Swamp Night Battle

August 21st, Year 1111 of the Era, evening. The Southern Border of the Transylvania Region, at the entrance to the Filthy Swamps.

Sixty Midnight Hunters, led by Miss Femis, along with twenty fully armed Blood Servants, had already departed the camp and were heading to the swamp's edge to set an ambush.

Meanwhile, Murphy and his two Servants, along with sixteen Little Players, were also lying in wait at the predetermined spot in the Smuggler's Woods on the swamp's edge. They were hidden in a short trench they had dug beforehand, peeking out at the unsettling jungle shrouded in darkness.

At this moment, even the most carefree Little Players had stopped their roughhousing.

The Dormitory Six Brothers and the Sports Student Niu Niu were positioned in the forward foxholes. They held Hand Crossbows and Hunting Crossbows, seized from Witch Hunters, with various suitable Melee Weapons placed beside them.

They were the designated candidates for the First Wave of Assault.

The Dormitory Six Brothers had strong opinions about this, but the tactical arrangement was the result of a game of chance. No matter how dissatisfied they were, they could only blame their bad luck.

High up in the branches, Miss Lumina Yanghen, chosen as a Sniper, was mimicking a scene from a war movie she had watched, placing a Grass Wreath on her head. She was lying on a wooden board set up at a fork in the branches, searching for targets.

She had no idea if she could hit anyone in this pitch-black night.

But she knew this was the unspoken Gentleman's Demeanor and Preferential Treatment from the men, as her position was arguably the safest in this tactical arrangement.

"Wish I had some chewing gum..."

In the crookedly dug trench, Brother Wu Miao muttered softly. The Nitou Che beside him handed him a Blade of Grass, gesturing for him to put it in his mouth to alleviate some of the tension.

However, after nearly becoming the first person to exit the game in the wild due to an Accidental Ingestion Incident yesterday, Brother Wu Miao had developed a psychological aversion to these wild things.

"Don't worry, I asked an NPC. It's not poisonous. Speaking of which, did you rush to the bathroom after logging off yesterday? I'm really curious if that kind of Mental Agony can actually transfer to the body?"

Nitou Che, with the blade of grass in his mouth, chuckled. Brother Wu Miao, with a scowl, punched him. Nitou Che then stopped smiling, adjusted the Retainer Leather Helmet on his head, and said with a wistful expression:

"According to our NPC, there's an Explorer's Association organized by Halflings on this continent that adventures everywhere. They have plenty of Survival Experts, each comparable to Bear Grylls in the wild. I definitely want to see them someday."

"When will that ever happen?"

Board Happy Stick, the Action Commander, crawled over from the rear, gripping his Dwarven Hunting Rifle, and complained to Brother Wu Miao:

"We don't have any Reconnaissance Methods, and we can only wait passively. It's so frustrating. Sigh, if only I had a Flare right now."

"What do you need that for?"

The Chanche Ren next to Nitou Che asked curiously.

"To use as a Signal Flare?"

"Hell no!"

Happy Stick made a gesture of firing upwards, his expression sinister as he said:

"If we shot that thing into the sky above the 'Friendly Forces' position, we wouldn't have to wait here miserably. This preparation was too rushed. We need to seize the Initiative next time!

Seriously, you can't always be this passive in a war.

Look at this great Virtual Reality, what a fantastic Warfare Background! It's a waste of this Technology not to make something of ourselves here."

Then he started muttering incomprehensible things, like "Lower the Anti-Aircraft Gun" and "Neutron Annihilation," causing the Little Players around him to exchange bewildered glances, their bodies chilled.

After Happy Stick mumbled and walked away, "Duo Dao Le San Wu Dou," one of Brother Wu Miao's "Four Great Vajras," nudged his boss's shoulder. He whispered:

"Brother Wu Miao, what does your buddy do in reality? He seems a bit scary."

"He makes Sand Tables, and he likes playing P社 Games."

Brother Wu Miao also regretted it slightly. Was bringing this warmonger into the group a good thing or a bad thing?

"Oh, so he's a Paradox Game Criminal! That explains it."

Everyone else suddenly understood.

It seemed Happy Stick's unusual behavior suddenly had a reasonable explanation.

And although Happy Stick spoke with confidence in front of others, when he finished inspecting the position arrangements and returned to the rear alone, he gasped for air nervously.

He looked at the details of various plans written in his notebook, took deep breaths, and encouraged himself.

All the arrangements for tonight were his doing, but in reality, he was definitely the most nervous person among them. Whether he was genuinely skilled or just an Armchair General would soon be revealed.

"Swish."

A shadow quietly landed behind him. A hand patted Happy Stick's shoulder, making him turn around abruptly to see Murphy staring at him in the darkness.

"Lord Murphy."

Happy Stick, imitating the others' address to Murphy, tried to say a few words but was stopped by Murphy's shake of his head.

Murphy said to Happy Stick:

"You are the commander. You should be with your soldiers!

Don't be nervous, my Warrior. You've done your best, and I've seen it all. We've given it our all. The rest is up to Destiny.

I think, although Destiny is a bitch, she will still favor the brave tonight."

"Yes! My Lord!"

Hearing Murphy's encouragement, Happy Stick instinctively straightened his back and gave a military salute. Then he saw Murphy wave at him and quietly disappear into the night.

The Vampire was also very nervous himself.

But glancing at the Blood Vulture Swordsmanship skill on his character card, which had reached "Proficient," and his character level of 8, he felt a surge of confidence.

For the past two days and nights, aside from sleeping and interacting with the Little Players, he had spent all his time improving his swordsmanship. He had finally taken that crucial step, proving that his potential was also being tapped.

If only he could survive tonight...

Murphy narrowed his eyes, gazing at the woods under the cover of night. He clenched his fist and pounded his chest hard.

No, he would definitely survive!

He wanted to return home victorious; Triss was waiting for him.

"Maxim, prepare yourself!"

Murphy said to the Loyal Servant guarding the front.

"Once we get past this, no one will be able to stop us from making a name for ourselves."

The tall Servant said in a deep voice, "Yes, my lord, I never doubted that."

Meanwhile, at the entrance camp of the Filthy Swamps, two Vampire Torturers from the Blood Vulture Clan were also ready to begin tonight's "entertainment."

The gaunt one grabbed a sharp knife specifically used for bone dissection from the carriage. He stared at the Huntress Natalie, who was panting with her head down, and pressed the blade against her dirty waist and abdomen. He said with a grim tone, "The bones of you hounds are really tough. It's been three days, and you still won't talk. But do you know what? I don't actually want you to yield so easily. The more stubborn you are, the happier I am.

This is because the truth and the answers are not what I expect. I only enjoy your agony."

"Pfft."

The sharp knife pierced flesh and blood, precisely cutting open a scabbed wound, causing Natalie's body to twitch. The smell of blood made the Torturer lick his crimson lips.

He leaned close to Natalie's face and said hoarsely, "Hold on, little girl. The night is still long, and I crave more fun."

"The battle group... the battle group is..."

Natalie mumbled a few words, seeming to be on the verge of revealing information.

This weak posture made the Torturer show a look of disdain. But the Young Miss was still waiting for news, so he leaned closer to Natalie's mouth, wanting to hear more clearly.

"Snap."

Her left hand, stained with blood, broke free from the loosened buckle. The Halfling anesthetic device clutched in her palm was activated, and a slender spike shot out, piercing the Vampire's neck the next second.

Natalie had gathered all her strength to stab it into the Vampire Torturer's blood vessel, causing him to let out a scream and stagger back. However, the Halfling-made anesthetic took effect extremely quickly, with no reduction in potency against supernatural creatures, causing the Torturer's muscles to relax so much that he collapsed to the ground.

This commotion immediately attracted the attention of the other guy at the door.

He rushed in, saw the scene, and was about to grab Natalie, who was struggling to break free, and strangle her. Unexpectedly, the veteran Norman from the opposite side attacked from behind, using his last bit of strength to stab the second anesthetic device into his spine.

Although Vampires are supernatural creatures, their bodies are very similar to humans, and their spines are also a fatal spot. The anesthetic took effect even faster, causing the guy to fall face-first onto the ground with a thud.

Natalie had already unlocked her right hand.

She slumped to the ground but then gritted her teeth, pulled out the bone dissection knife from under her ribs, and pounced on the two Vampires, stabbing them repeatedly in silence.

Blood splattered everywhere, dyeing her entire body crimson, like a demon crawling out of hell.

A few minutes later, four captives helped each other out of the foul-smelling carriage. Natalie found two cans of fire oil that had been deliberately left there by the carriage.

She glanced back at the carriage.

Without any exorcism materials, the Vampires couldn't be completely killed by sharp weapons alone. Those two malicious fellows would recover soon, and they wouldn't be able to escape in their current state.

"Use fire! Burn them to death!"

The one-armed veteran Porter, who had lost a leg, gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "I'll stay here, you guys go! Norman, Ambo, take little Natalie and go!"

"Shut up!"

The Huntress snapped, desperately twisting open the lid of the fire oil and splashing the fuel onto the carriage behind her. She limped forward, weak but resolute, saying, "No one gets left behind! Either we all go, or we all die! Hurry! Light this place up! The bigger the fire, the better! The Guelderland Kingdom's transport team is passing through the Smuggler's Woods, and the Vampires are going to ambush them!

Give them a warning!

The fire needs to be big so they can see it!

Move!"

The other three said no more, enduring the pain as they searched for various tinder.

It was only because the Witch Hunters' physical fitness exceeded that of ordinary people and they had a certain affinity for Nature Psionics that accelerated wound healing; otherwise, an ordinary person with such injuries would have already died.

Soon, a ball of fire ignited at the swamp entrance camp.

Sparks licked the oil-soaked shed roof and instantly soared into the air, illuminating the entire camp. The two Vampires in the carriage let out horrific screams as they struggled to crawl out of the inferno, only to be kicked back in by the veteran blocking the exit.

Old Norman watched with grim satisfaction as the evil creatures screamed in the fire. The firelight illuminated his scarred face.

Behind him, three Witch Hunters stood there, as if mourning fallen comrades.

This firelight was too conspicuous in the dark night.

The instant it ignited, Miss Femis at the swamp's edge turned her head sharply. A flicker of bewilderment crossed her doll-like face. She seemed confused about what was happening there, but the next moment, she knew something was terribly wrong.

"Prepare for a surprise attack!"

With a ferocious command from the Young Miss, the other Midnight Hunters rose from their hiding places.

The Smuggler's Woods convoy had just passed the swamp and was far from the ambush zone Murphy had set up further ahead. However, unless the enemy was blind, they couldn't possibly miss the firelight behind them.

The original ambush plan was ruined.

It had to be an assault.

"Adele!"

The Young Miss turned and screamed at the Blood Servant Butler behind her, who was holding a Thorn Sword:

"Take the Blood Servants and find Murphy! Have him enter the battlefield from the rear to provide support! Quickly!"

"No! This has to do with Murphy, it's his... Don't go! Young Miss! It's dangerous!"

Madam Adele had already figured everything out from the flames ignited at the camp. But she couldn't stop the Young Miss and the Hunters from charging into the battlefield. She could only stomp her foot and turn with a few Blood Servants to rush towards the rear.

At the edge of the Smuggler's Woods, the Guelderland Kingdom transport team, which had just exited the Filthy Swamps and was guarded by hundreds of soldiers, also halted its advance.

On the large carriage in the center, a Psionicist from the Ring Tower cast a spell that allowed him to overlook the area where the fire had ignited. But the next moment, he saw those Blood-colored Bat Wings rising from the swamp's edge in the dark.

"Blood Vulture Ambushers! At least sixty!"

The Psionicist grabbed his Battle Staff and shouted a warning:

"Ambush! Team One, Team Two, Team Three! Prepare for battle! Team Four, escort the supplies and withdraw from the battlefield."

Several Psionicists behind them immediately rose and began casting spells. Blinding Solar Psionics were summoned, shining like sunlight in the night to repel the vampires' assault.

The two carriages in front and back also had their reins removed and were stopped in place. Large Gas Fuel Tanks were connected to cold mechanical devices.

As levers connected and flywheels turned, the Heavy Steam Rapid-Fire Guns stored inside were aimed at the direction of the attack. The roar of the steam engines and the clatter of machinery created a killing aura in the surroundings.

Well-trained soldiers quickly formed a military formation, their hunting rifles cocked. The Witch Hunters in the ranks also unsheathed their blades, ready to counterattack.

The black large carriage in the center, transporting important supplies, detached from the formation and moved forward under the escort of twenty Cuirassier Musketeers.

"You need to protect these things!"

The Psionicist who first discovered the Blood Vulture attack knocked on the carriage window and said to the person inside:

"You know these are Lord Murphy's private property. If anything is lost, even your Clan Leader will be implicated."

"Tch, who are you trying to scare?"

A disdainful voice came from inside the carriage, responding:

"You'd better worry about yourselves. I can smell the stench of decay from those foul vultures from this far away. I hope they don't eat you like rotten meat.

May your hunt be pleasant, Your Excellency.

As for me, you don't need to worry...

A starving Wolf Bat like me can always take care of itself."