My Players Are So Fierce

While Andrei and his servants continued to plan and refine their strategy, Murphy’s little players had fewer concerns.

They had already begun their action, but not on a large scale. To be precise, there were only 4 people.

2 NPCs and 2 players.

2 mentors and their 2 apprentices.

Mr. Helu, the Detection Spirit Mage who had just been released from Baroness Miriam’s negotiation team, was still immersed in the pleasant memories of the high-society party in Bataxin City. However, that banquet seemed to have “drained” his energy, causing him to yawn continuously even as he galloped on his unique donkey.

However, this seemingly unreliable appearance couldn’t hide the fact that this former Spirit Mage from the Circle Tower was now part of the “high-end spellcasting force” of the Crimson Citadel.

His mastery of detection spirit magic was exactly what Murphy and Tris needed most at the moment. Therefore, after Helu followed the Witch Hunter to the Crimson Citadel, as he had hoped, the down-and-out mage was immediately entrusted with an important task, and even received personal instruction from Tris, the Spirit Sovereign.

This was an unexpected delight for Helu. After all, even in the Circle Tower, there were less than 5 Spirit Sovereigns, and the positions they held there were far beyond the reach of a Black Iron rank detection mage like Helu.

This fully demonstrated that Helu’s “better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox” career strategy was a great success!

“Say, why do you look so listless? You’re even younger than me,” Dorothy, flapping her newly grown wings and experiencing the unique feeling of flight, followed beside Helu’s ridiculous donkey and quietly complained, “You look like you haven’t slept for two days and two nights, as if your body has been completely drained?”

“Ah, who can blame those northern ladies for being so passionate? The beauties who grew up in the Great Wilderness are as cold and proud as ice and snow on the outside, but as hot as flames on the inside! My late teacher’s guidance was correct! Women, ah, they’re truly terrible creatures that can make talented people willingly degrade themselves. The first hurdle to becoming an excellent Spirit Mage is to resist temptation!”

Helu couldn’t help but grumble quietly, with a hint of pride.

This poor boy from the rural area near the emerald forest of Antani had never imagined that he actually had the potential to become a “pretty boy”.

But his mind was still clear, knowing that the small power and status he currently enjoyed came from the local lord’s favor. So he stopped talking about these things and forced himself to perk up, turning to look at Dorothy beside him.

He asked quietly, “Aren’t you bringing more people? Aren’t you afraid of something going wrong with just you and your disciple sneaking into the gnoll’s large camp?”

“My current subordinates are all a bunch of useless people. It’s fine to let them gather some intelligence, but I wouldn’t trust them to do this kind of thing even if they were willing,” Dorothy pursed her lips and said, “Besides, don’t we have you and your disciple? With your detection spells assisting, Fangfang and I will be very safe, as long as you two don’t mess things up.”

“Rest assured, I can’t guarantee anything else, after all, Grand Duchess Tris hasn’t formally taught me evocation spirit magic yet, but when it comes to detection techniques, it’s my old specialty. I used to serve Marshal Loren! Trust me, absolutely professional!” Helu immediately puffed out his chest, assuring the newly turned vampire lady beside him:

“As long as your footsteps are light enough, we’ll definitely be able to bring you out safely. But I’m curious, how does it feel to become a vampire as a human?”

“The feeling of wandering in the night is fantastic, all sorts of mysteries are like being reborn. However, once the annoying sunlight appears, you’d hate to tear off your own delicate skin and bury yourself in the coldest tomb,” Dorothy sighed.

She honestly expressed her true feelings after becoming a vampire, then glanced at Helu who was curiously examining her wings, and drawled, “What? Are you interested in the night’s blessing too?”

“It’s impossible to say I’m not, but my interest probably comes from a different place than yours. I came from the Circle Tower, although I wasn’t particularly outstanding, I understand how supernatural powers work. To be honest, the transcendent powers possessed by vampires are insignificant in the face of true wisdom,” Helu, wearing a black robe, said honestly:

“If I were to choose to become a vampire at the risk of being beaten up by my aunt or even being disowned, there would definitely be only one reason.

It’s not for the transcendent power, but for worldly power!

I want to stand out from the crowd, I want to go back home in glory and bring my parents and family over to live the good life of upper-class people that they wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

But in a land ruled by vampires, even if Lord Murphy keeps proclaiming racial equality, vampires will still be the uncrowned kings in the darkness.

However, given the current situation in Transia, it’s not enough for me to bet everything I have, which isn’t much, in a desperate gamble.”

“Hehe, you’re an interesting little fellow,” Dorothy flapped her Blood Wings, nimbly flying from one side of the “war donkey” to the other. She said to Helu:

“To call you stupid, well, you see these things clearer than most people. But to call you smart, you dare to tell your innermost thoughts to someone you’ve just met, and who’s a member of the Blood Vulture Clan at that.

I get it, you’re probably one of those legendary ‘smart but stupid’ people.”

“Tch, I just wanted to make a friend,” Helu pursed his lips. Dorothy drawled again:

“Freely sharing your thoughts with strangers isn’t the way to make friends. It only makes me think you’re a fool, and allows me to easily grasp the desires in your heart. Little boy, it seems you’re still lacking in dealing with others.

Why not join my Blood Rat Gang?

I now serve Lady Adele, and Lady Adele is Lord Murphy’s direct descendant. Don’t you want power and status?

Following us to act in the shadows can fulfill your wishes!

The best part is, you don’t even need to face the difficult choice between becoming a vampire or continuing to maintain your human status.”

“This is exactly what I want!” Helu revealed a sly smile on his donkey, saying quietly:

“I’m not stupid enough to make friends with just any stranger, but before joining you, I need to talk to my aunt. Only if she agrees can I choose to walk into the shadows where you are.

Don’t give me that strange smile! You damned vampire.

When my aunt and I left the village together, my parents asked her to take care of me, even though I’m older than her. Anyway, under the witness of the Emerald Forest, Aunt Amber has become my guardian outside of my hometown.

I must seek her opinion for any important decisions. This is the tradition of Antani, but I don’t think it will be very difficult.”

Helu stroked his smooth chin, grumbling quietly:

“My once shrewd aunt has now been captivated by the magic called ‘love’, but she doesn’t seem to realize that she has already unconsciously gotten too close to that strong but slow-witted warrior. Sigh, I knew it, someone with her personality would sooner or later be eaten up by another man. Even though we’re both children of the Emerald Forest, she’s not carefree at all in this aspect.

Far from being as open-minded as I am in this regard.”

“You’re hanging out with those Witch Hunters, right?” Dorothy had one last question, she asked:

“You should be holding a public office in the Adventurer’s Guild, why do you want to enter the shadows?”

“Uh, I’m a Spirit Mage,” Helu shrugged and said:

“I don’t believe in the god they’re always preaching about. The Circle Tower’s attitude towards all deities is unfriendly. Those powerful Spirit Mages believe that the interference of the Astral Realm gods in the material world always comes with a purpose. This is the main reason why I can’t join the Adventurer’s Guild.

Alright, let’s get down to business!

Here, put this on first.”

Helu took out a very special metal chip from his spirit bag, reminding her:

“This thing is called a ‘Shadow Patch’, it’s a quite special plugin. Put it in your Computation Bead, it can indicate your position to me and enhance our mental communication.

After you enter stealth mode, it can also strengthen your connection with the shadows and reduce the probability of you being discovered.

This is also something I brought out from the Pioneer Fortress, and it’s one of my privately hoarded good items. There aren’t many, but it’s quite useful for thieves.

If the Blood Rat Gang needs it in the future, come to me to buy it. Now that I’m about to become a member of the Blood Rat Gang too, so, we can negotiate on the price.”

While the NPCs were conversing, the two little players following behind were also chatting.

As the only apprentice of Mage Helu at present, Thirty-Year-Old Tobacco Mulberry was full of complaints. Riding a witch hunter’s steed rented from the Witch Hunters, he grumbled to the taciturn Frostfang Claw beside him:

“I had already made plans with my brothers to raid the Blood Vulture Halls tonight. I heard the equipment there is the best, but my unreliable mentor dragged me here to do this kind of thing instead.

Although it’s a Hidden Quest, the rewards don’t look good either. What the hell is ‘depending on the quest results’?”

Tobacco Mulberry complained, but Frostfang Claw was socially anxious.

He just quietly listened to Tobacco Mulberry’s complaints without answering. Feeling bored talking to himself, Tobacco Mulberry turned his head to look at Fangfang and asked curiously:

“Brother, why aren’t you talking? Are you mute? Or are you offline?”

“No! I just don’t like talking. You speak, I’m listening.”

“Oh, I see, I see. Trying to act cool like a pro, right? I get it, you guys who like to play rogues are all like this, all have a heart wanting to become experts. Lone wolf and all that, sounds so cool. But listen, I’m the one responsible for guiding your position once you sneak in later, shouldn’t you try to butter me up a bit now?

What if I accidentally lead you into a mob of monsters with a slip of the hand?”

“This is a quest, so you won’t do that. After all, failing would deduct favorability points.”

“Tch, no fun at all. Not a shred of humor.

By the way, can’t you guys steal things from NPCs? I have a bold idea. I think Lord Murphy’s flying sword looks pretty cool, so how about…”

“I tried before. Don’t even think about it. It’s impossible to steal that sword. It has self-awareness. If you dare to reach out, it will dare to chop your hand off.”

“Damn! I was just saying. You actually dared to try? But since you dared to steal from Lord Murphy, wasn’t there any punishment?”

“…Why do you think I’m here?”

“…Oh, I see.”

The group of 4 galloped through the night. Their witch hunter steeds were exceptionally capable. These war horses, raised from birth with nature spirit arts by the Witch Hunters, were not only highly enduring but also incredibly fast. Mage Helu’s donkey looked quite undignified, but surprisingly, the beast was able to keep up with the witch hunter steeds’ speed. It was clearly no ordinary donkey.

Perhaps it was a “new product” developed by the Circle Tower?

In any case, the 4 of them only took a few hours to reach the border of Baroness of Morland’s domain, stopping at a bay of the Kadman River.

“We’re less than 5 kilometers from the gnoll camp now. We can’t go any further. My apprentice and I will set up detection spells here, but you two must follow our commands once you go in!”

Mage Helu found a spot that wasn’t easily discovered and said sternly to Dorothy and Frostfang Claw:

“Don’t go to places we tell you not to go. Although I already have a detailed map of the gnoll main camp, there’s no guarantee there won’t be any dangerous areas.

Remember your mission. Collect the intelligence and leave immediately! Don’t do anything you’re not supposed to do.”

“Got it. I worked for a thieving gang for a few months before. I’m familiar with this kind of job.”

Ms. Dorothy, with her extraordinarily rich past career experience, pulled up her face covering, disguising herself like a vampire ninja.

She nodded to Helu, then grabbed her apprentice Fangfang’s hand and flew into the night sky, speeding towards the distant gnoll camp.

Helu began the casting motions for the eagle eye detection spell at their location. While fine-tuning the observation point, he said to his apprentice Tobacco Mulberry beside him:

“I’ll be responsible for Lady Dorothy’s side, searching for traces of the wolfsbane vampire. You guide her apprentice to enter the core area of the gnoll camp, find some key objects, and plant the positioning crystals.”

“Roger that!”

Tobacco Mulberry began casting efficiently, but he still asked in a low voice:

“Earlier in Bataxin, uh, I’ll be frank, I heard you were taken to bed by those thirsty noble ladies in turns? I also heard those crazy noble ladies just wanted to taste what a Spirit Mage was like.”

“You!”

Mage Helu almost lost control of his casting.

He turned his head to glare at his apprentice with a mischievous grin, and scolded:

“Who told you that! How disrespectful of you! Is this something an apprentice should be asking?”

“Tch, you’re not even older than me, why put on airs? You horny mage, you fake prude! Come on, tell me quickly, how many did you sleep with? Was it juicy?”

“Of course it was juicy, and when they went wild, it was wild enough to be called debauchery. As for how many… Tch, why am I even discussing this with you? You’re my apprentice, okay? Cast your spell now!

Stop fooling around. Once we complete this mission, I’ll teach you a new positioning spell.

And I’m not just saying this, but since you have such talent in this area, why waste it, understand? Put more effort into studying. Knowledge will never let you down.”

Meanwhile, Lady Dorothy carried Fangfang, flying silently through the night sky, approaching the gnoll main camp ahead, which was still chaotic even at midnight.

While looking for a suitable landing spot, she said quietly:

“3 positioning crystals for you, 3 for me. Place them in the center of the camp forming a triangle, with at least 800 steps between each other. Make sure to include the central tent.

This is our Blood Rat Gang’s first operation. Whether we can make a name for ourselves depends on this time.

Are you still angry?

Fangfang, I was just joking with you…”

“I was almost cut down by Lord Murphy’s sword… I don’t like this joke! I trust you, but you set me up…”

Dorothy felt awkward.

She said softly:

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Tell me what you want, my apprentice. I’ll help you get it.”

Frostfang Claw remained silent. He was truly angry.

It wasn’t until the two landed outside the camp and were about to enter shadow walking that he quietly said to Dorothy:

“You mentioned before that halflings have a Thieves’ Guild? I want to join! Also, don’t let there be a next time. I don’t have that much trust to give to others.”

“Ah, the Thieves’ Guild. They don’t have a branch in Transia.”

Dorothy had a headache and said:

“The nearest guild base is in Cato. I’ll help you sort out the introduction process, but you’ll have to do the rogue’s trial yourself. By the way, I think the Blood Rat Gang could also join them, becoming a branch wouldn’t be bad either.”

The female vampire looked at the enormous foreign monster camp ahead, which seemed alive even in the night. She took a deep breath. In her previous life, she had never had such an exciting experience.

But she had been granted eternal life by the night’s blessing, and perhaps her once dim life should change because of this.

She turned back to smile at Fangfang behind her and said:

“Let’s go, my disciple. Let us dance in the shadows.”

“Mm.”

Frostfang Claw nodded, following Dorothy forward.

He proficiently sensed and summoned the embrace of shadows, making himself nearly silent as he walked in the night and entered a unique state of “visual concealment”.

Very similar to stealth in other games but also different, true shadows wouldn’t be so generous in sheltering him, let alone spoil him. He had to walk carefully with every step.

But he wasn’t unfamiliar with this. It was like walking in an ancient and silent mysterious tomb, conversing with those corpses that had been dead for hundreds or thousands of years through history.

He liked this feeling of solitude.

“Beep”

The Computation Bead tightly bound to his wrist vibrated slightly, then Tobacco Mulberry’s voice resonated in his heart along the spirit energy vibration:

“Position confirmed, eagle eye spell deployed!

There’s a patrol of 7 gnolls 300 meters directly in front of you. They have blood-thirsty hyenas with them. According to Miaomiao Shark who has raised hyenas, these beasts have very keen sense of smell. You need to avoid them.

Go to the left!

I’ve planned a new route for you. At your stealth speed, you should reach the target area in about 10 minutes. Not many monsters, good. Maintain your current speed and direction, move forward steadily… By the way, brother, that mentor of yours is pretty hot, with a kind of sassy beauty like a street-smart big sister.

So you like this type? Tsk tsk, you can’t judge a book by its cover, huh? Not bad, not bad!”

Slip.

Fangfang almost slipped out of his shadow walking state. He responded sternly:

“It’s not like that!”

“Hahaha, getting flustered, I see, I see. We’re all men here, I understand. I heard from those horny guys like Meow King that there’s a hidden R18 game mode in this game. And to be honest with you, brother, I caught a pretty awesome bug earlier.

Basically confirmed their guess is true.

I suspect that once we keep advancing the plot to a certain degree, that pipe will be usable too. Wouldn’t it be great to ride this beauty then? But remember to grind more favorability points, occasionally give some gifts and such. Women all fall for that stuff.”

“F**k! Be serious! We’re on a mission here!”