Chapter 106: Target Found

"I sensed a trace of dark energy just now, but it vanished almost instantly. I'm not sure if it was just my imagination." Qu Yizhi withdrew her gaze from overhead. Since the fall of the capital, the city had not only formed a pocket dimension but was also saturated with an aura that made her deeply uncomfortable, making it difficult for her to judge if she was merely being hypersensitive.

Upon hearing Qu Yizhi's explanation, the group silently heightened their vigilance. They were already deep within hostile territory, and excessive caution was warranted. Furthermore, they had yet to uncover the secrets hidden within this city, so it was highly probable that Qu Yizhi’s intuition was not mistaken.

Sari, quick to react, gnashed his teeth in the distance. If he hadn't moved swiftly, his clone would have been discovered by that woman. While it wouldn't have been a significant blow to him, it would have jeopardized his tracking mission. He was forced to remain at the edge of their perception to avoid detection.

Maintaining high alert, Steve and his team followed the increasingly distinct markings along the walls, moving rapidly into the depths of the tunnels. Barton was busy cross-referencing the sewage system layout with the surface building maps to pinpoint their current location.

After continuous analysis and comparing the current trail, Barton concluded, "These tracks are leading us toward the Obelisk."

Steve frowned at the mention of their destination. Tony had briefed them on his battle with the emissary before they left, so Steve knew the emissary had perished at the Black Palace. Since the Obelisk was not far from the Black Palace, Steve had reason to suspect that the missing monsters might all be gathered there.

With their destination locked, they picked up their pace, running toward the Obelisk as indicated on the map.

Sari, too far away to hear Barton’s voice, realized that Steve’s team had begun to run and correctly inferred that they had found their target. Anxious, Sari followed closely, keeping a careful distance to avoid being spotted.

Ever since entering this restricted zone, Qu Yizhi had felt a constant sense of being watched from all directions—a factor that explained why Sari’s tracking had gone unnoticed so far; the environment here was incredibly hostile.

As they neared the Obelisk, Steve’s team still hadn't encountered a single monster. This anomaly clearly signaled that something ominous awaited them at their destination.

Finally, they reached the spot where all the tracks converged. To their surprise, there were no giant beasts or swarms of monsters—only a single corpse floating in the water.

"Captain, watch out," Barton warned, spotting the body first. They had traversed the entire way without seeing a single monster, only to find this body at the end. Regardless of how one looked at it, the corpse was suspicious.

Steve understood the implication and turned to Qu Yizhi. "Miss Qu, do you sense anything?"

Qu Yizhi’s brow furrowed tightly. "This is impossible. The corpse is far too normal—so normal that it lacks any trace of dark energy."

"Is that not a good thing?" Steve asked, though he only had a superficial understanding of magic and was baffled by the situation.

"Being 'too normal' is what makes it abnormal. Even the rocks here are permeated with dark energy; a corpse appearing out of nowhere should be no different." Though she knew the body was unusual, no matter how she tried to sense it, she could detect no dark energy. As she pondered, she suddenly felt as if her brain had been struck by a hammer, and blood began to trickle from her nostrils.

"Miss Qu, are you alright?"

"Hahahaha! Thank you all for your assistance!" A wild, mocking laughter erupted from all directions, interrupting Steve and making it impossible to pinpoint the enemy’s location.

"If it weren't for you, I never would have found this place." Sari’s figure appeared beside the corpse. A moment later, a shot from Natasha’s pistol hit him, causing blood to spray from his head, yet the wound healed instantly.

Barton immediately drew his bow and fired an explosive arrow. It shattered one Sari, only for ten more to emerge in his place, causing the others to pause in their tracks.

"That's right, just wait patiently for death. Perhaps I’ll grant you a quick end." All ten Saris wore the same cruel smile, and even the one that had been blown apart reformed as his flesh writhed back together.

"The Bloody Devil... it’s you." Natasha recognized the high-ranking cultist, infamous in military databases. According to their records, he had once single-handedly destroyed a military base, demonstrating the ability to infinitely regenerate and create clones.

"The Bloody Devil? I don't care for that title. But don't worry, soon this entire world will be under my rule! When that happens, you shall all address me as your master." Sari was unfazed by his identity being revealed. Having realized the magic-wielder was incapacitated, he had jumped out; this was no time for idle chatter.

One of Sari’s clones approached the corpse and dissolved into a drop of blood, absorbing into the body. He had long sensed the dense divine aura emanating from it and intended to refine the corpse into a divine artifact.

Seeing the enemy tampering with the body, Steve’s team could not stand by. Barton and Natasha launched an immediate assault.

Unfortunately, every attack was intercepted by Sari’s clones before it could reach the corpse. The clones blocked the onslaught with reckless abandon, and every time they were struck by explosive arrows, their numbers only increased.

"It seems you wish to offer an early toast to my victory. A pity; I had intended to let you live a few minutes longer." Countless Saris looked at the team. He had hoped to deal with them after securing the artifact, but this group insisted on provoking him.

The underground tunnel widened into a large water basin, allowing Sari to summon numerous clones to attack from every angle. Just as they were about to collide, a flash of blue light enveloped Steve and his team, encasing them in a sphere of blue ice. All of Sari’s clones were blocked on the outside.

Qu Yizhi looked at him, her face pale. "I don't think so, sir. This battle has only just begun."