I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Chapter 233 Inventory of Gains, Huge Profits, Awesome~ (Long Chapter)

After the issue with the dwarves was resolved, the war finally came to a close, and Lide breathed a sigh of relief.

In his heart, the importance of the dwarves was certainly no less significant than that of the main objective of this war, the Mithril ore vein.

The dwarves were also a strategic force for Dawn City and would prove to be of great use in the future.

But now was not the time to think about these things; what mattered more after a victorious war was… clearing the spoils of battle.

The ultimate purpose of the war Lide initiated was for the legendary Mithril ore vein, and the dwarves were just an added bonus.

Now was the time to reap the rewards.

However, there was one more matter to attend to beforehand.

The level 18 Beastman King, the Lion-man Clan Warrior whose strength was shocking even to him, had awakened.

He was also very curious to meet this Beastman King.

After all, as the dark big boss, a standard creature of dark life, it seemed this act was something a villain should do… displaying… contemplation of life's philosophy in front of the defeated.

“Stanley, take me to see the King of the Beastmen.”

Harrison was not by his side, and Lide now liked to command Stanley, the dark Priest, who was smart, spirited, and more importantly, had a very broad perspective.

This suited his taste in using people, and he was even planning whether to transfer Stanley back to Dawn City to develop his potential.

The Dark Contract was important, but Dawn City was his foundation.

“As you wish…”

Stanley nodded with utmost respect, for the loyalty of a Bloodline member towards the Blood Clan Ancestor was ingrained in their blood and merged into their soul.

Soon, under Stanley's guidance, they bypassed the rubble-strewn dwarf streets and arrived at a house personally guarded by Grot.

Compared to the free dwarves, Cap Lion and Craig, the two Beastmen, did not enjoy such favorable treatment.

Their bodies were not only tightly bound with Magic Prohibition Chains, but all their limbs had been broken.

Over a dozen Bloodline members were on strict guard outside, and Grot, the powerful warrior of level 16 with Blood of Fearlessness, was standing by vigilantly without leaving their side.

In the history of Dawn City, this level of treatment was unprecedented for the two Beastmen, and Lide even felt they should feel honored.

Craig was not much of an issue, being the Beastman that was killed almost instantly; it was the level 18 Beastman King–Cap Lion–they truly had to guard against.

This formidable Beastman King not only shocked Lide deeply, but also made all of the top combatants highly vigilant of him.

This Beastman King was too powerful, and no one dared to underestimate him… even if he was severely injured.

Hearing footsteps, Cap Lion, who was lying on the ground, immobilized like a wrapped dumpling by the black chains, slightly opened his eyes.

In his somewhat blurred vision appeared a pair of black boots, and the fresh air from outside with a tinge of blood wafted into his nostrils along with the newcomer.

Struggling to blink and clear his vision, he turned his head slightly; his huge lion head looked like a real wild beast.

His gaze moved upward, seeing a black mage robe embroidered with dark flowers exuding a touch of luxury until finally, he saw the handsome face that was irksome to others.

“Are you the Vampire King?”

Cap Lion's voice was very weak, but there was not a hint of fear or trembling, still retaining the pride characteristic of a Beastman King even in adversity.

“I am the king of the Lion Tribe, Cap Lion.

Vampire, we lost this war under your scheming…”

His speech in the stiff but common tongue of Glory lacked resentment or anger, sounding indifferent as if reminiscing with an old friend.

“We lost because the Great Shaman was not present, allowing your spellcasters to successfully cast their magic.

Although I have lost, this does not signify the defeat of the Lion Tribe.

The Great Shaman will lead the Lion Tribe to continue surviving on the barren wastelands.”

Lide's lips twitched slightly, finding it rather odd. Why are you telling me this? I have no interest in your Lion Tribe whatsoever.

“This war waged by the Bloodline against you has nothing to do with the Lion Tribe; it was simply because you occupied the dwarves' Mithril ore vein, and the Bloodline just happened to need that Mithril ore vein, nothing more.”

The Vampire's goal was… the Mithril ore vein?? And not the Lion Tribe?

This statement made Cap Lion, who was calm, look somewhat uncomfortable.

With a tone tinged with disbelief,

“Your target is the dwarves' Mithril ore vein?? There's a Mithril ore vein here??”

“Of course, did you think the Bloodline would be so idle as to wage war on the Beastmen for no reason?”

Lide gave a strange look upon hearing this. You have enslaved the dwarves as your smiths, forging weapons for you, and yet you didn't know about the Mithril ore vein here??

He frowned deeply. “You mean you took over Dwarf Valley not for the Mithril ore vein??”

Cap Lion felt his mindset collapse, “No, we did it for food…”

After saying that, what was a normal occurrence for Cap Lion suddenly seemed somewhat shameful in front of Lide's astonished gaze, and he hastily added, “…and for the dwarves' armor and weapons.”

Lide's lips twitched fiercely; he then remembered that despite the Beastman King being terrifyingly powerful, he was, after all, poor.

Compared with himself, who had a monthly income of ten thousand Gold Pucks, it was downright pitiful.

The main reason such a powerful tribe waged war was for food, and they brought a formidable dwarf tribe to its knees mainly to scrape together a meal.

Indeed, life is the master dramatist.

Cap Lion took a deep look at Lide, and then closed his eyes without speaking again.

Only the bitterness in his mouth was overwhelming.

He could not have imagined that one of his decisions would lead to the decline of the Lion Tribe.

And the fact that he didn't know about the existence of the Mithril ore vein here filled him with agony.

If he had discovered the Mithril ore vein, he would never have recalled the spellcasters of the Lion Tribe.

Mithril ore vein, it was the Mithril ore vein indeed!!

This mistake was too fatal.

But his earlier words were not wrong, the Lion Tribe still had the Great Shaman and thus would not perish.

But after the death of so many of his race, even the powerful Lion Tribe would not be destroyed, it would be reduced to a small tribe.

Perhaps there would come a day when they would rise again, or perhaps that day would never come.

He had ultimately failed to lead the Lion Tribe to continue surviving.

“The king of vampires, if you want to kill me, can you let that Northern Warrior do it?

Great Lion-man Warriors should die at the hands of warriors.”

Cap Lion's tone carried a hint of poorly concealed weakness.

Though the body of an 18th-level warrior was strong enough, he had not only sustained a frenzied attack from two powerful warriors yesterday, but was hit directly by Dragon Breath at the end.

Most crucially, he had used Berserk. The side effects of a Beastman's Berserk were almost equivalent to a mage having their magic power and spiritual power forcibly drained. Combining these factors, he was in an unprecedented state of weakness.

Now, even a farmer wielding farming tools could kill him.

He was ready to face death.

“No, you will not die, maybe, you will become a part of Dawn City,” Lide said, then gave a mysterious smile and turned to leave without waiting for Cap to speak again.

Although he couldn't embrace those of an Aliens Race at first, he had enslaved Withered Bone, the Undead, and a Beastman… No matter how powerful, in this regard they could not compare to Undead Mages who played with souls.

Cap slightly opened his eyes, full of confusion.

Dawn City? The vampire's ancient castle?

Why did this Vampire king believe that the noble Lion-man Clan Warrior would surrender to him?

Hmph, foolish Vampire, a Beastman would never surrender.

The great Lion would not submit to anyone!!

Never!!

Walking out of the room where Cap was detained, Lide only felt refreshingly clear-headed.

The fruit of victory was always sweet, especially flaunting it in front of a once mighty enemy. Tsk, tsk, tsk, that feeling was very satisfying.

No wonder so many villains, after gaining an absolute advantage, liked to babble on; it was truly too delightful flaunting the joy of victory before an enemy.

This is what they call, if you don't brag, you won't die.

Half a Sunshine Hour later, beside a collapsed building.

Lide stood next to a half-destroyed round stone pillar but not collapsed with the building, questioning Stanley who was standing nearby.

“Stanley, have you found the Secret Silver Vein?”

Stanley, with a fierce scar on his face, wore a Priest robe the same color as Lide's and was tall and burly, not at all the frail figure typical of Spellcasters.

Compared to Lide, Stanley looked more like a warrior who led the charge.

Stanley nodded, with an unusual hint of excitement in his tone.

“Ancestor Crown, the Secret Silver Vein is right beneath our feet.”

Right beneath our feet?

Lide was puzzled, looking at the green stone floor beneath his feet somewhat lost.

“Do you mean, the Dwarves have found a Secret Silver Vein underneath their city?”

Stanley nodded affirmatively, “Yes, Emi has already thoroughly scouted it out.”

Getting an affirmative answer, Lide couldn't help but grin; damn, that was amazing, truly befitting a race that maxed out mining skills.

To randomly build a city on top of a precious Mithril vein that could cause wars between two countries.

This luck was simply unparalleled.

Just then, Emi, the 15-level Shadow High Priest, approached Lide with an excited expression.

“Ancestor Crown, did you call for me?”

“Stanley just mentioned that you've scouted out the Secret Silver Vein?” Lide asked with interest.

“Yes, information about the Secret Silver Vein was only circulated among a few higher-ups of the Dwarves. I inadvertently heard bits and pieces when I snuck in before the battle began.

It was only after having our people go down to scout that we were able to confirm the exact location of the vein.

The Beastmen had searched the entire city, but since the Dwarves kept the secret very tight, they did not learn of the Secret Silver Vein, and they didn't even look underground.

That is why they were ignorant of the Secret Silver Vein.”

After hearing Emi's explanation, Lide was somewhat enlightened, but then his brows furrowed again.

“What about the Secret Silver Ore that leaked from the Dwarves before?”

“There was a nearing-exhausted Secret Silver Vein that had previously belonged to the Dwarves. Those very low-quality Secret Silver ores came from that vein.

That vein can hardly produce much Secret Silver Ore now.”

“I see, so does that mean we're picking peaches this time?” Lide's face showed a splendid smile.

“Can we estimate the reserves of the Secret Silver Vein?”

Emi shook her head with a wry smile, “We don't have any Prospectors, to figure out the reserves we'll need to go back to Dawn City to bring the prospecting team.”

“Didn't you get any related information from the Dwarves?”

“Ancestor Crown, the Dwarves haven't confirmed the reserves either.

Because this vein lies beneath the Dwarf City, direct mining would destroy the city instantly.

So the Dwarves have been discussing the mining plan without starting the work, and I fear no one knows the specific reserves.

But we can be sure that this Secret Silver Vein has a high content, and the quality of the ore is also very high.”

Mining the Secret Silver Vein would destroy the city?

Hearing this, Lide had a strange expression and glanced around.

Looking at the ruins around him, he couldn't help but emit a bitter laugh.

Now that he had made this decision about the dwarves, the city had nearly been leveled after last night's cruel battle.

“Emi, assign the elite guard to the mithril veins, and don't allow anyone to approach.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lide nodded, seemingly already envisioning the Bloodline clad in mithril-forged extraordinary equipment as they hunted giant dragons.

After instructing Emi, he turned to Stanley, speaking solemnly, “Stanley, report the Bloodline's casualties.”

Stanley nodded slightly and after a moment of thought, spoke slowly.

“Your Highness, the Bloodline did not join the battlefield immediately last night; we only participated in the war after the Beastmen's collapse.

But by then, the Beastmen's will to resist had greatly diminished, and the damage they inflicted on us was limited.

Throughout the night's battle, 34 Bloodline were injured, with no deaths, and a total of 17 Magic Language Bats were lost.”

Lide nodded with satisfaction.

With the Lion Tribe's spellcasters absent, his plan was a great success.

Not only did he maximize the effectiveness of Kachar and Castro by overpowering the enemy with equipment to achieve a resounding victory, but he also successfully commanded the Bloodline to cast composite large-scale magic that led to the rout of the Beastmen.

The loss of a dozen or so Magic Language Bats was also later in close combat–their deaths were inconsequential compared to the Beastmen's casualties. This ratio of losses was worthy of the utmost praise.

“Have the spoils been tallied yet?”

“Of course,” Stanley relaxed a bit, smiling with a hint of delight, “The spoils can be divided into several parts.

The first is the capture of people.

We've taken 582 Beastmen prisoners, all of whom are Intermediate professionals between levels 5 and 9, including two top-level Beastmen professionals–the level 16 Werewolf Craig, along with the level 18 Beastman King, Lion-man Warrior Cap.

In addition, there are 642 dwarves about to be relocated to Dawn City.”

Lide nodded. The Beastman prisoners could be thrown into Giant Valley for mining to help build the city; he would not feel any psychological burden enslaving these members of an alien race who had blood on their hands.

The dwarves went without saying–they were a strategic force, set to forge the weapons and equipment of Dawn City in the future according to his plan.

“The second was the acquisition of mines; there are two rich large-scale iron mines and one depleted secret silver vein, as well as an untapped secret silver vein in Dwarf Valley.

Additionally, there are several small copper and silver mines awaiting development.”

Two large iron mines as well?

No wonder the dwarves had established a city here. Such dense vein deposits made the perfect habitat for these mining and forging enthusiasts.

“The third is the capture of weapons and equipment. So far, we have tallied roughly 2,000 sets of dwarf-forged armor and 3,000 various weapons, as well as other property valued at approximately 30,000 Gold Pucks.”

Compared to the previous two categories of spoils, this wealth, which would make any noble's heart race, seemingly meant little to Lide. The presence or absence of it didn't make much of a difference.

Although Stanley's report wasn't very detailed, it was clearly structured, and Lide immediately understood the spoils he had gained from this battle.

The most valuable, of course, was the secret silver vein, followed by the more than 600 dwarves, and then the overwhelmingly powerful Beastmen, Craig and Cap.

The importance of the secret silver vein went without saying–a rich vein could provoke a war between two countries.

Dwarves were an important labor force, and as a timely supplement to the severely underpopulated Dawn City, they couldn't be underestimated.

Regarding Craig and Cap–although Craig was killed in one round, after all, he still had top-level combat power at level 16.

Were it not his misfortune to encounter the Bone Dragon and Betty, other top-level powerhouses in a mob, he wouldn't have been subdued so quickly, so one couldn't overlook the value of this Werewolf as a top-level fighter.

As for Cap, there was no need to elaborate. The strength of this formidable Beastman King dazzled him.

One-on-one, Lide even dared to bet that an 18th-level Bone Dragon wouldn't be able to hold Cap, equating their combat power evenly.

A Bone Dragon, nonetheless, was a giant dragon; even in death, it remained incalculably powerful.

The fact that this Beastman King could evenly match a Bone Dragon spoke volumes.

In last night's battle, had not the side-effects of Berserk been so exaggerated, Cap might have risked everything from the start, exchanging blows with Grot and Betty regardless of his own life, and the outcome could have been uncertain.

Of course, speculation is after all just speculation. Now the victor wasn't this powerful Beastman but the lord of Dawn City–Lide Kachar.

Now, the thing that excited Lide was the prospect of turning this Beastman into his own subordinate, just like Withered Bone.

That would be… exhilarating.

Lide could feel his heartbeat accelerate just thinking about the scene.

An 18th-level Beastman King…

Absolute dominance, the epitome of it.

Without a doubt, he could become the trump card in his hand, even stronger than Betty.

Although the Bone Dragon was mighty, its colossal size meant it couldn't join in many scenarios, making this Wingspan of 20 Blades behemoth more suited for large-scale battles.

But Cap was different; the strength of this Lion-man Clan Warrior would dazzle anywhere he went.

However, the major issue was the same as with Withered Bone; while the Power of Faith could assimilate a person's soul to make him the most loyal subordinate, right now he was broke, ringing out poor with faith.

Moreover, given Cap's strength, the Power of Faith required for assimilation would likely be close to Withered Bone's.

It took tens of thousands of points of Power of Faith to assimilate Withered Bone, and now this Undead Mage was only being threatened into service–for long-term assurance, he would inevitably have to use the Power of Faith, or else Lide wouldn't feel at ease.

Compared to that, the Power of Faith needed to assimilate Cap would undoubtedly be significant.

To turn these two 18th-level fighters into his subordinates would cost at least twenty thousand points of Power of Faith combined.

Twenty thousand points.

Thinking of this terrible data made Lide gasp.

The Dawn Sect hadn't even accumulated ten thousand points of Power of Faith after so long.

Now, to expend at least twenty thousand points all at once meant prepaying next year's Power of Faith.

“I'm running a financial deficit here, big brother.”

It pained him yet brought him joy.

But two wholly owned 18-level combat forces… Just thinking about it made his mind sway.

“Sigh, having too many good things can be a worry, too. It would be great if I could suddenly gain a million points of the Power of Faith…”

After imagining the blissful life he could lead with a sudden surge to a million points of the Power of Faith at his disposal, Lide Kachar shook his head to clear his scattered thoughts.

Turning to look at the respectful Stanley, he pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

“Stanley, there are two things that I need you to do right now.”

Stanley's expression immediately turned solemn, “Your Grace, I am ready to follow your commands at any time.”

“First, send the Dwarf and Beastman captives back to Dawn City.

Let Harrison handle the Dwarfs. Over the next few days, you, Betty, Grot, and Emi will all stay in Dawn City. Right now, there are too few of the Bloodline, and we need you to intimidate the Dwarf and Beastman captives.”

Lide's expression became slightly serious as he mentioned this. When the Dwarf King had fled with hundreds of Dwarfs, he actually had the opportunity to pursue them.

But in the end, he tacitly allowed them to leave.

It wasn't that he didn't want to bring all the Dwarfs back to Dawn City.

Rather, he knew biting off more than he could chew wasn't wise.

As a mighty race, the Dwarfs had steadfast wills and formidable strength. The ordinary forces of Dawn City couldn't even compare to them.

Having all Dwarfs enter Dawn City might not be a good thing because their formidable military power had already become a threat to the Bloodline's rule.

Dwarfs weren't Humans. The human refugees were plundered by the Bloodline and fundamentally lacked the ability to rebel.

But the Dwarfs did, and if led by an organized leadership, they might even successfully rebel.

Especially the Dwarf King. If the Dwarf King were still there, these Dwarfs would never easily integrate into Dawn City.

They would only follow their king.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Dwarfs regained their strength and rebelled after a period of recovery.

That's why Lide wasn't interested in pursuing the Dwarf King. The king's departure was a good thing for his conquest of the remaining Dwarfs.

Although there were still a considerable number of Dwarfs, they were now manageable.

Crucially, without the Dwarf King, the Dwarfs were leaderless and couldn't find anyone capable of leading such stubborn fellows.

Once the Dwarfs arrived at Dawn City, he could implement his policies to divide these natural forging masters, ensuring they fully became citizens of Dawn City.

Winning over some, suppressing others, uniting yet others–political strife was all about this balance.

As long as there were no leaders resisting, these Dwarfs in his hands would only be lambs waiting for slaughter. Joining Dawn City was just a matter of time.

“Your Grace, there are so many Dwarfs, I fear…”

Stanley had some concerns in his eyes. It would suffice to keep the Beastman captives locked up and guarded, but Lide clearly intended to subjugate the Dwarfs.

The approach used on Beastmen wouldn't work on Dwarfs, but allowing the Dwarfs to move freely within Dawn City would undoubtedly pose a huge threat.

Dwarfs were not a race that could be bullied easily.

“Stanley, the issue with the Dwarfs isn't hard to resolve. Your vision is indeed broad, and you're smart enough, but there are things you still need to learn and strengthen.

Once back in Dawn City, study with Harrison for a while. I believe you will become even more outstanding.

The Bloodline needs talents like you.”

Lide did not explain further, just patted his shoulder.

Stanley nodded slightly at his words, with not a hint of doubt in his black eyes–as if everything Lide said could never be wrong.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Lide smiled with satisfaction. He valued this intelligent subordinate who dared to use players to confront players during the emergence of players, which was certainly no ordinary strategy.

“Second, restart the production in Dwarf Valley as quickly as possible. I need the Secret Silver Vein to be mined at the fastest speed.

And, although we have defeated the Lion Tribe, we cannot assume that they will not return to retaliate.

Be sure to prepare defense measures to prevent them from attacking again.

At the same time, I will leave Koso, Castro, and the Bone Dragon here to guard.”

Lide spoke slowly but with unquestionable firmness.

“Now, this land belongs to the territory of Dawn City. No one can take it away from us. No one!!”

Having said that, he took a long look at the ground. Deep beneath lay Secret Silver, countless times more precious than Gold Puck.

“As you wish, Your Grace,” Stanley bowed deeply, his heart stirring with fervor at Lide's simple words. In that moment, he felt ready to charge even at a giant dragon.

“I'll have the City Hall arrange for personnel to mine the ore after you return. You'll be in charge of overseeing this area,” Lide mused, then spoke with some gravity.

“To keep this Secret Silver Vein, we might have to fight a few more battles.

The Lion Tribe's revenge and the fleeing Dwarf King, they could attack Dwarf Valley again at any time. You must be mentally prepared.”

This was, after all, snatching food from the jaws of a tiger. Lide had forcibly seized this chunk of meat from the mouths of Beastmen and Dwarfs.

If there weren't a second or third counter-attack, that would be abnormal.

But now, Dawn City had nothing to fear.

Now, he had enough power to face it all.

Especially once the Secret Silver Vein was mined, the power of Dawn City would greatly increase.

By then, not just one faction, but even if the Dwarfs and Beastmen joined forces, Dawn City would have nothing to fear.

Of course, everything now depended on starting to mine the Secret Silver immediately so that the resources of Dwarf Valley would become powerful sustenance for Dawn City.

This was the essence of war, plundering resources to strengthen oneself.

Lide believed that given some time, Dawn City would reach a new level.

And those foes who could trouble him now would no longer be troublesome.

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Chapter end