On the second day of the “Transia king of fighters championship”, the fighting club was still packed. Although most citizens had to work during the day to make a living, this didn’t stop the little players’ growing enthusiasm, as they all saw this event as a great opportunity to “make a name for themselves.”

Even players who weren’t strength or agility-based could shine in other events.

For example, gunners participated in shooting competitions. After Little Ashina’s impressive 12 consecutive wins on the first day, today it was Brother Tune and Miaomiao Shark’s turn to compete for supremacy.

But Miaomiao Shark, the unfortunate one, unexpectedly encountered the “wild NPC” bow knight Lainnia in the fourth round and lost miserably.

By the time he had just shot his third arrow, she had already placed twelve arrows in the bullseye.

Simply ruthless!

But this was also what made the king of fighters championship interesting.

No one knew if their next opponent would be one of those formidable NPCs, but it wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say players at this stage had no chance of winning. For instance, at the throwing field, Frostfang Claw, representing the Blood Rat Gang, encountered Count Andrei in the third round.

He was lucky indeed.

Andrei made a small mistake in his final throw, allowing Fang Fang to barely win with a score of 12:11 against Andrei, and received a Nord Royal throwing knife as a reward, triggering a hidden quest.

But judging from the content of that hidden quest, perhaps this was Count of White Mountain intentionally doing a favor to curry favor with Murphy’s promising warriors.

Murphy didn’t mind this at all.

This championship wasn’t just providing channels for players to earn points, but also to ease the tension in the territory and improve citizens’ happiness.

Although most participants were amateurs, becoming tools for little players to farm points and create atmosphere, this didn’t prevent Maxim from actually finding one or two talented locals to cultivate.

Originally, this was meant to suppress the arrogant air of those northerners with ulterior motives, letting them recognize Transia’s fierce folk culture, but in fact, the effect of this large-scale event proved surprisingly good.

It even exceeded Murphy’s expectations, making the lord once again realize that his subjects weren’t really just mindless NPCs.

They had their own joys and sorrows, and such events with full public participation were best at boosting morale. This also gave Murphy a detail and train of thought he hadn’t noticed before.

“Miriam, how many traditional festivals does Transia have locally?”

The Governor casually walked into the administrative office, knocked on his regent’s door and asked a seemingly irrelevant question. Miriam answered without looking up:

“Quite a mess of them, and some remote places have their own festivals, but if you’re talking about ones everyone really acknowledges, there are just a few – the Harvest Festival from a few months ago, the Winter Veil Festival at year’s end, Spring Plowing Day in spring, and the Sacred Blood Festival that you vampires value greatly.

Why do you ask?”

“I got inspiration from the king of fighters championship.

I suddenly realized we’ve paid too little attention to our citizens’ spiritual world before. They need some festivals, and my warriors also really need various activities to adjust their adventure pace, so I have a new idea!”

Murphy pulled out a chair and sat across from Miriam. The Crimson Regent sighed, put down her quill pen and looked at Murphy, picking up her water cup, saying:

“So, what brilliant idea has our ‘King of Transia Ideas’ come up with this time?”

“I plan to have an activity every month!”

“Pffft”

The water Miriam had just drunk sprayed right out. Fortunately, Murphy was a vampire and dodged quickly, otherwise he would have been “facially sprayed.”

“Have you gone mad?”

The Crimson Regent frantically grabbed a handkerchief to wipe the table and her mouth while complaining:

“One activity every month? I won’t even mention the manpower and resources needed to hold these activities, but with one every month, do you still want the citizens to work properly?

What Transia needs now is reconstruction!

Murphy, I know you’re merciful to your citizens, even to the point of being lenient, but you also need to think from a ruler’s perspective, don’t always think about having fun with the people.”

“No, no, no, this is from a practical perspective.”

Murphy waved his hands explaining:

“It concerns my warriors. Their numbers will see a big increase starting next week, and within a month or two, their numbers will exceed 1,000. Moreover, with the refugee screening work getting on track.

I estimate that after the 100-day construction ends, before the Black Plague arrives, their numbers will see another breakthrough.

According to my prediction, when we directly confront the gnolls, I should have around 2,000 warriors under me. Although it doesn’t sound like much, with their vitality and activity level, plus the locals closely connected to them, this is absolutely a force that cannot be ignored in the land of Transia.

I need to find things for them to do, you understand, Miriam.

You personally experienced the gnoll great hunt, these guys took less than 40 days to drive out the gnolls who had long occupied Transia, they’re already complaining there are too few monsters in this land for them to have fun with.

Once these guys have nothing to do, we’ll have headaches. You have to understand, not every warrior is willing to do work like helping people find lost cats and dogs.

You don’t want them to become destabilizing factors, right?

In this situation, giving them one activity each month can obviously mobilize their enthusiasm. If the rewards and prizes are arranged well, they’ll enjoy it and even look forward to it immensely.

Moreover, they come from another world.

They also have traditional festivals there. If you want them to be full of affection for this land and willing to bleed and sacrifice for it, then we need to put in some effort in this aspect.

As for the manpower and resources needed to hold activities…

That’s too simple.

We set the theme and let them busy themselves, even let them plan it themselves. All we need to provide is a venue and some civil servants, the administrative personnel among the warriors can handle these things.

We invest very little, we gain a lot.”

“Hmm, I feel like you’re talking nonsense, you just want to have some fun, but I have to say your nonsense makes quite a bit of sense, so we can give it a try.”

Miriam thought for a moment and said:

“But their festivals…”

“I’ve already prepared it for you!”

Murphy grinning pulled out a piece of paper from his Spirit Bag and placed it before Miriam’s eyes. The Crimson Regent glanced at it and said with a headache:

“So many? Let me see, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, oh! You’ve even written up the activity themes?

That’s good!

Saves me from having to send people to collect information.”

“This is just the simplified version, if we implement it and feel the effect is good, I have the full version here.”

Murphy said excitedly:

“Easter, Sabbath, Christmas, Midsummer Festival, etc., I even know by heart the corresponding activities and rewards for each festival, and in most cases we don’t even need to directly pay money and equipment, just some illusions…

Ahem, I mean, exotic costumes can satisfy their festival needs.

I’ve already asked Tris and Femis to make a batch of spirit toys, enough to last a long time.

The only problem now is that there are very few vehicles to be found in Transia, but Sharon gave me a surprise, saying she could get riding ice bears and some frost wolf cubs from the Caesar barbarians of Ice Bay.

There are even wind griffins in their forests.

My goodness, Miriam, I’ve never felt our Transia was so prosperous, this is simply the most perfect ‘starter village’.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard someone use the word ‘prosperous’ to describe Transia.”

Miriam gave Murphy a strange look.

She now truly felt that her governor had been “fun-ified” after too much contact with his otherworld warriors.

However, after being tempered by Murphy for so long, she could now keep up with the governor’s train of thought. After repeated consideration, Miriam made up her mind and said to Murphy:

“The Sacred Blood Festival at the end of next month could perhaps be used as a trial. If your warriors really go for it, I’ll set up a folk customs group in the administrative office specifically to handle these things. Although the Sacred Blood Festival was traditionally a vampire festival, because of the Blood Vulture Clan’s rule over Transia, this festival has also been accepted by everyone, it was the most lively week of the year.

Even the usually stingy and miserly vampires would be unusually generous, distributing bread and jam to all the city’s citizens.

In my memory, those were the few days when humans and vampires had the best relationship each year.

Unfortunately, it was only for those few days.

Hope this time, you and Tris can bring everyone some different experiences.”

“Mm, leave it to us.”

Murphy stood up to bid farewell to Miriam.

He took out his broken pocket watch to check the time and decided to go to the Midnight Chamber to see the four “professionals” who had just entered the game today. The last real professional, Old Chen, was still bringing surprises, and Murphy didn’t expect to find another expert as amazing as Professor Chen.

As long as they could stand out, that would be good!

Given the pressure Transia faced directly confronting the Black Plague, Murphy needed these brave and talented people, the more the better.

————————

“Why did you bring Alin in too?”

At the entrance of the Midnight Chamber, Sister Pomegranate was scolding Niuniu while pulling his ear:

“Alin is different from us two, he’s supposed to inherit the family business! You bringing him to play games, watch out or uncle will beat you to death! You know uncle’s bad temper.”

“It’s exactly because Alin lives such a hard life that I want to give him some sweetness.”

Niuniu argued righteously, saying:

“That’s my own cousin, we grew up together, if I don’t care about him who will? Besides, Alin’s talent in boxing is stronger than mine, he’s already a pillar of his family’s martial arts school at such a young age.

If he gets some practice in the game, uncle will be overjoyed.

Think about it, a martial arts master with real combat experience, how much business could that bring to their half-dead martial arts school?”

“Sigh, no point arguing with you anymore.”

Sister Pomegranate sighed helplessly.

The person had already passed the test application and gotten the helmet, telling her little cousin not to play was definitely impossible now, and Niuniu hadn’t just brought his cousin this time.

He had also persuaded a senior who had graduated two years ago to come.

Sister Pomegranate knew that guy too, though that fellow studied judo and was now on the provincial team, if he developed well he could become a national first-class athlete like her in the future, but going higher than that wasn’t just a matter of effort anymore.

In competitive sports, talent really mattered more than anything else.

While this sister-brother pair and three sports student followers came to “pick up the bride”, Brother Mao strolled over carrying his highly recognizable heavy sword “Ranger”, first greeting Sister Pomegranate.

Still with that previous half-interested attitude, though Brother Mao and Niuniu’s relationship was quite good.

He wasn’t even a few years older than Niuniu, and was actually two months younger than Sister Pomegranate.

“Brother Mao brought people in too?”

Shrimp Catcher asked curiously:

“They say a master’s friends must also be masters, so did you find a professional this time?”

“Uh, not really a professional.”

Brother Mao shrugged and said:

“A distant elder in Singapore, ten years older than me, but two generations above in terms of family hierarchy, learned swordsmanship from him for a while when I was young. Actually I always wanted to get him to come play but never found the chance, now is perfect timing.”

“Damn, and you still say you don’t have family traditions?”

Khaki Tony Tai hugged his axe and complained:

“The way you talk about your family affairs is exactly the same as Niuniu bragging in the dorm, don’t tell me your family also has hereditary sword techniques?”

“Uh, that we really don’t have.”

Brother Mao rubbed his hair and laughed, then said quietly:

“My family’s hereditary art is the machete.”

“F**k!”

The three sports students cursed in unison.

Sure enough, none of these guys who made a name for themselves in the game were simple.

“Lord Murphy is here.”

Shrimp Catcher looked back and said quietly.

The group of little players immediately gathered in a circle to curry favor with Lord Murphy who walked out from the darkness. The vampire governor also casually asked a few questions about recent happenings as before.

Performing the role of a vivid and lifelike NPC perfectly.

Actually Murphy sometimes wondered, if there really existed a skill called “NPC Performance Studies” in this world, then his current level would definitely be among the best practitioners.

Now since the time had come, Murphy skillfully performed otherworld summoning, spirit threads intricately weaving into human forms. In just a few seconds, the figures of four men appeared in the empty Midnight Chamber.

The two younger ones looked around curiously, immediately running over with joy upon seeing Niuniu.

The two older ones were more steady.

In the dim chamber they sized each other up, 【Wan Hao】 while feeling his now pain-free leg to sense this incredibly realistic environment, also noticed the tall, distinguished-looking man beside him.

A martial artist’s perception told him this person might be a fellow practitioner.

And 【Fireworks Beef Bowl】 looked at the same-aged man beside him with gray hair but ramrod straight posture like a deeply rooted pine tree with the same gaze.

After a brief assessment, he took the initiative to cup his fists in greeting and said:

“Which school do you hail from?”

“Foshan, just learned some casual moves, and you brother?”

“Oh, from Nanyang, ancestral home in Jiangxi. Were you also invited by an unworthy junior to try your hand?”

Seeing these two old brothers actually chatting it up, Niuniu and Brother Mao helplessly stepped forward, asking the two professionals to meet Lord Murphy first, at least get the main quest before anything else.

Following the normal procedures for new players entering the game, after receiving computation beads and spirit dog tags at the administrative office, Niuniu originally planned to take Teacher Li to level up while helping him get familiar with the controls, but then heard Old Li quietly ask in confusion:

“Yesterday I heard you say this game requires class changes?”

“Yeah, you need to find class change items first.”

Niuniu explained:

“But my sister has a《Swift Fist》manuscript, just need to read it to change class to monk apprentice.”

“Monk apprentice? That’s not right.”

Teacher Li somewhat awkwardly manipulated his computation bead’s character interface pop-up and said puzzledly:

“But this thing shows I’m already a monk! Look! Level 1 Sanda Sect Yixingquan School Monk, with three character traits 【Martial Arts Master】, 【Mind and Body as One】 and 【Phantom Step】. Is there a data error?”

“…”

Niuniu stood woodenly without speaking. He turned to look at Brother Mao behind him, and this “Sword Saint” famous in the game also had a very troubled expression.

Obviously he encountered the same awkward situation as Niuniu.

His elder was “born” with the “Weapon Expert” class. Although without a specific school, this was already enough to prove these two guys’ gold content.

People with deep skills in the real world could actually “start perfectly” when coming to another world, truly making these juniors lose face.

“Say, why don’t we form a guild?”

Sister Pomegranate was also stumped encountering this situation, but her mind turned quickly, and she turned to say to others:

“Form a Transia Martial Arts Association, also convenient for more fellow practitioners to come learn in the future. Looking at the current situation, I estimate there will be many more of these ‘martial arts prodigies’ coming, should prepare early.”

“That name is too un-game-like.”

Shrimp Catcher waved his fist and shouted:

“When we go out wandering the world we need a resounding name, I think we should call it ‘Shadow Trail Sect’! Teacher Li as sect master, Master Yang as elder, everyone else as senior disciples.”

“Get lost! You’re not even a panda”

“But I can drink well, maybe I can learn drunken fist in the future, by the way, is there a Drunken Fist Sect on this continent? There should be right?”