The battle in the ambush zone had entered its second phase.
The surviving cavalry from the convoy had all been driven into the anti-cavalry ditch and couldn't climb out for the moment, but the two astral wolves summoned by the disruptive Wolfsbane vampire, Jopan Markich, had become a new threat.
These genuine beings from the True Otherworld were a size larger than ordinary wolves. Fierce, loyal, and swift as the wind, they charged wildly through the night at their master's command, like calves on a rampage, sending a group of little players sprinting for their lives.
Unlucky Jie Chong and Brother Black Silk had already died beneath the wolves' jaws. With a wolf on his heels, Meow Brother had no choice but to flee toward their trench with his two remaining buddies, planning to play a game of hide-and-seek.
These two creatures were beings from the astral plane, so ranged attacks like bullets did very little damage to them. Just looking at their starlit skin told you these things probably had to be dealt with in melee.
The little players weren't afraid of hand-to-hand combat with dismounted cavalry, but the thought of charging a half-human-height giant wolf with their bare bodies still made them a little uneasy.
It was like how some brave souls would slide-tackle a tiger, yet still get chased around screaming by a guard goose. It wasn't about courage; sometimes the things people feared were simply bizarre and unreasonable. Some people would see a clown and ask for a balloon, while others would wet themselves at the sight of one.
Besides, these were wolves! They could bite!
"Quick! Niu Niu, it's time for you, the athlete, to slide-tackle! Go!"
Leading Pigeon was pounced on by an astral wolf and let out a scream.
He kept making shrill, chicken-like cries as he desperately clung to the wolf's head, keeping it from biting his neck. He shouted at Chen Dian Niu Niu beside him, hoping the athlete would save him—or at least use him as bait.
"Slide-tackle my ass! This isn't a tiger!"
Niu Niu, covered in blood, shouted as he mustered his courage, grabbed his hunting knife, and leapt onto the astral wolf's back. Like a bullfighter, he stabbed it wildly.
The other members of Dormitory Six Bros surged forward all at once, trying to save their beloved dorm leader's son by dogpiling the wolf.
But the sight of seven men piled on top of one wolf and still failing to handle it made the limping Happy Stick shake his head as he passed by. He couldn't help thinking that the next generation of his country's bright young flowers had been spoiled in a greenhouse.
Come on, had none of them ever seen how pigs were slaughtered at New Year?
You couldn't do it by just using brute force!
"Good beast!"
Happy Stick bellowed, deciding to teach these youngsters a proper lesson. Gripping his spear with both hands, he pounced while the astral wolf was busy throwing the screaming Ge Bao aside.
His vicious, precise thrust plunged into the wolf's mouth. He shoved the spear in as hard as he could, making the beast leap and thrash in pain. Then the dirt-smeared Niu Niu rushed in and stabbed it several times in the abdomen, finally killing the calf-sized wolf.
But there was still another astral wolf chasing Meow Brother and the others, and wails were already ringing out from the trenches.
Panting, Happy Stick pulled out his bloodied spear. He felt a little drained and cursed the game for being so realistic and hardcore that it made him feel as if he'd returned to war-torn Africa. Too bad he didn't have an AK that wouldn't jam in his hands.
It just didn't feel right without one.
The older guy caught his breath, glanced at the seven students beside him, and asked,
"Can you still fight?"
"Yeah!"
Ge Bao had been dragged back, but he refused to show weakness. Though the astral wolf had nearly bitten through his neck, he still shouted urgently,
"A man can never say he can't do it! That's what my dad says!"
"Good! Your dad's got plenty of spirit!"
Happy Stick gave him a thumbs-up, shook it, then waved his hand and called out,
"Come on, everyone, follow me! Let's hunt some wolves! Hey, Yang Hen, you can come down from the tree now. It's safe on the ground."
"Oh, I'm coming right down! I'm not good at climbing trees, so catch me down there—ah!"
Yang Hen's reply came from the treetops.
But she clearly wasn't good at climbing trees. An NPC had helped her get up there earlier, and now she was clumsily clinging to the trunk, planning to slide down like a monkey.
The moment she tried to move, her foot slipped.
"Watch out!"
"Ahhhhh! Thump!"
As Dormitory Six Bros and Happy Stick watched in speechless dismay, the sniper who had made a great contribution to the battle flailed wildly, plunged from a tree five or six meters high, and hit the ground without moving.
A few seconds later, a mournful point of light appeared in the night.
Lumina Sunscar, Murphy's number-one archer, had died.
Cause of death: Slipped too much.
"Damn! That's some rotten luck!"
Carried on Coo-Coo Chicken's back, Ge Bao couldn't help complaining. But when he looked around the battlefield, he saw that besides Lumina, who had just died, Black Silk Brother and San Wu Dou had been killed by the wolves, while Mud Truck and Shovel had been taken out by the Wolfsbane vampire. The remaining eleven people had all survived.
Emmm, you could just about call it a great victory.
Happy Stick, the commander of the battle, thought it over and decided to declare his first battle as a commander an "epic victory." But if they didn't hurry to help, Meow Brother and the others, who were playing hide-and-seek with a vicious wolf, were probably about to be wiped out.
Happy Stick led the students over and quickly killed the second wolf, rescuing Meow Brother from its jaws. Before they could catch their breath, Niu Niu ran over carrying the badly wounded Maxim.
The athlete cried out,
"I can't understand what this NPC's saying! But he's really worked up. Our main-story NPC and that little BOSS who took out Mud Truck and Shovel are both missing!
"I think the NPC drew the little BOSS away for us.
"Should we go help?"
"Fuck, of course we should! If the main-story NPC dies, won't the game restart?"
Meow Brother, his face covered in blood, kicked the astral wolf's corpse beside him and took the Plantagenet soldier's rifle that A-Cha handed him. Click—he chambered a round.
Happy Stick looked over his surviving brothers. He hesitated, then said,
"Push up that Automatic Hunter Crossbow! Gather the explosive rounds from the cavalry's saddlebags, too. We can't even get near that little BOSS. He's too fast. We can only lay down suppressive fire and back up our NPC."
"Stick, there are still five or six cavalrymen in the anti-cavalry ditch with broken legs. What should we do with them?"
Bionic Snail, one of the students, asked quietly.
Happy Stick glanced at him and said,
"Why are you calling me Stick? Who taught you that? Call me Happy! Those enemy cavalrymen have health bars now, so what do you think we should do? Kill them all! Hurry up, then go help our NPC."
"Uh..."
The students immediately grew restless.
In other games, killing monsters wouldn't have weighed on them. But True Otherworld had made the monsters look far too realistic.
When they were fighting face-to-face, adrenaline pumping, it was kill or be killed. There was nothing to say about that.
But killing prisoners now—
"Just leave them there to fend for themselves."
Seeing the mood turn sour, Meow Brother spoke up.
"They can't climb out anyway. Those blood thralls dug the ditch way too deep."
"Can't they stand on each other's shoulders? You think a ditch only four meters deep can trap anyone? They're all veterans!"
Happy Stick sneered and said,
"You say this game is realistic and the NPCs are smart, but now you're the ones looking down on them. This is war! You think you're playing house?
"You don't have to kill them, but don't plant a time bomb for yourselves. It'd be a laugh if they stole back everything you just took. Put one more bullet into each cavalryman in that ditch. Shoot them in the legs. Get moving!"
At Happy Stick's command, the students turned and headed off with their guns. Meow Brother tugged at his hand and said quietly,
"Don't bring your way of doing things here! This is a game. We need to stick together."
"Orders are orders! Understand?"
Happy Stick sighed and complained,
"Forget it. You're not professionals, after all. When there are more people, I'll form my own squad and bring all my old buddies back! For now, hurry up and push the cart. We need to save the NPC."
A swarm of little players ran over and pushed the "weapons platform," following Maxim's directions into the woods in the direction where Murphy had disappeared. They soon found Mirian crouching there, clutching her head and trembling.
The red-haired girl hadn't joined the battle, but she'd witnessed the entire ambush. Only when she saw Maxim did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
She usually couldn't stand this vampire worshipper, but amid the chaos of the battlefield, seeing someone familiar was far better than running into an enemy.
"Murphy went toward the swamp!"
Mirian hurried over to report,
"He might be trying to lure the vampire toward the young lady, but he's not as fast as that guy. You'll have to hurry."
"The Hunter Crossbow seems to be jammed."
Maxim endured the pain and said to Mirian,
"Go fix it. The lord's warriors will push the cart over. The lord will hold out until we get there!"
--
"Ugh."
A tremendous blow struck Murphy's battered body. He spun through the air before crashing to the ground in a heap.
Maxim had a lot of faith in him, but that couldn't change how bad things were. Though his expert Blood Vulture Swordsmanship let him hold his own against Jopan Markich in a blade fight, the power of skill ultimately depended on strength.
He fell to the ground and looked at Jopan, whose form had already lost all semblance of humanity. The effects of the reconnaissance he'd used earlier were still active, so Murphy could see the man's information floating before his eyes:
Name: Grayclaw Elite Jopan Markich Gangrel Rank: Elite Template · Black Iron Body · Silver Trial Unlocked Class: Level 12 Wolfclaw Hunter/Level 9 Wilderness Wanderer/Pastry Chef · Cookie Specialist Status: Bleeding · Unbridled Rage · Wild Aberration Assessment: Overwhelmingly Powerful · Extremely Dangerous
Murphy was only a class holder and hadn't even activated his Black Iron Trial, while Jopan had already unlocked the higher-level Silver Trial. That meant this Wolfbane scion's raw power was at least two ranks above Murphy's!
And the man also had a conspicuous "Elite Template," making him far more powerful than Murphy's pitiful ordinary template.
In a one-on-one fight, this guy could easily take down an elite Midnight Hunter. Even the genius young lady Femis would probably need some time to deal with him.
No wonder the Plantagenet Kingdom's transport convoy had saved Jopan as its trump card.
In a battle among mortals, if no one with great power stepped in, a supernatural vampire approaching the rank of a Silver Body could show up at night and basically slaughter everyone.
"From the way you bragged, I thought you were someone impressive. Turns out you're a useless wretch who hasn't even completed the Black Iron rank!"
Jopan contemptuously waved the knife-like claws in his hand, flinging drops of blood he'd torn from Murphy's body. The man's summoned creatures had been interesting, but the summoner himself was thoroughly unremarkable.
He'd lost interest in Murphy.
The Wolfsbane pastry chef's motto was that the weak were merely decorative frosting in the lives of the strong.
"Ugh."
The Blade of the Desire Lineage was kicked out of Murphy's hand. Jopan pinned him beneath his foot, and a nasty grin spread across his hideously pale, distorted face.
He licked his fangs and said,
"You were only turned recently, weren't you? Less than a year ago, I'd guess. Your sire must be weak, too weak to pass on the true power of the bloodline, which left you as a half-baked fledgling.
"But I think you have potential!
"Your exquisite swordsmanship and strange summoning spell both show that you could become a rising star of the Blood Eagle Clan in the future. Best of all, you aren't short on courage. You dare to bare your blade against powerful enemies!
"What a shame. What a pity. The duty of Wolfsbane is to break the Blood Eagles' backs and grind them into the mud so they can never rise again.
"So, future star Murphy—
"Let's say our goodbyes!
"I'll follow the old tradition and send word of your death to your sire. I'll tell her how desperate and helpless you were as you died, adding another grievance to our old feud and forging a new hatred.
"It'll be my honor—"
Murphy answered by reaching up and gripping Jopan's ankle. He squeezed the psionic energy from his body into a Psionic Impact: Dark Blast. The corrosive orb of psionic energy exploded in his hand, tearing Jopan's skin open and splattering blood everywhere.
The blow hurt enough to make Jopan spin his staff-blade around and drive it down with a howl, pinning Murphy to the ground.
But an attack like that couldn't kill a vampire.
These dark supernatural beings, practically "immortal," had almost no obvious weaknesses besides sunlight. To execute Murphy, Jopan still had one final step to take.
Drain his blood!
Take his power!
Grant him eternal silence so he could never rise again in the dark.
"Die, little vulture!"
Jopan's claws sank into Murphy's skin.
The vampire felt all the blood in his body begin to flow backward, pooling around the wound. At that critical moment, a gunshot spattered blood across Jopan's forehead and interrupted the ritual of blood-draining and eternal silence.
The vicious Wolfsbane thug turned his head and saw Lady Adele, the young lady's blood thrall, aiming an elegant revolver at him and firing again and again. With her other hand, she drew a crimson rapier from beneath her skirt.
She didn't like Murphy.
She'd even guessed that Murphy had played a shady role in tonight's events. But right now, Murphy's forces were the only ones still more or less intact, and she needed him to go with her and support the young lady!
He definitely had another card up his sleeve, and the young lady needed his wisdom now.
Lady Adele was an excellent shot. Her second bullet hit Jopan's throat, tearing his vocal cords and making him let out a low howl. He abandoned Murphy and pounced at the bold mortal like a ghost.
Lady Adele blocked his vicious claw strike with her rapier. The two Black Iron combatants fought back and forth for several seconds. The human lady held her own in technique, but in the end, she still couldn't match the mad Jopan.
He knocked her rapier away, grabbed her, and sank his sharp fangs into Lady Adele's slender, pale neck.
She let out a wretched scream.
Jopan laughed wildly.
He was delighted to drink a virgin's blood, taking it as a lucky omen.
But soon, he regretted it.
The tragedy that had befallen Murphy happened again to this Wolfsbane thug.
As Lady Adele's blood went down his throat, a hard-to-describe nausea and weakness quickly overtook the frenzied Jopan. Realizing he'd been tricked, he shoved the cunning woman to the ground and staggered backward, swaying his head like a drunk. Two seconds later, he clutched his stomach and retched.
"Only tasteless thugs go berserk at the sight of blood. Unfortunately for you, we just captured four Witch Hunters. How does my blood taste, Mr. Thug?"
Lady Adele got to her feet and clutched her bleeding neck with one hand. Her face was deathly pale, but expressionless, as she picked up her crimson revolver, struggling to maintain a butler's composure. She pressed it to Jopan's forehead and fired the remaining four bullets into his hard skull.
Murphy stood up with Jopan's staff-blade still stuck in his body. He raised the Blade of the Desire Lineage and joined Lady Adele's attack, stabbing and slashing Jopan from behind, severing his limbs and piercing his heart.
The wounds on this man began to heal almost at once, just like those of a monster from legend.
"Fuck, our NPCs are in bad shape! Get in there!"
"Save them! Save them!"
The little players' noisy shouts came from behind. Crouched behind the now-spinning Automatic Hunter Crossbow, A-Cha shouted excitedly,
"Watch us kill this monster with bombs and fire! Victory is ours! Victory belongs to the great plan!"
Murphy struggled to stand upright, watching his adorable little players, each with an explosive round in hand.
Meow Brother was holding a torch to light them. The stinging fumes rose into the air. The scene looked like knights lining up before a charge—or like a bunch of armed thugs holding some damned cult ritual.
The vampire knew he wouldn't forget this for a long time, and so he owed his adorable little players another huge favor.
He went over, caught the tottering Lady Adele, and leapt clear of the area around Jopan and his severed limbs.
As the Automatic Hunter Crossbow spun at high speed, unleashing a storm of fire, the players' explosive rounds roared, and the entire area was swallowed by rising flames. Only Jopan's furious roars continued to echo through the fire.
Tonight, another entry had been added to the ancient ledger of hatred, and the Mother of Night had witnessed an eternal silence.
Mm, the flames burning themselves out meant that the shadows were greatly pleased.
Before you continue