My Players Are So Fierce

Chapter 407: As Long as Morals Can Slide, There Are Always More Solutions Than Problems

Murphy was dazed at this moment.

He was fencing with Necessary Evil when a notification suddenly popped up in his character card saying “Human Subspecies – Mountain Folk Template Information +50”, which almost made him miss a strike and nearly got killed on the spot by Necessary Evil’s counter-attack.

Fortunately, Lord Murphy was now an undisputed Sword Master. With a graceful Shadow Step dodge followed by a Beast Counter-strike from the Wolf’s Kiss swordsmanship, he managed to repel Necessary Evil, avoiding an ugly scar on his neck.

“Stop!”

He gestured to the eager Necessary Evil.

The demon blade immediately hung suspended in the air. Though it was a mute blind one, its “lingering interest” was clearly visible.

Speaking of which, when Murphy first asked Necessary Evil to practice with him, this temperamental fellow was obviously unwilling, perhaps feeling there was no sense of achievement in bullying a newbie like Murphy.

However, as the Vampire Lord’s swordmanship level grew higher and higher and even developed his own understanding, Necessary Evil also found new “pleasure” in daily practice.

Hey, fencing is really only fun when done with someone of similar skill level. After all, what real man would bully the weak?

It’s all about taking on the big challenges, right?

Murphy sheathed the sword cane “Buried Beastiality” that he had grown quite comfortable using, and stood there checking the notification he had just received.

Ever since unlocking this race template collection feature earlier, he had been confused about it until this notification appeared, which seemed to teach Murphy how to properly collect template information for various races.

He carefully read the text description and discovered that it was after Brother Stick and the others successfully changed classes to Winged Cavalry and received Avalon’s war blessing to become Mountain Folk descendants that brought him this race information collection notification.

In other words, as long as his players actively interact with other races, the collection of his template information would automatically progress?

“Hmm, interesting.”

Murphy stroked his chin.

He felt that perhaps he could try what he had been wanting to attempt.

So he waved his hand, letting Necessary Evil obediently hang at his waist, and walked with measured steps to Tris’s office, knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission.

As expected, Tris the “homebody” was again curled up in her chair under a blanket, holding a Computation Bead and giggling foolishly.

Murphy peered over and found Tris was watching a crosstalk performance uploaded by some entertainment enthusiast to the “Entertainment” section of the forum. The flowery words delivered in that strange accent from Tianjin made Tris’s smile come one after another.

“Not bad, you can even appreciate the art of crosstalk now?”

Murphy teased:

“You’re becoming more and more like an otherworlder, my dear Grand Duchess Tris.”

“Tch, don’t disturb my rest if there’s nothing important.”

Tris rolled her eyes, skillfully paused the playback and turned to look at Murphy, saying very impatiently:

“What is it?”

“Hmm, business matters.”

Murphy reached out to help Tris fix her hair that had become somewhat messy from “staying up during daytime” doing experiments, and said softly:

“Regarding that project you’ve been trying to work on, the possibility of letting my warriors make modifications to their spirit energy projection appearances, you’ve also noticed that there are many voices on the forum urging the development team to quickly open up the ‘face customization’ feature.

Obviously, my warriors don’t intend to start their adventures in Transia as humans, they want to try more possibilities.”

“Meaningless.”

Tris snorted, wrapping herself in the blanket into a ball, she said with a pout:

“Just modifying the appearance isn’t difficult, but their projections are arranged internally according to complex logic. Let me give you an example. You can shape your warriors into Moon Elves, but their ‘racial talents’ would still be human.

This kind of modification that can only be done on the surface is just a wave of my hand for me.

But if your warriors really want to start adventuring with other identities, then we still have a lot of work to do in this aspect.”

“Mm.”

Murphy nodded.

He glanced at the row of race information in his race template collection interface, finally stopping at the Shadow Elf slot.

Because Adele was his descendant, the Shadow Elf value was currently the highest at 30%. Murphy felt that if he could get some help from Adele, this value might be able to increase even higher.

Best if it could reach 50%.

That way when Tris starts the “race conversion” experiments, his assistance would give her a fifty-fifty success rate. With 50% each time, trying several times would make it 200%, right?

Simple elementary school math, right?

“Let’s give it a try.”

Murphy said to Tris:

“I’ll try to get some Shadow Elf bloodline information from Adele. I don’t know how to do it yet, but I’ll try. Adele will cooperate with me too. When I’m ready on my end I’ll let you know.”

“Oh?”

Tris’s expression immediately became subtle.

She blinked her enchanting eyes and said to Murphy in a drawn-out voice:

“So, you evil little vampire hottie are finally going to make a move on poor E-Sister? I think you must know that because of the blood contract, Adele’s feelings for you are not ordinary.

Although she hasn’t shown it.

But judging from how you little guy relied on me before, it’s clear that with just one word from you, Adele would definitely satisfy all your needs with joyful servitude.”

“Don’t make it sound so vulgar! I’m not that kind of person.”

Murphy shook his head and explained:

“I already gave the source blood to Adele.”

“But she hasn’t used it, has she?”

Tris snorted, reopening the Computation Bead’s playback, watching that pleasing performance while saying:

“I admit this kind of forced feeling isn’t beautiful and even makes people disgusted, but if this is Adele’s own choice, then I think it’s very unfair to her that you keep pretending not to notice.

You know, unanswered calls can evolve into quite terrible things, especially since we are vampires, we endure the temptation of the abyss at all times.

If you don’t want Adele to fall into a monster, you have to find a way to solve this problem.

Either force her to drink the source blood, or respond to her expectations!

There is no third option.”

“Headache!”

Murphy rubbed his eyes and asked:

“How do other vampire elders handle this kind of problem? Like Salrokdar and you?”

“Other vampire descendants simply cannot develop such delicate feelings for their elders, except for some perverts who love pain and torture and madly pursue such experiences. Murphy, you still don’t understand how different you are from normal vampires.”

Tris sighed and said:

“Which vampire elder would treat their descendants as gently as you do? You’re so gentle that even for blood tax, this necessary exploitation, you only take that tiny bit. Do you know what other vampires would do?

When Adele made a contract with them, at least one-third of her power would be taken away, and this level of exploitation is already considered ‘merciful’ in our society.

The way Salrokdar treated me is unimaginable to you, Murphy. For a period of time, I really felt like I was living like a suffering servant in the darkness.

However, have you ever ordered Maxim or Adele to do something they didn’t want to do?

From the perspective of orthodox vampires, your management of descendants could be called indulgent.

You haven’t even whipped them, which leads to both descendants including Maxim having what could be called ‘disrespectful’ attitudes toward you, at least in other vampires’ view they lack necessary respect.

Tsk tsk, too gentle.

I guess Adele’s feelings for you growing in the dark, besides the forced seduction of the blood contract, also has your gentleness as a factor.

You know she rarely had such gentle treatment in the first half of her life.

Same with Maxim.

It’s just that Mark sees loyalty as supreme honor, while Adele wants more than just loyalty.”

At this point, Tris glanced at Murphy and said softly:

“If you don’t know what to do, I suggest you treat her the way I treat you. I actually don’t mind sharing a lover with another vampire, our race has always been very open about this.

This is why many vampires can ‘play’ with Shadow Elves.

Of course, the premise of this sharing is that she has to be someone I can trust and respect.”

“I refuse!”

Murphy shook his head and said:

“I don’t have enough love to give to two people and still feel at peace with myself.”

“This isn’t something that shifts with your personal will, Murphy.”

Tris shook her head and said:

“You’re just a vampire newbie, you’re still viewing everything from a human perspective, but when you live to 100 years old and still remain youthful, you’ll realize that human moral constraints mean nothing to you.

And when you pass your 200th birthday, the midnight loneliness from within will drive you to seek those spiritual powers that can support you through eternity.

When you’re 300 years old, when you’re all alone in this world, you’ll realize that among all the things needed to maintain your existence in this eternal curse, feelings are just the cheapest kind.

When you’re 400 years old, believe me!

By then, you’ll be grateful that you have not only me but also Adele by your side.

Two spiritual pillars are enough to get you through the first 500 years of immortality, and when you step into 600 years old, you’ll find that two seems not enough to fill your heart anymore.

Murphy, time never treats anyone kindly.

The way it punishes us immortals is completely different from how it punishes humans, but punishment is punishment after all. If you don’t want to turn into a stone without humanity under time’s merciless washing, you have to learn to find some fun for yourself all the time.

Sometimes, letting loose isn’t a bad thing.”

“This is the first time I’ve met a crazy woman who actively encourages her husband to find other women.”

Murphy complained:

“Why do I feel like you’re making arrangements for after you’re gone? Are you afraid I’ll go crazy after you suddenly leave, so you’re arranging things between me and Adele in advance?”

He narrowed his eyes, crouched in front of Tris, looking at those somewhat evasive enchanting eyes, he said very seriously:

“Tris, I’m asking you one more time, are you hiding something from me?”

“No, at least not now.”

Tris said softly:

“Murphy, each of us is entangled by the past. I promise you, when I need to tell you those things, I won’t hide anything. But you already have enough troubles to consider. So let me fulfill my duty as an elder, don’t add more pressure on you.

I am the Crimson Witch, I can handle my own troubles.

You go deal with Adele!

This is an order, and also a form of protection.”

“Mm.”

Murphy nodded.

However, from his expression, he obviously didn’t agree with Tris’s damn theory about eternal time and lonely companionship.

After all, he’s said he’s a very conservative man.

But soon, Murphy noticed something strange. He reached out to grab the blanket Tris was wrapped in and said softly:

“Why do you keep covering yourself with it? Are you feeling cold? That shouldn’t be possible, how could a vampire…”

He lifted the blanket, froze for a moment, then quickly covered it back.

Amid Tris’s teasing laughter, Murphy stepped back, coughed once, and said:

“You’re in the office! You crazy witch, what kind of situation is this? How can you sleep naked?”

“Obviously! Haven’t you checked what time it is?”

Tris rolled her cute eyes and stretched her body, saying:

“I’m a normal vampire, I need to sleep during the day or I’ll get wrinkles, okay? Not everyone is a freak like you who doesn’t sleep during the day.

Go away, don’t disturb me, my research is about to have results.

We’ll celebrate properly later.”

“Uh, I suddenly feel like trying daytime hibernation occasionally might not be a bad choice.”

Murphy winked, took off his coat, and squeezed in with Tris despite her disdainful gaze.

He held this cold perfect body in his arms but made no further moves, letting Tris curl up in his embrace hugging his neck and quickly fall into deep sleep.

The moment Tris’s snoring started, Murphy narrowed his eyes, moved his finger slightly, and the Spirit Hand formed and under his control quietly pulled open Tris’s drawer.

He wanted to see what Tris was hiding, but before the Spirit Hand could make any further movement, Tris’s hand was placed on Murphy’s wrist.

As the Spirit Sovereign’s silencing technique was applied, the newly formed Spirit Hand silently dissipated.

“Murphy…”

Tris softly said near Murphy’s ear in her sleep:

“Only good children get rewards.”

Murphy was silent for a moment.

He reached out to hold Tris’s body tighter, and lowered his head to kiss the Blood Vulture Grand Duchess’s fair forehead, saying:

“Sleep, I’m here, I won’t let anyone else hurt you, never, even if it’s some damn evil god.”

Tris’s body trembled.

She finally confirmed that Murphy already knew about those troubles related to her that she wanted to hide, but at this moment she didn’t want to ask about these.

She just wanted to lie here and have a good sleep.

Let Dusk and the “Source” go to hell, their promised path to godhood no longer held any attraction for her.

Everything she wanted for the latter half of her life was right here.

————————

“Damn! After all this, you still say this has nothing to do with you?”

That afternoon, Joy Stick and his brothers along with Little Rich Brother all rushed to the Meow King’s team’s temporary base, and heard the truth of the matter from Brother Meow.

Little Rich Brother, who was righteous to the point of being somewhat naive, jumped up and down angrily saying:

“Even if there really are amazing things in that tomb, brothers shouldn’t do this kind of thing! Doing this kind of thing will bring divine punishment!”

“Aiya, don’t get agitated, I’ve said this really has nothing to do with us.”

Brother Meow waved his hands persuading:

“We indeed originally had this terrible plan, but after consulting with Lady Dorothy, this ‘industry veteran’, she firmly told us this couldn’t be done, because the Mountain Folk also have eyes and ears in the local area, with Crimson Citadel’s current situation it absolutely couldn’t be kept secret, so we several also gave up the idea and never thought about it again.

But who knew the crafty Blood Rat Gang boss would discourage us from doing it and then go do it themselves.

That blabbermouth who caused all this said he just got drunk and discussed it in the tavern, then the news that ‘there are good things in Count Seicob’s tomb and the tomb has collapsed’ was leaked out, then spread to those northern merchant folks who’ve been enjoying themselves in Treasure Bay recently, and attracted northern tomb raiders.”

Beside him, Little Hands with an unlucky face also complained:

“We admit we came up with this unfortunate idea first, but the later developments really had nothing to do with us at all. Lady Dorothy has already torn out that guy’s tongue and banished him to the mines.

But the problem is now the big mistake has already been made.

Look, now we brothers all have the negative status ‘Avalon’s Rebuke’, obviously the Avalon boss thinks the situation developing to this point is all because we few initially had this rotten idea.

Anyway, we must quickly catch that group of audacious tomb raiders, otherwise this status-reducing divine punishment will get more and more severe.

Now all attributes are reduced by 10%!

The Avalon boss really won’t tolerate any nonsense.”

“You deserve it!”

Brother Stick sat cross-legged nearby and complained:

“Just tell me, was your previous move of discussing with Lady Dorothy about releasing information in the tavern deliberate? Or accidental?”

The more honest Led More Than Three to Five Pecks and Day One No Fap looked at each other, lowered their heads in shame, and said softly:

“Deliberately accidental, but no one wanted things to develop like this, who knew these NPCs would really dare to do it! Don’t talk about this anymore, Thirty-Year-Old Tobacco Mulberry has already locked onto those tomb raiders’ whereabouts.

They’re hiding in the mountains nearby, planning to disguise themselves as a northern merchant caravan to pass through Bataxin city.

We also know they’re from the Kafhoka region, members of a mafia family called ‘Snegov’, they should be professionals in this field, otherwise they couldn’t have handled the mechanisms in the Count’s tomb.”

Brother Meow nodded and said:

“That’s right, I’ve specifically consulted a ‘professional’, Fangfang told me those mechanisms are definitely not something ordinary people could deal with in one night. These people obviously came prepared! They probably had their eyes on Count Seicob’s tomb for a while, then took action at this opportunity and let us take the blame.

Really damn crafty!

Tonight we’ll kill them in the name of the Avalon boss! Execute that natural justice judgment!”