My Players Are So Fierce

Chapter 247:

“These bastards are really ruthless, they just escaped and already blood-bathed an unfortunate clan,” said Murphy, standing on the ruined city wall in the night of Crimson Citadel, withdrawing his vision. The aerial view from Revnor allowed him to keep track of Hog’s group’s movements at all times.

He saw how the “Pangolins” he personally selected savagely killed their way into that abandoned village, and how cruelly they executed the leader and barbarian soldiers who disobeyed it, then distributed all the female gnolls in that clan to its clansmen.

Murphy wasn’t a biologist and had no interest in watching “gnoll porn”, so he stopped looking to avoid getting eye strain.

“This is their way of survival, master,” said Maxim, who had rushed back from the Baroness of Shadows’ domain, standing behind Murphy. He said in a low voice:

“They live a life of plunder like bandits, taking everything by force. Although everyone on this land despises gnolls, in fact, many people know that those who are robbed the most by them are actually their own kind.

However, even gnolls have their merits.

After each plunder, they only kill the males who resist, but females and cubs are not harmed at all. They even raise cubs that don’t belong to them and then drive them out of the tribe to fend for themselves when they grow up.

From this point of view, these barbarians still have some humanity.”

“This may be why there are so many different races in the Dark Mountain range, yet only gnolls can stir up the Black Disaster that shakes the continent. It is also the source of their strength, that instinctive desire to protect females and cubs ingrained in their bones.

Protecting females can give birth to more children, and protecting children can ensure that the race’s bloodline will not be cut off. These two points are enough to guarantee that gnolls will always be in a state of expansion.”

Murphy said softly:

“Sigh, this is more than some black-hearted human civilizations, forget it, let’s not talk about them anymore. Hog is a cunning dog, it will protect itself well. The next time we contact it, I’m afraid it will be the time to decide victory or defeat.”

“But aren’t you afraid it might betray us?”

Maxim asked somewhat puzzlingly:

“Gnolls can’t be talked about in terms of loyalty at all. Although I also think that Hog is strange and unlike a proper gnoll, it’s possible that it will be captured by its own vile nature.”

“Then what would we lose?”

Murphy asked in return:

“Our investment in Hog so far has only been some shabby leather armor and cold weapons. It’s certainly pleasing if it maintains loyalty to us, but even if it betrays us, at most it would only lead the way for gnolls, letting them attack Crimson Citadel through that underground tunnel.

But don’t forget what’s on the third level of the sewer.

If King Kenport is willing to contribute manpower and effort to help us thoroughly solve the headache of the ghoul plague in the sewer, I might even award it a ‘Good Citizen’ medal as the Governor of Transia.

Most importantly, Max!

When I said I wanted to give all living beings on this land an equal life, I wasn’t joking or painting a pie in the sky for idealistic intellectuals like Professor Malcolm.

I really intend to do so.

Hog is an experiment.

If it and its clansmen are willing to abandon their savage nature and become part of this land, I will really give them Smuggler’s Woods as their territory and turn it into a ‘gnoll reservation’.”

“I can’t understand, sir.”

Maxim was always very honest in front of Murphy, he said:

“I’m not saying equality isn’t good, but I always feel that your ideal is difficult for others to accept. I was once human, I know there are also hierarchies among humans, even if you give them equal personhood, it won’t change anything.

Rich people will always oppress the poor, people with power will always treat the rich as servants, and people with strength can freely use the former three.

This is the tradition of the continent, and it’s not something that can be changed by your decree alone.”

“This is not purely idealistic, Max.”

Murphy was always willing to explain his thoughts to people close to him and persuade them to join him rather than issuing orders. He also didn’t view this kind of explanation and teaching as a waste of time.

He said:

“I actually proposed such a slogan out of quite selfish purposes.

Think about it, if in the future Transia could have gnolls as vanguards, kobolds to mine and labor for us, humans’ wisdom to preside over the development of this land, dwarves and halflings’ technology as logistical support, elves’ dexterity to make various utensils for us.

During the day, we have Sanghai people blessed by the sun to protect the land, and at night we have powerful vampires patrolling all around.

Whenever our warriors charge forward at the front, there are healers from the Avalon Church behind them, the brave and keen Winter Wolf monks are our eyes and claws, and Mother Earth Gaia’s guardians are our unbreakable walls.

Can you imagine the power that such a country could consolidate?

Each race has its own strengths and value, and when they can be used by you, it’s not just a case of 1+1 equals 2.

No one has ever tried to gather everyone under the same banner before, it’s certainly difficult, but we should try, after all, the Blood Vulture Clan is now poor and destitute, there’s no extra cost to try.

And most importantly.”

The vampire lord turned back to look at Maxim, he said seriously:

“My warriors like this style! They come from a more advanced and civilized world, and when they see what we’re doing, they’ll realize that we’re the group representing the most advanced ideas in this world.

Ideals!

Max, this ideal is not just mine and yours and Tris’s and Miriam’s, it’s also my warriors’.

The power that can be unleashed by warriors armed with ideals and hope is enough to change the world

It’s not something ethereal!

I’ve chatted with them, I know similar things have happened in their world.”

Maxim listened to all this with a wooden face.

After Murphy finished speaking, he still replied very honestly:

“Actually, when you mentioned Sanghai people and vampires fighting together, I already couldn’t understand. Please forgive my stupidity, but I really can’t imagine what kind of disastrous scene the cooperation between the Children of the Sun and the Offspring of Midnight would be like.”

“That’s why you should go to Professor Malcolm’s history classes more often when you have nothing to do. Learning more history will always be useful for your brain that now wants to think but doesn’t have the ability to think complexly,”

Murphy snorted.

He didn’t rebuke Maxim, but pointed towards the direction of the Baron of Leim’s domain, saying:

“That will be your battlefield next. Just like what you did in the Baroness of Shadows’ domain, sweep through there in seven days, drive all the gnolls to the Count of Seicob’s domain and Anderma Hills.

After this operation is over, we’ll start dealing with King Kenport’s big bandit gang.”

“I can understand this, and I’m very willing to do such simple things for you, so, at your command! My master.”

——

The gnoll warlord Kenport, who was being discussed by Murphy and Maxim, was also having a nighttime conversation with another vampire at this moment.

Of course, compared to the polite ancient descendants, the conversation taking place in Anderma Hills was more or less uncomfortable in both content and style.

Kenport was a powerful gnoll barbarian leader.

His full name was Kenport Gnawbone!

From this meaningful surname, one can see this lord’s “extraordinary origin”. He came from the Gnawbone clan, which was established by the Gnawbone King who stirred up the Continental Disaster 111 years ago.

If gnolls also cared about order of seniority and status hierarchy, then the Gnawbone clan would undoubtedly be the “royal family”.

Unfortunately, gnoll civilization is a group that has inscribed the survival of the fittest into their bones, so after the Gnawbone King disappeared in Foul Swamp, died in battle and was defeated, the Gnawbone clan also lost its leading position.

However, as one of the strongest branches among gnoll clans, they still had the qualification to live in Moss Valley, which made the members of the Gnawbone clan fat and strong, almost like a completely different species from ordinary gnolls.

Take Kenport for example.

His height reached an exaggerated 2.8 meters, like a “giant species” among gnolls.

Beneath that mane with special patterns was a muscular body. He could pick up with one hand a heavy shield that ordinary gnolls needed two people to lift, and his most proficient weapon, a skull flail, had its hammer head split into three strands and had been enchanted with vicious spells by sorcerers.

What most indicated his status was that this guy had a set of plate armor!

Real plate armor.

Although the craftsmanship was rough, only the gnoll elders in Moss Valley would make such terrifying armor, making Kenport look like an iron can when wearing it. Add to that his Silver rank strength and true Elite Template, once this guy got serious, not to mention gnolls, even trolls had to retreat.

Strong personal combat power is standard for gnoll leaders, but what’s unique about Kenport is that he’s both a barbarian and a “priest”.

Although gnolls don’t have their own god, they, like vampires, have created faith out of thin air for themselves.

Vampires call upon the Night Mother, while gnolls call upon the “Lord of the Hunt”.

Although no deity can bestow divine magic upon them, who knows what kind of insane thinking the gnoll hunting priests have been doing during the more than 200 years of occupying Moss Valley. In any case, they’ve really summarized some rituals that other races would consider indescribably barbaric.

The most ridiculous thing is that these strange and savage rituals can really grant gnolls certain power enhancements.

The signature skill of hunting priests is “Blood Frenzy”. It’s no exaggeration to say that during the 4th Black Disaster, gnolls used this thing to thoroughly trounce all races on the entire continent from head to toe.

The fact that King Kenport is a hunting priest indicates that he’s cunning and intelligent, which makes the plan of the guy sitting in front of him now to deceive him not so easy to achieve.

“Lord Kenport, your army has nearly reached 30,000 men, and the barren Anderma Hills simply cannot support so many bandits.

Moreover, each of your soldiers has an appetite completely disproportionate to their strength.”

A gloomy voice sounded in this strangely smelling tent, he said:

“You must march immediately! The situation at Crimson Citadel is changing every day, but it’s certain that the cunning vampire lord Murphy and his mistress Tris have prepared a large amount of food for his subjects over there.

That food is enough to feed your soldiers, and can drive them to conquer cities and territories for you.

The fertile Kafhoka Plains are already within sight, the Winter Wolf Legion guarding there is understaffed, and the weak Thorn vampires are even less courageous than the Blood Vultures. They, who have been led by women for generations, simply have no strength to guard the fertile land under the night.

Aren’t you tempted?

An opportunity to rival the achievements of the Gnawbone King is right before your eyes.”

“But I’m not in a hurry.”

King Kenport, who was gnawing on fresh meat in big bites, rolled his eyes. To be honest, it’s very surprising and even terrifying for a gnoll to make such a humanized expression.

But as a hunting priest, he really had enough wisdom to understand what the vampire in front of him wanted to say, and to think about what consequences it would lead to if he acted according to his instigation.

So Kenport made the peculiar mocking laugh unique to gnolls.

He said:

“I have ‘friends’, my ‘friends’ will send enough food for my cubs, after all, that’s what we agreed on initially, right? Lord Korando.”

“Hmph.”

The vampire whose name was called snorted.

He hid his entire person in a mist of shadows, preventing his face from being seen by the gnoll warlord in front of him. But faced with this gnoll’s shameless statement, the leader of the Greyclaw faction of the Wolfsbane Clan refuted mercilessly.

He scolded:

“My agreement with you was based on the premise that you would definitely attack the remnants of the Blood Vulture Clan, but now you have no intention of fulfilling the contract at all, so why should I continue to provide you with enough food?

In order to provide these things for you, my small fief in the Cato region has started to suffer from famine.

I even sent my servants to help you persuade more gnolls to join you. The fact that you have so many barbarian soldiers under your command is all thanks to me!

Kenport!

If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be guarding your pitiful little clan in Anderma Hills waiting for an ‘opportunity’ to come, and I’ll tell you mercilessly, the opportunity you’re expecting will never come.

I don’t expect you beasts to learn gratitude, but you should have a little virtue of fulfilling contracts.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Kenport bared his teeth in displeasure, those teeth that had just eaten delicious fresh meat were covered in blood stains. He liked to eat venison, and detested human flesh.

He felt that human meat wasn’t good, it was fishy and got stuck in the teeth.

The gnoll warlord’s hand had already gripped the three-headed flail beside him, which in gnoll “culture” was basically a symbol of negotiation breakdown.

“Think it through yourself!

I just need to cut off the support to you, and your huge army will fall apart in less than 5 days! Yes, I am threatening you, Kenport.

I don’t mind spending money to keep you.

But you need to show me something real to see that my money is being spent usefully. I could at least hear a splash if I threw my money into water.”

Korando couldn’t be bothered to say more to this gnoll warlord who was smart but not smart enough.

He knew that Kenport came to Transia must be because the chief of the Gnawbone clan gave him a secret mission, but the Wolfsbane vampire didn’t care about the mission of this gnoll in front of him at all, he also had his own goals and purposes.

Old Edward was already full of vigilance against the rapidly expanding Greyclaw faction, and began to use other factions to suppress this young but vibrant faction.

The old guys were unwilling to give up their territories and power in hand, so the ambitious Korando had to demonstrate his great talent in front of his clansmen to gain more midnight blessings.

Therefore, the Blood Vulture Clan, which old Edward had personally arranged but failed to resolve, was an excellent target.

If Korando could personally destroy the hundred-year-old enemy of the Wolfsbane clan, his prestige would reach a peak, and he could even confront old Edward face to face.

The Greyclaw leader Moriarty Korando Gongreau didn’t care about the ancient traditions of vampires!

Like many Wolfsbane descendants, he came from the bottom of Greenleaf Island. When he was still human, he had already controlled the dark area of a small city, and when the human godfather transitioned to a vampire, how could his ambition stop at just being a faction leader?

Most importantly, he had some “personal grudges” with the Blood Vulture Clan.

Joban Marci, his most valued descendant, died at the hands of a Blood Vulture member, and Joban was not just a subordinate he carefully cultivated.

That was also his illegitimate son when he was human.

Whether as a qualified leader or an unqualified father, Korando had enough reasons to personally complete the revenge against the Blood Vultures.

“7 days!”

Korando stood up in the midnight shadow and said to the teeth-baring Kenport:

“You must launch a decent attack within 7 days, otherwise let’s call it quits. You gnolls, this is all you’re capable of. You can’t even take down Crimson Citadel, what big things can I expect you to do?”

After saying this, Korando disappeared from the gnoll warlord’s sight in an almost arrogant manner.

This is the style of Wolfsbane, simple, direct and weighty.

After all, their original sin is “fear”, they take pride in mastering fear and being able to project fear onto others.

Being ruthless is their virtue, leaving no bottom line is their tradition.

They are a group of thugs, and they advocate acting in the way of thugs, they are hungry wolves under the midnight, viewing those who harbor fear as delicious blood food.

Unfortunately, as old Edward commented, Korando was too focused on immediate interests, pursuing quick and brutal results too much and lacking some prudent thinking. He didn’t realize that there were also differences among gnolls, and the Kenport in front of him was obviously different from other gnolls.

After all, Korando, who was only turned 30 years ago, had not truly experienced the Black Disaster in a real sense.

His body had already become a Wolfsbane, but his understanding of the world seemed to still remain at the time when he was a human. The story that had happened four times on the continent and was feared by countless people was just an ancient legend to him. He didn’t have a qualified understanding of the destructive power that gnolls could cause and the threat posed by truly powerful individuals among them.

Just as normal people would never fear ants, but when countless ants gather, even the strongest person is just struggling food.

Just this one cognitive error is fatal!

And based on the fear power Mr. Korando has shown so far, it seems to be just a bit short of making a gnoll from the Gnawbone clan bow down and submit.