After arriving at the courtyard with Viola, Bernard was the first to step forward.? Meanwhile, Rainbow circled above the courtyard, seemingly waiting for David’s arrival.
After waiting for a while and seeing that David had yet to appear, Rainbow returned to the courtyard somewhat dejectedly.? As it passed by Edmund, it paused briefly in the air before flying back into the yard.
Edmund also noticed Rainbow overhead but remained calm.? After briefly explaining the situation to Bernard, the gate to the wasteland world was opened, allowing Edmund to leave.
Just as Edmund was about to step over the threshold, Bernard looked at his departing figure and spoke, “The wasteland world is not a place just anyone can come to.? Make the most of your days over there.”
“I’m Bernard.? If you ever encounter difficulties, come to this courtyard and find me,” he added with a genial smile.
Hearing Bernard’s words, Edmund turned around, chuckled, and gave him a polite bow.? Then, he walked out of the courtyard and headed back towards the apocalypse.
Viola also left the area and made her way back to the base.? The gates to the courtyard were closed, and Bernard returned to the room, continuing to look at a book left behind by David.? Out of boredom, he had been passing the time with this book every day.? Over time, this had cultivated a refined and polite disposition in him.? As he once again flipped through the thick book to its last page, the sky had darkened. ．
Meanwhile, Edmund had covered quite a distance and now stood in a desolate graveyard.? He chuckled softly twice, and after ensuring there was no one around, his delicate face suddenly erupted with a violent aura!? This ferocious aura was so intense that it reduced the nearby boulders to powder in an instant.
This Edmund was no longer the powerless individual David had seen earlier.? He merely stood there, causing terror to ripple out in all directions within a radius of miles.? Dark, insect-like creatures began to emerge around him.? They swarmed around his body, constantly paying reverence to him.
“Hmph!? A mere human thinks he can probe me?? Perhaps he underestimates me too much,” Edmund thought.? The image of him being tested and humiliated by David in the grand hall during the day filled him with rage.? He clenched his right hand lightly, and suddenly, a bolt of lightning burst forth in the sky!? The lightning tore a rift through the night, revealing a deep darkness, as if from the depths of the unknown.
Edmund felt that he needed to teach David a lesson.? So, he focused his thoughts, and more of the insect-like creatures surged out from within him.? Soon, they formed a barrier around his body.? He waved his hand lightly, and the barrier, composed of these creatures, disappeared into thin air.
The reason David couldn’t detect any aura from him was that he used these creatures to form a barrier within his body, effectively shielding his presence from external detection.? Now, he could use this barrier to block all attempts at probing from the outside.? Then, he leaped and disappeared into the void, heading towards the courtyard.
At this moment, back in the courtyard, after a simple dinner, Bernard was preparing to lie down and sleep.? Since becoming the guardian of the gate, he had stopped engaging in battles as he had in the past.? Instead, he had grown more refined under David’s influence.? His habits had begun to resemble those of humans.? Just as he lay down and closed his eyes, he heard a voice calling his name from the courtyard.
“Is Bernard here?? I’m Edmund from earlier today,” the voice said.? Hearing this voice, Bernard quickly sat up in bed, his face filled with curiosity.
“Edmund?? Has he encountered any difficulties?”? Bernard quickly put on his clothes and got out of bed, thinking that Edmund must have run into some trouble, or else he wouldn’t have suddenly appeared at this time.? Bernard opened the door and, under the moonlight, saw Edmund standing in the middle of the courtyard.? However, the night was pitch dark, and Bernard couldn’t see the expression on Edmund’s face.
“Edmund, have you encountered any difficulties?”? Bernard hastily asked, adjusting his clothing.
“Bernard, come over here, I need to talk to you,” Edmund stood still and extended his hand towards Bernard, beckoning him.
Bernard didn’t think much of it and nodded, walking towards Edmund.? He even grabbed a coat hanging outside, preparing to offer it to Edmund.
“What’s the matter?? Rest assured, as long as I can help, I’ll do my best to assist you,” Bernard said, ready to hand over the coat.
But just then, Edmund slowly raised his head, his face now adorned with a sinister smile.? “There’s one thing you must do for me, and that is to die.”
Edmund’s tone turned ice-cold, and with a slight movement of his fingers, hundreds of insects emerged from the void and swarmed towards Bernard.? Bernard hadn’t yet comprehended what was happening when he felt a series of biting pains.? These insects pierced through his clothes and burrowed into his skin, like knives.
In just a few seconds, Bernard’s skin was torn open by these insects, revealing the flesh underneath.? At this moment, Bernard realized that Edmund meant him harm, but he had no strength left to fight back.
“You…”? Bernard tried to say something, but countless insects invaded his mouth, biting his tongue and the inside of his mouth.? He couldn’t utter a word, and a stream of blood gushed from his mouth.
“Hehe…? blame David for this.? He dared to move against my Zerg,” Edmund sneered as he looked down at the suffering and struggling Bernard, showing no trace of sympathy.
Bernard had never expected Edmund to be so ruthless.? He tried his utmost to escape and inform David about the situation, but the insects multiplied rapidly, and his strength dwindled with the loss of blood.
In just a few minutes, Bernard ceased to breathe.? The insects had torn him apart into a pile of bones, devouring every trace of flesh.? Twisted bones lay on the ground as Edmund callously chuckled and retracted the insects to his side before disappearing into the void once again.
However, at that very moment, a clangorous sound suddenly echoed in his ears.? Another surge of killing intent rushed towards Edmund’s chest.
Edmund cast a sidelong glance and sneered, “What can a sword that has just gained sentience amount to?”
As he spoke, Rainbow sliced through the void, bearing down on Edmund with a glint of cold light.