YM778.TV Chapter 24:
These true Otherworld creatures are much larger than ordinary wolves, fierce and loyal, moving swiftly like the wind, charging through the night like calves at their master’s command, causing a group of small players to flee in all directions.
The unfortunate Day One No Fap and Black Stockings Under the Keyboard had already been tragically killed by the wolf’s kisses, while the Meow King, who was targeted, could only lead his remaining two Protectors to flee towards their trenches, intending to play a game of hide-and-seek.
Since these two creatures are Astral beings, long-range attacks like bullets do little damage to them. Just looking at their star-glowing skin, one can tell that this thing probably needs to be dealt with in close combat.
However, while the small players are not afraid to engage in hand-to-hand combat with dismounted cavalry, they still have some apprehension about charging at giant wolves half a person’s height.
It’s like how some brave warriors dare to slide tackle tigers, but when faced with a large house goose, they would still scream and run away. This is not a matter of courage, sometimes, the source of human fear is whimsical and unreasonable, like how some people would go to clowns for balloons, while others would be scared to the point of wetting their pants by clowns. It’s the same logic.
Not to mention, these are wolves, and they bite!
“Quick! Niuniu, it’s your turn as an athlete to slide tackle!” shouted Leading Pigeon as he was knocked down by an Astral wolf, screaming.
He kept making strange squawking sounds like a chicken being killed, desperately holding the wolf’s head to prevent it from biting his neck, and shouting at the nearby Precipitation Niuniu, hoping the athlete would save him, or at least serve as a decoy if necessary.“Slide tackle my ass! This is not a tiger!”
The blood-covered Niuniu shouted, mustering his courage to grab his hunting knife and pounce on the Astral wolf’s back like a bullfighter, stabbing it frantically.
The other members of the Dormitory Six Brothers also rushed forward, trying to subdue the wolf through sheer numbers by locking it down.
However, the sight of seven people failing to control a single wolf made the passing Onboard Joy Stick shake his head, feeling that the next generation of flowers in the country had truly been spoiled in the greenhouse.
Speaking of which, haven’t you seen how pigs are slaughtered during the New Year?
Relying on brute force alone won’t work!
“Damn beast!”
Onboard Joy Stick shouted, deciding to teach these youngsters a proper lesson. He charged forward with his spear in both hands, seizing the opportunity when the Astral wolf shook off the screaming Leading Pigeon to thrust his spear into the wolf’s mouth. He then kept stabbing relentlessly, causing the beast to thrash about in pain. The dusty and disheveled Niuniu then pounced on it again, stabbing its belly several times before finally killing the calf-sized wolf.
However, there was still one Astral wolf chasing the Meow King and his group, with wails echoing from the trench.
The panting Onboard Joy Stick pulled out his bloodstained spear, feeling a bit drained. He cursed under his breath about how realistic and hardcore this game was, making him feel like he was back in the chaos of Africa, though unfortunately he didn’t have an AK rifle that wouldn’t explode in his hands.
It just didn’t have that flavor.
The old man caught his breath and glanced at the seven students beside him, asking:
“Can you still fight?”
“Yes!”
Leading Pigeon, who had been dragged back, refused to be defeated, shouting fervently despite nearly having his neck bitten off by the Astral wolf:
“A man can never say no! That’s what my old man said!”
“Good! Your old man has spirit!”
Onboard Joy Stick gave a thumbs up and waved his hand, shouting:
“Guys, follow me, let’s go wolf hunting! Hey, Lumina girl, come down from the tree, it’s safe on the ground now.”
“Woo, I’m coming down right away, I can’t climb trees, you guys catch me down there, ah!”
Lumina’s voice came from the treetop.
But this girl seemed inept at tree climbing. She had been brought up by an NPC earlier, and now she was clumsily hugging the tree trunk, intending to slide down like a monkey.
However, as soon as she stood up, her foot slipped.
“Be careful!”
“Ahhhhh…bang!”
Under the speechless gaze of the Dormitory Six Brothers and Onboard Joy Stick, the sniper girl who had made great contributions in this battle flailed her arms and legs as she fell headfirst from a height of five or six meters, hitting the ground motionless.
A few seconds later, tragic light spots flickered in the night.
Lumina Yanghen, the first archer under Murphy, has fallen.
Cause of death: Too slippery.
“Damn! That’s just too unlucky, isn’t it?”
Leading Pigeon, being carried on Spicy Gugu Chicken’s back, couldn’t help but comment. However, after surveying the battlefield again, aside from the recently deceased Lumina, there were also Black Stockings Under the Keyboard and Led More Than Three to Five Pecks killed by wolves, as well as Dump Truck Iaido and Bulldozer Man Charging killed by the Wolfsbane vampire.
Out of the remaining 11 people, all had survived.
Hmm, it could be considered a great victory, albeit a narrow one.
As the commander of this battle, Onboard Joy Stick calculated for a moment and decided to define the first battle he led as an “epic triumph.” However, if they didn’t go to support the others, the Meow King’s group, who were playing hide-and-seek with the ferocious wolf, would probably be wiped out.
Onboard Joy Stick quickly led the students to kill the second wolf, saving the Meow King from the wolf’s jaws. But before they could catch their breath, Niuniu came running over, carrying the severely injured Maxim on his back.
The athlete exclaimed:
“This NPC is speaking a language I can’t understand! But he seems urgent. Our main quest NPC and the small BOSS who took out Dump Truck Iaido and Bulldozer Man Charging have disappeared!
I now suspect the NPC is helping us lure away that small BOSS.
Should we go help?”
“Damn, we have to help! If the main quest NPC dies, won’t the game have to restart?”
The blood-covered Meow King kicked the corpse of a Astral wolf beside him, took the Goldflower soldier’s rifle handed by Ah Yuen, and cocked it with a click.
Onboard Joy Stick observed the surviving brothers’ conditions, hesitating for a moment before saying:
“Push up that automatic hunting crossbow! Also, gather all the bombs from the cavalry’s saddlebags. We can’t even touch that small BOSS’s collar. That guy is too fast, so we can only provide fire support to aid our NPC.”
“Brother Stick! There are still five or six cavalry with broken legs in the anti-tank trench, what about them?”
The cyborg snail from the student group asked in a low voice.
Onboard Joy Stick glanced at him and said:
“Who are you calling Brother Stick? Where did you learn that? Call me Brother Joy! Those enemy cavalry have their health bars lit, what do you want to do with them? Kill them all! Hurry up, then go support our NPC.”
“Ah, this…”
The student group immediately became restless.
In other games, killing monsters would not cause much psychological pressure. But in《Reality Realm》, these monsters were modeled so realistically.
In the heat of battle when adrenaline is pumping, killing doesn’t weigh much on your conscience when it’s you or them.
But now, killing the downed and defenseless cavalry…
“Just leave them there to fend for themselves.”
The Meow King, sensing the tense atmosphere, spoke up:
“Anyway, they can’t climb out. Those Blood Servants dug the trench too deep.”
“Can’t they form a human ladder? You think a mere four-meter-deep trench can trap anyone? Those are all veterans!”
Onboard Joy Stick let out a cold laugh, saying:
“You say this game is realistic, with intelligent NPCs, but in the end, it’s you who look down on them. This is war! Do you really think you’re just playing house?
You don’t have to kill them, but don’t shoot yourself in the foot.
It’ll be laughable if you take all their stuff only for them to steal it back. Give those cavalrymen in the trench a shot to the legs each, then let’s go!”
At Brother Stick’s order, the student group turned around with their guns, but then the Meow King pulled him aside and said in a low voice:
“Don’t bring your ways here! This is a game, we need to stay united.”
“Orders must be followed, understand?”
Onboard Joy Stick let out a long sigh and criticized:
“Never mind, you guys are not professionals after all. When we have more people, I’ll form my own team and bring back my old buddies! For now, hurry up and push the cart to rescue the NPC.”
The group of small players rushed over, pushing the “fire support platform” under Maxim’s guidance, following the direction where Murphy had disappeared into the woods. Soon, they encountered Miriam, who was hiding here, hugging her head and trembling.
The red-haired girl had not joined the battle but witnessed the entire ambush. She only relaxed upon seeing Maxim.
Although she usually disliked this vampire worshiper, at this moment on the chaotic battlefield, seeing a familiar face was much better than encountering an enemy.
“Murphy went towards the swamp!”
Miriam hurriedly came over to report:
“He might be trying to lure that vampire to where the Young Lady is, but he’s not as fast as that guy. You need to put in more effort.”
“The hunting crossbow seems jammed.”
Maxim said to Miriam, enduring the pain:
“You go fix it. The brave warriors will push the cart over. The Lord must hold on until we arrive!”
——
“Puff”
Murphy’s battered body was struck by a tremendous force, spinning in the air before crashing unceremoniously to the ground.
Maxim had great faith in him, but it could not change the current dire situation. Although his proficient Blood Vulture Sword Arts allowed him to hold his own against Joban Marci in a sword fight, ultimately, skill is built upon strength.
As he lay on the ground, he looked towards the now inhuman Joban, with the scouting effect he had cast earlier still active, allowing Murphy to see the information floating before his eyes:
Name: 【Greyclaw Elite】 Joban Marci Gongreau
Rank: Elite Template · Black Iron Body · Silver Trial Unlocked
Profession: Level 12 Wolf Claw Hunter / Level 9 Wilderness Wanderer / Pastry Chef – Cookie Specialization
Status: Bleeding · Unrestrained Frenzy · Wilderness Transformation
Evaluation: Overwhelming Strength · Extremely Dangerous
Murphy was currently just a Practitioner without even the Black Iron Trial activated, but Joban had already unlocked the higher Silver Trial, meaning this Wolfsbane descendant’s absolute strength was at least two levels higher than Murphy’s!
Moreover, this guy had a conspicuous “Elite Template,” far superior to Murphy’s pitiful standard template.
In a one-on-one fight, he could easily defeat even elite Midnight Hunters, and perhaps even the talented Young Lady Femis would need some time to deal with this guy.
No wonder the Goldflower Kingdom’s transport convoy had saved Joban as their trump card.
In battles among mortals, if high-end forces do not intervene, the appearance of a superhuman vampire close to the Silver Body rank during the night would essentially be a massacre.
“Judging by your boastful attitude, I thought you were a formidable character, but you’re just a waste who hasn’t even perfected the Black Iron rank!”
Joban flicked his claw-like hand disdainfully, flicking off the drops of blood he had drawn from Murphy. Although this guy’s summons were somewhat interesting, the summoner himself was utterly unremarkable.
He had lost interest in Murphy.
The Wolfsbane pastry chef admonished that the weak were merely whipped cream decorations in the lives of the strong.
“Puff”
Murphy’s Blade of the Desire Clan was kicked aside, and he was pinned down by Joban, who contorted his ghastly, pale, twisted face into a vile smile.
He licked his sharp teeth with his tongue and said:
“You were recently turned, right? I bet it hasn’t been more than a year. Your elders must be very weak, unable to truly pass down the strength of the Blood Clan to you, leaving you a half-baked failure as well.
But I think you have potential!
Your exquisite swordsmanship and peculiar summoning abilities represent your potential to become a rising star in the Blood Vulture Clan in the future. The best part is that you don’t lack courage, daring to brandish your sword against a superior foe!
Truly a pity, truly a shame. The Wolfsbane’s duty is to break the spines of the Blood Vultures, trampling you into the mud, never to rise again.
So, the future star Murphy
We can bid farewell now!
I will follow the ancient tradition and send news of your death back to your elder, and tell her of your despair and struggle in your final moments, forging new hatred to add to the old grudge.
I am honored.”
In response, Murphy reached out and grasped Joban’s ankle, channeling his inner spirit energy into a Spirit Blast · Dark Burst, unleashing a corrosive spirit orb that exploded in his hand, tearing Joban’s skin and splattering blood everywhere.
The attack was painful enough to make Joban twirl his staff and thrust it down, pinning Murphy to the ground.
However, such an attack could not kill a vampire.
These near-immortal dark superhuman beings had virtually no obvious weaknesses except sunlight. To execute Murphy, Joban had one more step to take.
Drain his blood!
Seize his power!
Grant him eternal slumber, never to awaken in the darkness again.
“Die, little vulture!”
Joban’s claws dug into Murphy’s skin.
The vampire felt his blood starting to flow in reverse, gathering at the wound. At this critical juncture, a gunshot rang out, splattering Joban’s forehead with blood and interrupting the eternal slumber ritual.
The ferocious Wolfsbane ruffian turned to see Lady Adele, one of the Young Lady’s Blood Servants, holding an exquisite revolver and firing at him repeatedly, her other hand drawing a crimson rapier from under her skirt.
She disliked Murphy.
She even guessed Murphy’s unsavory role in tonight’s events, but for now, Murphy’s forces were still relatively intact, and she needed him to join her in supporting the Young Lady!
This guy must still have some tricks up his sleeve, and the Young Lady needed his wisdom now.
Lady Adele was an excellent marksman, with her second shot hitting Joban’s throat, tearing his vocal cords and causing him to let out a deep howl before abandoning Murphy and charging towards this bold mortal like a ghost.
His ferocious claw strike was parried by Lady Adele’s rapier, and after a few seconds of clashing as equals at the Black Iron rank, the human held her own in terms of skill, but was ultimately outmatched by the frenzied Joban.
She was knocked aside, her rapier pinned down, and Joban’s sharp fangs then sank into Lady Adele’s slender, fair neck.
She let out a tragic wail.
Joban was laughing maniacally.
He felt joy in drinking a virgin’s blood and saw it as a sign of good luck.
But soon, he regretted it.
For the tragedy that had occurred to Murphy replayed on this Wolfsbane ruffian.
As Lady Adele’s blood entered his belly, an indescribable nausea and weakness soon enveloped the frenzied Joban. He realized he had been tricked, pushing the cunning woman to the ground, staggering back while shaking his head as if drunk, and then clutching his stomach two seconds later, vomiting.
“Only tasteless brutes would go crazy at the sight of blood. Unfortunately, we had just captured four Witch Hunters, does my blood taste good? Mister Brute.”
Lady Adele rose from the ground, one hand covering her bleeding neck, her face pale and expressionless as she retrieved her crimson revolver, struggling to maintain her dignity as a maid. She then pressed the muzzle against Joban’s forehead and unloaded the remaining four bullets into his hard skull.
The risen Murphy, still impaled by Joban’s staff, also stepped forward, brandishing the Blade of the Desire Clan, cooperating with Lady Adele’s assault by stabbing and slashing from behind, severing Joban’s limbs and piercing his heart.
This guy’s wounds, like those of a legendary monster, immediately began healing.
“Woohoo! Our NPC is in bad shape! Let’s go!”
“Rescue! Rescue!”
The small players’ clamoring voices arose from behind, and Ah Yuen, crouched behind the rotating automated hunting crossbow, excitedly shouted:
“Watch us use bombs and fire to take down this monster! Victory is ours! Victory for the grand plan!”
Murphy straightened his body with effort, watching his beloved small players, each holding a bomb.
The Meow King was even waving a torch to light them, the pungent smell wafting as they formed a formation reminiscent of knights charging, or a group of gun-toting rioters performing some hellish cult ritual.
The vampire knew he would never forget this scene for a long time, and thus he owed his beloved small players another great favor.
He stepped forward and embraced the swaying Lady Adele, flashing away from the area where Joban and his severed limbs lay.
Amidst the gale storm blasted by the high-speed rotating crossbow and the roar of the players’ thrown incendiary bombs, the entire area was engulfed in the rising flames, leaving only Joban’s hateful roars echoing within the fire.
Tonight, an ancient grudge was added to the tally, and the Night Mother also witnessed an eternal slumber.
Hmm, those raging flames represented the shadows rejoicing.