Just as Qiaopan had to drain Murphy's blood and sever his power to grant him eternal death, even after being repeatedly blasted by more than a dozen bombs and reduced to mush by the Witch Hunter's arrows, the elite thug of the Wolfsbane Clan still hadn't died in the night.
His body had been burned into black charcoal, but crimson cracks burst beneath the charred skin. Amid the hair-raising sounds, Qiaopan's feeble groans and venomous curses could still be heard.
Physical methods of exorcism were rarely effective against vampires.
At best, they could only make them feel pain. Unless the force was enough to pulverize them completely, you had to resort to "traditional methods" to deal with the problem.
"Grant him eternal death! Quickly!"
Lady Adele, who had lost a quarter of her blood to Qiaopan, was now swaying on her feet. Murphy had put her beneath a tree, but she still gripped his wrist and reminded him:
"Execute him! Then go help the young lady! I know what you did, but she needs help now, Murphy! Your hatred of the Blood Eagles is your business, but the young lady is the only one in the group who's shown you any kindness!
You have to help her!"
"I will. Rest, madam."
Murphy replied rather perfunctorily, then summoned Mirian to stop Lady Adele's bleeding and treat the wound on her neck.
She'd been bitten by a vampire, and not in the "gentle" manner of a first embrace, either.
That meant she still had plenty of suffering ahead of her.
"I apologize for my reckless words and actions earlier, madam."
Murphy yanked the Wolfsbane staff-sword from his chest and tossed it into his psionic pouch. Then he spoke softly to Lady Adele, who was glaring at him:
"I'll do everything I can to help you recover."
"I can die, but the young lady has to live! Murphy, I helped you, so go help her! One life for another. Go!"
Lady Adele was practically begging, but she really was on the verge of collapse.
Murphy nodded to her, then gave Maxim a look. The loyal servant stepped forward and struck the blood-servant butler on the back of her head with a thump. Once the agitated woman had fallen unconscious, Mirian could stop the bleeding more easily.
"Keep her safe."
Murphy said to his two assistants, then leaned on the Blade of the Desire Lineage and limped away.
The little players had gathered in a circle, eyes wide as they watched the vampire recover from his grievous injuries.
The process was undeniably horrifying and revolting, especially the sight of fresh flesh growing beneath charred skin.
"I think I'm going to have nightmares tonight."
A-Cha said, covering his eyes. Beside him, Happy Stick gagged and said:
"I don't think I'll want steak for a month."
"Damn, Brother Stick, what kind of family are you from? You just eat steak whenever you want?"
They started their usual banter, treating the scene before them like a horror short film. Still, when they saw Murphy approaching, the little players politely made way for him.
"It's very difficult to kill a vampire for good. We are born with a certain dark quality of 'eternal life,' and you are about to witness something that, most of the time, exists only in legends."
Murphy spoke quietly to his warriors:
"I am about to execute him and grant him the return of eternal death. May the Mother of Night show mercy to his brutal soul, which has nowhere else to go."
"The Mother of Night? Is that your god?"
Invincible Tyrannosaurus Car asked in a low voice, intrigued by such mystical matters. Murphy was kneeling beside Qiaopan's charred bones. Hearing the question, he shook his head.
"No, my warrior. Vampires are 'eternal sinners.' No god will turn Their gaze upon us, whether They are merciful or cruel.
"Only darkness will shelter us and offer us our final refuge. That is why we honor the night as our mother.
"We would never dare hope to have a god of our own."
Murphy reached out. Following the steps Triss had once told him after getting drunk, he wrapped dark psionic energy around his fingertips, then tore open Qiaopan's charred bones. He gripped the heart that had already regenerated and was still beating faintly, then yanked it free.
The sight wasn't all that shocking.
At least, to the watching players, it was nothing compared to the horrifying process of Qiaopan rising from his charred bones. Perhaps it was because Murphy had acted swiftly, unwilling to inflict much more pain on Qiaopan, who had nearly killed him.
With his heart removed, Qiaopan's regeneration stopped.
As he let out a pained, despairing howl like a wolf's, the blood within him was drawn out as well. It peeled away from his body and coiled around the vampire heart in Murphy's hand like a red halo.
A vampire's power came from blood.
The moment all the blood that embodied that power was drained, a vampire died forever. But this process marked not only the arrival of eternal death; it also represented the night's reward for the victor.
As Murphy watched, Qiaopan's blood continued to gather. The still-beating heart of flesh rapidly turned into a blood-red stone, growing cold and hard.
The charred bones beneath his feet underwent the same transformation.
The instant the last breath was forced from Qiaopan's lungs, he took his final breath in this world.
He became a cold, faded stone statue, his vivid features still bearing the despair of his final moments.
Murphy looked at the crimson, petrified vampire heart in his hand. Qiaopan's concentrated power was right before him. He could grant the stone to one of his blood descendants or trade it to another vampire.
Or he could simply keep it. The thing was rare and rather beautiful, after all.
Of course, he could also absorb that power without a hint of guilt, in the name of the victor.
"In the name of victory!"
Murphy didn't hesitate.
As the little players watched, he raised the crimson stone in his hand as if making a toast, then clenched his fingers and crushed it. At the same time, Qiaopan's petrified body shattered where it stood, scattering into flying stone dust.
That was how vampires died.
They left forever, decisively, never to leave a trace in this world again.
Murphy inhaled the crimson motes of light through his nose and mouth. As he closed his eyes, a red glow coursed through his veins beneath his pale skin.
He desperately needed this power. He had to become stronger!
Not just for himself.
A useless monster girl who had lost her power and was being bullied by her own people was waiting for him to protect her. A group of cute, loyal, and useful little players was waiting for him to lead them.
And an entire savage yet mysterious otherworld was waiting for him to see, explore, and conquer!
A character card appeared with a notification:
Blood Essence · Wolfsbane fused. This essence came from Qiaopan Markey Gangrel. A random ability will be drawn from the target's power traits and granted to the user. Since the target was far stronger than the user, the number of power traits drawn has increased. The newly acquired power traits have been reduced to their initial level. Extracting power. I. All attributes increased! Character template changed from "Ordinary" to "Rare." Initial racial attributes increased to 150%. This template can be copied and inherited (blood descendants only). The character template traces back to the vampire racial branch, the Blood Eagle Clan. The clan-exclusive trait is Flight Mastery. This trait will activate after completing the Trial of Strength · Black Iron Body and acquiring the biological trait "Blood Wings." Rare template acquired! The reward, a racial-exclusive trait, has been converted into Sky Mastery. Your Blood Wings will become larger, heavier, and more flexible. They will provide comprehensive defense while greatly increasing your flight speed (maximum speed while flying at midnight increases to the speed of sound). Explanation of biological template changes: Ordinary template: An individual's initial attributes are at or below the average for their species, with no special enhancements. Rare template: An individual's initial attributes are at least 150% of the species average. The reward is an enhanced racial trait. Elite template: An individual's initial attributes are at least 200% of the species average and they have achieved the Warrior accomplishment. The reward is an enhanced class skill. Boss template: This template has no attribute requirements, but requires the accomplishments United as One, Renowned Far and Wide, and Lord with Real Authority. This template is unique to a faction. The reward is an enhanced aura-type boss skill. Leader template: Requires the Boss template, as well as the accomplishments Turning the Tide, World-Famous, and Forming Alliances. This template is unique to a species. The reward is a group-command-type skill. Hidden/special character templates are not covered. As the Achievement System has not yet been unlocked, templates above Elite cannot be obtained for now. II. Skill extracted: Summoning I · Astral Wolf. A racial-exclusive trait of the Wolfsbane Clan. Current skill proficiency: "Beginner." Since the user possesses the trait Otherworldly Creature Summoning, the summoning skill has been upgraded to Summoning II · Astral Direwolf 0/1. Current skill proficiency: "Beginner." Power extraction complete! Notice! Since the user has not yet passed the Trial of Strength · Black Iron, the remaining Blood Essence cannot be absorbed. Recondense it? Yes/No Notice! Each Blood Essence may only be used once by the same user. Notice! Frequent use of Blood Essence over a short period may cause a series of negative effects, including bloodline instability, mental collapse, and memory confusion. Once acquired, these negative effects cannot be dispelled.
"This is heartbreaking. Am I really still that weak? I can't even absorb all the experience dropped by an enemy! And is it seriously only now that this Blood Eagle Clan racial trait is activating?
"So the rumors were true!
"Because Triss was so weak, every vampire she turned was just as pathetic—so weak they couldn't even activate their clan talents on their own!
"She came from a prestigious vampire family, yet she's been getting by with an Ordinary template, barely stronger than an ordinary person, and only just managed to level up.
"I've really got it rough."
Murphy felt his strength surge by 50% across the board, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.
That unlucky Triss had really dragged him down. Still, at least he was finally "Rare" now.
Even the edges of his translucent character card were now wrapped in a silver border, signifying that Murphy had finally escaped the pitiful ranks of ordinary monsters and become a noble, extraordinary rare monster.
According to the biological template descriptions, the next template upgrade was probably "Elite Creature," right?
Awesome!
That flashy golden dragon profile frame was waiting for him!
The good times were still ahead.
But then he realized that if he was a rare monster, would the little players sneak up on him and steal his exclusive loot while he was walking around?
Come to think of it, his Elder's armor was both expensive and rare.
On the other hand, to them, this was just a game. So as long as he kept his composure, didn't do anything stupid, and didn't show his health bar, even if the players coveted his loot, it would probably be hard for them to get their hands on it, right?
Murphy grinned, quickly put aside the absurd thought, then recondensed the remaining Blood Essence in his hand into a crystal-clear blood crystal.
Other vampires could absorb this thing, too. Murphy could use it to have some fun with other vampires. But the next moment, he casually tossed the precious Blood Essence to Maxim behind him.
The albino blood servant was completely dumbfounded.
He'd only ever heard of something as incredible as Blood Essence. This was his first time seeing it for real.
"Burning loyalty deserves a reward. This will set it apart from cowardly betrayal."
Murphy, now fully recovered, flexed his elbow and said to Maxim:
"Once I've completed your first embrace, you can absorb it. That way, you won't have to repeat my mistakes. You'll be stronger than other newly turned vampires from the very beginning."
"My lord! This is far too precious. I..."
Maxim wanted to refuse.
But Murphy didn't give him the chance. He waved a hand to stop his loyal servant, then glanced back toward the Smugglers' Grove.
He could leave right now.
But after a moment's thought, he turned to his adorable little players and asked them very seriously:
"So, my warriors, should we go help that young lady now?"
"Damn! We've reached a branching storyline!"
The little players immediately understood.
They realized that their efforts had pushed the story to a branching point, which probably meant they could choose freely, and their NPC would make a different decision depending on what they chose.
Given the current situation, if they chose not to help, that aloof rich little lady would probably get killed.
"Please allow us to discuss it, Lord Murphy."
Meow Brother said. Murphy nodded.
"Of course. All glory to you, my warriors. Without you, we wouldn't have won today, and you deserve to enjoy all of this.
"But time is short, so please decide quickly."
The little players moved aside and began an intense discussion while Murphy watched them with a strange look in his eyes.
All right.
They really had gotten into character.
Maybe teasing them a little and giving them some agency would make the game more enjoyable for them. As for whether the young lady lived or died, honestly, Murphy didn't really care.
Come on!
Her father was the clan chief.
The young lady lived in luxury. Why should a marginal figure like Murphy worry about her? That was basically like a proletarian sympathizing with a capitalist—ridiculous and laughable, wasn't it?
Besides, when the young lady had thrown him and the little players into battle as cannon fodder, no one else had cared enough to feel sorry for them.
But his adorable little players were probably too excited to think clearly. They hadn't even considered their own strength. All they had was Murphy, who'd just upgraded his template and was barely capable of a fight. Even if they really ran over there now, they'd only catch a cutscene and give the young lady a dignified burial.
"Lord Murphy! We've made our decision."
Behind him, Meow Brother, representing the little players, stepped forward and gave Murphy a slight bow in the Blood Eagle manner of greeting. He spoke seriously:
"We shouldn't abandon the young lady. She helped us, after all. So we've decided—we're going to help her!"
It sounded so noble and proper.
But in reality, the little players' thinking was easy enough to understand, and entirely within Murphy's expectations.
They simply didn't want to miss a single side quest worth replaying! Besides, this was an aloof vampire heiress—a rich little girl! It had all the anime tropes!
Slurp, slurp. This dog of a game designer was really good at his job!
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