I Became the Progenitor Vampire

March 15, the Underworld, Liusi City.

"Lord Kaplotz, Your Glory forever shines upon us; your humble believers pray to you here..."

"With Your guidance, as half-men, we will scale the mountaintops without hesitation."

"The Underworld shall tremble under Your Dignity, and all will submit to the great half-men..."

"Only the half-men are the mightiest rulers!"

"..."

Millions of half-men knelt on the streets, some shouting loudly, others whispering prayers; their focus was on one direction alone—the temple of the half-men's god, Kaplotz.

For the half-men, though this situation had lasted two months, everyone remained devout and fervent.

Their god, whom they worship, had descended two months ago.

Indeed, the great god of the half-men came down from the Divine Country.

Despite everyone hearing the Life Goddess's admonishment before Her slumber—that the gods would take the form of saints—

For the half-men, Lord Kaplotz is their eternal deity; whether He becomes a saint or something else, it would not alter their steadfast faith.

This is the benefit of racial gods; the followers of a racial god tend to be exceptionally steadfast since their entire race only has one god. Without supporting each other, they lose that ultimate reliance on a deity.

By contrast, gods with a mix of followers often lose believers more easily in such situations. Of course, there are pros and cons, and one cannot judge a deity's strength based on this alone.

The Elf God System is also followed by a single race; almost no other races worship the Elf God System. Yet the might of the Elf God System is formidable enough to be feared by all beings.

"Lord Kaplotz, Twilight City has already delivered the last batch of armors, all Dwarf Forging high-level equipment.

Do you think we should continue trading with the Cave Dwellers?"

In the temple of the god of half-men, atop a throne forged of gold and gemstones, sat a half-man wearing a silver crown and draped in a golden cloak.

He possessed an imposing majesty.

Most chilling were his amber eyes that gleamed with sharpness like a fully drawn longbow, as if at any moment a lethal arrow could be loosed.

And with the dreadful aura emanating from him, he was like a giant dragon coiled there. Everyone inside the temple trembled.

Kaplotz, the god of half-men and their sole deity.

Upon hearing the words, the holy figure descended upon the world, his sharp eyes shifting to the half-man who spoke.

Had Lide been there, he would have recognized the speaker, the legendary half-man who had once come out to stop his attack on Liusi City.

"Have you discovered why the God of Twilight is capturing the Cave Dwellers?"

The voice of the god of the half-men was cold, laced with a condescension that looked down upon all living beings.

As a deity, even having taken the form of a saint, he still held sufficient confidence to brook no challenge.

The legendary half-man, somewhat slender and clad in a white priestly robe, shook his head, "My lord, we have only traced the final movements of the Cave Dwellers—they've all been led by the Magic Language Bats into a deadly poisonous fog.

According to the information we've previously gathered, that fog covers the Dead Silence Land, where only Naga have been spotted. We've sent people to investigate but couldn't even penetrate the deadly fog."

He paused, his tone hesitant.

"I suspect that the God of Twilight is capturing the Cave Dwellers to perform a Blood Sacrifice, aiming to create powerful minions."

"Blood Sacrifice?" The eyes of the god of half-men narrowed. After a moment's contemplation, he slowly nodded. In fact, he had guessed as much, his own hands holding several malevolent Divine Arts that could similarly cultivate considerable fighting forces.

But the cost of such an act was high, and for him, whose strength had already plummeted, it was not worth it.

However, since the God of Twilight had descended so much earlier, using those Divine Arts might not result in too much damage.

As for enslaving the Cave Dwellers and having them become Believers, the proud Divine would never consider it.

Cave Dwellers are too weak, and these beings have lived in caves for a long time, filthy, stinking, base—that's the outsiders' view of them. Who would want such trash to become Believers?

Do other Believers have no regard for their dignity?

"How do you think we should deal with the God of Twilight?" asked the elder Half-Elf thoughtfully.

"Lord, the God of Twilight will be our main opponent in the future as the Underworld will inevitably be enveloped by your Glory.

However, the current problem is that the God of Twilight has come to the Main Plane ahead of time, and we cannot ascertain his strength.

Although I have dealt with him before, no one can say for sure how much power he has regained in the past few months.

So my suggestion is to stabilize them first, with your recovery of strength being the priority."

"Stabilize them... Recover strength..." The Half-Elf God pondered.

"Yes, and now the armor they provide can greatly enhance our combat power, it is equipment we must have.

So we should continue and even increase our trade interactions with them.

Since we are the ones benefiting, why not continue?

And another point, the Cave Dwellers are numerous. Even if we do not capture them, the God of Twilight will send people to do so.

Although it might be slower, the outcome would be the same, therefore it's in the best interest of Liusi City to continue trading with the God of Twilight."

"Moreover, doing so can also numb the God of Twilight, giving you ample time to recover your strength.

Once your power returns to its peak, the initiative towards the God of Twilight will be in your hands, and whether it's war or peace will be up to you to decide."

After hearing this, the Half-Elf God fell silent for a moment, then looked towards the other Half-Elves in the temple, who were trembling under the Divine Power, daring not to have any objections.

Seeing this, the Half-Elf God spoke in a deep voice.

"Leave this matter to you to manage.

Additionally, summon all the Half-Elves in the Underworld to Liusi City immediately. I need all Believers to pray earnestly day and night!

The day I regain my strength will be the day of uniting the Underworld."

With these words, the stance of the Half-Elf God towards the God of Twilight was clear.

More than a dozen high-ranking Half-Elves in the temple immediately felt a sense of bloodthirst in the air.

War was coming soon.

This part of the Underworld could only allow one king to rule.

But at this moment, none of the Half-Elves felt fear; their hearts were filled with zeal.

This was Divine warfare, magnificent, glorious, and sacred!

They would fight for the God they worshiped, and even if their souls died, they could ascend to the Divine Country and enjoy eternal life.

Under the leadership of the great Lord Cap, the Half-Elves will surely triumph!!

The God of Twilight's head will be crushed!!

The Half-Elf God looked at the zeal of the crowd below and nodded in satisfaction.

He was still quite wary of the God of Twilight; having dealt with him in the previous Battle of the Gods, he knew how formidable the enemy was, nearly matching his own strength.

And now, the enemy had arrived in the Underworld before him, so rushing into battle recklessly was obviously not a wise decision.

What's most important for a Divine being is the Believers. Now, by gathering the Half-Elves, he would be able to preach better and gain more Power of Faith.

After recovering his strength, he would fight for the dominion of the Underworld.

This piece of the Underworld had been considered his prey even before his descent; Lide's sudden emergence had snatched a piece of rich flesh that originally belonged to the Half-Elf. How could he tolerate that?

Once he regained his power, Twilight City would cease to exist. If the God of Twilight did not withdraw from the Underworld, then he himself would decapitate the latter. To slay a god!

The Half-Elf God had absolute confidence in the upcoming war.

The Half-Elf God's orders quickly spread from Liusi City, and the Half-Elves scattered around the Underworld immediately gathered towards the Half-Elf Main City upon receiving the commands.

Meanwhile, trade between Twilight City's Cave Dwellers and the Half-Elves continued unabated. On the territories controlled by the Half-Elves, a large number of filthy Cave Dwellers who used to hide in caves and went unnoticed were captured and sent to Twilight City.

Correspondingly, the equipment produced by Twilight City was shipped to Liusi City in large quantities. For a time, the trade between the two sides was quite bustling.

However, the high-ranking members of both sides saw the bloody future of the Underworld.

War was coming soon, and at that time, the rulership of the Underworld would be in the hands of the victor.

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March 30th, in the Far Mountain Range in the barren wasteland area.

Wooo Wooo Wooo~

The war horn sounded within Dwarf Valley, and the sharp-eyed Beastmen of the Lion Tribe and the Centaurs who had relocated there watched the ancient monsters—Corrupted Wild Boarmen—surge forth in dense swarms like locusts from below.

Those ancient monsters, with bodies slightly rotten and eyes shining with a brutal light, swelled like inflated balloons, numbered in the millions.

Standing atop the city walls at the narrow pass in front of Dwarf Valley, one could not see the edge of the incoming horde. Against the backdrop of the grey sky, it was extremely terrifying.

Beastman King Kapp of Level 18, Shaman Priest Morton of Level 17, and tribal chief Sam Ironhoof of Level 17—all influential figures in Dwarf Valley—were now watching solemnly as the Corrupted Wild Boarman army below began their assault.

The war had begun.

They were confronting these tide-like ancient monsters.

"Lord Kapp, these Corrupted Wild Boarmen appeared three days ago, over a hundred kilometers away on the barren plain.

According to the Dawn Bat's investigation, a massive spatial rift appeared there, seemingly where another plane collided with the Main Plane, resulting in a surge of monsters.

Moreover, this plane has long been corrupted by ancient forces; the Corrupted Wild Boarmen appearing now are only one-tenth of those emerging from the rift, with even more streaming out continuously.

We speculate that these Corrupted Wild Boarmen are also servants of the Ancient Evil God, but we have yet to sense the presence of an Ancient Divine and dare not jump to conclusions," reported a Werewolf Governor standing beside the three leaders.

Upon hearing this, Kapp, with his massive Lion head, turned to look at the heavily armored Werewolf Warrior.

"Dispatch someone to monitor that spatial rift round the clock. Report any new developments immediately, and elevate our readiness to Level 1. Everyone must be prepared for battle at any moment."

"Yes, Lord Kapp."

After the Werewolf Governor left, the aged figure of Level 17 Shaman Priest Morton gazed deeply at the exaggerated number of Corrupted Wild Boarmen in front and spoke slowly.

"Kapp, I sense the madness in these Wild Boarmen. It's a twisted madness. They crave slaughter, they long to destroy everything..."

He paused, eyes flashing a fear Kapp had never seen before.

"When my spirit touched the souls of these Wild Boarmen, a blood claw emerged, one filled with an aura of annihilating everything.

It seems all this is caused by that mysterious blood claw."

Kapp's gaze sharpened.

"Is that the Evil God of ancient days?"

Morton nodded and then shook his head.

"Perhaps it is, perhaps not, but it must be the source of corruption for these Corrupted Wild Boarmen, all these ancient monsters have fallen into madness because of that Blood Claw."

The expression on the face of Sam Ironhoof, the Chieftain of the Iron Hoof Tribe, darkened upon hearing this. The Iron Hoof Tribe had been forced to relocate from the Lower Hills to Dwarf Valley entirely because of the Fierce Half-Ratmen, servants of the Evil God.

As a victim, he naturally knew just how terrifying those monsters corrupted by the ancient powers could be.

When facing ordinary Half-ratmen, one Centaur could easily kill dozens of half-elves of the same level, but after being corrupted by the ancient powers, a Centaur managing to handle two or three half-elves would be considered good.

That was more than a twofold increase in power.

Moreover, monsters corrupted by the ancient powers would know neither pain nor fear, only desires for destruction and slaughter.

Facing such life-forms that surged like tides and fought with reckless abandon, as mechanically as machines, one would feel unprecedented internal pressure, because no one could predict whether such a battle could ever end. Wave after wave of assault would lead to extreme exhaustion.

Seeing the corrupted wild boarmen now, he was reminded of the horrifying Fierce Half-Ratmen, utterly unstoppable.

"Morton, should we send an army into that space to destroy the source of pollution?

Otherwise, if things continue like this, I fear the number of these Corrupted Wild Boarmen will only increase, and it might attract more powerful ancient monsters.

Even if our city walls are towering, the pressure we face would become insurmountable."

"No, Sam, Lord Ilo is currently in seclusion; we cannot act rashly.

I sense that Blood Claw to be extremely terrifying; it may even be an ancient Evil God that has yet to awaken or break free from its seal.

We do not have the power to deal with such an evil presence; we can only wait for Lord Ilo to awaken and then decide..."

Although Morton was extremely anxious and concerned, he still stopped Sam's frantic idea.

That Blood Claw gave him an absolute feeling of not being something ordinary. Hundreds of kilometers away, within that fractured space, the evil lurking might be even more terrifying than he could imagine.

Beastman King Kapp's face showed an unmistakable intent to kill, his tone unwaveringly determined.

"No matter how dire the situation, Dwarf Valley must not fall!!

Lord Ilo entrusted the Lion Tribe with the guardianship of this city; I will absolutely not let Lord Ilo down.

If anyone wants to capture Dwarf Valley, they will have to step over our Beastman corpses!

Dawn, never extinguish!!"

Within Dwarf Valley lay the only Mithril mine of Dawn City, and those several large iron mines currently being excavated were urgently needed resources for Dawn City, their daily output accounting for half of Dawn City's total production.

If this city were to fall, it would be an unacceptable heavy blow for resource-strapped Dawn City.

Especially the Mithril mine, such a precious resource could not be replaced in the short term.

Everyone present was aware of this, so their moods were especially somber.

Risier City, now occupied by the ancient Evil God's followers, had become the largest and most terrifying place in the entire southern province.

At this moment, upon discovering that just hundreds of kilometers from them might be a sealed land of the Evil God as terrifying as Risier City, that overwhelming pressure started to assail them.

Crisis was nearing step by step...

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April 20th, in the Lower Hills.

"Your Majesty Guido, those Fierce Half-Ratmen have surrounded us and are attacking!!"

Atop a hill, the Child of Destiny of the Centaurs, now the King of Gale Empire—Guido Blackwind watched coldly over the hill, at the millions of Fierce Half-Ratmen below.

It seemed that only a single line was left in the horizon.

The air was thick with the foul stench of rats and the pungent smell of blood.

Witnessing this shocking spectacle, Guido displayed not the slightest concern; instead, he turned his head to look behind where a dark mass of Centaurs was ready and waiting.

He had gathered more than 50 Ten Thousand People Armies here.

And like this sized armies, two more were situated on the southern hills and on the northern hills.

This time, he had assembled one and a half million Centaurs, with the sole purpose of launching the final battle against the Fierce Half-Ratmen.

This brigade of Fierce Half-Ratmen was the last to invade the Dwarf Hill Country, numbering an exaggerated four million.

The chosen battlefield was a plain surrounded by high ground on three sides, interspersed with a vast valley.

The entire Centaur Army stood on the elevated plains, ready to charge down simultaneously from the heights once the Fierce Half-Ratmen entered the expansive valley.

To find this suitable venue for a battle involving millions, Guido had spent several months.

"Where is the Fierce Half-Ratmen's Air Corps?"

"The Air Corps has been tied down by two of the Devil Lords."

"Good, sound the horns, charge with me!!"

On seeing the approaching Fierce Half-Ratmen, Guido's fighting spirit burned fiercely, no longer hesitating, he roared out loud.

The signal officer beside him immediately picked up his long spear and bellowed.

"Sound the horns!!"

Woo~ Woo~

The deep horn sounds spread across the entire battlefield, and after just a moment, the solemn sound of horns came from the other two heights as well.

Such a simple ambush would be ineffective against any normal army, but against these Fierce Half-Ratmen, who had completely lost their reason, even the simplest of strategies could have a considerable effect.

The strength of the Fierce Half-Ratmen lay in their charges which were as fearless of death and pain as the Undead. It had nothing to do with intelligence; they only had instinct.

Tramp Tramp~

Tramp Tramp~

Iron hooves trampled the earth, and thus commenced a bloody battle unlike any seen before on this sprawling battlefield of over ten kilometers.

Centaur vs Fierce Half-Ratmen.

Guido Blackwind, this Level 19 King of the Gale Empire, now led the charge at the forefront.

And leading the first wave of the three major armies were the heavily armored warriors, the reinforcements to Guido from Dawn City.

When countless Centaurs plunged down like waves, each stronger than the last, from over a hundred blades high and a slope more than two hundred blades long,

The terrifying collision was like a car traveling at seventy or eighty kilometers per hour slamming fiercely into a human body.

Annihilated.

Surrounded on three sides, the onslaught of a million troops was more fearsome than towering waves.

Cavalry charged formations, horses trampled through camps.

The battle waged from dawn to dusk, from dusk to dawn...

Only after a full day and night did this epic battle in the Dwarf Hills finally come to a close.

The ultimate result was that the fierce Half-Ratman army, numbering over four million, was completely annihilated by the Centaur Army led by Guido Blackwind.

The Centaur army, which exceeded 1.5 million, was reduced to less than 700,000, with casualties exceeding 60%.

In this war, two Extraordinary Two-Horned Demons had contributed greatly; they not only hunted down the Extraordinary Commander among the fierce Half-Ratmen but also attracted most of the flying Half-Ratmen.

The 100,000 Heavy Cavalry provided by Dawn City, with their equipment forged for battle, shone brightly. In the war, they became the spearhead, like a surgeon's scalpel tearing through the fierce Half-Ratmen, becoming an ultimate killing machine.

When the dim sun rose on the second day's morning, there were no longer any fierce Half-Ratmen capable of breathing across the entire battlefield.

Guido Blackwind, dyed red with blood, stood in the center of the battlefield, looking around. Corpses piled up by the tens of thousands, and the blood had soaked the parched earth into mud. Limbs and fragments spread like butchers distributing livestock in a slaughterhouse.

At this moment, the place was more blood-soaked and terrifying than the abyss.

The surviving Centaurs looked at the bodies that littered the ground, exhausted to the point of having no semblance of a victor's posture, panting heavily with each breath.

The black bloodstains, the broken armor—on this day, no one could imagine the horrific terror these warriors had endured.

Sensing the low morale of the battlefield, the two Double-Horned Demons landed beside Guido Blackwind.

The two Extraordinary beings had killed an unknown number of fierce Half-Ratmen last night and were still brimming with energy. War and death were, after all, nothing out of the ordinary for monsters of the abyss.

"Guido Blackwind, you should now proclaim to all Centaurs that, under the guidance of Kachar, the Gale Empire has secured victory in this war..."

Hearing the demon's reminder, Guido Blackwind was brought back to his senses.

After the coming of the ancient days, Guido Blackwind abandoned the Centaur God, establishing the Dawn Sect as the Gale Empire's sole religious faith.

However, at the moment, these Half-Elves had a low level of faith in the Dawn Sect, as abandoning the Centaur God to worship a foreign god was somewhat hard to accept.

But now, there was a perfect opportunity to spread the faith of the Dawn Sect.

Guido Blackwind's gaze became resolute in an instant.

"Please trouble the two lords to cast a spell and lift me to mid-air."

Demons, as a lifeform, possessed incredibly powerful bloodlines, and most high-level demons knew some bloodline magics; the two Two-Horned Demons were no exception.

Hearing this, they did not hesitate. After muttering an arcane spell, a surge of Magic Energy was bestowed upon Guido Blackwind.

Guido Blackwind took a deep breath and then, step by step, rose into the sky.

The Centaurs around him, sensing this scene, looked up in surprise, turning one by one to gaze upon their king.

"People of the Gale Empire!!"

A cry echoed throughout the battlefield, amplified by magic.

Those Centaur Warriors, still dazed and confused, immediately turned their heads to look toward Guido Blackwind as he spoke.

"Under the guidance of Kachar's crown, in the glorious light of the great God of Dawn.

The Gale Empire has once again eradicated these damned, filthy, lowly rats!!"

"Under the watchful eyes of the God of Dawn, we have won!!"

"We, the great Centaurs, are the victors of war; we have defended the Dwarf Hills and protected our homes!!"

The excited shouts instantly lit a spark in the dim eyes of the Centaurs below.

Yes, they were the victors.

No matter how severe the costs, they had triumphed in the end!

The morale that had been low was visibly rising in this moment.

Meanwhile, their hearts filled with a newfound fondness for the previously unappealing Dawn Sect.

Seeing the light in the eyes of the Centaurs below, Guido Blackwind spoke with increasing fervor.

"The low hills, they can only belong to our Centaurs, the low hills of the Centaurs!

When the glow of dawn envelops the earth, and His Excellency Kachar's gaze watches over us, the Centaurs will once again rise to the greatness of the Centaur Empire from hundreds of thousands of years ago!

Today, I declare to all the citizens of the Gale Empire, only the Centaurs blessed by the God of Dawn are the true Centaurs!

Those cowards and weaklings in Points City who hide within their walls and dare not emerge in the face of losing their territory, they are absolutely unworthy to be called Centaurs.

They are but a flock of heretics castrated by the butcher!""

The words instantly made the Centaurs below breathe heavily, their eyes filled with rage.

"My people, follow me, and I shall lead you to glory, lead all Centaurs to become an eternal race!

If you still have family and friends, tell them that in two months, I will gather all Centaurs to enter Gale City, those weaklings and cowards do not deserve to occupy the royal city of the low hills.

Only the Centaurs blessed by dawn are qualified to lead all of the Human Clan towards victory.

And we, we have already been graced by the great God of Dawn, we shall become great!"

Carrying the zeal of this madness, this victorious fervor, after a speech that sent spirits soaring, Guido's reputation catapulted to the extreme.

Now, the remaining Centaurs were utterly convinced that they had received the gods' blessing, and Guido, he was indeed destined to be the sole ruler of the Centaurs' future.

After just this battle, many among the Centaurs—formerly indifferent toward the Dawn Sect—began to transform, their belief in the Centaur God being replaced.

For when the Fierce Half-ratmen invaded the low hills, only the Gale Empire, protected by the Dawn Sect, was willing to take in these Centaurs that wandered on the low hills, willing to view them as kin.

Most Centaurs' high hopes for Gale City were dashed when the city shut its gates in the face of the enemy's invasion.

Even many Centaurs seeking refuge in Gale City were turned away because the city was 'overpopulated', leaving them to become the stationed force, resisting the Fierce Half-ratmen.

The actions of Gale City made many Centaurs feel betrayed.

This was a key reason why Guido could, in such a short time, gather hundreds of Centaurs.

Now, tasting victory, the belief in the Dawn Sect among the Centaurs was shaken. Though only a few Centaurs believed in the Dawn Sect, a single spark can start a prairie fire.

Perhaps these Centaurs will become the Dawn Sect's new life.

And the oath made by Guido to trample over Gale City in two months became the anticipated moment for all Centaurs on the battlefield.

The news of calling all Centaurs to attack Gale City together spread wildly alongside the news of the last of the invading Fierce Half-ratman legions in the low hills being annihilated.

Victory is the best medal of honor.

The powerful, evil, terrifying Fierce Half-ratmen were thus cleanly swept away!

The Centaurs, still scattered about, went wild with joy upon hearing this news, and with burning resentment towards Gale City, they joined Guido's ranks one by one, their spears pointing directly at Gale City.

"Your Excellency, Guido will defend your glory with his life, when you awaken, Gale City will surely be brought into the territory of Dawn City.

You, will be the only god for the Centaurs!"

After the day's victory in war, Guido, drenched in fresh blood, devoutly kneeled on one knee facing the direction of Dawn City.

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May 10th, Green City.

Today many believers of the Dawn Sect were extremely angered because they discovered that one-third of the Dawn Churches had been forcibly closed by the Nobles!!

And the reason given was the absurd excuse of making room for refugees to rest.

How can this be tolerated? This is a sin against the divine!

If the great Lord Ilo knew about this, he would have delivered divine punishment!

And what further fueled the anger of the believers was the establishment of one after another Noble God Sect around the closed Dawn Church.

Why is no one talking about making way for the common folk now??

Enraged believers took to the streets to forcibly resist those nobles' private soldiers; they absolutely could not allow their faith to be so defiled!!

The great Lord Ilo was their spiritual pillar and their last safeguard; no one could harm Lord Ilo's interests.

But the normally weaker private soldiers of the nobles were exceptionally tough this time, utterly disregarding the protests of tens of thousands of believers and even notifying the city's army to forcibly help with the Dawn Church's closure, not shying away from suppressing the people with troops.

In the midst of the arguing, a bloody and violent conflict erupted.

Thousands of believers were killed in the conflict, their blood flowing like rivers.

The brutality of the noble private soldiers caused extreme anger within the Dawn Sect.

After the incident occurred, the White-robed archbishop, Lady Nicole, led fully 1000 priests to the streets to slaughter those noble private soldiers in revenge for the believers.

And eventually, she directly led the Priest Army to surround those two noble residences that had dispatched the private soldiers.

Thousands of priests casting spells simultaneously dazzled all of Green City with a brilliant display of magical fireworks.

The residences of those two earls were directly burned to ashes by the Priest Army, a fierce deterrent against those scheming heretical sects.

The terrifying display of power surprised many.

However, due to the Dawn Sect's heavy-handed actions, a significant rift appeared between the Dawn Sect and the noble factions, turning their previously close relationship rigid.

And at that time, no one noticed that a dark hand behind the scenes was silently controlling everything.

Eventually, the nobles of Green City, under the suggestion of a certain influential noble, collectively demanded an explanation from the Dawn Sect, but such a request was, of course, sternly refused.

Following this battle, the noble factions began to completely ostracize the Dawn Sect.

Although the nobles held absolute power within Green City and everyone feared the now-absent Lord Ilo,

the overt and covert suppression made it exceedingly difficult for the Dawn Sect to proselytize, let alone take other actions, and their once smooth-sailing situation began to falter severely.

Even many nominal believers, under the pressure, started to leave the sect to convert to other sects, with the Noble God Sects established next to the Dawn Sect reaping the most benefit.

Backed strongly by the nobles, the Noble God Sect almost overnight became the orthodox in everyone's mouths, the only place where residents sought salvation and protection.

The Dawn Sect was being demonized, whether intentionally or not...

Noticing the shift in the wind, the White-robed Archbishop Nicole began to actively consolidate power and earnestly sought out who was targeting the Dawn Sect.

But with the strong resistance of the noble factions, her investigation was fruitless.

And thus, the Dawn Sect fell into an awkward predicament within Green City.

Moreover, as time went on, the dark hand behind the scenes grew more and more audacious after several probes, and the legendary Lord Ilo had yet to appear.

Noble-owned shops restricted food sales to believers of the Dawn Sect, weapon shops limited supply of arms and equipment to the sect, and even the city guards turned a blind eye to the unfair treatment of the sect's believers, choosing to ignore it.

In just a few short months, the once-revered Dawn Sect was suppressed to the point of suffocation...

One could foresee that if this situation continued for another three to five months, apart from those staunchly faithful believers, most would leave the Dawn Sect...

A storm aimed at the Dawn Sect had begun, and the manipulator behind the scenes seemed to grow increasingly unrestrained.

Duke O'Kelly, who once strongly advocated for the Dawn Sect, had started to live in seclusion two months prior, with many residents of Green City seldom seeing him leave his manor anymore...

During the months of Lide's seclusion, the situation in the outside world had quietly undergone tremendous changes.

And at this moment, he was still deep in slumber in the heart of the Land of Bone-Burying, like this plane was incubating a dragon egg, transforming... and awaiting his awakening.