Meow Brother stood amid the ruins of Morland Village, clutching a bloodstained pitchfork and staring dumbly as the ferocious huntress fell beneath the attacks of Chen Dian Niu Niu and their NPC allies.
Although this wasn't his first test, and he wasn't some sheltered young man who'd never seen the world, Meow Brother's heart was still pounding like crazy.
Two voices were fighting in his head.
The rational one told him this was just a game, so he had to stay calm! The more excited voice, meanwhile, grabbed his brain and roared.
Just look at all this!
The blood-red sunset, the collapsed ruins, his companions standing beside him after a hard-fought battle, and the formidable enemy they'd finally defeated—the hands of war were wildly stirring the most primal savagery buried deep in this man's heart!
He could feel his heart stop beating for a few seconds when that dangerous enemy fell before him.
Really!
He'd actually just fought a battle against these vicious enemies!
And he'd won!
So to hell with reason.
"We won! We won!"
Meow Brother raised his pitchfork and shouted, so excited his voice nearly cracked. The little players around him snapped out of their daze and cheered along, one after another. Even Lumina, the formidable young lady with a broken leg, raised her dwarf hunting rifle high with Mirian's support.
The scene was just like a gaming team celebrating their first clear of a dungeon, but the immense sense of accomplishment and satisfaction they felt now was something those flat-screen games could never give them.
The cheers behind him made Chen Dian Niu Niu, who'd just pulled off a "finishing blow," feel as though it wasn't real.
He looked at the Witch Hunter captain he'd knocked down and the heavy, bizarre steam-powered weapon lying on the ground. As the adrenaline ebbed, dizziness washed over him. Gasping for breath, he dropped onto the ground.
That sneak attack had been thrilling as hell. How was it any different from charging into a fortified position under a hail of AK fire?
He hadn't expected to be able to run that fast. He'd logged in all dazed and confused, and in the blink of an eye, he'd become everyone's hero.
This game was incredible!
Chen Dian Niu Niu looked at his hands in the game. They were exactly the same as his real hands. Then a shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see the handsome NPC reaching out to him.
"Is this your first time experiencing this feeling?"
Murphy asked quietly, standing with his sword in hand against the backdrop of dusk giving way to evening. His scarlet cloak billowed behind him, as if it would cover the last ray of light.
The athletic student was momentarily transfixed.
Damn, this real-time-rendered CG animation had such a great feel to it!
"Huh?"
Chen Dian Niu Niu replied dumbly.
He didn't quite understand what the NPC meant, but he accepted Murphy's help, took his hand, and let him pull him to his feet.
Only then did he hear Murphy say:
"I mean the feeling of drinking deep of victory, of wanting to lose yourself in it—the feeling of having survived. My warrior, look. Your companions see you as a hero!
"And just as I see you as a surprise reinforcement sent from heaven, you are a true warrior!"
"Hehe."
Chen Dian Niu Niu glanced back at the players who were still able to stand. The group led by Meow Brother were whistling and making excited noises at him.
It felt like the moment he'd stepped onto the podium after breaking a record at his school's sports meet. Embarrassed but a little pleased, he rubbed his dusty nose with his thumb.
"It really does feel great, Murphy. Uh, Lord Murphy!"
He replied. Then he saw Murphy bend down, draw a finely crafted hunting saber from the unconscious huntress's waist, and respectfully offer it to him in both hands.
"Today, you are also a hero of Morland Village, though it has been destroyed. Those who died tragically here would thank you for your kindness. Take it. You've earned it."
"Uh, thanks."
Chen Dian Niu Niu immediately reached out with both hands and accepted the weapon.
It felt as if he were accepting a trophy. Sure, it was only a virtual-reality game, but the mood had been set, right?
"Lord Murphy! Those four pieces of trash at the village entrance got away!"
Spicy Gugu Chicken came running over, dragging his hand-and-a-half sword. He reported to Murphy in a very awkward salute:
"Should we chase them?"
"Can any of you ride a horse, warriors?"
Murphy asked loudly. The little players who'd been cheering fell silent at once. They looked at one another, until Meow Brother finally said with a strange expression:
"Mud Truck usually likes that kind of thing. He can probably ride."
"Where is this warrior now?"
Murphy asked. Meow Brother shrugged and pointed to the collapsed, elevated "sniper platform," then said quietly:
"He's probably been turned into a sieve by now."
"Then why the hell did you even bring him up?"
Murphy bit back the urge to complain, then shook his head with the composure expected of an NPC.
"Looks like we can't pursue them. Witch Hunters' warhorses are specially trained. They're fast and have great stamina. It isn't night yet, so I wouldn't be able to catch them either.
"But this is still a victory worth remembering. You have once again proven your courage and potential."
His gaze swept over the surviving players. Of the twelve, only nine remained, which left Murphy feeling a little regretful.
He'd tried his best to adjust his tactics, but the gap between these rookie players and the Witch Hunters was still a little too wide. Losing three players had already reached the failure threshold for the fourth newbie tutorial mission.
But that was all right.
If a bunch of rookies could do this well, then after a little more coordination, they could try their hand against another Witch Hunter squad after nightfall. Maybe they'd pass.
Just then, A-Cha's voice suddenly came from behind him:
"Someone get over here! Ge Bao's still alive, though he's barely hanging on!"
At once, the little players who could still move rushed over to help. After several minutes of scrambling around like earthquake rescuers, they finally carried Leading Pigeon, covered in blood, out of the collapsed second-floor room.
Everyone who saw his injuries drew a sharp breath.
It was awful!
He was covered in mangled flesh and blood, as if he'd been hauled out of a coal mine.
"Damn! The pain feels way too real!"
Good Pigeon, covered in blood, looked around wildly as he shouted:
"Why doesn't this game have a button to turn off pain? I'm in fucking agony!"
"The pain's already been reduced, you rookie."
Meow Brother leaned on his pitchfork and glanced at Ge Bao.
"With injuries like yours, you'd be dead in real life, or at least unconscious. The fact that you're still alive and hollering around says a lot. But you're hurt so badly that you should've been force-logged out for your own safety. How are you still alive?"
"Ah, yeah, I did feel like I was going to black out and get disconnected a few times."
Ge Bao answered honestly:
"But when I thought about how I'd have to wait three days to revive if I died, and how I didn't want everyone to laugh at me, I gritted my teeth and stuck it out. I kept thinking you lot would get me out."
"Damn, did you really have to go that hard? My poor Ge Bao."
A-Cha knelt beside Leading Pigeon, patting his head as he spoke half-jokingly:
"You were so brave just to keep people from calling you a rookie. I'm impressed, son. You've grown up. I'll buy you lunch. Anything you want."
"Aw, then let's have chicken for lunch. At least get me a whole roast chicken."
"...Sure!"
Murphy stood outside the crowd, shocked by the sheer, ill-timed tenacity of his goofy little players.
But it was a good thing. When Ge Bao was carried back, a mission-completed notification popped up on the character card in front of him:
Newbie Tutorial Mission (4/6): Advanced Combat Test (Completed) Evaluation: 2 personnel lost. Mission completion: Excellent. Rewards: +5 Test Invitations; Item Identification unlocked. Excellent Completion Bonus: Experience and Leveling unlocked ahead of schedule. Developer's Note: You have good eyesight and no supernatural power to make your words come true, but I still think you'd make a great RTS pro player. Ever considered a career change?
Murphy smiled with satisfaction.
He looked back at his little players. Meow Brother and Ge Bao, who'd been through this before, could tell from his expression that this round of testing was about to end. Meow Brother hurried forward and said earnestly:
"Lord Murphy, I know this is a bit much to ask, but we'd like to stay in this world a little longer so we can get used to it."
"That's right, Lord Murphy. This village is in such a terrible state."
Coo-Coo Chicken and A-Cha chimed in beside him:
"We can stay here and help you loot—uh, I mean, help that poor red-haired girl bury her family and friends. It's one of the few things we can do for this village.
"Of course, Ge Bao should be sent back. He's in a really bad state."
"Um..."
Murphy didn't need to look closely to know what the little players were up to. They thought that, with the public beta not yet open, every chance to log in was precious, and wanted to stay a little longer. That was perfectly understandable.
So he pretended to be troubled, and after some "difficult deliberation," he said to the players gazing at him hopefully:
"Then stay a little longer. But when night falls, I'll have to leave and join my companions. At that point, you'll have to return to your world. The grand plan must not be exposed yet!
"I have to be cautious until I have a force of my own. That's to protect both you and me.
"I hope you understand."
When they heard that the NPC had agreed to let them stay longer, the little players cheered with delight, especially the few newbies logging in for the first time. Everything they saw amazed them.
The main thing was how real the surroundings felt!
If they could still log out normally, it would really feel like they'd set foot in another world. It made them reluctant to leave. Even an ordinary little village was enough to keep these simple-minded players entertained for a long time.
Murphy stood by the earthen wall, watching the innocent little players communicate through gestures with Mirian, who couldn't understand their language. For the first time since transmigrating, he felt a rare sense of ease.
But before he could enjoy it for even a few seconds, another notification appeared before his eyes:
Newbie Tutorial Mission (5/6): Comprehensive Assessment Lead all currently available personnel through a complex combat operation, from planning and preparation to execution! Specific requirements: 1. Alpha must discuss tactics with the adorable little players in-game and formulate a strategy. 2. The main operation must be carried out by Alpha and the player faction alone. 3. Alpha or a player must personally kill the leader of the faction chosen as the combat objective, and at least one-fifth of the current personnel must survive by the end of the operation. Rewards: +10 Test Invitations; New Feature Unlocked; additional rewards based on mission performance. Developer's Note: Keep it up! The newbie tutorial has only six stages. Once you've completed them all, you'll be a qualified test administrator, ready to face most unexpected situations. "Though that will only mark the true beginning of your long career in service."
Murphy stared at the mission before him, lost in thought.
He didn't know which bastard had designed this system and installed it in his body, but he was now pretty sure the guy was an idiot.
How the hell was a ten-year corporate drone like him supposed to complete this?
Damn, this was still a newbie mission, and it was already this intense. What would I be made to do once I became a full-fledged test administrator? I could hardly imagine.
Fuck!
There went his good mood.
"We can't leave!"
On the road far from Morland Village, the burned Witch Hunter on his saddle gritted his teeth and shouted to the veteran riding ahead:
"Norman! We have to rescue little Natalie! We can't leave that child behind. Her life is worth far more than ours."
Veteran Norman said nothing. He only tapped his warhorse with his stirrups to make it go faster. As the surrounding night grew darker, he said hoarsely:
"Calm down, Mond. This was a trap from the start. That vampire played us like fools. Stay calm and trust Natalie! She'll be fine.
"Have you forgotten the prophecy the Glamor Council made when she was born?
"Under Avalon's protection, this child will become a true leader. She'll accomplish what ordinary people cannot. She'll never die here!
"Avalon is protecting her."
His words silenced the hunters around him.
They couldn't argue with Norman's reasoning, because almost every prophecy made by the Glamor Council over the past several centuries had come true, even the rebellion ten years ago that turned the Avalon Church into the Old Church.
In a world where gods existed, prophecies were no mere fantasy.
Besides, trying to turn back and rescue Natalie in their current condition would only lead to more casualties. They had to get away first, gather their strength, and then return to fight.
"Our mission to intercept the messenger failed."
The veteran tightened his grip on the reins and said gravely:
"We have to join up with the warband commander right away and decide what to do next. Stay alert, men. Our hunt isn't over yet—"
"No, it's over!"
A cold voice swept in like a shadow, suddenly appearing beside the four Witch Hunters who'd broken through. Their warhorses whinnied uneasily and stopped in their tracks.
Veteran Norman looked up and saw a pair of enormous blood-red wings spread out before him.
A petite figure was suspended in the air like a ghost, supported by those huge scarlet bat wings. Behind her stood four Blood Eagle Midnight Hunters, carrying spears, swords, and bladed whips.
Far above them, a burst of scarlet fireworks exploded in the sky.
The points of light formed the image of a sacred blood vulture with outstretched wings. It was the Blood Eagle Clan's rallying signal, summoning every Midnight Hunter wandering nearby to gather here on this dark night.
"Shing."
Old Norman drew the saber at his waist.
The three Witch Hunters behind him did the same. Facing the Blood Eagle elites, the Midnight Hunters, who were generally above the Black Iron rank, they knew they couldn't win.
But that was no reason to give up fighting, and even less reason to kneel in surrender.
"Thirty-seventh Witch Hunter Squad of the White Oak Warband!"
The veteran pointed his blade forward and pulled on the reins to calm his restless mount. As Midnight Hunters appeared one after another in the night and watched him with mocking eyes, he roared without expression:
"Charge!"
Before you continue