I Became the Progenitor Vampire

The message Spark had sent back from the Nolan Capital was somewhat beyond Lide's expectations.

Of course, it wasn't about the three ladies Spark had found from who knows where—it was about the fragments of the Destiny Tablet.

He hadn't expected that just after sending that disheveled old man a message about his quest for the Destiny Tablet fragments, he would immediately receive accurate information in return.

That luck was too good.

He didn't doubt it, though. This frugal teacher, despite mostly being unreliable—like often enjoying strolls through the red-light district, collecting rather colorful paintings...—was trustworthy in critical moments.

But it must be said that this unexpected news had disrupted his original plan. Regardless, the Destiny Tablet fragments were now the top priority in his list of objectives.

So he quickly rearranged the order of his plans internally.

After a brief moment of thought, Lide looked up at Harrison, about to speak, when suddenly a clear cracking sound came from outside, like the shattering of glass.

Lide felt a surge of apprehension and immediately rose to peer out of the office window, gazing into the distance.

The sky had changed again.

The original fissure in the sky had torn open further, and the ancient air, thicker than before, gushed out like water seeping through a dam, the Old Day force in the air quickly becoming denser.

The sky fissure had expanded again.

Lide's expression grew grim.

Seeing this, Harrison quickly walked to the window and, upon seeing the expanded crack in the sky, felt a tremor in his spirit. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he said,

"Your Highness, the incursion of the Old Day force is accelerating..."

Lide took a deep breath, the seriousness on his face lingering for a long time.

If the Ancient Evil God could fully descend upon the world, then the pace of the Ancient Invasion was naturally not going to stop there.

But what he hadn't expected was that the speed at which the fissure widened would be so fast.

After feeling it out for a moment, his gaze shifted towards the somewhat withered plants in the city.

At this rate, by next spring, the wheat yield would undoubtedly be affected, and it might even come to total crop failure...

If such a situation were to occur, it would be an absolute nightmare.

He had over twenty million people under his command who needed to eat... The food stockpiled in the storehouses was roughly enough to last the current population for a year, but what about after that?

If there was a total crop failure this year, what would they do next year?

Food wasn't something you could plant and eat immediately; it took time. A single season's failure impacted an entire year.

After pondering for a moment, he turned to look at Harrison, his tone somber.

"Harrison, immediately compile the information on that Sea Beast in the Lost Sea for me.

Next, I will take Frey on a hunt for that Demigod Sea Beast, get the piece of the Destiny Tablet, and then make a trip to the Nolan Capital."

The situation was urgent; there was no time for slow planning.

Information about the Destiny Tablet fragments had been provided early on by Cassilina.

He had also been having Dawn City collect information about that Demigod Sea Beast. It wasn't that he didn't want to take Frey straight into the Lost Sea and directly take down that beast.

But that Sea Beast was hidden in a secret Dimension Space, appearing only during the Sea God Festival.

And the Sea God Festival occurred once every ten years, and there were still six or seven years until the next one...

Looking for a Sea Beast concealed within a Dimension Space in the vast sea—wasn't that like finding a needle in a haystack?

Although Frey was strong, she wasn't to the extent that she could peer through all the worlds at a glance...

So, he needed support from intelligence.

Harrison immediately nodded in response.

"Your Highness, we have exhausted countless efforts and have yet to find the precise location where that Demigod Sea Beast is hiding.

Even the Mermaids of the Blue Star Tribe only knew that every ten years a powerful life must be sacrificed at a specific place to seek the protection of the Sea God."

Lide frowned, "What's the solution?" He wasn't here to listen to non-solutions; there were bound to be challenges, but if they couldn't find a solution, what was the use of maintaining so many people?

Harrison quickly replied.

"The Intelligence Command Center, in combination with all the collected information, has deduced that the Sea Beast is very likely in a state of dormant transformation. We can hunt a large number of Demon Beasts and use their blood to awaken it, but the number must be very large."

"Blood awakening? What about the precise location?"

"The map has been drawn up; I'll have someone fetch it for you immediately."

Harrison was wasting words; as soon as his statement concluded, he immediately stepped out of the room to order the guards in the hallway.

"Notify Kertlon immediately to bring us the latest sea chart."

When Harrison stepped back into the room, Lide's expression was still heavy.

"Harrison, the situation may become increasingly dire. We must find the fragments of the Destiny Tablet, and we can't afford to delay any longer.

Instruct the Intelligence Command Center and the Think Tank to immediately study the future development directions for Dawn City and methods to counteract the Old Day erosion, and to perfect the plan.

I will retrieve the fragments of the Destiny Tablet."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Harrison understood the gravity of the situation too, his expression no more relaxed than Lide's.

After Lide finished speaking, he said no more, turned, and rested his hands on the windowsill, his dark, profound eyes fixed on the ever-widening fissure in the sky.

His gaze flickered with a meaning that was difficult for anyone to fathom.

Although he held a high position, his power was vast, and even a single command could marshal millions of troops to die for him.

But the more so, the more he could feel the crown atop his head was so heavy.

Every bit of authority came with a corresponding responsibility.

As the leader of Dawn, he was everyone's hope.

He mustn't just enjoy the power, he also had to shoulder the responsibility that came with it.

And over the years, he had grown from a green rookie to the Dawn Sovereign, and what he learned the most was responsibility.

A man's maturity often begins with knowing to take on the responsibilities that belong to him...

He wasn't a savior, he couldn't save the world, but he wouldn't sit by and watch Dawn City be eroded by the Ancient Invasion into a desolate ruin.

Because he was, after all, the master of Dawn.

The hope of everyone, the light of all.

With these thoughts, a fighting spirit reignited in Lide's dark pupils, a fighting spirit that no one could extinguish.

His gaze was as determined as steel, his will unshakable as the mountains.

As long as he still drew breath, Dawn City would never fall.

——

——

——

Bang bang~

The knocking on the door outside brought Lide back to his senses, his aura having undergone a drastic change amidst his thoughts.

He now resembled an unsheathed battle sword, sharp and exposed.

Harrison, who was by his side, only felt an immense authority radiating from Lide, so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.

"Enter."

Creak~

The door was pushed open, and a handsome male Bloodline clad in a black mage's robe stepped into the room, carrying a rolled-up sea chart in both hands.

The Bloodline who entered had an elegant demeanor, despite holding the sea chart, he still exuded the air of a noble.

"Good day, Your Highness, this is the latest charted sea map."

Lide, with a stern expression, was slightly taken aback when he saw the Bloodline, then his eyes showed a trace of cold sharpness.

This Bloodline... was not ordinary.

He stepped forward, took the map, glanced at a prominent mark to confirm the target he was headed for, and then casually placed it into the System Space.

Then he continued to look at the Bloodline before him, his tone cold.

"Tell me your name."

Hmm?

Upon hearing this, Harrison blinked in surprise, then gave the Bloodline an oddly complex look, his expression subtle.

He had never seen Lide actively inquire about the names of the lower Bloodlines before, what was this today...

The addressed Bloodline appeared a bit startled, then joyfully responded.

"Your Highness, Kertlon Karchar offers you the highest of salutations."

Lide's eyes narrowed slightly, stepped forward again to get closer to the other, and continued.

"Who is your sire?"

Kertlon seemed not to notice this, with reverence, said, "It was Lord Audis who sired me during the last Frost Month."

"Audis?" Lide's cool face suddenly showed a trace of a smile, "That guy is still managing Twilight City in the Underworld, are you interested in helping him?"

Kertlon stood up straight, with solemnity, said.

"Your Highness, your will is the direction all Bloodlines move towards! I will execute any order unconditionally!"

Lide gave him a thoughtful look.

"Very well, you can go now."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After giving a bow, Kertlon respectfully stepped back and then turned to leave.

Once Kertlon's figure had vanished from the room, Harrison, somewhat puzzled, looked at Lide.

"Your Highness, what was that about?"

A mere third-generation Bloodline, was it worth Lide's inquiry?

Moreover, this Kertlon was only level 12, which might have been considered strong before, but in Dawn City, where the Transcendent and Legendary ranks together counted over a dozen, he wasn't anything extraordinary.

Lide's questioning surely indicated some unique discovery.

But no matter how Harrison looked at it, this Kertlon was just Kertlon, indistinguishable from any before, which is why he found it quite strange.

Lide's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade's edge.

"There's something off about that Bloodline's aura..."

"Off?"

Harrison was startled, then as if remembering something, became full of outrage, "Could it be Kertlon's identity has been replaced?"

Identity replacement isn't a fantasy; many magic spells can achieve it, and transformation skill is even a natural talent of some evil races.

Lide shook his head.

"No, Kertlon is not the problem."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"He has been tainted with a trace of aura, extremely faint..." Lide's gaze was dark and brooding.

"That's not the aura of an ordinary life form, more like that of a strange Divine being."

His control over the Twilight Divine Position had reached 40%, making him extremely sensitive to the aura of various things.

The essence of the Twilight Divine Position was to discern the changes in rules, birth, growth, maturity, decay, Death... This was a whole set of rules.

Twilight lies between decay and Death in this cycle...

Therefore, he could sense auras from various lives and things, thus detecting the state they were in.

He had just detected a trace of aura from the Bloodline, although faint, it was tumultuous and raging, something beyond the reach of mortals.

If it weren't for his improved control over the Twilight Divine Position, he would have found it quite difficult to notice such a faint and highly concealed presence.

"A strange Divine being??" Harrison was startled, and his thoughts began to race frantically.

"Could it be one that slipped in recently, during the transfer of Green City's residents?" A mass migration was no small matter; chaos was not surprising.

But Lide shook his head.

"That's unlikely. Frey had already inspected those residents before they were transferred.

That Divine being has definitely not returned to its peak state, it couldn't have escaped Frey's check."

Harrison took a deep breath, his expression grave.

"Your Highness, how shall we proceed?"

The thought of a potentially malevolent Divine being hiding by his side made his scalp crawl.

But this was beyond his capacity to deal with.

The methods of a Divine being were manifold – if one really wanted to hide, it would be impossible to find them, even if the whole city were searched.

Besides, Dawn City was no longer the small fortress of 200 people it once was; with a population over three hundred thousand, what kind of enormity would a full search entail?

Moreover, a large-scale probe was more likely to cause chaos and provide the intruder with an opportunity.

"For now, do not disturb Kertlon."

The murderous intent on Lide's face flashed by, his inner turmoil no less than Harrison's.

He hadn't expected someone would be so audacious as to sneak into his stronghold. Were they seeking Death??

Dawn City was his foundation; allowing an unknown Divine being to muddle the waters there was absolutely intolerable.

Had he killed too few gods, or had this fellow grown a dozen guts??

"I will handle this matter personally!"

With that, he waved his hand, shattering the space in front of him, stepped forward, and vanished from sight.

Moments later, in the Plague God Country.

Frey abruptly grasped the Angel Battle Sword in her hand and stepped into the Land of Bone-Burying...

This terrifying entity, capable of cleaving mountains with a single strike, was summoned by Lide.

---

---

---

At this moment, the Knight who had undergone a Transformation into a Bloodline and was now the God of Murder – Stu Yate – had no idea that Lide, with the traces he inadvertently left, had detected his presence.

The Evil God, boldly daring, was wandering on the first floor of the City Hall.

The most dangerous place was the safest, a maxim Stu Yate deeply believed.

Furthermore, having obtained the Divine Position of Murder, his ability to hide his aura had significantly improved, and hence he did not believe anyone in the city could detect his presence.

Stu Yate had an absolute confidence in this.

At this moment, the Evil God's gaze was fixed on Kertlon, who had just come down from the fifth floor, his eyes shining with sharp light.

The opportunity he had long awaited was finally at hand.

Over a month ago, he had willingly volunteered to participate in investigating the Lost Sea, and the location marked on the sea chart he presented to Lide had been firmly etched in his mind.

Stu Yate had keenly sensed the high importance the higher-ups of Dawn City attached to this mission upon hearing it.

He seized this chance to partake in the mission and even set up an excellent trap in the Lost Sea.

Once Lide acted, it would be his turn to bare his Tusks.

After waiting for a long time, the despicable Fake God was finally going to make a move...

This was an exceptional opportunity, even better than his previous plan.

Not only was there a fixed location for an ambush, but it was also far from Dawn City. If he could kill that damned Dawn Sovereign in the Lost Sea and use the Divine Artifact to consume his soul... he would become the new Kachar City Lord.

If orchestrated properly, he could even draw those Bloodlines to the rescue, diverting the sole resistance force of Dawn City.

Once the plan succeeded and he returned to Dawn City as the Kachar City Lord, he could directly control the entire city.

By the time those Bloodlines realized what had happened, he would have command of the army, and they wouldn't even be able to enter Dawn City.

Although the plan did not seem perfect, Stu Yate had ninety percent confidence in it.

The spoils he obtained from killing the God of Murder were so substantial that it even frightened him.

The Ghost Cloak, which could turn his body into nothingness, allowing him to pass through rocks and walls, ...

He could devour souls and transform into the illusionary face of his victims,

He possessed the Godslayer Dagger that imprisoned souls, and even these were not all.

What really filled him with confidence was another Divine Artifact...

Thinking this, Stu Yate reached into his pocket and touched a palm-sized black stone, his eyes brimming with intoxication.

The High-level Divine Artifact—Sealing Stone.

Once struck by the power activated by the Sealing Stone, one's abilities would be completely sealed, even Divine beings could not resist.

It was by this artifact that he had sealed the Cat and God of Joy.

Stu Yate had no reason to doubt he would fail.

The Ghost Cloak, Illusion Face, Godslayer Dagger, and the Sealing Stone—how could the unheard-of Fake God resist with this set of Divine Artifacts?

Hehehe...

Such a delightful hunt.

A hint of intoxication flashed across Stu Yate's eyes.

He could already imagine plunging the dagger into his opponent's heart and devouring the soul.

From this day forth, he would become the new Kachar City Lord!

Isn't that interesting?

Holding the Twilight Divine Position had allowed him to taste the joy of scheming against enemies from the shadows.

The greatest strength of this Divine Position was that—as long as the enemy died by his hand, he would gain a power boost.

The stronger the enemies he murdered, the greater the increase in his strength...

The nearly perfect Divine Artifacts in his hands were acquired by the former God of Murder from slaying other Divine beings.

Had the God of Murder not been weakened during the Ancient Invasion to the point of barely stepping into the Transcendent level, lacking the power to utilize these artifacts, even the mightiest would not have posed much of a threat.

But, perhaps this was fate.

Stu Yate laughed maniacally in his heart.

Fate, this time, had favored him—he would be the ultimate winner.

And this was merely the beginning... One day, his name, Stu Yate, would become a glorious and eternal legend.

Tap tap—

He waited for Kertlon to approach.

"Kertlon, I bet His Excellency is very pleased with the map."

Stu Yate restrained his wonderful feeling of controlling everything and approached Kertlon, who had just descended from the fifth-floor office, with a smile.

"The smile on your face has already told me."

Kertlon looked at his old friend, his face beaming with joy.

"Gary, you guessed it right, His Excellency appreciates our work. Tonight at the Bauhinia Tavern, my treat!" Gary was the alias Stu Yate was using while disguised as a Bloodline.

Kertlon then spoke with slight regret.

"It's a pity that the dancer, Miss Bast from Bauhinia Tavern, has been unaccounted for recently, otherwise, I would definitely have you witness the lady's dance.

I swear upon the night, no one can resist Miss Bast's charm..."

Upon hearing this, Stu Yate was momentarily stunned, then his expression turned somewhat strange.

That wild cat's allure is indeed strong... But pitifully, you won't ever see her again in your lifetime.

Thinking of Bast, who he had imprisoned, the now-fallen Knight God smiled brilliantly.

"Is that so? That truly is a shame..."

The Cat and Joy Goddess, she is now my pet...

After saying his piece, he shifted the topic, "Kertlon, when does His Excellency wish for us to depart with him?"

"Depart with His Excellency?"

Kertlon looked at Stu Yate curiously, "His Excellency didn't ask us to follow; do you wish to partake in this operation?"

Stu Yate shrugged and replied with a smile.

"You know, I love the sea."

"Indeed, otherwise, you wouldn't have volunteered to join us on the last mission. Come, let's first go to Bauhinia Tavern to have a drink... I bet those fine wines are still there."

Stu Yate politely declined Kertlon's invitation and calmly walked out the front door of the City Hall.

Surrounded by Bloodline members who continuously greeted him, his expression was one of pure delight.

The sensation of manipulating everything from the shadows intoxicated him.

"After the expedition to the Lost Sea concludes, everything in this city will be mine."

"If not for the perfect takeover of everything in this city, I would have pierced the wretched Fake God's heart long ago."

"Hehehe... Oh, the anticipation."

"Now, let me return to my pet—the Cat and Joy Goddess."

"This is power, pure power; even the once-proud goddess is but a trinket in my cage..."

"I love all this..."

"Praise the darkness."