David, standing in an open area, watched the horizon with a furrowed brow, his expression serious. In the brief moment earlier, he had sensed Sally’s presence through the Wasteland Staff.
It wasn’t just Sally; he had sensed the presence of all the Embers Squad members. This made David immediately understand that his people had been captured and brought here by Edmund. The intent was clear: to force David into submission.
As Edmund suddenly appeared, Viola and Emlyn approached, questioning, “What’s going on?”
Before they could finish their sentence, a dark wind swept in like a tidal wave. As it subsided, Edmund’s figure was revealed. Seeing him appear, Viola and Emlyn immediately adopted combat stances, their eyes filled with anger and contempt. After giving them a disdainful glance, Edmund shifted his gaze onto David. He was about to say something when David’s voice cut in.
“What have you done to them?” David’s voice was icy, carrying a strong undertone of killing intent.
Edmund was momentarily taken aback by David’s cold tone and then chuckled as he replied, “I didn’t expect you to know already.”
Edmund noticed the Wasteland Staff in David’s hand. In the instant their eyes met, he felt an overwhelming, oppressive aura that seemed to surpass not only the Zerg but also the entire Wasteland world. It sent a shiver down his spine.
However, Edmund quickly composed himself. He understood that, in terms of strength, influence, and knowledge of the Wasteland world, the Zerg were a force to be reckoned with. They were like kings in this world, and this realization bolstered his confidence. So, he calmly continued, “Oh? It seems you’re already aware. In that case, come with me. I believe your teammates would love to see you right now.”
Saying this, Edmund produced a peculiar disc from his sleeve. The disc was adorned with various engravings of insects and emitted a strong Zerg aura.
David immediately recognized the disc in Edmund’s hand as the Zerg Heart. Viola also noticed it and couldn’t contain her excitement. When she had first teamed up with David, one of her conditions had been to help her acquire the Zerg Heart.
In the Wasteland world, possessing the Zerg Heart meant wielding the ultimate power, controlling the fate of this world, and fulfilling the dreams of every living being in this harsh realm. However, at this moment, the Zerg Heart was casually manipulated by Edmund, who wore a smug expression. It was his scepter of authority in the Wasteland world, allowing him to command all creatures here as his puppets.
Hearing Edmund’s words, David’s serious expression remained unchanged. He hadn’t anticipated that Edmund would enter the Apocalypse and capture all his squad members. He understood Edmund’s purpose very clearly – to use Sally and the others as hostages, forcing David to submit to his demands, and possibly meet his demise in this place.
David’s mood was solemn, not because of the despicable tactics employed by Edmund, but because he was uncertain about the well-being of Sally and the others in this treacherous wasteland. Despite their level being above eleven, and with the additional consumption of high-level pronucleus, which increased their knowledge of the Wasteland world, this place was still a dangerous and deadly realm.
David’s gaze remained fixed on Edmund as he lifted the Wasteland Staff. Viola and Emlyn followed David’s lead and disappeared into the void.
Seeing David vanish, Edmund’s face held a smug expression. He understood the deep bond between David and his squad members, and he believed that by using them, he could make David succumb and eventually meet his end in the Wasteland world. This would restore order to the Wasteland, allowing the Zerg to reign supreme once more and exert their dominance over all living beings. With a smirk, Edmund also disappeared.
“Sophie, how are you doing?” The Embers Squad members were still extremely weak, their bodies tainted by poison, leaving them powerless. They had placed all their hopes on Sophie. If she could recover, they believed she could purge the poison from their bodies and restore their combat capabilities.
In response to their inquiries, Sophie’s face showed determination. “I’m doing my best.”
With that said, Sophie’s first high-level pronucleus had finally transformed into a wisp of white smoke, wrapping around her. In the blink of an eye, it entered her body. Thanks to this smoke, Sophie regained some strength. However, it was only a drop in the bucket given the overwhelming poison inside her. Moreover, the hostile environment of the Wasteland world affected her pronucleus consumption rate.
Half an hour passed, and Sophie had only managed to consume one pronucleus completely. If she wanted to recover her esper abilities, she needed to consume all ten high-level pronuclei she had in her possession. Drawing on the faint strength emerging within her, Sophie continued to consume the second high-level pronucleus. .
The others watched Sophie’s complexion improve slightly and breathed a collective sigh of relief. Though they were anxious, they understood that it was a challenging task for Sophie to consume pronuclei in the Wasteland world. They didn’t want to rush her and instead kept their guard up against the hostile creatures surrounding them.
Captain Duke suddenly spoke up. “Captain David… he’ll be alright?”
“Duke, what are you talking about? David is an esper surpassing level twelve; how could anything happen to him? If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have to give you a good thrashing later,” Arnold responded with a weak but exasperated tone.
Arnold’s remark silenced Duke immediately. He knew that uttering such words at this moment was foolish. However, gazing at the desolation of the Wasteland world and the countless raging monsters surrounding them, Duke felt fear creeping in. He realized that this world was on an entirely different level than the Apocalypse. It was a terrifying place, and he admired David for surviving here.
Duke wasn’t the only one with these thoughts; the other members of the Embers Squad shared them. They found the Wasteland world harsh and unwelcoming. Moreover, facing Edmund, who had brought them here, left them feeling fearful. They had been separated from David for a long time, and they worried about his current situation.