Chapter 106:

Murphy had already learned from Tris that the first Lord of the Blood Pact Knights would come to aid in this battle. He was a powerful golden-rank Blood Knight, adept at both offense and defense, perfect to form a frontline assault team with the veteran knight Finoch Lawson. The two of them would be enough to contend with Salrokdar, currently in the Sacred Blood Pool. Everyone else’s target was just one! That was to do everything possible to disrupt the connection between the fallen Blood Vulture Patriarch and the Sacred Blood Pool when he was entangled, causing the sub-dimension rift being guided by the spirit energy of the Sacred Blood Pool to become unstable. It had not yet opened in the material world, meaning it could still be destroyed. It was like the “reality” layer hadn’t broken yet, you could play as perversely as you wanted, but if there was a pinhole, even the gentlest action could lead to loss of life. Once the sub-dimension rift became unstable, the core of the plan was for the young lady to immediately cast a spell within it at the cost of destroying the Sacred Blood Pool, reversing the chaotic forces of the sub-dimension and banishing them back to the Astral Realm. The final step would be completed by Tris herself. Since the Astral rift in Kadman City had only just closed and was still fragile, this would not be difficult. This three-step plan made Murphy full of admiration. His elder, the former Crimson Witch, were truly not to be trifled with when serious. However, no matter how much he calculated, he never expected that the first Lord Knight who came to reinforce them would be such a fool. Yes, a handsome, gentle, narcissistic, and powerful fool. Just looking at the nearly endless array of roses he carried, you could tell this guy was definitely not a serious person! What serious person would carry so many of those around? But at the moment, Murphy had no choice. “Shua shua shua” One natural scroll after another was torn open. Spirit spells enhancing mental faculties and perception were cast on the player characters. Drop after drop of vampire-killer sword oil was applied to weapons, diluted potions soaking arrows and bolts. The spirit-using player characters hurriedly learned the techniques of【Chaos Guard】and【Mind’s Fire】under the veteran knight’s final tutelage. Normally it would be impossible for anyone to learn these in just a few dozen minutes, but the player characters’ 1.5x growth rate allowed them to quickly grasp the two skills. Though clumsy, and likely to fail at releasing them due to lack of proficiency, considering their role as expendables in this battle, it was enough. To be honest, Murphy himself had little confidence putting the player characters on the battlefield after his own combat record. Even with all the enhancements, their current perception and mental attributes would have difficulty withstanding the chaos’ assault for long periods. And if they were captured by the sub-dimension, no one could guess what would happen. What if the sub-dimension corruption spread through the mysterious game connection to another world? What if they were truly driven mad by the evil forces of this world? Wouldn’t that be purely evil? “Are you worried about your warriors?” The First Lord Palanno attached his magnificent lion-headed helmet, solidifying his knightly heavy armor’s defenses. He asked in a very magnetic voice. Murphy did not hide his concern from this question. He answered: “I feel like I’m personally sending them into hell. No, being captured by the sub-dimension and having their minds taken over is a fate worse than death.” “It’s rare for me to see a kinsman show such concern for humans,” Palanno laughed, this very amiable First Lord said: “Indeed, as Lady Tris said, you are a unique kinsman. No wonder my goddess is so fond of you.” “Your goddess?” Murphy looked at Palanno in surprise. The latter nodded seriously, even taking out a fragrant, exquisite notebook from his spirit bag, flipping it open to check something before saying: “My muse goddess ranks 17th! But this was recorded over a hundred years ago. Tris has been bestowed with a more carefree and mature allure by time, though that terrible wound has severely marred her stunning beauty, so I guess I’ll have to push her ranking back out past 30th place. But she is still a goddess in my heart! A rare beauty in this world. There is no doubt about that. Ah, fate has been so generous to me, sparing me the agony of longing for a goddess who has passed away.” “I think there’s something wrong with what you’re saying.” Murphy replied with a deadpan expression. He didn’t think Tris would be inferior to the other women in that little book. But this guy was actually a secret playboy? Just looking at the thickness of that notebook, he clearly had no less than fifty “goddesses” in his heart. Hey, there must be some technique to this, right? If the situation wasn’t so serious right now, it would really be worth asking for pointers. “But what I mean is, you don’t need to worry. Lord Payne is aware of the threat in this battle. He has bestowed upon me the power of the Holy Lance through our blood connection, allowing me to summon the projection of the Holy Lance ‘Eternal Silence’ here. As the sacred artifact that has fought the sub-dimension the longest in this world, it can shelter the warriors’ resolve. Of course, the premise is that they are truly fearless.” “Heh” The veteran knight let out a cold laugh, a spinning slash shattering the foul energy surging from the sub-dimension rift ahead during his charge forward. Amidst the ominous hum of the great oak blade as if facing a formidable foe, he looked ahead and said softly: “I do not deny this, but I think your Lord Payne may not have the chance to taste my sins.” “Boom” A massive surge of life entered the Sacred Blood Hall, finally provoking the ultimate enemy. A scattered cluster of violet star radiance enveloping a human form slowly rose from the rapidly boiling Sacred Blood Pool. The intensity of the chaotic onslaught within the entire hall instantly increased in that moment. Several elite Witch Hunters immediately clutched their heads, crying out, only to be swiftly pulled into Lord Palanno’s increasingly brilliant Judgment Aura by the quick-acting player characters, just barely saving their precarious minds. Before everyone’s eyes, the figure risen from the blood pool had shed its last drop of viscous blood, revealing its true form. A classic Blood Vulture ceremonial garb. Over the sleek, well-fitted red and black hunting attire was a crimson cape slung across the left shoulder, secured by a vulture clasp, head lowered as if sleeping or dead. Gray-white hair streaked with violet starlight spilled over the shoulders, clearly once a handsome man in his youth, yet now resembling a desiccated corpse as if drained of all blood. This horrific visage stood in stark contrast to his dignified attire. His black-gloved hands were crossed before his chest, the right gripping a crimson longsword in a reverse hold. The double-edged longsword had bizarre serrated teeth along one side, its most striking feature being the hand guard below the blade in the form of a spread-winged hybrid bat-vulture monster. The ancient, dark runes along its length, bordering on excessive embellishment, embodied the perfect vampire’s gloomy style. If one had to describe its appearance, it was probably somewhat reminiscent of a certain Sword of Mourning, but that was a two-handed sword, while this was a true one-handed sword, and thus more slender. This was likely the Blood Vulture sacred artifact “Necessary Evil” that Palanno had mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, this midnight holy blade and its wielder had now become vessels and agents for the chaotic will surging from the sub-dimension rift, causing anyone who looked upon it to feel an immense, crystal clear oppression. The weight of chaotic power on the mind, truly scorching reason like a lit candle held in one’s palm. Pain, rending, torment, screams. It yearned for all the world’s beautiful sins and the crawling denizens of the abyss. “Father!” The young lady cried out in shock. The surrounding player characters could now understand without need for translation that this desiccated vampire was Salrokdar Collins Lessenbra, the reigning Blood Vulture Lord! Only his current state was clearly not normal. The young lady’s cry seemed to have the opposite effect in that moment, causing the floating desiccated vampire to slowly open his eyes at her call. No longer the blood-red irises of a vampire, but black eyes mottled with violet starlight. He mechanically, stiffly moved his neck to survey the surroundings, finally locking onto the pale-faced young lady. His body moved unnaturally, like a marionette, that corpse-like face twisting into a horrifying “gentle smile”. In a withered, creaking voice like iron grinding, he said: “Ah, Femis, the midnight bell has tolled your fate to come. My dear daughter, the Night Crown of the Astral Realm is being forged, and the time of ascension has arrived! The eternal original sin of us sinful descendants shall be cleansed, our most ancient desire shall be fulfilled. Come! My daughter. My most wondrous creation! Embrace your duty with pride and glory, complete my shortcomings, become the ‘Night Mother’, shelter us, merciful embodiment of the night.” “What the hell? What ‘Night Mother’?” The player characters erupted into a commotion. Lumina gripped her hand cannon, glancing at the trembling young lady clutching her chest, and exclaimed: “What is this old pervert trying to do to his own daughter?” “The ‘Night Crown of the Astral Realm’ refers to the constellation representing night in the stars, a legendary omen of vampire calamity! ‘Night Mother’ is the godhood he has chosen for Femis. According to the myths I know, the existing gods seem to have been born from the first projections in the sub-dimension.” Tris, who had been monitoring the frontlines through the player characters’ computation beads, now interjected in an “off-screen voice” using rather awkward Mandarin to explain to the players: “All the mysteries are finally revealed. Salrokdar intends to personally create a ‘god’! A god of midnight for all vampires! He wants to make the ‘Night Mother’ we have spoken of in legend into reality. My plan from back then has indeed been corrupted! He has extended it to a higher, grander level. What a lofty ambition, but alas, it has been exploited. How regrettable. Go forth, warriors! In the name of the great plan, slaughter this overambitious villain! Um, your language is really quite difficult to learn, but I’m clearly a bit smarter than little Murphy imagined.”