“The Death Knight… So it was you!”

Seeing the departing backs of 007 and the wolf cub earlier, Xu Yuan had felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Only now did he realize, belatedly, that 007 was actually the Death Knight.

He was one of HIM’s earliest followers, and the most loyal subordinate by his side.

He had eyes that glowed red, a wolf-like appearance, and a unique way of wielding his sword.

Just like the 007 standing before him now.

Xu Yuan suppressed his inner excitement and continued watching 007’s memories unfold.

He wanted to know what exactly happened to 007 after all this time.

What came next shattered Xu Yuan’s already low opinion of human darkness.

Tortured with molten baths and repeated brainwashing—these physical tortures alone were horrific enough.

But Xu Yuan hadn’t expected that the Eternal Guild would use the death of the wolf cub to subject 007 to unimaginable psychological torment.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan cast a glance at the players present.

An unsettling idea began to take root in his mind.

“Thank you for the inspiration.”

“Indeed, mental anguish is far crueler than mere death.”

Within about a minute, Xu Yuan finished viewing all of 007’s fragmented memories.

Previously, when he was unaware of the situation, Xu Yuan had assumed that 007 must have led quite a thrilling life recently.

But now, it was clear—this was the darkest period of 007’s existence.

Although all of it had contributed to his growth as a Death Knight, it was far too cruel for 007. He had once been a carefree and happy zombie.

And in a way, Xu Yuan was responsible for it all.

If not for his feigned death, none of this might have happened.

Maybe it was fate, or just a cruel twist of luck.

Either way, what had been done could not be undone.

All Xu Yuan could do now was make amends to 007.

To let him repay every ounce of suffering he had endured upon these scum, doubled.

As Xu Yuan contemplated this, his thoughts were interrupted by 007’s voice.

“M…My…King…”

“P-please…pun…punish me!”

“Li…ttle…Ba-Bug is dead…”

Xu Yuan’s words had always remained in 007’s heart, but he had failed to fulfill them.

He had not been able to properly care for Little Bug, which was why 007 clung desperately to life—

Just for a chance to see his master again and seek forgiveness.

It was an undeniably touching scene, but when Xu Yuan heard the name “Little Bug,” he almost choked.

“Little Ba-Bug? Who in the world came up with that name…?”

At that moment, Pengpeng, who was streaming live, suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.

Upon hearing 007 refer to Little Bug, even Pengpeng couldn’t help but facepalm.

“Maybe it was just too hard for him to pronounce when he first started talking…”

007 knelt on the ground, head bowed low, like a child waiting to be scolded.

But instead of rebuking him, Xu Yuan simply shook his head and said softly:

“It’s not dead.”

Upon hearing Xu Yuan’s words, 007’s head snapped up, a mix of disbelief and hope in his eyes.

“R…Really?!”

“Where…where is it?!”

The moment 007 had called Xu Yuan “My King,” Xu Yuan distinctly felt a connection form with two spiritual entities.

These two entities were originally one, but at the moment, they were scattered and had not fully fused.

After seeing the fragments of 007’s memories, Xu Yuan finally understood the reason.

Little Bug hadn’t truly died—instead, it had found another way to stay with 007, forever.

Despite being subjected to molten torture day after day, 007’s skin remained unscathed because Little Bug had been silently protecting him.

The reason 007 hadn’t sensed Little Bug was due to his overwhelming grief over its perceived death.

Their powers had been unable to fully merge as a result.

Realizing this, Xu Yuan looked at 007 and said gently:

“Let go of your regrets. Feel it.”

—

The words hit 007 like a bolt of lightning.

He had been drowning in sorrow, consumed daily by thoughts of avenging Little Bug.

Even after escaping the obsidian prison with Pengpeng’s help, revenge was all he could think about.

Ever since Little Bug’s “death,” he had avoided remembering their times together.

He couldn’t bear to—his guilt towards Little Bug and his master was too heavy.

But now, hearing Xu Yuan’s words, he finally understood.

He calmed himself, closed his eyes, and focused on recalling and feeling Little Bug’s presence.

The moment his heart settled, he heard a voice.

“Hey! Hey! Big dummy, can you hear me?!”

“You idiot! I’ve been calling you for days, and you still couldn’t hear me! Hmph!”

“Maybe I should’ve let the lava melt you! I’m done protecting you!”

“Ugh, so boring! It’s all your fault, you big dummy!!”

The voice stunned 007. Though he’d never heard it before, it was unmistakably familiar.

He knew—it was Little Bug’s voice!

“Roar…I’m here!”

Hearing 007’s reply, the voice seemed momentarily shocked, falling silent for a long beat.

Just as 007 was about to speak again, the voice finally burst out.

“Ahhh! You finally heard me! Prprpr…”

“Ahem! Do you know what I’ve been through these days?!”

Hearing Little Bug’s lively tone, 007 felt a weight lift from his heart.

As Little Bug babbled on, he could almost feel its tail wagging excitedly.

“I’m…sorry…”

“I couldn’t protect you…”

For everything that had happened, 007 was filled with guilt, and even knowing Little Bug was still here, he needed to apologize.

Little Bug went quiet for a moment, then laughed heartily.

“Knew you couldn’t handle it.”

“Good thing I’m tougher. So now, it’s my turn to protect you!”

Before 007 could respond, he felt a change stirring within him.

Since his higher consciousness had awakened, there had always been two forces clashing inside him.

Now, they began to merge.

His appearance shifted. Fur grew rapidly, his ears receded, and a pair of upright wolf ears emerged on his head.

A bushy tail sprouted behind him.

His hands transformed into razor-sharp claws.

Slowly, he was becoming more wolf-like.

Seeing this transformation, Xu Yuan knew—

The most loyal of his followers, the Death Knight, had fully awakened.

On the battlefield, every player stared, dumbfounded.

They hadn’t even processed 007’s defection, and now this transformation left them completely bewildered.

“????? What the hell is this?!”

“Is he shapeshifting?!”

“A werewolf?!”

“For you, I’ll become a werewolf! For you, I’ll burn with madness!”

“Damn…that wolf coloration…doesn’t it look exactly like the one that died earlier…?”

“Wait, wait, wait! Wolf Spirit?!”

“What kind of game is this…? How does something like this even happen?!”

“Have they fused?!”

—

Pengpeng, streaming nearby, trembled with excitement as he saw the fully evolved 007.

“Little Bug…you’re alive!!”

Though he didn’t understand what had triggered the transformation, he knew with certainty that 007 had fused with Little Bug.

And he’d heard Xu Yuan say it too—Little Bug wasn’t dead.

Tears welled up in Pengpeng’s eyes.

“I’m just glad you’re okay…”

“Do you…still remember me…?”

Pengpeng felt a pang of sadness, unsure if Little Bug retained its old memories after merging with 007.

As he pondered, 007 suddenly turned, as if sensing him.

Their eyes met, and in that instant, Pengpeng’s tears fell freely.

“You still remember me!”

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep