The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1089: Serene Palace



Souta and the others returned to the inn. Franklin, Vashno, and the others had similar experiences they found nothing significant about what the city lord had done with the corpses.

"There's no other choice but to ask them directly," Vashno said, glancing at Souta.

"Yeah, I thought we would find some big clues in their houses, but it seems I was wrong. This matter must be big if they're taking such extreme precautions." Souta frowned, his mind racing. He turned to Franklin and asked, "What about the others?"

Franklin shook his head.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Souta and the others remained in Birth Camel City. Souta kept in contact with Alice through the transmission talisman. She informed him that the team sent to gather materials from Deadman had returned and was ready to collect another batch.

Meanwhile, Souta and the others observed any potential changes in the city. They discovered that several people were missing, including some of the wealthier residents. These individuals held a higher status than the common folk, akin to nobles in a kingdom or empire.

"We'll capture the city lord today," Souta said.

Franklin and the others nodded in agreement.

Souta and the others concealed their presence as they surrounded the city lord's mansion. "I'll go now," Souta said.

He moved into the shadows, the only one intended to enter the mansion. The others would remain outside, keeping watch for anyone coming or going from the building.

Inside the mansion, Souta quietly made his way to one of the rooms. He surveyed the area before stepping out, his gaze settling on the direction of the city lord's chamber.

Through the blood, he could sense the presence of others nearby.

Souta had been tracking the city lord for the past few days, so he knew the lord would be in the mansion at this time. He stood in front of the door, his gaze cutting through the walls.

Reaching out, he turned the handle and opened the door. Before anyone inside could react, Souta unleashed his spells. Intense gravity crashed down, followed by dark smoke that filled the room in an instant.

Swoosh!!

Souta stepped forward and launched hundreds of webs.

"Who are you?!!!" Their voices gradually faded as the webs wrapped around their bodies, trapping them completely.

Just like that, everyone in the room was restrained by Souta.

It had been too easy.

Souta stood still, glancing left and right. With a flick of his finger, a man covered in webs floated in front of him.

This man was the city lord of Birth Camel City.

The webs around the city lord's face gradually faded.

"Who are you?! Did you really think you'd get away with this?!" The city lord spat, fury in his voice.

Souta remained silent, his gaze moving between the city lord and the others. It became clear to him that someone was assisting them from the shadows. These people were too weak- there's no way they could have gained independence from the republic on their own.

If someone as powerful as Deadman had invaded the Birth Camel City, they wouldn't have stood a chance. It was possible that the city lord was in cahoots with the people that invaded this city before.

Souta sat down in a vacant chair, his gaze fixed on the city lord. He asked, "What did you do to the bodies of the people that died before?"

"You think I'll tell you?!" The city lord sneered. "You should release me! Maybe then, you'll have a chance to survive!!"

Souta sighed at the city lord's words. With a flick of his finger, one of the people wrapped in webs suddenly exploded. The webs quickly consumed the body, compressing it into a small, grotesque ball of flesh.

"Ugh..." The city lord's eyes widened in horror.

Souta stared coldly at the city lord and said, "You see, I'm not playing around here. If you keep acting like this, I might just make you disappear."

The city lord's fear was evident. His tone shifted as he realized the man before him would kill him without hesitation.

...

Outside the mansion, everything appeared normal, as if nothing had happened.

"What do you think will happen?" Franklin asked with a bored expression, glancing at the mansion.

There was a faint energy fluctuation, but it quickly dissipated. Franklin knew that Souta was finished.

"Nothing. I think the city lord is dispensable to the one pulling the strings in the dark. After this, they'll be aware of our existence-though they might already know, especially since it's been a few days since Deadman was eliminated in the Palleo Kingdom," Vashno replied.

A few minutes later, Souta emerged from the mansion. Franklin and Vashno exchanged a glance before following him. The warriors of Athen's Champion followed suit.

The group left the city and quickly took to the sky.

"Change of plans," Souta said. "We're going straight to the Serene Palace."

Franklin, Vashno, and the warriors nodded without questioning him. They understood that Souta must have gathered crucial information from the city lord.

Souta increased his flying speed by manipulating gravity.

What he learned from the city lord was that the corpses had been transported to the Serene Palace. Even the missing people were taken there.

Just as Souta had expected, the city lord was merely a pawn. There were influential figures in other countries as well, all being controlled by this unknown group. But... why would this group reveal such information about the transportation of the corpses and missing people to

their pawns?

It almost felt as if...

"Someone is baiting you," Saya's voice echoed in his mind.

"Yeah, it feels that way. Still, I have to go there to verify it," Souta replied, controlling his remaining doppelgangers to head toward the Serene Palace.

Meanwhile, various factions across the Obsidian Desert were keeping an eye on the Serene Palace, each vying for its inheritance.

"Battle, corpses, missing people... The battle will create more corpses. I see... It's some kind

of sacrifice," Souta muttered to himself.

Suddenly, he halted mid-air, sensing something. Franklin and the others quickly followed

suit, coming to a stop as well.

"What's wrong?" Vashno asked, following Souta's gaze but seeing nothing.

"Really... My doppelgangers are all gone. They've been intercepted by someone," Souta said.

With this, he was certain that someone was targeting him.

...

Red Sand Valley.

A grand palace loomed in the distance, its golden spires reaching toward the sky. Marble columns lined the entrance, each intricately carved with the history of its founding. The sun bathed the palace in hues of gold and crimson, causing the walls to glow as though they contained fire within them.

The palace was surrounded by a semi-transparent barrier, its highest point stretching three kilometers above the surface.

This was the Serene Palace.

The heart of one of the most powerful factions in the Obsidian Desert.

Its history spanned over two thousand years.

At this very moment, several individuals observed the magnificent palace from afar.

They were warriors from Athen's Champion.

Allan, one of the warriors, turned to his men and asked, "How's the investigation going?"

"Squad leader, based on our information, the barrier will disappear at any moment. We need to prepare, as a battle is sure to follow," his squad member replied.

"I see..." Allan nodded, then glanced at another member. "Go back and inform Grain Leader

Souta about this."

"Yes, sir."

What they didn't know was that Souta was already on his way.

Allan turned his attention back to the palace, a worried expression crossing his face. He couldn't quite put it into words, but his instincts were screaming that there was a hidden

danger.

He had survived countless perils in the past thanks to his sharp senses, and now, they told him that there was more to this Serene Palace than met the eye. This was why he hadn't dared approach it like the other factions, who were already close to the barrier. Currently, five organizations surrounded the Serene Palace, all waiting for the barrier to fall. These five groups were the ones who had taken down the top powers of the Obsidian Desert. They had allied themselves with the war of Gluttony to dismantle the forces ruling this land. They were similar to the group that Arden, a member of the Gluttony Army, had brought to

Ekatoe City.

Everyone waited patiently.

Allan and his group kept themselves hidden at a distance.

"The destruction of the Serene Palace is also a mystery..."

In the past weeks, the people of the Serene Palace had been killed. As for who was responsible,

no one knew the answer.

Allan understood that the factions gathered here were driven by greed. They all coveted the inheritance of a powerful faction like the Serene Palace, and that was enough for them to overlook the dangers lurking within.