I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 271

Chapter 271: Chapter 273: Dawn City Will Finally Rise (Official Release on QiDian Chinese Network) (10,000-Word Mega Chapter) Chapter 271: Chapter 273: Dawn City Will Finally Rise (Official Release on QiDian Chinese Network) (10,000-Word Mega Chapter) p.s.: I recently set up a book fan group, but a few brothers who read pirated versions shattered my morale. This book made its debut as an original on Qidian Chinese Network, and everywhere else is pirated, alas. Our collection of over thirty thousand only has a few hundred dedicated followers, not even a fraction of the collections, I don't know what to say other than giving a bitter smile, I hope capable fan brothers can support, welcome home~
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After studying the attribute panel for nearly a whole Sunshine Hour, Lide finally, reluctantly, withdrew his gaze.

It was just too strong.

Skills, Talent, exclusive Spells, even titles had all undergone a qualitative enhancement.

Now, he was truly worthy of the title Blood Clan Ancestor.

The King of a Superior Race was already powerful enough after transformation, but during the process, he absorbed Divine materials for an extra boost, hence Lide's Talent now far exceeded the limits of ordinary imagination.

Even in Lide's view, even the Golden Race couldn't compare to him anymore, his Talent was enough to draw the attention of any race.

After all, he was the King of the Bloodline.

Slightly retracting his thoughts, Lide stroked his chin and shifted his attention to another panel.

Dawn Sect.

After three months of slumber, the Dawn Sect had undergone significant changes, not only had he activated his Divine Position, but his believers and Power of Faith also saw a qualitative improvement.

Dawn Sect: God of Dawn – Lide Kachar (Fake God)
Divine Arts: 1, Soul Assimilation (Consumes 2,000 points of Power of Faith to convert non-Dawn Sect factions into the most loyal temple knights of the Dawn Sect, able to absolutely control the opponent's soul, the consumed Power of Faith increases with the strength of the opponent's soul.)
Divine Position: Bloodline, Blood (activated 1%, when you reach 100%, you will completely control these two Divine Positions)
Doctrine: Strive to become stronger, fight tenaciously, unite as one, be fearless, love family, love country.

Number of temples owned: 1
Number of believers: Fanatical Believers 1, Devout Believers 1,365, Believers 3,568, General Believers 17,691
Power of Faith: 15,785 points
Current professions available for conversion – Dawn Priest (requires 200 points of Power of Faith)
Personnel of the Dawn Temple's Divine Positions: Holy Maiden – Nicole
Bishop Priest – Emi Kachar
Temple Knight: Craig Shadow Hunter
Secondary identity – Ilo, President of the Dark Heart
Using the secondary identity in Green City's Underworld increases Legend Level by +10, and grants the title Dark Legend.

The biggest change in the Dawn Sect's attribute panel was the Divine Position activated by devouring divine materials, albeit a pitifully low 1%, and even Lide didn't know how to activate the rest of the Divine Position.

But the mere 1% activation had already brought him two powerful titles: Master of Crimson and Immortal King, which could be described as a tremendous harvest.

With this in mind, one can imagine just how much potential there is to be tapped from the Divine Position.

Lide pondered, “In the future, the Divine Position can be considered a key observation target and start collecting related materials.”

But he wasn't too eager about it; the power of the Divine was still far too high-end for him, even now that he had become Level 15, and the Divine remained a distant existence.

Instead of pursuing those untouchable and enigmatic things, it was better to focus on the practical.

What pleasantly surprised him was the explosive increase in the number of believers and the Power of Faith that had reached over fifteen thousand.

The former was the foundation of the Dawn Sect, while the latter was something he had always coveted.

The cultivation of the Dawn Bat, the conversion of priests, and even the assimilation of Level 18 Withered Bone, Level 18 Beastman King Kapp…

All of these required a substantial amount of Power of Faith for support.

Currently, fifteen thousand points of Power of Faith could temporarily alleviate his urgent needs.

“Nicole… It seems that my three months of sleep hasn't affected the development of the Dawn Sect.”

Lide nodded in satisfaction; his little priest had done very well.

“At present, the top priority for Power of Faith is Level 18 Beastman King Kapp; this powerful Beastman King will definitely become a trump card in my arsenal.

Moreover, the Beastman's unusual behavior of not retreating from the Nolan Empire this year must not be simple; now having a powerful top-level combat force to oversee the situation in Beastman Valley can also stabilize the base.”

After all, the Mithril vein, a strategic material that could lead to war between two countries, is a resource point of paramount importance to Dawn City.

Unless the situation became irredeemable, there was no way this could be surrendered.

Thus, it was worth dispatching top combat power to this area to bolster defenses.

After mulling over the situation, Lide Kachar allocated the Power of Faith he had accumulated for three months.

In fact, Beastman King Kapp had always been a top priority, and unless there were unexpected circumstances, Lide would have chosen him anyway, for he was the only one who could overwhelm several of Dawn City's top fighters.

“However, I first need to handle the state affairs at hand.”

Thinking to himself, Lide shook his head with a wry smile. This Frost Month was crucial, yet he had slept through a critical moment.

Harrison and Stanley had placed his safety above all else, thus sacrificing progress in other areas of construction.

But Lide could not blame them, for the Bloodline's loyalty to the Blood Clan Ancestor was ingrained both in their blood and souls.

Now that he was awake, it was essential to re-plan the city's development and restore Dawn City to its planned developmental trajectory.

The momentum of development could not slow down.

He stood up and instructed the Bloodline guards outside to summon Harrison and Stanley.

“Clan Leader,”
“Sire,”
Stanley and Harrison were delighted to see Lide brimming with energy.

Lide's awakening immediately eased tensions among Dawn City's upper echelons, dispelling their concerns.

“Harrison, report on the population of Dawn City this Frost Month and the status of various construction projects.”

Lide cut straight to the point without any pleasantries.

“Yes, Clan Leader.” Harrison's expression grew more serious as business was discussed.

“The current total population of Dawn City exceeds 51,000 people, of which 30,000 civilians have been allocated land…”

Lide raised his eyebrow. The Moonlight Plain had plenty of land available, easily enough to assign land to all 50,000 people.

“What about the remaining 20,000 people? Why haven't they been allocated land?”

“The remaining 20,000 include 3,000 elderly and infirm. This group wasn't allocated any land.

Out of the remaining 17,000, 7,000 are elites taken from Risier City. They neither know how to farm nor are willing to engage in what they see as lower-class work.

As for the last 10,000 people, most of them have been employed by the City Hall–they include merchants, craftsmen, or those with specific skills, blacksmiths, tailors, bakers, pharmacists, and so on…”

Lide nodded, understanding that as Dawn City's population grew, so did the city's prosperity.

Throughout this process, various industries had emerged, catering to the livelihoods of many.

Not everyone wanted to farm, and Dawn City didn't need all its residents to do so either.

Once the food production met the needs of the population, some of the people captured could be diverted to other industries, such as manufacturing or construction.

Dawn City was essentially a large construction site, and at its peak, the construction department employed up to 5,000 people, with one-tenth of the residents engaged in city building.

As for manufacturing, the weapons factories were about to start recruiting apprentices on a large scale, but Lide's sudden slumber had put a pause on everything.

In Lide's plans, the future Dawn City would not just be a simple agricultural town.

Instead, it would become a city with a highly developed magical manufacturing industry.

Alchemy factories, weapon factories, and even in the future, he intended to build magic scroll production plants–all these would be the beginnings of a magical manufacturing industry.

These factories would absorb a large workforce, and the value created by the factories would, through trade like with the Centaur Tribe, bring vast wealth to support Dawn City.

Land was a finite resource. Once the land of the Moonlight Plain was fully distributed, the remaining residents would enter into industries he had established.

Of course, progressing both agriculture and magic industry was his most fundamental conception. To say it lacked flaws would be an understatement; even its basic framework was only just taking shape.

Realizing his vision would undoubtedly require a lengthy period and countless efforts.

But it was, at least, a broad direction for development.

He had previously discussed this grand plan with Harrison, who had seemingly executed his will to near perfection.

Lide was pleased with this.

“How are these residents integrating into Dawn City?”

“Everything is progressing smoothly. Thanks to the Propaganda Department's efforts, those who have found work and have homes and land have quickly become part of the Dawn City community.”

The only trouble was with the elites from Risier City, who had previously shown a tendency to band together in rebellion. However, this problem had now been perfectly resolved.

Because the core of them, Elder Horn of the Risier family, had personally captured those Risier City elites who were plotting to rebel.

Subsequently, Nicole had issued several commands targeting the Risier elites, dividing, co-opting, and suppressing them. They had now lost their cohesion, and this most unstable group began integrating into Dawn City this month.

After listening, Lide slightly nodded his head.

Dealing with these worldly elites was not as easy as handling ordinary civilians; their desires were worlds apart from those of farmers content with just a few acres of land.

But this was his home turf, and he would not allow any trouble to brew.

With power in hand, propagation tools available, and the improvement of the city hall's mechanism, dealing with these homeless curs was no trouble at all, especially with the high-IQ management talents of Harrison and Nicole.

“Continue, what about city construction?”

Harrison nodded and after making some adjustments, continued.

“In terms of city construction, we have completed four breeding farms and the school construction is 80% complete. We expect both structures to be fully completed by mid-April.

Due to incorporating a large number of elites from Risier City into the construction department, a detailed blueprint for the new district has been produced.

It's expected to formally start construction after the spring wheat harvest.”

“The alchemy factory and the weapon factory are currently in a state of suspension due to your reasons.

The weapon factory hasn't received any messages from the centaurs about ordering weapons, so there's nothing more to produce at the moment.

And while the preliminary version of the Magic Language Bat's ammunition flight equipment has been developed, without your decision, we cannot produce it on a large scale. The dwarves have all gone to mine in Giant Valley.

The alchemy factory requires a massive amount of Magic Crystal Stone to manufacture alchemy bombs, but since you have been consuming Magic Crystal Stones at a high rate, we are unable to spare any to supply the alchemy factory…”

Upon hearing this, Lide's eyebrows raised. He could understand the weapon factory halting production, but the alchemy factory as well?

He could sense the continuous influx of energy from the outside world during his slumber, but for such an important project as the alchemy factory to come to a halt, the amount of energy he absorbed must have been terrifying.

“Have I absorbed a lot of Magic Crystal Stones?”

Hearing Lide's question, Harrison's expression became somewhat strange.

A lot? No, not just a lot, but an astronomical amount.

“Clan Leader, the Crimson Mage Tower provided Magic Crystal Stones worth millions of Gold Pucks, all of which you absorbed…”

Lide's hand trembled, disbelief evident in his eyes.

“Magic Crystal Stones worth millions of Gold Pucks? All absorbed by me??”

“Yes, because we are unable to supply raw materials to the alchemy factory due to such a large consumption of Magic Crystal Stones…”

I…

Lide's expression was a remarkable sight; he had not expected such a high cost for his slumber.

Millions of Gold Pucks worth of Magic Crystal Stones, oh. Twenty-five Gold Pucks could produce one alchemy bomb, and millions of Gold Pucks equated to 40,000 bombs.

That was enough to destroy Dawn City ten times over.

“The cause of this must still be the Divine Calamity substance within the remnants of the Divine Being. I almost managed to regain control of my body midway, but it was the detection of the Divine Calamity substance that continued the transformation and slumber, leading to an even greater craving for energy.”

With a bitter smile on his lips, Lide acknowledged that though he had become incredibly powerful, this transformation had exacted a heavy price.

He also felt a vague sense of alarm; if he had not had a sufficient supply of energy during the transformation, the outcome could have been incalculable.

“Indeed, making money is the ultimate principle. The poor cannot afford to play this game.”

One transformation consuming millions of Gold Pucks; for Dawn City, that was almost the entirety of its scraped-together wealth.

It was only because of Lide's trade with the Centaur Tribe, wherein he obtained thousands of wild rhino skins and injected a large sum of blood into the Crimson Mage Tower, that he was able to do this.

Otherwise, given the tight situation in Frost Month, it would have been very difficult for the Crimson Mage Tower to provide him with a continuous supply of Magic Crystal Stones.

This is the advantage of the wealthy; the poor rely on luck, while the rich rely on spending money.

“Millions of Gold Pucks gone into it, the sense really isn't ordinary.”

Reflecting on the powerful Talents and Skills within him, Lide became calm again. Money is expendable; it could be earned again.

“Instruct the Crimson Mage Tower to send another batch of Magic Crystal Stones, and make sure the goblins start the alchemy factory as soon as possible. I need alchemy bombs.”

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

“Also, transport a batch of Magic Crystal Stones to be placed around the blood pool. The Holy Spirit can absorb the surrounding energy and attach it to the fresh blood, providing a large amount of Magic Energy.

Note this down and have someone experiment to see if the Magic Crystal Stones can accelerate the production of Magic Blood. This is important for us.”

Man-made Magic Blood; this idea arose after he realized the effects of the Holy Spirit.

Lide felt somewhat moved when he thought of the Holy Spirit. He had absorbed seventy to eighty percent of the divine substance that had accumulated on the divine remains for over a million years. Fortunately, the loss of divine substance did not harm the Holy Spirit, and its attributes remained unchanged.

It seemed that the divine substance was a hidden reward for the Holy Spirit; the basic attributes of the divine remains appeared not to be significantly related to the divine substance.

Lide couldn't figure out the reason. Before he left the blood pool, he had also sensed the Holy Spirit with his spiritual power. The opponent was still absorbing magic power, and the divine substance inside the remains was recovering at an extremely slow pace.

By Lide's rough estimate, it wouldn't be recoverable for hundreds of thousands of years.

He shook his head and didn't think any further.

“Let's continue then, what about agriculture?”

“In terms of agriculture, our winter wheat is currently thriving and is expected to be harvested in mid-April. The yield is projected to be on par with last year's spring wheat, sufficient to feed one hundred thousand people for a year.”

“Good, agriculture is the foundation of all development. We must ensure the development of agriculture under any circumstance.

Additionally, set a target for the Agriculture Department; we need to have a five-year food supply for three hundred thousand people within three years.”

Lide's attitude toward agriculture had always been stable and unshakable.

Food was the foundation, and only with a strong foundation could high-rise buildings be constructed.

“Yes,” Harrison immediately recorded Lide's command in his notebook.

“Clan Leader, the Crimson Mage Tower has just completed the recruitment of the second batch of Mage Apprentices.

Currently, there are seventy-six apprentices who are capable of becoming Combat Mages and three hundred and twenty Life Mages. All of these apprentices have already moved into the Dawn Mage Tower for their education.”

“What about the mages from the previous batch?”

“The previous batch of Mage Apprentices are far from ready; they will barely be of use next year.”

“Alright, don't be stingy with the training of mages, especially for those with exceptional talents–they are all reserves for our Bloodline.

As for the Life Mages, their training can be accelerated; let them participate in city construction to enhance their abilities. Those that show good performance can be given focused training.”

As for mages, Lide was never miserly; he knew how powerful mages could be. This strategic resource was worth the investment.

Even Mage Apprentices with lesser talent could become Life Mages and contribute to Dawn City; in any case, he wouldn't lose out.

“Yes, Clan Leader.

Also, a month and a half ago, the Centaur Tribe sent a request for you to visit the Dwarf Hills. I've declined on your behalf, citing your research in magic.

This month, they've sent three more messages…”

Centaur?

Lide's eyes narrowed slightly. The last deal with these formidable beings living in the Dwarf Hills had made Dawn City a tidy profit.

However, the lack of iron ore had put a pause on trading with them, and the halt in the blacksmith shops over the past few months had resulted in a buildup of steel. It was time to make a trip to the Dwarf Hills.

He had spent millions of Gold Puck on his transformation and needed to recover some of that investment.

“Reply to the Centaur Tribe that I will personally visit the Dwarf Hills in three days.”

“Yes.

Moreover, the Dwarf Valley has not stopped excavating the Secret Silver Veins over these months. We have accumulated one hundred and ten pounds of Mithril in our warehouse. What shall we do with this Mithril?”

One hundred and ten pounds?

Lide was pleasantly surprised.

It may seem insignificant, especially when five to six thousand Beastmen were mining around the clock, and it seemed vastly disproportionate to the vast mining operation in Dwarf Valley.

But this was Mithril.

Just a small addition could significantly enhance a weapon's attributes.

This quantity, over a hundred pounds, was enough to peak anyone's interest, and even a king would covet such riches.

“Isn't Anakin forging Extraordinary Armor for Grot and Betty?”

Anakin Hammer, the former prince of the Dwarf Tribe, now a blacksmith in Dawn City.

When Lide had previously asked Master Valen to forge Extraordinary Armor for Castro, he had promised some pounds of Mithril to the Dwarf Prince for creating Extraordinary Level equipment and weapons for Dawn City's top combatants.

“Actually, due to your slumber, this task has been put on hold, and Anakin himself doesn't have the confidence to forge Extraordinary Level equipment, so he has spent this time practicing in the smithy…”

“Then let Valen oversee the equipment forging; first, let him forge the equipment for Grot and Betty. We may also need him to forge for Beastman King Kapp later.

One hundred and ten pounds of Mithril is enough to craft equipment for three people.

In addition, let Master Valen use the finest metals from the Dwarves, in combination with the Mithril.”

Lide was decisive; if Anakin was not confident, he would be replaced by someone who was. After all, what was the use of Mithril if not to be used, why would it just sit in the warehouse collecting dust?

“Turning these iron hunks into combat power is the true essence.”

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

After pondering for a moment and confirming there wasn't much else to arrange, Lide waved his hand.

“Alright, go ahead and make the arrangements, and while you're at it, have Beastman King Kapp brought over from the prison.”

Once Harrison had left, Lide turned to Stanley, who had remained silent.

“Stanley, how is the progress of establishing the intelligence command center?”

Prior to his slumber to prevent unforeseen risks, Lide had ordered Harrison to recall Stanley from overseeing the situation in Dwarf Valley to establish an intelligence command center. Stanley, a former Evil God believer and a Level 15 Dark Priest, was tasked with this responsibility.

The establishment of the intelligence command center had long been in his planning. He had intended to set it up after spring, but due to the sudden transformation, he had to accelerate the plan and have Stanley start establishing it ahead of schedule.

Dawn City's influence was too scattered externally; it was necessary to centralize resources to maximize their impact.

“Your Majesty, everything is progressing smoothly,” Stanley said, the vicious scar slashing across his face appeared quite fearsome, but this towering dark officiant never cared about such things.

“The intelligence command center currently has thirty Bloodline members responsible for compiling and storing intelligence from various locations. To compensate for the shortage of personnel, I have also recruited 100 humans from City Hall.

These employees have all signed a Soul Contract with us, and their families are all within Dawn City.

The think tank is currently serving as the upper echelon of the intelligence command center, taking charge of decision-making when the main decision-makers are absent.”

Thirty Bloodline members plus a hundred humans–a 130-person team was not large, but it was sufficient compared to Dawn City's population of fifty thousand.

Lide gazed deeply at Stanley; he had always held this clever individual in high regard and had been intentionally giving him opportunities to cultivate his talents.

“Do you have a plan for the future development of the intelligence command center?”

The importance of intelligence was unquestionable, and the nature of this department meant it was destined to become one of Dawn City's most central operations.

Lide required a sufficiently capable and wise Bloodline to take charge.

Considering Stanley's performance thus far, Lide had already decided on the future leader of this core department.

He couldn't afford to spend a lot of time on this–just like the Data Analysis Department of the Crimson Moon. He just needed them to provide the information he wanted.

When Lide posed the question, Stanley instantly grasped his intentions with his intelligence.

His expression turned gravely serious; after a moment of contemplation, he slowly replied.

“Your Majesty, the intelligence command center has just been established and still needs to build a more complete system.”

“Go on,” Lide said with a leisurely demeanour, watching Stanley.

He was curious to hear what this individual, who had spotted the potential in players capable of endlessly reviving in “Glory” right from the get-go, and even considered setting up a branch of the Dark Contract on Earth, had in mind.

Of course, at this point, Lide didn't know that the establishment of the Dark Contract's branch on Earth was not just imagination but had become reality.

“Firstly, intelligence personnel need to be retrained. Currently, the Dark Contract and the Crimson Mage Tower are our main sources of information within human cities.

However, their methods of gathering intelligence are rather crude and quite amateurish.

According to the intelligence they've sent back, many times they could have ascertained much more useful information but missed the opportunity completely.

Moreover, they are not sufficiently cautious about confidentiality. If it weren't for the sheer size of the Crimson Mage Tower and the Dark Contract, they likely would have already aroused the nobles' vigilance.

So for now, we need a team of professional intelligence officers…”

Intelligence command center and intelligence officers were new terms introduced by Lide; in the parlance of “Glory,” they would more likely be called spies.

Lide nodded in agreement; intelligence work was highly specialized, and previously, with Dawn City being impoverished, it was impossible to find professionals in intelligence gathering.

“Continue.”

“Secondly, strict confidentiality protocols.

Intelligence is most crucial in keeping identities hidden, but currently we…”

“Thirdly, a core and peripheral member system.

We could divide the intelligence command center into core and external members. The core members would handle secrets and manage strict single-line communication with their superiors, while the external members would be…”

“Fourthly, trade in intelligence with outsiders.

Gold Puck is the most powerful weapon in this world; we can establish dedicated personnel responsible for purchasing intelligence…”

“Fifthly, making use of the Bounty Guild and the Mercenary Guild…”

“Sixth…”

When Stanley presented over twenty ideas for the construction of the Information Command Center, Lide couldn't help but take a deep look at this Level 15 Dark Priest.

Sure enough, those who worshiped Evil Gods were not easy foes to deal with.

“Very good, Stanley. In the future, I will directly command the Information Command Center, but you will manage it on a daily basis. I need you to acquire sufficient information for Dawn City.”

With his final decision, Lide determined the manager of this future core department, one destined to possess immense power within Dawn City.

There were only a few departments in Dawn City that Lide directly commanded: King's Blade, the Propaganda Department, and now the newly established Information Command Center.

He couldn't be bothered with the rest, even the major departments like the Treasury received little of his attention.

Because none of the other departments mattered; only these few could determine the fate of Dawn City in critical moments. Only by controlling them directly would he feel at ease.

“By your command, Your Highness,” Stanley replied solemnly, nodding without any hesitation.

Lide's will was the direction in which he advanced; this fact was already etched into his soul.

It was not until Stanley had departed that Lide allowed himself to relax.

“It feels like after only three months of slumber, the development of Dawn City has somewhat stalled. More efforts are needed.”

Dawn City's foundation was too weak; despite his long tenure of management, its substance was still not substantial.

However, Lide was not disturbed by this; his fighting spirit remained unyieldingly high, and the resilience in his eyes could not be shaken by anyone.

This city that belonged to him would eventually reach the pinnacle of this world.

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Bang~Bang~Bang
A knock on the door interrupted Lide's contemplation.

“Enter.”

Moments later, the door was pushed open, and several Bloodline members entered the room, leading a lion-man with a height of 2.2 blades, carrying the head of a majestic lion. Even as the breath of life had weakened to a critical point on him, his face still held an expression of determination.

Level 18 Beastman King–Cap Lion.

Cap wore a simple leather loin cloth, his upper body was bare; his limbs were tightly bound by dense black Magic Prohibition Chains.

The muscles of his body, as if forged from steel, pushed the chains outwards, as if they could burst at any moment. Every inch of his body was filled with a sense of power.

And the countless scars were particularly conspicuous, as if only the legendary Northern Land Valkyrie could match them.

Lide looked at the Level 18 Beastman King Cap before him, his expression touched with emotion.

“Cap, I once said that perhaps one day, you would become a part of Dawn City.”

He maintained enough respect for this pure Beastman warrior, “Today, is that appropriate time.”

At that moment, the lion-man's mane was disheveled, and his head turned slightly to look at Lide, his eyes revealing undeniable weakness.

After nearly half a year of imprisonment, this Beastman King had been drained of all his strength, now so feeble that even a farmer could kill him.

Yet even so, the Beastman's will had not been destroyed.

“Vampire King, no one can make the king of the Lion Tribe submit. Cowards have no place in the barren wilderness.”

Cap's voice was weak, yet stubborn as twisted wire, “You can kill me, but you will never conquer me.

The Lion Tribe… does not have cowards who beg for mercy just to survive.”

Lide nodded in satisfaction; this was the kind of warrior he wanted–Cap's willpower must have been maxed out.

If it were not for the fact that Beastmen couldn't be turned, he truly would have liked to transform this Level 18 Beastman King into a Bloodline member and then let him switch to Bloodline's hidden profession–Crimson Reaper.

This hidden profession had a special requirement: extreme willpower and a trial of will as well.

He hadn't allowed anyone from the Bloodline to change their profession yet, so he was unsure what this willpower test involved.

A requirement specially detailed by the system meant its significance was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

“No, Cap. I don't need your submission. Conquering you has nothing to do with your surrender,” Lide said, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

The truth was always cruel–I conquer you regardless of whether you surrender or not. This was a complete crushing from a higher dimension.

Kapp looked at Lide with a slight startle, seemingly somewhat confused by his meaning.

Lide took two steps forward, disregarding the weak resistance of the Beastman King, and placed his hand on Kapp's forehead.

Bound by the Magic Prohibition Chains, Kapp had long lost the prestige he once held as the Beastman King.

He could only watch, wide-eyed, as Lide placed his hand on his forehead.

Then, to Kapp's astonishment, an exceptionally sacred energy emanated from Lide's body, filling the entire space with holy light.

Holy hymns hummed beside his ear as if angels were descending from the Divine Country…

The vampires, often synonymous with darkness and terror, now seemed holier than the divine spirits of light.

Kapp was extremely shocked in his heart, but before he could think further, he fell into a deep sleep.

His last conscious thought lingered on that saintly white light…

One Sunshine Hour later.

Lide looked down at Kapp lying on the carpet and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fifteen thousand points of Power of Faith… this was simply a gold-guzzling monster.

He had nearly been unable to convert Kapp's soul.

The willpower and resilience of this Level 18 Beastman King's soul had far exceeded his expectations.

The opponent had been imprisoned in the sunless dungeon for half a year. Both his spirit and body's strength had fallen to extremes, not even one percent of his peak condition.

And yet, it still cost him fifteen thousand points of Power of Faith.

If he had attempted to force soul assimilation with Divine Arts when Kapp was first captured, it might have taken twenty thousand, perhaps even thirty thousand points of Power of Faith to withstand the strain.

Thinking of this, Lide couldn't help but show a bitter smile. He had thought that possessing tens of thousands of points of Power of Faith would allow for some extravagance, but now he was back to square one.

Considering he still had to convert Withered Bone, the Level 18 Bone Dragon, his headache grew even worse.

The soul of Undead Life was only more resilient, and the Power of Faith needed would be even greater.

Withered Bone had to be converted. Although this fellow was currently without an ounce of loyalty and allowed his command, the nature of Undead Life couldn't be deduced by normal logic.

If Lide fell into a tight spot and this fellow suddenly went mad and rebelled, he wouldn't find it at all strange.

Therefore, it was essential to truly control the soul, only then could he be at ease.

Although a Bone Dragon wasn't as powerful as a real giant dragon, it was still an indispensable force for the current Dawn City.

“Headache… I thought I had struck it rich overnight, but in the end, I'm still so poor I've got holes in my pants.”

Lide shook his head, the only consolation being the attribute panel which now showed more than twenty thousand believers in total.

What previously took a year to amass two thousand points of Power of Faith, could now be accomplished in three to four months.

Everything was developing in a positive direction.

Meanwhile, Kapp on the floor was undergoing a tremendous transformation.

The Magic Prohibition Chains had already been unlocked by the Bloodline guard, his languid body once again becoming robust, his matted whiskers standing on end, regaining the majestic presence he once had as the King of Lion.

And when the last trace of holy aura on Kapp was absorbed by him, Lide heard a system notification.

“Ding~ You have reformed the soul of Kapp Lion with the Power of Faith. You have obtained the ownership of Kapp Lion's soul, and all that he has will belong to you.”

“Ding, you have tamed a Level 18 Lion-man Clan Warrior, Kapp Lion, using Divine Arts, and made him become a Dawn Sect Temple Knight, earning 5000 character experience.”

Dawn City gained another powerful general.

Moreover, taming Kapp had unexpectedly granted 5000 points of experience, a pleasant surprise.

Lide's smile was extremely bright as he promptly opened Kapp's attribute panel.

Kapp Lion
Title: Devout (The most devoted believer of the God of Dawn, unwavering will, immune to any soul or mind-based magic, strength +30%)
King of Lion (Powerful Lion-man Clan Warrior, once the Clan Leader of the Lion Tribe, strength and constitution increased by 300%, automatically gains the Dignity trait against Beastman, Dignity: Enemies feel awe and fear towards you)
Age: 68
Level: 18
Profession: Lion-man Warrior
Divine Gifted Talent: Prayer, immune to three negative effects, currently bound Talent–Berserk, (Berserk: activates the ancestral power of the Beastmen in the bloodline, all attributes increased by 200%, body recovery speed increased by 500%, duration: 30 minutes, after use, enters an extremely weakened state, all attributes reduced by -70% for 12 Sunshine Hours)
Bloodline: Golden Lion-man (Ancestors once belonged to the Golden Race, but after eons, the blood in the veins has grown thin, strength and constitution increased by 300%, activating Bloodline Power increases all attributes by 50%, duration: until stamina is exhausted.

After the bloodline was awakened, the attack came with the characteristic of Golden Flame; Golden Flame: harnessing the power of the bloodline to conjure a strong energy that can adhere to the weapon, inflicting additional negative states with each attack like armor penetration, knockback, wound tearing, bleeding, etc.)
Introduction: A devout believer of the Dawn God, a lion-man warrior with indomitable will and enormous strength, possessing the mighty bloodline of the Golden Lion-man, the Beastman King.

Strong, absolutely strong.

Even after Lide Kachar had gained an undeniable strength, looking at Kapp's attributes, he could still feel the opponent's dominance.

All the characteristics provided Kapp with bonuses to strength and constitution, making him much stronger in those aspects than a typical warrior of the same level.

Moreover, Kapp also possesses the bloodline of the Golden Lion-man, which, although diluted, still gives a remarkable boost to his strength once the bloodline is activated.

No wonder he was able to dominate them in combat, even when surrounded and constantly attacked by several top warriors of level 15.

This Beastman King was indeed formidable.

A crucial aspect was the enhancement through the Power of Faith, which allowed Kapp to be immune to the negative effects of the Beastman Berserk three times a day, dramatically increasing his power once more.

But now, all of this was his.

No matter how strong the opponent was, he had become his subordinate.

Lide Kachar smiled happily.

Ten minutes later, like a lion napping on a carpet, the exceedingly robust Kapp finally opened his eyes.

The level 18 Beastman King, after the assimilation of the Power of Faith, had regained the strength of his heyday, radiating an extremely formidable presence.

Upon awakening, Kapp immediately stood up, alert, with every inch of his muscle tensed, like a spring compressed to the extreme, ready to unleash a strike powerful enough to tear the ground.

But the moment he caught sight of Lide Kachar from the corner of his eye, his expression instantly changed, the alertness in his eyes disappeared, as if he had seen his most beloved and admired person, and his face was extremely respectful.

“My lord, Kapp Lion bows to you with the utmost humility.”

Lide Kachar, sensing Kapp's vigorous aura, smiled faintly.

This coveted strong combat power was finally in his hands.

The feeling of subjugating top-level fighters was truly exhilarating.

“Have you recovered?”

“My lord, with your grace, I have returned to my prime condition.”

Kapp's face displayed a touch of undeniable excitement.

The domineering aspect of soul assimilation was that Kapp's memories and thoughts had not changed; only his attitude towards Lide Kachar had.

Such was the power of Divine Arts.

Lide Kachar was very satisfied with this.

“I will have the Dwarf forge you a set of armor and weapons with Mithril,
The Lion Tribe of the Dwarf Valley has been rebuilt. After your weapons are forged, continue to guard the Secret Silver Vein in the Dwarf Valley for me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Stanley will communicate with you later about the events that have taken place during the time of your captivity. Be prepared, this trip back to the barren wastes might not be so peaceful.”

The fact that the Beastmen hadn't pulled out of Risier City was highly unusual, and Lide Kachar was already smelling something different in the air. Kapp's trip this time might not be smooth sailing.

After Kapp followed the Bloodline members and left, Lide Kachar let out a big sigh of relief.

Dealing with three months' worth of issues was exhausting.

And that wasn't the end of it; he had to immediately convene the Bloodline profession change, as three powerful Bloodline-exclusive professions and hidden professions could greatly enhance the power of Dawn City, something he must do right away.

After this task was done, he would need to visit the Centaur Tribe in three days.

After the visit to the Centaur Tribe, he would have to return to Green City. The Crimson Mage Tower had not seen its owner for several months,
Then he had to return to Earth, as the Crimson Moon also required his presence…

“Busy but fulfilling.”

Lide Kachar smiled slightly and felt no complaint about it, as his will was long unshakeable by such matters.

Standing by the window and looking at the increasingly prosperous city, he slowly felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

All the rush was worth it.

Dawn City would rise under his hand.

The Bloodline would ultimately become the most dazzling presence in this world.

Chapter end