Chapter 76:

It has been several days since Murphy triggered the Trial of Strength, but in the struggling Kadman City, he has been unable to find a suitable target.

After Jed appeared, Murphy had threatened the young lady that if she did not cooperate, he would use her as his “proof of Black Iron”, but that was only an artistic exaggerated threat. In fact, the moment Jed appeared and tried to use Murphy, this self-important guy had already been labeled in Murphy’s heart.

Although using a White Silver vampire as the target for the Black Iron trial is obviously too exaggerated and inflated.

But in the current situation, Murphy felt that he was not without a chance of success.

In this remote area of the outer city ruins, the dim sunlight continuously sprinkled spots of light from the cracks of the thin layers of black smoke. Among the winding ashes on the ground, Murphy holding the Blade of the Desire Clan tossed a probe towards Jed in front of him, who was dragging his tattered wings.

The feedback information formed an information tag in front of his eyes, moving along with Jed:

Name: Berna Jed Lessenbra

Level: 30 White Silver Body – Blood Source Weakness (All attributes reduced by 30%)

Profession: Level 15 Tomb Guard / Level 15 Midnight Hunter / Painter – Classical Painting Specialist

Status: Fragile Vulnerability – Mental Strain – Physical Collapse – Natural Entanglement – Deepening Pain – Day’s Curse

Evaluation: Extremely Dangerous

“You really seem to have suffered quite badly. Although I don’t understand what kind of torment you endured in the Blood Vulture Halls, just looking at your wailing body and terrible wrinkles, I can tell that you’ve had a miserable time.”

Murphy stared at the few wounds on Jed’s chest that had been pierced by emerald hunting arrows, completely unable to heal and continuously dripping fresh blood. He twisted his wrist, showing off a sword flourish, and said in a low voice:

“However, we are all respectable midnight nobles. Instead of engaging in a boring and vulgar battle, why don’t I help you end this prolonged suffering?

You don’t have to go through the indignity of struggling any longer, and I can save some precious time as well.

What do you say?”

“Heh heh, so beneath the mundane disguise lies such an arrogant and insane soul? Tris really was blind!”

Jed wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Leaning on the black ritual blade of a tomb guard, adorned with black ebony flowers and bats, he retracted his tattered blood wings behind him. Although each step caused fresh blood to drip, this guy’s aura was rising in anger.

His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at Murphy as he said hoarsely:

“I am very weak! I feel like I’m about to return to the midnight, to eternal silence, but that’s still no excuse for a worm like you to insult me!

Come on, Murphy, you’d better find a few more people.

Like that wench hiding in the shadows, that vile bitch Femis, let her come too!

That way you might stand a chance.”

“How unbecoming! Sir Jed, a gentleman as elegant as yourself should not speak such vulgar words. As for what you said, I would very much like to find help.”

Murphy sighed and said:

“Unfortunately, this is the Black Iron trial I have chosen for myself, which I must complete alone, to truly step onto this path of power by offering your noble blood to the midnight and the blazing sun as a sacrifice.

You are the perfect offering I have chosen in pursuit of power.

So, from now on, please carry yourself with the awareness and dignity befitting a sacrifice.”

“!”

Upon hearing Murphy say this, Jed felt deeply insulted again.

This bastard!

How dare he view him as a trial of strength?

“Die!”

Jed roared.

The chilling dark spirit condensed on the ritual blade at the tomb guard’s summons, forming a sinister edge. With almost flickering skill, he launched a suicidal strike to cut down Murphy right in front of him.

He was confident!

Such a small fry who had not even reached Black Iron would never be able to withstand this decisive blow that combined centuries of experience and power!

Murphy indeed lacked confidence in overpowering Jed in direct combat, but after repeatedly studying the rules of the Trial of Strength, he realized that this seemingly inflexible rule actually had “loopholes” to exploit.

“Slap”

With the aid of the Gloomy Steps, he continuously retreated using sliding steps while waving his left hand backwards. Femis, hiding in a high place behind him, saw this agreed signal.

She hesitated for a moment.

Because this kind of interference didn’t seem to conform to the principles of the Black Iron trial, but upon careful consideration, she indeed wasn’t truly intervening in the deadly battle between the two below. She was only...

The young lady was very hesitant, but still followed Murphy’s previous instructions, gathering her remaining spirit into the Spirit Staff, then pointing the bat-carved staff head towards the sky.

Spirit Blast – Raging Gale!

Release!

“Bang”

In a muffled boom, like an air cannon, the heavy spiritual force shot straight up into the sky, then exploded in the thin black astral haze above with the young lady’s precise control.

As if a pair of rough large hands tore open the curtain obscuring the sunlight.

In the next instant, dazzling golden rays poured down like a waterfall through the large hole torn in the haze.

The golden beams, like stage spotlights shining through the torn smoky haze, illuminated the entire street area below. The unprepared Jed and the ready Murphy were both caught in this moment under the sun’s rebuke:

This is the world of light, no evil shall tread here!

“Swish”

The young lady Femis flapped her bat wings, gliding down from above to land on the blood-soaked ground where Murphy and Jed were fighting desperately.

The surrounding carnage caused her to clench her fists involuntarily. Born into the nobility of the Blood Vulture Clan, she had never experienced putting everything on the line to secure a victory like Murphy did. This battle would leave an indelible impression on her.

She knew she shouldn’t interfere. This was Murphy’s Trial of Strength, but in that moment she couldn’t help but lean on her Spirit Staff and walk towards the dark room.

“Well, well, little girl, we meet again.”

A familiar voice came from behind, causing Femis to stop and turn around. She saw the old knight Finoch Lawson riding a red warhorse, clad in oak armor and carrying the large oak Great Blade of Avalon on his back.

Her gaze narrowed as she immediately raised her staff, feeling she had seemingly fallen into the same situation as Murphy, facing an opponent she could never possibly defeat in a fight for survival.

“While men battle for survival, ladies should stand aside and quietly observe, prepared to bestow blessings and kisses upon the victor,” the old knight said softly.

“This is not something you should be involved in. Step back, do not let the vampire Murphy’s intricate setup go to waste. Heh, I thought you would be the biggest hidden threat in these ruins that I should watch out for, but after witnessing that scene, I suddenly realized...

Even within your little group, you are far from being the leader!

Murphy!

Well done, I’ve remembered that name.”

“Bang”

The wall of the dark room behind the young lady collapsed in a massive explosion of spirit force. Through her narrowed pupils, she watched as Jed, covered in blood and turned into a “charred monster,” limped out from the darkness.

Murphy!

Could it be...

She watched as the creature that was once Jed raised his staff.

But in the next instant, after taking just two steps out, the clan leader’s bodyguard legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees with a thump, the ritual black blade clattering into the bloody pool.

Behind him, Murphy was missing an arm but clutching Jed’s weakly pulsating vampire heart in his remaining hand. At his feet lay the headless corpse of his loyal astral wolf companion, while his other hand still gripped the Blade of the Desire Clan tightly.

“I actually... cough cough... didn’t need to show up at this point.”

Coughing up blood, Murphy said to Jed, who knelt on the ground struggling to raise his head and glare at him:

“There were many ways I could have put you to death, sir. But you once helped me, whether out of sympathy or pity, I owe you a debt.

I just wanted to give you a final dignity by sincerely attending your funeral rites.

Rest in peace, Sir Jed.

Through this passing of death, your ambition has been added to my path of conquest.

I will make good use of the power you have left behind.”

“Puff”

Jed tried to say something but only coughed up blood.

Then, amid violent convulsions, he collapsed to the ground. The sunlight washed over him, turning him into a faded statue, allowing this ambitious man to find eternal silence on this ashen land.

As for Murphy...

He raised Jed’s heart high.

On his face smeared with blood, lips still stained with traces of blood not his own, he managed to give Femis an elegant and dignified smile befitting a midnight nobleman.

Yet in this grisly scene, the smile was somewhat unsettling.

It even caused the young lady to instinctively take a step back.

She had rarely seen such a savage vampire, as if this was the true posture their kind should have on this malicious continent.

It stripped away all elegant and false exteriors to reveal their innate ferocity and viciousness in the form of a bloodthirsty beast.

Femis suddenly realized that despite being a vampire for so many years, she did not understand the power of midnight’s gift as much as this “newborn” vampire, barely over a year old.

But behind her, the old knight suddenly started applauding while mounted on his horse.

He shouted loudly:

“Congratulations, vampire Murphy! I give the victor my applause, or perhaps I should ring the death knell for the fiend! You are a potential threat, I must stop you from...”

“Swish”

Something was kicked by Murphy towards the knight’s horse.

The object glowed crimson in the sunlight, causing Finoch to squint and dismount to pick it up.

“Here’s the key for you! But without the help of the last few Blood Vulture Descendants, you’ll never get back into the halls.”

Murphy coughed and said:

“Will this buy our lives?”

The old knight didn’t answer.

He picked up the Desire Fragment from the ground and, after confirming it was genuine, took one last look at Murphy and the terrified Femis before riding away in silence.

“Ha”

Murphy grinned wryly.

In his dizzying weakness, he collapsed to the ground but was caught in the young lady’s arms. He could no longer hear her frantic calls, but before losing consciousness, he saw what he had always wanted to see:

【Newbie Guide Quest (6/6): Return to the beginning and the end, completed!】