Despite the impending arrival of dawn that would turn the environment into a state of severe weakness for vampires, this moment remained the darkest of the day, boosting Murphy's senses beyond the norm under the cover of the night.
After hearing the gunshots, he and Maxim hurried to the scene. As they drew closer, the keen senses of the supernatural creature enabled him to pinpoint a faint noise below a cellar hidden beneath a body ahead.
Someone was hiding there!
A woman!
In the blood-drenched village, Murphy caught a faint whiff of perfume. It wasn't strong, but it made him squint and he placed his left hand on the hilt of the crimson rapier at his waist.
This weapon, once used by Cui Si's mother, was full of the Blood Race's unique art, with intricate vulture images engraved on its cage hilt.
It symbolized the Vulture, one of the seven major clans of the vampires.
The weapon was called the "Blade of Desire," with "desire" being the original sin of the Blood Vulture Clan.
This is a rather peculiar concept in vampire culture. Each of the seven clans has an original sin corresponding to their identity as "Eternal Sinful Descendants."
"Bang"
Murphy arrived to hear another gunshot.
The dull gunshot blasted from the cellar, causing chips to fly, and the three novice players began to shout from their hiding place nearby.
"Hey, isn't this supposed to be a fantasy-based game? How can there be something as absurd as guns?"
Lead Dove held his head, blood flowing from his forehead. It seemed he almost got killed by a bullet. His luck was extraordinary, managing to dodge a bullet.
"Whom are you asking? It's also my first time playing such a thrilling game. It's like jumping from a wizard game into a gangster game! Just a moment ago, we were fighting witch hunters with swords. Now it feels like we're in a real-life American Iaido."
Ayu, hiding on the other side of the cellar, made a sarcastic remark. Coo Coo Chicken, who just regained his sight and was about to rush in with his short sword, was harshly restrained by Ayu.
The enemy has a gun, you can't fight head on!
Intelligence is the key.
"My ignorant warriors, do you think our world is ruled by primitive people?"
Murphy stepped forward, signalling his novice warriors not to panic. As he pushed the corpse off the cellar, he explained to the three frightened novices:
"The Brass Dwarfs had records of using firearms as far back as when they were building the first bricks for Brass Castles in 400 AD. When the West Lan Kingdom, where these witch hunters belong, underwent a military reform in 1040 AD, they fully adopted the dwarfs' weapons. The 40-year reform gave that nation iron teeth and claws, enabling them to annex another kingdom within a year to form the current Golden Flower Kingdom."
"The point is, this world is much more complex than what you've experienced so far."
"You should be more humble."
"So, what year is it now?"
Ayu, who was the best-studying and top-ranked student among the six university roommates, couldn't help but ask. Murphy glanced at him and said:
"Now is the tenth year of the decade-long war, August in the year 1111 A.D. But we can discuss history later... hush."
He signaled for silence, then stood to the side and pressed the cellar door open, elongating his voice as he spoke downwards:
"Miss, will you emerge independently? Or shall I drag you out?"
The weak and hoarse voice resulting from the ingestion of poisonous blood gained a different kind of wickedness at this moment. It greatly resembled a malevolent cat about to subject a pitiable mouse to unfortunate torment.
However, the next second, Murphy sharply heard the sound of bullets being loaded under the cellar, causing him to retreat two steps in fright.
"Bang!"
With a muffled bang, the door of the cellar was blasted, once again causing wood chips to fly about, accompanied by a woman's angry and panic-stricken scream in the darkness.
It was evident that she despised vampires intensely.
Murphy refrained from advancing immediately, instead waiting several seconds for the woman to load her bullets. After confirming her loading time, he deceitfully knocked the cellar door during the lull after her shot and rushed in.
Leaping into the darkness through the dilapidated cellar door, the woman's retreating figure was highlighted with a glow, resembling infrared scanning, in Murphy's eyes.
Her blood must be pure.
This evoked a sense of hunger in the vampire.
He licked his lips, lunging forward, not even needing to draw his sword to smack the heavy hunting rifle out of that woman's hand, pressing her against the cellar wall by her neck.
Dust scattered, and the supernatural creature's strength was undoubtedly displayed at this moment.
Although not especially useful when facing witch hunters, it was effortless to bully ordinary humans. This woman could not even catch the speed at which Murphy moved around in the dark.
In the face of such speed, even guns and bullets were no protection in the hands of ordinary people.
"Ahh!"
The young woman, whose neck was clutched by Murphy, screamed.
Her face was smeared with black ash, and her long skirt was tattered. Murphy glanced around and found another witch hunter's corpse in the cellar.
The dead man's pants had slipped down to his knees, a dagger was plunged into his chest, and half his head was blown away.
Hmm, it seemed something that wouldn't pass the censorship rules had happened before they arrived. No wonder only five of the six witch hunters had shown up.
The missing one had been here, but encountered a terrible fate while pursuing a woman.