Murphy found all the vampires who were with him.
Including Murphy, there were only four of them. Fortunately, it was nighttime, with four or five hours left until dawn. Their senses, heightened in the dark, could easily locate the civilians trapped in the ruins of the outer city.
Before the people in the survivor camp were organized, the young lady and Lady Adele spread their wings and flew a circuit above the outer-city ruins, braving the astral psionic energy and the ominous black snow.
They brought back some very important information.
Cadman City had been swallowed by the energy of an astral rift, rather than struck by an actual earthquake. As a result, not many people were truly trapped beneath the ruins. The main reason the surviving civilians couldn't escape was the desperate spawn that kept appearing in the astral shadows, along with the astral beasts prowling through them.
After receiving this information, Murphy quickly adjusted the plan.
"Use fire!"
Triss, drawing on her profound research into psionics, proposed a solution. She looked at the shadows within the collapsed city wall and said to Murphy:
"The astral shadows in the outer city are just spillover from the inner city. Their concentration and numbers are nothing compared to the core area swallowed by astral psionic energy. We can quickly clear these peripheral shadows with fire.
"The simplest solution is to burn the entire outer city. That would clean things up right away.
"But if you want to rescue people, you can't be that heavy-handed.
"Even ordinary people with alchemical torches can drive back desperate spawn, giving those frightened people enough time to escape.
"The biggest problem is the astral beasts hiding in the shadows.
"All astral creatures can smell the emotions of living beings. They can tell who will make the easiest prey, so you don't need to go with the rescue teams. While they use torches to clear a path, you should deal with the dangerous things lurking in the dark.
"Honestly, few people in the outer city have survived the first wave of the astral invasion. If all goes well, we should be able to rescue most of the poor souls before dawn.
"The rest are too close to that rift, which is crawling with astral corruption. With the strength we have now, we can't clear that area.
"My advice is to abandon it strategically."
"Why aren't your servants getting up?"
The young lady had no objections to the plan, but she noticed the little shelter beside the breach in the city wall and the players lying inside. Looking rather puzzled, she said:
"In a situation like this, shouldn't they be joining in?"
"My brave warriors are exhausted."
Murphy snorted and waved a hand, trying to cover it up.
"The survivors you see were all rescued from the city by them earlier. They're completely worn out, so let them rest. I'm sure those fearless warriors will take on the toughest tasks again tomorrow."
"Whoosh!"
As a pair of enormous crimson bat wings folded, a curvy figure dropped from the sky and landed neatly beside the young lady and Murphy.
Lady Adele, who had mastered the Blood Vulture Flight technique and seemed quite skilled at flying, quietly told the two of them:
"People from the survivor camp are coming over. There are about 140 of them."
"Get them some torches."
Murphy turned to Triss.
"You stay here and help hold the line."
"I'm not as helpless as you think, little Murphy."
Triss wasn't pleased with the arrangement, but the clever lady knew this wasn't the time to complain. She turned and began using the alchemical materials on hand to make simple torches that would burn for a long time.
Weapons, at least, weren't in short supply.
Before logging off, the players had scavenged plenty of things from the city, including a lot of melee weapons.
Murphy certainly wasn't going to hand out firearms to these survivors.
He knew what people might do when gripped by despair and fear. Until he had established his authority, it was better to keep the guns under control.
"We'll each take one side."
Murphy tapped the map of the outer city three times and said to the young lady and Lady Adele:
"We'll advance in three directions at once and hunt the astral beasts. My servants and warriors will lead the survivors in the rescue and double as the enforcement squad."
The young lady and Adele were both Black Iron vampires, and neither had any objection to the arrangement. But Femis glanced at Murphy and hesitated before advising him:
"I don't mean to look down on your abilities, Murphy, but you should still have Adele stay by your side."
"No need!"
Murphy waved her off, inwardly rolling his eyes. The young lady could be so hurtful sometimes.
Wasn't that just looking down on his abilities?
But his character level had already reached 9, and he was just one step away from triggering the Black Iron Trial. How could he let someone else steal his combat experience?
This wasn't some dungeon run where he was carrying a paying customer. In this brutally realistic game, he had to fight for every inch himself. The early days of a new venture were no time to slack off.
Seeing Murphy was so determined, the young lady took several scrolls from her psionic pouch and handed them to him.
"Then use these to enhance yourself. Consider the scrolls my support. Courage is a virtue, but arrogance and recklessness aren't."
Murphy didn't refuse. He took the scrolls and examined them. An information tag quickly appeared:
Name: Femis's Psionic Enhancement Scroll x5 Effect: Unseals the psionic spellwork and applies the following temporary effects to the user: Basic Arcane Eye: Perception +1; Basic Midnight Swiftness: Dexterity +1; Basic Night Owl's Protection: Stamina +1; Basic Power of Darkness: Strength +1; and Charged Blast: Increased Destructive Power. These basic scrolls were made by a certified psionicist. Their effects last for three hours. Warning! Psionic enhancement scrolls increase the user's mental strain. Frequent use will increase the user's Spirit Vision and make them more likely to attract the attention of evil spirits. Creator: Femis Cecilia Lasombra Item Description: Sealing psionic spellwork into scrolls is a complex and mysterious alchemical technique. In the Tower of Rings' curriculum, scrollmaking is often considered an important dividing line between a psionicist and a Psionic Apprentice. However, the spellwork recorded in psionic scrolls activates very violently, making it too much for an ordinary person's mind to bear. Their use is therefore not recommended for the weak.
"Thanks."
Murphy didn't use the scrolls himself. After the five players brought the survivors over, he gave the scrolls to his adorable little players as "quest rewards," to enhance their gaming experience.
"Murphy, sending these people back into the dangerous city is a huge risk."
Mirian had come along too. Still rubbing her eyes, she jumped down from her horse and leaned in to quietly tell Murphy:
"Most of them were forced to come. They have no willpower or courage to speak of. They're a rabble, scared out of their wits, and if they run into danger, things could easily get out of hand."
"How many did Maxim just kill?"
Murphy paid no heed to Mirian's warning. Instead, he glanced at his loyal servant. He could smell the strong scent of blood on Maxim and asked:
"Seven!" Mirian's face had gone a little pale. She spoke in a low voice. "He killed them on the spot for refusing to obey Lord Murphy's orders. The only reason they came here was because that killing scared them. But you can't keep using violence to suppress them. Their spirits are already fragile."
"Now they're going to save their fellow countrymen! Their fellow humans, Mirian!"
Murphy's voice turned stern as he spoke to his red-haired assistant.
"If they won't help their own people, do they deserve to be rescued by a vampire like me? You're in charge of the camp. Keeping them calm is your responsibility, unless you're willing to admit that you learned nothing in your three years at Shire University."
He beckoned to Lady Adele beside him.
Understanding what Murphy meant, she placed her luxurious and practical crimson revolver in his hand, along with an ammunition pouch.
Murphy handed both to Mirian and said:
"You'll lead the group in a moment! Maxim and my five warriors will assist you. I don't want to put pressure on you, Mirian, but if these people cause trouble and hurt themselves or anyone else, they'll have brought that miserable fate on themselves!
"My advice is to treat this like an administrative internship. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
With that, Murphy turned and jumped onto a large rock.
He cleared his throat.
His gaze swept over the survivors who had been forced to gather beneath the breach in the city wall. They were all in a miserable state, pale-faced, with unfocused eyes. Their fear of the hometown city that had nearly swallowed them was plain to see.
"You probably all know who I am. Even if you haven't seen me, you've surely heard the strange tales about Cadman City! That's right. I'm the useless vampire Murphy you've all heard about.
"I won't waste your time, so listen up!
"My warriors rescued you and your families from the city. You should be grateful to them and to me, but the fact is, you were lucky. Many people less fortunate than you are still trapped in these ruins.
"Their lives are slipping away. I need you to help me bring them back from the death that's closing in!"
Murphy raised his voice so everyone could hear:
"I'll give you torches!
"These psionic torches made by vampires will drive away the fear lurking in the shadows. As long as your torches stay lit, the invisible monsters won't come after you.
"You only need to enter the city in groups and bring out the other unfortunate people trapped there. They're your companions, your friends, or people you know. Even if you don't know them, they're your fellow humans.
"You ought to help them.
"As for the dangerous beasts hiding in the night, my kin and I will take care of them.
"Tonight, my vampire kin and I will uphold Transia's ancient laws and protect those who pay us blood tax. We'll make sure none of you are harmed.
"We'll do our duty and lead and protect you.
"But you also have to do your job!
"I'll say it one last time: anyone who disobeys orders and acts on their own will be executed!
"If you think obeying vampires is more dangerous than entering Cadman City as it is now, then go ahead and run off when we set out. But my companions and I won't waste time on fools who can't behave.
"That's all I have to say. Does anyone still not understand?
"If you have an objection, step forward and tell me what you think!"
He watched the restless crowd. Maxim stood to his left with his sword in hand, and the camp supervisor, Mirian, stood to his right. The players stood in a line beside him, armed, their shadows stretching long behind them.
After waiting a few seconds, Murphy swept his hand through the air.
"Since no one objects, take a torch and follow me!"
"Three people are hiding in the basement up ahead!"
Murphy was leading a team of rescuers down the street when he twitched his ears and pinpointed the sound of crying coming from the nearby ruins.
He swung his left hand forward. Lumina and Brother Black Silk, both carrying torches, immediately ran over, followed by several brave survivors. They held torches in one hand and melee weapons in the other, warily scanning their surroundings.
"We're here to rescue you!"
Brother Black Silk pounded on the cellar entrance, which was blocked by debris, and shouted inside.
The people inside couldn't understand him, of course, but they knew someone was outside. Their cries and screams rose again, making the survivors nearby wince.
The others began clearing the rubble that blocked the cellar, but they couldn't move it quickly. Below, the mother was wailing. Her daughter seemed to be injured and in very bad shape.
"There's a broken vent beside the house, but it's too narrow. I can't fit."
Brother Black Silk returned with an embarrassed look.
He was one of the bigger guys. Lumina went over to look at the narrow vent, then handed him her torch and rolled up her sleeves, ready to crawl inside. Brother Black Silk grabbed her before she could.
"Don't go! Let an NPC do it!"
He tried to stop her.
"We don't know what's in there. If you die, you'll be gone for three days."
"If we die, we just wait three days. If they die, that's it for them."
Lumina looked at the timid NPCs around her and pursed her lips.
"I know they're just lines of data, but it feels so real that I can't help feeling bad for them. Besides, I wouldn't have the guts to rescue people like this in real life, right? That doesn't mean I can't be a hero in a game for once. Keep an eye out for me!"
With that, she tore open one of the scrolls Murphy had given her, used it to boost her Dexterity, and crawled into the narrow, dark vent.
Brother Black Silk watched the decisive young woman.
His cheeks felt hot with embarrassment. He got to his feet and shouted at the hesitant NPCs beside him, telling them to hurry up and clear the stones blocking the cellar entrance. Then he pitched in himself.
A few minutes later, a strange sound came from inside the vent.
Brother Black Silk ran over to help. Lumina crawled out, her face smeared with soot, carrying a baby. She handed the swaddled infant to him without a word, then went straight back inside and rescued another child, a girl of four or five.
But after she crawled in a third time, several minutes passed without any sign of her. When Lumina finally emerged, her eyes were brimming with tears.
She covered her mouth, then glanced back repeatedly, her voice full of regret as she told Brother Black Silk:
"We couldn't save their mother. She'd been hit in the head by a brick and couldn't hold on any longer. She asked me to look after her children and gave me the last of the money in her house. I couldn't save her. Sigh."
For a moment, Brother Black Silk didn't know what to say.
He looked at the baby in his arms. The child was sleeping soundly, sucking on a finger, seemingly unaware of what was going on around it. Meanwhile, the other rescued girl clung tightly to Lumina's leg and wouldn't let go.
She was terrified.
In that moment, soot-covered Brother Black Silk felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
Damn it, this game was way too realistic. Did it really have to be so hardcore about every little detail?
Couldn't they just have fun killing monsters and playing a game?
"Shit!"
He swore and gave the piece of wood beside him a hard kick.
The baby in his arms began crying in fright, leaving the twenty-something man at a complete loss. A few seconds later, a middle-aged NPC came up and gestured to him.
He took the crying baby in his arms and rocked it gently. Then he bowed deeply to Lumina, who was wiping her eyes, before turning around and sharply scolding the others behind him.
The NPCs, who had been dragging their feet just moments before, seemed like different people now. They silently lit their torches and began searching with renewed determination. It was as if the baby rescued by Murphy's warrior had given them strength, inspiring them to silently fight back against their fear.
"Keep going!"
Lumina wiped her face and said to Brother Black Silk:
"This game is so realistic, isn't it?"
"Too realistic."
Brother Black Silk bent down and hefted a shovel, grumbling gloomily:
"I'm starting to miss my keyboard and mouse, and those crappy games with rough-looking character models. I'm serious. I'm not kidding."
Before you continue