My Players Are So Fierce
Chapter 348:

The news of the King of Fighters Championship to be held at the Crimson Citadel quickly spread through the communication network formed by Computation Beads across Murphy’s current governing network. In the Ancestor’s Woods of Seicob territory, Sharon, the little Countess who had been staying there recently, immediately became excited when she saw the notice issued by the administrative office.

At her age, she was naturally drawn to lively events. Although her experiences had made her more mature than her peers, when seeing such a grand event about to be held, she couldn’t suppress her desire to join in the excitement.

This large-scale event also seemed to represent that Transia’s era of chaos was coming to an end, and Murphy’s territory was moving towards some kind of forming order.

And the little Countess herself was a member of this evolving order.

However, Sharon was after all an administrator, and she quickly realized that this definitely lively event actually had a second meaning for her.

“The mountain folk of the Ancestor’s Woods have just joined Transia’s system, and at this moment when we need to unite and overcome difficulties together, it’s no longer appropriate to maintain their previous closed-off attitude that stayed outside the system.

So, this must be an opportunity that Governor Murphy deliberately created for the mountain folk at this moment. Yes, definitely!

This is a good opportunity to promote the mountain folk to other groups, I can’t waste the governor’s kindness.”

Outside the wooden house atop the Ancestral Forest, little Sharon gazed at the misty woods in the early morning. She flapped her wings to hover in the air, while patrolling towards the depths of the forest, thinking to herself:

“So this time I should select some mountain warrior to accompany me to the Crimson Citadel to join in the festivities. Firstly, it can demonstrate that we are also members of Transia, and secondly, it can let those otherworld warriors see the strength of the mountain folk and attract them to develop towards the Ancestor’s Woods.

With their enthusiastic helpful nature, my people’s lives in the woods will definitely be much better.”

Sharon felt increasingly that her idea was excellent.

So she quickly flew to the area where Knight Valand was located. After becoming a Holy Grail Knight in the ancient ritual, this increasingly powerful guardian of the forest had been living alone by the springs of the Ancestor’s Woods these past two days, guarding the returned Wooden Holy Grail.

“Valand! I have a good idea.”

Sharon folded her wings to land on the rock by the spring, while Valand, who had been meditating cross-legged beside the Holy Grail through the night, opened his eyes at this call.

Different from his previously grey pupils, Valand’s eyes had now become grey-green, which was a sign of nature’s power gathering within him.

“Tell me, I’m listening.”

Valand showed a rather kind smile, which startled little Sharon. Such a peaceful smile had never appeared on the Osprey Knight before, this rough and powerful forest knight had always had a hot-tempered fighting personality.

This made the little Countess wonder if that strange Holy Grail had made her guard knight stupid?

Other rituals at most bestowed power, how did this thing change personality?

Valand’s son was about to be born!

If this really resulted in a life-changing enlightenment and conversion to Buddhism, what would Sunny do?

The Osprey Knight seemed to sense little Sharon’s amazement in her heart, and he waved his hand to explain:

“I’m fine, I’m still my original self, just need time to digest those concepts that the Wood Spirit transmitted to me through the Holy Grail. I increasingly feel that our differences with the Avalon Church were wrong, both sides came from the same source, and their falling back to rebuild the church in Transia may be the will of the Forest Mother.

The ancient faiths will eventually converge.”

“Hey, your explanation isn’t helping, it’s getting scarier!”

Sharon screamed.

She couldn’t help but glance at the Wooden Holy Grail beside Valand, thinking that this thing indeed carried some kind of “magical nature” – this strange power had almost turned Valand into another person.

But according to Lord Kudel, who was also a Holy Grail Knight, these were all normal steps.

The Holy Grail’s blessing would bring him more contemplation about power and the world, he just needed to get through this “growth period”, and after the power aligned, the Osprey Knight would return to his original life state.

The little Countess first suppressed her concerns in her heart and told her thoughts to Valand. The Osprey Knight nodded almost without much hesitation and said:

“Indeed it’s a good opportunity to promote the mountain folk’s presence, and we do need to attract the attention of Transia’s warriors to Seicob territory. Sharon, you can’t forget those things hidden under the ruins of Seicob City.

We can ignore them now, but before the Black Plague comes, we must find a way to resolve these hidden dangers.

Those warriors from other worlds possess excellent talents and endless courage. Whatever measures we plan to take against the ruins of Seicob City, we must obtain their help!

This competition is a very good channel, but I believe you know some of their unsettling characteristics from your previous contact with them at the Crimson Citadel.”

The Osprey Knight rubbed his brow and said:

“They are quite practical, it’s hard to make them willingly serve our cause before seeing benefits, so if we want to attract warriors to the Ancestor’s Woods, then we must offer some rewards that can move their hearts.

But the mountain folk’s life is close to nature and tradition, we barely have enough for our own daily use, we really don’t have that many resources to bestow upon them.”

“Actually we do!”

Little Countess Sharon had considered this issue on her way here, and now hovering in mid-air she pointed northward and said to Valand:

“We can use our connections with the Caesar barbarians in the Ice Bay region to sell some special goods from Ice Bay to those warriors in the Ancestor’s Woods.

Although the barbarian tribes of Ice Bay are poorer than us, they really have quite a lot of good things.

From frost iron excavated from under the ice layers, storm pearls found in the frozen sea, rare materials from sea monsters they hunt when sailing, and even technique manuals of the berserker profession unique to the barbarians.

I know what Murphy’s warriors want, we can stockpile these things specifically.

Oh, right!

The barbarians also tame ice claw bears as war beasts and mounts. They like exaggerated things so they’ll definitely like those furry white beasts that only exist around the frozen sea.

There are hunters among them.

I previously heard several warriors who regularly buy bullets from my stall complaining that they want to tame war beasts but there’s nothing in Transia except gnolls.

We can also bring back some ice bear and frost wolf cubs, these are all ‘resources’ unique to us! We have nests of wind eagles, giant owls and thunder hawks deep in our forests, those are secret places that only mountain folk can find.

Not to mention the various alchemy materials produced in the Ancestor’s Woods, even the Spirit Mages from the Circle Tower came to purchase them before the Ten-Year War.

Valand, the Ancestor’s Woods is much more abundant than we imagine, these resources are enough to employ those warriors to stay here long-term and become good assistants for mountain folk to explore the woods.

This King of Fighters Championship is the best opportunity, we can bring some resources over to open their eyes.

Also, I want you, now respected by all tribes as the guardian, to select some capable young people from each major tribe to participate in the competition, and if possible, have them stay long-term in the Crimson Citadel to serve Governor Murphy.

Although Murphy said he doesn’t want to interfere with mountain folk traditions, we as the governed should also appropriately show some traits of obedience.”

“Good, I’ll go handle it right away.”

Valand stood up, and under Sharon’s surprised gaze, casually threw the Wooden Holy Grail in his hand into the mountain spring ahead. The wooden Holy Grail sank immediately upon touching water, almost instantly disappearing into the depths of the clear spring. Seeing Sharon’s curious gaze, the Osprey Knight explained while putting on his special wooden armor:

“This is a common trait of all Holy Grails, they only appear before candidates who meet the conditions in specific scenarios and bestow the Holy Grail’s power. Don’t worry about it being lost, as long as the Ancestor’s Woods exists, the Wooden Holy Grail will remain here.

It will wait patiently in this pure mountain spring for the birth of the next Holy Grail Knight.”

“I’ve always had a question.”

Sharon flapped her wings, following beside the Osprey Knight who stood over 3 meters tall like a giant, and asked in a low voice:

“The Wooden Holy Grail was found in my ancestor’s tomb, doesn’t that mean my ancestor was a Holy Grail Knight in addition to being a berserker? But weren’t Vam and Avalon enemies? How could he receive favor from both deities at the same time?

This was never mentioned in the records about the first Count of Seicob.”

“When the first Black Plague broke out was also the era when the mountain folk first stepped out of their homeland. Your ancestor died with the Holy Grail on our land. Perhaps the sudden incident left him no time to tell his descendants about the mysteries of the Holy Grail.”

Knight Valand was still in the “contemplation” brought by the Holy Grail’s power, and he said softly:

“No one knows what happened then, but this doesn’t change that Lord Seicomere accomplished great deeds. The mountain folk’s loyalty to Seicomere also started then and continues to this day.

Sharon, don’t overthink it.

Your ancestor was definitely not a thief who wanted to monopolize power, he was a child of the forest, just like you.”

“I know you’re praising me, but your way of speaking right now is really strange, could you please quickly change back to the crude Valand from before? I don’t even dare tell Sunny about your current condition, she would definitely worry.”

“I don’t want to either, but the Holy Grail’s power changed me, Kudel was right, the Holy Grail once carried something great, that’s not a power mortals can resist. I need a trigger now to find my former self from the Holy Grail’s reshaping, rather than becoming a slave to the Holy Grail.

This is too difficult”

——

At the same time as the Ancestor’s Woods received news about the King of Fighters Championship and actively began preparations, Maxim in Bataxin City also received the same reminder.

He immediately understood that Lord Murphy had put his previous arrangements for the prisoners on the agenda.

So Maxim no longer hesitated, he almost immediately began “selection” in the temporary camp outside Bataxin City, he couldn’t bring all the northern criminal prisoners to the Crimson Citadel.

Fortunately, the administrative office’s civil servants had already explained the method of this selection to the prisoners clearly. After realizing that the Transians weren’t joking, but would truly give status and identity rewards based on individual combat prowess and special skills, and give them opportunities to quickly rise up and escape their criminal life, the northern prisoners also became excited.

Most of them had no interest in “becoming new people.”

But if even half of these vampires’ promises could be fulfilled, it meant they could switch to a clean identity to resume their old trade in this “fertile land” of Transia, and even receive “startup funds” bestowed by those vampires.

Maxim made it very clear.

Any fighter who could enter the second round of playoffs would receive a gift of 100 gold coins, while the prize money for entering the third round would increase to 500 gold coins. If they could enter the finals, they would even get land deeds in the Crimson Citadel’s commercial district and the power to form guilds.

Some bold fellows went to ask if they could form smuggler or black market guilds, and Maxim’s answer to this was quite clear.

As long as they could get to that step and could withstand the Blood Rat Gang’s suppression, and were willing to comply with the administrative office’s basic regulations, then naturally they would have a share of the vast territory in the sewers under the Crimson Citadel.

As one of the optional factions left by the “development team” for little players, Murphy did not prohibit smugglers in his territory. The grey area would definitely have space to exist in Transia, provided these guys really had the capability and could distinguish right from wrong on “major issues.”

After receiving confirmed answers, almost all prisoners with some ambition began to form groups and flex their muscles.

As Nord people who grew up in the harsh wilderness of the cold lands, generations of reproduction in an environment too harsh for habitation gave these northerners stronger physiques and more savage fighting spirit than the Silans and Caiths. The Count of White Mountain had previously complained that arena fighting was quite common in Nordtov.

Although the situation there was different from Transia, they similarly had fierce folk customs and loved fighting.

Not to mention these guys were all “martial heroes” screened by the northerners from various rebel armies, military ruffians and criminals – almost everyone had a good physique, and they had never feared anyone when it came to being brave and fighting.

But when Maxim first met these guys, he had sensed unique auras, among these scum were hidden several truly capable people.

And under the current circumstances where the fighter selection was proceeding vigorously, those hidden “experts” also began their private activities.

In a shadowy area at the edge of the camp, several hooded figures were gathered there speaking in low voices.

They were all quite tall, with both men and women among the five people, but they shared the commonality of being taciturn, and from the arms occasionally emerging from under their hoods, some unique tattoos could be seen.

These weren’t tattoos used by thugs to show ferocity, those emblems were often very brief but possessed unique aesthetics. If anything, they were somewhat similar to the imprints that Spirit Mages of the Circle Tower made on their skin, but had much more religious ceremonial flavor.

This was not a secret small team.

Because around them there were also some subordinates patrolling to keep watch for them, though those guys were clearly not of the same caliber as these five people, perhaps more like dependents and followers?

“Turner! Are you ready?”

The leader of the five said in a low voice to the person surrounded in the middle:

“We came guided by instruction, to examine for our god the changes and waves advancing beneath Transia’s surface. Our god’s gaze has fallen upon this land of suffering. The Black Plague is a disaster but there are also opportunities within!

But we know that although you travel with us, you didn’t come just to spread our god’s faith.

You have your own mission and oath.

If our god has told you that what you seek is in Transia, then we will bless your path ahead to be smooth, my brother.”

“Thank you, Master Yuri.”

The man named “Turner” heavily pounded his fist against his chest, the coldness wrapping around those five fingers was not illusory but more like the substantial manifestation of some technique and power forged through thousands of refinements.

He said in a weary yet tenacious tone:

“After I complete the oath I must fulfill in the mortal world, I will return to you with supreme enthusiasm, return to our monastery, to dedicate a lifetime to our god’s scriptures.”

“This is the right path, as it should be.”

The middle-aged man in the lead nodded, but he still reminded:

“Turner, you are a precept keeper, you are an oath keeper, you are one favored by the God of North Wind, you must remember this battle is only to fulfill oaths. We did not come to convert Transians to follow the God of North Wind’s teachings, nor to provoke conflicts.

This land has its own destiny.

Never indulge in the delusion of being brave and fierce, and more importantly never rashly break precepts due to momentary blood courage.

Always remember!

We ascetics are different from those killing monk soldiers who have fallen into demonic obstacles, we never bully others with force, and more importantly must not show off power through violence.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Master.”

The warrior monk named Turner said humbly in a low voice:

“I will use my power well, and also thank my brothers and sisters for accompanying me this far. May all beings hear the teachings of the God of North Wind, may all beings be filled with courage to face all demonic obstacles.”