I Became the Progenitor Vampire

Time flew by swiftly, and the corpse of the Ancient God had been hanging in Green City for a full half month now.

During this half-month, the growth rate of the Dawn Sect followers had been astonishing. At this point, of the over four million population in Green City, already more than three million had become Dawn believers.

Although most people's level of faith was not particularly high, it was enough to illustrate many things.

The original Dawn believers felt proud and shared in the glory during this time.

Their lord had finally returned!

From now on, he would also protect them.

Could followers of other sects see their worshipped divines? Could they be protected?

Without comparison, they would feel no hurt. Compared to those who prayed desperately but received no response, the Dawn Sect, which had a true god presiding over it, seemed so attractive at the moment.

Of course, the speech that Lide delivered after killing the God of Plague also greatly promoted the spread of the Dawn Sect. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that those words had conquered the hearts of most commoners.

"As long as I draw breath, I will always be your support; you will never walk alone..."

How magnificent these words were.

Who wouldn't want their worshipped divine to be a powerful and steadfast pillar of strength?

Everyone hopes to receive help from others in their moments of danger, and for many, that is the purpose of worshipping a divine.

Whether it was Lide's words or the power he displayed, both could win over everyone's hearts.

Therefore, the sight of a large number of believers changing their faith was not at all surprising.

December 20th, the wind was piercingly cold.

Today, the whole of Green City was bustling with excitement.

Because this was a special day.

The great Lord Ilo was going to remove the largest threat in the southern province before the Dawn Festival arrived—the city of Risier.

This grand city, established by the former imperial royal family, once a magnificent jewel on par with Green City, had now become a dark forbidden land plaguing the south.

There were still three divine artifacts on the God of Plague that hadn't been found; to Lide, who didn't even own a decent piece of equipment, the temptation could not be greater.

Moreover, Risier City had become the stronghold of Ancient Monsters, a threat too great to be ignored; without its eradication, Green City could not be at peace.

So flattening Risier City, this gathering place of Ancient Monsters, was a necessary task.

The menace unchecked, no one could rest easy.

"Lide, please be careful."

In front of the Crimson Mage Tower, Vina was meticulously arranging Lide's black and white spellcaster's robe, her slender and fair hands gently smoothing out the tiny wrinkles.

Lide looked at the little maid who now completely belonged to him with a tender smile, feeling very satisfied in his heart.

Over the past half-month, Vina had completed her transformation from a girl to a young wife.

The girl who was once slightly green had now taken on the unique charm of a mature woman, every move infused with an enticing air.

"There's no need to worry; just guard Green City well."

After squeezing her charming and delicate cheeks, Lide turned his gaze towards Isa and Betty.

"Isa, when I return, I'll take you to the Storm Sea Domain to find your people."

He had always been quite curious about the matters concerning the Red-eyed Clan. What exactly is the Silver Moon Radiance federation? Are they all possessors of the Golden Bloodline?

It seemed that conquering a race that all possessed the Golden Bloodline... might also be quite good.

Isa obediently nodded.

"Mhm, teacher, please be careful..." The little girl was unaware of Lide's other intentions at this time, just looking at him with eager eyes.

Although in the little girl's heart, Lide was the most powerful person in the world, she couldn't help but feel somewhat worried.

Lide smiled faintly, bid a brief farewell, and without any hesitation, he directly boarded the carriage pulled by nine pure white unicorns and headed to the military camp.

After Lide's carriage disappeared down the street, Vina clasped her hands before her chest and silently prayed for him.

Little Isa, holding Betty's hand, was visibly downcast.

In the central square of Green City, thanks to its wide terrain, it had become the temporary station for the Pegasus Army and the Dawn Bats.

Upon Lide's arrival, everyone simultaneously turned their eyes towards him, gazing at their king with respect.

Among the crowd stood Beastman King Kapp, the second-generation Bloodline Frey and Stanley, Duke O'Kelly, and other high-ranking officials—all would be the generals in this campaign against Risier City.

"Good morning, your Lordship!" all the high-ranking officials saluted in unison.

Lide glanced at his generals and wasted no further words, sweeping his hand grandly forth.

"The entire army will march."

With the command given, the Air Force immediately began to take flight.

The other troops had already assembled outside the city.

Over the past half month, the campaign strategy against Risier City had taken form. It was created collectively by the high-intelligence staff in dozens of armies, with every detail considered.

Thus, he didn't need to worry too much; his personal presence was to cope with any top-tier combat power that might appear in Risier City.

After all, no one could ascertain whether other Evil Gods still existed within Risier City.

The armed forces that would embark on the campaign against Risier City consisted of three parts: firstly, the Air Force, including the Pegasus Army and the Magic Language Bat Army; secondly, the human army from Green City itself, totalling about 600,000, with 400,000 mobilised this time.

The third was the most numerous: the Player Army.

As soon as they heard that they could participate in such a grand war, players from both Anos City and Green City were incredibly excited.

Now, the mainstream level of players was between 7 and 9, with elite players having reached level 10.

If it weren't for the lack of top-tier combat power, the strength of the players might even surpass Green City's active armed forces.

Of course, that was theoretically. In reality, players were difficult to command. A small number was manageable, but it became impossible once their numbers reached the hundreds of thousands, let alone over a million.

Bringing them into battle could likely lead to a rout.

These guys are especially brave when there are benefits to be had, but once the wind changes, most of them can't bear to lose their experience and are very likely to turn tail and run.

As for fighting to the death? Don't joke, aside from the core members of the major guilds, who would risk their lives?

The higher the level, the more experience is dropped after death, which hurts a lot.

Players are not a monolith; you can't view them with a collective mindset—they're a scattered collective formed by countless individuals.

When they go crazy, they can take on anyone without care, but sometimes they're also terrified of dying...

Of course, at this time, the "Crimson Moon" hadn't integrated the players from Risier City, so Lide wouldn't force the players to do anything.

After all, the mission had been issued, and the high rewards were right in front of them, it was up to them to decide.

With and without rewards, the combat power players burst forth is like night and day.

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Outside Green City, an exaggeratedly large army like a steel tide, crushed the earth as it marched.

By the end of December, the weather had turned severe, and the sky had begun to sprinkle light snow. Although it wasn't much, the snow quickly blanketed the soldiers' armor in a vast expanse of white.

Marching for long periods in winter has always been taboo, but after becoming professionals, their physical attributes would dramatically improve, and the warriors who could become soldiers had already reached Level 5, becoming intermediate professionals.

The weather's impact on them was no longer so severe; their robust physique allowed them to face the harsh cold indifferently.

Risier City was hundreds of kilometers away from Green City. If it was the air force flying, it would take about two Sunshine Hours to get there.

The ground troops were much slower.

But Lide wasn't in any rush; he sat comfortably in a warm coach, slowly making his way towards Risier City.

The Green City army, with ten thousand as a legion, advanced in a net-like formation.

Wherever they went, any Ancient Monsters they found were immediately eradicated.

His plan was to conduct a carpet-style cleaning of Ancient Monsters.

Interestingly though, nearly 1.5 million players participated in the attack on Green City—almost four times the number of Green City's army—so often the Ancient Monsters were cleared by the players before Green City's forces could encounter them.

To ordinary soldiers, it was better to avoid Ancient Monsters if possible, rather than clash head-on, but to players, these were all experience points—how could they pass them up?

Thus, the scene often played out with players charging at Ancient Monsters with shrieks of excitement while Green City's troops stood by, enjoying the spectacle.

With such progression, although the pace was slow, wherever the great army passed, the land was left empty, completely swept free of Ancient Monsters.

The objective of eradication was truly achieved.

After the God of Plague had been slain, the Fierce Half-Ratmen began to scatter and flee, causing a widespread scourge in the south.

A large part of them fled back to Risier City.

Lacking a leader, the Ancient Monsters could not organize an effective resistance against the advance of Green City's army, especially with an army led by Lide.

One day, two days, three days...

It wasn't until the fifth day that the sweeping army finally caught sight of Risier City on the horizon.

December 26th, heavy snow.

The wind and snow of Frost Month were particularly cold, with the sky blanketed so heavily that one could hardly see the cracks in the sky.

The biting wind, laden with snow, felt like knives scraping against the skin.

Nearly two million strong, the army tightly encircled Risier City amidst the snowstorm.

A steely host.

Morale soaring.

From a bird's eye view above, one could clearly see the gathering place of Ancient Monsters, encased layer by layer by the army, completely sealed off.

The scene was as awe-inspiring as a mythic epic.

What sparked curiosity, however, was that this city, usually teeming with Ancient Monsters, was now oddly safe; after the army surrounded the city, not a single Fierce Half-Ratman charged out.

It all seemed a bit strange and eerie.

Lide stood on the back of Withered Bones, his sharp gaze fixed on the now dilapidated city, but due to the thick fog formed by the Ancient Power and the covering of ice and snow, it was difficult to see inside.

"Lord, the army is ready, should we attack the city now?"

The second Bloodline warrior, Frey, flapped his wings forward to report; he had been appointed as the highest commander of Green City's forces, possessing command over Green City's army.

Of course, when Lide was there, everyone listened to him.

"Issue the order, carry out the plan."

Lide nodded, the mass of troops below was the main force for exterminating Ancient Monsters; he was just there to deal with the enemy divines.

He couldn't personally attend to everything; what else were these troops for if not to handle such matters?

Woo woo~

As the military horn sounded, the ranks below, already surrounding Risier City, began their assault.

The walls of Risier City were already in ruins, with breaks everywhere that led into the city, eliminating the need for siege towers and other such siege engines.

The first to attack wasn't Green City's troops but the dense ranks of the Player Army.

Nearly 1.5 million players swarmed into Risier City like a tidal wave.

These beings capable of resurrection were undoubtedly the best cannon fodder...

"Kill them, brothers, I heard there are Divine Artifacts inside, hurry and grab them!!"

"For the Alliance, for Azeroth!!"

"To the cup of Demacia!!"

The spirit amongst the players was so high that there was no need for outsiders to encourage them excessively; they charged in, hungry as wolves, thirsting like they'd been starved for decades, shouting wildly as they plunged into the fray.

Players thought it was time to reap the benefits; whoever entered first would gain first. There was no reason not to go.

Lide also closely watched the fragmented city-states hidden within the dark mist. The withdrawal of Ancient Monsters' forces seemed odd no matter how he looked at it.

However, his Legendary Danger Perception didn't sense much danger, which he found strange.

After the players stormed into Risier City, the Fierce Half-Ratmen that had hidden in the mist finally reemerged.

But unlike the outside world, these Ancient Monsters were significantly stronger at this time, with their overall attributes having increased by at least 30%.

This caused many of the leading players to be killed and sent back to respawn...

Players feared death because they didn't want to lose experience, but now, with strength in numbers, they didn't retreat. Instead, they furiously fought their way forward.

"Damn, the Ancient Monsters here give twice as much experience as those outside!! These are all elite monsters!"

"Hahaha, don't compete with me!"

Soon, the players discovered that although the monsters had become stronger, the experience they gained had increased significantly. Ancient Monsters provided three times the experience of ordinary Demon Beasts, and inside the Ancient Mist, the experience gained was double that of the outside world. That made it six times more.

One slash was overwhelmingly satisfying.

Players with benefits were definitely a headache for everyone, perhaps no less troublesome than Ancient Monsters.

Some warriors who followed the players into the city for exploration were now stunned speechless.

The players were like madmen, who, disregarding death, lunged like voracious wolves at the repulsive Fierce Half-Ratmen.

The number of Fierce Half-Ratmen within Risier City was also unexpectedly small. Although each was strong, there weren't as many as anticipated.

Before long, under the onslaught of millions of fearless players, the forces pressed on layer by layer. In less than half a day, they reached the center of Risier City—the Black Altar where the God of Plague had once been sealed.

But upon arriving, the players dared not take another step forward.

Because the central area was the Land of Corruption, spanning thousands of blades in diameter.

The ground looked like countless bodies that had decomposed, green bubbles gurgled on the surface, and even the air carried a virulent poison.

Merely getting close and breathing in that poisonous air led players to be poisoned on the spot, with many new arrivals dissolving into pools of corpse water.

The scene was terrifying.

The presence of Ancient Power here was so intense that if the people here were just farmers, not professionals, they would probably be corrupted by Ancient Power within minutes, turned into monstrous beings neither human nor ghost.

The boldest players, seeing the negative statuses on their attribute panels, also lost their nerve and didn't dare to walk recklessly into the interior.

After Lide received this news, his expression became somewhat odd.

He had prepared so much yet managed to push through easily.

Not to mention the God of Plague, an Ancient Evil God of such level, he hadn't even seen a single Transcendent. Those Fierce Half-Ratmen had all been piled to death by the players.

"I even had my knife ready... and it was of no use??"

He felt like he was punching cotton.

But without much thought, he mounted Withered Bone and flew directly towards the center of Risier City.

As for Frey, the Death Blazing Angel had been hiding by his side, ready to strike at the first sign of danger.

Moreover, Lide was not afraid of an enemy's sneak attack. His Talent was exceptionally powerful. Even if he were killed, he could still resurrect.

Withered Bone flew into Risier City, and Lide could distinctly feel the change in the air with the Ancient Power.

If the outside was a light mist, then the inside was like a torrential downpour.

Those decaying, ancient, and daunting powers had long transformed the city into a realm of chaos and barrenness.

He even dared to assert that even if the Ancient Power were to fade, this place would no longer be suitable for humans or other normal living things for thousands of years.

Everything would revert to chaos.

Looking around, he could see that the buildings within the city had become ruins and rubble, while the scattered skeletons told tales of past horrors.

Only the houses that were fortunate enough not to have been destroyed could bear witness that this had once been a glorious city.

"What a detestable Ancient Power... Lord Withered Bones doesn't like it here..."

Withered Bone exasperatedly blew out a puff of gray-white Death Energy from its nostrils.

Ancient Power fundamentally differed from the Power of the Main Plane; it could not be tolerated by any life exuding Glory.

It was a difference in origins. Once eroded by it, they would fall, even if they were beings representing death and evil like the Undead.

The massive figure with wings spanning twenty-six blades weaved through the thick fog, Power of Crimson blazing like demonic flames on his body, with the flames within the hollow skull emitting a chilling light.

In the dense fog, this Undead Blood Dragon resembled an Ancient Monster more than anything else.

Whooosh~

Quickly, Withered Bone carried Lide to the city center, its immense body slowly descending to the ground, making the surrounding players look on with envy.

"This mount is damn cool..."

Although Withered Bone was a bit talkative, one couldn't deny its impressive appearance. Otherwise, Lide wouldn't have recently been using it as his mode of transportation.

Its strength aside, its mere appearance was formidable.

Lide dismounted and landed on the ground, paying no mind to the curious onlookers around him, and headed straight for the corrupt soil at the center.

His spiritual power spread out like the tendrils of an octopus, enveloping a range of hundreds of blades around him.

After a careful sensing, his gaze narrowed slightly.

His expression grew solemn. This place wasn't simply a Land of Corruption; it was clearly another Plane.

"The God of Plague has actually anchored his Divine Country with the Main Plane. In other words, stepping into this land now, one can directly reach the God of Plague's Divine Country..."

"This guy is certainly audacious, but it makes sense. With the arrival of Ancient Days, what else can an Ancient Evil God do if not erode the Main Plane?"

After sensing no significant danger, Lide pondered for a moment and then floated up, flying towards the center of the Land of Corruption.

Stepping into this area, Lide felt an extremely odd sensation.

It was as though he was walking at the intersection where two Planes overlapped. One side was the Main Plane and the other, the Divine Country of the God of Plague. The two Planes were overlapping.

Under the watchful eyes of the players outside, Lide's figure disappeared from sight abruptly shortly after he stepped into the Land of Corruption.

Even Lord Withered Bone was taken aback because he could sense through the soul bond that Lide hadn't left and was just standing in place.

But from the outside, it was no longer possible to sense his presence, an effect not of a spellcasting, which was very mysterious.

Swoosh~

The instant Lide's figure vanished, he appeared in a plane filled with a decaying atmosphere.

Looking around, the center of the plane was dominated by a mountain that connected heaven and earth.

Endless lightning erupted at the summit, where from a great distance, one could vaguely see silver dragons dancing amidst the clouds.

The clouds in the sky resembled a greenish venom, and the air was thick with the decay of the Ancient Mist to an extreme degree.

Ordinary people, if they were to breathe even a single breath of this air, would erode into Ancient Monsters.

The land was just like the center of Risier City, a Land of Corruption, filled with energies that life of Glory fiercely repelled.

"Roar~"

At that moment, countless fierce Half-Ratmen, dense as ants on the ground, picked up the scent on Lide that didn't belong to the Ancient.

These ferocious monsters howled upward at Lide as if they wished to tear him to shreds.

After glancing down, Lide had a slight epiphany; most of those fierce Half-Ratmen who had fled to Risier City had escaped to this Ancient Plane because they still carried too much of the Main Plane's essence.

"Frey, go see if there are any other Ancient Evil Gods existing within this Divine Country..."

"Following your command, Master..."

After a crisp voice transmitted out, the Level 36 Death Blazing Angel silently disappeared, never having revealed her presence from the beginning to end.

Lide waited until Frey left, then his spiritual power diffused out, spreading all around.

After sensing for a moment, his face showed an irrepressible joy.

Because he had sensed an immensely familiar aura—it was the Land of Bone-Burying.

Is that even possible??

Immediately, with a thought, he extended his right hand and waved.

Crack~

Immediately, cracks appeared in the space in front of Lide, fracturing like a spider web.

In just a few breaths, infinite power exploded from the cracks, shattering the space in front of him.

In an instant, an irregular spatial rift more than ten blades in length and width appeared before him.

A familiar aura diffused out.

"Eh? Lord?"

Emi, who had been stationed in the Land of Bone-Burying, immediately Instant Teleported upon sensing the aura of a strange world, only to see Lide's figure instead.

Stepping out of the spatial rift, Emi saw this plane filled with the power of the Ancient and was immediately surprised, "Where is this?"

"This is the Divine Country of the God of Plague."

"No wonder I felt a kinship with this place..."

Having absorbed the power of the God of Plague to break through to Transcendent, Emi even obtained her Divine Position by peeling it off the God of Plague; it wasn't strange for her to feel a natural kinship with the Divine Country of the God of Plague.

Lide nodded, about to speak, but his expression changed slightly.

He suddenly turned to look at the irregular spatial rift more than ten blades in diameter.

He could sense that the Land of Bone-Burying was using this spatial rift to devour the energies of the Divine Country of the God of Plague...

Although the rift was small and the devoured power was faint, the sensation was very clear.

Strands of Plane Power slowly flowed into the spatial rift and were then absorbed by the Land of Bone-Burying.

The scene was like placing a never-filled wooden barrel into a lake, where the Ancient powers around were repelled by the Land of Bone-Burying, but the foundational power of the Divine Country—the Plane Power—was slowly being devoured.

In a flash of thought, Lide's expression became somewhat odd.

"The God of Skeleton forged the Land of Bone-Burying and seemed to have also used a similar method to strengthen it once..."

"Normally, a God's Divine Country couldn't have its core power devoured so easily.

But... the God of Plague has already been killed by Frey, in other words, this Divine Country is now without an owner, no one will care how excessive the Land of Bone-Burying's actions are."

With that thought, Lide's heart raced with excitement.

At its peak, the Land of Bone-Burying spanned thousands of kilometers, not smaller than the southern province.

Though the Land of Bone-Burying had grown to a diameter of 50 kilometers through his nurturing, it was still reduced by countless magnitudes compared to before.

The most direct way to expand the Land of Bone-Burying was to use the Power of Death to elevate its level.

But now the biggest problem was that the Land of Bone-Burying, having reached the Extraordinary Level, needed 1 billion units of Death Energy to advance to Legendary and likely in the hundreds of billions to go further.

These numbers were astronomical, and even if the plan to farm the abyss for Death Energy continued, it would take a very long time.

Previously, there was no choice but to slowly accumulate Death Energy, but now a turning point seemed to have appeared. If the Divine Country of the God of Plague could be devoured, the Land of Bone-Burying would definitely experience transformative growth.

The Divine Country of the God of Plague had existed since the dawn of Creation; no one could possibly know how much power had accumulated over so many years.

At this thought, excitement made Lide's heart beat faster—he had stumbled upon incredible luck.

The Land of Bone-Burying couldn't devour just any plane, only a very few with compatible attributes.

Possessing most of the memories since the birth of the Land of Bone-Burying, he knew the difficulty of finding a suitable plane, and it wasn't an exaggeration to say that it was even less likely than winning the lottery, explaining his extraordinary excitement.

Even the few Divine Artifacts that hadn't been found combined couldn't compare to the value of this ownerless plane.

If he handled it properly, he could completely transform the Land of Bone-Burying to a new peak. Perhaps then, he could even refine it into his own Divine Country.

"The God of Plague, even in death, has sent me a big gift..."

"Ha ha ha... Good people live a peaceful life."