I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 359

Chapter 359: Chapter 361: The Player Ignited by the Slaughter of Gods (6000 words) Chapter 359: Chapter 361: The Player Ignited by the Slaughter of Gods (6000 words) He saw God??

Lide looked into Stanley's grave eyes, unexpectedly startled by this sudden news.

God…
He suddenly remembered what that level 17 Elf had said two months ago at the mysterious tavern–that within the Divine relic, a Divine being was not dead…
Could it be that the Divine relic the Elf spoke of was located within Risier City?

“When did you get this news?”

“Half a month ago… More than twenty spies went to Risier City to gather information, but only that dead thief claimed to have seen God. The others only felt that aura but made no other discoveries.”

Spark hesitated slightly in his expression, “Your Grace, even if there are no Divine beings in Risier City, the Beastmen's prolonged occupation of the city must hide an unimaginable conspiracy, we must be vigilant…”
After hearing this, Lide's brows knitted tightly, and he remained silent for a long time.

Since the Beastmen took over, Risier City had become forbidden in the eyes of professionals, with few daring to set foot there.

And the Nobles of Green City, who ought to have been righteously indignant and mustered troops to attack, turned a blind eye to the Beastmen, acting as if nothing had happened, a peculiar and incomprehensible scene.

Those not in the core circle of decision-making had no clue what sort of game was being played between humans and Beastmen.

And outsiders found it hard to understand why the Beastmen had maintained such a high-level blockade over such a vast area around Risier City for so long. Not only could spies not infiltrate it, but even Lide, using his Bloodline and Power of Faith, could not penetrate it.

Everything was too bizarre.

“Should we go and find out more from that Elf?”

After pondering for a moment, he shook his head.

The more abnormal the situation, the more one should steer clear of it. As long as he wasn't greedy, no great crisis could affect Dawn City.

The only thing that irked him was that the level 16 Werewolf, Craig, and level 15 Shadow High Priest, Emi, were still trapped inside…
“Stanley, real or not, this information indicates a lot. Since we can't infiltrate the city, then…” A glint flashed in Lide's eyes.

“Spread this news, let all of Green City know there is still a Divine being alive in Risier City. No, I want the entire southern province to know this news.”

“Spread the news?” After a little thought, Stanley's eyes gradually lit up.

His tone carried a genuine admiration.

“Your Grace, this approach will surely stir the waters of Risier City. A brilliant idea indeed…”
Stanley, after finding some clues, inevitably fell into a trap of thought; the more important the news, the more he wanted to keep it a secret since any change in Risier City could undoubtedly give Dawn City an advantage.

However, he inadvertently neglected that Risier City, with its hundreds of thousands of Beastman troops, was simply not something Dawn City could confront directly, no matter how rapidly they grew, there were limits.

If it was unattainable, then why cling to it? What would be the use of uncovering valuable information?

“Right, and the more vigorously the better. No matter whether there's a Divine relic inside, we need to publicize this news.”

Lide's voice was steady and calm, unaffected by other factors.

“Even if most people don't believe it, as long as some pay attention, and if one or two similar events occur, Risier City will immediately become the center of everyone's attention. Rather than being at a stand-off now, better to actively muddy the waters.”

Stanley responded respectfully.

“Yes, Your Grace, I will arrange for this immediately, and in three days, the entire southern province will know of the emergence of a Divine relic in Risier City…”
Satisfied, Lide nodded, and after discussing a few more details, his tone shifted as if something else had come to mind.

“How is the Immortal Soul doing now?”

As the first Player Department established by the Dark Contract, the Immortal Soul was under Stanley's direct control, and Lide held great interest in it. He was keen on finding out what the plan to colonize Earth would look like in Stanley's hands.

“Your Grace, the Immortal Soul, through the Lost Plane's branch, is recruiting a large number of Undead to join the guild every day. It currently boasts over 8,000 Undead and is Anos City's First Adventurer Guild.”

Oh? 8,000 players?

A spark of excitement lit up in Lide's eyes, the surprise from Stanley proving greater than that of the Crimson Moon.

“I've already ordered Hun Yuan Thunderclap Hand Cheng Kun and three other Undead to continue to intensify their promotional efforts in the Lost Plane and dispatched over a hundred management-savvy individuals to Anos City to assist with the guild management…
I expect that in half a year, the scale of the Immortal Soul will have increased fivefold, becoming the unshakable first of Anos City's adventurer's guilds…”
Such a fiend he was, observing Stanley's ambitious gaze, Lide could only marvel at this boldness unparalleled by others.

By comparison, even the Crimson Moon was overshadowed.

He wasn't in a rush though; believing in his own orders, he knew Zhao Yue would soon adjust.

“Anos City has now become the main city for adventurers, and as time goes by, its status in the hearts of adventurers will only grow higher.

The better the Immortal Soul develops, the more say we will have in the Anos City adventurer's guild.”

Lide spoke with a sense of reflection,
“I believe at this stage, no one values adventurers more than you.

These lives from the Lost Plane may act in ways that baffle us, but their potential cannot be underestimated.

How many adventurers are there in Anos City now?”

“Your Highness, the number of Undead in Anos City has already surpassed 80,000,” Stanley said with a hint of amazement in his eyes, “This is in just a short period of two months.

It is unimaginable, how a newly built city has such great appeal to the Undead.

I initially estimated that if Anos City could develop into a city with a population of over 100,000 in three years, it would be impressive, but now it seems that it might exceed my expectations in another two months…”

Lide nodded, without offering much of an explanation.

Most players come to Glory mainly to play games and relax – those full of self-importance who would like to flatter NPCs every day?

Moreover, the cities in Glory pose many restrictions, it's hard to make money, and becoming prominent is even more elusive.

In contrast, player cities where one can freely enjoy themselves are too pleasurable.

More crucially – as long as certain requirements are met, Anos City can offer land for free.

After being baptized by the reality of high housing prices, most players have a special sentiment towards land, and this condition strikes directly at the players' hearts.

Not to mention guilds with a rigid need for land, a fixed location can influence a guild in ways that cannot be simply described.

Besides, the ability to hire Centaurs, to take on lucrative missions, the simplicity of changing Professions, the ease of learning skills, and so on are all characteristics of Anos City.

Therefore, with the blessings in all these aspects, it's no surprise to Lide that the city has developed so quickly.

Even without the inconvenient transportation, that would prevent most people from getting there; otherwise, the number might very well have been three to five times larger.

“Stanley, in time, Immortal Soul can ally with Crimson Moon to form an adventurers' guild alliance centered around you…

This alliance needs to absorb all the adventurer guilds in Anos City. I need you to unite the strength of the adventurers.”

Ambition pulsed vividly in Lide's eyes.

Establishing a player city has never been Lide's goal; what he needed was to control the player power under the guise of a player city.

The outward controller of Anos City – Prince Anos is of the Holy Light Bloodline, his Bloodline.

In the shadows, the two player guilds, Crimson Moon and Immortal Soul, are his forces as well. If he were to establish the player guild alliance, then these players would truly be under his control.

One overt, one covert.

As for the players in Anos City, they may never know until their death that the player city is merely a toy in Lide's hands,
and the player guild alliance established later would also be under his control. Players currently striving to build Anos City may never find out that from the moment they saw the post about Anos City becoming a player city, they had already been a part of Lide's grand scheme.

He is the true mastermind behind the scenes; he doesn't even need to make an appearance personally. A few arrangements later, he could wield an immense force.

Players are unaware that the price of their fate has been marked long ago by someone else.

“Immortal Soul and Crimson Moon need not maintain too close a relationship, they should even create a bit of opposition; for example, one side could be conservative while the other progressive,
so when establishing the adventurers' guild alliance, both parties can gain support from other guilds and become representatives of two factions, thus winning the right to speak. It's enough for you to stand together at critical moments.”

Upon hearing this, Stanley immediately nodded in admiration. “Your Highness, perhaps if you personally took control of this matter, it would be even more astonishing.”

“I do not have that much time,” Lide waved his hand, “Later, I will inform Crimson Moon about this. I trust that with your capability, you can handle these issues well.”

The plan to form a player alliance was part of Lide's intentions when he established Anos City.

As the City Lord, Prince Anos isn't really suited to directly command players – after all, they are ones who would rather be coaxed than forced. Conversely, if they could consolidate strength through their own internal alliance, that would undoubtedly solve many problems.

After discussing this matter, Lide fell into contemplation for a moment, then brought up another project that he has been highly attentive to.

“Stanley, how is the Dawn Shadow Project progressing?”

Put simply, the Dawn Shadow Project involves the infiltration of human upper echelons by the Bloodline, seeking greater benefits for Dawn City.

The Divine Gifted Holy Armor that has Lide grinding his teeth was forged for this very plan.

Prince Anos is one of the infiltration targets in the Dawn Shadow Project. He has now become an important chess piece in Stanley's hands, the Child of Destiny praised by players.

“Your Highness, with the first batch of Divine Gifted Holy Armor, we expect to develop a second batch of Nobles in three months. These Nobles will all become our Bloodline. Most of the candidates have already been confirmed…”

Stanley's eyes were sharp and intense.

“Just give me some time, and I will turn all the Nobles of Green City into our Sharp Blade…”

After listening, Lide was not as optimistic as Stanley. He remained quite cautious; humankind didn't become the master of the Main Plane of Glory for nothing.

“How many Nobles have been embraced initially?”

“So far, there are four, all minor Nobility, but these minor Nobles have been carefully selected. Each one has valuable connections, making it easy to reach upper-class Nobles.”

Lide nodded faintly and cautioned, “The Dawn Shadow Project is vital for us, as it means we will have the strength to influence the decisions of Green City in the future.”

At certain key moments, they can bring immense benefits.

Just like after the Beastmen occupied Risier City, the human Nobles remained silent for reasons unknown to us. If we could infiltrate their core decision-making circle, everything would be different.

However, despite this, you must not be overzealous and act recklessly. The most important thing to abandon during covert operations behind enemy lines is recklessness…”

Lide had a clear development strategy for Dawn City's Shadow, and he hadn't gotten carried away just because they had manufactured the Divine Gifted Holy Armor.

“Although the Divine Gifted Holy Armor can immunize against the Power of Faith and shield investigations to protect the true identity of the Bloodline, the power of the various Light Attribute Sects must not be underestimated.

You must always remain vigilant.

Furthermore, when developing Bloodline within the Nobility, be very careful not to develop too many within a certain area or allow them to communicate or interact with each other.

At the current stage, focus primarily on infiltration. It's best to develop a few lesser Nobles around a major Bloodline Noble and create small teams.

This way, even if there is an expose, it will only involve a small number of people.

And remember, with those major Nobles, especially those heavily protected by Sects, do not touch them without full preparation.

Only proceed with plans when you have absolute certainty.”

Lide spoke at length until his mouth was dry, but in summary, it was very simple: develop surreptitiously and don't take risks.

Safety was the number one priority in such extremely dangerous work. It did not matter if information couldn't be gathered; ensuring one's own safety was essential.

Because once exposed, it could alert the entire Nobility of Green City, making any future plans far more difficult.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Stanley, too, believed in a steady and slow development.

In the Green City Nobility, enveloped in light, the challenge of engulfing the light in darkness was formidable.

One false move could even involve the Dark Contract, leading to indescribable losses.

But correspondingly, the greater the risk, the greater the potential gain.

For Dawn City to gain a voice in human cities as Bloodline, taking risks was inevitable to reap any rewards.

“How is the Divine Gifted Holy Armor working? Are there any flaws that need improvement or features you would like to have?”

Lide had a love-hate relationship with the luxurious equipment that cost him 5000 Gold Pucks each.

“Your Grace, the Divine Gifted Holy Armor is excellent, but if it could be smaller, perhaps in the form of a ring or pendant, it might be perfect.”

Rings, pendants…

Lide shook his head. The reason for making the Divine Gifted Holy Armor in the form of clothing was due to material limitations; only in this form could the materials' performance be maximized to achieve resistance to Holy Power.

If it were a ring, the materials required would undoubtedly need to be more advanced, and the manufacturing costs could increase tenfold or more.

“I'll have the Magic Industry Research Institute look into improvements; for now, just make do with it.

Divine Gifted Holy Armor, at 5000 Gold Pucks apiece, is not something Dawn City can afford to produce in large quantities right now…”

Hearing this, Stanley could only nod with a wry smile, knowing that earning Gold Pucks was not easy.

The substantial support Dawn City provided to the Dark Contract earned them a sizeable monthly income in Gold Pucks, but very little was saved after being reinvested in the Dark Contract.

Only those who manage the household know the cost of necessities.

After discussing more details of the Dawn City's Shadow plan with Stanley, Lide didn't stay much longer and left the manor that had the whole western district's attention.

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Risier City.

Two petite players had managed to reach an unguarded attic in the city without being detected by Beastmen.

No one knew how outsiders could enter under such tight Beastmen surveillance.

The five-story wooden building was covered in cobwebs, and the thick layer of dust indicated that it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

The two players were girls, and they seemed unbothered by their surroundings, displaying excitement instead.

“Jiu Yue, hurry up, there might be some Divine Artifact hidden above…”

The girl being urged was dressed in a black leather jacket, looking cute and charming with her big, sparkling eyes.

Hearing this, the player named Jiu Yue gave an annoyed glance at the girl behind her wielding a large sword, as she expertly twirled her sharp Dagger in hand.

“Nurturing your gentleness in front of your boyfriend, but wishing to kill three Beastmen with one punch in front of me…”

“Hurry up, or the Beastmen will discover us. Haven't you noticed how perverted these Beastmen are? They won't even leave corpses alone…”

The girl with the sword urged her on, “The temple's altar is completely shattered, and it's only by luck we could revive here in Risier City this time. Next time, we might have to revive back in Green City.

Haven't you noticed this city seems to hide a great secret? Maybe we'll trigger a Legendary quest…

Let's first check out the heavily guarded place to see what's there… if they've unearthed a Divine Artifact, we might just be able to snatch it?”

Jiu Yue's large, dark eyes spun excitedly when she heard this.

“You wait for me here…”

After speaking, she turned around and crouched down with professional agility, then step by step, her footsteps nearly silent, ascended the staircase.

“Ah? Don't leave me, I'm scared of the dark…”

“Who just chopped off those two Beastman heads?”

“Uh…”

Jiu Yue paid no further attention to the female player wielding a large sword, instead moving towards the five-story wood tower, using the shadows to her advantage.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze sharp as a dagger, like an assassin stepping into the shadows; in her hand, the dull dagger looked inconspicuous, yet it could deliver deadly harm at any moment.

Her petite body moved with the grace of a cheetah, wild beauty encapsulated in every move, demonstrating the supreme characteristics of an assassin's profession.

Silent as a whisper, Jiu Yue arrived at the fifth floor of the wooden tower, and after confirming the dim, dusty room within was free of danger, she let out a sigh of relief and stepped out of the shadows.

She glanced around, her attention drawn to the wooden window ajar by one-third to her right.

Upon seeing this, Jiu Yue subtly changed direction to avoid passing directly in front, instead stealthily making her way to the window. Moments later, two large dark eyes peered out from beneath the half-open window.

From the height of the fifth floor, the view of Risier City unfolded before the girl.

By now, much of the city's buildings lay in ruins as if the end of days had arrived, with debris scattered everywhere.

Within the shattered city, the Beastman patrol teams were densely packed, exaggeratingly so that there was a team every hundred steps.

Tusks cold as ice.

The stringent guard duty somewhat frightened the girl, considering her amazing luck in running undetected from her resurrection point.

After composing herself a bit, Jiu Yue slightly lifted her gaze from nearby sights to the distance.

The sight that met her eyes caused her delicate face to instantly betray an unmistakable surprise.

The massive pit dug by tens of thousands of Beastman laborers appeared before her eyes in the center of Risier City.

The pit was bottomless, as if a fallen meteor had struck the earth, fracturing the ground itself.

Myriads of Beastman laborers moved like ants, constantly shuttling to and fro, carrying soil and pebbles out of the pit, the scene reminiscent of a legendary tale depicted in a mural.

“If I remember correctly, this city, occupied by Beastmen, was intact a year and a half ago.

Have they really dug through the city now??”

Jiu Yue's eyes filled with confusion, “Are these Beastmen trying to dig out magma??”

Just as the girl's face showed her bewilderment, suddenly, a massive tremor came, and the entire wooden tower shook like a small boat in a storm, beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

Losing her footing, Jiu Yue subconsciously grabbed the window frame, her body tilting sharply.

Boom, boom~
A thunderous roar, like muffled thunder, came from underground, as the earth split violently, seeming more ferocious than a volcanic eruption.

Everything around her shook wildly.

Boom, boom~
Jiu Yue suppressed the unease in her heart, and just as she was about to stand up, the entire attic suddenly collapsed.

Then an indescribable, terrifying sound reached the girl's ears, as if spoken by an ancient and eternal evil.

It sent shivers down one's spine.

“Pestilence and death once were, pestilence and death are now, pestilence and death shall forever be.”

“He is eternal, He is the past, He exists in yesteryear, He also exists this evening, He is the master of pestilence and death, He is the spreader of disease and destruction.

He is eternal, He is also the only one, He shall be undying, He shall live forever, He also shall be reborn…”

In the instant the voice stopped, Jiu Yue bit down on her teeth, the black eyes sparking with iron-like resolve. Pushing down the fear in her heart, she leaped from the tilting wooden tower, pushed open the window, hit the screenshot button, and before she even landed, the tower and dozens of surrounding buildings collapsed.

The next day.

On the official forum of “Glory,” a post by a player named Jiu Yue completely ignited the forum.

“The Shadow within Risier City–The Divine Ruler of Death and Pestilence”
The terrifying shadow that spanned the city's skies had all players falling into a frenzy within the post.

Horror, death, darkness, brutality, bloodshed–no words could adequately describe the aura conveyed by that shadow.

God, this was everyone's first impression upon viewing it.

Even a single image could bring a profound psychological shock.

Slaying the divine became the hottest topic of the day.

Chapter end