My Players Are So Fierce

Sixty sets of the Blood Vulture Clan Midnight Hunter Ceremonial Outfit had already been prepared long ago. This was one of the “employment rewards” promised by the young lady to Murphy a long time ago.

It can even be traced back to after the sniping battle in Morland Village.

The reason it’s called a “ceremonial outfit” is because this vampire-styled hunting suit only looks cool and attractive. It is the “formal attire” worn by Midnight Hunters when they return to Kadman City to participate in official family activities, and is definitely not meant for combat!

But this does not mean it is not precious.

This ceremonial outfit is made entirely of silk from the Ancient Calum Kingdom and ice-patterned cloth from the Ice Bay region, with luxurious and very premium materials.

Once worn, it naturally has an excellent draping quality without needing special care, and of course there are no wrinkles. As a ceremonial outfit, there is no need to consider cleaning either, with the only innate spirit technique on this clothing being a “self-cleaning spell.”

The main body of the outfit follows the dark aesthetic favored by vampires, with a unisex hunting suit style that has little difference between male and female versions. It features a half-mask vampire masquerade mask to add an air of mystery.

The top is a black and white contrasting hunting shirt vest, paired with a cool slanted bat belt at the waist. The bottom is a combination of slim-fit riding pants and hunting boots, along with different lengths of black gloves for men and women. Depending on the occasion, there are three sets of short, medium, and long black capes that can be mixed and matched.

For the first batch of 16 test players who entered the game earlier, the limited edition Crimson Midnight Cloak outfit they previously received from Murphy can also be perfectly coordinated with this Midnight Hunter ceremonial outfit, forming a truly “limited edition fashion set.”

Well, you may not believe in the integrity and character of vampires, and you may view their various actions with suspicion. But you must believe in the superb sense of aesthetics that these self-proclaimed “midnight aristocrats” have cultivated after being immersed in the dark gothic style for a thousand years.

No matter your body shape or appearance, as long as you’re human! This outfit will look cool once you put it on!

The 60 little players eagerly changed into the ceremonial outfits they received from Lady Adele, Murphy’s maid. Apart from a soft murmur about how the fashion outfit had no attributes at all, just like a blank equipment piece, there was basically no criticism.

The four girls had already started taking selfies in the distance, and the fact that even picky ladies were willing to take selfies in front of everyone was a testament to the “aesthetic value” of this outfit.

To be honest, if men wearing this ceremonial outfit only looked cool, then the four girls wearing it could be described as “alluring.” But it wasn’t a vulgar kind of beauty with coquettish gestures. Instead, it was a neutral beauty that exuded a sense of power and seriousness.

They resembled the office ladies you might encounter in the bustling CBD district downtown. Younger people would have to muster up courage just to talk to such mature older sisters.

In a few words, it could be described as:

Precise, formal, professional, and capable, brimming with a “potency” that exists in real society.

Of course, as good as the fashion outfit was, it still couldn’t compare to the handy weapons and mighty armor favored by the evil power-gaming crowd. Or at the very least, it would be better to reward them with some practical vehicles instead?

“Hehehe! Watch Big Pigeon give you all a glorious start!”

The head of the student faction, the first player who participated in the game test, Leading Pigeon, had already rolled up his sleeves and was standing outside the treasure vault.

He pulled at the black hunting gloves on his hands in a flirtatious manner, while the dormitory boys and schoolmates around him watched with wide eyes. He then reached out his hand towards the spirit vortex affixed to the wall of the treasure vault.

Although Murphy had promised to reward each person with a Blood Vulture warrior’s treasure chest, he certainly couldn’t have prepared 60 actual boxes.

Not to mention the space required, with the family’s sacred ground having been bombed, there was no need to pursue such elaborate ceremonial flair under these circumstances. Therefore, for tonight’s “lucky draw,” Murphy had asked Tris to set up a temporary spirit technique on the treasure vault.

The vortex hovering on the outer wall was officially called the “Thief’s Hand,” a signature technique often used by spirit thieves.

It could retrieve an item from the vault through the box or wall without triggering most alarms.

Of course, in theory, the 60 items currently stored in the vault were completely random, one item per person, and no extras could be taken. But Murphy had left a small “backdoor.”

By applying a slight interference at a specific moment, he could alter the order in which players retrieved items, thereby demonstrating his authority as the “dog developer.” At this moment, Murphy was standing nearby with a smile on his face, watching this group of cheerful little fellows play the “blind box game.”

His maid, Lady Adele, was also standing there.

But Adele was completely unable to understand why these otherworld warriors seemed so joyful and lively at this moment.

After all, her master had not actually provided much substantial reward for the life-and-death battle they had fought three days ago. At the very least, a “form over function” suit of clothing did not seem sufficient to reward these warriors for their sacrifices, in Adele’s view. She had even thought that her master Murphy was being somewhat stingy.

However, upon witnessing the genuine elation and heartfelt satisfaction of the little players when they received the ceremonial outfits, she had to admit that her understanding of these strange otherworld warriors was still lacking.

They truly were an odd bunch, vastly different from the people of Transia.

“Got it!”

Pigeon had plunged his entire left arm into the “Thief’s Hand” spirit vortex, pressing himself against the treasure vault as he grabbed back and forth, until he finally grasped a long object. Amid cheers, he forcefully pulled it out.

“Whooosh”

A vampire-styled, magnificent war pike emerged, slamming onto the ground with a thud that caused the red spirit energy at its crimson tip to undulate with an unreal smoky trail.

“Wow!”

The surrounding little players let out a collective exclamation of awe.

This thing looked so cool, glowing and with such exaggerated particle effects, it was clearly an extraordinary item.

“A standard Commander-grade family guard war pike. The yellow text indicates it’s a spirit weapon crafted specifically for the patriarch’s personal guards, with two innate 【Piercing】 skills. Suitable for hunters and warriors at the Black Iron rank. Although I can’t use it, it’s still pretty good.”

Pigeon used item identification to examine it.

Although a bit disappointed, he still seemed quite satisfied as he twirled the heavy object in his hand before tossing it to his dormmate Shark.

That guy had previously switched to the Ranger Hunter job at the Witch Hunter camp and had a class proficiency with polearms.

“Big Pigeon is too weak, watch me!”

Ah Yuen was the second to rush up. He first struck a few poses while mumbling to himself, then let out a shout that startled Murphy and Adele.

He was seen reaching his hand in without wasting any time, grasping the first item and pulling it out.

“Ha! My main weapon! This is a good one.”

As a dual-blade swordsman, Ah Yuen raised high the Blood Vulture guard’s wing blade emanating a slight chill.

The streamlined slender straight blade made it look as thin as a cicada’s wing, even producing a whistling sound as it cut through the air when he flicked his wrist. Its shape was clearly the same style as the war pike Pigeon had just obtained.

Overall blood-red in color with a jet-black handguard.

This entire set of weapons was retrieved by Murphy from the patriarch’s personal armory in the Blood Vulture Halls. While not quite reaching the level of divine weapons, they were absolutely sufficient for the players to use throughout the entire Black Iron rank stage.

Of course, if they wanted better equipment, they would need to put effort into helping Murphy advance the main storyline. Murphy had obtained some “true divine weapons” from the treasure vault that lacked an opportunity to be awarded as “equipment rewards.”

He certainly had no need for them himself.

His current sword, the Desire Demon Blade – Necessary Evil, was already the highest-grade weapon on the continent as a Miracle Artifact.

Most of the treasure chest rewards here were standard Commander-grade weapons, armor, and some spirit accessories, basically ensuring that the rewards obtained by the 60 players would not differ too greatly in value.

Of course, to maintain an element of excitement, Murphy had also included a few particularly good items as well as a few that couldn’t be called bad but weren’t exactly good either.

He was quite looking forward to seeing who would become tonight’s “luckiest player.”

Non-chieftains need not even try, as tonight’s “non-chieftain list” had already been decided.

Although the “luck” attribute was not listed on the little players’ attribute sheets, Murphy knew that there was a special set of spirit spells related to “luck” in this world, proving that this intangible concept of “luck” truly existed and could be quantified on this continent.

Therefore, it was quite necessary to identify one or two genuinely “luckiest players” among the little players, just in case such luck was needed in the future.

As Murphy was lost in thought, the four girls who had finished taking pictures joined the treasure-drawing lineup. The usually assertive Lumina surprisingly failed to draw well, only obtaining a pair of guard’s combat boots. Orchid and Ashina also had no eye-catching results, with the former getting a “bottomless pit” large spirit bag and the latter obtaining a spirit-shielded ring.

None of them could be considered particularly lucky.

“What kind of luck is that? Step aside, watch mine!”

Sister Pomegranate flipped her braids, striding forward as she exhaled some spiritual energy and rubbed her hands together. She then reached out and scooped up an item, retreating a step with an odd expression as she pinched the object.

“What did you draw?”

Niuniu, observing his sister’s changing expression from the side, asked.

Sister Pomegranate did not immediately respond, only raising her eyebrows as she examined the heart-shaped object in her hand. She then activated the player interface’s built-in item identification:

Name: Heart of the Hallway Stone Gargoyle

Quality: Masterwork Construct

Use: Fuse this item with any stone material and infuse it with spirit energy to summon a rideable stone gargoyle construct.

This construct can travel at moderate speeds at low altitudes. Depending on the amount of stone fused (30-150 pounds), the stone gargoyle can carry a varying number of passengers (1-4 people).

Note!

This item is an alchemical creation and can be repaired if damaged.

Each use consumes spirit energy, allowing the summoned stone gargoyle to exist for 2-6 hours. The summoned gargoyle can join battles, but as it is not a professional combat construct, such operation is inadvisable.

Note!

Seek out a Summoner, Puppeteer, or Sculptor specialized in constructs to trigger and complete a repair quest, fully restoring this Heart of the Stone Gargoyle into a permanent high-grade spirit stone gargoyle follower.

Item Description:

【Please avoid frequent use of this item outside of Transia, as the mental fortitude of residents in other regions pales in comparison to Transians. Even if it does not attract local law enforcement, frightening children would not be ideal.】

“What is this thing?”

Ashina also leaned in to examine the strange object in Sister Pomegranate’s hand. The latter scratched her head, looking somewhat puzzled as she said:

“Possibly, maybe, perhaps it’s a vehicle? At least the item description says this thing can be ridden.”

“A vehicle! The first vehicle in the game! Wow, did you hit the jackpot or what? What insane luck! Can you share some with us?”

The nearby student players were dumbfounded.

It was like everyone was raiding the same boss, with the same drop rates and methods used, yet how come while they got junk, she managed to obtain a Midnight steed?

This was unfair!

While they were still smugly boasting about obtaining some cool weapons, the big sisters had already moved on to vehicles!

How were they supposed to keep up when they were forever one version behind?

Terrible gaming experience!

Negative review!

Damn dog developer, biased towards females, right?

Screw this, I’m gonna castrate myself tonight, let’s see if you’re still biased then!

“Hey! I got one too!”

Just as the student players had formed a circle to soak up the luck, another exclamation came from Heaven’s Chosen Grayman nearby.

Everyone turned their heads in unison to see Grayman clutching a Stone Gargoyle Heart in his raised hand, except his was black in color, different from the red construct heart in Sister Pomegranate’s possession.

“Bastard! Animal! What did you get?”

This time, everyone exploded in anger.

They crowded around to examine Grayman’s loot, only to find that the item in his hand was called the “Cracked Battle Stone Gargoyle Heart,” with a note to seek out an alchemist for repairs before use.

It had the same vehicle effect as Sister Pomegranate’s, but Grayman’s was a dedicated combat type that could only carry one person while effectively protecting the summoner.

Hey, this was even more outrageous!

Yours can fly and fight?

Are you letting anyone else live?

The good news, however, was that the dog developer didn’t seem to be intentionally favoring female players, so no one needed to castrate themselves tonight. Both little heads could breathe a sigh of relief.

“Meow King, the big draw for our team is up to you!”

Seeing their buddies drawing one after another, the Meow Six group’s hearts were itching with anticipation as they urged Meow King to open the treasure box.

But Meow King knew his own situation.

He had an extremely ominous feeling that his luck would be exceedingly, exceedingly, exceedingly black tonight!

Although he didn’t know the source of this premonition, he simply couldn’t muster any confidence. Amid his brothers’ urgings, Meow King silently prayed to Avalon’s gods as he tremblingly reached into the Thief’s Hand vortex and gently grabbed.

At the same time, Murphy squinted his eyes, and the fingers behind his back twitched slightly.

In the next instant, a black box leaped into Meow King’s palm.

Not an equipment or vehicle item, causing Meow King’s heart to sink. When he shakily opened the box, he found a note inside with four large characters written:

“Thank you for your patronage!”

“Damn it!”

Meow King’s mental state completely collapsed as he slammed the box in his hand violently onto the ground, nearly cursing “damn my kind.” His four sworn brothers and old mate were also dumbfounded.

This… this… this… was there any justice left?

“Wait! There’s more text on the back!”

The keen-eyed Electronic Succubus Old Tune called out. The red-faced and enraged Meow King hurriedly picked it up to find that there was indeed more to this note on the back.

It seemed to be an unfinished weapon design schematic.

“Ding”

The sound of a quest trigger made him perk up:

【Hidden Quest ‘Sealed Blood Vulture Relic’ Triggered!

Quest Content:

You have inadvertently come across this ancient weapon design schematic, seemingly from the hand of a vampire craftsman hundreds of years ago. It appears quite extraordinary, perhaps you can take it to inquire about its secrets from Lord Murphy.

Note!

This is a continuous quest, with the ultimate Quest Reward being: Unknown Weapon Design Schematic X1

Quest Description: My coworkers on the test team told me this idea was terrible, but I think adding it as a little Easter egg to the game would be interesting. After all, the hidden item drop rate for dungeon loot designs is 0.01%, so only a world-class luckiest player or an ultimate non-chieftain could possibly obtain it.

Even if you get it, you’d probably just crack a smile.

It’s a game after all, meant to be played with laughter! –

Reality Realm Development Team Member Codename S.】

“Laugh your ass off! So it’s an Easter egg left by the dev team, scared the crap out of me. Hey ~ doesn’t this mean I’m a world-class luckiest player? Since it’s a 0.01% probability.”

Meow King let out a harsh critique.

The ups and downs of life were nothing more than this. He left his five brothers to continue the lucky draw while he waddled over to Lord Murphy, explaining the situation and handing over the schematic.

The vampire lord, with a deadpan expression, examined the four crooked Chinese characters he had scribbled on the schematic’s front just ten minutes ago, holding back laughter as he scrutinized it carefully. In an NPC tone, he said to Meow King:

“This does indeed look like a very ancient design schematic. I suppose it is probably related to some kind of spirit weapon. Perhaps you could ask our beautiful and noble grand duchess about it. Of course, the Blood Vulture grand duchess has many affairs, so it won’t be easy to get an audience with her.

You may need to demonstrate your worth to her first.”

Murphy glanced at the disappointed Meow King and decided to give this guy a little treat. With a casual wave of his hand, the Desire Demon Blade – Necessary Evil sheathed at his waist began humming as it floated up, slithering around Meow King like a serpent before finally resting on Murphy’s palm.

He compared this spirit blade to the design schematic, saying:

“Does it look similar?”

Meow King blinked, immediately understanding as he nodded vigorously:

“Similar, extremely similar! So this design schematic is actually…?”

“No, a miraculous artifact cannot be replicated with the current era’s crafting techniques. I suspect it was probably a downgraded spirit blade researched by a predecessor craftsman based on the Desire Demon Blade.”

Murphy returned the sealed design schematic he had previously found in a dusty corner of the patriarch’s personal armory to Meow King, gently guiding him:

“However, even a downgraded sentient spirit blade would represent a tremendous upgrade for you, effectively freeing up your hands. In any case, being able to obtain it seems your luck is quite good, my warrior Meow King. You shouldn’t miss this opportunity.”

“I agree, my lord.”

Meow King examined the extraordinary-looking weapon in Murphy’s hand, his eyes shining with anticipation.

But a few minutes later, the realization suddenly hit him, and he made an odd expression as he stroked his chin.

“Damn! Did I just get baited by an NPC? Taking this trial to test the cadres, huh!”

Just as he was about to complain, he saw his five brothers returning dejectedly, each clutching a weapon they couldn’t use at all.

Don’t Need Hands to Show Off, with a mournful expression, said to Meow King:

“Damn it, brother! The tragedy from last time has repeated itself. Not a single thing we drew can be used! We must have been targeted by probability theory. Don’t we need to visit a temple and make some offerings?

This whole situation feels a bit sinister, doesn’t it?”

“Hey, I got one!”

As he spoke, the nearby Onboard Joy Stick suddenly shouted, waving a green Stone Gargoyle Heart at the Meow King group:

“Thanks for being the sacrificial lambs, brothers. I’ll treat you to a meal someday.”

“Damn it! You come over here, I won’t rest until I beat you up today!”

Meow King’s face grew even darker.

Seeing his brother driving off in a Ferrari was truly more painful than losing money himself. Thankfully, he still had a hidden quest to turn in.

But Lady Tris’ quest also required opening treasure boxes!

Damn it!