"Still no clues about who it is? Could it be Quicksilver? That shouldn't be right either! Haven't heard of any trouble with the Mutants."
After some thought, Artoria agreed to Medusa's request. She was now studying the clues they provided. Although they were called clues, there was nothing useful in them. And the idiots... cough! Subordinates they sent out collected things like old razors, cigars, and a bra a woman accidentally lost—judging by the look of it, the cup size wasn't small. Were these guys scavenging for junk or looking for a thief? No wonder they hadn't found the target for so long. The opponent's strength was one thing, but their own teammates were the main reason.
"Sister Artoria, have some tea."
Accompanying Artoria was Crystal. According to Medusa, the girl had been performing well lately, so she let her stay by Artoria's side to learn and relax. Both Medusa and Black Bolt knew Artoria's strength and that Crystal had been under a lot of pressure lately, so they let Artoria take Crystal around. They didn't want the once lively and cute Crystal to become dull and lifeless.
"Thank you."
Putting down the things in her hand, Artoria smiled and patted Crystal's small head. How could she not like such a cute and well-behaved Little guy? Taking the tea brewed by Crystal, Artoria took a small sip and found the girl's tea-making skills were quite good. Although slightly behind the professionals, it was at least much better than what Hope and the others brewed. Artoria's praise made Crystal very happy. After interacting with Crystal, Artoria learned a small detail about the events: Lockjaw had been staring at the warehouse where the Crystals were kept from time to time. Artoria didn't think paying attention to such things was a waste of time.
Thinking about Lockjaw's ability, the logic became clear. Lockjaw's ability is mental teleportation, a high-level version of spatial ability. Animal senses are much stronger than human ones. It must have felt spatial fluctuations when the target stole the Crystals, but because the opponent's ability was so advanced, it thought it was an illusion. Analyzing this, one could understand the target was someone with powerful spatial powers. Artoria had ruled out high-speed users like Quicksilver because without knowing Attilan's structure, even a speedster would get lost, and the high-tech on the gates wasn't easily breached. Even ignoring those points, Medusa and Black Bolt weren't blind or deaf; they would have noticed an anomaly quickly, especially in a heavily guarded warehouse.
"The opponent has powerful spatial abilities. Such abilities are a bit too common, but if the target is limited to powerful individuals, there are only a few. Steve is one, I am one, Merlin is one, and there are even more outside Earth."
If focusing on spatial abilities, Artoria found too many suspects. It was too common. Searching for a thief through this would lead her to other Planets, which was clearly unrealistic. Artoria wouldn't spend huge energy for the Inhumans to run into dangerous outer space. Even with five Infinity Stones, she didn't dare to court Death like that. Marvel is a mixed bag where some are weaker than ordinary people, while others are strong enough to destroy the entire Universe. Running around like a headless chicken could really get one killed.
"It's been so long, and they only stole once. With such talent, is it just for research?"
Logically, for such an easily obtained treasure, the Terrigen Crystals should have disappeared in large quantities in a short time. But Artoria looked at the warehouse and only two were missing. This amount was indeed puzzling. Artoria analyzed that the opponent might have just taken them for research or because they looked nice. If the opponent had a moral compass and the items were useless to them, they might return them. The current situation, where there was no second theft and the Crystals weren't returned after so long, suggested they were being kept as collectibles or were still being experimented on.
"A phantom thief or a scientist?"
After thinking for a long time without a solid lead, Artoria sat on the sofa and decided to visit Kamar-Taj. There should be magic items there that could help her find the target. If not, she would give up on this assistance. She wasn't a detective and wouldn't pursue a theft case relentlessly; she wasn't cut out for it and didn't have the drive to see it through to the end. The Inhumans wouldn't blame her, so while she was dedicated, she knew when to stop.
"Crystal, come with me."
Since she had promised the girl's guardians, Artoria wouldn't just leave Crystal at home. Even if Maria liked the little girl, Artoria decided to take Crystal out for some experience to see things outside the Inhumans. The girl's brother had also asked Artoria to take Crystal into battle if possible, to let her learn to fight while ensuring her safety. Although the Inhumans weren't a race born solely for combat, every royal Inhuman possessed great power, and the couple didn't want Crystal to become a mere decoration.
"I'm coming, Sister Artoria."
Hearing Artoria's words, Crystal quickly walked in and stood before her. Artoria held Crystal's small hand, and with a flash of blue light, the two instantly vanished. Recently, Artoria had become very proficient in using the Infinity Stones. Even without taking out the Infinity Gauntlet, the energy she absorbed while wearing it was enough for her to perform spatial teleportation. The coordinates of Kamar-Taj were all too familiar. In the blink of an eye, Artoria and Crystal appeared on the training ground of Kamar-Taj, but the training ground, usually crowded with people, was now empty.
"What's going on?"
Artoria looked around and found not a soul, which made her very frustrated. It wasn't time for morning lessons. Crystal, on the other hand, stared with her big, watery eyes, looking around curiously. Arriving at this place full of ancient charm in an instant, how could she not be curious? She was still a child under eighteen. But since Artoria was holding her hand, she couldn't wander off.
"You're here, Senior Sister."
Just as Artoria was wondering, Steve appeared before her, wearing his flashy and mischievous magic cloak. Steve wasn't surprised by Artoria's arrival, as if he knew she was coming today. Looking at Steve like this, Artoria frowned. She disliked that charlatan-like aura, as if everything was within the opponent's expectations, which was quite annoying.
"Where is everyone?"
Since Steve had appeared, Artoria asked about the Master Brothers she got along well with. Those guys took great care of Artoria. Knowing she liked Chinese food, they would find ways to bring her delicious treats—osmanthus cake, braised pork hock, white-cut chicken. She had tried them all. Now that these lovely Master Brothers were gone, Artoria was curious about what Steve, the Sorcerer Supreme, was up to. Setting aside feelings, if these people were gone, what about the defense of Kamar-Taj?
"Follow me."
Hearing Artoria's questioning tone, Steve's expression finally changed. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and glanced at Crystal, who was curiously sizing him up. Finally, Steve could only shrug helplessly. He opened a portal, signaling Artoria to follow. Artoria glanced at Steve and walked into the portal with Crystal. After exiting the portal, Artoria's view widened. She instantly saw dozens of familiar faces working hard to channel magic into a pit. Artoria looked up and saw a huge sealing barrier magic circle floating in the air, fluctuating in size and looking quite fragile. Realizing something, Artoria walked to the edge of the pit and saw a giant demon about ten meters tall, roaring and struggling in a twenty-meter-deep pit, seemingly trying to break through the barrier.
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