Chapter 9

Staring in shock at the Night Demon, who was wearing dark red leather and had seated himself familiarly beside him, Ymir finally came to his senses. He looked at the Night Demon with a mix of surprise and fear and said, "N-Night Demon? How should I address you?"

The Night Demon reached out and felt around Ymir's chest, then laughed, "Are you a student at Columbia University?"

Columbia University, officially known as Columbia University in the City of New York, is a private research university located in New York City and is one of the Ivy League schools.

Ymir, who had been somewhat dazed, was awakened by the Night Demon's voice. He naturally blurted out, "Yes, sir, I am a student at the Union Theological Seminary affiliated with Columbia University. I am currently studying classical literature, linguistics, history, and theology."

The Night Demon nodded, his lifeless eyes showing a hint of appreciation, "Very good, a man of many talents!"

Ymir detected something in the Night Demon's tone, a kind of reminiscence and the past, and asked, somewhat puzzled, "How did you know I study at Columbia University?"

The Night Demon released the clothing he had been feeling and pointed to the school emblem embroidered on the front of the shirt, "Columbia University, founded in 1754, was originally called 'King's College.' This is its emblem, with three crowns embedded in the center of the shield, each with a cross. This is because the Church of England was the state religion at the time, and the king was the head of the church."

Ymir looked down at himself, realizing that the light blue tracksuit he was wearing, though ordinary in appearance, had the word "COLUMBIA" prominently displayed, and below it was the Columbia University emblem that the Night Demon had just touched.

Columbia University is indeed one of the world's most prestigious institutions of higher education and one of the Ivy League schools in the United States. However, Ymir did not think that a blind man like the Night Demon could identify the school emblem just by feeling it.

There are too many prestigious universities in the world, and New York City has its fair share. There was no reason for the Night Demon to be familiar with the emblems of all these prestigious universities.

Perhaps sensing Ymir's confusion, the Night Demon stood up, removed the mask from his face, revealing an ordinary face. He smiled and extended his hand, "So, let's formally introduce ourselves. I am Matt Murdock, a Ph.D. in Law from Columbia University. I am now a lawyer in New York City and your senior alumnus."

Ymir was stunned. He knew he had entered a world with superheroes, but he never imagined that a superhero could be so close to him.

He extended his hand somewhat dazedly, shaking hands with the Night Demon and introducing himself, "Ymir Freddy Longinus, it's nice to meet you..."

The Night Demon said somewhat unhappily, "Don't say 'you,' you can call me Matt."

"Oh, oh, okay, Mr. Matt..."

Despite his quick and decisive handling of Old Babu, Ymir had been driven by the resentment lurking in his heart. Subconsciously, he still saw himself as separate from the people in this world.

To put it simply, he had not yet realized that this world was also real. The people and things Ymir encountered were not just passing characters in movies or comics but had their own backgrounds.

After witnessing Old Babu's brutal death, Ymir finally placed himself in the right position. Just now, he had used a very cruel method to kill a living person.

Ymir's mind was in chaos, and the only person he could turn to for advice was the alumnus standing before him, Matt, who had graduated from Columbia University.

He hesitated and began, "Mr. Matt, I..."

But he swallowed his words, unsure of how Matt would react to his actions. However, Matt was not shocked by Old Babu's death; he was blind, after all.

Moreover, in the Night Demon's dictionary, there was no such thing as mercy. The number of bad people who had died at Matt's hands far exceeded those killed by Ymir.

Compared to the dead Old Babu, Matt was more concerned about Ymir's current state of mind.

Although he had arrived at the apartment building late, Matt could still sense the dark energy emanating from the young man, a negative energy filled with malicious resentment. Although Ymir had suppressed it, it could not escape Matt's superhuman senses.

Matt smiled warmly and asked Ymir, "Was this person a bad person, and are you a bad person?"

Old Babu was certainly a bad guy, but Ymir, who had just killed someone, could hardly claim to be a good person.

Matt changed back into his normal attire, putting on a suit and sunglasses. If someone didn't know him, they would find it hard to imagine that he was the superhero Night Demon, active in the crime-ridden, dark Hell's Kitchen.

He extended his hand, leading Ymir out of the building and said, "You might think you did something very evil, right?"

Ymir didn't understand what Matt meant and explained, "I don't know what kind of person Old Babu was, but he insulted my sister Kathleen. I couldn't control myself and ended up killing him."

Was it really an accident? Perhaps not, but Matt didn't intend to delve into it. He nodded and said, "Let me tell you a story. Do you have the patience to listen?"

Ymir, of course, would not refuse. As Matt walked forward, he frowned and recalled, "Ymir, I grew up in Hell's Kitchen just like you. I know every inch of this place. Politicians and developers now call it Clinton or Manhattan, but each area has its own soul, which doesn't change just because the name has been changed."

Perhaps because they both attended Columbia University, the students there are known for their love of knowledge. A typical Columbia student should naturally be a weak, wise, and passionate intellectual.

Such a person, if in other neighborhoods of New York City, might be respected for their knowledge, at the very least respected. But not here, this is Hell's Kitchen on the west side of Manhattan.

Knowledge won't help you much to survive here. Matt was the same as a child, physically weak and often bullied. His childhood memories were filled with the arrogance of strong boys.