At first, Murphy thought the ghouls in the sewers of Crimson Citadel were just a nuisance waiting to be dealt with, but as the little players’ activities revealed increasingly complex situations, Murphy realized this trouble was more complicated than he had imagined.
Tonight’s exploration action by Grayman, under the guidance of his professor mentor, unexpectedly revealed the true face of the ghoul plague, which made Murphy somewhat regretful.
He found that he was still not perceptive enough.
If he had been able to see through the hidden crisis earlier and made the decision to act, perhaps things would not have developed to this point.
Well, this might be a personality issue that needs to be corrected starting now!
He thought so.
Holding Necessary Evil, he stepped into the last area of the upper cavern, and with a flick of his wrist, he summoned George the Direwolf back from the Astral Realm again.
Revnor was still flying in the underground tunnels, guiding directions for the little players escorting those survivors to escape and warning of dangers. It was Murphy’s eyes, allowing the lord to have a constant overview of the entire situation.
For example, he knew that Tris had already joined the battlefield, so he had to resolve this matter before Tris arrived.
“Whoosh”An area reconnaissance was cast on the vampire in front of him who was holding a skull staff and shouting loudly. The feedback information jumped in front of Murphy’s eyes:
【Name: 【Plague Rat King】Vladimir Summer Zweig
Rank: Level 20 – Black Iron Body – Standard
Profession: Level 10 Trickster / Level 7 Coffin Bearer / Merchant – Profiteering Specialization
Status: Anxious – Distressed – Netherworld Contract Curse – Dusk Servant
Evaluation: No threat – Neutral
Note!
This target has a special spirit status 【Dusk Servant】, under which it cannot be tracked or perceived by any spells, cannot be selected by divination spells, and is not affected by foul spirit energy.
This status is externally imposed.】
“I can explain! Listen to my explanation!”
The merchant Zweig, who had single-handedly caused the ghoul plague in the sewers, was visibly panicking. Although he held a weapon and could still mobilize ghouls with dark magic, seeing Murphy, the “Master of Crimson Citadel” walk in, with those eyes emanating cold killing intent, he knew his fate probably wouldn’t be too good.
But even so, he still didn’t give up on survival.
He screamed in a distorted voice:
“I’m your brother! Murphy, I’m also a child of Lady Tris! Just over a year ago on that snowy night, I donated my family fortune to her in exchange for the qualification to gain eternal life from the torment of disease.
Believe me!
I’m not a bad person!
Everything here didn’t develop like this because of my will, I’m also a victim!
Yes!
I’m also a victim, you’ve seen it too! They threw me here to die! I was also deceived, spare me, I’ll tell you everything you want to know and everything I still have, I swear!
I just wanted to survive, that’s all!”
“Pat”
A chair was pulled out, and Murphy sat down on it.
He rested both hands on the humming Necessary Evil, with the Direwolf George baring its teeth and glaring at the weak one before him. The giant wolf could smell the fear in the other’s heart, which meant that even if he had some power, he couldn’t exert it at all.
This was a thoroughly “prey”, or perhaps as he himself said, a “scapegoat”?
“Deceived by whom?” Murphy asked in an icy tone:
“By ‘Dusk’?”
“Ah, it seems you know about them? That’s great.”
Zweig wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He panted, even after becoming a vampire, he seemed to have not shed his merchant’s pettiness.
Seemingly sensing Murphy’s change in emotion, this slick vampire viewed it as the last lifeline and shouted in a distorted voice:
“I can tell you, although they said not to tell others, but at this point I can’t care about that anymore, I will tell you everything, my brother.
I only ask for my life!
I know that some of my actions have brought a lot of trouble to your domain, but I can compensate! I still have a property and several shops in Shaldor port, I can give them all to you as compensation.
Those were just some blood servants!
Right, just some insignificant food, we children of midnight are noble beings with ancient dignity, our lives are much more precious than theirs!”
“If you keep rambling, that overly slick tongue of yours, which is sure to be sinewy, will become George’s midnight snack tonight.”
Murphy replied coldly.
This shut down all of Zweig’s efforts to pull connections. He laughed awkwardly and threw aside the skull staff in his hand to show his cooperative attitude.
This slightly chubby vampire wiped his sweat while saying:
“Alright, I know what you want to know, about Dusk but I state in advance, I don’t know much either, I said I’m a victim, okay, don’t glare at me, I’ll talk! Over a year ago, I was just an unfortunate soul in Shaldor port.
Although I made some money in that halfling’s territory, I also contracted a strange disease, I was in so much pain, you know?
At that time I could feel death approaching day by day, it was so clear and desperate.
I frantically sought help from any power I could find, but death was irresistible, until when I was already in despair, someone gave me a piece of information.
He told me that in Kadman City of Transia, there was a unique vampire called ‘Tris’, he said Lady Tris would casually give people the Embrace to gain eternal life under the night as long as they had money.
Forget about diseases!
Even death could be escaped, can you imagine my ecstasy at that time?
I almost immediately packed my bags, dismissed my servants and arrived in this war-torn land before the first snow of winter fell, I arrived at Kadman City, and everything went more smoothly than imagined after that.
The beautiful and noble but slightly down-and-out Lady Tris.
No, our revered elder was so generous, she didn’t ask much and removed my pain, I was grateful to her, I donated my wealth to her.
However!
However, it was all a trap!
From the very beginning!”
Zweig’s expression twisted as he shouted frantically:
“They deceived me! Salrokdar of the Blood Vulture Clan is a madman, he doesn’t allow Lady Tris to have any close people, the result of being Embraced was that I also ended up on the Blood Vulture Clan’s blacklist, I almost died in the midnight of Anderma Hills.
It was the guy who gave me the information earlier who saved me, that’s when I knew, it was all a damn trap!
He gave me a tome recording dark magic and told me about the existence of this underground cavern.
I know, they must have a terrible plan, and I was just the most insignificant pawn in this plan.
But what could I do?
Murphy, my brother, if you were in that situation, you couldn’t have done more than accept their orders, right?
It’s not like I didn’t try to resist, but their power was beyond my imagination!
I was scared.
I couldn’t let the eternal life I had just obtained be taken away again, I could only lie low here, I could only wait for their orders.”
“So, what were the orders?” Murphy asked calmly.
Zweig hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice:
“It’s… it’s that thing down there!
They required me to shape a plague ghoul overlord, they provided me with the corpse of a golden-level expert needed to cultivate it, they also taught me the specific cultivation method, taught me how to establish a connection with the Netherworld plane to mobilize the power of death.
Do you know the power of a plague ghoul overlord?”
“I’m just an Astral Realm Summoner, I don’t know much about Netherworld creatures.”
Murphy seemed to have become interested, his expression softened a bit as he asked:
“So, could you please explain it to me?”
“Of course, of course! I’d be happy to.”
Zweig chuckled.
He also pulled out a chair and sat opposite Murphy, feeling that this conversation was getting better. He felt that his little life might be held in his own hands.
Perhaps Murphy had already agreed to his earlier conditions for survival.
Come to think of it, how could a vampire care about the lives of livestock?
He had damaged Murphy’s property, but as long as he gave him enough compensation, he would be satisfied.
All vampires are like this!
He himself was a vampire, he knew that the whispers from midnight would make even the noblest person become realistic and greedy.
So driven by this mindset, Zweig became more enthusiastic.
Having studied dark magic in this underground cavern for over a year, he now explained to Murphy with great fluency:
“The plague ghoul overlord is a top-tier undead from the Netherworld! Not only is it powerful itself, but it can also command legions of ghouls, and most terrifyingly, the ghoul overlord naturally carries an untouchable Netherworld deadly poison.
It’s a life-taking poison!
Do you know about the spirit plague that the Pioneer Army of the Goldflower Kingdom used to destroy Seicob City over two years ago? Hehe, the Circle Tower claimed to the public that it was a weapon they had researched, but it wasn’t!
It was just some Netherworld poison they extracted from an imprisoned plague ghoul overlord and made some improvements to.
Those human Spirit Mages are the best at bragging!
And once the plague ghoul overlord I’ve created and nurtured appears in Transia, just by contaminating the tributary of the Kadman River in the cavern, it could turn all of Transia into a wasteland. Anyone who drinks the river water would die painfully and then become a member of the ghoul army.
This is their plan!
They want to create a world of death in Transia!
But this is only a backup plan!
I only found out later, their primary plan was to manipulate Salrokdar to open a sub-space rift.
They almost succeeded, just a little bit more.
But you guys ruined it. Actually, when you attacked the Blood Vulture Halls, I was hiding in the sewers. I even saw with my own eyes the moment Salrokdar’s soul returned to the sub-space. You guys were really amazing!
However, for me, this was nothing but bad news.
The main plan failed, which meant the secondary plan was put on the agenda. Sigh, actually, the people in this city are quite pitiful, to be honest, after all, I’m not a heartless monster.”
Zweig said hypocritically in a low voice:
“Before the Astral Realm was torn, I received a warning and hid here in advance, and also took in many people who had nowhere to go. Moving the corpses in the sewers also required manpower.
The first stage of the ghoul overlord’s birth requires using corpses to accumulate Netherworld aura in a foul blood pit, letting it be infused with the power of death. The second stage requires the impure blood of the living.
Actually, I’ve been troubled all along. These people are my servants, they work hard to survive, and I don’t have the heart to just kill them. However, I can’t disobey Dusk’s orders.
Your arrival announces my freedom!
Murphy, my brother.
I can finally stop being so troubled. You can take those people away, and I will find a way to escape.
I know Dusk won’t let me off so easily.
But it’s okay!
As long as you spare me, I can fight for my own survival path.”
“How do you communicate with them?”
Murphy neither affirmed nor denied this, he asked:
“Are their people still in Transia?”
“You! What do you want to do?”
Zweig became anxious, he grabbed his own cheeks and screamed:
“No, I can’t reveal that, it’s a topic that can’t be spoken about at all!”
This answer made Murphy smile. He flipped his fingers and the tail spike from the Astral Realm manticore in his spirit bag jumped into his hand. He moved forward like a ghost, grabbed Zweig’s head and smashed it onto the stone table with a bang.
The latter’s head was bleeding as he screamed, his left hand was pulled up and placed on the table surface. As the tail spike fell, the bloody index finger flew off.
“You still have 9 fingers!”
Murphy pressed down on Zweig, who was screaming like a pig being slaughtered. He said in a gentle tone:
“You can refuse me 9 more times, you still have plenty of time. After all, I need time to prepare to erect the Sunscorching Punishment cross. We can continue playing this game. Now, I need your answer.
Answer me!!!”
“No, he’s not here! He’s never been to Transia!”
Zweig screamed:
“He has some kind of dark magic that can temporarily manipulate others like puppets. This is how I communicate with him and receive orders every time. I don’t even know if it’s a he, she, or it? From Salrokdar’s death until now, he hasn’t appeared again!
I think I’ve been abandoned.
But they’ve threatened me, they said there’s some kind of contract curse on me, as long as I dare to give up my task, I would die miserably. I don’t want to either!
Murphy, spare me!
This isn’t my fault, I’m a victim too!
We are brothers!
We have the same elder, please! At least let me see Lady Tris.”
“I’m no longer Tris’s child, and I think you might not be either. I don’t want to add to Tris’s psychological burden.”
Murphy said in Zweig’s ear:
“So, don’t bother trying to claim kinship. What’s the name of the guy who contacted you? How did he notify you to meet with him?”
“Yuan! His name is ‘Yuan’! That must be a code name.”
Zweig became more afraid.
He frantically blurted out all kinds of information, but Murphy didn’t listen at all.
He had already used the Power of Desire to listen to the voice of Zweig’s heart.
Language can deceive, but the heart cannot, especially a heart eroded by fear. It was like an open treasure chest, allowing Murphy to take from it at will.
“Pat”
A hidden compartment at the end of this cavern area was kicked open by Murphy, and a pearl bracelet flickering with a faint light in the darkness fell out.
This was the spirit item Zweig used to contact the mysterious “Yuan”, but indeed as he said, this thing hadn’t been activated since Salrokdar’s death.
“No need to think wildly anymore, Mr. Zweig.”
Murphy cautiously picked up the pearl bracelet wrapped in three handkerchiefs and threw it into his spirit bag. He turned back to Zweig, who was clutching his injured hand, and said:
“You’re doomed! There will be no survival path left for you, not in this world, nor in any other!
However, there are differences between deaths. When a moment of quick pain is stretched to a terrifying length of time, those who think they have a firm will often find that they are not as strong as they imagined.
You are not a tough guy, so don’t do those things that will only bring you suffering!”
Murphy’s left hand moved, and the ferocious Night Claws extended from his fingers. He said to the desperate-looking Zweig:
“Speak, say some more things that I might be interested in, so that you can go quickly to confess your life’s sins to the Night Mother.”
“I, I’ve actually heard of you, Murphy!”
Zweig knew there was no way out.
His anxious expression turned malicious again.
He lay in the corner of the cave, gripping his injured hand with the broken finger. The vampire’s canine teeth protruded, revealing a fierce look, just like a wild dog cornered.
He shouted:
“I’ve been hiding in Kadman City for over a year, I’ve heard all about you and Tris! You’re not a good person either, you’re just coveting Tris’s beauty, heh, I’ve seen this kind of thing many times! But you won’t get what you want!
Murphy, oh Murphy, those seeds of disaster that Lady Tris unintentionally sowed in her past life will eventually sprout. She will once again become the crimson witch that shakes the entire continent!
She! Will not belong to anyone.
As for you!
You’re just a little fool trying to stop a powerful force. Let me tell you, I’m not the only surviving child of Tris!
They, no, we!
We won’t allow you to monopolize Tris!
Don’t even think about it!
Our elder has a great cause that she must fulfill, and you can’t stop it at all! You’re still trying to tie her to your side? Hehe, the disaster in Kadman City has already given the witch freedom. She will eventually fly away and embark on her path to godhood.
You!
You can’t stop it!”
“Puff”
The Night Claws thrust forward, grasping the lying vampire’s heart in hand. Zweig’s malice was so insignificant in the face of death that he once again cried out in terror and begged:
“No, no! Please!”
“So, who else is among ‘you’?”
Murphy stared at him.
The crimson light points in his eyes brightened frighteningly, he said in a low voice:
“I can’t wait to meet my other ‘brothers and sisters’, tell me, who else?”
“Shaldor port! In Shaldor port, that place no! No! No!!!”
Zweig shouted.
But he seemed to have triggered some switch.
The Netherworld contract curse was activated, making even Murphy’s Night Claws that had pierced Zweig’s chest feel the invasion of a cold, chilling aura.
He immediately withdrew his claws, but Zweig in front of him was screaming and twisting his body. The visible cold Netherworld aura kept rising, finally infusing his entire body and soul with the power of death.
“Shaldor port… Lower City Witch… Witch Cafe…”
Zweig already understood his fate.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, he struggled with a ferocious expression and spoke a place name to Murphy.
“Boom”
The vampire’s body exploded entirely in the surge of spirit energy. In the explosion of flesh and filth, a death-like spirit body holding a filthy bone scythe and wearing tattered shadow clothes was summoned. This was obviously the effect of that “Netherworld contract curse”.
The crimson light flickering in the pale bone eye sockets stared fixedly at Murphy in front of it. It roared and raised its scythe high, obviously not intending to let Murphy, who had heard the secret, leave alive.
“Witch Cafe, Shaldor port, Yuan… Very good!”
Murphy drew the humming Necessary Evil demon sword, adopting the starting stance of the Blood Clan’s secret sword technique. He said in a low voice:
“The trail seems to have ended, but it’s okay, I will find you all. Ah, that lunatic Palanno was right, I really did pick the most troublesome midnight rose for myself. But what does it matter?
To monopolize something beautiful, you always have to shed some blood.
But you don’t have blood, my dear, so leaving your bones will do.”
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