Chapter 196:

“Knock, knock, knock.”

A rhythmic knocking sound arose.

“Come in.”

Murphy said without lifting his head, and the little rich brother, holding a large bundle of materials, pushed open the door and poked his head in. It had only been thirty minutes since Murphy asked him to find the materials.

This guy had obviously used his “cash ability” again.

But Murphy had no objection to this. As an open-minded “dog planner,” he would pretend not to see such monetary transactions. If needed in the future, he could even set up an official auction house in Crimson Citadel to collect commissions. Oh, right, why didn’t he open an auction house?

Good idea!

He would add it when the timing was ripe during a major version update, and Miriam would need to start cultivating professional talents from now on.

It’s settled!

“You need to be prepared, my apprentice.”

The vampire lord wrote his thoughts in his little notebook, picked up his vampire-style bladed whip, and stood up. The Astral Direwolf at his feet also stood up.

The calf-sized Astral Direwolf constantly showcased Murphy’s style as a Summoner.

He said to Feel You Poor:

“The Manticore may have preliminarily acknowledged your strength, but its ferocity means it won’t easily regard you as a hunting companion. I will help you establish a mental connection and create an opportunity for you to forge a contract with it. However, in the mental struggle to connect with it, you cannot let your Manticore overpower you.”

“Woo woo, I understand!”

The still bruised and swollen Feel You Poor responded:

“It’s like raising a dog! If a German Shepherd thinks you’re not as smart as it is, it will try to become the dominant one.”

“Yes, it’s roughly the same principle.”

Murphy nodded and said:

“Most Astral Realm creatures are fierce and untamed. This is also the greatest challenge in the Astral Realm Summoner profession. You must always make your summons understand who the true master is.”

“Woof!”

The giant wolf George at his feet whimpered in discontent, feeling that Murphy’s words had a hidden meaning.

The vampire ignored the now plumper pet and led Feel You Poor towards the ritual site, where many idle little players had already gathered to spectate the rich guy taming the Manticore.

“That thing could swallow little rich brother in one bite.”

The little Sword Saint Ashina, chewing hard candy, told Lumina in the crowd:

“That Manticore is so ferocious. I saw it steal and eat a Spirit Hunter’s heart before. Hmm, the scene was indescribable. Why would he want to tame such a creature?

Wouldn’t it be better to simply summon a silly, adorable Astral Realm German Shepherd like Lord Murphy?”

“To each their own.”

Lumina shook her head.

She didn’t plan to pursue the Hunter path, but even the ranger sub-profession required frequent interaction with wilderness creatures, so coming to gain experience wasn’t a bad idea.

Under their watchful eyes, Murphy guided little rich brother in mixing various materials to create a unique incense, then used spirit magic to encircle a ritual area.

The vampire lord walked towards the increasingly restless Manticore, “Stinky Treasure,” with his Astral Direwolf. As he approached, the beast immediately jumped up, lowering its body in a typical threatened beast stance, spreading its wings and raising its scorpion tail to aim at Murphy.

The direwolf George at Murphy’s feet also let out a growling threat, showing a submissive posture.

“You’ve been refusing to communicate with me.”

The vampire extended his left hand forward, making the enraged Manticore’s gaze follow his finger as he spoke softly:

“Perhaps out of fear of me, or perhaps because you detected an odor you found repulsive, such as realizing that I was the one who hunted your mother.

I do not deny this.

But you and I both know.

She is not dead, she is waiting in the Astral Realm for you, her naughty ‘prodigal son,’ to return.”

“Roar!”

The Manticore’s eyes bulged with blood vessels, and the young beast was completely enraged by Murphy’s provocation. It spread its wings and glided towards Murphy, but in the next instant, with a crack of the beast tamer’s bladed whip, the Manticore that had just taken flight was mercilessly whipped back to the ground by Murphy.

Tumbling on the ground in disarray, its mane disheveled, and a new, glaring Bleeding wound appeared on its body.

“Too weak, you’re far from your mother’s level.”

Murphy’s mocking voice echoed as his crimson bladed whip hung low, the triangular wing-shaped blades rapidly cutting and stained with blood.

He was no master of the bladed whip.

Yet with his current superhuman Agility, suppressing an immature Manticore was child’s play.

“Light it up!”

Murphy gave an audible order to the sympathetic little rich brother, who immediately ignited the incense.

Under the effect of spirit magic, the oddly scented incense spread like a thick fog, rapidly enveloping the entire ritual area and shrouding the Manticore, Murphy, and Feel You Poor.

“What the hell, what’s going on? I can’t see anything!”

“Is that it?”

Although for his currently established territory, such a number of players was still a drop in the bucket.

But Murphy firmly believed that things were getting better and better. As long as he controlled the entire Transia region and “cultivated” it, having 2,000 players before the Black Disaster arrived would be an achievable goal.

However, as an administrator, he had to control the growth rate of players to avoid a disastrous situation where too many new players could not receive proper guidance.

As Murphy pondered this while soaring through the night sky, he suddenly heard a heart-wrenching scream.

“Ahhhh! Why can’t I fly? Wings! Move, wings! I’m going to fall to my death!”

“I told you you’re unreliable! You not only haven’t learned how to fly, you can’t even glide! You’re a letdown! Sword Saint Ashina! You’re going to get me killed!”

Murphy stopped abruptly in mid-air, wings flapping, and looked down to see little Sword Saint Ashina and Lumina screaming as they fell from the city’s great crevice.

little Sword Saint Ashina wildly flapped her newly grown Blood Wings, but the tender wings could not support the weight of two people.

“Alas.”

Murphy despairingly covered his eyes.

Speaking of which, was it really okay to let this group of troublemakers guide new players? Wouldn’t they turn his carefully selected little players into a new bunch of idiots?

“Swish.”

He folded his wings and shot down like a crimson lightning bolt into the valley below.

Just as little Sword Saint Ashina and Lumina had closed their eyes, awaiting death, he precisely swooped past, grabbing one by each arm just a second before they would have been smashed into pulp. After a flap of the Blood Wings, he made them experience the thrill of breaking the sound barrier in one second.

The two girls’ throats went hoarse from screaming at that moment.

This failed attempt at flying was truly exhilarating! It was only because this magical world didn’t strictly follow physics, otherwise, with that acceleration, their arms would have been twisted off by him.

“Daring to play cliff-jumping in Crimson Citadel without a flight license?”

Murphy soared through the night sky, carrying the shell-shocked little Sword Saint Ashina, and under the purple glow of the Astral Realm’s creation behind them, he said coldly:

“A fine of 100 gold! Plus the lord’s emergency response fee, you now owe me 500 gold coins.”

The two girls clung tightly to Lord Murphy’s arms, too busy screaming to hear his scolding. The exasperated vampire lord could only bring them back to the ground.

The glide restored their senses, and they began to gaze down at the city from their high vantage point. It was pitch-black and hardly scenic, but the sizable camp outside represented the mark these “foreigners” had left in this world.

They had endured a series of difficulties to achieve their current small success, which may not be worth pride, but was a decent start.

With graceful, light yet massive beats of his Blood Wings, unlike little Sword Saint Ashina’s earlier clumsy chicken-walk, Murphy gently landed at the gate of the “administration office” in the old city district.

Lowering his head, he sternly lectured the two prepared-for-a-scolding female players:

“Ever since the Blood Vulture clan was established, all vampires who have just grown wings must undergo strict training before challenging the skies. I don’t know who gave you the courage to fly while carrying someone, even without undergoing weight training after just growing your wings. But listen up!

I have appointed Mary as your flight instructor. Without obtaining a basic flight license, you are not allowed to engage in dangerous high-altitude free-falling again!

You must understand!

Flying is not an innate skill for humans.

Even the blessing of midnight cannot immediately free you from the constraints of Mother Earth. Your wings are not just for flying, they are your weapons for battle.”

“Ahhhhh, we’re going to fall! Move, wings!!!!”

Before Murphy could finish his heartfelt lecture, another ghostly wail echoed from the distant night.

He and little Sword Saint Ashina immediately turned towards the sound, only to watch in horror as three figures leaped from the “cliff-jumping spot” little Sword Saint Ashina had chosen earlier. Flailing helplessly in the air, unable to fly, they plunged into Mother Earth’s embrace with lingering screams.

“Splat!”

This time, there was no benevolent Lord Murphy to rescue them.

In the test administrator system’s notes, Murphy saw the death notifications for Invincible Tyrannosaurus Cheche, Ah Yuen, and Spicy Gugu Chicken with speechless dismay.

They died from showing off after just growing wings.

Leaping from nearly a hundred meters high without any protection – that’s like face-tanking Mother Earth’s ultimate attack!

Let’s see if the old lady can beat some sense into you.

“Ah! Your stubbornness and disrespect for death have made me feel despair for the first time!”

Murphy covered his eyes in anguish. His manpower was already insufficient, and now three more had died for some inexplicable idiotic reason.

“Go! Notify your comrades!

I know having wings naturally makes you yearn for the sky. Your Blood Wings are tempting you not to remain groveling on the earth, content as pitiful crawlers. But you are not allowed to fly randomly anymore! Otherwise, prepare to be locked in the Blood Vulture cages!

Those cages haven’t had new guests for a long time.”

Seeing the usually elegant Lord Murphy truly angry, little Sword Saint Ashina immediately shrank back.

Beside her, Lumina began notifying the first batch of vampire players who had advanced professions in the world channel, warning them not to incur Lord Murphy’s wrath at this time.

“Come back!”

As little Sword Saint Ashina tried to slink away, Murphy’s cold voice stopped her.

The vampire lord took a deep breath to calm himself, pointed to the still-lit cottage in the administration office courtyard, and said:

“Go pay your fines, my dear but foolish descendants. But to conquer this sky ruled by the Blood Vultures, you’ll need to try a bit harder.”

Lumina and little Sword Saint Ashina exchanged a glance and could only obediently go pay the fines. Fortunately, little Sword Saint Ashina had just received a batch of gold coins, so she wasn’t short on money. But she couldn’t help feeling that the 250 gold fine per person Lord Murphy calculated definitely represented some malicious intent from the development team.