I Became The Progenitor Vampire
/ I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 340
Chapter 340: Chapter 342: The Fruit of Bloodline Evolution, News from the One-eyed Giant Tribe (13,000-word Mega Chapter) Chapter 340: Chapter 342: The Fruit of Bloodline Evolution, News from the One-eyed Giant Tribe (13,000-word Mega Chapter) The attributes of the Death Spider Queen might not be exceptional, but Lide was still in a good mood.
Because it was cheap.
Feeding it Bright Silver Grass, which was used for feeding pigs, could meet the needs of the Death Spider Queen, and that was indeed rare.
Feeding it grass and getting eggs in return–was there anything more satisfying than that?
After confirming that the Death Spider Queen was in good condition, Lide readily taught Randy and the breeding farm how to breed the Death Spiders.
After all, at this point, breeding spiders didn't seem much different from breeding pigs.
Everything could be raised like pigs.
Lide felt quite reflective on this; the breeding farm not only provided a large amount of meat for the residents, but also all the food for the Magic Language Bats, which were an important mode of transportation and labor force for Dawn City and also a part of Dawn Wings Air Force.
It could be said that the development of Dawn City was entirely dependent on the breeding farm, to sum it up–pig farming was the right and proper way to wealth and development.
The only thing that slightly dissatisfied Lide was that the Death Spider Queen's egg-laying was too slow.
At present, it could produce 200 eggs per day, and that was just 6,000 a month.
Monsters like the Cave Spider, which were mass-produced, were much weaker than normal human professionals and Beastman Warriors; a fully armed Beastman could handle three or four Cave Spiders simultaneously, and that was one of the reasons why despite being under intense attack from the Cave Spiders, Dawn City with only tens of thousands of troops could stand unshaken as Gray Stone Fortress.
Death Spiders, although they were from an ancient and extinct race, Lide did not believe they could escape this pattern–no matter how strong they were, their strength was likely limited.
Therefore, increasing the egg production was undoubtedly necessary.
After looking through the Death Spider Queen's attributes a few more times, Lide became contemplative.
“I wonder if the Thorns Holy Fruit produced by the Thorns Heart could be of any use to the Death Spider Queen… If it could promote a transformation and enhance the egg production…
It might be worth a try.”
Although the attributes of the Death Spider Queen weren't impressive, it was easy to rear and the cost of creating Death Spiders was very low, a prominent feature that made Lide decide immediately to continue investing in it.
The Thorns Holy Fruit produced by the Thorns Heart could purify the bloodline, undoubtedly making it the best choice at the moment.
After securing the extremely important resource point of the Magic Crystal Veins for Dawn City, the energy problem that had previously shackled Dawn City was broken.
Now, although it couldn't be said that Magic Crystal Stones were abundant enough to be used carelessly, at the very least, there was no longer a need to be as frugal as before.
And the Thorns Holy Fruit was grown with the help of Magic Crystal Stones, now that Lide had become a wealthy landlord, he had plenty of leeway.
Thinking it, he would do it; hesitation had never been part of his character.
After issuing a strict order forbidding the Death Spider Queen from harming anyone, allowing the big-bellied spider to feed on rotting Bright Silver Grass, he instantly teleported to the Dawn Church through the Land of Bone-Burying.
It had to be said that what satisfied Lide the most was the Land of Bone-Burying's ability for long-distance instantiation.
As long as he had been to the place, or the Land of Bone-Burying had left a trace there, he could directly manipulate the power of space to open a Plane Gate for instant teleportation.
This feature was incomparable for travel, not to mention combat.
Within an 800-kilometer radius, it simply soared.
Dawn City could construct passages and the city itself so quickly in the Underworld, and this function that shortened distances absolutely played a critical role.
Such an improvement in efficiency was tantamount to increasing the workforce by several times for the overall construction progress of Dawn City.
Lide directly appeared on the second floor of the Dawn Church.
The moment he stepped out of the Space Gate, a figure wearing a pure white priest robe, tall and slender, came walking directly towards him; the two almost collided, but thankfully Lide swiftly stepped to the side.
“Ah~”
A clear cry rang out in the corridor. Nicole looked at Lide, who had suddenly appeared in front of her, first in surprise and then in delight.
“Kachar City Lord~”
The girl's face showed an irrepressible joy upon seeing Lide, as she walked forward in a few steps, and her eyes brimmed with emotions like ripples on water.
Looking at the girl who was now 1.75 blade-tall, fully grown from the tiny bean she had been, Lide felt somewhat sentimental.
When he had met Nicole, the girl had just turned 15 years old, very thin and small, and her quirky eyes had left a deep impression on him.
Now, the girl who looked somewhat similar to Sister Nilo and whose beauty was second to none had grown up.
Perhaps the only thing that hadn't changed were those same lively eyes, still carrying a bit of quirkiness.
“Nicole, where are you off to, and where is Nilo?”
“Kachar City Lord, we have built a new church in the new district, and I'm going to check on the progress…”
The girl was very cheerful after seeing Lide, her large eyes curved into crescents, and she looked smilingly at the handsome figure that made one's heart race; it had been a very long time since she last saw Lide.
“Sister's leading 20 Dawn Priests into the Underworld. Someone got hurt and needs our healing…”
The construction of the new district wasn't just about building residential areas; all supporting facilities were included. Churches, hospitals, and even city halls have branches in the new district – it's a complete new city.
Lide nodded. Nilo was always busy and often ran off on missions, whereas Nicole liked to stay at the center, commanding the general affairs; the two sisters had completely different personalities.
He skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
“How many Thorns Holy Fruits are there on the Thorns Heart now?”
After Thorns Heart was nurtured with the Power of Faith and Demon Crystals by Vina, Lide appointed it as the holy object of the Dawn Sect.
Also, because of the perfecting of the Dawn Sect, his Divine Position was improved by 1%.
The Thorns Heart is an ancient vine that can bear fruit that purifies the Bloodline – the Thorns Holy Fruit – after absorbing a large amount of energy.
However, the cost is quite expensive; approximately one Thorns Holy Fruit requires Magic Crystals worth 200,000 Gold Puck to cultivate, so previously, Dawn City didn't invest much in it as it was somewhat unaffordable.
Now, with the Magic Crystal Vein, the expensive cost could no longer hinder him at all.
The Thorns Heart is the top priority on the supply list after Dawn City took over the Magic Crystal Vein.
“Lord City Lord, in the past few days, the City Hall has brought in about 100,000 high-grade Magic Crystals, producing 20 Thorns Holy Fruits. Including the previous stock, there are a total of 30 Thorns Holy Fruits on the Thorns Heart now…”
Magic crystal stones are categorized into inferior, common, intermediate, high-grade, and the best star magic crystal stones, as well as the extremely rare high-grade star magic crystal stones.
Inferior magic crystal stones are very cheap, and most of them contain low energy, suitable only for powering magic lamps.
The common and intermediate magic crystal stones cost about 1 to 5 Gold Pucks each and are frequently used in standard magic arrays and intermediate-level magic arrays.
High-grade magic crystal stones go for about 20 Gold Pucks each on the market and are essential for advanced-level magic arrays.
Star magic crystal stones are even more valuable, costing 200 to 300 Gold Pucks each.
As for the best high-grade star magic crystal stones, they are priceless, commanding prices equivalent to those of mithril.
Magic crystal stones, in all their glory, have a higher status as a pure source of energy than Earth's oil, with wide applications across various fields: military, civilian, alchemy, magic…anywhere energy is needed, magic crystal stones can be used.
This is the most common and yet most precious resource in Glory.
This is also why Lide felt so confident upon acquiring that exceedingly rich vein of magic crystal ore in the Spider Cave.
Having several large oil fields at home is even more thrilling than owning a mountain of gold.
“30 pieces…”
Lide nodded slightly. To purchase materials and cultivate these thirty Thorns Holy Fruits according to previous methods would require 6 million Gold Pucks.
Even someone wealthy wouldn't burn money like that.
Now with the magic crystal ore, the only cost of the Thorns Holy Fruit was the labor time of the mining workers.
Of course, if one were to calculate the cost based on external prices, it wouldn't change, but for Dawn City, such materials couldn't be bought with Gold Pucks, so comparability was limited.
“Go and fetch 5 pieces.”
Lide found himself somewhat nostalgic for the taste of the Thorns Holy Fruit.
Since he last ate two pieces, he hadn't had any more.
Mainly because he had been too busy, warring in the Underworld and forgetting about them, also because the Thorns Holy Fruits were prohibitively expensive to produce and were in pitifully short supply.
“Forget it, let's go together,” Lide waved his hand; he also wanted to see what that ancient vine, which he had named Thorns*Dawn, looked like now.
“Alright, Lord City Master, Thorns has gotten a lot smarter recently, it's so much fun…”
Nicole chattered beside him, her voice filled with the girlish naivety unique to young women.
Lide hummed and responded casually, but as the girl got more enthusiastic, he eventually couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Lide was somewhat bemused. It seemed that out of all the people around him, this girl was the only one without much fear of him, but he quite liked this feeling.
It's lonely at the top.
The moment he walked out from behind the church, Lide was struck by the scene in the backyard.
Having not visited the Dawn Church for more than half a year, the environment had completely changed.
Looking around, countless vines climbed the walls of the church, even covering the colored glass windows with beautiful engravings in a shroud of green.
In the courtyard's flower garden, the pure white gypsum statues and Magic Language Bat sculptures were also entwined with coils and coils of green vines.
Along the pathway, on the large trees, everywhere was lush and dripping with vibrant green. The leaves were the size of fingernails, reminding one of an ancient forest unexplored for thousands of years.
What was more striking were these vines entangling everything, emitting a faint luminescence, casting a hazy beauty. Once everything around was enveloped by the vines, the place resembled a fantastical kingdom from a dream.
Moreover, most importantly, the vines radiated a holy light that had the effect of soothing one's heart and elevating one's spirit.
Thorns Heart, the holy object of the Dawn Sect, now bore such a sacred appearance that even Lide couldn't help but approve.
No wonder the number of believers had risen so swiftly over the past half a year; if the non-believers in town were brought here for a walk, experiencing this sensation akin to being in a divine country, most would likely change their minds.
Too beautiful, too dreamlike.
“City Lord, ever since you named the Thorn as a sacred object of our sect, we've let it grow freely within the church. Over this past half-year, the entire church has been covered with these holy vines,” someone said.
Nicole perked up with interest at this point, chattering away, “Moreover, the mucus within the Thorns Heart vines has the ability to accelerate the healing of wounds. It's like a gift from the Creator God.”
“What's even more miraculous is that this mucus could not be obtained by just anyone; only Dawn Sect believers who earnestly plead before the vines receive it.
Non-believers, even if they cut the Thorns Heart vines, would only get a red liquid containing toxins, not the pure white juice that heals wounds.
It's also because of this function of Thorns Heart that many joined the sect as believers some time ago…”
Oh?
Lide's interest was also piqued by Nicole's words.
He hadn't realized Thorns Heart was so useful; no wonder it was specially indicated by the system.
But hearing the latter part, he was somewhat speechless; people indeed gravitated towards benefits and avoided harm, turning to faith only because of the usefulness of Thorns Heart, old believers.
However, he wasn't bothered, as faith in divinities brought huge benefits to believers, something most sects promoted.
The reality was that, apart from the Life Goddess's temple and a few other sects, most sects purely harvested the believers' faith, rarely caring for their life or death otherwise.
Likewise, a political-religious unity like Dawn City was extremely powerful in spreading the sect, especially since many believers credited Dawn City's developmental happiness to the Dawn Sect, filling their worship of Lide to the brim.
During the conversation between the two, they arrived in front of a small courtyard tightly guarded by Dawn Knights. However, the gates were no longer locked as before but wide open instead.
One could clearly see vines as thick as a wrist crawling up from the towering courtyard walls, the original walls now completely indistinguishable, blanketed by vines.
Nicole stayed outside, while Lide stepped on the vines to enter the courtyard. The vines were not like hard wooden branches; they were more like leather strips, soft and springy, feeling pleasant… well…
The faintly glowing vines around him seemed to trigger something as he walked. Each step he took, the vines by his side bloomed with colorful little flowers, as if welcoming his arrival.
Upon entering the courtyard, Lide immediately felt a kindred call coming through.
“My lord, you have come to see me… oh~ oh~ Thorns is so happy… hehehe…”
A voice like that of a three or four-year-old child, mischievous and adorable, echoed in his mind.
Lide brightened up a bit upon hearing this voice.
“Little buddy, I'm here to see you. Have you been well-behaved recently?”
“My lord…”
Lide spoke as gently as one might soothe a child, and finally, he took out about a hundred magic crystal stones from the System Space and tossed them under the Thorns Heart tree, delighting the little one immensely.
After some small talk, he got down to business, “Thorns, I need 5 Thorns Holy Fruits…”
“My lord, Thorns Holy Fruit? Do you need the evolved ones, or just the ordinary ones?”
Oh? Hearing the milky voice, Lide narrowed his eyes slightly. There was a distinction between evolved and unevolved Thorns Holy Fruits?
“First, take out one of the evolved ones,”
“Okay~”
Moments later, just like the last time, the verdant branches of the Thorns Heart stretched out, and a bright red fruit the size of an apple appeared in front of Lide.
He reached out to receive it, and his eyes lit up when he opened the attribute panel.
Rare * Thorns Holy Fruit
Quality: Extraordinary
Features: Consumption can purify the bloodline
Explanation: Cultivated with the purest Holy Light Power and abundant Magic Power, it underwent a second transformation under the wash of sufficient energy, possessing incredible effects and is a very rare treasure.
The attributes of the Thorns Holy Fruit previously didn't include the prefix “rare”.
The explanation also clearly stated that it had undergone a transformation.
His mood was uplifted.
“Thorns, how did this fruit undergo a change?”
Lide conversed directly with the Thorns Heart in his mind.
The consciousness of the Thorns Heart was a ball made of leaves that floated around in his mind.
“My lord, this is the very first fruit, I never let them be harvested…
Later, I absorbed more energy, so I input the excess energy into my fruits, and the day before yesterday, they underwent a transformation…”
Having its own consciousness sure was handy; Lide immediately got the answer he wanted.
“Good, from now on, keep twenty Thorns Holy Fruits from being harvested by outsiders, continue to let them evolve. The two fruits on the tree that have already evolved, continue to maintain energy nourishment.”
He was indeed curious to see if it were possible to cultivate a third transformation of the Thorns Holy Fruit.
“Okay, my lord, Thorns will obey…”
The little one's voice was very crisp.
Lide smiled slightly and didn't say much more. He simply sat on the vine and began eating the tempting Thorns Holy Fruit.
Thorns Heart was also very happy to see this, and the flowers blooming around became even lusher.
Sweet, delicious, the thick juice filled his mouth – the taste of the Thorns Holy Fruit, valued at 200,000 Gold Pucks, was flawless.
After eating, Lide still felt a lingering desire. If not for the terrifying energy that had begun to rise within him, he would have wanted to pick another to try.
The energy transformed from the Thorns Holy Fruit was full of the essence of life, and Lide only felt certain forbidden areas in his bloodline that were hard to touch start to undergo an indescribable transformation from that energy boost.
It was a transformation at the most fundamental level; warmth filled his body.
Refreshing… ah…
The dormant Bloodline Power was also activated, like long-suppressed lava erupting violently at this moment.
In an instant, Lide's momentum surged. Outside the yard, Nicole seemed to see a giant dragon tearing apart the heavens and the earth, that might stronger than any mountain collapse or tsunami.
The girl subconsciously patted her developing chest to ease the shock to her heart.
She didn't leave, though. Instead, she stared at that charismatic figure with little stars sparkling in her eyes.
In Dawn City, which girl wasn't moved by the countless legends about Lide that could be called miracles?
In the mouths of the residents, Lide, who brought them light and hope, seemed to embody all the qualities they desired. One can imagine to what extent Lide's image was glorified through word of mouth.
And he didn't need glorifying, his appearance was worthy of any praise.
In this city of more than ten thousand unmarried girls, probably 99.9% of them would want to marry Lide, and the other 0.01% would want to find an existence as powerful and lofty as Kachar City Lord.
This man was the city's heartthrob.
After a full half Sunshine Hour, while Lide was still immersed in that inexplicable mystical pleasure, the energy of the Thorns Holy Fruit finally ran out.
The boiling force of the Bloodline Power within Lide's body also slowly returned to calm, but unlike before, he could clearly feel that sense of fullness in his body, a sense of satisfaction.
Gaps in his bloodline were filled.
He opened the attribute panel.
Lide Kachar
Race: Bloodline (Ancestor)
Legend Level: 7 (+1) His fame reaches afar; in the Underworld, his Legend Level is 8.
Titles: Master of Crimson, Immortal King
Level: Blood Clan Ancestor lv18 (342238/500,000)
Magic Power: 3535/3535, Magic Power restores 90 points per second
Bloodline: Ancestor Bloodline (Perfect), Evolution Level 50% (can improve evolution level by consuming blood)
…
His original Bloodline Evolution Level was 30%; this Thorns Holy Fruit had directly increased the evolution level to 50%. In other words, with three more fruits, he could complete a 100% transformation.
Of course, these were just thoughts. The higher the Bloodline Transformation, the more energy needed; over 80% might not even result in a 10% increase.
But overall, he was very satisfied.
It had been worth the trip.
Having obtained another four Thorns Holy Fruits from Thorns Heart, Lide finally left.
When he left, Thorns Heart was very reluctant. The Extraordinary Plant, with the intelligence of a four or five-year-old child, looked at Lide with a pitiful gaze as he walked out of the courtyard.
Nicole, who had grown up, shared Thorns Heart's sentiments. The graceful girl couldn't help but pout as she watched Lide disappear through the Space Gate.
She was dejected.
“Sister Nicole, you like playing with our master, too, don't you? … But the master comes to play with me so infrequently…” The little one's voice carried a hint of grievance.
As long as it was within the range covered by the vines, the Extraordinary Plant could extend its consciousness this far.
Thorns Heart extended a vine for Nicole to sit on.
Nicole turned to look at the Thorns Tree in the courtyard, formed from dozens of wrist-thick vines, and shook her head.
“Thorns, if you want to stay by Kachar City Lord's side, you must become much stronger,” she remarked, somewhat disheartened as she gently touched the vine beside her. She, too, couldn't meet that demanding standard…
A moment later, as if remembering something, her tone suddenly changed, “You said you had produced a different kind of fruit last time. Has it ripened yet? Give me one to try the taste…”
Upon hearing this, Thorns Heart became excited, “Sister Nicole, this is something I've been researching secretly!
I observed other plants that Sister Nilo and the others cultivated, and I quietly devoured one of their fruits. But their fruits weren't tasty, so I researched a new type, not inferior to the Thorns Holy Fruit.
It hasn't fully matured yet and is still a bit sour. Sister Nicole, can you wait until I've perfected it and then tell our master? I want to give our master a surprise…”
Thorns Heart sounded like a child boasting to their family about winning a little red flower.
Nicole's eyes curved slightly into a smile as she schemed like a little fox.
“Of course. This can be our little secret. Give me one to taste, and I can give you some suggestions to make Kachar City Lord like it even more…”
Thorns Heart was delighted and stretched out a branch from the corner of the wall. The golden fruit on it was especially eye-catching.
“Sister Nicole, this type of fruit can enhance potential, allowing one of your abilities to be promoted…”
—
—
—
Land of Bone-Burying.
After returning, Lide brought the Death Spider Queen back to the Land of Bone-Burying and casually fed it a Thorns Holy Fruit.
The Spider Queen, upon smelling the Thorns Holy Fruit, couldn't move away.
The scent of the Extraordinary Fruit was too enticing.
Without hesitation, it swallowed the Extraordinary Level Magic Fruit in one bite.
Then, under everyone's gaze, the newly born Death Spider Queen's body swelled up with the enormous energy as if it was an overinflated balloon, ready to burst at any moment.
The Death Spider Queen was both in pain and pleasure as it spun webs to form a cocoon and enveloped itself inside.
It slipped into a deep sleep.
Seeing this, Lide couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. This creature's potential wasn't high; an ordinary Thorns Holy Fruit had made it bloat to this extent. If it had been a rare one, the Death Spider Queen might have exploded today.
Opening the attribute panel of the Death Spider, it displayed the words “Transforming.”
This left Lide somewhat speechless.
“A Thorns Holy Fruit worth two hundred thousand Gold Pucks, splurging money really doesn't make any sense. This Death Spider's life is worthwhile…” Lide thought, once again experiencing the pleasure of splurging.
Turning his gaze to the Death Flower in the Land of Corruption, he mused, “Since Magic Crystal Stones are pure energy, they should be helpful to the Land of Corruption too, right? It's unreasonable for the Death Flower not to absorb it…”
After pondering for a moment, and suddenly having a bright idea, he reached into the System Space and took out more than a hundred High-grade Magic Crystal Stones.
“Let's test the waters.”
With a hint of excitement in his eyes, he snapped his fingers, and a Mage's Hand appeared, which then transformed into a millstone.
The scene was quite peculiar.
Like playing a game, Lide began to cast Magic Crystal Ore into the millstone's holes, and the millstone started turning on its own, with the already not very hard Magic Crystal Stones crunching into powder.
Zzzt~
The Magic Crystal Powder, sparkling like diamonds, floated down from the sky, reflecting bursts of light in the somewhat dim environment – an ethereally beautiful sight.
The dense Magic Crystal fragments were thus scattered throughout the Land of Corruption.
The soil, formed of flesh and rot, immediately consumed the Magic Crystal fragments.
However, to Lide's slight disappointment, the Magic Crystal fragments seemed to cause no reaction; the Land of Corruption was undisturbed, and the Shadow Flower, already a zhang high, remained ordinary.
Lide frowned. Was the energy insufficient?
He ground all of the remaining Magic Crystal Stones from the System Space into powder and scattered them in the center of the Land of Corruption, resulting in another diamond rain.
After this operation, the Land of Corruption seemed to have finally reached a certain threshold. The tremendous energy released by the thousands of High-grade Magic Crystal Stones made the flesh and rot-tainted land bubble like boiling lava.
On that bloody, eerie soil, countless bubbles popped, surrounded by white bones, making the entire scene seem as though a great demon was about to emerge.
It was filled with a spine-chilling aura.
It was then that Lide could clearly sense the changing root system of the Shadow Flower, which spanned 50 zhang, the roots began siphoning the surrounding energy like straws.
With the massive energy supply, the originally still leaves and branches began growing anew.
Lide burst into laughter at the sight.
“There's no problem that throwing money at can't solve; if there is, then you're just not spending enough.”
With that thought in mind, Lide tore through space and left. When he reappeared in the Land of Bone-Burying, he directly transported tens of thousands of high-grade Magic Crystal Stones.
After several such transportations today, and without having been mining for very long, the warehouse specially used for storing Magic Crystal Stones was almost emptied by Lide.
But Lide didn't care about this consumption. If the resources earned weren't used to enhance one's own power, then what difference did they have from trash?
To him, Gold Puck was a resource, Magic Crystal Stones were resources, the population was a resource; everything could be categorized as a resource.
Resources should play their role, he didn't care about their value measured in Gold Puck. As long as they helped achieve the goal, the consumption was worthwhile.
Under Lide's unreasonable spending of money, as expected, the Shadow Flower, which was already famous for its fast absorption of energy, grew to 1.5 blades in height within a few minutes, reaching the limit of its growth.
At that point, having satisfied its massive energy needs, it finally began to sprout tiny buds.
Lide's eyes lit up, and he started to wait in front of the Death Flower.
—-
—-
—-
—-
However, to Lide's surprise, this wait turned into half a month, during which he didn't leave Dawn City until November 10.
This was partly due to the Death Flower not blooming and the Death Spider Queen not hatching.
Besides, this half-month was eventful.
First and foremost was the impact players had on the various forces under Dawn City.
It proceeded far faster than Lide had predicted.
In less than a month, players who had barely gotten acquainted with “Glory” started causing trouble, which was somewhat annoying to him.
First was the Dwarf Hill Ridge, where rumors of a large number of Centaurs hostile to humans circulated.
This tipped off many Advanced players about the potential opportunity, prompting freshly changed Profession players excitedly to attempt conquering Dwarf Hill Ridge.
Several large guilds seemed to have set their sights on this area too, beginning to try building relations with the Centaurs, increasing their favorability.
And as shameless as they were, some small tribes really were successfully wooed by the players.
A byproduct of this was that players also learned about the Iron Hoof Tribe and the Free Market.
The mere name clued players in on an obvious quest hub, and utilizing the cover of those minor tribes, they started shifting their strategies towards the Iron Hoof Tribe.
By the time these players were discovered, they were already trading with more than a dozen tribes.
The 15th Level Bloodline Descendant, Frey, who managed trade with both Dwarf Hill Ridge and the Fishman Tribe, always kept a cold demeanor towards these players.
Because Lide had repeatedly warned about the adventurers' undead nature, once Frey detected the players' presence, he flew back to Dawn City specifically to report to Lide.
Lide hadn't expected players to cause trouble so soon but didn't mind now that they had been discovered.
He had a premonition that Dwarf Hill Ridge, unlike Dawn City, couldn't stay hidden.
“Frey, since the Iron Hoof Tribe can't avoid these guys, let's welcome them.
You may allow adventurers to trade and take on quests in the Iron Hoof Tribe, but they must be supervised. I'll send someone specialized to go back with you to deal with these adventurers.
They are professionals trained by Stanley personally, elite forces specifically for dealing with Lost Plane adventurers.”
Hearing that talents trained by Stanley would assist him, Frey's mood immediately improved. Stanley's wisdom was highly respected among Dawn City's high echelons.
Lide continued without much thought.
“Dealing with these adventurers is simple, summarized in four words– intimidation and enticement.
First, show them force; second, entangle them with benefits.
There's no need to elaborate on force. As for benefits, the fundamental desire of most adventurers is to grow stronger; that's the key point.
Seize these two aspects to make adventurers a subsidiary force of the Iron Hoof Tribe, getting them to pour various resources into the tribe's development.
This way, these adventurers and the Iron Hoof Tribe become inextricably linked, thriving or suffering together.
They will be our powerful allies in counteracting other forces in the future.”
Lide had a clear stance on players; although they could stir up trouble, they were also considered premium resources. If handled well, they could significantly benefit all parties involved.
After listening to Lide's analysis, Frey nodded thoughtfully, “Should we treat these adventurers well??”
Lide shook his head firmly.
“No, on the contrary, you need to be stricter with them.
Put in place a series of regulations like our point system. In the Iron Hoof Tribe, one can only enjoy various privileges with a certain level of Contribution.
Sweet are the fruits of one's labors.
Later, when there are more adventurers, you can adjust the requirements up or down as needed. For now, the priority is to keep them under control.”
Lide knew the player's nature too well; those who received freebies never treasured them and even disdained them, only when they contributed did they treasure the rewards.
“Yes, Your Majesty.
Adventurers also seem to have appeared in the Fishman Tribe, your thoughts…?”
Observing Frey's hesitation, Lide shook his head.
“In the short term, adventurers won't impact the Fishman Tribe much. They don't have ships to go out to sea, and being penniless, it will be a while before growing strong. By then, our approach to the Fishman Tribe might be a different cooperation model.
No need to manage them.”
The Fishman Tribe was too far from Dawn City, and Lide Kachar was beyond his reach.
Furthermore, players at this stage could not affect the cooperation between the two.
A bunch of newbies in the Fishman Tribe, which despised the weak even more than the Dwarf Hills, would likely end up with their heads bashed in.
“Stanley should have told you that he's going to help a prince from the Royal Capital to build a city in the jurisdiction of the Fishman Tribe and the Dwarf Hills.”
“This is the matter you should pay more attention to. You must cooperate fully with the prince's city-building. This city will eventually be under our full control.
Its status and strategic significance are extremely high.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After instructing him briefly, Lide Kachar dismissed the anxious second-generation Bloodline who had hurried back.
There are specialized personnel in the intelligence command center to liaise with him and send elite adventurers to deal with the players.
Stanley, even more so than Lide Kachar, values the players. This former Evil God believer has spent a great deal of time and energy cultivating talents specifically for dealing with players.
Sometimes Lide Kachar couldn't help but admire this native. Had it been Stanley, he might not have thought as far ahead.
—
—
—
—
Just as Frey had left not long ago, two system notification tones interrupted Lide Kachar's thoughts.
“Ding~ Death Spider evolution successful, you have gained 2000 character experience.”
“Ding~ Death Flower cultivation successful, you have gained 2000 character experience.”
Oh? Evolution successful?
Lide Kachar immediately became excited upon hearing the notification.
For the past half-month, the Shadow Flower's buds had not bloomed, and the Death Spider Queen, cocooned around herself, had not awakened. Now the two objects he had forcefully splurged money on were finally showing results.
Upon arriving at the Land of Bone-Burying, Lide Kachar's first glance fell upon the Death Spider, which had grown considerably larger.
The Death Spider Queen's head remained small, and her turtle teeth seemed weak and better suited for feeding rather than battle. However, the Queen's abdomen was quite large. After transformation, it had reached a diameter of 3.5 blades, and even longer at 4 blades, as if it could produce a few hundred spider eggs at any moment.
Death Spider Queen
Level: 14
Special Talent: Spider Queen…
Restricted Talent: Rapid Breeding (Intermediate) (Can produce 500 spider eggs per day and increase hatching rates by 35%. In conditions of sufficient energy and food, egg production can be increased.)
Energy Gathering (Intermediate) (Can infuse energy into spider eggs, increasing the probability of Elite Spider births by 10% and a 10% chance of giving birth to Mutated Death Spiders.)
Explanation: The creator of the Death Spider race, without strong power, but with a strong ability to breed and cultivate Elite Death Spiders.
The two talents had evolved, with Rapid Breeding and Energy Gathering both upgraded to intermediate.
However, what slightly dissatisfied Lide Kachar was that the number of eggs produced by the Death Spider Queen was still too few.
Although the daily output had increased to 500, it was still very little to him.
“Just make do with it for now. Wait until the Death Spider Queen absorbs all the remaining energy from the Thorns Holy Fruit before conducting a second cultivation.”
Looking at the Death Spider Queen before him, Lide Kachar also felt somewhat emotional.
80,000 Power of Death, ten thousand Medium Magic Crystal Stones, and an Extraordinary Level Thorns Holy Fruit–it could be said that the birth of the Death Spider Queen was purely the result of Lide Kachar using his financial power.
Such is the unadorned lifestyle of the wealthy.
Ordinary forces simply couldn't afford to raise such creatures. Even Lide Kachar would not have recklessly invested resources into a spider queen's egg if he hadn't seized the Magic Crystal Vein.
But there was no helping it, as he had now become a major pig farmer.
The Cave Spiders of the Spider Plane were continuously providing him with Power of Death, and the mining of the Magic Crystal Vein in the Spider Cave was underway; he was living more lavishly than coal bosses compared to his pig farming.
After emerging from its cocoon, the Death Spider Queen began to move its furry, swollen abdomen and found a corner to start constructing webs.
The Spider Queen's web construction was hardcore, directly spewing large amounts of webbing from its spinneret. In just a few minutes, layers of white spider webs grew on the ground.
It looked quite bizarre.
Once the web was completed, the Spider Queen then lay atop, her vast abdomen slowly wriggling, and in front of Lide Kachar, she began laying eggs.
Her huge spinneret, dripping with slime, spat out one translucent egg onto the web, which bounced slightly, then stuck firmly, preventing it from shattering.
Able to produce 500 eggs a day, 24 hours a day, about 20 eggs an hour, just under 21, roughly one every three minutes.
In normal conditions, spider eggs would take a month to hatch, and Lide Kachar naturally had no interest in waiting here. However, watching the Spider Queen lay eggs carelessly, with subsequent eggs nearly smashing the previous ones, elicited a headache from him.
Indeed, it's the first time, so there's no experience, right?
After a moment's thought, the Cow Bone Undead on the side caught his eye.
Lide Kachar had an idea.
Naturally, he would not have the timid and peculiar undead move the Death Spider Queen's eggs, but he could create new undead.
Ever since the Cow Bone Undead was created, he hadn't made any other undead. This was surely improper behavior for someone who possessed the Land of Bone-Burying.
The Land of Bone-Burying was not merely a transportation tool for him; essentially, it was a war tool fashioned by the God of Skeletons.
It was intended for creating High-level Undead for warfare.
He had clearly not yet fully exploited the greatest functionality of the Land of Bone-Burying.
However, it was not too late to identify the issue now.
“This time, normal undead will do; let's not end up with another cowardly creature.”
Lide had already had one successful experience, so this time he didn't feel unfamiliar.
His spiritual power scoured the Land of Bone-Burying once over, eventually selecting the skeleton of a werewolf.
The Land of Bone-Burying was a mishmash of sorts, filled with a wide array of races, some left over from the Bone-Burying Plane, others hunted in the barren wilderness with the King's Blade…
There were so many sources, Lide didn't even know how many different racial skeletons were buried in this plane.
He waved his hand, and the werewolf skeleton was brought before Lide. Looking at this rather ugly bone structure, Lide didn't care; he extended his right hand, and his power gathered in an instant.
The surrounding power of death swarmed over like it was attracted to a magnet.
Lide could clearly feel the cadaver undergoing changes as the power of death intensified.
It wasn't until the power of death reached a certain limit that it touched upon some noble origin of the world.
Crackle~
A rice-sized light ignited within the skull of the werewolf, as if struck by a match.
The soul fire was lit.
At this moment, the power of death poured in even faster, like oil on a fire. Under Lide's watch, the soul fire blazed vigorously.
This emergence of life from nothingness instilled in Lide an inexplicable sense of reverence.
Although it was only an undead, although it was just an insignificant little skeleton, the creation of life belonged to the domain of the Creator God…
He couldn't call it creation, but merely making use of rules. Nonetheless, from the process of life's birth, he could vaguely glimpse the vastness and mystery of this world.
As the faint soul fire finally stabilized and ceased to fluctuate, the system's prompt arrived as expected.
“Ding~ You have created a Level 1 Undead.”
Werewolf Undead
Level: 1
Talent: None
Description: This is an undead.
Still the familiar taste, utterly void of substance.
When creating the cow bone undead, it had the same attributes, but the cow bone undead possessed a talent for soul swallowing; this one was even more pitiful than the cow bone undead.
With a thought, Lide directly used his spiritual power to enter the soul fire of the werewolf undead, and then left a piece of information within its soul fire.
Moments later, the werewolf undead, about two-blades-tall, looked around, and its empty eye sockets then saw the eggs laid by the Death Spider Queen.
The werewolf undead stepped forward, its body somewhat stiff, but its actions were decisive as it stepped into the web, picked up the spider egg sticking to the web, and then carried it to a nearby edge of the plane.
Lide nodded in satisfaction at this scene.
Indeed, this was a qualified tool.
Although undead are born without intelligence, they possess the instincts of the undead.
Lide had just left in the undead's soul fire the information to move the eggs laid by the spider queen to a safe place nearby, and then the undead started to act on its instincts accordingly.
Although this Level 1 undead could not compare with intelligent life, it could still be somewhat effective; a much better fate than letting that silly spider queen break her own eggs.
But one undead could not satisfy Lide's needs. His spiritual power radiated out once more, finding another 10 intact skeletons.
Moments later, 10 more brand-new Level 1 blank-slate undead were born, also devoid of any skills, pure blank slates.
Lide didn't mind, and in the same manner, he left his mark in the soul fire of these undead, then called over the cow bone undead.
This silly cow looked with amazement at the several undead that appeared, wanting to approach but also seemingly afraid.
Lide couldn't help but facepalm at this behavior; was it really such an oddity that an undead could be this timorous??
He suspected that there might be a hidden title behind the name of the cow bone undead — timid as a mouse.
“These undead are now under your management. Remember, protect the spider eggs, and don't let anyone else damage them.”
With an emission of his spiritual power, the cow bone undead easily understood his consciousness, then stood up straight on its hind legs.
Its front hooves patted its ribcage, as if to say, “Moo~,” like it was stating, “leave it to me.”
Lide nearly choked; this creature was indeed a rare specimen.
—
—
—
Lide didn't bother with the cow bone undead anymore and turned his head to look at the Death Flower that had bloomed quietly during the Death Spider's hatching.
At this point, the palm-sized leaves were even more lush and tempting, like dew lingering after rain, and the ten-or-so Shadow Flowers that had spread were now connected into one mass, with intertwining branches and leaves, more intense than any vine.
Amongst the many branches and leaves, the central blossom was particularly eye-catching.
The flower, blood-red in color, bloomed silently.
The red of this flower was like fresh blood spilling from a torn wound, filled with a chill that made one's hair stand on end.
Although the flower was blooming, it gave off a sense of stillness and danger. It was a flower from hell and death. In this moment, flowers no longer represented hope and rebirth but destruction and silence.
Lide's eyes narrowed slightly; he could feel the power of death on the Death Flower reaching an extreme.
Without hesitation, he immediately used the power of space to sever the vibrant flower from the bottom up, plucking most of the flower stalk.
Death Flower
Quality: Extraordinary
Description: A flower nurtured by vast death forces and abundant energy. It is not a symbol of life but a gathering of death. It can condense soul fire and has an incredible effect on the undead.
Indeed, it had become a Death Flower.
Lide's eyes revealed an unmistakable joy that he could hardly conceal.
It was not an easy feat; in the last half month, not only had he slaughtered a great number of Cave Spiders and Pig Lards attacking the Land of Corruption every day, but he also had to nurture them with a great deal of Magic Crystal Stones.
Now, after enduring numerous hardships, he finally reaped the rewards.
“Whether it's the Death Spider or the Death Flower, they're all smashed out with money.
No wonder the countries of Earth are so wealthy, yet maintaining a strong army is still a challenge.
It's just incredible.”
Regardless of his complaints, Lide indeed fulfilled the plan he initially set.
Moreover, the costs were not wasted, for the Death Spider Queen would proliferate a race, continuing to wage war for him.
This piece of Land of Corruption, after a round of energy irrigation, would not take long to upgrade to Intermediate, and in the future, it would be possible to continue cultivating other Death Flowers or special Undead
It was like turning wealth into another form of existence.
Glancing at the Cow Bone Undead merrily playing with a few underlings, Lide shook his head; the newly made skeletons were methodically transporting Spider Eggs, supervised tirelessly by the Cow Bone Undead.
Without lingering any longer, he tore through space and returned to the office at City Hall.
The moment he appeared in the office, the temperature dropped by more than ten degrees, and a chill spread through the air.
Lide looked at the Death Flower in his hand, his expression still somewhat subtle.
Deserving of the name Death Flower, its effects were indeed powerful, and this rich breath of death was too exaggerated.
Without further delay, he put the Death Flower into a box he had prepared earlier, then went down to the City Hall garden, ready to return to Green City.
Harrison had gone to the Underworld in the morning, and he had nothing to instruct, planning to send the Death Flower back first.
Castro was stretching his wings in the backyard, the sharp Blade Wings reflecting golden light in the setting sun.
“Master…”
Upon seeing Lide, Castro immediately straightened up, the once personal bodyguard now serving as his dedicated mount.
Although he was not riding in the luxurious carriage of the Nine Dragons Chariot, having this Level 15 Dawn Bat capable of supersonic flight as his ride was not too shabby.
Just as Lide had settled on Castro's back, he suddenly saw a group of small bats fly from the distance and then congeal into a human form in front of him, revealing Harrison's figure.
Seeing the urgency on Harrison's face, Lide's brows furrowed slightly.
“Harrison, what's wrong??”
Harrison's expression revealed a hint of joy.
“Sire, Koso has found news of the Thunder Tribe in the Underworld… The tribe is on the move, and Koso needs your help.”
At these words, a light shone in Lide's eyes.
The Thunder Tribe was the tribe Koso once belonged to and the one he had always cared about.
The One-eyed Giants, with their massive size, had contributed indescribably to the early days of Dawn City.
They were like human excavators, even fiercer than actual machines.
The One-eyed Giants were indeed an invaluable tool for production.
Lide had been contemplating this matter ever since he began his assault on the Underworld; there had been no trace of the Thunder Tribe before, and Koso's two previous searches turned up nothing. But now, they had suddenly been found.
“Need me? Can't you guys track them?”
Harrison appeared a bit embarrassed by the question.
“Sire, Koso, and the Divine Monsters left in the Underworld can follow them, but… no one can subdue the One-eyed Giants.”
Lide couldn't help but feel speechless.
It seemed this was indeed the case; while these top beings were ferocious fighters, this time they weren't being asked to fight, but to subdue the others.
That's where the problem lay–who would subdue them? Koso? The Level 18 Beastman King, although strong, clearly wasn't powerful enough to make the One-eyed Giant Tribe submit.
Withered Bone? The damned Undead might end up fighting to the death the moment they started talking to each other.
The Divine Monster… sending a Divine Monster to subdue One-eyed Giants? That would be a joke.
Although the Divine Monster was obedient in front of Lide, it was still a Divine Monster; if let loose, it would likely massacre the entire One-eyed Giant Tribe within minutes.
So after going in circles, the most suitable candidate was still him.
“This Death Flower…”
“Sire, Master Spark has arranged for it to be taken care of by someone else.
The Death Flower will surely be delivered on time.”
After hearing Harrison's assurance, Lide nodded slightly, no longer hesitating and directly handing over the packaged Death Flower to Harrison.
“You can continue to cultivate the Death Flower now. If Master Spark runs short, tell him to go to the Crimson Mage Tower, and Vina will send word back.”
“As you wish, Sire.”
Harrison bowed deeply.
The network between Dawn City and the Crimson Mage Tower had long been established; otherwise, it would have been impossible to transport such immense quantities of Magic Crystal Stones and Gold Pucks back to Dawn City.
Whoosh~
Castro flapped his wings across the skies of Dawn City, and then, under the stunned gazes of people on the streets below, the space in front of him cracked open, and the gigantic figure with 16-bladed wings slipped through unobstructed.
In the blink of an eye, like glass shattering, the Space Gate sealed up again, and everything was as if nothing had happened.
The One-eyed Giant Tribe, the Black Dragon deep in the marshes, the Underground City built by Half-Elves, the handsome Dark Elves, and countless numbers of Underground Races… the exploration had just begun.
Chapter end
|
Report
|
|
Donate
Oh o, this user has not set a donation button.
|
