The reason for the re-test is your lack of professionalism, not because I need to complete a mission! Believe me!

Chapter 9: It's Because You Guys Were Unprofessional That We Need a Second Test—It's Definitely Not Because I Need to Clear the Quest! You Have to Believe Me!

The cunning Murphy entered the game forum with a purpose, and he found that this newly opened forum already had a very active water-posting thread.

But water-posting without chasing experience points was meaningless—who actually chats in a thread for fun?

So, with the aloof elegance befitting a vampire, he gracefully ignored the thread and first carefully studied the forum's various functions.

In the backend, there was an "Application Zone."

Here, he could review test applications and allocate test slots.

The five distributable test invite codes Murphy had just obtained could be used here, and he could even edit the questionnaire questions for the "True Otherworld" game test application. Unfortunately, no new test applications had arrived yet.

But he could copy the questionnaire link and give it to old players, who could then use it to invite new people.

Uh, why did this process feel kind of like a pyramid scheme?

If he weren't currently in a real otherworld right now, he'd suspect he was about to start some dangerous organization, and he'd probably report himself to the nearest police officer.

With such strange thoughts swirling in his head, he discovered another "Feedback Zone."

According to the forum rules, this was where the testers of "True Otherworld"—aka the players—could submit feedback to the game development team about issues within the game.

In common parlance, it was called a "suggestion box."

"But isn't this just a decorative feature?"

The vampire stared at this well-structured feedback and complaint zone, unable to resist grumbling inwardly:

"The admin system already made it clear that even if there are complaints, nothing can be solved. After all, this real world isn't a game, and I'm just a pitiful little test admin, not a creator god. I can't just conjure up bug fixes out of thin air.

So this feature is specifically designed to test my skills at bluffing and passing the buck, isn't it?

Hey, you've got me pretty well pegged."

Murphy quickly found the forum's group function. A few minutes later, the small group of players still on the forum almost simultaneously received an invitation to an internal forum group.

Leading Pigeon, who had been about to take off his helmet and grab a bite to eat, clicked on the application, glanced at it, and saw that the inviter's ID was "Alpha," marked as a forum admin. He immediately accepted the invitation.

Entering the group and scanning around, he found that all ten players who had received invite codes were now here.

Alpha: [Yo, everyone good? I'm the newbie on the "True Otherworld" game test team. From now on, I'll be in charge of liaising with testers, collecting your feedback on the game, and managing the forum on the side.

Feel free to speak your minds, no need to hold back. If you have any feedback or suggestions about the game, just say it or submit a feedback post. I'll pass it along to the dev team as soon as possible.]

Leading Pigeon: [Hello, great admin!]

Ge Bao immediately rushed in to get familiar, and the others followed suit.

The atmosphere suddenly became harmonious.

Meow King: [Damn! You guys had a blast in today's live test, right? I was at work at the time, and it feels like I missed out on a million bucks!

Someone tell big bro, what's it like cutting people up in this game?]

Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees: [I don't know what cutting people up feels like, but I can tell you what getting cut feels like. It's so stupid, the game experience is terrible! Bad review!]

Leading Pigeon: [Shut up, you noob. A weakling who got headshotted by an arrow the second he logged in still has the nerve to talk? You coward, you're a disgrace to our dorm! You made me, your dorm leader, lose face in front of the NPCs.]

Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees: [Damn! You ungrateful brat, talking to your dad like that? Keep yapping, and Dad's not bringing you dinner today! And you're on your own for tomorrow's roll call, (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻!]

Leading Pigeon: [Noooo! Dad, I was wrong.]

Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees: [Heh, good son.]

Invincible Tyrannosaurus Car: [Heh, good son +1.]

A-Cha'en: [Heh, good son +10086.]

Mud Truck Iai: [@Meow King, you're Old Yang, right? I remember your in-game name is that. Yesterday, while drinking with Old Lin, I suddenly got two helmets. Followed the instructions to the forum, and I'm still confused.

First, tell me what this game is all about?]

Meow King: [Hey, is this middle-aged internet syndrome? Don't leak my real name, you dog! Call me by my ID or just Meow Brother, and the rest goes to private chat!]

A-Cha'en: [@Alpha, find flaws, right? That's easy as pie. Emmm, let me think... Earlier, I saw the three noobs who died turn into light after they kicked the bucket. The white-haired NPC next to them was totally stunned. That kind of "exit method" feels a bit off for the role-playing vibe.

This game is so realistic, having a flaw like that really breaks immersion.

I strongly suggest that after players get killed, they leave behind a complete corpse.]

Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees: [Cha Bao, fess up—what do you want to do with our corpses? Scared.jpg.]

Leading Pigeon: [Evil grin. Cha Bao's obviously going to do something "terrible," like drawing a little turtle on your noobs' faces or doing crazy teabagging taunts or something.]

Alpha: [This... we really didn't think about that before. I'll submit the suggestion to the dev team and see if they can modify it.

Also, there's some bad news.

The dev team wasn't particularly satisfied with the results of the live basic test that just finished.

They think the test players' reactions weren't professional enough, which meant a lot of combat data wasn't collected. So there might be another live test coming up.

This time, they hope the participants will perform more professionally—at the very least, avoid the embarrassing situation of getting headshotted the moment they log in.]

Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees: [!!! So you can see everything we do in the game? Great admin, no need for such a public execution!]

Alpha: [No need to wallow in self-pity. Honestly, I thought that moment when you caught the crossbow bolt with your head was pretty cool. In all my years in this line of work, it's the first time I've seen someone catch one so accurately.]

"Also, if possible, I'd suggest next time you die, don't strike that awkward pose with your hand over your crotch."

Leading Pigeon: [LOL, officially certified noob, flipping table laughing.jpg]

Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees: [Damn, stop laughing! That was just a mistake, can I get another chance? Admin, I swear I'll do better this time! No more embarrassment!]

Kono Neko Shark Da: [Yeah, give us a chance, I wanna be a good guy too, sir!]

Invincible Tyrannosaurus Car: [Car Car begs for a chance too. Dying and having to wait three days to revive sucks, and there's too few people—invite more, please.]

Alpha: [@Bionic Snail Dreams of Electronic Trees No can do. This game is a hardcore + realistic MMORPG, and death penalties are a key part of the experience. We don't want to create a game mode where players can use their lives as expendable resources to overcome nearly any challenge. The dev team is conveying their vision this way: you're in a true otherworld, so you should cherish your life like a real otherworlder. Of course, there might be improvements later, but during the testing phase, we'll strictly follow the game mode. As for expanding the test scale, that's not my call, but the dev team decided on an invitation system before testing started to avoid degrading the test environment. Don't worry, though—I've already applied for a batch of free invitation codes from the dev team. If your friends want to play, have them fill out the test application, but I can't guarantee approval. Link attached below.]

A-Cha'en: [Hell yeah! Long live the admin! I'm messaging my bros right now!]

Leading Pigeon: [Pfft, A-Cha, you sneaky bootlicker always trading favors. This time, get us a big, athletic jock—we'll need him for fights.]

A-Cha'en: [I got this, trust me. Just wait and see.]

Alpha: [Time's about up, I'm off work. That's it for today's chat. Next test time will be posted in this group 10-30 minutes in advance. After a while, we'll consider enabling free login for players, since the dedicated test server just finished setup. Until stress testing is done, please bear with us. Any suggestions can be posted in the feedback section of the forum. Finally, thanks for choosing "True Otherworld"—best of luck in your gaming journey!]

Leading Pigeon: [Farewell, great admin!]

Below that came another string of copy-paste messages.

Murphy lurked invisibly, watching the chat, but didn't join the little players' subsequent discussion about the current plot. After confirming they had no more questions, the vampire logged out of the forum.

In the rundown house in Morland Village, he rubbed his chin. Ge Bao's question earlier seemed niche but was actually quite valuable.

From his perspective, players turning into specks of light and vanishing was no big deal, but to other otherworlders, that scene would inevitably look bizarre. With few players now, it didn't matter, but if later there were thousands or tens of thousands, Murphy couldn't explain it away no matter how creatively he spun his identity as a summoner.

After all, what kind of summoner could summon thousands of otherworlders at once? Were you a summoner or an otherworldly collaborator?

Take a look at yourself—what kind of vampire nonsense are you spouting!

But then, how to solve the corpse problem?

"Ugh..."

Just as Murphy was deep in thought, a pained groan from beside him snapped him back to reality.

The vampire glanced at the corner and saw the unlucky girl tied up tight by Maxim. He couldn't help but grin.

Ah, got too caught up chatting with the little players and forgot about her.

Good thing he noticed early, or this poor soul who'd just escaped the Witch Hunter's clutches might've suffocated.

What a sin. Though he was unlucky himself, seeing this real NPC worse off than him somehow eased the pressure.

"I'll untie you. Don't bite me."

Murphy crouched down and said to the weak, glaring girl.

She stared back fiercely, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable. After she nodded, the vampire loosened the rope gagging her mouth.

The tight binding had left bruises on her pale cheeks, giving the scene an 18+ vibe.

She had short, fiery red hair, neatly styled, with a pretty face full of youthful energy. Her delicate skin suggested she wasn't a village farmwife. Her attire, though not wealthy, had a scholarly air. Around her neck hung a unique pendant—a small copper gear-shaped token.

Murphy picked it up and read the inscription on the metal piece:

Chardo Craftsman University, Class of 1109, Administration Department, Class 4. Enrolled Autumn of Era 1109.

"Oh, a third-year university student. High-end talent. No wonder even that crude Witch Hunter couldn't resist."

The unlucky vampire checked the timeline in his head, grinned, and tucked the token back under her collar. Looking at the girl—fearful, angry, and sorrowful—he said:

"This doesn't seem like the place for you, does it?"

"This is my home, you bastard vampire!"

The girl screamed.

"You destroyed my home, my father, my fellow villagers. Wuwu, it's all gone! We didn't provoke anyone! It's all your fault!"

"First off, the Witch Hunters burned your village and killed everyone here. I hadn't even arrived when they did their dirty work."

Murphy shook his head.

"Morland Village and the surrounding areas of Cadman City have been the traditional territory of the Blood Eagle Clan since the Second Black Disaster in Era 720. We've lived here ever since."

"This is our home too. Who would mess around in their own home?"

"Believe it or not, the Blood Eagle Clan actually has a position called 'Tribune.' So kindly direct your hatred and anger to the right place."

"Secondly, I don't have much time to comfort you, girl."

"You heard it earlier."

"Dangerous Witch Hunters are chasing me, and they won't let you off either since you killed their companion. So whether you like it or not, you'll have to follow my arrangements from now on—if you want to survive."

"Now tell me, what's your name?"

Faced with Murphy's question, the girl showed some resistance, but after a few seconds of hesitation, she obediently lowered her head and sighed, saying:

"Mirian."

"Hm? No surname?"

Murphy raised an eyebrow, surprised, and said:

"A motivated girl who can go all the way to the Genoa Peninsula for university—surely she's not without a surname?"

"I'm the village chief's illegitimate daughter."

Mirian said a little awkwardly, her voice low:

"I came back this time to get engaged to a wealthy merchant's son in Cadman City, arranged by him. The only reason I could go to university was the inheritance my mother left me before she died."

"But my father's been short on money lately..."

"Oh, I see."

Murphy's gaze turned subtle. He said:

"So that anger of yours earlier was all an act, right? You have no real attachment to this place. Alright, you don't need to explain. I'm not interested in family drama."

"I already know you're a smart person, and right now, I need smart people."

He stood up and drew the Desire Kinship Sword. With a flick of his wrist, muscle memory carved a swift arc that cut through the ropes binding Mirian. He pointed outside and said:

"Go find weapons and armor from those corpses to protect yourself, then pack enough gear for ten people. I need to think about what we do next."

Mirian walked toward the door without a word.

Her legs trembled slightly, and her fists were clenched. Just as she neared the doorway, Murphy's voice drifted over from behind, eerily calm:

"Your heart is beating so fast. Are you planning something dangerous? Mirian, as a local of Transia, you should know that a vampire like me can track life by scent from three kilometers away, right?"

"Do I need to explain the principle of the psychic mark a Witch Hunter leaves on their killer when they die?"

"I hear it lasts at least seven days. Every Witch Hunter who's passed the hunting trial can see that mark and will do everything in their power to avenge their comrade."

"That's their tradition!"

"Since the Ten-Year War began, the number of 'vampire worshippers' who've died at the hands of Witch Hunters is astronomical. And unfortunately, no matter how you look at it, you're now part of that group."

"So, do you really understand your situation?"

"I... I can!"

Mirian clenched her fists and shouted back at Murphy without turning around.

She strode out of the broken house but no longer tried to escape on foot. Instead, she obediently began gathering what Murphy needed.

Inside the house, Murphy's hand moved away from the Gauntlet Sword at his waist.

He wouldn't be fooled by Mirian's fragile disguise!

A young woman who could kill a lust-blinded Witch Hunter one-on-one using charm and a sneak attack was no pushover. And she was a third-year student at Chardo Craftsman University.

That was one of the continent's three great academies!

Who knew what cunning and mysterious half-human half-dwarf professors would instill in their students in terms of ideology and survival skills?

Maybe there was more to that Witch Hunter's death, but for now, Murphy needed her help, so this wasn't the time to dig too deep.

Murphy glanced at the dawn outside the window. The annoying sunlight was creeping back, signaling that this vampire had to go into hiding.

Staying up all night had left him tired. The weakness from the Witch Hunter's poisoned blood made him drowsy. But the thrill of battle and his first kill seemed to have awakened some of the vampire's nocturnal traits within Murphy. He found himself displaying a coldness toward death that surprised even him.

Especially toward the deaths of others.

He didn't know if that was normal, but the Witch Hunters who might come for him at any moment were the biggest problem right now. Murphy felt he should prepare early.

And most importantly, he reaffirmed his next goal:

Before finishing this miserable journey and returning to Cadman City to see Triss, he had to complete his newbie tutorial quest, unlock all available functions, and maximize the potential of his little players.

Only as they grew stronger could he and Triss stay clear of the dangers lurking around every corner.

The young vampire squinted at the sunlight outside. At that moment, Murphy almost looked forward to the hunt the Witch Hunters might launch.

Having gradually realized the true value of the Test Administrator System, he had nothing left to fear. Now he only hoped the storms of life would come harder, watering his little leeks so they could thrive.

Though the level-up function wasn't unlocked yet, without fighting monsters, where would the experience come from?