Sharpening a sword for a month, and this is the result?

Chapter 2: 2. A Month of Grinding My Sword, and This is the Result?

Although it was a bit embarrassing that his cheat system hadn't finished unpacking after a month of transmigration, Murphy felt pretty good about himself.

He thought this might be some kind of divine "test"!

Perhaps it was to give him a month to adapt to being an "Otherworlder" before he received his world-changing cheat, lest he quickly unleash his true nature and become a "superhero" like Azu after suddenly gaining immense power.

Of course, perhaps all of the above was just his own wishful thinking, and the real reason was that he was just too weak.

"I'm back."

Murphy entered the main house with food, and the moment he pushed the door open, he was hit by a strong smell of alcohol.

Following the scent, he saw a long-haired drunk curled up on a worn-out sofa, surrounded by empty wine bottles, with a half-empty one still in his hand.

The mechanical clock on the wall ticked noisily as it moved. On the dilapidated balcony, several crimson women's robes were hung out to dry. Beyond the playful specks of sunlight, soft, rhythmic snores echoed through the ancient house.

The clean blanket on the sofa had an indentation shaped like a person from sleeping on it. A long-haired, drunken woman was lying there, fast asleep in a very ungraceful pose, occasionally scratching her slender waist with her fingers.

If you added a snot bubble, it would look even more like a century-old witch's boudoir.

Murphy was used to this.

He first tidied up the room, taking the day's collection of wine bottles to the basement. Then, rolling up his sleeves, he went into the kitchen and busied himself. Soon, a bowl of congee with meatballs and duck blood was brought out.

Theoretically, vampires didn't need to eat anything other than blood to survive, and might even live better. But given the financial situation of Murphy and Lady Triss, let alone keeping blood slaves to regularly supply blood for their master, even getting to drink fresh blood occasionally was a cause for celebration.

See those fat rats roaming freely in the yard?

Those were Lady Triss's "reserve blood bags" that she prepared for herself before "living together" with Murphy!

Over the past month, she had recommended this "energy-saving, environmentally friendly, self-sufficient" lifestyle to Murphy several times, but he had politely declined.

He didn't mind being an eccentric eater in a magical otherworld, but he could do without high-class ingredients like rats.

Honestly, before meeting Lady Triss, Murphy could never have imagined that a dignified Midnight Aristocrat would be reduced to this state in a city ruled by vampires.

"Wake up, Triss, it's time to eat."

He placed the bowl, which was older than he was, on a table at least six times his age. He bent down and helped his Progenitor up from the sofa.

"Progenitor" referred to the vampire who had bestowed the First Embrace upon a mortal.

In their culture, this term was akin to "parent." Whether it was the Blood Vulture Clan or other clans, there were strict and ancient sacred rules regarding the First Embrace. It was not merely a form of vampire reproduction, and thus the term Progenitor held a very formal meaning in Bloodkin culture.

Unfortunately, Murphy's Progenitor was so unusual that it caused Murphy, who had just arrived, to develop a serious misconception about the entire vampire race.

These creatures that were active at night must have long-term sleep deprivation and disrupted circadian rhythms, making them all unreliable!

"Ha, little Murphy, let me sleep a little longer..."

Lady Triss, in his arms, mumbled in her sleep, nuzzling against Murphy's broad chest like a cat before trying to go back to sleep, leaving Murphy feeling helpless.

"Mmm, let me tell you, I dreamt I was young again. I dreamt I was a genius elder of the Blood Vulture Clan, and Salokdar himself poured me wine. The handsome Lord Payin invited me to a banquet. Damn Old Edward avoided me..."

To be honest, the appearance of this hallucinating vampire lady was quite stunning, possessing the aura of a mature older sister mixed with the unique allure of a Midnight Aristocrat.

Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, her waist was slender, and her eyes were fiery, making her the center of attention for any man in any situation.

However, a horrifying scar, like a centipede, extended from her slender neck into her bodice, and emerged from her delicate waist, stopping at her hip, almost traversing her entire body. It was like a regrettable crack on exquisite porcelain.

It not only severely marred her beauty but also damaged the strength that a vampire relied on.

The other vampires' calling her a "cripple" was not a derogatory term; Triss had indeed lost most of her power. She had never told Murphy the origin of her scars, nor did he ever ask.

After all, when living together, both parties needed some boundaries.

"Wow, this tastes as amazing as ever! It seems that giving you, this little troublemaker, the First Embrace was the most correct thing I've done in my hundred years of muddled existence."

Drunk, Triss took a sip of the congee and immediately showed a satisfied expression.

She sighed, half-drunk and half-awake, and just as she was about to dig in, she saw the luxurious velvet pouch on the table, which was out of place in the otherwise "simple" environment.

Especially the Blood Vulture emblem on the pouch, which made Triss's eyes narrow immediately.

"What is this?"

She looked at Murphy and, tapping her spoon, questioned him angrily:

"Didn't I tell you not to interact with other Blood Vultures? They are all scoundrels who can't get on stage! Have you forgotten how their damn summoning technique almost killed you and me? Why don't you listen, child! You're going to drive me crazy, hic~"

"I didn't want to."

Murphy walked towards the balcony to collect the dried clothes and fold them while explaining what had happened to Triss. He said:

"I cannot disobey the Clan Leader's orders. Even if they told me to go to my death, I would have to go with a smile, right?"

"This is more than just going to your death."

Triss, still angry, quickly finished the congee with ungraceful haste, took the pouch, opened it, and took out a slender scroll with a psionic encryption device.

And a seal for unlocking it.

She played with the two items and said:

"Who would include a decoding seal when sending a secret order? Little Murphy, Salokdar has sent you out as bait."

"Hmm? So this letter is fake?"

Murphy wasn't surprised by this. Facing his question, Triss shook her head and said:

"No, the letter is real! But it definitely uses a secret code. If you can deliver the letter to the Midnight Hunter, they can translate the true message. If you die at the hands of the Witch Hunters, then the information on the surface of this secret order is enough to mislead them into the Blood Vulture Clan's trap.

Pursuing two simultaneous possibilities and benefits, truly classic Salokdar style.

The only sacrifice is you, my dear, warm-hearted child."

Triss paused as she said this.

She glanced at Murphy, who had his back to her, rolled her eyes, and then stretched out her voice to say to Murphy:

"However, you've already accepted the mission, and it's too late to back out now. As a famously useless Progenitor, I don't have much to give you. Seeing as you've served me for a year, there's a hidden compartment by the third pillar in the basement. Some things I used in the past are hidden there.

You should be able to use them.

I need to sleep, my head hurts. Oh dear, to think that I, a dignified Elder, am so worn out by alcohol addiction, it's truly unacceptable! So, from now on, I'm quitting alcohol!

Uh...

Never mind, I'll drink one more day.

I'll definitely quit tomorrow!

It's a delightful decision, little Murphy, give me money! I need to buy some wine!"

"...Let's sleep first. I'll buy you some when I go for a walk tonight."

"Wow, little Murphy, you're so heartwarming! Come here for a hug, wait! You're leaving tonight, what wine am I buying! You dare lie to me, Murphy! You're not allowed to run! I'm gonna beat you!"

The basement of Triss Manor was vast, still bearing the traces of the psionic outburst that had blown it up a month ago. Rubble was everywhere, and there were shadows on the ground that seemed impossible to wipe away, making Murphy feel a chill down his spine as he walked into the darkness.

After all, the original owner of this body had died right here.

This was an inauspicious place.

"If you and I had truly swapped bodies, you'd be sitting in an air-conditioned summer office now, squeezing the life out of your employees, while I'm here suffering for you and having to support that monster girl."

Murphy clasped his hands together and whispered:

"I imagine you, who never settled for the ordinary, inherited the position I worked for ten years to get in that world of abundant resources. You should be content with a life of food and clothing security. So don't come back to torment me as a ghost in this place with actual supernatural powers, or I won't be polite!

You're a dead ghost, I'm a vampire.

Since we're both ghosts, who's afraid of whom!"

After completing this bizarre "ritual," Murphy followed Triss's instructions and found the hidden compartment under the third pillar, retrieving a package of items.

A set of exquisite dark red leather armor, including boots and gloves, a crimson cloak embroidered with patterns, and a cool Gauntlet Swift Sword. All were exquisite creations standard for a Bloodkin Elder, likely Triss's last mementos of her glorious past.

So, she really gave up her "coffin money" this time?

"The psionic energy loss is quite severe. Has this not been maintained for centuries?"

Murphy grabbed the Swift Sword and performed a flourish, as if he knew what he was doing. His residual muscle memory contained a remnant of Blood Vulture Swordsmanship. Unfortunately, this original psionic construct was now just a piece of ordinary iron.

Fortunately, it was still sharp enough.

He put on the leather armor, fastened the cloak's clasp, and then put on the matching black vampire mask, finally pulling up the armor's hood.

A mysterious Bloodkin image was immediately formed.

Although there was no mirror, it went without saying that he looked dashing.

After all, since transmigrating, this handsome face that could eat soft food without doing anything was the only thing Murphy could be proud of now.

[ "True Otherworld" Beta Administrator System Installation Package Unpacking Progress: 100%! System Installation Commencing, Please Wait!

Character Card Module Installation In Progress. Test Permissions Downlink Alpha Database Binding Information Resonance and Psionic Projection Module Activation. Empowerment Complete. Personalized Extension Mode Embedded. Novice Guidance Module Activated.

The time for testing has arrived! ]

The moment Murphy finished changing into his gear, the semi-transparent character card in front of him suddenly erupted in a stream of light, engulfing all of Murphy's vision.

He felt as if he had been thrown into a mysterious sea of stars, with starlight twinkling everywhere he looked. The character card, which was originally starkly simple, was rapidly being fitted with new modules, quickly becoming incredibly complex.

It was difficult to accurately gauge the passage of time in this situation, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. It was like sitting in front of a computer, eagerly awaiting a new program to download.

As the background starlight dimmed, a refreshed interface appeared before Murphy:

Name: Ravenor Murphy Lasombra

Race: Vampire [Blood Vulture Clan · Scion of Desire]

Template: Dark Psionics Inclined · Ordinary Individual

Class: Blood Vulture Apprentice / None / None

Talents: Dark Psionics Perception and Manipulation [Novice], Stealth · Shadow Walking [Proficient], Melee · Physical Attack Specialization [Novice]

Specialty: Otherworld Creature Summoning [0/2]

Skills: Blood Vulture Swordsmanship [Novice] / Psionic Shock [Novice]

Equipment: Blood Vulture Elder Armor [6/6], Blade of the Desire Scion [Psionic Depleted], Crimson Midnight Cloak

"Even though I know I'm trash, this series of 'introductory' stuff is really pushing my limits."

Murphy covered his eyes, unable to bear looking at his comprehensive stats.

He knew that practicing various targeted actions could improve skill proficiency, but he'd been trying for a month. How could his stats still be so pathetic?

Could the rumors that everyone in the city knew be true?

Because "King of Uselessness" Lady Triss was herself useless, any Bloodkin she Embraced would become useless no matter how powerful they were before?

Emmm, it couldn't be that exaggerated, right?

And he'd been waiting for a whole month. How could it end here?

Just expanding his character card?

Where was the cheat that promised to change his fate? With such a tragic start, it was unreasonable not to give him a skill to summon dragons or Titans!

As Murphy scratched his head, trying to figure out his seemingly powerful "Administrator System," he noticed a separate slot below his character card.

[Novice Guidance Quest (1/6): Complete your first summon and start the testing phase.

Quest Description: Heh, don't make that face. I know what you're thinking. Start summoning and grasp true power, then you'll know I've given you the best, Alpha.]

"So cryptic. My name is Murphy. What the hell is Alpha?"

Murphy frowned as he finished reading the quest description, glancing at the "Summoning Specialty" on his character card. The [0/2] indicator showed he could summon two "Otherworld Creatures."

"Then let this great me see what kind of trickery your broken gourd is hiding!"

The unlucky vampire gripped the hilt of his Gauntlet Swift Sword with his left hand and made an elegant casting gesture with his right.

He had no idea what he would summon, but even if a burning Dark Titan roared out and struck the world the next second, he wouldn't care.

In fact, he'd think it was incredibly cool and be ready to savor its ashes after the world burned.

After all, he was doing so poorly right now; he had to rely on this to change his fate. Did this city treat him well?

Why should he consider those who harbored malice towards him even when he smiled?

He didn't owe them anything, right?

Skill activated.

Murphy felt like he was being squeezed in a press, extracting the little psionic energy he had left. About a quarter of his Dark Psionics was drawn out when two shimmering points of light finally took shape.

Like the most skilled tailor weaving clear outlines from scratch with psionic light, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared before him under Murphy's expectant gaze.

Ordinary build, ordinary faces, ordinary life force. They were even strong enough that a useless vampire like Murphy could fight several of them.

What the heck!

They were just ordinary humans?

What good was that?

At that moment, the vampire's disdain for this cheat reached its peak. But just as he was about to offer his usual complaint, a very familiar language sounded in his ears.

It was so real it sent a chill down the vampire's spine.

"Holy crap, this game's graphics are insane! Look at the lighting, the detail, the bricks! Damn! These floor tiles are really fucking tiles! But the application said this 'True Otherworld' is still in development? Looks finished to me."

"Shh, shut up! Look, that NPC is staring at us. Yo, this 'Pretty Boy' has a pretty cool model. By the way, why can't I make my face look like his?

Hey!

This game lets you take off your pants too."

"...Shit! Pants, don't take them off!"

"??? Did that NPC just curse? Did I hear that right? He definitely said 'Shit,' right? Even the localization is this down-to-earth? I love it."

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