My Players Are So Fierce

47 hours and 55 minutes after the players left Transia.

In the midnight chamber below the Blood Vulture Halls, Murphy was quietly waiting in the darkness. In front of him, his little players were lying on 60 tables, with 10 vacant spots waiting for newcomers.

These 10 spots were the manpower feedback that the over 1,800 people rescued from below the Blood Vulture Halls gave to Murphy. Subsequently, over a hundred more people left, so the accurate total number of test spots was 16.

But releasing 16 spots didn’t sound proper, so Murphy kept 6 in hand, planning to release them together with the next wave of feedback.

The vampire lord patiently waited.

In the darkness, he stroked his core bead, continuously weaving and modifying the soon-to-be-released quest content. He had done this many times before, just like deceiving people. At first, one would feel embarrassed and suffer from pangs of conscience, but if you were deft enough, you could quickly turn it into an art.

At the moment when the major version update countdown ended, Murphy took a deep breath and cast the summoning spell again.

His spirit pool was vast enough, and some of his potential had been unleashed. He could complete the summoning of all players at once, though it would be very taxing! Like the beautiful process of rewarding oneself, leaving one’s waist hollow.

The veteran players had already bound their save points, so Murphy didn’t need to summon them anymore.

All new players had to be summoned by Murphy himself during their first login, like some sort of peculiar “authentication ritual.”

Fortunately, Murphy was a vampire.

Their diverse race’s traditions have always emphasized the sense of “ritual.”

Flickering spirit light dots wove the forms of ten new players in the darkness, while the veteran players crawled up from where they were lying, as if waking from sleep.

Not everyone had logged in yet, as some were busy working for a living. But Murphy believed that on this day of the “new version” release, they would definitely not miss this novel experience.

Maxim, by his side, had witnessed his master’s power before, but this time he finally couldn’t help but comment:

“Let me state this in advance, Master. I don’t have any opinions about your eye for choosing warriors, and I won’t treat the warriors differently based on gender. But this gender ratio is a bit too skewed, isn’t it? Out of the 70 warriors so far, there are only four ladies.”

“Do you think I want this?” Murphy retorted:

“But in my warriors’ world, the female desire for adventure is still far less than that of men. However, you must admit that our four current female warriors are truly unique.”

“Yes, I don’t deny that. Their courage and strength are no less than men’s.”

Maxim nodded and said, “I have decided to confer the knight titles in my hands to Your warriors.”

“You can decide these things yourself. They are your knights, and you are their lord. You need to manage them well. If anything happens, you’ll be held responsible.”

Murphy waved his hand and said, “I don’t care or mind. But please be cautious and add some ceremonial flair. You know, they all like ceremonial flair. The more spectators, the happier they are. The more ladies among the spectators, the more excited they become.

Actually, it’s not just them. Basically, all men are like that.”

“Hmm.” Maxim responded with a nod, saying nothing more.

On the players’ side, they were already familiar with the routine. After getting up, they greeted each other. Spicy Gugu Chicken took out prepared charcoal pencils, ready to draw something on the face of the sleeping Heaven’s Chosen Grayman nearby.

Unfortunately, each table here had a spirit protection, preventing Spicy Gugu Chicken from carrying out their prank.

“Ah, the security settings in this safe zone are too terrible!” Spicy Gugu Chicken complained. “I was planning to draw a little turtle on some unlucky fellow’s face.”

“But you know it’s necessary,” said Precipitation Niuniu, stretching their body and pursing their lips. “If we could touch offline players’ bodies at will, my elder sister and the other three girls would be in danger.”

“Dude! Who would do such a disgusting thing?” Spicy Gugu Chicken refuted. “Now that there are 60 of us who know each other inside out, no one would do such a thing, right?”

“Not now when we’re few, but what about when there are more people?” Meow King chimed in, working his neck. “Who knows if future additions might include deviants? If something like that really happened, even with punishment mechanisms, it could jeopardize the entire game. The best way to prevent a rat turd from ruining your soup is to cover your soup pot from the very beginning.”

“So that’s why the developers have already thought it through. They used an invitation system instead of randomly handing out test codes. This way, at least the people who come in can be guaranteed to have a basic moral standard.”

While walking lightly towards the chamber entrance to await their Lord Murphy, Ah Yuen said, “Besides, we’re all spirit bodies now, right? We don’t have that function! In other words, our little pee-pees already belong to the developers. Damn, that sounds so deviant.”

“Trust me, with the way this game is going, there will definitely be related content in the future!” Electronic Succubus Old Tune was still fixated on R18 content.

He firmly believed that the future was bright, and the path was winding. One day, he would be able to fulfill his wishes in this 100% realistic game. Yes, who wouldn’t want a self-moving paper elf wife?

The group soon arrived before Murphy, and the main NPC looked at them with anticipation.

After exchanging glances, the student group’s Leading Pigeon stepped forward and said to Lord Murphy on everyone’s behalf, “We have considered it, respected Lord Murphy. We are willing to join the Blood Vulture Clan and become Your descendants!”

“Good! Very good!” Murphy nodded in satisfaction, then looked towards Meow King’s group.

Meow King sighed, somewhat displeased as he touched the verdant grass wreath on his head. He said regretfully, “I’m sorry, Lord Murphy. We have considered it, and we really want to become the children of the night like You. But we cannot give up the blessings of the day and the blazing sun. However, we will still serve You wholeheartedly! This will never change! Where You bid us go east, we will never look west!”

“It’s alright. You have already embarked on the path watched over by Avalon, which foretells that you will make achievements on the path of nature. My domain also needs talents like you. There’s no need to apologize for this.” Murphy generously waved his hand and consoled, “I have said before, in my heart, you are already my friends. However, even among friends, the proper procedures cannot be skipped.”

The vampire lord looked at the little players before him.

These fellows were the first batch of veteran players to enter the game, and their character levels and skill levels had already reached level 10 during the process of conquering the Blood Vulture Halls.

This meant that this batch of little players had already reached the upper echelons in mastering the skills and strength within the Professional realm.

They could continue to hone their strength further.

But for players who were racing against time, this was already the best opportunity to undergo the Black Iron Trial. Murphy was also eager for his main forces to breakthrough in strength.

According to Murphy’s optimistic estimate, in at most a week, he would have over 20 Black Iron tier warriors!

And in a month, this number might exceed 70!

This number might not mean much to forces at the level of the White Oak Battalion or the Pioneer Army, but for the currently dilapidated Transia region, it was an unquestionable game-changer.

It should be known that even among the over 30,000 people at the peak of the Blood Vulture Clan, the number of Black Iron tier vampires never managed to exceed half.

The power system of any world was like this.

Strength meant rarity, and the vast majority of ordinary people could hardly ever truly step into the transcendent realm of power throughout their lives. But Murphy could mass-produce Black Iron tier warriors, which was the true source of his confidence.

“My warriors, your strength and courage have been recognized by everyone. Now you must go through the Trial of Strength to prove yourselves! In my currently dire domain, everything is lacking except for dangers that you can challenge.

Therefore, upon your return to your second homeland, I shall bestow upon you a new mission.”

As Murphy spoke in the standard NPC quest-giving language, all the players who had reached level 10 in the midnight chamber received a new quest at the same time:

【Trial of Strength – Black Iron Body has triggered!

Quest Name: Stepping Into the Inhuman Realm!

Quest Objective: Individually challenge Black Iron tier enemies until your personal potential is unlocked and released, or individually challenge X1 Black Iron tier elite creature to prove your strength, skill, and will!

Quest Reward: Tier advancement, attribute increase, character level cap unlocked to 20, advanced job change unlocked.

Note!

During the Black Iron Trial challenge, no assistance from any allied targets is allowed. Once the battle begins, you must complete it alone. Any external intervention will result in a failed challenge.

Note!

If you choose an elite creature as the trial target during the Black Iron Trial, upon success, bring the creature’s mark back to the Baron of Leim to receive an additional trial reward.

Note!

Challenging Black Iron tier elite creatures is extremely dangerous!

Only those with an extremely high understanding of their profession and mastery of their strength have a chance of succeeding in the challenge. Please cherish your once-every-three-days life, test personnel, and do not attempt it recklessly.】

“Hah, finally a real upgrade!” Onboard Joy Stick cheered.

He liked everything about this game, except for the level system.

Levels 1-10 had no attribute increases, purely cosmetic.

Of course, complain as he might, Onboard Joy Stick also knew that his combat prowess at level 10 was absolutely several times higher than at level 1. Not because of level suppression, but because level 10 players had already surpassed newbies in terms of skills, combat will, and combat experience.

So the level system was still useful.

At the very least, it could show at a glance a player’s degree of mastery over their strength at each power tier. If one had to make a forced analogy, it was similar to the concept of “character training” in nurturing games.

“My warriors, the domain we have seized together still faces many dangers, but for your Black Iron Trial, I can offer you some advice.”

Seeing the rowdy little players excitedly preparing to go out and slay monsters, Murphy stopped them and said:

“The reconstruction of the outer city is about to begin, but the ghouls lurking in the city sewers have become a serious safety hazard. Warriors aspiring to cleanse the darkness of demonic forces and protect the citizens can report to the Baron of Leim.

He will command you to enter the sewers from several entrances marked by the Kadman Civilian Self-Defense Force and eliminate those demonic beings.

But be sure to stay safe!

My scouts have reported the appearance of Black Iron tier ghoul individuals in the sewers, including some elite leaders.

If you find the sewer environment distasteful and crave a true challenge, then I suggest you seek out my intelligence officer, Lady Adele.

She also has some secret troubles that require your assistance.

Finally, the Crimson Regent Miriam is planning to reclaim the abandoned villages near the Crimson Citadel and dispatch people to spread the lord’s authority to other villages. You can also participate in this.

If you lack combat experience, you can proceed from the hallway stairs to the desolate inner city above. The mysterious shadows of the Astral Realm’s creation shroud this area, and Duchess Tris is recruiting warriors to clear the spawn of despair and the challenging Astral Realm beasts there.

But whichever plan you choose, it is all to contribute to the development of the Count of Kadman’s domain!

I will keep it in my heart and send my quartermaster to prepare loyal rewards for you. You have also received Night Mother’s blessing, allowing you to stay in this world longer. I believe you will make even greater contributions to our common cause in this great reconstruction.”

“Ding ding ding ding ding”

With each sentence Murphy spoke, the players’ character interfaces would chime, leaving the little players looking at each other bewilderedly.

Wow, this new version was truly stimulating and different.

Quests that previously required finding on their own were now directly given by the main NPC upon logging in, a whole five of them!

《Trial of Strength – Black Iron Body》, 《The Underground Shadows of Crimson Citadel》, 《The Baroness of Shadows’s Secret Errand》, 《The Crimson Regent’s Authority Procession》, and 《Astral Realm Mysteries: Chapter Two》 – five quests with different starting branches clearly pointing to four different storylines and one player strength advancement chapter.

And this didn’t even count the first chapter of the main quest line that hadn’t triggered yet.

“Damn, I said that eight extra hours of game time would definitely be enough for a satisfying session, but with so many quests, where will I find enough liver to dedicate to my beloved otherworld? This developer really has ill intentions, don’t they?

I just knew it, they gave us all these conveniences not just to enhance the player experience! Hmph! I feel like I’ve been tricked.”

Miaomiao Shark immediately let out a strange cry.

Afterward, happy laughter erupted from the crowd, filling the air with joy. However, would players ever complain about having too few quests? The more, the better, the merrier, brothers.

For the sake of this wonderful otherworld, offer up your livers!