Chapter 37:

After three days and two nights of rapid travel, Murphy’s caravan finally approached Kadman City once again. At their current speed, they would reach the city in half an hour.

The outline of the large city, built between hills not far from a river on a plain, was already visible.

During these two days, the small players had gotten used to freely logging in and reasonably arranging their game time. They would leave a “sentinel” online, and when the caravan reached a village or stopped to rest, the others would log in to avoid wasting precious game time on boring travel.

The posture of the players when logged off was also quite peculiar.

Murphy had specifically gone to see them lying like corpses on the two large flatbed wagons reserved for them at the back, just like sleeping people, occasionally snoring or rolling over, mimicking sleep vividly.

This proved that after the free player access function was enabled, these guys could maintain a physical presence in this world for a long time.

Although he didn’t understand the working principle of this function, Murphy guessed that these “physical projections” should be able to automatically absorb the wandering spirits in the world to maintain their existence.

The analysis of summoning in Lady Femis’ spirit notebook explained these in detail. Although it couldn’t be directly applied to players, these special summons, Murphy guessed that the general principle should be similar.

“After spending two days with my warriors, what impression did they give you?”

Today was an overcast day without the annoying sun, so Murphy, hooded, sat on the advancing carriage, casually chatting with Maxim, who was driving.

Hearing Murphy’s question, Maxim frowned and said:

“Not very impressed, Lord Murphy. I admit your warriors are very energetic, as if they never feel tired, but they’re too annoying and crazy.

Yesterday they even followed me to the bathroom, as if they wanted to confirm that I also excrete.

And no matter what time it is, as soon as I’m idle, those guys surround me and ask me strange questions with those damn computation beads.

They seem particularly interested in my private life and my gray hair, which I find very annoying.

I had no choice but to use the method you taught me and have them run errands for me to get a little peace and quiet.”

“That’s just how they are, full of curiosity and lacking caution.”

Murphy sighed helplessly:

“No matter how many times I reminded them not to bother the lady, last night there were still a few reckless ones who went to tease Femis, and Lady Femis ended up binding them with spirit and hanging them in the air for half an hour.

But you have to admit, they are quite talented at running errands, right?

They always find the quickest way to get what you want using all sorts of crazy methods.

How is their progress in learning swordsmanship from you?”

Mentioning this question, Maxim, who had been annoyed, suddenly sighed.

He said worriedly:

“Master, when I was learning the Blood Vulture Sword Arts, it took me half a month just to get started, and I practiced for three years before mastering the techniques of various weapons.

But your warriors have only been learning from me for two days, and their attitude was not serious at all.

Yet they have all grasped the essentials of the Blood Vulture Sword Arts.

Last night I even saw them use clumsy but properly styled sword arts to drive away a few wolfen bandit scavengers lured by food. Compared to their learning ability, I feel like a mentally handicapped idiot.”

“Not everyone from their realm is that smart, luckily we don’t need idiots.”

Murphy responded casually.

The small players’ fast skill learning definitely wasn’t because they were all martial arts prodigies, but purely due to their 1.5x super growth rate and learning ability.

This should be an adjustment made by the test administrator system when creating the player templates. Otherwise, if it really took several months to learn a set of sword arts like Maxim, the gameplay would essentially be a drag.

The realism and harshness that players expect is not actually incompatible with the convenience and laziness they want. How to properly balance these two aspects is the core of whether a game can attract people.

If this world really is a game, that is.

“I just learned a new sword art.”

Murphy stood up and patted Maxim’s shoulder, saying:

“When we get back to Kadman City, let’s practice it. We’ll be there in half an hour, so don’t rest! Speed up and let’s get back as soon as possible. I’m sick of eating and sleeping outdoors.”

“Yes, Master, I’m also looking forward to returning to the city.”

Maxim smiled and flicked his whip, accelerating the carriage again.

Meanwhile, Murphy walked casually on top of the carriage, then after a light jump, landed on Miriam’s carriage.

The red-haired girl had also been bothered by the “enthusiastic” small players searching everywhere for hidden trigger quests these past two days. Now she was enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

As Murphy landed, she suddenly asked:

“Murphy, can I hire your warriors to escort me to Shaldor Port?

They really are enthusiastic, it’s as if no matter what I ask them to do, they’ll do it energetically. I prefer them to those gloomy mercenaries.

They’re simple yet lively, passionate yet kind.”

“They’ll scare you when they get wicked, Miriam, and for now it’s not possible.”

Murphy replied:

“My warriors haven’t fully adapted here yet, they’re too weak. But later they might be able to become your private guards, as long as you can afford the price.

Oh, and Miriam, don’t spread their true identities when we return to the city, just say they’re from Morland Village.”

In her view, it was a necessary offering to the family, and an adherence and tribute to the tenets and rules.

She wouldn’t even consider the unsavory role Murphy played in the matter.

Because Murphy had brought a valuable victory for the family.

That was enough for her to ignore the unreasonable parts.

Dealing with someone so principled was pleasant. At the very least, Murphy no longer resisted this lady as before, he even felt it wouldn’t be bad to serve under her.

After all, as long as he acted by the rules, this lady was quite reasonable.

Moreover, in her worldview, there seemed to be no concept of “taking shortcuts” or exploiting loopholes in the rules, this was behavior the lady could accept.

Therefore, if he could get through to Femis, his and Tris’ situation in the Blood Vulture Clan could perhaps greatly improve.

Murphy exited the carriage and gazed towards Kadman City.

He could vaguely make out the outline of the city under the gloomy clouds, a smile forming on his lips.

It had been eight days away from home now, a day later than his promised return.

Tris would definitely nag him again when he got back, but he hoped that good-for-nothing hadn’t actually starved herself to death while he was gone.

Though knowing Tris’ occasionally erratic and mostly unreliable nature, she could probably get along well with his small players.

——

“Coordinates locked, target direction confirmed, communication channel clear! D-Plan entering Phase One!”

With the resounding report, in the command hall of the pioneer fortress in the Eastern Prussia region, a general in military attire watched as the spirit mage before him began casting. With the pulsing light from the spirit computation bead on his chest, a scrying spell giving an aerial view was activated and reflected like a mirror before the general and his commanders.

The scrying spell was reflecting an aerial image of the capital of the Transia region, the Blood Vulture Clan’s headquarters Kadman City, nearly three hundred kilometers away.

The spirit mage continuously adjusted the angle, allowing the general and commanders to clearly see the entirety of the city.

Beside them, a group of Tower mages in black robes were busy working through the massive spirit communication network linked by computation bead, issuing new orders occasionally.

“Target information relayed to White Cliff, Shaping Towers 01-03 in position! Shaping Masters on standby!”

“Corresponding astral coordinates for Kadman City calculated! No interference in bi-directional mapping! Next phase shift in six hours, plenty of time.”

“‘Astral Rift’ grand ritual prepared! White Cliff headquarters awaiting final D-Plan confirmation, General! Please give the order.”

A spirit mage in military attire called out to General Loren, who stared at the city’s reflection.

He squinted without immediately giving orders, instead turning to a well-dressed old man beside him, holding a black staff and wearing a tall hat.

He said, “What’s it like to witness the legacy your kinsmen took 400 years to build collapse in an instant?”

“The Blood Vultures are not my kin,” the grim-faced old man showed no respect for General Loren like the others, staring fixatedly at Kadman City bathed in the overcast light as he muttered:

“Their shameful betrayal 225 years ago that sparked the Second Night War nearly destroyed my clan, even risking dragging the entire vampire race into oblivion.

And the schemes these conspirators hatched in the shadows will face retribution in the next few minutes.

If you must ask my opinion...

Then I’ll tell you, I anticipate the coming events more than anyone.”

“For this revenge, you even abandoned your blood feud from the Night War, violated your reclusive principles, and chose to cooperate with the Circle Tower? As I know it, your kinsmen killed by the Tower’s hands in the late Night War and subsequent ‘Wolf’s Blight’ numbered in the astronomicals.”

General Loren raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is forgetting one grudge for an ancient hatred really worth it?”

“Of course,” Patriarch Edward of the Wolfsbane Clan revealed a chilling smile from under his tall hat.

Gripping his skull-adorned staff, he said softly, “As long as the Blood Vultures are destroyed today, any sacrifice is worth it. You simply don’t understand what the Blood Vultures have been doing, and the nightmare Salrokdar’s current madness will bring us.

I wouldn’t even call it destruction, it’s worthy of being called ‘salvation’ or ‘deliverance’, words ill-fitting for vampires.

But I’ve said enough teasing. General Loren, you know what I want.

Let me see!

Let me see what the Wolfsbane Clan’s submission to the brilliant King Louis will bring us.”

“Order confirmed!”

The dwarf general grunted.

He turned, stroking his beard, and swept his arm down as if gripping a battle axe, saying gruffly:

“D-Plan initiate! Let us bury the Blood Vultures in history forever and completely!”

“BOOM”

Minutes later, a muffled roar came from the image.

The terrifying spirits temporarily tore apart the gap between the material world and astral realm. The sky and land shuddered in that moment as the power of the gloomy astral clouds poured forth. In the second before the spirit scry was disrupted and dissipated, General Loren and the elder Edward saw with satisfaction half of Kadman City being utterly submerged and torn apart.

The two smiled at each other, then raised the fine ale brought by a duty soldier.

“To victory, gentlemen!”

The general shouted:

“The war is over.”