Chapter 40: Eternal Companionship

Chapter 40: Eternal Companionship

More and more players arrived from every direction, tightening their encirclement around the Malevolent Spirits Legion Commander.

During the brief window when players wielding Tauntweaver Life Souls passed control of the commander between them, the dazed Duan Xing was hastily dragged away by several players.

Under the protection of these players, he was rushed far from the battlefield.

The remaining players continuously assaulted the commander, preventing it from attacking Cai Shenye again.

The commander's analyzed status panel was shared among players through the regional voice channel.

[Terrestrial Malevolence Spirit (Commander Tier)]

Hunting Rank: 63

Target Analysis: An intelligent Malevolent Spirit born from the Black Tide, possessing formidable combat awareness and skill.

...

Despite being severely weakened, the Malevolent Spirits Legion Commander was unstoppable against the player siege.

With casual strikes, it effortlessly slaughtered groups of players, while their attacks couldn't even breach its surface defenses.

The players' only advantage was their overwhelming numbers, with reinforcements constantly arriving from all directions.

"Does anyone else have a Tauntweaver Life Soul? We can't hold much longer. This thing can't be defeated by numbers alone!"

"Any brothers with Tauntweaver in the region, type 1 in chat. I'll group you up to take turns tanking aggro, giving Cai Shenye more time."

Players with Tauntweaver Life Souls were rare, and soon a critical gap appeared in their defense rotation.

Unexpectedly, instead of pursuing Cai Shenye's escape route, the Malevolent Spirits Legion Commander transformed into a black streak of light, soaring northward.

With the crisis lifted, the players finally exhaled in relief, believing Caishenye's life was safe.

In a corner of the Crimson Plains, Duan Xing remained unconscious. His Runic Battle Armor pulsed faintly like it was breathing. Black death qi surrounded him as his injuries worsened from the corrosive effects.

At death's door, Duan Xing's fading consciousness conjured the image of his deceased father - the man who had sacrificed himself.

Memories from when he was seven surged forth, flooding his mind with endless pain that defined his childhood. In this memory, Black Tide seeped into his body through a mark on his left chest, gradually poisoning his heart.

During their final meeting, his father smiled gently while stroking his head:

"Xing, do you want to possess power as great as mine?"

"I want... I want to have the same strength as you. Then I can defeat this corruption and join the Abyssal Tide Legion someday like you did, becoming an honored warrior."

"Whatever your path, I hope you'll walk it with strength."

"Dad, where are you going?"

"I'll never leave you. I'll always be with you, witnessing your growth."

His consciousness faded at that moment.

When he awoke, his father was gone, along with the corrupting energy that had consumed him. His once-failing heart now beat powerfully. Looking down, he discovered a Heart Core connected to his chest.

At that moment, he understood his father's choice - this was his father's promise of eternal companionship and watchful presence.

His decaying heart had been removed, replaced with his father's strong, vibrant one.

Through ancestral rituals, Duan Xing learned the Heart Core on his chest sealed the immense power of his father's heart. His weakened body couldn't handle its strength directly, so the Heart Core acted as a regulator, its seal capable of being unlocked through manipulation.

As his father's final conscious trace flickered within the perfect connection between heart and Heart Core:

"With every rotation of the Heart Core, father will stand beside you in battle."

...

Memories surged through Duan Xing's mind as his condition deteriorated further. The wounds from the Malevolent Spirits Legion Commander continued worsening.

Death qi rapidly consumed his organs, yet his heart roared with life, keeping Duan Xing's last flicker of vitality burning.

As unconsciousness approached, Duan Xing saw his father standing nearby, smiling and extending his hand:

"Follow closely behind me."

Taking his father's hand, Duan Xing walked toward a faint light ahead. At that moment, the surrounding darkness no longer felt terrifying.

Meanwhile, the players grew increasingly anxious.

According to the Guide system's analysis feedback, they discovered Caishen was near death, possibly dying at any moment.

At this critical moment, many players chose to help.

"Take this 800 Sacrificial Power. Consider the Verdant Healing Pill worth 50 Sacrificial Power as repayment." A player grimaced in pain as he spoke, producing a green pill and placing it in Duan Xing's mouth.

"Caishenye, you can't die!" Another player exchanged for a low-tier healing potion costing 10 Sacrificial Power, pouring it over Duan Xing.

"I'm a doctor, make way! Let me check his injuries... Nope, can't read this. Guess we'll just have to buy more medicine."

...

With healing potions being poured over him and his heart's relentless pulsing, the dying Duan Xing was gradually pulled from the brink of death.

His injuries visibly began healing.

Seeing this, the players surrounding Duan Xing erupted in cheers.

"Check the analysis feedback! The 'Near Death' debuff on Caishenye has changed to 'Weakness' - we did it!"

"Did it? Then run before he wakes! He'll definitely attack us - he's brutal when he's angry!"

"Run fast! Cai Shenye executes without mercy. If he spots us here, we'll be thrown into a one-hour penalty jail!"

...

As Duan Xing's injuries gradually healed, the players quickly dispersed, unwilling to remain any longer.

While they had favorable impressions of Duan Xing, they knew full well he held no such sentiments toward them. Every encounter with him involved him swinging two massive cleavers intent on killing.

After the players departed, Duan Xing slowly regained consciousness.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at his Heart Core connected to his chest, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

He couldn't understand why he was here or where the Malevolent Spirits Legion Commander had gone?

Confused, he activated the combat record storage function embedded in his Runic Battle Armor. Instantly, countless video memories flooded his mind.

He saw the moment he was about to perish - the mysterious creatures he hated saving him at the cost of their lives. He witnessed these strange beings dragging him away from the commander and fighting desperately to buy him escape time.

The final moments of the combat recording showed these creatures treating his injuries.

After watching the entire footage, Duan Xing's hatred toward these creatures transformed into gratitude.

He couldn't comprehend why they had done this, but he knew they had sacrificed themselves to save his life.

No matter how much hatred he had felt, it paled in comparison to the debt they had created.

Sitting up, he retrieved a rune mark the size of his thumb from his bracer.

"Failed the trial. It's time to return."

From this ordeal, his obsessive determination had dissipated. He decided to abandon the trial and leave this place.

With these mysterious creatures blocking his way, he couldn't collect enough Vile Crystals anyway. The next time they met, he no longer wished to bring death to these saviors.

"When I grow strong enough, I'll repay your kindness."

As his words faded, Duan Xing flew directly into the sky.

An hour later, Duan Xing stood before the crater where he had arrived, preparing to insert the rune mark into his portal device to summon the Overseer for pickup.

But as he looked down at the crater, he was shocked to find the portal device missing.

Frowning slightly, he activated the tracking system on his Runic Battle Armor, only to discover he could no longer sense the portal device's location. Even fragment data was unreadable.

His heart rate suddenly accelerated, blood pressure spiking as Duan Xing's eyes completely turned red.

He considered one possibility.

Who else could make an object disappear completely except those mysterious creatures?

...

Half a day earlier.

Player Forum:

"Brothers, we hit the jackpot! I found a machine at the bottom of a large crater. Sacrificing it at the altar gave me 38,000 Sacrificial Power - this is insane, like winning the lottery! Monster World truly hides opportunities everywhere. The Guide system didn't let us down!"

[New Book Request] Please vote for us~

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end