"A beacon that attracts or guides some kind of existence," Doctor Strange explained. "This ruin's location is extremely ancient, and the energy readings are abnormal. I suspect this may be a node where the power of the 'Abyss's Throat' once seeped in—or tried to seep in. Now that the rune has been activated, it means the node may become unstable again, and even…"
Doctor Strange's gaze turned heavy.
"...Something may be trying to come out."
Saitama clenched his fist. A faint crackling of knuckles sounded.
"Then let's go take a look. Guessing here won't solve anything."
He looked at Doctor Strange.
"You coming with me?"
"Of course." Doctor Strange traced a spell circle in the air. Golden sparks began dancing at his fingertips. "We need to find out exactly what that rune does, and what danger is hidden behind it. I have a feeling this is definitely not an isolated incident."
A portal spun open inside the Sanctum. On the other side, the outline of a dense, humid tropical rainforest could be seen.
Saitama stepped through without hesitation. Doctor Strange followed right after.
New York's sunlight was sealed off behind the portal.
And the unknown darkness deep within the ruins was waiting for them.
On the other side, hot, sticky air slammed into them, carrying the heavy stench of mud and rotting plants. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky. Vines wrapped around trunks like giant pythons. The light was dim.
Doctor Strange's portal had opened precisely at the edge of the archaeology team's temporary camp.
The camp was a mess.
Tents were torn open. Equipment lay scattered everywhere. There were obvious signs of struggle—and dried bloodstains.
But not a single person.
"Looks worse than the report described," Doctor Strange said, scanning the surroundings cautiously, hands ready to cast at any second.
Saitama, on the other hand, stayed calm. He sniffed the air.
"Yeah… it reeks. Like rotten eggs that've been sitting out for days."
What he meant was the faint, nauseating dark aura hanging in the air—more primal, more sinister, and colder than anything back in New York.
Following the scent and the traces left behind, they quickly found the entrance to the ruins—
A stone-built passage leading underground, half-covered by massive vines.
Inside the passage, it was pitch-black. The stone walls were slick with damp moss, and carved into them were black runes in the same style—unactivated.
Deeper in, the space suddenly opened up.
They entered a gigantic underground hall.
At the center of the hall sat the black rune stone slab that had caused the incident. It was now releasing a dim, ominous black glow. Around it on the ground were scattered archaeological tools and shredded pieces of protective suits.
"...That's it." Doctor Strange approached the slab. His hands formed seals as golden magical energy extended like probes, scanning it. "The energy structure is extremely complex—filled with malice and corrosiveness… It does resemble that dark crystal from before, but it's… older. Purier."
Saitama walked up as well, staring curiously at the patterns.
"So this thing is the source? If I smash it, we're good, right?"
He raised his fist as if he were about to punch.
"Wait, Mr. Saitama!" Doctor Strange hurried to stop him. "The rune structure is unstable. Destroying it by force could trigger an even more violent energy eruption—or directly open a spatial passage! We need a safer—"
Before he could finish—
The change struck!
The shadows around the hall seemed to come alive, hissing with a teeth-grinding sound.
One after another, semi-transparent, twisted black shapes condensed out of the walls, the floor—even the air itself.
They had no fixed form, drifting like smoke, yet they radiated bone-chilling cold and an intense malice aimed straight at the soul.
(End of Chapter)
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