I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 278 – Chapter 278 Chapter 280 Post

Chapter 278: Chapter 280: Post-War Gains, The Transformation of the Iron Hoof Tribe (6800 words) Chapter 278: Chapter 280: Post-War Gains, The Transformation of the Iron Hoof Tribe (6800 words) “Ding~ Your troops have won the battle, and you have gained 2000 experience points.”

With the system's notification, Lide saw the meager 2000 experience points on the system panel and his lips twitched fiercely.

Destroying nearly twenty thousand centaurs only to gain 2000 experience points?

This broken system is really inhuman; transforming into a single Crimson Hunter gained him 1000 experience points.

Nearly twenty thousand people couldn't compare to two Crimson Hunters??

Shaking his head, he didn't make a fuss about it, as leveling up solely through killing monsters wouldn't likely bring him to level 19 even if he killed millions of centaurs in the dwarf hills.

Sometimes Lide was quite curious; it seemed the system didn't encourage monster killing or fighting, instead giving plentiful experience for learning magic or enhancing personal strength and influence.

Unfortunately, everything in “Glory” was shrouded in mist, leaving him clueless about where to start exploring for more information.

After the level 17 Centaur Chief Morton fell, the battle officially came to an end.

In just half a Sunshine Hour, nearly twenty thousand of the Black Wind Tribe became history, or rather, were about to become history.

But this was no longer Lide's concern, the aftermath of the battlefield and the occupation of the Black Wind Tribe's stronghold would naturally be handled by the Iron Hoof Tribe.

A tribe of fifteen thousand warriors couldn't just stand by and watch a war unfold.

“Audis, Frey, take this centaur back to Dawn City and imprison him, and find two people to heal his wounds, don't let him die.”

Lide looked at Morton, who was breathing more than he was inhaling on the ground, and waved his hand disinterestedly.

By now, he had transformed back into his human form, his Bloodline shackles once again hiding his laveruption-like powers, waiting for the next awakening.

Behind him, several second-generation Bloodlines heard the command and immediately had the Bloodline carry back the nearly unrecognizable lump of flesh and blood that was the level 17 Centaur Chief.

Although this centaur was not durable in combat, he was still a top-level professional at level 17, a rare resource indeed.

Once his Power of Faith was abundant, another top combatant would be added to his forces.

The newly awakened Gale Bloodline, known as a Divine Bloodline, Lide sensed that it had great potential yet to be unleashed, making it a promising investment.

After dealing with the Centaur Chief, he turned his head to the sky where the killing bats were still flying like tornadoes, and waved his hand.

“Disperse the killing bats.”

“Yes,”
Upon the command, the sky-obscuring killing bats, under the control of the Blood Mages, seemed soulless and suddenly fell from the sky, splattering on the ground like a mass of blood.

The somewhat dry, hard yellow ground was instantly stained with blood.

The scene now resembled a terrestrial hell.

All the Bloodlines in the sky had come down to the ground after the battle ended.

300 Blood Mages, 100 Vampire Sword Guards, plus 30 Blood-colored Blades, and 1000 Magic Language Bats, these were the forces Lide brought.

Although not everyone was present, when Sam and the leaders of the Iron Hoof Tribe came before Lide, they were still frightened.

They were just too strong. These Bloodlines hadn't even gotten close to fighting the Black Wind Tribe, yet their big enemy had been annihilated.

If the Bloodlines turned their blades on them, the Iron Hoof Department would stand no chance of survival…

Thus, the current Iron Hoof Tribe looked at Lide with almost nothing but respect and adoration.

“Lord Kachar…”

Sam, the level 15 Centaur Chief, had witnessed with his own eyes how the newly awakened, strong level 17 warrior with the Gale Bloodline was subdued.

His heart now bore no desire to resist this terrifyingly mysterious City Lord.

Even if the opponent was a vampire…
“Sam, lead your warriors to take over the Black Wind Tribe; their land and the tribespeople willing to surrender are yours.

Also, take me to see my Fine Iron Ore Vein.”

The implications of “take me to see my Fine Iron Ore Vein” couldn't have been clearer. Sam's heart skipped, and he immediately responded respectfully.

“Yes, my lord, the Iron Hoof Tribe will guard the Fine Iron Ore Vein with our lives from now on.”

His tone was resolute, almost like swearing an oath to Lide.

Lide looked at Sam, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected this previously eager-for-control Centaur Chief to be so sensible now.

He nodded in satisfaction.

When the two had met, the Bloodlines hadn't yet changed professions. Although the Bloodlines had the upper hand, the centaurs still had the stature to speak to him on equal terms.

But now, having successfully changed professions and equipped their forces with Alchemy Bombs, the Bloodlines' strength had increased more than tenfold, leaving the Iron Hoof Tribe without the stature to speak to him as equals anymore.

Strength was the only thing that mattered in this world.

So if the Iron Hoof Tribe didn't change their attitude, they likely would lose their opportunity to cooperate with him.

And the only consequence of losing this opportunity was… the Lion Tribe.

He now possessed enough power and didn't mind establishing another force under his complete control.

But for now, the Iron Hoof Tribe's prudence pleased him.

After all, the Lion Tribe had already cost Dawn City much effort, and if it wasn't necessary he didn't want to build bases everywhere.

Establishing bases wasn't a matter of the more the merrier; the more bases established, the more effort is stretched thin, and Dawn City didn't yet have the energy and resources to indefinitely undertake such ventures.

Make the Dwarf Hills your dumping ground for goods.

“Very well, Sam, we are allies, and the Iron Hoof Tribe is also a friend of Dawn City.

Dawn City needs a trustworthy partner in the Dwarf Hills, and the Iron Hoof Tribe is the best choice.

Trust me, Sam, by working with me, you'll receive gains beyond your imagination.”

Lide spoke with profound meaning, “Armor, weaponry, and even magic scrolls and magic equipment in the future, whatever you need, Dawn City will fully support you.”

Sam's face broke into a broad, irrepressible smile, instantly reassured by Lide's words.

He praised loudly without stinginess.

“Praise you, Kachar City Lord, you are the most respected partner of the Iron Hoof Tribe, the brightest star in the Dwarf Hills!”

Although Dawn City had opened other trade channels, Lide had no intention of giving up on the Iron Hoof Tribe line, especially after Sam's change of attitude.

In medieval Europe on Earth, when the Age of Exploration began, the favorite thing for those old nobles and merchants to do was… to support obedient forces in the colonies, provide them with weapons and equipment, and various financial supports.

Once these forces became strong, those nobles and merchants would use this power to help them plunder resources.

The benefits of doing so are very clear. First, there wouldn't be xenophobia, for it was the local strength being supported; they could do many things that colonizers couldn't.

Second, it didn't require much effort; just providing money and equipment was enough for these nobles to control the situation without much personal involvement.

Third, they could be sacrificed at any time, Fourth…

The benefits could be listed a dozen times over.

Of course, there were drawbacks, such as possibly inadequate control, and the local forces might not act entirely according to the manipulators' wishes…

But compared to the advantages, these were minor issues.

Lide also planned to emulate the strategies developed by those Earthly nobles during the Age of Colonial Trade which spanned hundreds of years.

After briefly pondering, Lide looked at the Centaur Chieftain standing before him and said solemnly,
“Sam, how many Demon Beast hides does the Iron Hoof Tribe have left?”

Uh…

Sam, initially enthusiastic, suddenly stiffened.

The recent trading with Dawn City had depleted the Iron Hoof Tribe's stores, and they still owed Lide a significant amount; the three thousand sets of armor they had just received hadn't been paid for with a single Demon Beast hide.

His face displayed a nervous apprehension.

“Sire, we have no Demon Beast hides left…

However, we can immediately send our people hunting, and we will gather enough Demon Beast hides for you in the shortest time.

You only need to give us two months…”

Lide looked at Sam, somewhat nervously, with a half-smiling expression.

“There's no need for that, if there are none left, then let it be; the Iron Hoof Tribe's debt can be paid with the output from the Fine Iron Ore Vein.

It's not that I want to urge you to repay the debt, but… does the Iron Hoof Tribe have any plans to open trade with other tribes?”

Trading opening?

Sam was slightly startled, confused as he looked at Lide.

Meanwhile, an old horse, Milo Tietie, the previous Chieftain of the Iron Hoof Tribe next to Sam, had a flicker of sharpness in his eyes and showed deep consideration and admiration in his gaze toward Lide.

This mysterious Bloodline's vision was indeed far-reaching. He probably wanted much more than what appeared.

Oh gods of Centaurs, was it good or bad that the Dwarf Hills were targeted by such an entity?

But currently, the Iron Hoof Tribe had no choice.

Thinking this, Milo lightly shook his head; in the Glory Main Plane, being weak was the greatest sin.

Meanwhile, a different flame was slowly forming in the old horse's heart.

This mysterious Bloodline was so powerful, and seeing his methods, he must belong to the Order Camp; he had always traded with the Iron Hoof Tribe following his own rules.

If that was the case… this might actually be an opportunity for the Iron Hoof Tribe.

He never feared life from the Evil Camp, nor was he afraid of Vampires, a kind of Dark Life.

If it could elevate the Iron Hoof Tribe, why not cooperate even with the devil?

A cold gleam appeared in Milo's eyes; the Iron Hoof Tribe had been too dormant, so long that the tribespeople had even forgotten that the original Iron Hoof Tribe lived as a Royal Family within Gale City.

If they didn't change, the Iron Hoof Tribe's future would gradually become mediocrity, and possibly they would completely lose their once-regal nature.

Besides, they didn't have a choice this time; given that, why not gamble thoroughly?

Milo stepped forward, looking at Lide with a firm tone, “Sire Kachar, what do you hope the Iron Hoof Tribe can achieve?”

Hmm?

Hearing the words next to him, not only Lide was somewhat surprised, even Sam and all the centaur around him looked at Milo, the old horse, with great astonishment.

It seemed like Milo's speaking up was some rare big event.

Sam appeared nervous, “Father, you…”

Milo didn't pay attention to Sam; his aged eyes fixed tightly on Lide, waiting for this now powerful entity, able to dictate the Iron Hoof Tribe's fate, to speak.

Lide's eyes showed a hint of interest; this old horse… seemed to know something.

“What can you achieve?”

He did not answer directly but threw the question back.

Milo's somewhat cloudy eyes deepened, “Whatever extent you wish us to reach, the Iron Hoof Tribe will do so at any cost.”

Hiss…

The surrounding centaurs took a sharp breath, unable to imagine looking at Milo; this promise was too heavy.

At that moment, Sam did not speak. Gazing at Milo, whose aged body once again held its head high, he inexplicably remembered the figure from his childhood memories who used to ride with him across these territories.

Back then, Milo was the most powerful presence among over twenty tribes — a Level 19 Centaur Warrior, almost a transcendent being.

Unfortunately, the ravages of time and calamities had brought the once transcendent warrior down to Level 14…

He could no longer lead the Iron Hoof Tribe to glory…

But at this moment, Sam seemed to see once again that spirited figure.

Stepping forward, Sam echoed Milo's words, nodding firmly, “Lord Kachar, this is the Iron Hoof Tribe's promise.”

After Sam spoke, the centaurs behind him fell completely silent.

In the centaur tribes, the chieftain is supreme; everyone had to obey his decisions.

Lide couldn't help but want to applaud the boldness of these two men, making such important decisions in such a short time was not easy, not simple.

The words of the two chieftains almost represented the Iron Hoof Tribe's submission to him. Although it was unspoken, the entire tribe was operating according to his will; what difference was there from submission?

It seemed today that the sight of the Blood Mage and Alchemy Bombs easily demolishing the Black Wind Tribe utterly deterred the Iron Hoof Tribe.

The centaurs truly were a tribe where the strong were revered. If it were the dwarves, those little folks would definitely keep butting heads with him, not giving a damn about any damned Alchemy Bombs.

“Today's choices will inevitably make you feel proud in the future.”

Looking intently at the old centaur, “I need the Iron Hoof Tribe to open a trading market. As for the trade items, Dawn City will provide you with armor, arrows, and even food and various living materials.

First and foremost, I need Demon Beast furs, especially from high-level Demon Beasts, followed by precious mineral resources like Fine Iron Ore Veins.”

After finishing speaking and pausing, he turned his head to Sam, “In return, I will convert a portion of the total market transaction value into armor or other resources needed by the Iron Hoof Tribe as a reward.

Furthermore, to ensure that the Iron Hoof Tribe maintains an equipment advantage over other tribes, I will provide you with a full set of rare-level armors and even — weapons.”

Weapons?

That word made the hearts of a few centaurs skip a beat.

Currently, the centaur tribe was still using stone spears and bone spears, and Dawn City did not provide them with potent weapons.

Sam had previously asked Lide to buy some, but Lide had refused due to the scarcity of weapons in Dawn City.

It was a strategy Lide had previously employed; the Iron Hoof Tribe wasn't compliant enough yet, so selling them armor was sufficient, but potent weapons, he had no intention of selling.

But now it was different, as the other party had somewhat turned towards him, he didn't mind supporting them a bit more.

And for the other centaur tribes he would be selling to, he would restrict weapons; armor was fine, but to possess weapons was out of the question.

This was also to limit the strength of the centaurs, in case something got out of his control.

This was like modern arms sales, where the most advanced are always for one's own use; what is sold to other countries is obsolete equipment.

Just as Sam and Milo were getting somewhat excited, Lide wasn't finished, continuing to up the ante.

“As long as your role satisfies me, Chief Sam, Chief Milo, I will support the Iron Hoof Tribe to become the strongest tribe in the eastern region of the Dwarf Hills.

Not only will you get weapons and armor, but I can even allow you to become the dominators of the eastern region until eventually — building a city!”

Lide's tone was devilishly persuasive.

“Yes, build a city like the solitary royal city in the Dwarf Hills — Gale City, and Iron Hoof Tribe, you will be the controllers of that city.”

After finishing, Lide's tone shifted slightly, meaningful, “Of course, the prerequisite is that the Iron Hoof Tribe performs exceptionally well.

After all, the resources required to establish a city are extremely enormous…”

This grand vision directly dazed Sam and Milo.

Not just supporting them, but even helping them build a city??

For the old chieftain Milo, these words struck his very lifeblood.

The Iron Hoof Tribe was once the royal family of Gale City, but that was a distant past thousands of years ago, and they had long been in decline.

Returning to Gale City was nearly an unattainable luxury.

But, what if they rebuilt a city?

And if the Iron Hoof Tribe became the master of this city??

Then everything would be different; perhaps the Iron Hoof Tribe could truly rise again!

Those murky eyes seemed to glimpse hope at this moment.

Milo took a deep breath, “Lord Kachar, we believe, as allies of the Iron Hoof Tribe, your promise is even more precious than a Divine Artifact.

We are ready to devote everything for your will!”

Hearing this, Lide's smile instantly brightened, greatly satisfied with the old centaur. Despite his age, only this old centaur truly had a big-picture view and could see the current situation clearly.

In fact, he was indeed stronger than the opposition; returning victorious, he had the right to act as the absolute ruler between the two powers.

With the Black Wind Tribe eradicated, the balance between Dawn City and the Iron Hoof Tribe was no longer equal.

“Very well, I will send someone to coordinate with you on this matter, and I need you to prepare for it immediately after the war.

As for building the market, there will be someone to guide you.”

Lide directly arranged this matter, naturally, professionals from the City Hall would design it for the Iron Hoof Tribe, and even he planned to send several members of the Bloodline to permanently stay there, in order to strengthen control over the Iron Hoof Tribe.

The Iron Hoof Tribe was located in the eastern region of the Dwarf Hills, close to the Nolan Empire and barren wasteland on one side, and adjacent to the Blue Sea Province and the ocean on the west.

The entire Dwarf Hills were an irregular oval shape, about 1,000 kilometers long and 800 kilometers wide, all controlled by the Centaurs.

At least seven million centaurs lived in this vast area, according to statistics from the Mage Association in Green City, recorded 100 years ago, which Spark had casually mentioned to Lide in their conversation.

Of course, no one could be sure of the current number of centaurs.

But no matter how one looked at it, this area was undoubtedly an untapped treasure trove of wealth.

Over the years, it's not that humans hadn't tried to establish stable trading channels, but due to the extreme xenophobia of the centaurs and the craziness of most human merchants, the results were clear by observing how the centaurs currently treated humans.

Once Chief Milo had decided to fully align himself with one side, his attitude immediately became respectful.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The future, no, even now, he already had the power to dictate their fate. The Iron Hoof Tribe had to maintain enough respect.

As for rebellion, not only Milo but none of the centaurs from the Iron Hoof Tribe ever harbored such a thought.

Not to mention the benefits of cooperating with Lide which would drive anyone crazy; even the current strength of the Bloodline could silence the centaurs.

Besides, worshipping the strong was in the nature of the centaurs, and Lide had now amassed enough power to subdue them.

Lide slightly smiled, without saying more, the matter had officially concluded today.

It had to be said that this battle was well worth it.

Not only did it test the power in his hands, but it had also directly conquered the Iron Hoof Tribe.

The only cost was 2,000 alchemical bombs, and although consuming the alchemy bombs pained Lide, this move was definitely worth it, even extremely profitable.

Three Sunshine Hours later.

The stronghold of the Black Wind Tribe was breached, and the remaining 3,000 centaur warriors of the Black Wind Tribe, except for a few resistors, all were incorporated into the Iron Hoof Tribe.

Thus, the Black Wind Tribe, which had been in a stalemate with the Iron Hoof Tribe for over a hundred years, was completely relegated to history.

And after absorbing the centaurs of the Black Wind Tribe, the population of the Iron Hoof Tribe exceeded twenty thousand, becoming even stronger.

Lide wasn't concerned with this destined victory, but rather was excited to check out the main objective of this operation–the fine iron ore vein.

The Dwarf Hills were full of low hills, the highest being only about hundred blades high, like dumplings placed on the ground.

The ground was dry and hard, divided into rainy and dry seasons. During the rainy season, there were raindrops everywhere, and during the dry season, the area was parched and thirsty.

The climatic features were quite distinct.

Standing on a hill that was subtly green due to the arrival of the Planting Season, Lide looked at another hill where a landslide caused by the rain had exposed a large black ore deposit, his expression intrigued.

He had only heard about the fine iron ore vein from Sam, but he hadn't expected the vein to be so shallow, or rather, it was an open-pit ore vein.

It could be directly mined.

The Dwarf Hills were indeed not as barren as they seemed; this vein was probably not the last.

Thinking of this thousand-kilometer area, his heart grew even warmer.

What a great resource point.

“Your Majesty, this is the fine iron ore vein. Two months ago, after a heavy rain, there was a collapse and landslide here, exposing the fine iron ore vein…”

Lide nodded in satisfaction.

Fine iron, an upgraded version of iron, was three times as hard as steel and could be even more perfect when alloyed using other alchemy formulas.

Fine iron was a common advanced material used in forging Perfect Level and above equipment. Although not as precious as Mithril, it was extremely rare and valuable enough for nobles to use military force to obtain it.

The armor of Castro and Koso had once consumed a significant amount of fine iron.

With the valuable fine iron ore vein under his control, the operation in the Dwarf Hills officially concluded.

After a brief summary, the three big gains uplifted his mood.

First, naturally, was the fine iron ore vein, which would continuously provide high-level raw materials for Dawn City.

These ores, processed in the Dwarf Factory, would turn into costly equipment that would be sent back into the Dwarf Hills, earning lots of demon beast fur and other resources for Dawn City.

Second was the indirect submission of the Iron Hoof Tribe. Although not as direct as the fine iron ore vein, this gain was otherwise unmatched strategically for Dawn City's layout; the Iron Hoof Tribe would now act as a spokesperson for Dawn City in the Dwarf Hills.

Establishing trade with other tribes, mining the fine iron ore, and scrounging for various resources, all these would be roles for the Iron Hoof Tribe.

The third point was the test of Dawn City's military power.

Undoubtedly, Dawn City, with the formation of Dawn Wings and the deployment of alchemy bombs, and the Transcendent advancements of the Bloodline, was more than ten times more powerful than before.

Easily annihilating nearly twenty thousand centaur warriors gave Lide a clear understanding of the power in his hands; Dawn City was no longer the city that had to prepare large-scale Composite Magic a day in advance like when battling the orcs in Dwarf Valley.

Now, he had the power to definitely win a large-scale war.

The only downside was that this battle did not test the strengths of the Bloodsucking Sword Guard, the Blood-colored Blade, or the Crimson Hunters.

This left the combat abilities of these professions still noted only on the attribute panel. The Blood Mage was so strong; these professions naturally wouldn't be inferior, but Lide did not yet know their full capabilities.

In the future, combat tests would need to be arranged for them.

Lide found this somewhat vexing; having too much and too powerful forces was also a source of concern.

Chapter end