My Players Are So Fierce – Handsome dog Frank
Chapter 938 - 319. Gold and Dead Bones of the Xike Death Domain

Chapter 938: 319. Gold and Dead Bones of the Xike Death Domain

The Happy Stick’s treasure hunting plan had been a long time in the making.

Ever since he dug out the first underworld vault beneath Crimson Castle and received intelligence about the Blood Vulture Arsenal, he had been trying to activate this hidden mission from Sir Morphy.

However, the mission had a prerequisite: his reputation within the Blood Vulture Clan had to reach the "Family Knight" title. That reputation level only became available after the recent Wolf Poison invasion, so it wasn’t surprising that Stick Brother was slow to act; the game progression was stuck at that point, leaving him eager but helpless.

This time, following the Winged Cavalry Instructor to West Coba’s Earldom for training was a good opportunity. Moreover, having spent tens of thousands of Gold Coins with Little Brother Fu to get the blueprints and intelligence for the underground vault of Westerburg from Count Shuren, he was rubbing his hands together in anticipation of making a fortune overnight once this excavation was done.

It had been said that Stick Brother formed a company with the support of Little Brother Fu; up until now it had barely produced anything. Although Little Brother Fu did not press him, Stick Brother felt a great deal of pressure. He was a fellow with high self-expectations, always believing he needed to achieve something tangible to show for his efforts.

But Happy Stick was unaware of the "inside story" of Westerburg. Neither Morphy nor Ellen had informed the players about the Undead Army hidden beneath the ruins; up to that point, it remained part of the still-unveiled "background story."

The lack of intelligence cast a shadow over Happy Stick’s treasure hunting endeavor from the start.

The most frightening part was that Happy Stick had no idea about this! He was happily awaiting his big fortune, so when they arrived outside Westerburg the next afternoon, Stick Brother and his subordinates were lost in the joy of their impending "overnight wealth," almost completely ignorant of the real threats that lay ahead.

The "Big Bird Spinning Team," who had agreed to develop the hidden treasure together, had already camped nearby in anticipation.

Wumeoge’s team traveled in a rather stylish way.

Though not vampires and unable to fly, they had a special "Gargoyle Airliner" that was big enough to carry the entire team for rapid travel, so Wumeoge had departed from Crimson Castle just this morning and was set to arrive at the destination even before Happy Stick.

After Instructor Valande announced the dissolution of structured activities, Stick Brother immediately took his men to meet with Wumeoge. As they impeccably arrived at the campsite in a Cavalry formation, Wumeoge’s specialized "Heavenly Eye" Yan Song had just completed a Psychic Reconnaissance of the city ruins ahead.

The expression on the face of the man with the stubbly beard was not very reassuring.

"The situation over there is very quiet, fitting for an abandoned city that hasn’t been stepped in for two years. It even reminds me of some post-apocalyptic wasteland scenery," said Yan Song while stroking his chin as Stick Brother dismounted and approached, holding his Cavalry helmet.

"Most of the buildings in Westerburg are intact, only the defensive parts are thoroughly damaged, and the city gates are shattered all over. With my Reconnaissance Magic, I could see many places in the city shrouded in gray-green smoke.

That’s probably the remnant of the Psychic Plague. I’ve marked it on the map.

Those areas are ones you absolutely cannot enter.

I consulted with my Tutor, who used to work at the Circle Tower. He warned me that even Silver Grade warriors are not immune to the terrible effects brought by the Psychic Plague, and we would die within five minutes of entering.

The good news is, the path to the bank of Westerburg is not closed off by the plague. I’ve just planned a safe route to get you guys in and out quickly.

But I can’t scout the inside of the bank; I haven’t yet learned the advanced skill of using Psychic echoes to detect what’s inside buildings, so you’ll have to adapt on the fly once inside.

Also, your destination is underground. My suggestion is to be careful; if something goes wrong, it could be tough to escape."

"What about the enemies in the city?"

Stick Brother asked cautiously, "Have you spotted anything that needs particular attention?"

"Yes! Around the plague-stricken parts of the city, there are many creatures similar to Ghouls wandering blindly, so they’re not a big problem if you don’t disturb them. In the city sky, there’s also a flock of decaying, bird-like creatures. Their air defense is so solid that even the wings of vampires can hardly break through.

But the good news is that the Psychic environment here is stable so far, so you don’t have to worry about encountering monsters that don’t fit the strength level of this place," explained Yan Song professionally.

"According to my Tutor Helu, monsters that deviate greatly from the norm don’t generally emerge in a stable Psychic environment, unless this is a massive disguise enchantment, which is highly unlikely. Westerburg has been destroyed, and it’s not a strategic location.

But again, my understanding of Psychic energy is only at an apprentice level, so I might miss some details.

So the advice I can give is, don’t all go in!

Leave some people outside for backup, in case something goes wrong inside, it won’t lead to a total wipeout."

"Of course, I will leave some people behind," said Stick Brother with a nod, taking the city map marked with safe passages and danger zones from Yan Song. He was very satisfied with Yan Song’s work and thought to himself that he should perhaps cultivate a professional Psychic scout for his own team. These fellows could oversee situations for kilometers around from the sky, essentially acting as "human radars."