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Chapter 226:

On the other hand, this gnoll didn’t know if that vampire had cast some kind of “evil spell” on him.

After being locked in the cage, his thoughts became unusually active, like a brainstorm had been stirred up. It was that awful state where even trying to pause one’s thoughts was impossible, as if something inside his mind had been “ignited”.

Murphy’s words kept echoing in his head, like invisible hands stirring up the thoughts of this skinny but cunning gnoll.

He could clearly feel his mind was abnormally excited, even starting to fight against what little reason he had left.

It was as if a voice was shouting, urging him to constantly think about what he would gain if he complied, if he accepted that “invitation”.

Become civilized?

Become a recognized part of this land?

No!

These held little allure for a gnoll.

Just as humans cannot imagine colors they’ve never seen, gnolls cannot imagine a life they’ve never experienced. But those more tangible things were laid out before him, seemingly within reach.

Smuggler’s Woods!

Of course he knew about it!

Hog’s former small clan wasn’t far from there. He knew that before the damn human war started, that forest was very busy, with smugglers transporting goods through there every week.

A larger clan called “Thorn” occupied the area. Their clan members didn’t even need to go out hunting or steal food from humans. They just needed to guard the road, and caravans unwilling to cause trouble would provide them with a constant supply of food.

The Thorn Clan thrived because of this.

Unfortunately, after the war started, the forest was abandoned, and the Thorns could no longer obtain free meat. But their clan members had already been spoiled into “laziness”.

They clumsily began to relearn gnoll traditions, but it was too late. The surrounding clans, long envious, swarmed them, and overnight, Thorn became history.

Hmm, his second mate was a member of the Thorn Clan, that female gnoll with smooth mane often described the “good old days” to him.

He was always willing to listen to her rambling stories. He learned his Transian from her.

Because the Thorn Clan had to communicate with human caravans, the clever ones among them could always speak a few fluent everyday phrases.

Unfortunately, she had bad luck. During the previous battle when Kenport seized his clan, she couldn’t escape and had her skull smashed by a fierce barbarian.

Hog couldn’t help but start thinking.

If he could have a clan again, if he could become the master of Smuggler’s Woods, if that vampire lord could fulfill his promise, could he also live a good life where he didn’t need to hunt to eat his fill?

He didn’t understand why humans would kill each other.

He had once led his clan members to sneak onto the battlefield on the Transian border at night to scavenge for “meat” to eat. He had seen how those humans fought, their methods of killing their own kind made even gnolls feel afraid.

But now the human war was over, so that woodland would become prosperous again like before.

Ah, this sounds like the beginning of good days.

Hog was a cunning fellow.

He was also one of the few leaders who managed to survive after the warlord Kenport took over the clan. Of course he knew there were risks in obeying a vampire. Once the clan members found out he was a traitor, he would become meat in the pot for those hungry fellows.

He should have been more rational.

But tonight’s emotions were very strange.

He wanted to think carefully, but he couldn’t. He wanted to calm down, but he couldn’t. He wanted to weigh the pros and cons, but he couldn’t.

There was a fire burning in his heart, burning so much that he tossed and turned, unable to settle down.

Having never learned knowledge, the gnoll who could be called “half-educated at best” didn’t know that thing was called “desire”.

He just knew he longed for the good life he had imagined.

He wanted that fantasy to come true.

And the voice in his heart was telling him that he could never have such a life under Kenport. That savage big boss didn’t trust him at all. Coming from the Dark Mountain range, he also looked down on the local Transian gnolls, berating them as “mongrels”.

Perhaps

He should reconsider the bad vampire’s suggestion?

And even taking a step back, what would he gain if he didn’t agree? A death? A death that no one would know about, that wouldn’t be turned into crude stories told by clan members?

Ah, and Gnawbone

Every gnoll has heard the story of the “King Gnawbone” from their parents. Of course, in gnoll stories, King Gnawbone was always very powerful!

He was a super barbarian born of the gnoll god!

He could smash the heads of the strongest human knights with his flail, then eat them along with their warhorses! He could crush the craziest dwarves and roast their hearts and livers to eat! He could even defeat the legendary elves, break the legs of those sissies, and leave them crying to death on rocks!

King Gnawbone was invincible!

Even though 110 years had passed since the 4th Black Disaster, the local Transian gnolls still firmly believed that King Gnawbone wasn’t dead!

He was just injured!

He just found a place to hide and recover like ordinary gnolls. When his bones healed, when his strength returned, King Gnawbone would reappear!

He would lead the gnolls to roam the world as before, burn every city they saw, eat all the food they found, and let every pup eat until their bellies were round.

Could he really claim to be King Gnawbone’s grandson?

What if King Gnawbone suddenly appeared?

He definitely wouldn’t acknowledge him!

After all, he was so skinny, so small, he couldn’t even beat the weakest barbarian under Kenport. How could the mighty King Gnawbone have such a weak grandson? A fake like himself would be pummeled to death by King Gnawbone.

But Smuggler’s Woods.

Ah, how he wanted it!

To have a clan again, mates and pups, and meat that never runs out.

Hog tossed and turned in his cage. He was tired, but he couldn’t sleep. Tonight was a difficult night for the gnoll, and unusually, not because of hunger.

Outside the cage, Little Ashina had been observing this strange, skinny gnoll.

Although she didn’t have much social experience, Little Ashina could be sure that this gnoll had been moved by Lord Murphy’s words. He might be considering whether to accept Lord Murphy’s invitation.

He might not even realize the danger in it.

But Little Ashina was born in a world with 5000 years of history. She could think of no less than 10 similar historical stories just by blinking her eyes, and the common point of those stories was to teach Little Ashina that in such situations, one must absolutely maintain their true heart.

Hey!

Hog, there’s a 10,000-meter deep abyss in front of you!

Don’t jump, you’ll be worse than dead!

Little Ashina sighed.

She had witnessed a plot by Lord Murphy, and now she didn’t even feel like going out hunting.

Sitting in the darkness, she connected to the squad’s communication and said:

“You’ll never guess what I just saw. The NPCs in this game are so scary, Lord Murphy is so scary… I feel like if we try to outsmart him, we probably won’t be able to beat him.”

“Huh?”

Lumina Yanghen, who was currently searching for the next gnoll nest in the dark night with Fatal Orchid Huahua and Lady Aqua, couldn’t help but ask:

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Don’t rush, listen to me.”

Little Ashina poured out everything she had just seen and heard to her teammates. After she finished speaking, the other three fell silent.

《Reality Realm》 boasted that every NPC in the game was deeply role-played by AI. The test group proudly claimed they were smarter than real people, and Little Ashina’s experience seemed to confirm all of this.

Not only was Lord Murphy, this main storyline NPC, cunning enough, but even a captured gnoll prisoner would toss and turn due to his thoughts.

“Persuade it!”

Fatal Orchid Huahua quickly made up her mind and replied to Little Ashina with the courage befitting a traveler and explorer:

“This is obviously a Hidden Quest! It might even branch out into a separate storyline. If you help Lord Murphy persuade that gnoll named ‘Hog Gnawbone’, we might be able to accept this Hidden Quest.

Based on the current main storyline, I estimate that the rewards for completing this quest line will be absolutely amazing. It might even be directly related to that ‘mysterious expansion pack’ that hasn’t had much information released about it.

I’m now fairly certain that the expansion pack must be related to the ‘Black Disaster’!”

“Oh, I’ll give it a try then.”

Little Ashina cut off the communication.

She organized her thoughts in the darkness, then knocked on the cage. The gnoll sat up with a roll, its bright green eyes staring at her in the darkness.

To be honest, it was a bit creepy.

“It’s not time yet! Dawn hasn’t come, you can’t kill me!”

It let out a scream.

“Don’t be silly, I’m not here to kill you.”

Little Ashina stood by the cage and asked:

“Why don’t you agree to Lord Murphy’s offer? You should know that Lord Murphy is a very powerful lord. If you don’t agree, you’ll anger him, and he’ll tie you to a cross and burn you alive! Have you ever seen vampires burn their own people?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Hog squatted in the cage, this skinny creature said somewhat nervously:

“I’m afraid King Gnawbone will beat me to death.”

“Huh?”

None of Little Ashina’s prepared scenarios included this answer. She wanted to tell the gnoll in front of her that their King Gnawbone had died over a hundred years ago, and he didn’t need to worry about a ghost that couldn’t even come back to life.

But as the words were about to leave her mouth, the 155cm shorty suddenly rolled her eyes.

She snorted and said:

“Indeed! If King Gnawbone saw his grandson being so cowardly and indecisive, he would definitely beat you to death with his own hands and consider you a disgraceful fellow.”

“Huh?”

Hog shook his body, then asked:

“I know what ‘cowardly’ means, it’s not a good word. Humans always call our kobold servants cowardly fools. I also think kobolds are very timid. Even though there are so many of them, they’re like a bunch of frightened rabbits, needing gnolls to lead them to become brave.

But what does ‘indecisive’ mean?”

“Is that what you should be concerned about right now, you idiot!”

Little Ashina laughed in exasperation.

She knocked on the cage and said:

“You need to dare to fight to win! I know this is very risky, you might be eaten by your clansmen, but think positively. It’s precisely because the risk is high that the reward is high. Haven’t you heard the saying ‘the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish’?

Let me tell you, Lord Murphy’s intention is to eliminate all gnolls in the entire Transia, and we will definitely achieve that!

Every gnoll we encounter will be mercilessly killed by us.

Unless you can gather your brethren together before we kill them all. This way, you’ll become Lord Murphy’s servants and can strut around Transia. As long as you obey, no one will harm you.

Look.

Your clansmen were originally going to die, but because you bravely stepped up to lead and protect them, now they don’t have to die and can even live a good life.

They should thank you!

You’ll become the only gnoll big boss in all of Transia!

All gnolls and kobolds will listen to you. If King Gnawbone appears at that time and sees that you’ve already become a formidable leader, perhaps he’ll show mercy.

After all, he’s the king of all gnolls!

You’re his grandson!

You should at least become the king of Transia’s gnolls to be worthy of this bloodline, right?

You can’t be afraid!

It’s precisely because you know you’re not yet worthy of King Gnawbone’s bloodline that you need to work harder, do better, make King Gnawbone satisfied with you and agree to let you use his name, right?

So what are you still hesitating about?”

Little Ashina urged:

“Quickly pledge allegiance to Lord Murphy! This opportunity won’t come again.”

“But… but King Kenport… and the Gnawbone Clan, and my former clansmen… they all know I’m not—”

“Hey, small problem, just kill them all, won’t that do? When you become the king of gnolls, if you say you’re Gnawbone’s grandson, then you are! No one will dare deny your words, and King Gnawbone won’t deny it either.

You know you can’t do it yourself, no problem, we’ll help you!

Lord Murphy will help you too, isn’t that the meaning of allegiance?

Use loyalty to exchange for some things you need, so, think carefully, what do you need most right now?”

“Uh, some food? I’m so hungry…”

“No! You idiot! What you need most right now is to keep your head! What time do you think it is! Still thinking about food? You’re about to lose your life!”

——

“Very good, you made your decision faster than I expected, which fully proves you’re a smart person.”

Murphy looked with satisfaction at the skinny gnoll kneeling in front of his desk, and the smug Little Ashina standing beside it. A smile appeared at the corner of the vampire lord’s mouth.

He took out a Computation Bead from his Spirit Bag and threw it to Hog, saying:

“Someone will teach you how to use this thing later. Don’t worry, Hog, I’ll arrange everything for you. Just follow my instructions, and everything you want will come true.

As for you, my warrior Ashina, fate has pushed you and your companions into this whirlpool, and you seem to be prepared for it. Therefore, I’m going to entrust you and your companions with an important task.”

“Ding!”

A new task note popped up on Little Ashina’s character interface:

【Special Plot Branch – Hidden Quest ‘The Rise of Hog Gnawbone’ has been triggered!

Quest Content: You witnessed the entire conversation between Lord Murphy and Hog Gnawbone. You know what Lord Murphy wants to do, so you can no longer stay uninvolved. Lord Murphy has decided to entrust his important plan to you, and you all know that whether this plan succeeds will directly affect the future of the entire Transia.

It’s very important!

So you absolutely cannot fail!

Quest Objective: First step! Help the special plot character ‘Hog Gnawbone’ rebuild his clan. Note, you can help Hog quickly form his barbarian guard and servants through the ongoing gnoll extermination war.

Quest Requirements: Before the end of the first phase of the gnoll extermination war, Hog’s new clan must reach 30 members, including at least two elite leaders and ten Black Iron barbarians.

Quest Reward: New faction (player-led) unlocked!

Note!

This quest is a special plot branch quest. Such quests often directly affect the plot direction of a certain region. Please treat it carefully and think through each decision.

Note!

The maximum number of people this quest can be shared with is: 5.

Note!

This quest is the second link in the ‘Murphy’s Warriors’ series of quests. If the quest fails, Lord Murphy will be very disappointed in you.】

“Go now, use your wisdom and courage. I’ll be looking forward to your victory.”

Murphy waved his hand in a rather formulaic manner.

Little Ashina pulled the still somewhat confused but now “neutral target” Hog Gnawbone out of the office. Outside the door, the 155cm shorty put her hands on her hips and said to Hog:

“Very good, from today on, I’ll be your kobold strategist, Chief. Now let’s go have a meal first, then get you some proper attire. You look completely devoid of authority right now.”

“Huh? But you’re not a kobold! Kobolds are about as tall as you but they’re not as smart as you…”

“‘Kobold strategist’ is just a figure of speech, okay? You stupid half-educated gnoll. And listen up, if you make fun of my height again, I’ll beat you to death!”