The lighting up of the achievement system gave Murphy a surprise, but he quickly calmed down and decided not to share this good news with the small yers for now.
Today’s casualties were too severe, but such a great victory already necessitated a lively celebration.
Not only did the yers and he, as their lord, need to celebrate this victory, but the death of Salrokdar also meant that the series of tragedies in Kadman City had finallye to an end. Murphy’s subjects were also in dire need of a ceremony to release their stress and sorrow.
He quickly made up his mind!
Three dayster, after all the small yers had resurrected and logged back in, he would publicly announce the end of the prologue of the main quest andvishly reward them with the spoils of war.
For now, the most important thing was to settle the current situation and find someone to dig out the rewards the small yers deserved from the copsed Blood Vulture Halls. Murphy had previously obtained the key to the treasure vault from the miser Zuckerberg, but that ce was very close to the Sacred Blood Hall and was now buried under the rubble.
However, the treasure vault was very sturdy and should not have beenpletely buried to the point of being beyond repair.
“The Astral Realm rift has reopened, allowing the primordial chaotic spirit energy to fill this area. I think we should leave here first before discussing anything else. What do you all think?”
After a major battle, the knight lord Pnno urgently needed to freshen up to maintain his perfect appearance. He put away the fragrant notebook in his hand and offered his opinion to the others.Naturally, no one would object.
Everyone who survived now desperately needed rest, even the usually energetic small yers were somewhat overwhelmed.
Under the escort of the Kadman Civilian Self-Defense Force, they passed through therge crevice in the city and rested in the tent camps amidst the ruins of the outer city. After treating the wounded here, they would be transferred to the survivor’s camp.
Miriam had arranged for physicians to be stationed here in advance, and Tris also went to help.
The three small yers found a safe ce,y down on the ground, and then went offline to boast on the forum. Murphy also found a tent and used clean water to wipe his body.
He was probably in the best condition of all the survivors.
After all, he had just experienced a temte upgrade, leaving him full of energy. At this time, he was only wearing a loose linen robe as he walked out of the tent at night to check on the situation of the others, fulfilling his duty as their lord.
As for the Blood Vulture Spirit Revnor, Murphy had ordered it to move freely. The spiritual vulture was now soaring in the night skies above Transia, as if surveying its own domain.
It quickly found some “new friends.”
Natalie’s hunting falcon, Swift Shadow, and Tris’s spirit familiar, the three-eyed raven Weber, were chased around by it as if they were prey. Relying on itsrge size and speed, it bullied its winged brethren, though it meant no real harm and was just ying with them in its carefree manner while asserting its dominance over the night sky.
As a spiritual being, it did not crave flesh and blood as sustenance.
Even the plump mouse it had caught earlier was merely part of the “hunting ritual” it performed after being born into this new world.
The other self had not left behind any thoughts or emotions, allowing the spirit vulture born from Murphy’s consciousness to have the pure mentality of a true beast.
But the other Murphy had indeed kept his promise and lent his eyes to himself.
As long as Murphy closed his eyes now, he could borrow Revnor’s vantage point from high above to observe the darknds below.
The switch between the two perspectives was seamless, and their thoughts were also connected. Murphy could feel the newborn joy and sense of freedom that Revnor was experiencing.
With thepanionship of the spiritually linked Revnor, Murphy could finally inspect his new domain from a more macro perspective.
Soaring freely, the swift spirit vulture quickly noticed something worth paying attention to as it circled above Kadman City in the night. From its keen vision, Murphy could see that one of the Blood Knights under Pnno’smand was standing in front of Young Lady’s tent, saying something to Lady Adele who was guarding there.
From the spirit vulture’s sharp eyesight, Murphy could see that Adele’s expression was not good.
This made Murphy narrow his eyes.
He waved his hand lightly, and a ck shadow shot out from behind his tent, circled around him once, and was then grabbed in his other hand.
The Desire Demon de – Necessary Evil was currently very weak.
It craved fresh blood to replenish its depleted power, but it dared not cause any trouble in Murphy’s presence, remaining utterly obedient, not only because Murphy’s soul was now bound to it, making him its new master.
More importantly, this miraculous sword was well aware of why it had ended up in its current pitiful state.
Its submission to Murphy was not only because Murphy had conquered it but also because it felt a genuine sense of awe towards the terrifying “Omega” purification power hidden within Murphy. If a sword could truly have such a thing as a “heart,” that is.
That was a force capable of directly countering and purifying the Abyssal Chaos.
In terms of sheer power, Murphy’s “antivirus program” might not be quite enough, but in terms of essence, this thing was clearly on the same level as those shadows from the Abyss that toyed with living beings and worlds, or perhaps even higher.
The Desire Demon de did not have a personified will, but it certainly had its own unique personality.
Arrogant when in power, yet prudent when fallen, it truly resembled the racial traits of Vampires.
From Murphy’s experience with the supposedly foul-mouthed Great Oak Sacred de, it seemed that all miraculous creations, like Necessary Evil, had their own distinct personalities.
“Behave yourself.”
Murphy fastened this demon sword to his waist and silently merged into the night.
Gliding soundlessly on his Blood Wings, he approached Young Lady’s tent. When Lady Adele sensed the presence of the Elder, she immediately exited the tent and saw Murphy appear from the darkness, his hands behind his back. She immediately bowed in respect to the Elder.
“What are the Blood Knights here for?” he asked. “Is it about the Young Lady?”
“He came to notify the Young Lady that she will have to return to the Dark Mountains with Lord Pnno two days from now, reportedly on orders from the Patriarch Payne. She is required, as the daughter of the Blood Vulture n’s patriarch, to report to him and exin the circumstances surrounding the Kadman City incident.”
Lady Adele said in a muffled voice, “It is currently uncertain whether Lord Pnno has noticed the Young Lady’s unusual state, but logically, he should not have had much time to investigate such matters. After all, Lady Tris summoned him, and he immediately joined the battle in the passage shortly after.
The Young Lady is still unconscious. I…I am hesitant about whether to inform her of this matter.”
“And what else could you do besides not telling her? Do you think you can protect Femis and help her escape to the other side of the world?” Murphy shook his head and sighed. “Since the Patriarch has issued orders in advance, it means that the most powerful ancient Vampire in their society has taken notice of what is happening here. If you and Femis attempt to flee now, it will only serve as proof that you have something to hide, and the Blood Pact Knights will undoubtedly strike with thunderous force.
But you actually don’t need to worry too much about this.
As Tris had made clear before, under the circumstances of Salrokdar being controlled by the Abyssal Chaos, all of Femis’s sins and breaking of taboos can be attributed to him.
And now, as the hero who broke through the Abyssal rift and saved the Transia region, even the Patriarch must tread carefully when dealing with the Young Lady’s situation.
However, as a precaution, we should still add anotheryer of insurance to this matter.”
“Hm?”
Lady Adele did not quite understand Murphy’s meaning.
She looked at her Elder in puzzlement, but Murphy did not exin. Instead, he said, “You and Maxim will lead a team into the copsed area of the Blood Vulture Halls first thing tomorrow morning to clear the way to the treasure vault. My three warriors will assist you, and this task must bepleted swiftly.
I will handle the Young Lady’s situation!
Also, inform Miriam that I wish to discuss the victory celebration with her first thing tomorrow morning.”
“As youmand, my lord.”
Lady Adele no longer had any resistance to Murphy’s orders.
She bowed farewell, then stepped back a few paces, unfurled her Blood Wings, and took to the night skies to ry Murphy’smands and find suitable personnel to prepare for the uing excavation work.
Before bing a Vampire, Lady Adele had been the Young Lady’s steward, responsible for handling all her mundane affairs. Murphy’s current orders were simply routine tasks for her.
After Adele’s departure, Murphy parted the tent’s curtains and entered.
The darkness did not impede a Vampire’s vision, and he could clearly see the Young Lady lying on a crude bed with her back to him, her shoulders shuddering as she suppressed her sobs, evidently, she had been silently weeping.
She had awakened earlier.
This night, which was an arduous fight for survival for others, was nothing short of the most terrifying nightmare of her life.
The facts proved that for Salrokdar, her birth and upbringing were merely part of a n. It was highly possible that the Blood Vulture Patriarch had never viewed Femis as his kin, and all his kindness and affection were merely acts performed as necessary steps to further his n.
For an outsider, this was a tragic story.
But for the protagonist of this story, Murphy hardly needed to ponder or even empathize to understand the feeling of one’s life crumbling apart.
“Look on the bright side. At the very least, you still have an overly righteous brother. Adele remains devoted to you, and my warriors are still willing to go through fire and water for your sake.”
Murphy stood by the bed and spoke softly, “You haven’t lost everything.
Although lies upied most of the first thirty years of your life, perhaps the very intensity of those lies makes the few truths you hold even more precious. I can’t continue, I don’t even know what I’m saying myself.
I have never experienced what you’ve gone through, so I truly cannot empathize with you.
But as I said before.
I have started to feel pity for you, Femis. You truly are miserable. Compared to you, all the past suffering Tris and I endured seems insignificant.”
“Get out!” Femis said hoarsely, her voice choked with sobs. “Leave me alone for a while! I don’t want to talk about this now. You’ve already obtained everything you wanted, territory, fame, and power. You’ve got it all, so let me be alone.”
“But I’vee to return something to you, Young Lady.”
Murphy approached her and retrieved an exquisite bronze box from his spirit pouch, the binary mechanical cipher box that had previously contained the core beads.
He ced it before the Young Lady and gently opened it.
A thing entwined with crimson flowing lights appeared in the tent, somewhat different from a typical Vampire’s heart that had been excavated.
Salrokdar’s heart did not immediately solidify into a stone-like substance; instead, it seemed to possess some sort of eerie vitality, pulsating slowly in the box.
To be honest, this scene looked rather unsettling.
“Even when I executed him, he offered no resistance at all. A single spirit shockwave would have been enough to repel and severely injure me, but he did not do that,” Murphy said softly. “I don’t know what his considerations were for acting that way, but it doesn’t prevent me from thinking that perhaps he wanted to leave something behind for you in the guise of a ‘father’. Well, in the current sorrowful circumstances, we might as well consider it in a warmer, more heartwarming light.
So, if you wish to keep it—”
“Tris needs it more than I do,” the Young Lady said, not even ncing at the Vampire’s heart ced before her eyes.
She scorned and showed no interest in this power delivered to her doorstep, covering her head with a nket and saying in a hoarse, disgusted voice: “Tris was deceived by my father into using her own blood essence to create this monster, me! She sacrificed herself in exchange for my birth.
This is what I owe her.
And what my father owes her. Take it to Tris.
And Murphy! You hypocritical fellow, this is what you had in mind from the start, isn’t it? cing my father’s heart before the eyes of his despairing daughter, what kind offort is that?”
“Uh, I thought my performance was good enough, but you still saw through me. I have to say, Young Lady, you’re really quite perceptive and venomous when you’re not suppressing yourself.”
Murphy’s tone was light as he put away the mechanical cipher box. He took a step back, looking at Femis, who had poked her head out and was ring at him with red eyes.
After a moment’s thought, he said to her in a very serious tone, “A bad person died tonight! If you were a bad person, you should feel afraid and terrified. If you were a good person, you should be celebrating and feeling happy. In any case, crying should not be an option.
He is not worthy of your tears.
Besides, I meant to remind you before:
You’re a Vampire, Young Lady. You fundamentally cannot shed tears.
Tears are too gentle a thing for our kind, and crying is not the usual way Vampires endure sorrow. We generally grab a few unlucky souls off the street at random and drain their blood to indulge ourselves. You overheard my conversation with Adele earlier, right?
You’ll be going with Sir Pnno to meet with the Patriarch Payne soon. I think that will be an experience more worthy of caution for you than directly facing your nightmarish father.
So, instead of wasting time on things that cannot be changed, you should be more realistic.
Think carefully about how you’re going to survive the ordeal with the Patriarch, who is ten times more terrifying than your father.”
With that, Murphy bowed politely and elegantly to bid farewell to the Young Lady.
As he carried the mechanical box to the tent entrance, the Young Lady sat up behind him, wiping her sore eyes, and said softly, “At first, I thought I was a Vampire of noble birth, a true midnight aristocrat. I tried to emte the other Vampires, to be as cold-blooded, as cunning, and as vicious as them.
But I could never learn.
It wasn’t because I was too stupid.
Quite the opposite, I simply had more emotions than they did, emotions that did not belong to a Vampire.
Now I know the reason.
I’m a monster, Murphy.
From the very beginning, I should not have tried to imitate the life of a Vampire. Fortunately, you seem to be an outlier in our race as well, so I can ask you: after just learning that I, too, am an outlier of our kind, how am I supposed to continue the life that has already copsed, or perhaps never even existed in the first ce?”
“Good question!” Murphy snapped his fingers, turned to look at the Young Lady, and made an encouraging gesture, his expression deadpan as he said, “Muster your courage! Face everything head-on, don’t be such a wimp! Femis, you’re the genius of the Blood Vulture n. Even Tris admitted that you’re only a little bit dumber than her.”
“So, after witnessing everything I’ve been through, the best advice you can give me is ‘muster your courage’?”
The Young Lady clenched her fists and said, “I’m not joking with you. I’m genuinely seeking advice.”
“Ummm.” Murphy tilted his head in thought, then told her, “Then my advice is to treat this as a game. Whether you detach yourself from it or immerse yourself in it is up to you, but don’t worry so much about the oue. Enjoying the process is the most important experience in any game.”
“A game?”
“Yes, a game! Look, the curtain is raised, the lights are on, and the supporting cast is in position! The new, upgraded Young Lady Femis is about to make her entrance! Will she disappoint those who are paying attention to her? Will she be overwhelmed by the heavy waves of fate and be a dejected, broken thing?
Heh, let those of us in the front row who have already bought tickets wait and see.”
Murphy turned and walked into the night. With the unfurling and folding of his massive Blood Wings, he waved without looking back at the Young Lady watching him.
“If life is also a game, then the only criterion for enjoying it is not whether you canplete it, but whether you derive pleasure from it. After all, who would bother ying a game devoid of any fun, no matter how well-crafted it is?
If life is a game, then every living person is a lucky one who has qualified for the test! If your life’s game has only suffering and no joy, then I think you should reflect on whether your way of ying this game might be a bit wed.
Well, take some time to ponder that while you still can.”