Chapter 39:

After the astral rift was completely opened around Kadman City, the surrounding spirit energy dissipated rapidly, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say it was crushed by the more ferocious astral spirit energy. At this moment, the entire city was being dragged from the material world into the astral realm. This process might be slow, but it was progressing steadily. The impact of spirit energy, coupled with the constant bombardment of dimensional meteorites, caused frequent and unpredictable earthquakes and landslides in the surrounding area. The old horse Murphy was riding refused to go any further as they approached the city’s edge. Guided by its beastly instincts, it feared the rapidly changing city more than the whip in Murphy’s hand. Under these circumstances, Murphy decisively chose to dismount and proceed on foot. Before him, the massive city gate of Kadman City had already been torn apart by the rift cutting through the city. Chaotic astral spirit energy converged into black smoky tendrils, entangling the ruins on both sides of the streets like spider webs, shrouding the entire city in darkness, as if a massive sandstorm had swept across the desert and blocked out all light. Astral spirit energy was still spirit energy, so it did not affect the mages’ ability to cast spells. In fact, because of its chaotic and disorderly nature, it even enhanced the destructive power of their spells. The premise was that the “pampered” spirit mages from the material world could withstand the mental corruption that came with the astral spirit energy. Murphy grasped the Blade of the Desire Clan and strode forward, sweeping away any obstructions with an enhanced Dark Blast spell. But the deeper he went, the more he could hear eerie hissing sounds in his ears. Such illusions had existed before when he cast spells, but now these echoing sounds were clearer, and in the deep shadows around him, some twisted beings not of this world were watching this young vampire. They had been “flung” into the material world when the astral rift opened, and although they would eventually return to the astral realm, they didn’t mind getting an “extra meal” during this accidental trip and tasting the “flavors of another realm.” However, there were panicked crowds of people all over this chaotic city. Compared to those delicious souls filled with terror, this vampire with a burning fire in his heart was clearly not an easy target. After weighing the options, the gazes watching Murphy from the shadows diminished. But this was not a good sign. The departure of the jesters often signaled the arrival of true danger. Given the current scale of the astral rift overhead, the creatures flung into the material world could not possibly be just these small fries. The only good news was that Tris’s manor was not far from the city gate. The fact that they had been unable to reside in the inner city districts occupied by vampires due to their fallen status had now become an advantage. This meant that as long as Murphy acted swiftly, he could escape with Tris before the situation deteriorated further. “Aroo!” A deep, soul-piercing howl accompanied by an evil wind came from behind. As Murphy turned and thrust out his sword, he also dodged the attack with a sliding evasive step. This flowing and agile swordsmanship was clearly not in the style of the Blood Vulture Sword Arts, but the “Shadow Steps” derived from the unique sword techniques of the shadow elves was indeed well-suited for dealing with ambushes. The vampire stood still and looked at his assailant. It was an all-black panther. But instead of eyes on its face, it had two bizarre tentacles extending from its neck, covered in chitin scales. These tentacles opened like a Venus flytrap, their tips glowing as they locked onto Murphy’s position. This bizarre skeletal creature was clearly not something that could be born in the material world. Murphy had no intention of tangling with it. As he retreated, he hurled a Spirit Blast, manifesting as a Raging Gale that swept up dust and debris from the street, then flashed back to a safer distance. The strange black panther failed in its ambush and was struck by Murphy’s sword. Realizing its prey was not easy to deal with, it wisely chose to back off as well. “This won’t work!” Murphy frowned as he surveyed the dim ruins around him. The astral spirit energy was still pouring into the material world, and at this rate, the monsters in the city would only become more numerous. Even if he rescued Tris, it would be difficult to leave the city safely. He needed to clear a safe escape route ahead of time. With this thought, Murphy immediately grasped the core bead hanging from his neck and infused it with spirit energy to activate the communication between the beads. Before he could speak, Miriam’s shrill voice rang out: “Murphy, what kind of hellish luck do you have? Why did this happen as soon as you arrived in Kadman City? Where are you now? Maxim wants to enter the city to find you, and I can’t stop him! Those crazy warriors of yours are poking the fire next to him, constantly urging us to go into the city! Are they insane? What normal person would go to a place being destroyed like this?” “Calm down!” Murphy’s head ached from Miriam’s piercing voice, and he couldn’t help but shout. The other side immediately fell silent. “Now listen to me! Give Maxim a bead to help him activate it. I need him to maintain a safe passage on the east side of the city gate. The city wall has collapsed there, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. My warriors will assist him. Once I find Tris, I’ll come over and join you. Remember, under no circumstances should you enter the city rashly! There are many astral creatures hiding in the shadows, ambushing the living. They’re very difficult to deal with and extremely dangerous, my warriors can’t handle them right now. Do you understand?” “Oh, yes.” Miriam was still reliable at crucial moments. She responded with an affirmation and went into action. Meanwhile, Murphy had also operated on the core bead. A few seconds later, the little players who were still outside the city in the “Black Storm” and raring to go, heard a soft ping sound from the computation beads on their bodies. A quest trigger from Murphy had arrived. 【Main Quest Prologue: The Last Night of Kadman City Such a sight was rarely seen in the material world. Perhaps because of the mental impact from the astral creature earlier, at this moment Tris had some strange associations. She vaguely remembered Over a year ago when she had found the young Murphy, it had also been a cold, snowy day. That day, she had just completed the Embrace for a wealthy merchant traveling between the local area and the Port of Shaldor. She had granted the man’s long-desired “immortality”, and in return, he had gifted Tris a third of his fortune. Tris had planned to use this windfall to buy a wine cellar and renovate her manor. Afterwards, she came across the starving Murphy on the city streets. It was snowing that day, bitterly cold. The 18-year-old Murphy, wearing only light clothes, had collapsed on the road. It was the 8th year of the Ten-Year War, and refugees like Murphy were everywhere. People were starving to death every day in Kadman City. Tris had forgotten why she took Murphy in. Perhaps it was just a drunken whim that night, or perhaps a sudden pang of kindness. Perhaps she couldn’t bear to see such an adorable life taken by death. In any case, it seemed that in the blink of an eye, she had gained another progeny. As before, the money she had earned was quickly spent. But this time, this little guy seemed different from all her previous progeny. He didn’t leave her, like an endless, gentle dream from which she would never awaken. “Tris. Tris, are you alright? Don’t scare me, open your eyes! It’s me! Tris.” The familiar voice seemed to come from the horizon, gradually bringing Tris’s wandering consciousness back to the material world. In her daze, she saw Murphy’s handsome, adorable face again. But she knew this was just the lingering mental pollution from that astral creature, the final vision her life would see being this little one. But Murphy had left! That child had listened to her and left Kadman City for a safer place long ago. He had escaped from her, escaped from this ill fate. So how could he possibly appear by her side now? The black snow from the sky grew heavier. A sign that greater danger was approaching, but she had given up resisting this accursed fate. Her life had never gone smoothly! Unlucky from a young age to old age, she had truly endured over four hundred years of ridicule from fate. “Tris!” Another call rang out, greatly irritating Tris, who wanted to close her eyes amidst the snow. She struggled to raise her hand, wanting to dispel the illusion before her eyes. But in the next instant, her raised hand was grasped, and her whole body was embraced in arms warmer than any vampire’s. He knelt in the black snow, holding her tightly, as if embracing the most precious treasure of his life. “Thank goodness, Tris, you’re alive. I’m back, Tris. Murphy is back. I’m sorry I came back late, I’m so glad you’re alright.” This vivid, almost uncomfortable sensation of being embraced caught Tris completely off guard. She shook her head vigorously, feeling her body being lifted from the ground. She finally understood everything, but then a surge of anger welled up inside her. “Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why did you come back? You foolish child! You never listen.” She scolded him, reaching out to slap Murphy’s face, but ultimately lacked the strength to complete the motion. She could only let Murphy drape the Crimson Midnight Cloak over her and carry her on his back. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll get you out of here. Hold on!” Murphy softly said to Tris on his back. He strode forward through the intensifying black snowfall towards the collapsed city wall. Behind him, the weakened Tris buried her head in Murphy’s shoulder. Unfortunately, it seemed some sand had gotten into her eyes during the earlier battle, causing discomfort and a desire to secrete some vulnerable substance. Fortunately, vampires do not shed tears, so no one could see her unsightly expression at this moment. Otherwise, others would surely mock her, right? After all, the vampire world she was familiar with was far from as gentle as the midnight’s blessing or this comforting embrace. “Little Murphy.” “Hmm?” “I want to drink.” “At a time like this, you still want to drink! Bear with it for now! I’ll find you something better once we’re out.” “No. If I don’t drink, the wounds will hurt.” “So this is why you became an alcoholic? Why didn’t you tell me before? Okay, I’ll try to find something for you on the way. Hang in there.” “Oh.” Under the gloomy, chaotic, and perilous sky, the astral spirit vortex shone like a black sun, casting an eerie glow through the cascading black snow that stretched Murphy’s advancing silhouette into an elongated shadow, almost merging Tris behind him into a single form. As if they could never be separated again. Well, it seemed this final progeny in Lady Tris’s long life really was different from those other heartless ones. Perhaps all the luck she had accumulated from her lifetime of misfortune had been used up on that cold night a year ago?