-peaceful town corrupted by Mephisto's temptations. The townsfolk, driven by greed, turned to sin, betraying and slaughtering one another until the place became a living hell. A thousand damned souls were sealed within that contract.

Any demon who obtained that contract could rapidly grow in power. For spiritual beings, souls were sustenance... the more they consumed, the stronger they became. While angels favored pure and virtuous souls, demons found corrupt, sinful souls far more delectable.

Unfortunately, Carter Slade had not lost his compassion. Realizing the evil of his task, he fled with the San Venganza Contract, denying Mephisto those tormented souls. A hundred and fifty years later, the Hell Lord found his second Ghost Rider... Johnny Blaze...

Yet Mephisto's luck was abysmal. The second Rider also betrayed him, fleeing to the far ends of the Earth rather than serving as the demon's enforcer.

Learning from these failures, Mephisto resolved to find someone more… obedient.

"Return to where you belong, or the Sorcerers will come for you. And when they do, pray that the Ancient One shows you mercy," Sean said coldly.

He wasn't afraid of Mephisto. Even if the Hell Lord could unleash his full power in the mortal world, the Sentinel would not back down.

The old man's expression darkened, "You think invoking the Ancient One's name will frighten me?"

He despised the Sorcerers, especially the Ancient One, a formidable enemy...

Demons and angels had once walked freely across the world, leaving traces in medieval Europe and the untamed wilds of Africa.

The witches burned at the stake, as well as the mad occultists, and the fanatics who sought immortality... all bore their influence. But when Agamotto established the Triad of Sorcerers, constructing three Sanctums and countless monastic orders, they forged an impenetrable barrier around the mortal world.

From then on, angels were banished, demons were slaughtered, and the twilight of spiritual beings began. Then came the Industrial Revolution... humanity turned to science, abandoning gods and superstition, and casting theology into the dustbin of history.

"I wouldn't mind fighting a Hell Lord," Sean said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, "I've recently developed an interest in magic… and souls."

Mephisto's face hardened... Then he gripped his silver skull cane, and hellfire erupted from his pitch-black eyes, one far more potent than the Ghost Rider's!

The crater was engulfed in flames as the old man stared intently at the Sentinel standing at its center. The agonized wails of countless souls reverberated... tormented spirits from Hell, unleashed to assault their target's mind.

As a Hell Lord, Mephisto had his pride. He would not tolerate a mortal's defiance. Even if the Ancient One herself came, she might not be able to subdue this ancient demon who had endured the ages.

In the sulfurous, lava-scorched realms of Hell, power was absolute, and strength was sacred. No one was permitted to defy these laws...