Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the last zone in the underground ruins, 24K’s battle had entered its final stage!

“Boom, boom, boom…”

One after another, the Suicide Bombeetle, with their eye-catching red abdomen expanding to the size of a fist, flapped their gray wings and charged at the Black Beetle Commander in a frenzy!

“-2043, -2384, -780…”

Damage numbers floated above the body of the Black Beetle Commander as well as the three Steel Beetles that were protecting it!

“Roar!”

An “Assassination Squad” that had a Level 45 Elite Bladed Beetle as its leader also charged at the Black Beetle Commander under the protection of a psionic energy shield 24K cast, not paying any attention to the green poisonous liquid shot from the Spray Beetles next to them.

Furthermore, there were the two Spray Beetles and Steel Beetles that belonged to 24K…

The Black Beetle Commander’s HP was less than 20,000, and as it had depleted its psionic energy, it could not even use any “mental attacks” anymore!

As such, there was no longer any doubt who would be the ultimate winner!

The moment the Black Beetle Commander died, a system popup message instantly appeared in front of Feng Luo.

You’ve participated in killing the Black Beetle Commander. Kill Contribution: 52.7%. Obtained Experience: 2,635. Merit Points: 15

Contribution of 52.7%; which meant that there was a 100% chance that something would drop. This was also the reason why Feng Luo did not worry that 24K’s hidden mission would influence the squad’s exploration mission.

Moreover, if one really wanted to be detailed, with regards to killing the Black Beetle Commander, Feng Luo’s contribution could even be said to have reached 100% (The contribution of the beetle soldiers were not counted towards Feng Luo, but 24K’s contribution were counted towards Feng Luo’s)!

It was because apart from Feng Luo’s first shot using the Tyrant on the Black Beetle Commander, the others did not even attack since the beginning, so one could say that this was the second Commander Grade monster that Feng Luo dealt with by himself!

After the Black Beetle Commander died, without Feng Luo saying anything, Mu Zi, who had his eyes glued to the recon meter, quickly announced, “The Black Beetle Commander is dead! The exploration mission’s progress has reached 80%!”

“Dead? Did it drop the shard and the soundwave weapon blueprint?” Chairman Jiao asked about the thing that he was most concerned with.

Rose Thorns stood at the forefront. She sneaked a peek through a gap in her shield, looking slightly surprised. “Can’t see it. The remaining beetles are still fighting… No, they’ve all suddenly stopped!”

“Brother Feng, what should we do now? Can we attack?”

Little Witch glanced at Feng Luo and asked.

“Just a little bit more!” Feng Luo shook his head though his eyes were filled with joy.

It was because, at that moment, 24K suddenly sent him a message through the mental link.

The message mentioned that after 24K killed the Black Beetle Commander, the remaining beetles “submitted” to it. So, 24K asked Feng Luo if he wanted to bring along the enemy beetles with the wormhole!

“Yes, of course, it’s a yes!”

Feng Luo instructed 24K through the mental link without any hesitation. This was highly likely a reward of the mission, so it was natural that he would not reject it!

One should know that the losses for this battle on both sides were great.

Although they succeeded in defeating the Black Beetle Commander, Feng Luo’s beetle army accumulated in a long time was actually almost wiped out!

Apart from the Scout Beetles and Gatherer Beetles, there were only around a dozen or so combat type beetles left, and among them, two-thirds were normal energy beetles without any attack strength!

Although the remaining enemy beetle forces also numbered very few, there was at least one Level 35 Elite Steel Beetle, two Level 30 Elite Spray Beetles, and one Level 27 Elite ENergy Beetle. A total of four Elite beetles. This at least made up for his previous losses!

After all, Elite beetles were far more valuable than Normal beetles!

…

“Eh? The surviving beetles are disappearing one by one!”

After a minute, after all the beetles left through the wormhole 24K opened with its last remaining psionic energy, the ruins were left with a field of green liquid and beetle corpses!

However, the thing that really caught everyone’s eyes was the corpse of the Black Beetle Commander!

Everyone saw that two items were glowing beside the Beetle Commander’s corpse.

One was naturally the blueprint of the soundwave weapon while the other, emanating an orange glow…

“Legendary shard!”

After everyone walked over, the captain, Mu Zi, picked up the last piece of item that was slightly larger than the earlier three Legendary shards.

“Little Mu, hurry up and take out the other shards. I can’t wait to see what kind of equipment it will be!” Exclaimed Chairman Jiao excitedly.

“Okay!” Answered Mu Zi. Then, he took something out of his backpack.

As everyone was focused on the Legendary shard, Feng Luo’s attention was completely focused on another location.

It was because, 24K, who was initially standing on his shoulder, suddenly jumped down. It flapped its tiny wings and landed on the Black Beetle Commander’s corpse.

After that, its golden limbs moved. Then, amazingly, it actually pulled out a light gold crystal about the size of a thumb out from the corpse.

Then, it opened its mouth and started munching on the crystal!

Your pet has completed the mission ‘Heart of a King Beetle (One).’ Obtained Experience: 15,000

As 24K finished eating the entire gold crystal, a white light flashed on its body as it leveled up to Level 39.

Congratulations, your pet has leveled up. Current Level: 39

As a Boss grade pet, compared to other pets, 24K needed a lot more experience to level up. That was why by then, it had not even reached Level 40 yet!

However, was the reward for the hidden pet mission only experience?

Of course, not!

Feng Luo immediately checked 24K’s attributes log and found the status “Evolving” in it!

“Evolution?”

Feng Luo’s heart skipped a few beats.

He was not unfamiliar with the situation. Back in the Withered Desert, after 24K ate half a psionic energy, it entered the “Evolution” status once as well!

Pets and players were similar in War, stats could be increased through more than one methods, and for pets, they were also capable of increasing their combat strength in certain situations.

One could even say that they could increase not only their combat strength, but even their grade could also be “advanced!”

Under special circumstances, a Normal grade pet would be able to evolve into an Elite grade pet; then, they could go from Elite to Commander, and after that, go from Commander to Qausi-boss…

Of course, it was really difficult to reach an advancement, especially at the latter stages!

The setting was probably a way to take care of the normal players.

After all, with current developments, a Beginner Pet Biochip that would allow one to control a Normal pet would cost several thousand credits; an Intermediate Pet Biochip would cost at least tens of thousands; and an Advanced Pet Biochip that could control Commander monsters would cost millions!

For your average players, a Commander grade pet was simply unattainable; at most, they would be able to get their hands on an Elite grade pet!

However, as the game continued to develop and update, Intermediate and Advanced pet biochips would definitely become cheaper. For example, as long as players joined the rebel army at that time, they would be able to get a Beginner pet biochip instantly; at the same time, they would get an Intermediate pet biochip mission (Pet biochip were developed by the rebel army, so it was a camp advantage)…

However, there was a big problem, and it was that by the time the players completed the mission, they might have already developed a strong bond and connection with their pets, and would no longer be willing to change pets!

One should know that situations like this had already appeared in other virtual games.

Not to mention a game like War that was highly realistic. The pets simply looked like real living creatures, and as time passed, a bond would definitely exist!

That was why game officials announced that pets could “advance!”

So, theoretically speaking, all pets could be advanced to the Boss grade!