I Became the Progenitor Vampire-Chapter 265 - 267: Divine Artifact Fragment, Masterful Wristwork, Frenzied Development (10,000-word Mega Chapter)

Chapter 265: Chapter 267: Divine Artifact Fragment, Masterful Wristwork, Frenzied Development (10,000-word Mega Chapter)

Lide had previously obtained a piece of the Twelve Magic Scrolls, which was bestowed upon him by the young goblin Yul in Green City.

But obviously, this artifact fragment, significantly larger than the previous one, had far superior attributes.

Mysterious Fragment

Accompanying attributes: Recovers 20 magic power per second after wearing, immune to all pressure from Divines and below, immune to Level suppression.

Sealed Four Circle Magic—Space Strangulation (creates a shattered space cage to strangle enemies with the power of space) Casting time: 1 second, Cooldown time (1 day)

Description: Appears to be a fragment from a corner of a Divine Artifact.

What a treasure, what a treasure!!

A dense smile surfaced in Lide’s eyes.

This one was even more powerful than the fragment he had obtained before.

Not only had the magic recovery rate increased to 20 points per second, but there was also a simple yet incredibly powerful passive: immunity to pressure from Divines and below and Level suppression.

Pressure, like the dragon’s Dragon Power, is a standard aura of immense pressure that can directly reduce combat capability, which is extremely exaggerated.

And immunity to Level suppression is a rare trait, meaning from now on, even when facing Legendary-level beings, he would not suffer a reduction in his own state due to the overwhelming power of the opponent.

Higher-level beings naturally have a distinct advantage against lower-level life forms; if the level difference is too great, attributes can even be directly reduced by a percentage,

just like his alternate identity—Ilo’s activated Dark Legend title, which could directly reduce a Dark Life with a lower Legend Level by 30% of their attributes.

Although the description didn’t seem strong, its practicality was immensely powerful.

And the Four Circle Magic that was sealed within it also gave him a great surprise. This was Four Circle Magic—something that even a Level 15 Great Mage would need a long time to learn, and it was one of the powerful space-attack spells among magic spells.

The nearly instantaneous casting time of just 1 second could deliver an unexpected fatal attack to the enemy; the only regret was that it had a one-day cooldown time and could likely only be used once in a battle.

But no matter what, the strength of this Divine Artifact Fragment was beyond doubt, and although it might not compare to the Legendary-level cloak he coveted, it was definitely worth millions of Gold Pucks.

Lide, with a somewhat impatient heart, wearing the Divine Artifact Fragment on his person.

After a moment, he couldn’t help but show an intense look of joy on his face.

They could stack!!

He had always been wearing the fragment of the Divine Artifact that Yul Grey Mountain had given him in Green City.

Mysterious Fragment

Accompanying attributes: Recovers 10 magic power per second after wearing, immune to all Investigation Skills below Legendary Level, immune to Mind Control, reduces Magic Backfire by 50%.

Description: Seems to be an insignificant fragment from a corner of a Divine Artifact.

Not to mention its other traits, that smaller fragment of the Divine Artifact could recover 10 points of magic power per second, and the one given to him by Moer could recover 20 points per second; most importantly, the two did not replace each other but were additive.

After wearing both pieces of the Divine Artifacts, his magic power recovery rate jumped directly to 30 points per second.

If he only cast Small Fireball, then he would be able to cast spells indefinitely.

Even when casting the improved spell—Blazing Fireball, which had a magic consumption of 40 points and was close in power to Three Circle Magic, his endurance had significantly increased.

The improved Blazing Fireball could be cast once per second using 40 points of magic power, and by doing the math, the 40 points of magic power used minus the 30 points recovered meant that a Blazing Fireball only required him to expend 10 points of magic power.

With his nearly 900 points of magic power, he could unleash astonishing destructive power, and that was without even using his Magic Blood.

Lide couldn’t help feeling very satisfied.

Moreover, with the increased speed of magic power recovery, his Dragon Scale Shield also reached a very high level of endurance.

After experimenting, Lide took the Divine Artifact Fragment back in his hand, looking at the dull yellow fragment, about a third the size of a palm, that was made of unknown material; its matte texture made Lide curious.

“Moer, Divine Artifacts are exceedingly sturdy, how did you tear it apart?”

Divine Artifacts are the most top-tier equipment in this world, not something that just anyone is privileged to glimpse, and to have torn a piece from a Divine Artifact was almost unbelievable.

And for the one tearing apart a Divine Artifact to be a weak goblin was even more incredulous.

Upon hearing these words, a look of reminiscence appeared in Moer’s eyes, and after a deep breath, his face, ravaged by Dragon Breath and marked with hidden fear, began to speak slowly.

“Your Majesty, this Twelve Magic Scrolls was discovered when we were exploring an Ancient Goblin ruin.”

At that time, we had entered the deepest part of the ruins, where a black altar engraved with mysterious inscriptions towered above the wreckage. Atop the core of the altar’s magic array lay this scroll.

No one would give up the treasures found in the ruins, and the goblins were no exception.

After ensuring that there were no dangers around, I took down this long-sealed scroll…” As he spoke, fear crept into Moer’s eyes.

As soon as the scroll was taken, the long-dormant magic array was activated, and the energy that had been stored within the altar for millions of years burst forth thunderously.

This energy, powerful enough to destroy a city of a hundred thousand, was infused into my body.

I didn’t even take a minute to break through directly to Level 15.

But that energy was too vast; I was nearly bursting at the seams…”

A hint of dread flickered through Moer’s eyes, “Holding the magic scroll, I instinctively transferred that force into it.

And that terrifying energy directly activated the divine artifact.

The artifact emitted extremely violent energy fluctuations, which perhaps traveled hundreds of kilometers.

The Black Dragon was attracted.

No one knows how the Black Dragon appeared in the ruins, perhaps through space magic, or maybe it was sleeping there all along.

That Black Dragon was too powerful; none of us could stop it…”

Moer’s expression fell, “It was a massacre, blood diffused in the air, death flowed…

After many of our clan had fallen, I found a still-intact transmission array within the ruins and prepared to teleport my people out.

The energy that erupted from the altar allowed me temporary control over the magic scroll.

Knowing I could not keep the artifact under the scrutiny of the Black Dragon, to gain precious time to activate the magic array, I exhausted the power of both the altar and the artifact itself, tearing off two fragments. Then, with my last bit of strength, and braving the dragon’s breath, I threw the artifact far away…

The Black Dragon did not destroy the magic array but followed the artifact instead, and we barely escaped from the jaws of that immensely powerful dragon…”

Though Moer spoke in broad terms, Lide could still vaguely sense the goblins’ panic when faced with an unbeatable foe.

Yul, a young goblin of the Grey Mountain Tribe, had already told him about the deeds of the Black Dragon, but Lide had not expected such hidden secrets, especially about that mysterious altar that housed the divine artifact, and the terrifying power it unleashed to activate the artifact.

It seems that this ancient ruin has a remarkable origin.

“Besides the divine artifact, did you find anything else in those ancient ruins? And what later became of that mysterious altar? Was it destroyed by the Black Dragon?”

Upon hearing Lide’s inquiry, Moer shook his head.

“That ancient ruin is so old that it dates back to an unverifiable era; most of it has turned to dust. Only the altar and artifact remain.

When I activated the transmission array, I threw the magic scroll in the opposite direction. The Black Dragon did not care about us, it simply spewed a breath of dragon fire towards the magic array and then pursued the scroll.

Whether the mysterious altar was destroyed by the Black Dragon, I don’t know, but the ancient ruin itself collapsed due to the activation of a destructive magic array and is now in ruins.”

After listening, Lide nodded with some regret; that mysterious altar was clearly a treasure. Unfortunately, it was now buried.

He might have an opportunity to dig around there in the future.

With this incident etched slightly in his mind, Lide stopped dwelling on it. The most important artifact had already been seized by the Black Dragon. If he wanted it, he would have to slay the dragon.

But that mysterious Black Dragon was probably a transcendent being by now, and Dawn City did not yet have the power to confront it.

He could only develop a little more and wait until he had his own extraordinary power before even thinking of matching the Black Dragon.

“Very well, Moer, this fragment of the artifact is very helpful to me. What reward would you like?”

The old goblin knew his place and did not actually ask Lide for a reward.

“Your Highness, this is a gift the Grey Mountain Tribe offers you, not a plea for a reward…”

“Hmm, go now, and manage the goblins well for me. Get the alchemy factory up and running as soon as possible.

Believe me, Moer, you won’t regret today’s decision.”

Lide looked at Moer intently and said no more. Although this race was physically weak, there must be a reason it had survived.

Goblins had a strategic place in his plans.

The future arsenal of Dawn City needed no further explanation.

As long as these goblins were obedient, he would provide them with rewards beyond their wildest dreams.

Towards his own people, Lide was never stingy.

Moer left City Hall with aspirations for the future.

After living here for several days, the old goblin was beginning to like the city.

Life in Dawn City was so much better than in the Grey Mountain Tribe.

Here, he found his favorite honey bread, delicious roasted meat, freshly brewed fruit wine, and an endless supply of food… and even the magical alchemy creation—running water.

Moer swore to the Life Goddess that it was the greatest alchemy creation he had ever seen; sweet water flowed endlessly from that little pipe, constantly running unless turned off, truly astonishing.

When he heard that this alchemy creation was personally designed and built by the Kachar City Lord, his admiration was boundless.

It was worthy of His Majesty, truly unbelievable.

Furthermore, Moer found it especially comforting that most of the residents here were quite friendly towards goblins.

This seemingly minor detail was nothing short of miraculous in Moer’s eyes.

Though goblins prided themselves on their high intelligence, Moer knew all too well that due to their frail bodies, it was nearly impossible for humans to regard them with normalcy.

After all, no one could muster much fondness for these ugly, easily toppled frail creatures.

Even when Moer visited their partners in Risier City, the looks he received were mostly those of strangeness and mockery.

But in this city, he seemed to detect neither discrimination nor scorn in the eyes of the humans on the streets, particularly those old residents who had lived in the city for a long time, and were incredibly enthusiastic about goblins.

Moer learned from the residents that the Kachar City Lord had announced the goblin’s status at the public notice board in Dawn Square,

specifically pointing out that all residents should respect goblins capable of creating powerful Alchemy Bombs, for they had contributed to Dawn City.

Having contributed to Dawn City! This statement earned the goblins the residents’ respect, and Moer was both grateful and proud.

Goblins were a neutral race, neither particularly virtuous nor wicked, so in just a few days, with the propaganda department’s efforts, goblins began their first step towards integration into Dawn City.

A culturally open and inclusive city was too attractive to these alien races; almost no one could resist.

Under Lide’s deliberate guidance, Dawn City was also developing towards the city he envisioned in his mind.

“Clan Leader,” Harrison came to Lide’s office not long after Moer left, with an excited expression on his face.

“How did it go? Have you finished the count?”

Lide, looking at Harrison’s expression, couldn’t help but smile, “The elites from Risier City must have given you a big surprise, right?”

“Indeed, these individuals are all high-quality manpower, and nearly every one of them has their specialty. With this batch of talent entering Dawn City, our development speed will experience a huge boost.”

Harrison was thrilled; the 7,000 elite from Risier City brought back by Lide from the Centaurs had just been counted, and these were exactly the high-quality talents that Dawn City currently craved the most.

“While it’s good to have a population increase, more people will inevitably lead to differing opinions, especially as Dawn City has seen a large influx of foreigners over the past two months.

This has put considerable pressure on all aspects of our work.”

Lide looked somewhat serious; he had absolute control over the city, and with him present, no one would be able to stir up trouble.

But the surge of outsiders into Dawn City in a short amount of time would create significant challenges for both security and management.

“The number of Bloodline is currently too small, and we need time to develop. We must rely on the citizens’ power to manage the city.”

“What do you mean?”

A glint appeared in Lide’s eyes, “Expand the King’s Blade. A troop of 600 is enough to maintain security, but it falls short if we are to take it further.

Moreover, we are about to establish our Air Force, necessitating a large number of warriors to join.

The talent of the Bloodline dictates that we cannot grow our numbers too large for the next few years, so utilizing the citizens’ power is inevitable.”

Bloodline could only perform their first embrace once a year, and though their numbers could double each year, given time, the Bloodline would form a true army.

What he lacked now was time.

Thus, utilizing the power of the humans was an inevitable outcome.

“The warriors recruited should be primarily selected from the long-standing residents, and they must sign a Soul Contract to ensure everyone’s absolute loyalty.”

The King’s Blade would be another sharp weapon in his hand besides the Bloodline; previously, he had not had much energy to expand, but now the time was ripe, and this army, composed entirely of humans, would become his key development target.

“Yes, Clan Leader, I will have the recruitment notice published immediately.”

Harrison’s expression turned grave as well, understanding that Lide’s actions these past few days were a prelude to the massive development of Dawn City, so he had to cooperate well with Lide’s decisions.

Lide looked at his confidant and nodded in satisfaction.

“Additionally, by the end of this month, the Bloodline can begin the second Initiation… which will greatly alleviate the pressure from our shortage of manpower.”

At this, Lide’s expression became somewhat pensive; if the Bloodline hadn’t been restricted, he wouldn’t have been so troubled and could have started a rapid recruitment.

But on the other hand, if the Bloodline truly had no such restriction, it is doubtful that they could have continued to exist.

An unrestricted Initiation would be even more terrifying than the Undead.

The Undead must kill living beings to transform them into allies, but the Bloodline just forcefully does it, such a terrifying race could not survive in the Main Plane; humans, the dominant melody of the Main Plane, would undoubtedly treat the Bloodline with much more severity than they would the Undead.

Moreover, the Bloodline are more vulnerable than the Undead; the Undead need nothing, while the Bloodline requires blood replenishment.

So imperfection also has its benefits. Races that are too perfect often become common enemies, and whether or not they can survive is a matter for debate.

“This time we will prioritize high-level humans for the Initiation; I need a group who can quickly form a formidable fighting force.”

After some thought, Lide decided to abandon the strategy he used last time to develop the Bloodline; last time he had no choice but to use a hero selection contest to filter out a sufficient number of Bloodline members.

However, after plundering Risier City of its elites, his range of choices suddenly broadened.

“The criteria for selection… aside from those seedlings distinguished by exceptional talents, their Bloodline level must be at least Level 5, and their talent strength cannot be too poor.”

This requirement would have been extremely difficult to meet previously, as the citizens plundered by Dawn City were all commoners; where would they find so many professionals of Level 5 and above?

But the 9,000 elites from Risier City were different; at least 800 of them reached the existence of Level 5.

This was fundamentally why Lide’s targets had changed this time.

Because of the nearly bug-level talent of the Blood Clan Ancestor, anyone who is a Bloodline descendant would be unconditionally loyal to him.

Therefore, choosing a group from these elites of Risier City that could immediately form combat capabilities as Bloodline descendants is undoubtedly an excellent choice.

This would greatly save time in nurturing talent and form combat strength quickly.

Regardless of any hidden disloyalty, their only outcome would be to become his subordinates.

Moreover, the immense number of professionals now in Dawn City also posed a considerable safety hazard, and to deter these potentially threatening humans, Withered Bone had been soaring above Dawn City every day, spreading the Bone Dragon’s intimidating presence.

Initiating these individuals would also significantly reduce any potential threats they might pose.

It must be said that although the elites of Risier City were indeed a very substantial piece of ‘fat meat’, certain skills were required to devour it properly.

“Strict management must be applied to these elites from Risier City; it’s doubtful they will be placid in the short term.”

Upon hearing Lide’s words, Harrison nodded solemnly.

With the significant influx of newcomers in recent months, he indeed felt the strain of managing the situation; although everything was under control, the administrative efficiency of the City Hall had noticeably slowed down.

If they did not expand their forces, this situation might deteriorate further.

At this point, it was clear that Lide had perceived this potential crisis, and all Harrison could do was sigh – perhaps this was why the Clan Leader had managed to develop Dawn City so spectacularly.

“Should this Bloodline Initiation be conducted on a large scale and open to the public?”

After a moment of contemplation, Lide nodded in agreement.

“The Initiation for the residents of Dawn City can follow the same approach as last time, conducted publicly during the festival.

There’s no need for the elites of Risier City; they have yet to integrate into Dawn City, so let’s commence the Initiation first.”

Lide was never one to be indecisive.

Once the King’s Blade and the Bloodline’s forces expanded, the current minor worries would vanish like smoke.

It wasn’t a major issue; the rapid population growth by Dawn City would naturally lead to this problem, and he had been prepared for it from the start.

After jotting down the matter of the Bloodline Initiation, Harrison confirmed several pieces of information with Lide again.

“Does the King’s Blade need to recruit from the elites of Risier City?”

“As long as you’re willing to sign a Soul Contract, then recruit them.”

Lide nodded his head, the ideological indoctrination course of the King’s Blade was incomparably strong, this army–even without a Soul Contract–still reached a frenzied degree of adoration for Lide, completely under his control.

Still, that saying held true: when you possess information others do not, you gain an advantage, and when you monopolize information, you hold the power to interpret the truth.

And for the warriors of the King’s Blade, without a doubt, Lide was the truth.

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

Lide suddenly seemed to remember something, with a hint of amusement.

“Those Nobles of the Risier family should all be brought back by now, bring a few to me.”

He hadn’t forgotten what Andabella had mentioned to him, that the Blood Cloak could only be wielded by descendants of the Risier family, a mark imprinted in their Bloodline.

He wanted to find out if there was a way to remove this restriction, and he was also deeply curious about this family known for producing polymaths.

Harrison responded, then continued to report some political matters for Lide’s decision before hurrying off to make arrangements.

During this time, Dawn City had been a hive of construction activity, and as the City Hall’s chairman was essentially busy all day long. It was only because he was of the Bloodline that he needed merely two to three Sunshine Hours of rest every day and could maintain robust energy so long as he had fresh blood.

Otherwise, if he had been human, even with the most exuberant spirit, he would collapse under such intense work.

This certainly warranted admiration of the Bloodline as particularly suited for labor. Dawn City’s rapid development could indeed be attributed to Lide’s control, but these vigorously energetic members of the Bloodline also played a key role.

—

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—

Horn Risier looked solemnly at the more than twenty somewhat panicked clan members in the room, his voice deep.

“The Risier family has faced countless crises, yet we have survived to this day.”

“Look at yourselves, you damned cowards! The Risier family doesn’t need cowards. Just a summon has your legs trembling?

What has become of the nobility’s demeanor of Risier City??”

The white-bearded Horn Risier finished speaking and glared at the anxious crowd inside the house.

A young man looked at Horn with a trace of fear and spoke softly, “Elder Horn, those are Vampires. Without our Clan Leader, we can’t confront them…”

His words immediately resonated with the others in the room,

“Yeah, and that Vampire-ruled city has a Bone Dragon, too. Just look up in the sky outside – it’s terrifying.”

“That Vampire City Lord definitely harbors ill intentions, Elder Horn, you must not go!”

“We can contact other Nobles, there must be a solution…”

“…”

Watching his clan members in panic, Horn shook his head in extreme disappointment, a complex look spreading across his wrinkled face.

The Risier family had indeed declined, fallen to the point of not even possessing the courage to face danger.

He also remembered that determined and proud girl.

If it hadn’t been for the cowardice of these clan members, the weighty responsibility of the City Lord of Risier City wouldn’t have fallen on the shoulders of an 18-year-old girl a few years ago.

City Lord, these words signified not just glory and power but a heavy burden of responsibility.

“If Clan Leader Andabella were here, I think she wouldn’t be thinking about how to escape reality like a coward. Instead, she’d be facing that Vampire alone, sword in hand.

Ladies and gentlemen, stop indulging in your delusions. After coming to this city, our fates were no longer our own!”

Horn’s cold words seemed to pour cold water on the previously agitated group, chilling them to the core.

“But, Elder Horn…”

A middle-aged man wanted to speak up, but Horn waved his hand dismissively, saying coldly.

“This time, I will go alone. The rest of you stay here.”

After speaking, the old man in the white polymath’s robe turned and left, exiting the cramped room.

Leaving behind a group of people looking at each other.

But no one spoke, and many felt a sense of relief, seemingly glad that they had not been chosen.

Horn followed the two patrol members walking on the street, looking at the bustling prosperity around him, his mind filled with strange thoughts.

Even though he had seen this scene many times, the sight of human prosperity in a vampire city was outrageous.

If he hadn’t been told in advance and was just dropped into this city, he felt that he would never believe it was built by vampires.

“Honored members of the patrol team, what kind of person is the Kachar City Lord?”

After a turn, seeing a dwarf walking and chatting with humans, Horn could no longer contain his curiosity and asked the two patrol members leading the way.

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The two young warriors, looking at Horn who exuded the unique scholarly aura of a polymath, felt a sense of admiration, and one young man with a face full of freckles spoke with admiration.

“Lord Horn, the Kachar City Lord is the one who has given us hope, a great being that every resident of Dawn City is willing to die for.

Because of the Kachar City Lord, we are able to live as we do now, everything about this city was built under the protection of the Holy Light Bloodline and the Kachar City Lord.

His greatness and glory cannot be fully expressed in a day and a night.”

Horn looked at the bright eyes of the two young warriors and was momentarily stunned. These were not words one would say under the influence of enchantment spell, but rather seemed like genuine thoughts from the heart.

But, why could vampires earn the purest recognition of humans?! It was ludicrous.

Yet the reality was consistent with this ridiculousness.

Horn felt that the worldview he had constructed after reading so many books was slowly collapsing.

“Lord Horn, I heard you are a polymath from the Nolan Empire? Don’t be nervous, trust me, as long as you don’t break the law, no one in Dawn City will hurt you.

The Kachar City Lord values people like you who can read very much.”

Upon hearing the young man’s words, Horn’s heart suddenly relaxed a lot, but he was also slightly amused.

You people who can read? Am I, a great polymath, merely literate??

If outside, he would definitely feel insulted by the common folk, but here he didn’t have that feeling; instead, he quite enjoyed chatting with these two straightforward young men.

After half a day had gone by, fueled by the patrol team’s wild praise of Lide and Dawn City, Horn arrived at the City Hall with a nervous and uneasy heart.

He went from being indifferent when he set out to now feeling anxious because he heard a shocking message—the Dawn Sect.

This mysterious presence might very well be divine… the Life Goddess above, this must be the craziest thing he had ever heard in his life.

Guided by the guard, Horn knocked on the office door on the third floor.

“Come in.”

Creak~

The door, beautifully carved with delicate reliefs, opened, and Horn took a deep breath, stepping into the room with an extreme sense of nervousness and unease, clearly sensing his heart pounding fiercely.

This was a vampire’s room, after all. Even though he had seen vampires upon coming to this city, this was the first time he faced a vampire, legendary for their brutality and bloodlust, in such a private setting alone.

Moreover, this vampire was the ruler of the city, and could very possibly be a divine being walking the mortal realm… adding an immeasurable psychological pressure.

Contrary to his expectations, the room was neither bloody nor cruel, and it didn’t have a heavy religious air but instead exuded a noble’s elegance and luxury.

Behind the wooden executive desk sat a handsome figure in a Mage’s robe, writing something with a goose feather pen.

His demeanor was like that of an ancient royal noble, filled with detachment and elegance.

Horn’s nervous state never eased, as he knew that the seemingly calm figure was the sovereign of this city—who, whether as a divine being or a vampire, could easily kill him and his clan.

“Find a place to sit for now; I still have a few documents to process.”

Lide glanced at Horn and then ignored the white-bearded old man, continuing to write; the latter nodded hurriedly in response but didn’t dare to actually sit, standing in agony waiting for Lide.

Ten minutes later, Lide looked at the paperwork in his hands and finally set down his pen with satisfaction.

He stood up and looked with a curious expression at Horn who was trembling nervously.

Aren’t all polymaths said to be proud and confident, able to maintain composure in any situation?

Why does this polymath from Risier City fall so short compared to that girl in her twenties?

“Good day, most respected Crown of Kachar.”

When Horn saw Lide get up, he immediately let out a huge sigh of relief; the wait had been the most torturous.

“Good morning, Elder Horn, please take a seat.”

Lide didn’t say much and sat directly on the soft gray sofa.

Despite the turmoil within his heart, Elder Horn had no choice but to gather his courage and sit opposite Lide.

Although Lide currently bore the appearance of a handsome man, the very thought of him transforming into a Vampire or a Divine being uncontrollably filled Elder Horn with fear.

Seeing Elder Horn’s nervous expression, Lide was somewhat at a loss for words.

How could the proud girl who faced death unflinchingly have clan members of this caliber? This indeed disappointed him.

“Don’t worry, Elder Horn, I am friends with Andabella and I won’t harm you.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Horn’s eyes widened with undisguised joy.

“You, you’re friends with Clan Leader Andabella??”

Lide nodded, “Indeed, Andabella entrusted the Risier family to me before she left the south.”

“Do you know where Clan Leader Andabella has gone?” Elder Horn couldn’t help but ask, although the girl was still young, she had long since become the backbone of the Risier family.

Lide shook his head, “Andabella has gone to seek her teacher,” seeing that Elder Horn wanted to speak, he waved his hand; he wasn’t here to chitchat with the fellow today.

“We’ll discuss that later, I have another matter for you today.”

Lide’s unapologetic words somewhat calmed Elder Horn down, especially after learning that Andabella was friends with Lide, he didn’t feel as terrified as before.

In Lide’s eyes, it was inconceivable that this elder, a great polymath, could be so cowardly and fearful of death.

But to Elder Horn, he was facing a Legendary Vampire, the master of the city, and possibly a Divine being who could easily destroy him and his clan; it was natural for him to be nervous.

“Kachar City Lord, you say, I will definitely answer truthfully.”

Elder Horn now managed to recover some semblance of the gravitas of a great polymath.

Seeing through the man’s true nature, Lide had no interest in idle talk.

“You know of the Risier family’s Blood Cloak, right?

I’ve heard there’s a method that can use the bloodline of the Risier Royal Family to remove the mark restrictions on the Blood Cloak.

Do you know such a method?”

After speaking, Lide’s gaze fixed tightly on Elder Horn as his spiritual power spread to its limit.

Elder Horn’s expression faltered for a moment and he shook his head subconsciously.

“Kachar City Lord, the Blood Cloak is a piece of Legendary Equipment painstakingly created by the Risier Royal Family, even harnessing the power of Divinities in the process.

Only the bloodline of the Risier Royal Family can use the Blood Cloak and the restriction is irremovable. Removing it would downgrade the Blood Cloak from Legendary to Perfect Quality.”

Lide nodded, his expression unchanged; the girl hadn’t lied to him.

Without dwelling on it further, he changed the subject.

“Elder Horn, I’m constructing a school and need knowledgeable polymaths to educate the students.

You are currently the only great polymath in Dawn City, and I would like to appoint you as the first principal of Dawn School…”

Elder Horn was momentarily stunned, then a broad smile spread across his face; outside this city, he wouldn’t have cared for such a so-called principal position, but within this city, a job offered at least some measure of safety.

Moreover, this appointment might be directly from a Divine being. Although he couldn’t confirm the authenticity of the Divine, cautiousness should prevent any major issues.

“I am willing, Kachar City Lord, I will certainly manage the school well for you.”

Lide nodded, appointing Elder Horn as the principal was an impulsive idea after seeing his nature.

The school would definitely be under his absolute control, with no one else having any right to involve themselves in the real decision-making, but having a figurehead wasn’t a bad idea—this timid man was perfectly suitable for manipulation.

“Hmm, you may recruit your own teaching staff… Additionally, I will provide you with the outlines for the relevant teaching materials, and the teaching team you recruit must compile the textbooks according to these outlines.”

Elder Horn agreed without hesitation, quickly nodding, “Yes, Kachar Your Excellency.”

His expression even showed a bit of excitement; recruiting a teaching staff meant he was once again in command, even though the authority was pitifully weak.

It was definitely good news for the Risier family, as there were many polymaths among their ranks.

Lide smiled faintly; the man seemingly had no idea what he would be facing.

“Alright, you may go now. Someone from the City Hall will liaise with you shortly, and your appointment as principal will also be announced in the Dawn Square’s bulletin board at the earliest opportunity.”

Subsequently, the Risier family, at the core of Risier City’s elite, was thus easily won over by Lide.

Those Risier City elites who still harbored malicious intent and dissatisfaction with Bloodline rule were caught off guard and lost the leader who could have easily united them.

To win over a group… it was mentioned so casually.

—

—

—

Klang, klang, klang~

From the beginning of December until mid-December, despite the increasingly cold weather, the atmosphere inside Dawn City was getting hotter and hotter.

Breeding farms were expanding, schools were being built, and even the goblins’ Alchemy Factory and the dwarves’ weapon manufacturing factory started construction simultaneously.

The whole city turned into a large construction site, with the refugees who had been plundered becoming the main workforce of these sites, releasing the productivity of this idle population.

Dawn City entered a second round of construction climax, as buildings rose from the ground in rapid succession.

During this critical period, a more explosive piece of news ignited all the residents’ enthusiasm – King’s Blade had begun recruiting on a large scale.

King’s Blade, this army, had an exceptional reputation among the residents.

They were strong and friendly, their military discipline was strict, they were passionate in their dealings, they were loyal to the great Kachar City Lord, and they were Dawn City residents’ very own army.

This was a military force that came entirely from the residents themselves, 600 warriors, all selected from among the city’s populace, each soldier had family, each had friends.

Thus, to the residents, this was an army composed of their own kin.

Moreover, thanks to King’s Blade’s high welfare benefits and the extravagant reward of potentially becoming a Bloodline, it had long been a coveted place for all young people.

It was just that recruitment had not been open before, prompting the youth to wait eagerly.

Now expanding from 600 to 2000 people, a whopping difference of 1400 recruits, practically made everyone go mad with excitement.

Therefore, during this half-month, what the residents of Dawn City discussed was all about King’s Blade – how to sign up, participate, and get through the training and selection processes, etc., completely overshadowing other topics.

Daily greetings shifted from commenting on the nice weather and asking if one had eaten, to who got selected by King’s Blade today, and whether you went for the King’s Blade’s selection today.

The intense discussion led to an enthusiastic number of sign-ups.

After bringing back the elite from Risier City, the population of Dawn City was close to the 40,000 mark, and with the Bloodline capturing a large number of refugees again during this half-month, Dawn City now had a population of 45,000.

The pace of expansion was beyond imagination.

So, recruiting 1400 people was a simple task, with just the number of people meeting the registration requirements reaching 15,000.

Finally, after half a month of selection and eliminating 90% of the applicants, the required 1400 men were fully recruited.

Those who could become a member of King’s Blade were all excellent standout individuals, and this selection process directly eliminated more than thirteen thousand people.

To officially join King’s Blade, one first had to go through five rounds of magic inquiry by the Mage Group, and only after having no issues could they participate in physical and mental strength training.

Each time, the training would be divided into Hundred-man Squads, and at the end of a week-long training, 5-15 outstanding individuals were selected from the front runners for admission. After each day’s training, when the warriors were most mentally vulnerable, they would still undergo a magic inquiry by the Mage Group.

Only after everything was confirmed to be in order, did the recruits swear an oath of loyalty to Kachar City Lord and sign a Soul Contract, completing their induction into King’s Blade.

During the selection process, the physical training was made public, and its severity and harshness shocked all residents, immediately garnering immense respect for those who could become a part of King’s Blade.

In this way, a force that had not yet undergone rigorous training but had already possessed the makings of a Steel Army was officially made a part of King’s Blade.

Thanks to this new influx of strength, City Hall managed to quickly control the slightly chaotic public order due to the population surge, and crimes like petty thefts were immediately reduced to zero.

“Clan Leader, good news…”

On December 16th, as Lide was leisurely reviewing the proposal from City Hall’s Think Tank regarding the future development of King’s Blade, Harrison burst in with an excited expression, pushing open the half-ajar door.

Lide turned with a somewhat amused expression, smiling at the agitated Harrison.

“What’s got you so excited?”

Harrison’s next words instantly had Lide on his feet, “Clan Leader, the goblins have managed to create the Alchemy Bomb!”