I Became the Progenitor Vampire

Undead Plane.

This eternal land of dead silence was as ancient as the Abyss, but compared to the fame of the Abyss in the Main Plane, the Undead Plane hardly drew the attention of the ordinary people there.

Because unless there was a reemergence of the undead catastrophe that could destroy the world, the undead rarely had the space to act in the Main Plane—all lives of the good and the Order Camp would eradicate them at all costs.

After all, compared to demons, undead who dug up others' ancestral graves to resurrect their parents as Skeleton Warriors were obviously more hated.

At this moment, this terrifying place, filled with an aura of deadly silence, welcomed a group of lives from the Main Plane, and these lives were all the famous adventurers from the Lost Plane.

The Broken Sword Knight led hundreds of players into the core area of the Undead Plane, the main city of the undead—City of Sighs.

This undead main city had been established since the dawn of creation, so ancient that it could not be described in terms of time.

This was also the first time players came to such a high-level map, each of them constantly taking stealthy screenshots, their expressions filled with excitement.

All buildings in the City of Sighs were constructed from skeleton white bone, even the city walls were made from countless skeleton remains.

Skeleton streets, Skeleton Mage Towers, Skull Manor... everything was imbued with a unique undead charm.

The buildings here were all imbued with terrifying Undead Magic, indestructible.

However, facing this undead charm, Broken Sword Knight, as a disciple of the ruler of the Undead Empire—the Undead Monarch, was not that excited.

Instead, he was somewhat nervous and apprehensive.

Being summoned to the Undead Plane was something he hadn't expected, after all, the map here was far from something that players could touch.

Any given skeleton was a high-level undead of Level 15 or 20, how could ordinary players endure that?

Moreover, with his status, he wasn't qualified to come into contact with this Plane at this stage.

Even though the Undead Empire held great power in the Main Plane and its ruler was called the Undead Monarch, Broken Sword Knight knew that the so-called Undead Monarch...

The ruler of the Undead Empire in the Main Plane was nothing more than a subordinate of one of the fifteen Undead Monarchs, and even just a very ordinary subordinate...

The invasion of the Main Plane and sparking the undead catastrophe was just because he had been cast out.

At the time he received this news, Broken Sword Knight's expression was very memorable.

His heart was filled with reverence for this legendary resting place of the dead.

Now, they were about to meet the legendary, true Undead Monarch.

As a top player, he immediately utilized his resources to find information about the Undead Plane upon learning he was summoned.

Because there was very little information recorded about the Undead Plane, he had gone to great lengths to find some fragmented records.

Among them, the only piece of valuable information was that there were a total of fourteen Undead Monarchs in the legend of the Undead Plane, who had ruled over this ancient land for millions of years.

But now there appeared a fifteenth monarch, which made Broken Sword Knight quite curious about its meaning.

However, he now lacked the strength to delve into these matters and could only take one step at a time...

After passing through the lengthy skeleton streets of the City of Sighs, under the hollow gaze of numerous high-level undead emanating an extremely terrifying aura,

Broken Sword Knight and his companions arrived in front of an unprecedented grand cathedral in the city center, under the guidance of the guard.

This cathedral, a hundred blades tall, was built entirely out of human skull bones, eerie and hair-raising.

If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one could imagine such horrific architecture actually existing in the world.

But that wasn't even the most conspicuous part; the most striking feature was the cathedral's spire, topped by the enormous twin-horned skull of a beast that spanned dozens of blades in length.

It was difficult to fathom what kind of life form could possess such a gigantic skull.

The enormous skull of the alien beast, along with the walls constructed from other skulls, made this White Bone Cathedral feel utterly macabre to the extreme.

Even more terrifying was the fact that inside the skull burned a ghostly blue Soul Fire, as if the cathedral itself was the divine body of the beast, making the whole cathedral seem alive.

The towering cathedral doors were hollow, resembling the gaping maw of a demon waiting for them to enter.

Even the bravest adventurers couldn't help but shiver at the sight of such a magnificent and horrifying structure.

The Knight of the Broken Sword, looking at the indifferent Skeleton Knights guarding each side of the cathedral, could only steel himself as he led the group into the Undead Cathedral, where even the ground was made of skulls.

The moment they stepped into the cathedral, all the players felt a shiver run through their bodies, then the space before their eyes twisted, and all sensations were blocked out.

A few breaths later, when the players felt a chill in the air around them and opened their eyes again, they realized they were no longer at the entrance they had walked through.

Surrounded by pitch darkness, they were illuminated by a pale light coming from above, but any attempt to step out of the illuminated area was like encountering an impassable wall.

They also couldn't discern anything in their surroundings; the light was totally devoured by the darkness.

The Knight of the Broken Sword, seeing such a scene, couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle; the giant ring of light was like a cage, displaying them for some terrible presence silently observing from the darkness...

Until that unknown fear grew more and more intense, and many players began to feel unsettled.

Suddenly, outside of the light ring, fifteen White Bone Divine Thrones lit up with a ghostly blue gleam.

At that moment, the fifteen hundred blade-tall White Bone Divine Thrones were like sky-reaching steles, and the players inside the ring of light appeared as insignificant as ants in front of the divine thrones.

The Knight of the Broken Sword inside the ring struggled to look up, feeling akin to standing at the foot of a mountain and gazing up at its towering peaks.

This?

Many players were trembling with fear, thinking this was just too exaggerated...

"Respected Undead Monarchs, your humble servants greet you."

The Knight of the Broken Sword was the first to step forward, and after speaking, regardless of the other players' reactions, he kneeled on one knee facing the central throne, humbly bowing his head.

The surrounding players finally snapped to their senses and began to lower their heads in a show of respect, one by one.

After being battered so extensively over time, players who had risen to such levels were no fools—all those who dared to flout the rules usually ended up dead in terrible ways.

Glory would not coddle them.

Seeing this, the barely discernible figures on the divine thrones, whose appearances were vague, finally spoke, but they were not addressing the players.

"These adventurers from the Lost Plane, they can resurrect indefinitely?"

Another deep voice responded.

"Mmm, but every time they resurrect, they lose a portion of their strength..."

The voice that had spoken first continued.

"I sense a special aura on them...

Their souls are not here, it seems some rules protect them; are those their Plane Rules??"

A hoarse voice spoke, "There are too many Lost Planes; some have been vanished since the Creation. It's not surprising that some have a few special rules."

"They're now dead, what died is but a mere body, while their souls remain protected by the rules... Is this the secret to their ability to resurrect?"

A sharp voice, somewhat curious, asked, "How can we break this rule?"

"I can try..."

The Undead Profanity began to echo slowly with a chilling breath, and no one knew which of the Undead Monarchs was speaking, but all players felt a chill run down their spines.

What do these Undead Monarchs want??

Immediately, a scream resounded behind them, and everyone turned around in unison.

A player could be seen engulfed in a ghastly blue energy, his body and flesh decaying bit by bit, looking extremely horrifying.

In just a few breaths, the player turned into a grey liquid, with not even a corpse left behind.

Everyone who saw it felt their scalp tingle...

Fuck, what the hell kind of Undead Monarchs are these, we're all on the same side, dammit! Have you no sense of martial ethics?!

But clearly, the weak had no right to choose.

"Failed? The rules of this Lost Plane are magical, perhaps we need to find the Plane Stone to glimpse its rules..."

The only consolation for the players was that the Undead Monarch who acted did not succeed.

But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, a second voice sounded.

"Failed? Let me try..."

Seriously, when will this end??

The hundreds of players were about to explode.

If they were to try one by one, a tenth of them would be gone in no time.

Ah!

A horrific scream, and another unlucky one fell to the ground, wailing, then was transformed into a white Skeleton in front of all the players' eyes.

"Hmm, indeed the rules are magical..."

This comment caused the remaining players to mentally collapse. Did you have to say it?

This was too terrifying; if these Undead indeed found a way to break the resurrection rule, weren't they at risk of death at any moment?

Many regretted their decision so much it hurt; if they had known this would happen, who would have come here to seek death?

The Knight with the Broken Sword had no choice but to stiffen up and step forward, taking the initiative to speak out.

"Your Highnesses, we are loyal subordinates of the Undead; perhaps maintaining the ability to resurrect could allow us to make more useful contributions to the Undead..."

After hearing this, the Undead Monarchs seated on their thrones ceased their attempts to alternate tries, thinking, after all, who would do their bidding if everyone was killed?

At that moment, a huge, indistinct figure suddenly stood up from the central divine throne.

On top of the high throne, this figure was like a mountain, its fuzzy hollow eyes staring down at the players.

"The power of the Ancient Times has eroded into the Undead Plane, and those beings born from chaos have only one purpose: to destroy all of Glory.

The Undead Plane too is threatened.

Hence, we have unanimously decided to open a channel between the Undead Plane and the Main Plane, sending a great army of the Undead to the Main Plane to collect fragments of the Destiny Tablet.

You adventurers from the Lost Planes will be the main executors of this plan..."

"We are aware of the broad channels of information you possess in the Lost Planes, and we have discovered the essence of your resurrection..."

"Under our nurturing, you will become the spokespeople of the Undead!"

These words quickened the breathing of the players below.

Becoming the spokespeople of the Undead, what an esteemed status that would be?

Even the Knight with the Broken Sword sensed the opportunity right before his eyes.

But as a top-tier player, he still suppressed the excitement in his heart, tentatively inquiring.

"Great Monarch, may I ask, what price must we pay?"

"What price?"

Upon this query, the standing Undead Monarch burst into laughter, the whole space trembling in the chilling laughter that set their hearts quaking.

All the players felt a suffocating pressure coming at them; they couldn't even breathe.

Countless fearful creatures surged in the darkness around them, while the circle of light that illuminated them rippled, seemingly on the verge of shattering.

"You will come to know..."

The Undead Monarch did not respond directly, those hollow eyes gleaming with an unfathomable mystery.

"Now, I will choose ninety-nine among you to enhance your power, to carry out the great divine decrees..."

The words chilled the heart of the Knight with the Broken Sword; combining the recent actions of the Undead, he was very tempted to refuse.

But regrettably, from the moment they stepped into the cathedral, their fate was no longer in their hands.

Even now, he rather envied the two players that had been slain and resurrected...

As the Knight with the Broken Sword was lost in thought, a dark force descended from the sky with an irresistible grandeur, directly engulfing all the players within the circle of light.

"Ah!!"

After being eroded by the grey energy, all the players felt as though their souls were being torn apart at that moment.

It was as if countless ants were biting their brains, and a million knives were cutting through their bodies...

But such horrifying pain left none unconscious; they were restrained by some force, forced to endure this unprecedented agony.

Accompanied by the madness of screams, time slowly trickled away.

One Sunshine Hour, two Sunshine Hours... No one knew how much time had passed, but to the players, it felt as long as a century.

The Knight with the Broken Sword, though having reached Level 15, didn't fare much better, feeling only that his soul was being corroded and transformed by a terrifying force...

Finally, after the transformation was complete, all went dark, and he passed out.

Earth.

At this moment, over a hundred players woke up from their game capsules simultaneously, their faces ashen as if they were on death's doorstep, filled with a lifelessness that was starkly opposed to that of ordinary people.

Many breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to have narrowly escaped disaster.

Some tried to open their game pods to exit, but as they reached out their hands to push the doors, disbelief filled their eyes.

For they discovered that the flesh on their bodies had rotted away into waste, leaving behind only pairs of pallid, fleshless skeletal arms.

More horrifying yet, they could still control their skeletal arms that had turned to bone...

An indescribable terror consumed them.

What on earth had happened?

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Whoo-whoo~

As the horn heralded the coming dawn amidst the cold wind, Nolan Imperial City had fallen into a somber mood.

Standing on the towering city walls, soldiers clad in neat armor and armed with powerful bows and crossbows were in full readiness.

Facing the advancing horde of Ancient Monsters in the distance, all warriors' eyes were sharp as blades.

"These damned worms are coming again!"

A commander, with his helmet hanging at his waist, could not help but spit angrily, cursing viciously.

"I swear to the King! By the end of today, I will have slaughtered a hundred!"

Hearing this, the surrounding warriors also started clamoring.

"Cap, don't chicken out today, you barely got 60 yesterday, didn't you?"

"These filthy pieces of trash, it dirties my hands just killing them..."

"For the honor of marrying Her Highness the Princess! I will fight bravely!"

"You're dreaming of competing with me for the Princess? Draw your sword!"

The wall brimmed with noise in an instant, but curiously, only the soldiers here dared to defy military discipline and shout before the battle, while all others remained vigilant and tense.

Seeing this, the commander put his helmet back on with a vicious smile in his eyes.

Gaining privileges in the army was simple: be strong enough.

This core section of Nolan City's walls had always been under his command, holding fast against the most terrifying battles without losing an inch. This was the foundation for his defiance of military discipline.

"Prepare for battle, and send those Ancient Monsters back to where they came from!"

A roar later, this hundred-blade length of the wall suddenly fell silent; swords were unsheathed, crossbows were drawn taut, and all eyes stared intently at the approaching tide of Ancient Monsters below.

They were a group of horrifying creatures with bodies like tumors, gaping maws, decaying wings incapable of flight on their backs, and lower bodies that moved by writhing along.

No one could imagine what these Ancient Monsters might have originally been before their corruption, for these beings were revolting enough to make one nauseous.

Boom, boom, boom~

As the Ancient Monsters neared, from the towers behind the walls, magic burst forth, with glimmers lighting up the sky...

Below, the tumor-like creatures were torn apart by cascades of magic, turning into pools of pus and blood...

Morale soared high atop the walls.

"Kill them!"

"Fire!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

Arrows started flying wildly, and another battle against the onslaught of Ancient Monsters began...

The sounds of magical explosions in the skies now carried deep into Nolan Imperial City.

Within a tower of Nolan Royal Magic Academy, an unkempt old man with a bird's nest hairdo and a scruffy beard, in disarray, was hooking strange symbols onto a magic pulsating diagram, resembling Ancient Runes or some sort of archaic language.

However, just as he was close to completing the diagram, the sudden loud noise outside caused his hand to tremble, and his final stroke went awry.

After all the effort to end in such a fiasco, the ragged figure felt like crying without tears.

"Damn Ancient bastards!"

In frustration, he threw a punch hard onto the table, bang~ followed by a loud noise, and the disheveled old man's face turned red in an instant.

Brushing aside the papers, a sturdy iron plate was revealed.

"Who the hell put an iron plate under my desk?!"

Just then, creak, the door was pushed open, and the old man quickly suppressed his pained expression to maintain dignity as he turned to face the figure walking in.

"Professor Spark, are you all right? I just heard your voice from outside..."

A graceful young lady in an opulent court gown stepped into the room with a touch of curiosity.

Hearing this, Spark's face reddened even more, softly hiding his still trembling hand behind his back as he tried to appear calm.

"Kadi, there's no need for concern, I was merely irritated at the Ancient Monsters."

Then he quickly changed the subject, "Is it true that the Intelligence Department has found fragments of the Destiny Tablet in the north?"

The noble girl named Kadi nodded slightly.

"Yes, Professor Spark, the news has been confirmed. The King is summoning all Legendary and Transcendent figures to deliberate. I came specifically to inform you."

Spark managed a forced smile through the pain in his hand.

"Kadi, you are Princess of Nolan Royal Family, there was no need for you to come personally..."

"Professor Spark, this matter is of utmost importance. Everyone of Transcendent rank or higher is personally notified by the royal family, and I specifically took on the task of informing you..."

Kadi smiled gracefully and then extended her right hand, passing the item in her hand over to him.

"This is the royal falcon's envelope; it has just been delivered to the door and I brought it in for you... It should be from Green City."

Instantly, Spark's eyes lit up, he quickly moved away from his cluttered desk, and approached to take the envelope.

Though he was eager to open it, his face still showed an air of nonchalance.

"Hmph, it must be that good-for-nothing disciple of mine who wrote this letter..."

"Good-for-nothing disciple?"

Kadi curiously said, "Are you talking about the genius Mage who stepped into the Great Mage realm in his twenties? By now, he must be on the brink of reaching the Transcendent, right?

You're really amazing, to have trained such a powerful disciple..."

Spark felt as comfortable as if he had eaten iced watermelon in summer upon hearing this, but he stubbornly maintained his façade.

"What genius Mage? At his age, he still hasn't achieved much, hasn't even reached Transcendent..."

After saying these words, the old man seemed to remember something and chuckled with a sly smile.

Damn Kachar boy, you have no idea what kind of fortune I've stumbled upon in Green City this past year!

I've already got one foot in the Legendary realm!!

Hahahaha...

Thinking of this made Spark unable to contain his smugness.

This bastard must still be fretting about breaking through to Transcendent, right?

After being knocked down so many times before, now, finally, it's his turn to rise to the top!

Hahahaha!!

At this moment, Spark was already fantasizing about the shocked expression on Lide's face when he appeared before him as a half-step Legendary. The thought was enormously satisfying.

You want to surpass your teacher? Haha, you're dreaming!

Just wait until I enter the Legendary realm, immediately return to Green City, and I will show you who the real genius is!

Kadi watched Spark alternately grind his teeth and then beam with excitement, which made his expression rather peculiar, "Master Spark, are you... running a fever?"

Spark's face was a study in frustration.

"Kadi, let's go, the King is waiting for us."

Kadi nodded and looked at the envelope in his hand.

"Aren't you going to read this letter first? After all, it was sent by your disciple..."

"What's there to see in this letter? Just leave it here for now..."

Spark said, putting on a front, then indifferently tossed the unopened envelope onto the cluttered desk.

"As you wish, we have prepared a carriage for you."

Seeing this, Kadi didn't say anything else and turned to leave with Spark.

Exiting the Magic Tower, the two of them boarded separate carriages and set off towards the Imperial Palace.

It seemed the letter in the office had truly been forgotten.

Shortly after Spark left, creak, the door was pushed open, and several apprentices who always helped clean for Spark entered the untidy room with looks of resignation.

This Master Spark is great in every way but just doesn't care enough about cleanliness...

They started cleaning and soon reached the desk.

One apprentice placed the trash bin next to the desk and then turned to get the broom, while another stepped back subconsciously to make room, not realizing they bumped into the desk.

The unopened envelope was nudged and fell straight into the trash bin.

Neither apprentice saw this happen.

But just a second before the envelope dropped in the trash bin,

Swoosh—suddenly a hand appeared, firmly grabbing the envelope.

The Mage apprentices were startled and quickly paid their respects.

"Master Spark..."

The person who appeared was none other than Spark, who had just left.

Hearing the sound, Spark nodded slightly.

"Right, I forgot something, keep cleaning."

There was nothing of importance in this room; he didn't mind others tidying up.

After grabbing the envelope, Spark stepped outside, and in an instant, vanished—only to reappear inside the carriage headed towards the Imperial Palace.

Only then did the prideful old man feel at ease to open the envelope.

After reading it several times with relish, he neatly folded the letter and tucked it away.

"Kachar boy, at least you have some conscience...

But how could I possibly go back at this time? I'm only a step away from becoming Legendary.

Besides, I still need to prepare a breakthrough resource for you to attain Transcendence."

He then frowned slightly.

"But what does this guy mean by asking me to watch out for news about the Destiny Tablet shards? Does he want to meddle with them?

Hmm... it can't be, although the boy's Talent isn't as high as mine, he's very cunning and wouldn't do something so stupid at this level.

Should I reveal to him the Royal Family's discovery of the Destiny Tablet shards?"

After thinking it over, Spark decided—although the Royal Family had requested secrecy multiple times, between his disciple and the Royal Family, he unhesitatingly chose his disciple.

Immediately, he took out paper and a quill and began to write vigorously.

After finishing the note, he snapped his fingers, and a majestic hawk with a wingspan of around a blade's length and a snowy-white body appeared before him.

Judging by the aura emanating from the hawk, it was a Level 10 Demon Beast.

After folding the letter and placing it into a specially made sealable bag under the hawk, Spark snapped his fingers again, sending the hawk soaring high into the sky, far beyond a thousand blades.

After everything was settled, Spark once again smiled contentedly.

"Kachar boy, just wait until the day I ascend to Legendary. I'll come back and show you who the real genius is!"

"Hahahahaha..."