The moment she saw that black shadow, Bernadette had no time to be frightened; instinctively, she clenched her right hand and gathered a spear of ancient design.
From tip to shaft, the spear was stained with patches and dots of dark red blood, exuding a powerful aura of destruction that seemed capable of harming even true gods.
“The Spear of Longinus”!
This spear had appeared in an age so ancient it could not be traced, stained with the blood of a great existence, and now, through “Mysterious Reappearance”, it descended into the tomb of the “Black Emperor”.
However, Bernadette’s thrust forward had no effect, because the spearpoint was pointing behind her.
She had clearly intended to strike the black shadow in front of her, but the “Spear of Longinus” strangely pointed backward.
It seemed that in this area, forwards, backwards, left, right, up, and down were all confused or distorted.
Above the
At this moment, he did not wait, did not first observe what the “Mysterious Queen” would do before considering whether to offer protection, because the danger level of that black shadow gave him, an Angel of the “Diviner” pathway, a clear premonition.
Moreover, and more importantly, after Bernadette entered the tomb of the “Black Emperor”, she could sometimes sense the presence of the shadow, while Klein could not find any clue with the “True Sight” provided by the “Source Castle”.
This undoubtedly meant terror and danger.
When the various gems embedded in the top of the black staff lit up, the area around Bernadette and that black shadow suddenly resounded with a melodious bell.
Dong!
The bell, coming from an endless distance, carried an indescribable sense of emptiness, causing a visible stagnation and freezing inside the “Black Emperor’s” tomb, and Bernadette’s figure solidified, stiff, unable to move.
But that black shadow did not fall into the time vortex; it seemed to be in another world with completely different underlying rules, gliding forward like a shadow between two contradictory rivers of fate—one surging and one nearly still.
It appeared only to have slowed its movements, not affected by the illusory bell.
This was the first time Klein had encountered a similar situation since he could simulate abilities in this regard.
—Although the Beyonder effects he simulated with the “Star Staff” were certainly different from the original, they still reflected a certain Authority, not so easily ignored.
However, the slowing of the shadow’s movements gave him an opportunity for a second attempt.
This time, he activated the ability of the “Star Staff” itself, intending to teleport the “Mysterious Queen” out of the “Black Emperor’s” tomb, letting her first sum up her experience before considering whether to re-enter.
As the gems on the staff’s head flashed, Bernadette’s body, which was almost touching the black shadow, vanished into thin air.
The next second, she appeared several tens of meters away, near the high platform inside the tomb.
The teleportation via the “Star Staff” was disrupted; the intended destination was distorted; everything was unusually chaotic.
Bernadette was experienced; she did not panic because she was trapped inside the “Black Emperor’s” tomb. She decisively raised her left hand, pressing the “
The metallic-shining mask suddenly became soft and writhed rapidly, as if forming a face that did not belong to Bernadette.
That face had gentle features, clearly of the Southern Continent, but gave an extremely eerie and terrifying impression, making every witness believe that once its contours became sufficiently clear, it would come to life, stepping out from ancient times, from the eternal darkness where the dead slept.
At that time, Bernadette’s body, spirituality, and consciousness would belong to that face.
As this face took shape, the stone walls and floor tiles inside the “Black Emperor’s” tomb began to erode at such a speed that they seemed to experience thousands or tens of thousands of years of weathering in just a second or two.
They quickly became mottled, constantly shedding fragments or raising dust, and from the crevices grew tiny pale white fuzz.
These fuzz, in the blink of an eye, turned into white feathers, their surfaces seemingly soaked with yellowish greasy stains.
The aura of that black shadow was also gradually decaying, as if it were charging headlong toward the finish line of death.
Its color noticeably faded, and its movements became more sluggish.
Within the range of that pale mask, even the concept of “death” itself eroded and vanished.
But what was labeled “death” was not the end. When the stone walls and floor tiles inside the tomb had eroded to a certain degree, and when the black shadow had decayed to a certain stage, new rocks began to form, and an ethereal aura quickly grew.
During this process, that black shadow extended its right hand forward.
This palm, seemingly made of pure shadow, crossed a distance of several tens of meters and instantly gripped Bernadette’s neck!
This was not achieved by lengthening the arm, but because in that instant, the concept of distance was confused; forty-five meters equaled forty-five centimeters.
That dark hand did not apply much force; it simply made Bernadette feel a chilling cold.