Rising from His Deathbed, He Asked, "Where's My Reward?"

At noon, the caravan that had already left Morland Village and was heading for the Filthy Swamp was deathly silent.

The thirty or so Midnight Hunters summoned by Lady Femis were scattered among ten carriages, enjoying a blissful rest inside luxurious coffins.

For these orthodox vampires, going out in such damnably clear weather was strictly out of the question.

Sunlight would scorch their overly "delicate" skin. Their resistance to sunlight increased as they grew stronger, but hating the light was a tradition—and the nobler their bloodline, the more they hated it.

The result was a strange sight.

Only the blood slaves driving the carriages were active in the entire procession. The vampires' elite forces were being led by a group of humans, with one oddity among them: someone hiding in the rearmost carriage, earnestly studying a handbook.

Murphy's stubborn human habits left him full of energy during the day. They also gave him the perfect opportunity to openly summon the players for a meeting without his fellow vampires catching on.

"Stop here. We'll eat and rest, then set off again in an hour."

The young lady's blood slave, who drove the lead carriage, gave the drivers their orders. She was a mature woman in an elegant butler's uniform, holding a black parasol. Her expression was cold, but her figure was quite the knockout. The caravan came to a halt in the wilderness.

The woman, who gave off an unapproachable air, was named Adele. The blood slaves respectfully called her Lady Adele.

Word had it she was the only personal blood slave Lady Femis had ever had, as well as the human "friend" she trusted most. At present, she was in charge of the entire caravan's logistics.

Murphy sent Mirian and Maxim off to eat from the communal pot. Then he draped his hooded cloak around himself and slipped out of the caravan, summoning the players in a nearby grove.

Unfortunately, Murphy was still a complete weakling, and the dark psionic energy within him wasn't enough to summon all the little players at once. He had to summon them in two batches.

The little players gathered around Murphy obediently as soon as they appeared. They'd already heard about "hidden affection points" in the game group, so now they looked at Murphy, their main-quest NPC, with even greater enthusiasm.

Being stared at so "lovingly" by a bunch of men made Murphy rather uncomfortable.

Damn!

These guys were way too practical, weren't they?

"Ahem. Before we get down to business, I'll fulfill my promise."

Maintaining the elegant poise expected of a vampire, Murphy took a folded crimson cloak from his plundered psionic pack as the players watched. Then he personally draped it over the shoulders of Chen Dian Niu Niu, who had earned a relatively high affection rating.

The luxurious cloak was made of excellent material. It enveloped Niu Niu's large frame, fastening at the collar with an exquisite clasp. Its most eye-catching feature was the upright collar, embroidered all around with golden thread.

Once Niu Niu put it on, he looked like a fantasy anime villain. He instantly became the coolest guy in the crowd. Murphy also had a blood-red Midnight Hunters mask in hand.

It was made of metal and clearly matched the cloak's aesthetic. It could be fastened to the raised collar and protected the throat.

It should've been an incredibly cool accessory, but Niu Niu was still just a rookie player, dressed in nothing but a "Newbie Boxer Shorts" and looking thoroughly down on his luck.

It didn't go with the luxurious cloak at all.

If you had to describe it, it was like some hip-hop dude who'd scored a free formal suit. The outfit was full of things to poke fun at. The cloak, which should've had the air of a midnight noble, made him look like a black bear spirit who'd stolen a monk's kasaya. He embodied the saying "a monkey dressed in human clothes."

Spicy Gugu Chicken's eyes went wide. He exclaimed:

"Holy crap, that's obviously a rich-guy VIP outfit with at least +8! You're just giving it away? Did Alpha finally come to its senses and add a payment window to the game?"

Murphy glanced at him and replied with the composed dignity expected of an NPC:

"I don't understand what you're saying, warrior. Perhaps that's praise in your world. Very well, I'll take it as a compliment.

"I obtained this cloak for you from the cunning and cold-hearted Lady Femis as a reward. It's merely decorative, but owning one means you've officially been placed under the protection of the Blood Eagle Clan.

"Every one of you will get one!

"That includes the warriors who haven't recovered yet.

"But you don't have your own psionic packs at the moment, so I'll hold on to them for you."

Meow Brother blinked and quietly said to the few players beside him:

"Is this a 'cosmetic'? And doesn't it look like the 'closed beta reward' the administrator mentioned before?"

"Definitely."

A-Cha watched Niu Niu proudly swishing his cloak, clearly envious. He stared at the understated elder's armor Murphy was wearing and said eagerly:

"I bet it's part of a set, too. Once we finish the initial testing, we'll be able to complete the whole thing."

"Gear for newbies probably has mediocre stats,"

Electronic Succubus Lao Qu whispered from beside Meow Brother.

"But if the game adds a transmog system later, we'll be set. This is definitely a limited-edition item. We'll look awesome wearing it around town."

Murphy discreetly watched the little players tug at Niu Niu's cloak and admire it. A faint smile appeared in his eyes.

Ah, his adorable little players were so easy to please.

Look at them—they didn't even want money! One set of clothes was enough to satisfy them. That was an excellent quality, one that absolutely deserved to be encouraged. It also proved that he really understood what little players liked.

He'd been right to ask Lady Femis for cloaks and formalwear earlier.

Every high-ranking vampire had at least a wardrobe full of these ceremonial outfits. All vampires shared a taste for luxury.

Even Triss, despite having been down on her luck for over a century, still had several fine outfits she only wore for formal occasions. She wouldn't even let Murphy hand-wash them, afraid he'd ruin them.

For Lady Femis, these "cosmetics" were no trouble at all. But for Murphy, they could be the "carrot" he used to motivate the little players.

Still, he could only pull this sort of trick every now and then. Players were practical, after all.

Their pursuit of power had no end, so he'd have to find a way to stockpile a batch of better gear as proper quest rewards.

"Enough. It's time to discuss the real business, my warriors."

Murphy raised a hand and pressed it downward slightly. The players fell quiet and listened as their main-quest NPC outlined the operation ahead.

However, Murphy only knew what Lady Femis had told him about the operation.

He knew nothing about the cargo the enemy was transporting, nor their numbers or strength. But the young lady had been summoning Midnight Hunters along the way, and the fact that she didn't seem to intend to bring in more members of her family suggested something.

The enemy might be troublesome.

But they probably weren't numerous enough to make up a proper army! Otherwise, there'd be no need to use a smuggling route that had been abandoned for years.

The Filthy Swamp bordered the dangerous outskirts of the Dark Mountains. It wasn't a place where a large force could easily escape unharmed. Murphy guessed the transport party numbered somewhere between one hundred and two hundred.

"Damn, they're planning to use us as cannon fodder!"

One of Meow Brother's good buddies, a player with the ID Black Silk Under Keyboard, swore.

"Even counting our three NPCs, we've only got eighteen people. What's the difference between intercepting a two-hundred-man transport party and walking to our deaths? The Witch Hunters were already a pain to deal with. Wouldn't a regular army slaughter us like chickens? It's not like other games where we can respawn in no time and overwhelm them with numbers!

"Three days to respawn is brutal."

The other little players looked grim, too. Even the Dormitory Six Bros, the least experienced bunch in the group, could see how dangerous and difficult the quest was.

"Ahem, let me explain, my warriors. Witch Hunters aren't as weak as you seem to think."

Murphy quietly filled them in on some basic facts about the world.

"Although the Old Church's Witch Hunters are at a disadvantage against vampire warriors, they've already entered the realm of supernatural powers. The Old Church's elders select them from a young age all across the land, then raise them into demon-hunting warriors using all kinds of natural mystic arts. Their vitality and destructive power far exceed those of ordinary soldiers.

"But even the most elite veterans of the Plantagenet Kingdom are still ordinary humans. What I mean is, the gap between you and a veteran is far smaller than the gap between you and a Witch Hunter."

"No wonder!"

Lumina Sunscar clapped her hands, suddenly understanding.

"I knew something was off about that Witch Hunter yesterday. Getting hit by a lead ball fired from a smoothbore gun of that caliber at that range and only bleeding? That makes no scientific sense.

"If he'd been a normal person, the shot would've shattered his bones."

"Exactly!"

Black Silk Under Keyboard waved his hands.

"Me and Meow Brother stabbed that one-armed old man with pitchforks for several minutes, and we still couldn't kill him. I thought his health bar was ridiculously thick. Turns out he was a 'psionically modified human.'"

"But don't get too excited."

Murphy poured another bucket of cold water over them at just the right moment. His eyes narrowed.

"The Plantagenet Kingdom's escort soldiers will be easy enough to deal with. But that powerful human nation has more than just soldiers. Its official psionic organization, the Tower of Rings, has more psionic mages than any other group on the continent.

"If this escort mission is really as important as Lady Femis said, there'll certainly be psionic mages backing them up.

"And just as the Blood Eagle Clan is helping the Bosia Confederacy resist the Plantagenet Kingdom, there's another vampire faction secretly active on the enemy's side.

"That bunch calls themselves Wolfsbane.

"They're the lowest, most violent, and least disciplined scum in vampire society. Unlike the Blood Eagles, they can't soar through the skies, but they're exceptionally good at close combat and can summon astral wolves to fight alongside them.

"I've heard their clan leader, old Edward, has a secret agreement with General Loren, the Plantagenet Kingdom's frontline commander. The Wolfsbane Clan is the best scouts and assassins under his command.

"So I have every reason to believe we might run into those Wolfsbane thugs."

Murphy paused and looked at the players around him, his tone growing more serious.

"So we can't fight them head-on. We have to outsmart them!

"I'll say this again, my warriors: even though your otherworldly spirits won't truly die in this world, I won't use you as expendable cannon fodder.

"I won't stake all our futures on the Blood Eagle Clan's selfish interests.

"They aren't worth it!

"I've seen your courage and strength. Now I need your wisdom. Pool your ideas and find a tactic that will minimize our losses.

"Are any of you professional soldiers? Or experienced commanders?"

"No, sir."

Meow Brother gave a showy salute, clearly taking the opportunity to earn some affection points. He stepped forward and whispered to Murphy with a conspiratorial air:

"But I have a professional friend back home. He has some military training. Perhaps I could ask him for advice."

"We have friends like that, too."

Ge Bao and A-Cha exchanged glances, then stepped forward together.

"One of my classmates went to military school. I can ask him, too. Leave this to us, sir. We'll come up with a suitable plan before the operation begins."

"Excellent!"

Murphy nodded in satisfaction.

He had a plan of his own, of course. But if they were playing a game, he had to consider the little players' experience. There were still two days before they reached the Filthy Swamp, so he decided to let them go all out.

He could participate in real time on the forum under a different identity, too. They would propose the operation plan, and they would carry it out.

That way, as long as they won, he'd be able to complete the difficult fifth stage of his beginner guidance quest.

"Then go back and get ready, my warriors."

Murphy waved his hand grandly.

"I'm already trying to secure the best armor and weapons for you. Leave the logistics to me. Let me see the fire of your wisdom! In the name of the Grand Plan, we'll overcome this challenge!"

"For the Grand Plan!"

The ten little players cheered together, then arranged to meet with Murphy again before disappearing from sight as their summons were dismissed.

Murphy bent down and picked up the crimson cloak that had fallen off Niu Niu. He walked back to his carriage with his hands behind his back, humming a tune, but suddenly stopped on the way.

Murphy felt as if someone was watching him. He looked all around but couldn't find anyone. After thinking back over and over to pinpoint when the feeling had begun, he concluded that the watcher probably hadn't seen the players appear and disappear. He stopped worrying about it and quickly returned to the carriage.

This was a caravan made up of vampires and blood slaves. It would've been stranger if none of the young lady's spies were around.

Murphy had always been on his guard around his fellow vampires—two hundred percent on his guard.

After Murphy returned to his carriage, Lady Adele quietly appeared in the shadows at the edge of the grove. Her expression was cold, but her figure... well, she was at least a D cup, possibly even an E.

She had appeared near the place where Murphy had just held his meeting with the players.

The human scout, who seemed to be in the prime of her mature allure, was quite professional as she looked around for traces. But before leaving, the cunning Murphy had used Psionic Impact to erase every trace of what had happened there. No matter how skilled the investigator, she wouldn't find anything useful.

The lady furrowed her brow and decided to record the discovery in her notebook, then report it to Lady Femis that evening.

Murphy, an unremarkable and seemingly harmless family outcast, might be hiding something. Her young lady needed to be more vigilant because of it. Though, given her young lady's peculiar personality, she probably wouldn't care anyway.