As the players took their positions, a dragon’s roar tore through the sky.

Yonghui and Canglong soared into the air atop the mighty Ender Dragon.

The dragon ascended and circled the sky before settling on a spot not far from HIM.

The livestream viewers were stunned.

For most, this was their first encounter with a dragon.

“What the hell?! This game has dragons?!”

“Whoa! No wonder the Eternal Guild dared to accept the challenge—they’ve tamed a dragon?!”

“That dragon looks so cool! HIM looks tiny in comparison…”

“Of course, it’s the top guild! They even managed to get such an awesome mount?!”

“With gear like that and a dragon, Eternal Glory really lives up to their reputation…”

“Could this be the battle where HIM falls?”

No one would have believed dragons existed in this game without witnessing it themselves.

And players knew just how valuable a dragon was.

Moreover, the battlefield was crowded with well-equipped players—over 60,000 of them, with nearly everyone sporting iron armor. That alone spoke volumes about their strength.

As players marveled, the livestream’s focus shifted downward.

Standing at the forefront of the players’ ranks was a creature with gray-black skin and eyes glowing crimson.

The creature gripped an iron sword, and though the blade itself was basic, the way it wielded it radiated confidence and mastery.

The sword looked almost like a dagger in its grip.

Though not large, the creature exuded a presence as commanding as the dragon above.

“What the heck? Is that monster one of HIM’s diamond-armored minions?!”

“Damn… Did the Eternal Guild turn it into this?!”

“Betrayed, huh?! No wonder HIM’s after the Eternal Guild!”

“That thing looks strong. Add in the dragon, and HIM might be in serious trouble…”

———

“…”

Seeing the Ender Dragon circling in the sky, Xu Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.

He hadn’t expected the players to advance so quickly; they’d already reached the End.

What piqued his curiosity even more was that the Ender Dragon had been tamed.

Upon closer inspection, Xu Yuan realized this dragon seemed a bit smaller.

The reason for this eluded him, but he dismissed it without much thought.

Ender Dragons were of no concern to Xu Yuan.

He cast only a brief glance at the dragon before losing interest.

This reaction did not go unnoticed by Yonghui and Canglong, who found themselves bewildered.

“What was that look? He barely glanced over here…”

“No idea… Maybe he doesn’t recognize it? Didn’t that zombie act indifferent the first time it saw an Ender Dragon too?”

“Maybe… Could be?”

Regardless, a dragon was a dragon—massive and imposing. Even if HIM didn’t recognize it, with a mind of his own, he should at least sense some threat from such a formidable creature.

Yet, he only spared it a glance before dismissing it entirely.

This left Yonghui and Canglong feeling unsettled.

But recalling how 007 had reacted indifferently to the dragon before, they decided not to dwell on it.

At that moment, Xu Yuan’s attention shifted completely to 007 below.

Although 007’s appearance had drastically changed, Xu Yuan recognized him instantly.

The glowing red eyes told Xu Yuan all he needed to know—007 was no longer the same.

Perhaps he had evolved into something far more powerful.

Xu Yuan descended slowly, landing opposite 007.

He did nothing else, yet his mere presence caused players around him to retreat in panic.

Just moments ago, they were brimming with confidence, but the sight of HIM was enough to shatter their resolve.

The moment Xu Yuan touched down, 007 raised its sword and charged at him with blinding speed.

It became a blur, moving too fast for the naked eye to track!

Tianheng watched, bewildered.

“?? I didn’t even give the order! It’s moving on its own?!”

The players saw 007’s sudden action and erupted with excitement.

“Holy crap! It’s going for the kill without hesitation?!”

“Looks like our brainwashing worked!”

“Wait… wasn’t it supposed to obey the Eternal Guild? Why does it recognize HIM?”

“Remember, it’s got its own mind. Maybe it sensed the enemy, like when it attacked the Ender Dragon’s eye?”

“…”

All eyes were glued to 007.

The tension was palpable. Everyone wanted to know if 007 could stand against HIM.

As 007 closed the distance, it raised its sword high and struck down toward HIM.

Just as it seemed the strike would connect—

The sword veered, stabbing the earth before HIM.

What happened next stunned everyone.

007 planted its sword in the dirt, dropped to one knee, and bowed deeply before HIM.

It didn’t dare meet HIM’s eyes.

Softly, it uttered two words.

“M…my… king…”

———

When 007 sprinted forward, then plunged its sword into the ground and bowed to HIM, the entire battlefield fell silent.

“?????????”

“Can someone explain what just happened?!”

“Wasn’t this zombie brainwashed?! What? Another trick?!”

“W-what…?”

“I don’t get it, but I’m completely floored…”

“…”

Tianheng’s face contorted with rage. No matter how he looked at it, this wasn’t how things were supposed to unfold.

The zombie he’d spent so much effort brainwashing and training had just betrayed him in an instant?!

Or worse, it had never truly been under his control—everything had been an act!

He recalled all of HIM’s past schemes and interactions with players, finally understanding.

“Damn it! Like master, like servant!”

“What a damn good actor!!”

Many guilds had fallen for HIM’s tricks before, and now, even his subordinate had outplayed them.

While players stood in disbelief, Xu Yuan felt a flicker of surprise.

The moment 007 uttered “My king,” something shifted within him.

Before him, a virtual screen appeared.

It was like a carousel, displaying scenes from 007’s life.

The memories began with Xu Yuan naming 007.

—

“You’ll be called 007.”

“Roar…”

Next came scenes of Xu Yuan addressing them.

“Your destiny is to eliminate players!”

“The more you kill, the stronger you’ll become!”

Further memories showed Xu Yuan gifting 007 a diamond set and bidding farewell.

“Stay alive so you can see me again.”

“Take good care of it. I’ll want it back.”

Watching these moments filled Xu Yuan with a mix of emotions.

Every key memory involved him.

Though 007 had fought valiantly in the battle with the Triumph Guild, that encounter held no special place among its memories.

For 007, the moments that mattered most were always with Xu Yuan.

Feeling a pang of emotion, Xu Yuan continued to watch.

After their parting, though he wasn’t present, the wolf pup Xu Yuan had given to 007 featured prominently.

They traveled together, played with Ender Pearls, and rolled around carefree.

Even the memory’s borders glowed golden, showing how precious this time was to 007. Its only regret was Xu Yuan’s absence.

Then came the day they encountered the Eternal Guild.

The wolf pup acted as a spy, gathering intel for 007.

Everything seemed fine, until one day, they were cornered by Eternal Guild members.

When 007 next saw the wolf, its legs had been severed, and it lay dying.

Xu Yuan clenched his fists.

The memory showed 007 consuming the wolf’s body, becoming weakened.

Only now did Xu Yuan understand.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep