My Players Are So Fierce

However, just as everyone was about to vote on the female NPC with the best figure in the game, LuminaYanghen, who should have still been toiling in the game at this hour, suddenly popped up.

LuminaYanghen: 【@all members, look at this quest! picture.jpg】

LeadingPigeon: 【!!!! A group quest? And it can be shared? Awesome! The rewards are masterwork recruit-grade weapons usable by all jobs and a full set of veteran armor?

That’s so generous!

Where did you pick up this godly quest, Sister Lumina?】

LuminaYanghen: 【It’s a special event that spawn after you all logged off. A group of evil Blood Vulture vampires escaped from the inner city and are going to cause trouble! I can confirm they are hostile NPCs, and they will definitely be part of the upcoming story development.

Maxim gave me this quest and told me to get as many people as possible to complete it.

I estimate the difficulty will be quite high!

So hurry up and schedule a time for everyone to log in together. Remember the final deadline for starting the quest is tomorrow morning in game time.

I just calculated the time difference, that’s about this afternoon your time.

Come on everyone!

I just analyzed it a bit.

If we fail this quest, the settlement and outer city we’ve reclaimed may be occupied by these hostile vampires.

It won’t go so far as a complete reset, but all the work we did over the past week will be wasted!

Plus, these vampires aren’t like Lord Murphy, they really see drinking human blood as entertainment. If they gain control, the NPCs we risked our lives to rescue will probably die.】

MeowKing: 【Damn! Is it really that serious? Maybe it’s just a side story choice?】

OnboardJoyStick: 【Sneer, does Brother Meow still doubt the realism and hardcore nature of this game?

At least 80% of what Sister Lumina guesses is probably true!

A big part of the current story progression in this game relies on us players taking the lead role.

In other words, I bet this is the dog planner messing with us again, just like the Smuggler’s Woods ambush before. The dev team tests us ‘beta testers’ with high intensity challenges from time to time.

So we should discuss strategies quickly.

Especially you newbies!

Listen to commands after logging in tomorrow. Don’t just charge in recklessly. It’s no big deal if you die, but if you cause the whole team to fail the quest and waste our week of efforts, be prepared for the brothers to spank you offline.】

LuminaYanghen: 【Maxim also gave me access to the Kadman Civilian Self-Defense Force’s armory. The masterwork recruit weapons and veteran armor we’re borrowing are from there. The key is in my bag now. Should I log off first?

I can leave the game time for when you guys log in this afternoon to raid together?】

MeowKing: 【Yeah, you log off and get some rest first. It’s best if we log in an hour before the quest start time to prepare as a team. Calculate the time, you’ll need to wake up around dawn. This time difference is killing us, set an alarm!

Or private message me your phone number, I’ll call you when it’s time.】

PrecipitationNiuniuIsNotAfraidOfDifficulties: 【@LuminaYanghen, is my sister online too? Isn’t she with you?】

LuminaYanghen: 【Sister Pomegranate got a hidden quest from Lord Murphy, she’s urgently escorting Miss Miriam to Morland Village right now.

And that’s my second point!

The next story development will likely involve those Witch Hunters outside the city too. Plus Lady Tris said the astral vortex over the inner city will dissipate tomorrow, so I estimate whether we can complete tomorrow’s team quest may directly affect whether the new map area opens up.

Just like the Ahn’Qiraj opening event in WOW, it’s player-driven game progression again.】

MeowKing: 【Damn! Don’t bring that up, my wasted youth is attacking me again. Code it, I’m fired up! Damn!】

AhYuen: 【What’s got you fired up? You old geezer better get to work, reserve your energy. If you slack off during the raid this afternoon, just watch if the brothers spank you or not, sneer.】

DumpTruckIaido: 【Brothers, I’m wondering, can we bring NPC allies to assist in tomorrow’s raid? With over 400 NPC brothers under our command, if each one grabs a shovel we can bash those vampires to death, right?】

SpicyGuguChicken: 【Damn! The foreman calls in a mob for a beatdown, a truck full of goons at war would be a spectacle! Badass!】

LuminaYanghen: 【@Dump Truck Iaido, probably not a good idea. The people of Transia have a deep-rooted fear of vampires. Regular NPCs on that battlefield would just be moving blood bags for the vampires!

Did you forget what happened in Smuggler’s Woods?

It’s better not to let ordinary NPCs get close, but I think the militia could provide ranged fire support from the perimeter.

Lead shots can slow down vampire movements, especially when they take to the sky. Volleys from hunting rifles could shoot them down.】

BulldozerManCharging: 【Got it! I’ll bring the camp guards tomorrow! As the security chief, I think I have temporary authority over them. Sister Pomegranate is also a sergeant in the Kadman Civilian Self-Defense Force, so she should be able to lead a militia squad to assist, provided she can make it back in time.】

DoesTheCyborgSnailDreamOfElectronicTrees: 【You got it, brother!】

MeowKing: 【@all members, log in promptly at 5:30 pm, meet at the survivor settlement for a strategy meeting before battle. Attendance mandatory!

Speak up if you have any questions now! If not, log off and rest up.

Joy Stick, Pigeon, brief the newbie brothers on how raids work in this game so they don’t run around like headless flies embarrassing us later.】

——

“Why is it me again! Why does contacting the Witch Hunters always fall on me? I’m really baffled, couldn’t Murphy have chosen someone else for once?”

At this moment, heading from the survivor settlement towards Morland Village, a war horse was galloping rapidly through the night carrying two young ladies.

The one controlling the horse was Miss Miriam, the settlement manager. Riding behind her was the player Sister Pomegranate, who had received a quest from Murphy to escort Miriam to meet with the Witch Hunters and discuss cooperation.

Sister Pomegranate had no issues with this quest, but Miriam was grumbling non-stop.

Previously in the Battle of Foul Swamp, she had been the errand girl, and now it was her turn again. But in reality, with Miriam’s intellect, she understood clearly why Murphy had assigned this task to her.

First, Murphy didn’t have many capable subordinates he could rely on for major tasks.

Secondly, she had rescued Natalie and her team, which counts as a favor in the eyes of the Witch Hunters, so having Miriam come to discuss cooperation at least wouldn’t put her life at risk.

Now, the redhead girl was very suspicious, was all of this Murphy’s plan from the beginning? Did he already know that these Witch Hunters would come to Kadman City?

Sister Pomegranate heard the NPC’s complaints and marveled at how well-made this game was.

The NPCs’ emotional responses felt so real. Look at this redhead girl’s grumbling, tsk, she really sounds just like an employee complaining about being sent on errands by the boss.

Moreover, what those players said was true, the character modeling in this game is fantastic and ultra-realistic.

She was now holding Miriam as they rode on the horse, and could clearly feel her body contours bouncing up and down with the warhorse’s galloping pace, as well as her slightly elevated body temperature from nerves, it really felt like she was riding a horse at night with another girl.

Add in the oppressive, penetrating night darkness surrounding them and the sense of a major event approaching, and the immersion in this lone diplomatic mission was maxed out.

This is what playing games is all about!

“Lady Miriam, instead of just complaining, I think you should quickly consider how to negotiate with the Witch Hunters.”

Sister Pomegranate gave a soft reminder. Miriam had to read the translation text from the Computation Bead to understand her. While pulling on the reins, she sighed and said:

“We’ll have to get you spirit microphone modules soon, this communication method is too troublesome. Don’t worry, Murphy has already advised me on how to negotiate through the bead.

I hear you’re the top female fighter among all the warriors, remember to protect me later.

If the situation goes south, don’t stubbornly fight on, we’ll just surrender.

This is also part of Murphy’s strategy.”

“Don’t worry my lady, my fists will fight for you tonight!”

Sister Pomegranate grinned and indulged in a bit of melodrama herself when no one was around, mimicking the flowery loyalty phrases that some chuunibyou players use when speaking to NPCs.

But these NPCs really eat that stuff up.

Lady Miriam in her arms nodded in great satisfaction, the look of fear seemingly gone.

The warhorse they were riding was the best mount in the settlement. At this pace, it would take at least five hours to reach Morland Village.

By then, Sister Pomegranate’s game time would be just about used up. She was considering whether to log off first when suddenly, a few minutes later, Miriam abruptly pulled hard on the reins, causing the warhorse to rear up on its front legs with a whinny.

It almost threw the not-so-skilled rider Sister Pomegranate off.

But it was a necessary reaction!

Because right in front of them, four silent Witch Hunters had emerged from the shadows of the woods on warhorses, blocking their path with combat weapons already drawn.

“We come to negotiate! We mean no harm!”

Miriam cried out nervously:

“I come representing Lord Murphy’s will. Let Natalie and her team come out to see me! I saved their lives, they owe me a life debt!”

This shout made the Witch Hunters about to charge stop in their tracks.

They murmured among themselves, then three of them stayed behind while one wheeled their horse around and galloped back the way they came.

“Damn! They’re already making a move.”

Miriam whispered to Sister Pomegranate beside her, who had spiked knuckles extended in readiness for battle:

“This place is less than 40 minutes from Kadman City. They must have set out even before we did, are they planning to raid the camp? Or head straight into Kadman City?”

Sister Pomegranate didn’t respond.

As a warrior, she had entered combat readiness mode, all her focus on the three remaining Witch Hunters in front of them.

Their grim and sharp auras weighed heavily on her, she felt that even one-on-one, she would struggle to take down any of them.

According to her cousin’s explanations of game knowledge, these Witch Hunters were definitely far stronger than ordinary humans, but their strength didn’t seem to come from training alone.

So was it an amplification from some supernatural power in this game world?

As a player herself, would she eventually be able to surpass human limits through a similar power boost?

After a few suffocating minutes of this standoff, the sound of whinnying warhorses came from up ahead in the night. The scout who had ridden back to send word was returning with another member.

Not squad leader Natalie, but her veteran subordinate Norman.

His face was hidden behind a mask but scarred beyond recognition, yet he clearly still remembered Miriam, addressing her in a raspy voice:

“Follow me, the Battalion Commander is waiting for you.”

“Mmm.”

Miriam and Sister Pomegranate both breathed a sigh of relief.

She urged her horse forward, and as she neared Norman, he took two small objects from his saddlebag and handed them to the redhead girl. Only then did she realize they were the two halfling tranquilizer darts she had previously given them.

“Although I know, to you it was just your master’s errand.”

The veteran rasped to her:

“But you undeniably saved us from death and gave us a chance for revenge. That is a debt of gratitude, thanks kid. Don’t worry, Natalie and I can’t guarantee this so-called negotiation will go smoothly, but we can ensure your life is safe.

Not just here, but in the events to come as well.

Natalie told me to remind you, do not lie to the Battalion Commander under any circumstances.

As a white paladin of my god, he can smell falsehoods.”

——

“Where exactly are you taking me?”

At the same time, in another direction outside of Kadman City, a black carriage was traveling through the night.

The fully armed Maxim was driving it himself, while Lady Tris’ dissatisfied voice came from inside the carriage compartment, She said with implications:

“Is this Murphy’s instruction? Or Jed’s? I advised you to make this decision before, it seems you’ve completed your contemplation, I just don’t know what price you’ll have to pay for it?”

“Don’t worry, my lady.”

Maxim was now wearing the vampire mask of his masterwork veteran armor set, concealing his inhuman features. His resolute voice came from beneath the mask:

“I know what I must do!

Before my last drop of blood is spent, you will not be harmed. Lord Murphy is leading us to do something dangerous, he does not wish for you to be involved.

As for me…

I cannot contribute more to him, but even taking out one more enemy would be good.”

Silence reigned in the carriage compartment for a while, then Tris’ soft sigh was heard.

She said:

“My little Murphy really is an anomaly. While other vampires are used to compelling obedience through blood lineage power, he takes the opposite approach.

Just like the human hero king Boris I witnessed in person, he tries to earn his subordinates’ loyalty through the charm of his personality.

The terrifying thing is, he succeeded!

He has already gained his first knight, which means he is destined to walk a path utterly different from other vampires.

Very well then, loyal Maxim, I entrust my life to you.”

“Yes, I will not let you down!”