My Players Are So Fierce

Rich Guy happily left Murphy’s office ten minutes later.

In his hand, he had an Astral Realm Summoner Novice handbook. After reading it multiple times, he could successfully change jobs. Lord Murphy was also very considerate and gave him some reminders on how to feed the Astral Realm manticore.

Considering this game’s 100% realistic feature, feeding had to be done with special care. During the early stage when the little manticore just hatched, feeding it random things would definitely cause trouble.

“Hmm, bloody steaks, two eggs per meal, and preferably a few spirit-imbued bones for chewing during dinner. I also need to sleep with it at night to build intimacy. After raising it like this for seven days and helping it complete its first hunt, I can try marking it with my spirit.”

Rich Guy looked at the notes he had written down, then gave the little manticore in his arms a strange look. The latter tilted its head and let out a soft, squeaky cry.

It was hungry!

It wanted meat!

Woo woo!

“Ah, I don’t think even my mom was this meticulous when raising me. Now it’s my turn to raise you, you little rascal. You better protect me in the future. Hmm, since I have to treat you like the real deal, why don’t I hire a professional caretaker to look after you?

Leave specialized tasks to the professionals.

Wow, I’m a genius!”

Rich Guy grinned, patting the little manticore’s head, in an excellent mood as he hummed a tune, planning to go to the camp and find something tasty for his little darling. However, as soon as he left the Blood Vulture Halls, he ran into a student.

“Hey, Rich Guy, remember me?”

Miaomiao Shark took the initiative to greet him, and Feel You Poor scratched his head, saying:

“We had a meal together that day, right? You’re one of Sister Pomegranate’s student friends, what was your name? Something like Miaomiao.”

“Miaomiao Shark, a man aspiring to be a Pet Master!”

Miaomiao Shark introduced himself.

He didn’t waste time making small talk either, telling Rich Guy:

“I saw your post on the forum and learned that you got a little manticore, so I came to ask you where you found it. I’m on the Ranger and Hunter path, and supposedly there’s an advanced branch that lets you tame pets. I want to know if I can get one too.”

“What? You want one as well?”

Feel You Poor grinned and waved his hand, saying:

“It’s not that easy, buddy. I heard from Brother Meow that it might have been a rare event that I luckily encountered. Just now, Lord Murphy also said that this little manticore might be the child of the mother manticore from the Blood Vulture Halls dungeon.

He said manticores are basically impossible to tame.

But he also mentioned that a manticore’s litter can have over a dozen eggs. If my little darling can successfully hatch, it means there might be more in its nest.

If you want to try your luck, I suggest you look around the undercity sewers.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is?”

Miaomiao Shark quickly noted down this information, then thanked Rich Guy profusely and even gave him a few bloody bones he had obtained outside, as toys for the little manticore.

After adding each other as friends, they parted ways. Miaomiao Shark planned to camp out in the sewers from today onwards, determined not to leave until he found a manticore.

But plans often change quickly.

Just as he was preparing to enter the sewers to catch a pet, Leading Pigeon called for him.

“Shark, come to the camp quickly! The caravan escorting Lady Palen to Bataxin City is about to depart, and I also took an elite quest from Lady Adele to hunt Blood Vulture traitors. Brother Meow and the ladies are going too.”

“What? But I just got some information and was about to go catch a baby.”

Miaomiao Shark complained, only to be rebuked by Ah Yuen:

“What baby? You haven’t even changed jobs yet. Even if you encounter a rare baby, you can’t catch it. Stop blabbering and hurry up.

Lady Adele said in the quest that all the spoils from hunting the Blood Vulture traitors belong to us. Get some good gear, pass the Black Iron Trial, and then change jobs. You’ll have a much easier time catching babies, won’t you?

Let me tell you, Sister Pomegranate is in a bad mood today. If Big Sister catches you being late, she’ll definitely give you a harsh scolding.”

“Ah?”

Miaomiao Shark rented a horse from the Ruined Front Line and quickly rode towards the camp, asking in the team’s communication channel:

“Why is Sister Pomegranate in a bad mood? Isn’t she always cheerful and happy?”

“Her record was broken, the one for Maxim’s Trial of Strength quest.”

Niuniu sighed in the team channel and explained:

“Today, a newcomer to the game managed to beat it without any bugs, not only earning the title ‘Maxim’s Warrior’ but also receiving NPC Maxim’s spirit-imbued sword as a gift. Big Sis has been eyeing that ‘Ambition and Dreams’ sword for a long time.

She said her affinity was almost maxed out these days, and she was preparing for a second attempt, but that ‘Master Mao’ snatched it first.

My sister is like that. She’s usually cheerful and laughs a lot, but if she doesn’t get something she’s set her mind on, she’ll be in a bad mood for days.”

“It’s that incredible?”

Miaomiao Shark exclaimed in shock:

“He really just brute-forced his way to defeat Maxim? And he’s a newcomer to the game? Damn, what’s the deal with this Master Mao? I need to find an opportunity to worship him.”

“What worship? Be careful or Sister Pomegranate will beat you up. We’re all on the same team,” Cyborg Snail reminded him.

“Although everyone admires that talented Master Mao, you’d better not mention this in front of Sister Pomegranate.”

“I know, I’m not an idiot.”

When Miaomiao Shark arrived at the Survivor’s Camp on his horse, several carriages were already prepared to depart.

Lady Blanche Palen Fedo, who had been officially granted the title of knight, was dressed in formal merchant attire. She was accompanied by a few veteran camp dwellers and boarded the first carriage, while the players she had chosen as escorts were on the remaining carriages.

It would take two days to travel from Kadman City to the border town of Bataxin. In theory, players wouldn’t enjoy quests that involved wasting time traveling.

However, Lady Adele had given them a quest to hunt traitors, which they could conveniently complete along the way.

“Lady Adele said there are a large number of Blood Vulture traitors hiding near Bataxin City, and even after Lady Tris has assumed the position of Duchess of the Blood Vultures, those bastards haven’t come to pledge their allegiance. They must have already made up their minds to betray us.

So they need to be taught a lesson!”

On one of the carriages, Brother Meow, Leading Pigeon, and Lumina were holding a meeting. Brother Meow had a map of Transia in his hand and used a charcoal pencil to circle the route from Kadman City to Bataxin, saying:

“I specifically asked Lady Adele. According to her intel, there have been traces of vampire traitors throughout this circled area, and the quest completion requirement is that each team must hunt down at least five traitors. So my idea is that while escorting Lady Palen, we’ll send out the players with high perception in our team.

They can search for clues in the villages along the way and also complete Lady Miriam’s side quest about ‘spreading our rule.’ Lord Murphy also needs these villages to acknowledge his authority.

This way, we can complete three side quests in three to four days, which is quite efficient.”

“I don’t have any objections.”

Leading Pigeon looked at the map hesitantly and said:

“But those vampire traitors should be elite monsters, right? Isn’t that a bit risky?”

“Not all of them. Lady Adele implied that most of them are fringe members of the family. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been dispatched to the Transia border region. Of course, there are indeed some troublesome family elites among them.”

Brother Meow tossed aside the charcoal pencil and said:

“But they’re vampires, so as long as we avoid engaging them at night and take the opportunity to strike them during the day, even the elite monsters will be much easier to deal with.”

“Good idea!”

Leading Pigeon clapped his hands and stood up, saying:

“I’ll send Miaomiao Shark, Gugu Chicken, and Ah Yuen ahead.”

“On my side, I’ll send Old Tune and Little Hands.”

Brother Meow also dispatched two high-perception players, while Lumina stood up and said:

“Then I’ll go with Little Ashina too. We’ll let Orchid and Pomegranate stay here.”

“By the way, is Sister Pomegranate okay?”

Brother Meow asked in a gossipy whisper:

“I just saw her scolding Niuniu earlier, and she looked really furious.”

“Ah, it’s nothing serious. She’s just very competitive.”

Lumina waved her hand and said:

“She’s not actually angry at ‘Master Mao’ for defeating Maxim. The main issue is that we kept saying she cheated by exploiting a bug to complete the challenge. Although Pomegranate didn’t use a sword, her battle with Maxim was legitimate.

She feels we’re being hypocritical.”

“What can we do about it? It was her who first bragged on the forum that she exploited a bug. Veteran players all know Sister Pomegranate’s martial arts are top-notch. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been granted the Warrior title by Maxim.

We were just joking around.”

Leading Pigeon whispered:

“Women’s hearts are really hard to understand. Ah, I’m glad I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Tsk tsk, you actually think that’s a good thing?”

Brother Meow shook his head and sighed:

“Young people these days are really incomprehensible and abstract.”

The players followed the instructions, while those in the caravan logged off and went AFK. Although the current 14-hour daily playtime was already sufficient, efficient time management would always be a player’s nature. Three hours after the caravan departed, they reached the first village on their journey.

It was more of a gathering point than a village, with only around a hundred people in total. The most notable feature was a windmill near a small river outside the village.

Lady Palen got off the carriage to speak with the village chief, demanding that he immediately send someone to the Crimson Citadel to pledge allegiance to Count Murphy. Meanwhile, the little players who had arrived earlier brought back precise intel.

“Two vampires, hiding in the mill.”

Electronic Succubus Old Tune, carrying his masterwork veteran hunting rifle, said with a straw in his mouth to Brother Meow and the others who had regrouped beside the caravan after logging back in:

“I asked the villagers. They’re vampires who escaped from Kadman City and have been hiding here for the past few days. Apparently, a few Blood Servants came from the direction of Bataxin a few days ago but returned yesterday. It’s clear that there are other vampires in Bataxin trying to recruit them.

Lady Adele’s intel was very accurate. These Blood Vulture traitors intend to establish a separate central authority!”

“Traitors! Traitors! They must be severely punished!”

Invincible Tyrannosaurus Cheche waved his mystical staff and shouted:

“In the name of Lord Murphy, we must eliminate these disloyal ones and strip them of their equipment for we, the loyal ones, to use. Would that not be a wonderful thing?”

“It will be dusk soon, and the vampires will be weakened. We also have the numerical advantage, so there’s no need for an ambush. Let’s attack directly! Let’s start with a brilliant opening move.”

Brother Meow waved his hand and said coldly:

“Niuniu, Orchid, and Three to Five, get ready to break down the door! Melee fighters, follow up. Ranged fighters, take positions outside and shoot them as soon as the two vampires come out.”

“Charge!”

The group of little players eagerly ran to the mill outside the village and took positions according to Brother Meow’s instructions. The three shield-bearers were led by Orchid, who had the highest health. The tall and sturdy Niuniu was responsible for breaking down the door, while the agile Three to Five acted as the secondary tank.

Brother Meow cast Thorn Spells on Orchid, then swung his staff downwards.

Niuniu took a deep breath, ran a few steps, and kicked the tightly closed wooden door of the mill with all his might. With his 8 strength enhanced by his equipment, the kick was incredibly powerful.

With a loud bang, the wooden door shattered, startling the crows inside the mill into flying about in a frenzy.

The two vampires hiding inside had been sleeping soundly and were caught off guard. They had just gotten up when they were slammed against the wall behind them by the three shield-bearers.

“They don’t even have a coffin for sleeping, how pathetic. Tsk, they’re clearly newbies.”

Led More Than Three to Five Pecks couldn’t help but mock them. He was about to raise his shield to pin down the flailing vampire in front of him, but suddenly a figure flew in with a kick, striking the vampire squarely in the face and knocking him back into the hay pile.

The cold-faced Sister Pomegranate extended the three-clawed blades on her knuckle dusters and pounced, striking the vampire and causing him to shriek in agony, leaving the three shield-bearers bewildered.

Well, judging from the blood flying everywhere, it was clear that Sister Pomegranate was truly furious.

It would be best not to disturb her for now.

Seeing the situation was unfavorable, the other vampire flew out of the window at the top of the mill, not caring that it was daytime and the sunlight would burn him.

When one’s life was at stake, what did it matter?

But as soon as he flew out, he was met with a barrage of precise gunfire, and a dozen bloody blasts erupted from his body in an instant.

The shooters were all players with marksmanship talents, and their levels were generally between 9 and 10, which meant their skills were honed to the master level within the Professional ranks. At such a close range, their aimed shots were bound to hit their mark.

The poor vampire was instantly turned into a sieve. He tried to escape by turning into a bat, but Brother Meow and Cheche, taking their time, simply knocked him down with Spirit Blasts. He crashed to the ground, screeching in pain as the sunlight burned him.

“Pah!”

Gugu Chicken rushed over and planted his foot on the vampire’s chest, snarling:

“Traitor! In the name of Duchess Tris and Count Murphy, we shall punish you with eternal oblivion!”

The vampire couldn’t understand the otherworldly insults.

However, he recognized the names Tris and Murphy and saw the Blood Vulture patterns on their leather armor, realizing he was being hunted by the clan’s Blood Servants.

In terror, he cried out:

“No! I’m loyal! Listen to me! Nord-”

“Pffft!”

The keen Blood Vulture guard’s short sword slashed down diagonally in an executioner’s strike, cleaving off half his head and cutting off the rest of his words, stuffing them back into his belly.

Don’t Need Hands to Show Off approached with his bone-picking dagger and swiftly dug out the vampire’s heart, leaving behind a grim, faded stone statue on the spot.

Ten seconds later, the cold-faced Sister Pomegranate emerged from the mill, clutching a vampire’s heart.

Execution complete!

“Bang!”

Sister Pomegranate tossed a bloody badge to Brother Meow and said:

“It’s not a Blood Vulture Clan badge. The ones trying to recruit them aren’t from the Blood Vulture Clan but vampires from other clans. Things have become a bit troublesome.

Report this to the higher-ups.”

“Hm?”

Brother Meow glanced down at the blood-stained badge.

He noticed that the front of the bloodstone badge featured an aesthetically pleasing design of a bat encircled by thorns in the night, clearly not the Blood Vulture crest. This confirmed the traitorous intentions of these traitors.

But Transia had always been Blood Vulture Clan territory. Where did these other clan vampires come from?

At the same time, at the entrance of the village, Lady Palen watched with satisfaction as Lord Murphy’s warriors executed the vampire traitors.

The plump merchant woman toyed with the luxurious bloodstone knight’s ring on her finger and said in a low voice to the middle-aged village chief trembling beside her:

“See, that is the fate of the disloyal! Count of Kadman awaits your allegiance at the Crimson Citadel. If you dare not go, I cannot guarantee what fate awaits you, my dear kinsmen.”