My Players Are So Fierce

Chapter 84:

Murphy had his reasons for coming to negotiate cooperation with the old knight.

Now, the key to enter the Blood Vulture Halls, that Desire Fragment symbolizing the position of the Blood Vulture Patriarch, is in the hands of old Finoch. However, using it requires Lady Femis of the Blood Vulture Clan, as well as several Blood Vulture vampires, as assistants.

But the current situation is that after a sudden “battlefield family reunion” twist on Tris’s side, the two parties have formed a cooperative foundation that cannot yet be called “trust”. As Murphy once again emphasized his determination, the old knight discussed the details of their actions with them very seriously.

“General Loren and that King Louis of the Goldflower Kingdom want to confirm the annihilation of the Blood Vulture Clan, after all, you played a rather pivotal role in the confrontation between the Portia Federation and the Kingdom.

Especially two years ago when General Loren breached the capital Xike City of the Portia Federation, almost all the state leadership and higher-ups were captured. However, the central resistance force of the entire federation quickly shifted to Kadman City.

In the following two years of war, it was almost the Blood Vulture Clan that fought bare-chested against the Goldflower Kingdom.

This is the headquarters of the resistance forces!

That’s why General Loren executed that ‘D-Plan’ that even I felt was inhumane, he can’t let a war that has lasted ten years truly end without confirming the enemy’s true annihilation.

So our goal on this journey is also very clear.

The old Finoch said to the leader of these vampires, Murphy:

“And, if possible, the eternal annihilation of the Blood Vulture Clan!”

“It doesn’t matter, I wasn’t planning on inheriting a family title that I don’t even like in the first place. It doesn’t matter whether we’re called Blood Vulture or something else in the future.”

Murphy shrugged and said:

“The most important problem now is that we only have three days left.”

“No, the remaining time is more ample than you imagine.”

The old knight dropped the branch he was using to stoke the campfire and said with firm conviction:

“You all have been trapped here without access to news from the outside world. The real situation is that on the day Kadman City was attacked, the Winter Wolf troops of the Nordtov Kingdom had already crossed the eastern line of the Portia Federation.

In the past seven days, they have made furious advances in the Ice Bay region and the Kafhoka Plains, and the southernmost Crimea Fortress in the Transia region was also taken over by the Winter Wolf vanguard two days ago!

The more than ten thousand elite armed Blood Servants and core family members stationed there have already surrendered to the Northerners, probably because the events in Kadman City shocked them into believing the Blood Vulture Clan is doomed.

In any case, the entire Foul Swamp area is currently under military administration. With the Northerners’ brutal nature, if the Blood Pact Knights choose to pass through there, they will undoubtedly be delayed for a while.

Therefore, you have more time for action than you imagine.

My suggestion is to take one or two days for our two sides to prepare our forces, and also, I need a detailed map of the Blood Vulture Halls!”

Murphy and Tris immediately looked towards Lady Femis, whose throat moved and her expression became too complex to describe with words. After a while, she nodded silently and said:

“No problem, since we’ve decided to cooperate, we will provide you with the necessary information. But I want to keep the ‘Blood Vulture’ name! Even if not as a family, just as an internal faction of a new family.”

She looked at Murphy, her swollen eyes full of an unprecedented pleading.

“You’re just creating trouble for yourself. Inheriting that name full of grievances will only add more turmoil to your already unfortunate life.”

Tris said in a low voice.

It sounded like a complaint, but was actually more of a dissuasion.

“I agree.”

Murphy didn’t dwell too much on this issue. He turned to the old knight and said:

“Tris will stay in the ruins of Kadman City to help me manage the survivor camp, and incidentally stall and delay any Blood Pact Knights that may arrive! My assistant Miriam will stay behind to assist her.”

“But I was planning to—”

Tris didn’t want to avoid this battle, but Murphy turned to look at her and took her hand, feeling the force in her fingers. Tris fell silent.

She knew the source of Murphy’s concern.

The blood pact has too domineering influence on vampires. If the blood descendant Tris were to see the elder Salrokdar, it could cause unnecessary ripples.

Murphy clearly didn’t want her to suffer further harm from past events.

“One more thing!”

After seeing that Tris was no longer insisting, Murphy breathed a sigh of relief, then emphasized to the old knight:

“Do you remember that warrior who went to visit you before? The warrior under my command who wielded the Avalon’s Sacred Blade, who very politely went to seek knowledge but was rudely beaten by you.”

The old knight didn’t answer, only staring at Murphy as if waiting for him to continue speaking.

This vampire, though young, did not seem to lack experience in negotiation and bargaining. Finoch didn’t think he brought up this incident just to tell a joke.

“Three hours ago, he gained Avalon’s recognition and became an Oak Apprentice. I witnessed it with my own eyes.”

Murphy said in a low voice.

This news startled old Finoch into standing up abruptly, and even Natalie, who was murmuring self-affirmations beside him, widened her eyes.

“That’s impossible!”

The old Finoch said in a deep voice:

“After the Old Faith Rebellion directly triggered the ten-year war, Avalon has not responded to the summons of any human followers other than me, the bearer of the Sacred Blade!

Do you know what this means?

This is not a topic to be joked about!”

“Do you think I would joke about matters of faith at a time like this? Do I really seem that humorous to you, Knight Finoch? My warrior is a human. But he is not a human from this world.

He is my summoned creature.

This is certainly no secret from you, after all, Lady Natalie has witnessed those truths herself.”

Murphy spread his hands and said:

“If you don’t believe me, then when they ‘return’ to this world tomorrow, you can see for yourselves! What I mean is, if my warrior can become an Oak Apprentice, then that means the remaining warriors can also become Witch Hunters like you.

We are cooperating!

So, my demand is that you must assign specialists to teach them how to use the power of natural spirits!

In two days, my sixty fearless warriors will be prepared, along with my loyal soldiers, and we will enter the Blood Vulture Halls together with you to take down Salrokdar.

I don’t mind if my warriors become cannon fodder at the vanguard, but I must secure treatment befitting their identity and sacrifice.

Therefore, I demand that you open your armories and provide some tricks and combat manuals to quickly enhance their strength. We can pay with anything you want.”

“Little Finoch, you and your disciple must swear to Avalon! You will help my little Murphy keep this secret about the otherworldly warriors!”

After Murphy finished speaking, Tris added, emphasizing:

“You have also witnessed how those brave children fought against vampires far stronger than themselves. Such a group of fearless vanguards can greatly reduce your casualties.

There is no harm in this for you.”

“We need to discuss this issue, after all, it concerns matters of faith that you bloodsucking infidels cannot comprehend at all.”

The old knight did not directly respond, his face stern.

But at the very least, he did not refuse, indicating there was still room for discussion.

“They must join the Avalon Church!”

The Natalie beside him was not so composed, almost immediately proposing a condition:

“If your warriors gain Avalon’s recognition, they must become a part of us after learning this power! This is non-negotiable!”

Natalie had expected Murphy to refuse this demand.

After all, who would hand over their powerful and infinitely promising forces to others? She had even prepared to bargain with Murphy.

But to her surprise, after she made her demand, Murphy nodded without hesitation, as if it were natural:

“Of course, this demand is reasonable. You can not only require my warriors to join the Old Faith, but even require them to become new recruits of your White Oak Battalion. I have no objection to my warriors having new identities.

Of course, you cannot force them to accept your doctrines.

You can preach, you can guide, but you cannot force!

What I want to emphasize is that they come from an atheistic world, so I hope you’ll be prepared in advance for some of their blasphemous behaviors and words when you interact with them.”

“Avalon above! They are as pitiful as those tinkering Halflings and you eternal sin descendants.”

When she heard the three words “atheistic world,” Natalie’s expression was even more vivid than when she saw vampires.

These people who had lived with faith since childhood could not imagine what life without faith would be like.

In their understanding, having no faith meant the soul had no protection, and after death, it would become a stray ghost with no place for the soul to go.

This deviation was difficult for Murphy to explain, and he was too lazy to do so.

But he knew that Natalie’s thinking was the mainstream in this world.

Look, even vampires, as hated as ghouls, had a phrase like “Night Mother,” didn’t they? Now even Murphy could smoothly say “May the Night Mother bless us” to enhance his NPC image in the players’ minds.

Well, that’s called going with the flow when in a different place.

“Two days, is that enough time for your warriors to grow?”

The old knight asked before leaving.

Helping Tris walk, Murphy immediately looked at old Finoch like he was an idiot and said in a mournful tone:

“They are otherworldly people, not otherworldly gods! How could they possibly grow into elite veterans in just two days? But their learning ability is indeed very strong, two days is enough time for them to transform.

On the condition that you provide some real things.

But I believe that the very fact of ‘humans regaining Avalon’s blessing’ will have an impact among the scattered and demoralized Old Faith followers that is far more valuable than whatever you provide.

You should be able to understand this.”

After speaking, Murphy boldly led his people away, disappearing into the night.

After leaving the Witch Hunter camp, Tris said softly to Murphy:

“There is terrible hesitation in Finoch’s heart. I can feel it, he is not as simple as he appears, constantly talking about earning General Loren’s favor and a pardon from King Louis, but he does not believe those political tricks.

He has lived for two hundred years.

A life long enough to give him insights far beyond his peers. I guess he must also be seeking a way out for his companions.

I mean, a way out other than becoming cannon fodder for the Goldflower Kingdom’s war.

Little Murphy, this is an opportunity!

They have nowhere to go, while you have no one to use.”

Tris grabbed Murphy’s wrist and whispered:

“If you can accept having a group of Witch Hunters in your territory who think about how to kill you every day, then maybe—”

“I understand, but now is not the time,” Murphy nodded in response.

“We need to prioritize things. Let’s resolve the issue of the Blood Vulture Halls first. You go back and rest, let Bonnie and Adele accompany you back.”

“Miriam, take care of my elder.”

“Got it.” The redhead nodded.

This time, accompanied by four vampires, she didn’t plan to show her true feelings towards vampires. To be honest, Miriam herself thought Lady Tris and the other vampires were different.

She was just that kind of strange, um, vampire that was hard to describe.

In any case, with Lady Tris looking so infatuated, no matter how she was before, the current her definitely couldn’t be a bad person.

Moreover, based on Miriam’s secret observations, she realized that the gossip circulating fiercely in the little player circle about Murphy and Tris’ relationship was probably not baseless.

These two did seem to have a peculiar relationship.

After they left, Murphy stood in the wilderness outside Kadman City, looking up at the slightly dimmer starry sky than before. Seconds later, he turned his head and said to the silently standing Lady Femis:

“It must be hard for you to accept all this now. Either ally with outsiders to kill your father, or face being killed by your own clan under the name of ‘taboo.'”

“To be honest, my lady, I used to really dislike your arrogance that came out of nowhere and was so disconnected from reality. But now, I almost feel sorry for you.”

“Noble blood does not need to be pitied!” Femis answered hoarsely.

“I will ask my father myself, to clarify everything from back then and my mother’s ultimate fate. Thank you, Murphy, thank you for helping me make up my mind when I was lost.”

“I have thought about it. Your strategy is indeed the optimal solution now.”

“I used to dislike your disrespect for elders and your deviant behavior compared to your peers. But now, I think you will definitely become an excellent lord.”

“I need to be alone for these two days. Let’s meet again when the action begins.”

“Finally, I know I’ve said it before, but I still hope you can take care of Adele.”

“After my false memories were dispelled, she is no longer just a loyal servant in my heart, but more like a sister who grew up with me.”

“I’ll do my best,” Murphy responded with standard courtesy.

“But you also know, the path I have chosen is bound to be full of crises, so Lady Adele cannot possibly enjoy peace either.”

“So, I will give you this.”

The lady took something out of her elegant and luxurious spirit bag and handed it to Murphy with both hands.

The vampire took it and found it was an uncarved black Ebony Stone, translucent and shimmering with a dim but mysterious glow in the night.

She said:

“This is the material for making a tomb badge. It used to only be issued to the patriarch’s guards. I happen to have one here. Do you know how to make it?”

“Tris told me,” Murphy examined the stone in his hand and said:

“I need a large tomb to better perceive the true essence of dark spirit on the plane of death. The current Kadman City lacks everything except tombs.”

“It’s a good opportunity to appease the lost souls, so terrible things like resentful tomb apparitions don’t appear in our territory later.”

“Our?” The lady suddenly raised her head.

She looked at Murphy and said softly:

“In the territory and family you want to establish, there is actually a place for me? Have you gone mad? Do I, a ‘remnant of the old regime,’ not need to be utterly eradicated?”

This question made Murphy look at her like an idiot for the second time tonight.

He examined the lady who had completely shed her former cold and aloof air, sighed and said:

“My lady, when will you recognize your own identity? You are clearly a ‘seed spirit’ that is just sprouting.”

“It just so happens that you took the form of a vampire.”

“I don’t think after knowing your identity, you would dare accept the Blood Pact Knights’ kindness and run to take refuge with them. How is that different from a sheep entering a tiger’s den?”

“Since we have barely survived, then let’s live properly.”

“After all, there are only a few of us left in this family.”

“Love or hate, that’s all in the past. You see, I’m quite open-minded in this regard.”

These rather offensive words made the lady lower her head. Just as Murphy felt he may have made an inappropriate joke and was about to apologize, he heard Femis say softly:

“Thank you for accepting me, so I don’t have to journey alone. So I don’t have to wander helpless in this unfriendly world. Murphy, thank you.”

“This time, from the bottom of my heart.”