Chapter 64:

As soon as Lumina logged in today, she received a notification that she had completed a hidden quest, and was instructed to go to the survivor’s camp to collect her hidden reward. This was the first time a major hidden quest had been completed, and other little players were also very interested in this unique reward. So when Lumina, Day One No Fap, and Black Stockings Under the Keyboard excitedly went there, a large crowd of spectators trailed behind them. They even rented two flatbed trucks from Maxim, adhering to the principle of not wasting trips and maximizing time efficiency. They also took on a “Deliver Supplies” daily quest. Coincidentally, the ones receiving the supplies were Dump Truck Iaido and Bulldozer Man Charging. These two brothers were already quite famous among the 40 little players, as the others were still tediously slaying monsters while they had already become officials. Everyone exchanged some banter when they met, but the two brothers didn’t mind, grinning as they instructed the NPC assistants to receive the supplies since they were also participating in the quest to receive rewards. However, when the players arrived, they saw quite a grand scene! Not only was Murphy there, but Camp Manager Miss Miriam was also present, with basically all the important NPCs of the camp in attendance. Over a thousand people had gathered together, truly giving a sense of a massive crowd. Among the camp survivors, many were still bandaged or using wooden crutches. When they looked at the little players before them, their eyes were filled with gratitude. They would never forget that when they were waiting in terror to die, it was these heroes who had rescued them. These tireless heroes had escorted them out of the dark city while being pursued by monsters, and delivered them safely to this place. They also continuously collected and sent supplies to allow the survivors to live through the disaster. This was a kindness that must be remembered! “We all know who rescued us from the city of despair, who pulled us back from the brink of hell when we had already lost hope.” Seeing that the little players had all arrived, at Murphy’s signal, the crimson-cloaked Miriam stood on a rock and addressed the people around her, following a prepared speech: “But we have not truly expressed our gratitude to these saviors and heroes. The people of Transia may never forgive their enemies, but we also never forget kindness. We have put together some things from the camp’s supplies to represent our appreciation. We will forever remember the names and stories of these saviors, until the day we die, until their great deeds are permanently passed down across these lands! Cheer for our saviors! Pay them the highest respect!” The crowd immediately erupted into enthusiastic cheers, those who had survived shouting out their gratitude. Even though the players could not understand their language, the Computation Bead’s translation allowed them to feel the sincere gratefulness from these NPCs. This scene was so overwhelming that not only the student players, but even the worldly Meow King was stunned. This was the concerted cheering of over a thousand people, the momentum was astonishing. “Well said,” Murphy smiled and applauded, then quietly encouraged Miriam, “Just like a retired bureaucrat, steady and composed. It seems you’re quite suited for this line of work.” This praise made Miriam roll her eyes. However, Murphy was not entirely wrong, she did not dislike this feeling of being a manager, and deeply understood the concept of “power”, even if she was currently only managing a “refugee camp”. “Come forward, my heroes!” Murphy called out, and the five players who had completed the quest glanced at each other. The two middle-aged members, Dump Truck and Bulldozer, stepped forward first. They saw a middle-aged NPC with a bandaged head walk over from beside Murphy, holding something and handing it to them with repeated words of gratitude. It was a shop sign that read “Nur Hardware Store”. This “NPC” was the owner of the store, and he wished to gift the players the store, its deed, and the inventory of tools inside. He did not feel sadness about this. Because Miriam had privately given him a large sum of money, enough for him and his family to leave Transia and live comfortably elsewhere once everything settled down. In the ruined city, anything but ownerless money and wealth was in short supply. During his “hunts” in the city over the past few days, Murphy had already obtained a great deal of it. “What, they’re just giving us this store?” Dump Truck hugged the sign and deed, somewhat bewildered. But as always, Bulldozer was grounded, scoffing, “The store is still in the city, probably in ruins now. We got the business rights, but it’ll be a long way before we can actually operate it. Still, not bad, the devs are being generous. I reckon there’ll definitely be similar shop trading mechanics in the future. This is them doing an advanced test run with us.” “This is what you deserve,” Murphy smiled at them. Dump Truck and Bulldozer also showed appropriate smiles, like elementary students accepting awards on stage, stiff and proper. Although they were clearly aware this was just a game, seeing the grateful gazes of the NPCs whose lives they had saved with their quick thinking still stirred some emotion in the two middle-aged men. There was no helping it. The game was made so realistically that one would unconsciously blur the line between virtual and reality at times. As the two camp managers returned to their NPC assistants, who straightened their backs with a sense of pride, even those selected assistants seemed to share in the glory. This made the recently joined Full Coverage Half Off and Heaven’s Chosen Grayman quite envious since, as gamers, who didn’t want a taste of glory? Lumina looked at the manual in her hands, a surge of delight rising within her as she marveled at the devs’ attention to detail. Meanwhile, Murphy showed a mysterious smile, telling her: “You’ll need to slowly explore that yourself. My fledgling Adele has a mysterious background. To earn her trust, you’ll need to put in more effort.” With that, Murphy turned to face the crowd of camp residents behind him. This small ceremony had built up the atmosphere, and his gaze swept across the survivors’ faces and eyes. In them, he saw fear and respect, as well as distance and warmth. But regardless of how these people felt or perceived him, Murphy could now be certain that everyone present knew his name and understood the significance of his existence in their current situation. So the once outcast member of the Blood Vulture Clan, now the leader of the survivors, spread his hands and loudly addressed the crowd before him: “Survivors of Kadman City, we have accomplished what was once thought impossible, we’ve rescued everyone trapped within the city. But this can hardly be called a success. Because the polluted forces from the Astral Realm are still contaminating our city. Until they are eliminated, you cannot return to the homes you long for. I am preparing an operation to eliminate the dangerous spirit energy still leaking out, but this operation requires everyone’s participation! In Transian tradition, we are accustomed to using fire to protect ourselves and drive away the dangers of the night. Now, we must revive this tradition! My heroes have completed their work, and now it is our turn as locals to do our part! Starting tonight, we will burn the ruins with fire, driving back the monsters that nearly killed us back into their Astral Realm. I need the aid of the physically strong! If you too harbor hatred for those monsters, I hope you will volunteer! When the flames are lit, the homeland that was taken from us will be reclaimed, as is the Transian way! Your houses, your ancestral lands, and your memories of the past will return to your hands. In the name of the protectors of the Survivors’ Camp and the cleaners of the Kadman ruins, I, Revnor Murphy Lessenbra, hereby declare the ‘Great Burning’ operation has officially begun!” As Murphy’s words fell, the players’ Computation Beads chimed in unison with a crisp notification, indicating a quest update: 【Prologue: Kadman City’s Final Night Quest 3: Let the flames purify everything!!! Description: Through your hard work and selfless rescue efforts, the survivors of Kadman’s outer city have been evacuated. However, the Astral shadows still lurking within the city remain a formidable challenge. To counter these otherworldly forces, Murphy, now the leader of the survivors, has decided to strike back. Objective: Assist the survivors in clearing and purifying the Astral shadows lurking in the city ruins through burning. Time Limit: 48 hours. Progress: Currently 0% of outer city ruins cleared. Rewards: Activate Player Safe Zone, open new ‘Kadman Ruined City’ area, unlock next main quest chain. Quest Countdown: 3 hours.】 “Oh man, we’re not gonna have enough game time today.” Upon seeing the new quest trigger, the little players lamented. It was already late in the day’s game session. Aside from Lumina, whose sleep schedule was reversed due to the time difference, the others were nearing log-off time. “No worries, the quest says ‘assist’!” Joy Stick was the first to notice the loophole, telling the other worried players on “World Chat”: “Even if we don’t participate, the NPCs will actively push the purification progress forward themselves. We just need to log in early tomorrow to join in. Ah, we didn’t manage to clear that underground gang hideout today. There seem to be ghouls lurking in the sewers, and those cunning water gremlins were causing chaos too. Our gear and levels are still a bit lacking. Clearing the outskirts only netted us some materials and subpar weapons. But I think this is a good opportunity, if there are monsters there, there’s bound to be loot! When the fires spread that way, we might just get a chance to swoop in and snatch some spoils. Meow, log off and pull up a group chat, let’s discuss this properly.” “Sister Lumina, help summarize the experience for us tonight.” Before logging off, the brothers teased Lumina, the diligent and good-natured foreign student readily agreeing. But at the moment, her mind was occupied by the mysterious connection between Lady Adele and the elves. She wondered how to raise Adele’s favor, showing little interest in this new quest. After all, she wasn’t a pyromaniac.