"Don't come any closer!" Galactus's pupils shrank in panic as he yelled, pulling further away from Robert.
Although he knew Robert's attacks couldn't kill him without the use of destruction energy, he wasn't a masochist. Why continue this one-sided fight? From their earlier exchanges, it was clear to him: he didn't stand a chance.
As he fled, Galactus shouted, "Your grasp of the rules isn't even complete! You can't actually land a decisive blow on me! There's no point wasting our time—Hey! Stop pushing me too far!"
Before he could finish his complaint, Robert's figure suddenly appeared in front of him again. Despite Galactus's immense speed, Robert's Instant Transmission was just too overpowered. No matter how fast Galactus moved, he couldn't outpace someone who could warp space instantaneously.
"Boom!"
With a heavy punch, Robert brought Galactus's retreat to an abrupt halt. Galactus, clearly annoyed, scowled briefly, then turned and bolted in a different direction.
This entire scene left the Ancient One dumbfounded, her worldview momentarily shattered. Silver Surfer, despite being Galactus's loyal herald, also felt his sense of reality start to crumble.
Galactus had always maintained an aura of supreme dominance. His immense power, his titanic form, his very presence all screamed invincibility. Yet now, confronted with Robert, Galactus was reduced to an almost comical state—getting punched around like a pinball and then running away with his tail between his legs.
From the perspective of the Ancient One and Silver Surfer, this was absolutely ridiculous. By their calculations, even if Galactus wasn't strong enough to completely overpower Robert, the two should at least be evenly matched. The idea that Galactus would choose to flee outright instead of putting up a proper fight was almost unthinkable.
Galactus's behavior might appear weak to outsiders, but in his mind, it was pure pragmatism. If he could defend Earth without burning through his energy reserves, why wouldn't he? And now that Robert had pushed him to expend so much power with no guarantee of winning, why keep going? After all, it wasn't like Robert was trying to kill him.
"Boom!"
Again, Galactus's body was sent careening through space by one of Robert's punches. This time, however, he vanished mid-flight, clearly teleporting away.
Unlike Robert's Instant Transmission, Galactus's escape relied on immense spatial energy, creating a ripple in the cosmic fabric. Robert immediately sensed it, tracking Galactus's energy signature and following after him in an instant.
"Why are you still chasing me?!" Galactus roared in frustration as Robert appeared beside him once more. "I'm telling you, stop this nonsense! I haven't even threatened Earth. Can't we just let this go already?!"
"Why? I just wanted a proper fight. Earlier, you seemed so confident and intimidating—I thought maybe you had more up your sleeve," Robert replied, shrugging nonchalantly.
Despite his calm demeanor, Robert knew he had already cornered Galactus. His sudden leap in strength, coupled with his mastery of destruction energy, meant he could completely dominate the cosmic god. But killing Galactus was another matter entirely. If pushed to desperation, Galactus might turn his attention back to Earth, and that was a complication Robert wanted to avoid.
"I'm not some battle-crazed god! I spend most of my existence asleep, waking only to feed," Galactus grumbled, clearly exasperated. "Fine, I'll leave Earth alone and find another planet. Just stop chasing me already!"
With that, Galactus teleported away again.
"Not so fast," Robert muttered, following once more. In an instant, he appeared next to Galactus, cutting off his escape.
"What do you want from me?!" Galactus bellowed, now visibly exasperated. His usual aura of godlike composure was completely shattered. For the first time, he addressed Robert by name, acknowledging him as an equal.
"Relax, I'm not here to keep fighting," Robert said, raising his hands as a gesture of peace.
"Then what are you after?" Galactus asked suspiciously, his glowing eyes narrowing.
"Well, since you're not a fan of fighting, I'm curious—do you know of any gods who are?" Robert asked, his tone suddenly curious.
Although Robert wasn't entirely sure how the "cosmic gods" differed from the various pantheons he'd encountered on Earth, he figured there had to be at least one war-loving deity among them. A cosmic war god would definitely be someone worth meeting—or fighting.
"Gods who enjoy battle? Are you serious? Is that what you're like in your home universe?" Galactus asked, narrowing his eyes. "Wait, aren't you one of them yourself?"
"Exactly! Which is why I'm asking," Robert said with a grin.
Galactus stared at Robert for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "Fine. Our universe has five true cosmic entities: myself, Death, Eternity, Infinity, and Oblivion. Each of us embodies a fundamental aspect of the universe. You… Well, your powers seem closest to Oblivion's, but even that's not a perfect match. And Oblivion hasn't been seen in eons."
"Interesting. And what about the Celestials? Are they gods too? Or just your underlings?" Robert asked, steering the conversation toward another subject that had intrigued him for some time.
"The Celestials were created by Eternity to spread life and bring balance to the universe. Their purpose was to ensure the universe's growth and prosperity. But over time, Eternity stopped overseeing them directly. As for their current whereabouts… they've likely retreated into Oblivion's domain, the Void, where even the laws of space and dimensions can't detect them," Galactus explained.
"The Void?" Robert's interest was immediately piqued. If Oblivion's domain was hidden from the universe's perception, it might also serve as a refuge for other elusive figures—like Darkseid or the remnants of Apokolips.
"To enter the Void, you'll need a mark. Those who've been there before carry a kind of 'signature' that allows them to return. If you haven't been there before, you're out of luck… unless you've got help." Galactus paused, then extended a hand. A faint, intangible energy formed within his palm, one that Robert could clearly sense despite its ethereal nature.
Galactus handed over the Void's signature energy without hesitation, eager to rid himself of Robert. Truthfully, Galactus simply wanted to avoid further conflict. His broken arm hadn't even fully healed yet, and he was starving—dealing with Robert was becoming too much of a hassle.
"Fascinating. It's like unlocking a whole new map," Robert said with a chuckle as he absorbed the energy. For a moment, he debated heading straight to the Void to investigate, but he quickly decided against it. First, he needed to return to Earth and reassure everyone that the crisis with Galactus was over.
"By the way," Robert added, turning back to Galactus, "let me give you a list of coordinates. These are my territories—places I'd prefer you avoid in the future."
Galactus grumbled but ultimately agreed. A few planets were hardly worth arguing over, especially when the universe was filled with countless other feeding grounds.
After sharing the coordinates of various critical locations—including Earth, the new Earth, Oa, and Xandar—Robert watched as Galactus teleported away.
Back on Earth, Robert returned to the Avengers' base. To his surprise, he found not only the Ancient One but also Galantra and Silver Surfer waiting there.
"Galantra, I expected. But Silver Surfer? What's he doing here?" Robert wondered aloud. Was the herald here to gather intel, or was there some other purpose to his visit?
Silver Surfer stepped forward, his posture calm yet wary. "I have no quarrel with you, Robert. But after witnessing today's events, I've realized there is much about this universe—and its protectors—that I still don't understand."
Robert raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you want?"
Silver Surfer glanced toward the Ancient One and Galantra before replying, "To help."
Both Robert and the Ancient One exchanged glances. Whatever lay ahead, it seemed Silver Surfer was about to become an unexpected ally.
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