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He could feel it wasn't just dataâit was flesh and blood.
It could express emotions, with moments of joy, anger, sadness, and excitement.
Its eyes would light up at the sight of fresh meat.
When playing frisbee, its tail wagged like a propeller.
Whenever Peng Peng touched it, it would roll over, exposing its belly to him.
Peng Peng could feel it tooâLittle Bug trusted him wholeheartedly, with no hint of malice.
Watching Little Bug, barely alive, being lifted by Tianheng, Peng Peng wanted nothing more than to rush forward and save it.
But he didn't dare.
He had brought Little Bug back, and the guild suffered greatly because of his decision.
Tianheng hadn't punished him yetâalready a rare mercy.
Peng Peng didn't have the guts to defy Tianheng.
"Little Bug...I'm sorryâŠ"
"It's all my fault! I never should have brought you back!!"
No sooner had Tianheng finished speaking than the players of the Eternal Guild roared back with fervor.
"Brothers!! Let's butcher him together!!!"
"As HIM's lackeys, you should have expected this. HIM's in the ground; we'll send you down to join him!!!"
"Let's go!! We'll take back every piece of gear they took from us!!"
Eternal Guild's players swiftly formed ranks and marched north toward the forest.
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Northern Forest â Eternal Guild Territory.
007 glanced through gaps in the tree leaves, eyes squinting at the midday sun. For days now, around this time, groups of Eternal Guild players would show up, building repair shelters.
These players had grown wiseâthey never wore expensive gear.
Yet when ambushed by monsters, they never stood a chance and were quickly wiped out.
It happened day after day, enough to make 007 suspicious.
Something felt off. He couldn't pinpoint why, but the unease was there.
Although Xu Yuan had taught him how to counter players in various ways, he had never been taught to read people's intentions.
007 had little experience dealing with players; naturally, he was clueless about their schemes.
So, even though he had a vague sense that something wasn't right, his limited understanding left him unable to identify the problem.
While deep in thought, a disturbance in the distance interrupted him.
A squad of Eternal Guild players was approaching.
As before, they appeared to be there to build more repair shelters.
007 shook off his worries.
A low growl escaped his throat, reverberating through the forest.
Moments later, monsters gathered around him.
By now, they knew the routine. Without needing 007's direct commands, they knew how to deal with these players.
As the players drew closer, the monsters hid behind tree trunks, ready to pounce when their prey was within reach.
The players kept advancing, while the monsters moved closer.
Suddenly, the leaves above the monsters rustled ominously.
007 tensed, sensing danger.
Just as he prepared to signal the monsters to disperse, the canopy above was violently torn away.
Eternal Guild players leapt down from the treetops, encircling the monsters in a flash.
In less than thirty seconds, the monsters were completely surrounded!
Over ten thousand players had come from above, sealing off 007 and his group.
Faced with such overwhelming numbers, 007 panicked.
The earlier easy targets were bait! He'd fallen for the trap, dragging the entire monster force into Eternal Guild's hands!
There was no time to react.
"Charge!!!"
With that cry, Eternal Guild's players swarmed forward, eager for blood.
Despite several of 007's monsters having awakened rudimentary awareness, their combat strength wasn't enough.
Faced with such an onslaught, they panicked.
They fought back, but the sheer number of enemies turned their struggle into futile desperation.
"Kill them! Take back our gear!!"
"You think you deserve that armor?! Hand it over!!"
"Afraid now? Where's all that swagger?!"
"Youâyou spider! You killed me three times! Time to return the favor!!"
There were only around four hundred monsters against the vast numbers of Eternal Guild.
Caught off guard, even the strongest monsters couldn't overcome the human wave.
They weren't HIM; they didn't possess HIM's might.
Even HIM had fallen to these players. What chance did they have?
Fueled by adrenaline, the Eternal Guild players pressed the attack.
Monsters fell one by one, dying under a hail of blades.
Watching his allies fall, 007's rage boiled over.
"ROARRR!!!!"
With a deafening roar, he plunged into the fray.
Each strike felled dozens of players.
007's battle prowess was impressive.
With diamond-tier gear and raw strength, he tore through the players as if they were paper.
Eternal Guild's forces struggled to hold him back, fear spreading like wildfire.
"Damn! This diamond-armored zombie is brutal!!"
"He's stronger than during the battle with the Triumph Guild!!"
"That diamond armor's defense is insane! We can't break through!!"
"I refuse to believe it! We're ten thousand strongâno way we're losing to HIM's lackey!!"
007 fought like a demon, cutting down swathes of players.
Even those clad in iron armor fell instantly.
But something strange happenedâamidst his rampage, 007 kept glancing at the players' feet, as if searching for something.
Tianheng noticed this peculiarity.
Just as 007 was about to break free from the encirclement, Tianheng stepped forward.
With a flick, he tossed a bloodied, barely-breathing figure at 007's feet.
"Is this what you're looking for?"
007 froze as Tianheng hurled a blood-soaked object in front of him.
He moved closer, realizing it was a wolf, its legs severed, its body drenched in blood.
Despite the bloodstained fur, 007 recognized it instantly.
"ROARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!"
His furious roar shook the entire forest.
Seeing his dying companion, 007's will to fight crumbled.
He rushed to Little Bug's side, lifting it carefully.
Little Bug, barely hanging on, sniffed weakly, trying to recognize the scent.
When it caught 007's familiar scent, its eyes fluttered open, and even as its strength waned, its tail wagged slightly.
"WhimperâŠWhimperâŠ"
007's roars turned to tremors of grief.
He felt Little Bug's life slipping away in his arms.
His hands trembled.
To him, Little Bug was more than a friendâit was a family member, a reminder of its master's purpose.
As Little Bug weakened, 007 was at a loss.
He had no idea what to do. No power to save it.
The memories of their time together flooded his mind, and for the first time, 007's throat tightened with a sob.
The Eternal Guild players around him watched in stunned silence.
"It's⊠so tragic⊠can we even talk about this?"
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