Chapter 3:

When he heard that slightly accented “hometown dialect”, Murphy immediately understood what kind of things he had summoned. A surge of wild joy rushed into his heart. Although they weren’t the blazing, world-destroying Titan he had hoped for, these two fellows represented an existence even more terrifying than the Titan in a sense. But they called me NPC? So in their eyes, this was a game? Heh, such mortal wisdom! Murphy had been living here for a month, and he could confirm that this place was definitely not a virtual game, but the very real Other World. Theoretically speaking, these two little players had also experienced a journey across worlds. And the most amusing part was that they themselves were unaware of this fact. In that instant, with narrowed eyes, Murphy had already outlined over tens of thousands of words for the subsequent storyline in his mind. But he immediately calmed himself down. The most important thing now was to keep these two steady and further deepen their preconceived notions, lest they be frightened by the truth. Just like the first conversation with a new employee! Painting a big, round pie was the basics. Going further, one could talk about ideals and aspirations. As someone who had scrambled in society for over a decade, Murphy was an expert at this. 【Novice Guide Quest (1/6): Initial Summon (Completed) Reward: Test Invitation Codes replenished to 10. Hint: Currently 2 invitation codes have been used, do you want to send out the remaining codes? Developer’s Note: Some things aren’t better in greater numbers, just like how some things aren’t better at a larger size. Sometimes small can be cute too. More often than not, you need to take it step-by-step, and not rush headlong into every hole you see. I could go on, but I think you get my point.】 “Send them! Why not send them?” Seeing the prompt, Murphy immediately chose to send out the remaining 8 invitation codes. What could he do with just 2 little players? He couldn’t even clear a dungeon! If the locals saw this, they would think Murphy couldn’t summon any more sentient little players. Moreover, he was currently shouldering a suicidal mission, so the more help the better. However, after confirming the send, Murphy’s “Otherworld Creature Summoning” display was still at 【2/2】. It seemed that recruiting these “testers” also took time. Although he didn’t understand how this worked in the players’ world, that was obviously not something Murphy needed to consider right now. 【Novice Guide Quest (2/6): Direct test subjects to complete basic operation testing (walking, jumping, attacking and daily actions), test duration: 30 minutes. Reward: New feature unlocked. Developer’s Note: Projects always encounter all sorts of bugs and whiners in the early stages. But don’t panic when you run into problems, take a deep breath first, you can’t solve them anyway, so just feed them some lies and move on. That shouldn’t be too hard for you, right?】 “Ahem.” Murphy gave a cough to draw the attention of the two little players, who were jumping around looking curiously at everything. He really had to take charge of these two! The short one was rather reserved, trying to take off the four-corner underwear that came with “entering the game”, while the tall one had already run off to rummage through the basement’s trash cans. What the hell did he expect to find there besides the various bottles left by the “Queen of Waste” Tris? Was he planning to collect seven broken bottles to summon the Queen of Waste and fulfill his wish of becoming an Other World bum? Don’t lose hope, brother, you already have a miserable living example right in front of you! “Kekeke, not bad quality for this batch of summons.” Murphy let out a cold, gloomy vampire laugh. His eyes flickered with light in the dark basement, the pulsing crimson making the short player shrink his head and mutter something about it being creepy. Well, duh? An ordinary person would have been scared stiff meeting the very real vampire Murphy in a dark basement. Only the fearless little players would still have the nerve to poke fun. “Rude and vulgar fools, stand at attention!” Murphy put on the demeanor of an NPC, placed his hand on his sword hilt, and with a flick of his right hand, a small cluster of dark spiritual energy coalesced into a spark that shot out, startling the player rummaging through the trash can. “Listen up! I’m preparing for a great undertaking, but regrettably this world is full of fools, so I have to explore other realms. You two may be a bit weak, but you seem smart enough. Perhaps you can be of help.” The vampire pulled his hood lower, trying to exude a dark creature vibe. He stroked his chin and said: “But I need to see if you’re healthy first, if you have enough vitality, if you’re sharp enough. I don’t want any defective goods. If you fail my test, then I’ll have to offer you as ‘backup blood bags’ to that terrifying vampire princess upstairs.” He tried to intimidate the two little players, but couldn’t sense any fear from their expressions, which left him deflated. He then waved his hand dismissively and turned to say: “Move around here for now. This dilapidated place is barely livable, but I don’t have time to personally explore the secrets it has hidden for over 300 years. Go find them. Put your wits to use, and bring me the most valuable things you find in 30 minutes. This is the first test. Oh, and remember my name, remember the one who summoned you from another world into this vibrant realm. I am Murphy! Revnor Murphy Lessenbra. I am your guide, your protector, your beginning and your end!” With that, Murphy didn’t bother with the still dazed little players and swiftly vanished like a ghost into the basement entrance. “Nothing, I just thought of something amusing. Hmm, you look quite dashing in that outfit. What’s all that noise downstairs? Burglars? Excellent! Dinner is served! Ah, thank you Mother Night for your gift! Let’s celebrate the Feast of Blood early tonight.” Excited by the sounds from the basement, Tris even bared her vampire fangs. But Murphy immediately stopped her with a dismissive wave. “It’s nothing, just some blood servants I’ve summoned to clean up. Don’t worry about them, you should rest. I’ll have your dinner ready before I leave tonight. I’ll be back in a week at most, I promise. And don’t drink too much.” He helped Tris back to her upstairs bedroom, secured the window coverings, then went out to pack his own belongings. Thirty minutes later, Murphy stood at the basement entrance as the two little players proudly presented their findings. Two sealed bottles of dwarven ale. The labels showed they were over 250 years old, perfect for toasting Lady Tris. A set of exquisite drinkware in a decaying box, its origins unknown but with an elven artistic style, likely left behind by a previous manor owner. Lastly, a dented, battered old pocket watch. Murphy recognized this item. It was the one real Murphy had dropped in the basement the night he was blasted by spirit forces, still stained with blood. But those three items were not the most outrageous part. He glanced down at the pile of coins at his feet, besides the rusted coppers and dull silvers, there were even a few shining Portia gold coins. This made Murphy eye the panting little players suspiciously, truly wondering where they had found all this? In his month living here, he had not discovered even a fraction of what these two had scrounged up in just half an hour. So this was the terrifying talent of players? “Not bad, you’ve done well! I’m quite impressed with you, otherworld warriors.” Murphy pulled back his hood, revealing his handsome face, and said warmly to the two players: “I’ve seen your keen potential, you are precisely the assistants I need! Now return to your realm and prepare yourselves! Once I am ready, I shall summon you again along with the otherworld spirits I have chosen. At that time, you will have the profound honor of participating in my grand plan! Heh heh, I eagerly await our reunion. Oh, and what are your names? Please understand, but I must record this moment for the bards to sing of the beginning of our legend in a century’s time.” Faced with Murphy’s inquiry, the two players glanced at each other, puffed out their chests, and declared in unison: “I’m ‘Meow King’!” “I’m ‘Leading Pigeon’!” “As expected of players chosen by me, such delightfully nonsensical names! Full of abstract beauty.” Murphy gave them a mental comment as well as a thumbs up, but outwardly he nodded in satisfaction, smiling as an NPC should, and said: “Splendid names indeed, befitting your sharpness and bravery. Then, my warriors, until we meet again.” He raised his hand, dismissing the summons. The two players’ bodies rapidly dissolved into motes of light before his eyes, reversing the process of their spirit-woven arrival, until only a swirling point of light remained, spiraling around Murphy before descending. 【Novice Guide Quest (2/6): Basic Operation Test (Completed) Reward: Perception Scanning unlocked. Hint: You can now scan targets to obtain information, but this action can be perceived and has inherent danger. Developer’s Note: There are two prerequisites for using this ability well. First, you can’t be a Paladin! Second, you can’t have a habit of kicking down tavern doors. Of course, if you’re badass enough and don’t mind the occasional account reset, feel free to disregard the above.】 【Novice Guide Quest (3/6): First Combat, direct test subjects in basic combat operation tests (including but not limited to attacking, dodging, charging, dying and soul release, etc.) Reward: +5 Test Invitation Codes, new feature unlocked. Developer’s Note: Since you’ve learned to walk and jump, why not go slay a dragon for practice?】 “?! The quest difficulty just spiked, and what kind of note is that? Heh, I’m in a good mood, so I’ll humor you this time.” Murphy scoffed, looked around, then bent down to scoop up the pile of coins. Humming a tune, he headed out of the manor to purchase some food and drink, lest the “Queen of Waste” Tris starve herself in his absence. The hapless vampire walked briskly in the shadows along the walls to avoid sunlight, nodding politely at every passerby. Projecting the utmost elegance. Yet in his heart, Murphy was grinning wickedly: “These little players are so useful, truly essential tools for traveling and murder. Though I don’t know the details of my grand plan yet, with you all around, how could this mighty one fail to achieve great things? Muahaha! Tremble, world! A legend shall rise from this very night!”