I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 252 – Chapter 252: Chapter 253: Personally Assigning Tasks to Players (7200

Chapter 252: Chapter 253: Personally Assigning Tasks to Players (7200-word Mega Chapter)

To be honest, everything that happened today was beyond Lide's expectations.

Not only was the sudden visit from the goblins a surprise, but the information they revealed was astonishing: the Twelve Magic Scrolls, and the Underworld with its swamps and the Black Dragon.

All of this gave him a sense of dissonance.

If it were just the Divine Artifacts or the Black Dragon, he would not have connected the Underworld mentioned by Yul with the Underworld where Koso resided; but then there was the addition of a swamp.

There can't be that many coincidences in the world.

Which means there's a very good chance that the Black Dragon Yul mentioned, the one who snatched away the Twelve Magic Scrolls, is the same one who killed the Level 19 One-eyed Giant, Koso's father.

However, what slightly disappointed Lide was that although these two Underworlds could be linked, Dawn City clearly had neither the energy nor the strength to explore this vast underground domain for the time being, and dragon-slaying was even further out of the question–it had to be put off for now.

Moreover, if Yul truly wanted him to scheme for the Divine Artifacts, Lide, once coming back to his senses, might also be less interested, because Divine Artifacts were not so easily acquired.

Just look at what Viscount Bernard did when he tried to scheme for the Twelve Magic Scrolls from the Extraordinary Mage Locke?

He opened the Space Gate to the bottomless abyss, used the Divine's power to forge powerful weapons, and lured away several level 15 and above top Combat Levels as a distraction… Each of these was a grand gesture.

And yet, this mysterious Level 19 being is still missing without a trace, and it's unknown whether they were killed by a Transcendent being or managed to escape.

Now, a Black Dragon of unknown level has a Divine Artifact, and its whereabouts are still undisclosed, making it virtually impossible to gauge the dragon's true strength.

Under these circumstances, to scheme for Divine Artifact is but a dream.

In contrast, the piece of a Divine Artifact Fragment in the hands of the chieftain of the Grey Mountain Tribe, as mentioned by Yul, is different.

He had already acquired one fragment, which was an authentic Divine Artifact Fragment, verified by the system.

Although it was not as complete as a whole Divine Artifact, it was still far more likely to be obtained.

The Mysterious Fragment

Attribute: Wearer recovers 10 Magic Power per second and is immune to all Investigation Skills below Legendary, immune to Mind Control, and reduces magic backlash damage by 50%.

Introduction: It seems to be an inconsequential fragment from some corner of a Divine Artifact.

Although the attributes of this Divine Artifact Fragment were simple, the enhancement it provided was undeniably substantial.

The regeneration of 10 Magic Power per second alone could be described as invincible.

His usual regeneration rate of Magic Power at night was merely 1 point per second, and only after drinking Magic Blood could he reach a 1000% increased rate, achieving 10 points.

Wearing the Divine Artifact Fragment meant that he was constantly consuming Magic Blood, significantly boosting his endurance.

And the other three attributes were by no means insignificant. Immunity to detection aside, just the immunity to Mind Control and a reduction of magic backlash by 50% were enough to excite him.

Especially the rare attribute of reducing magic backlash by 50%, which seemed tailor-made for him–modifying magic in the future would be a matter of ease.

This surprise was indeed considerable.

And setting aside the extremely useful Divine Artifact Fragment, Lide's main goal was never any Divine Artifact; what he wanted was the goblin race and their Alchemy Bombs.

A Divine Artifact could enhance one person's combat capability, but goblins could improve the entire foundation of Dawn City.

One was a Combat Level item; the other was a strategic-level asset–two different concepts.

Thankfully, this wasn't a multiple-choice question; he could have it all.

After Grot sent Yul down, Lide plunged back into deep thought.

“Risier City is now a ticking bomb, and saving the city is nearly impossible.

Dawn City doesn't have the strength to repel the hundreds of thousands of Beastman troops.

Besides, my goal isn't to crush the Beastmen and save Risier City; I just need the goblins.

So, how can I extract the goblins from an army of hundreds of thousands?

Magic?

Transmission Array?

Magic Language Bat?

A tunnel?”

Lide's thought process was clear–he only wanted the goblins. As for Risier City falling, that was of little concern to him. He was a Vampire, a prominent figure amongst villains, the archetypal dark boss–

It was already a mercy not to take advantage of the situation and go on a rampage, let alone launch a rescue operation. That would be ludicrous.

Being good to the humans of Dawn City was one thing–they were his people and would eventually fight for the Bloodline.

But people from outside were always arch-enemies of the Bloodline, and it would be polite enough not to beat them senseless at first sight… Leading the Bloodline to the rescue would likely result in the people of Risier City turning on him first rather than on the Beastmen.

As he mused, a smile suddenly played upon Lide's lips, and a glint of mischief flashed in his eyes.

Dawn City had always lacked a high-end population, especially those who were educated and cultured, because the people they had plundered were all common folk, which had hindered many of his plans.

For instance, establishing a school… he couldn't even gather enough teachers.

Now, it seemed, an excellent opportunity lay before him, as Risier was a renowned city of polymaths. Founded thousands of years ago by the descendants of the Risier Empire's royal family, the city carried a rich cultural atmosphere.

The Risier polymath families were famous throughout the Nolan Empire.

Why not take advantage of the situation and raid some high-end population from Risier City?

Lide's smile grew even more radiant.

If Yul the goblin knew what Lide was thinking at the moment, he would be crying without tears. He had only sought to find help.

But he never would have imagined that he would be delivered into the wolf's den by his own actions, and that this Evil Dragon had been a powerful presence lurking in their sights for so long.

Lide now slowly made up his mind, deciding to hit the jackpot.

As a Vampire, a being of legend revered as a dark overlord, it was befitting his identity to engage in such acts.

Beastman invasion on the border is a disaster for Risier City, but for Dawn City, isn't this an opportunity?

According to the direction of the beastmen's advance, perhaps their ultimate goal is Green City, and if Green City really falls, its loss will be incredibly exaggerated.

Yet, this does not prevent him from reaping enough war dividends in this battle.

Moreover, Green City is far from falling now; this core city of the southern province has gathered the entire south's top forces,

and the terrifying power hidden beneath its iceberg is something probably no one is fully aware of.

It may not be easy for the beastmen to gnaw through this tough bone.

“How can we plunder high-end population and take the goblins out at the same time?”

Lide organized his thoughts and couldn't help but feel a headache; the problem had come full circle.

Surrounded by the tens of thousands of beastman troops, it seemed impossible to take out a large number of goblins,

let alone plunder high-end population.

His brain was in overdrive. To obtain enough benefits from Risier City, he had to solve this problem.

A direct assault? Impossible. If he had that kind of strength, would he need to consider so much?

From the sky? …The double-legged flying dragons would be only too happy to hunt them.

To escape through tunnels? One or two, or even dozens, could manage, but … it's simply impossible with thousands of goblins to consider, not to mention if he wanted to plunder an even greater number of high-end population.

The noses of the beastman wolf cavalry are more effective than anything, a few dozen people can be hidden, but once numbers reach a certain level, even high-level magic can't completely cover the smell of the crowd.

To use magic or a transmission array? At this point in the war, the space has already been sealed by the beastmen's spellcasters,

Space magic fears chaos the most, and with every war that comes, space is often the first thing mages disrupt.

Last time, the goblins were safely transported to Risier City from within the territory more out of luck than anything else.

So this seemingly most feasible method is actually the least reliable, after all, nobody wants to be torn into fragments by chaotic spatial currents.

“The success rate from the outside is too low…” Lide murmured in a low voice, then his eyes slowly lit up, “Then, if it's not feasible from the outside, can it be done from the inside?”

He suddenly remembered Craig, whom he had not been in contact with for some time.

After this Level 16 werewolf became a temple knight of the Dawn Sect, he had been sent to rebuild the Lion Tribe in Dwarf Valley.

Later, when the beastman army attacked, Craig was conscripted to participate in the war.

For some reason, the other party had not re-established contact with Dawn City but remained silent within the beastman troops.

And trying to find Craig among the tens of thousands of troops through the original channels of communication to re-establish contact was almost impossible.

And so this matter had been delayed.

Originally, Lide didn't care much about this, as he could always sense Craig's soul, which was full of vitality and his loyalty remained steadfast.

If contact could not be made, then so be it. At this point in time, he didn't need him anyway.

But now it was different. The goblins requested aid, and he had set his sights on the high-end talents within Risier City.

Relying solely on external factions was not enough to achieve his goal, so he had to re-establish contact with Craig. This werewolf within the beastmen might provide him with a new perspective.

Lide shook his head, not expecting that Craig, who had been conscripted by the beastman troops, would become the most important card in his hand.

At this moment, Lide was in high spirits; fate was indeed curious, with no guarantee of what would happen next.

“However, the priority is to contact Craig,” thought Lide, and he gently closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into the Spiritual Sea, found the mark belonging to Craig, and then using the Power of Faith to wrap around his consciousness, his mind instantly traveled through time and space via the Spiritual Imprint left in Craig's mind.

This was the biggest bug of the Power of Faith, as with the consumption of the Power of Faith, he, as a Divine, could descend into the mind of a believer.

The more devout the believer's faith, the stronger the power he could bring, even to the extent that he could lend his power to the believer.

His own Divine Priest, Nilo, was an example of this; Lide could even transfer 70% to 80% of his power to her.

This was the legendary Divine Descent.

Of course, since Craig was converted after using Divine Arts for Soul Assimilation, he could never reach Nilo's level.

Lide guessed he could, at best, transfer about 30% of his power to him, but for this Level 16 werewolf, the 30% of power from a Level 14 Divinity seemed rather insignificant.

Several hundred kilometers away.

The ferocious-looking Craig suddenly opened his eyes wide and let out a low exclamation, “My Lord?!”

Then, dazed, he looked around a few times and, seeing that no one was around, quickly hid himself in a dark corner…

Hun Yuan Thunderclap Hand Cheng Kun and the three players exchanged glances with peculiar expressions, seemingly at a loss for words.

Finally, Hun Yuan mustered his courage, pointed to the rusty, abandoned sewer entrance in the woods, and spoke with a slightly stiff tone.

“Lord Ilo, that abandoned sewer is the secret tunnel that leads to the inside of Risier City. The other end of the tunnel is a nearly collapsed house, very safe.”

After speaking, he halted his words again and looked at the Super NPC wearing a black mask, revealing only two deep eyes.

This was the master of the Dark Contract, and they could hardly believe they were part of a mission with such a high-level NPC.

They must cling tight to this major support.

“However, are you sure you want to go through here?”

In Hun Yuan's mind, Lord Ilo was one of the most potent beings known in the official forums, ranking among the top three NPCs.

The first place is held by the Undead Monarch who raised the undead scourge, whose feats were once posted in the forums by the Knight with the Broken Sword.

Given the current state of the Radiant Empire having lost most of its territory under the onslaught of the undead, with neighboring countries struggling desperately along the borderlines, no NPC can shake the Undead Monarch's position in the short term.

Yet Lord Ilo wasn't inferior at all, a transcendent existence, a solid gold pillar of support–just plucking a single hair from his leg would be enough to feed him.

The longer he stayed in “Glory,” the more astonished Hun Yuan became by this so-called game, fully aware of how proud a terrifying existence like Lord Ilo must be.

But to his surprise, after they took the goblin out of Risier City, this powerful boss, upon learning they had a secret passage to Risier City, didn't hesitate to have them sneak him into the city.

To Hun Yuan, this was simply incomprehensible.

This was a being transcendent of the Transcendent, so why perform such a demeaning act?

Indeed, in Hun Yuan's eyes, it was unthinkable for these lofty NPCs to ever stoop to crawling through sewers.

Now faced with such an eccentric NPC, he too was somewhat bewildered.

Lide turned his head to glance back at Yul, giving a slight nod, “Lead the way.”

Hearing his words, Hun Yuan no longer hesitated. He bent down and slowly entered the abandoned sewer.

“Yul, the survival of the Gray Mountain Tribe hinges on this–you need to persuade your clansfolk.”

The moment Lide stepped into the sewer, he turned his head slightly, gazing deeply at the goblin Yul behind him, who had yet to make a sound.

“I give you my guarantee in the name of the ruler bound by the Dark Contract–the goblins will be safe.

I will do everything in my power to rescue you all,”

Upon hearing this firm promise, a sense of relief quickly replaced the concern on Yul's face.

Since asking for Lide's help yesterday, he had been constantly anxious.

Although Lide had agreed to help rescue the goblins after obtaining the Divine Artifact Fragment, such a promise was ultimately not enforceable, and Yul could not be certain of Lide's true intentions.

As he hesitated, Lide revealed a shocking secret–he had already planted agents among the Beastmen. If the goblins followed his instructions, he could ensure their safety without fail.

But Yul well knew that if they proceeded with this plan, the destiny of the entire goblin race would be in Lide's hands.

Should this mysterious vampire have any ill will towards the goblins, they would all be doomed.

But what other choice did he have? Was there any other hope?

This realization disheartened Yul after careful contemplation.

Apart from Lide, they had no other reinforcements.

No one would risk great danger to rescue a group of goblins besieged by an army of hundreds of thousands of Beastmen, even if he could offer a Divine Artifact Fragment!

Those with the courage lacked the power, and those with the power… he didn't even have the standing to show them the bargaining chip…

If Yul had any other option, he would never entrust the fate of the goblins to a vampire.

But now, Risier City was growing increasingly dangerous. Perhaps in ten days, no, five days, no, even three days, the city could fall.

If even the armies of Risier City couldn't hold off the Beastman attack, what chance did a group of goblins, whose homeland had been taken by the Beastmen, have to survive?

So, if he did not choose this vampire, the goblins would be wiped out without a doubt. Choosing the vampire at least offered them a glimmer of hope.

Although Yul's decision was bold and somewhat absurd, he had done his best.

It was a choice made by the Goddess of Fate; the goblins were helpless and could only go where fate took them.

Lide was unaware of the goblin's inner turmoil. Thump–he turned and jumped into the abandoned sewer, the pitch-black environment having no effect on him; everything was visible with clarity.

The air did not carry the pungent smell of sewage but instead was filled with the odors of an old house long in disrepair. The occasional breeze indicated that the air in the sewer was not stagnant, and the ground was very dry without the slightest hint of dampness.

Creak, creak–

The thick layer of moss below had long since dried up, making a crisp sound as they stepped on it. The sewer could barely accommodate two people walking side by side, though they needed to stoop slightly.

Leading the way upfront, Hun Yuan, Thunderclap Hand Cheng Kun, and the other players holding torches and a Magic Lamp cast eerie, twisted shadows on the walls as the dim light illuminated them, adding an element of horror to the scene.

Lide placed Yul in front of him, not wanting the goblin to encounter any mishaps.

The stone-built sewer was long and winding, with occasional cave-ins, fitting the setting of a horror movie–enclosed, bleak, dark.

After half a Sunshine Hour, unexpectedly no issues arose; everything proceeded smoothly.

“Lord, we have arrived.”

Following Hun Yuan's voice from the front, Lide came to an open space about ten blades' height from the surface. Looking up, he could see the glow of the moon in the sky.

Green moss covered the stones around the circular well, and a rusty iron staircase connected to the top.

“Yul, go up with them.”

“Yes, Lord~”

The goblin hurriedly climbed up with the three players taking care of him. Lide watched Yul's clumsy ascent with the corner of his mouth slightly twitching, casting a Dragon Scale Shield on him to prevent any accidents in this decrepit place.

Feeling the shield, Yul's spirits visibly lifted, his courage soaring as he climbed. After flashing Lide a grateful smile, he quickly scrambled out.

After looking around to make sure there were no problems, Lide also emerged to the surface.

Risier City.

The pitch-black night sky was illuminated by the mercurial glow of the moon. Standing next to the abandoned sewer exit, Lide carefully surveyed his surroundings.

Facing them was a desolate, dilapidated two-story house, its doors decaying and collapsed, the stone walls cracked, and vines consuming half the building.

This place was less reminiscent of a city and more of a long-abandoned house in the wilderness.

“Lord, this is the Sixteenth District of Risier City. The First District is the front city wall, and the 20th District faces the wall toward Green City.

The Sixteenth District has always been home to the poor and beggars…”

Lide nodded slightly and found it somewhat amusing to see Hun Yuan and Thunderclap Hand treating him with great respect. These players probably saw him now as a super boss, wracking their brains on how to gain his favor.

For the time being, his contact with these players hadn't been much; the previous Glory Light was more of a test subject.

He had long since lost that initial fear of facing the undead monsters he had when he first entered the game.

No matter how lawless these creatures were, they had to follow the rules of this world, and those who tried to cause trouble often ended up the most miserable.

Instead, he, the big boss, had now become an existence that players had to look up to; it was undeniable that the world is always so dreamlike.

“Alright, Yul is the one you brought out, and I hope you can assist Yul in persuading the Grey Mountain Tribe.”

“If you can complete this, I will give you a generous reward.”

“Ding~ Do you wish to issue a quest?”

Lide's lips curled slightly upward, unfazed by this system prompt. Instead, he navigated through the attribute panel with ease and went to the recently appeared task panel to edit the quest.

“The great and mysterious master of the Dark Contract, the Transcendent Lord Ilo, now entrusts you with a new mission: persuade the goblins and make them heed Lord Ilo's arrangements.

Quest requirement one: Accurately determine the goblin's location and relay messages to Lord Ilo in real-time using bats.

Quest requirement two: Assist Yul in persuading the goblins; the final completion will be judged based on the number of goblins that escape Risier City.

Quest requirement three: Investigate the Divine Artifact Fragments and Alchemy Bomb manufacturing techniques that the goblins possess. Note: Do not reveal your objectives.

Quest rewards…”

Eyeing the options for quest rewards below, Lide swept his consciousness over his system space and attribute panel. After a moment of contemplation, he chose a set of Rare level armor, plus 100 Gold Pucks, 20 points of respect from the Dark Contract, and 5 points of his personal favorability.

Once he confirmed there were no errors, he chose to issue the quest directly.

Following that, Hun Yuan Thunderclap Hand Cheng Kun and the other two players instantly showed great joy–they all received the mission commissioned by Lord Ilo, and the lavish rewards almost made them drool.

Their gazes towards Lide immediately turned incredibly fervent.

This NPC is way too rich!! They're holding onto this thigh for dear life!!

Underneath the mask, Lide's expression carried a hefty grin.

System quests were simply an invincible weapon.

Two days ago, when he had people from the Dark Contract issue quests to players on the Mysterious Streets, it suddenly occurred to him that he too was an NPC. Why couldn't he issue quests to players?

Then he called upon Glory Light and officially issued his first quest, the outcome of which pleasantly surprised him.

To his disbelief, he truly could issue quests. After Glory Light completed that first quest, Lide also officially activated his own task panel.

The task panel wasn't complicated: first, he could issue three quests at the same time. He couldn't issue new quests until the three had been completed. Only after a quest was completed could he issue another.

Second, he could choose anything he owned as a reward, including skills, equipment, even his own favorability, respect from his subordinates, and so on.

As long as he possessed them, anything except for abstracts like Power of Faith or Casting Talent could serve as quest rewards.

Third, the system would automatically assess the difficulty of the quests he issued and provide corresponding experience.

The task panel feature gave Lide an indescribable advantage when dealing with players, putting him in complete control.

The opportunities for manipulation were vast–he no longer feared the players; he could play with these boneheads as if they were his pets…

Regarding the generous rewards given to Hun Yuan Thunderclap Hand Cheng Kun and the other two players, these fellows had already sold themselves to the Dark Contract. He was never stingy with his own people.

Moreover, cultivating a few high-level players among them was all beneficial to the Undead Soul of the Dark Contract.

Though he established the Crimson Moon, the more power he had at his disposal, the better.

After giving the group several more instructions, Yul and the three players vanished into the night.

Lide didn't follow them but instead walked in the opposite direction.

Under his strategic planning, it didn't matter much to him whether the goblins followed his plans as long as they didn't spread word of Lide's arrival.

At most, the goblin resistance would cause some trouble.

From the very start, he never expected the goblins to cooperate with him fully, nor to comply with all his plans; he never pinned his hopes on others.

That was his nature; only by holding the initiative could he feel at ease.

“Emi, follow them, and be careful not to be detected.”

“Yes, My Lord…” After a faint sound, there was silence behind Lide.

Never put all your eggs in one basket; he never bet everything on one person or one thing.

Yul was one thread, the players another, Emi another, and even he was yet another thread. As long as his critical thread didn't break, the mechanism could operate normally.

And it's not just the goblins he sought, despite the great risk he took infiltrating Risier City alone. He wanted more.

His dark, deep eyes held a hint of excitement.

The Beastman's attack on Risier City was a disaster for the city, but it was another opportunity for Dawn City to rise.

Turning, he walked toward the street. Under cover of darkness, pairs of patrolling soldiers, overwhelmed with fatigue, passed by in heavy armor.

Drained by the continuous battles, these weary soldiers had little energy left to scrutinize the shadows and alleys.

This battle had pushed Risier City to its limits.

Lide continued, walking leisurely as if searching for something in this unfamiliar city, as if he knew the place well, heading in a specific direction.

The night belonged to the Bloodline; the constant warfare had brought the city to the brink of collapse, and patrols had already lost the ability to spot him.

After a few twists and turns, he arrived at a discreet, spacious house of a wealthy merchant, stopping in front of the semi-circular gate.

Just as he was about to knock, a shrill cry from behind stopped him.

“Who goes there?! Why are you moving about the city at this late hour!”

Lide paused, turning his head slightly.

The first thing he saw was a slender figure with a crimson cloak billowing in the wind behind her, stark red and dazzling against the night sky.

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Chapter end