The inscriptions were identical to the ones that had surfaced on the sea monster corpses and the ones discovered in the church ruins—but there were far more of them now, and their combinations were even more complex. The patterns depicted twisted creatures, bizarre rituals, and scenes of destruction that seemed to speak, in silence, of the rise and fall of an ancient, evil organization.
"My God…" Simmons murmured in awe, reaching out to touch the icy stone wall. "These records… this is unbelievable. They seem to be describing a cult—one that worshiped darkness and tried to summon some kind of outer god…"
Saitama stared at the murals brimming with malice and madness, his brow knitting tighter. This place was even more troublesome than he'd imagined.
The interior of the ruins was far larger and more labyrinthine than it looked from outside. Massive stone pillars held up a crumbling dome, while broken statues cast warped shadows under the floodlights. The air reeked of salty seawater, mixed with an indescribable stench of decay—like an ancient tomb that had been sealed for ages.
Everyone advanced cautiously. In the empty, deathly silence, their footsteps sounded unnaturally loud. The runes and murals on the walls seemed to come alive in the shifting light, writhing as they wordlessly told stories of darkness.
"The energy source is not far ahead," Fitz said, staring at the detector in his hand. His voice was low—but tense. "And… there are life-sign readings! More than one!"
The moment he finished speaking, several figures appeared at the corner of the corridor ahead—silent and sudden.
They wore thick, pure-black hooded robes that seemed to swallow light itself. Their faces were buried in deep shadow, exposing only their chins and withered lips. Like ghosts, they stood there, each holding a staff inlaid with a black crystal, radiating the same icy, wicked aura as the ruins themselves.
Dark believers!
Without a word, the leader raised his staff. The black crystal at the top flared, and a dense darkness—like liquid ink—surged out, rapidly condensing and reshaping in midair!
In the blink of an eye, several towering phantom warriors formed in the corridor, their bodies made entirely of dark energy. They roared soundlessly, brandishing weapons forged from the same darkness, and lunged straight at Saitama and the others!
"Engage!" Phil shouted, drawing his gun and firing. The energy rounds plunged into the dark phantoms like mud into the sea, stirring only faint ripples—barely any effect…
Natasha's Widow's Bite and Clint's arrows were just as ineffective. These dark phantoms seemed highly resistant to both physical and energy-based attacks.
"Let me." Saitama's calm voice sounded. He stepped forward, facing the surging phantoms, and still—just threw a simple punch.
Puff!
There was no earthshaking explosion—only a dull, rupturing sound. The first dark phantom, struck head-on by Saitama's fist, burst like a punctured bubble and instantly dissolved into wisps of black smoke, vanishing without a trace.
Then Saitama's body became a streak of yellow lightning as he flashed through the narrow corridor. Every punch was precise, every strike accompanied by the complete annihilation of a dark phantom. He was like an efficient street sweeper, crushing the barrier the dark believers had summoned with absolute force.
"Now's our chance!" Phil's eyes lit up. The instant Saitama drew all the phantoms' and believers' attention, he, Natasha, and Clint immediately swept in from the flank to encircle them.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]
[[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]