I Became the Progenitor Vampire

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: The Birth of the Zealous Believer (Two-in-One Mega Chapter)

3,000 spots filled up in just half a day; those who came later had faces full of disappointment, as if they had missed out on a king’s crown.

Those who had signed up early were smug, as if they had already won the championship before it even started.

“Clan Leader, now that the spots are filled, how should we conduct our selection?”

Harrison asked Lide with utmost respect, sitting behind the desk. In his heart, there was nothing but admiration for this Bloodline boss.

A minor event had managed to captivate the hearts of everyone in Dawn City. Furthermore, it beautifully presented the prospect of becoming a Bloodline as a reward, a prize not just anyone could obtain.

It was only for the top 200; only the most outstanding individuals could receive the reward of becoming part of the Holy Light Bloodline.

It must be said that this approach was simply perfect. It didn’t provoke any resistance from humans, nor did it devalue the process of humans becoming Bloodline. It also made everyone realize the esteemed status of the Holy Light Bloodline.

The current Dawn City was not the Dawn City of the past where humans were merely food, and they would turn anyone they wished into a Bloodline merely by biting them.

However, if they continued with that approach, Dawn City would once again become a dreary city of death.

Lide wanted a group of proactive and creative humans, not slaves.

Why had slave societies been phased out?

Because they stifled the creative potential of humans. He too could have enslaved humans without scruple, but such an outcome would definitely not be good.

“It’s simple. We’ll divide by level: commoners in one category, Level 1 professionals in another, and so on, level by level.

In a moment, I’ll teach you some military training materials. You’ll use those standards to select participants.”

Lide’s plan this time was very straightforward, even rudimentary—it was to use military training as a means to select talent.

With the current foundations of the Bloodline, they couldn’t conduct more complex selections or competitions, as they simply didn’t have enough personnel.

They might as well directly compare willpower; those who could persevere through harsh training until the end would receive the reward.

In terms of military training, they would have to distinguish between professionals and the common people. He also planned to give those with a level in their profession extra strenuous training—anyway, those individuals should not expect an easy time.

Seeing the smile on Lide’s face, Harrison inexplicably shuddered, suddenly offering a few seconds of silent condolence for the residents about to participate in the selection.

…

All members of the Security Team and logistics who received the message realized they had points that allowed them to enjoy the privilege of priority registration for the Holy Light Competition.

Oli was the first to choose to sign up.

When he heard that the top 200 of the Holy Light Competition could become part of the Holy Light Bloodline, Oli didn’t hesitate.

He longed to become part of the Holy Light Bloodline, to possess the formidable power just like the Holy Light Bloodline, so he could help even more people.

He would never forget the sight of his comrades falling into an ice cave while hunting in the mountains for a bit of food during Frost Month. If he had the power, none of that would have happened.

After hearing about Oli’s registration, Recker fell silent for a long time.

Eventually, he silently filled in his own name.

“Recker, you don’t have to do this, I…” Oli looked at Recker, his face full of gratitude.

“No, Oli, it’s not because of you. Who wouldn’t want a long life and powerful Casting Talent?”

Recker patted Oli’s shoulder, revealing a brilliant smile.

…….

“No, you madman, Anthony, why would you sign up? Together, we have a full 20 acres of land, enough to live comfortably for the rest of our lives?!”

Jike yelled at Anthony, bewildered. Although he had accepted the Holy Light Bloodline, that didn’t mean he wanted to become a Vampire.

Accepting them is one thing, becoming one of them is another entirely.

Anthony shook his head, his eyes filled with determination.

“No, Uncle Jike, it was the Holy Light Bloodline that gave me a new lease on life, and I’m also quite interested in becoming a Spellcaster. Maybe you could join too?”

Jike looked into those unwavering eyes, then suddenly let out a sigh, at a loss for what to say.

“Forget it, I’m already old, can’t do much anymore. Just living out the rest of my life on my land is satisfaction enough.”

“Uncle Jike, don’t worry, whether I can become part of the Holy Light Bloodline is still uncertain. This time there were 3,000 people who signed up!

The spots for entering the Holy Light Bloodline are only 200. It’s not easy to make it into the top 200 out of the 3,000 contenders,”

But despite his words, Anthony was still brimming with confidence. He believed he could make it.

Jike waved his hand dismissively.

“If you don’t make it to the top 200 after signing up, don’t bother coming back. It would be shameful!

Get lost now; don’t be an eyesore here.”

Once Anthony had left, Jike’s angry expression suddenly became calm. His somewhat clouded eyes turned toward the window, where sunlight poured through the glass, appearing somewhat dazzling.

A few inscrutable expressions crossed his weathered face.

“Perhaps you’re right; becoming a Holy Light Bloodline wouldn’t be such a bad thing. At the very least, one wouldn’t have to worry about the day when life reaches its end.”

Many residents were either overjoyed or sorrowful, but not a single person who had signed up regretted their decision. Instead, those who hadn’t managed to sign up were filled with envy.

Amidst the intense atmosphere, on December 7th, the seventh day of Frost Month,

the first selection contest for Bloodline members, named by Lide as the Hero Selection Contest, officially began.

Lide served as the chief judge himself and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

On the open grounds outside the southern district, a sea of heads crowded the land covered in ice and snow.

Many residents who had come to enjoy the spectacle were also eagerly watching the scene.

Standing on the temporary platform, clad in the blue robe of a Mage, the handsome Lide made the hearts of the human girls around him race.

“My people, I am Kachar, your City Lord,”

“Today, we shall hold an unprecedented selection contest—the Hero Selection Contest. This is not merely a selection, but a war for humankind to evolve into higher beings.

And the enemy is none other than yourselves!

This selection contest is a reward for the great character of Mr. Owen.

It is also a reward for everyone in Dawn City.

Among the 3000 registrants, those who enter the top 500 will receive a reward of 3 points.

Those who enter the top 300 will receive a 5-point reward.

And for those who enter the top 200,” Lide paused, sweeping a glance over the crowd, his voice rising,

“will be bestowed with the Bloodline of the Holy Light Bloodline!

You will become the first batch of Holy Light Bloodline in Dawn City.

Becoming a Holy Light Bloodline will grant you the noble Casting Talent and turn you into distinguished Mage lords,

and may even grant you eternal life, no longer needing to face the fear of death and life’s passing…”

“Strive on, my people, only the very best among you are worthy of such a precious reward as becoming the Holy Light Bloodline.”

“Show me your will, let me feel your vigor,

I am Kachar, your City Lord, and I await you at the cathedral of the Holy Light Bloodline to claim your reward.”

His powerful words elevated the atmosphere of the opening event to its peak.

“Long live City Lord Kachar!!”

Half a month into the Hero Selection Contest, the dull winter lives of the residents were immersed in a noisy and excited environment.

The most popular topic of conversation was who got named and praised on the bulletin board that day, and who got eliminated for being lazy.

Knowing the gossipy nature of humanity, Lide had deliberately set up a bulletin board to announce those who performed well each day and had people list those most likely to break into the top 200.

Although there were 3000 participants in the selection, there was also half of the residents who couldn’t participate.

Such a large base meant almost everyone knew someone involved in the selection, and everyone was very concerned about it. The fervor for the Hero Selection Contest continued to ferment.

The events of the Hero Selection Contest were simple yet exhausting. Lide directly transferred a set of military training routines.

Standing at attention, various physical fitness trainings, 100-meter sprints, long-distance running, push-ups, frog jumps, weighted cross-country, and so on.

The terrifying volume of training rapidly reduced the number of 3000 participants, and every day a large number of people were eliminated. The harsh training also allowed Lide to directly realize just how strong the physical fitness of this world’s humans was.

It could be said that the intensity of the training program he’d ramped up without limit, if placed among Earth’s special forces training, those powerful warriors wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

In just half a month, the initial group of 3,000 had been rapidly whittled down to 700.

But the resilience of these remaining 700 had earned Lide’s admiration; he found it hard to imagine a group of ordinary civilians could endure such a high level of training—each one of them was stronger than any army’s elite soldier…at least in terms of physical fitness.

These individuals, whether it was their obedience or mental fortitude, could absolutely form an iron-clad force.

Unfortunately, this was a Magic world, where the willpower of ordinary humans was insignificant; a single spell could annihilate them all.

After half a month, today marked the time for the net to be drawn.

In Dawn City, several main thoroughfares were completely closed off, prohibiting the passage of crowds.

Everyone agreed with this because today the final victor of the Hero Selection Contest would be determined here.

The competition began at ten o’clock in the morning, and as the snow and wind ceased, the crowd could barely wait and gathered eagerly on both sides of the street.

Not even the cold weather could dampen their fiery enthusiasm, for with their own efforts they could become more prestigious than Nobles—the Holy Light Bloodline; could anything excite them more?

Such an event would never occur in the world beyond.

Would those Noble lords ever allow these lowly commoners to achieve such an honor? Absolutely impossible.

Precisely because of this, many were keenly aware of how rare this opportunity was, so they approached the competition with endless passion and excitement.

This might be their closest brush with ascending to the Noble class; if lost, they might remain lowly commoners for the rest of their lives.

Today’s final contest would be an endurance race.

400 individuals would start at the same time, carrying a weight of 20 pounds, running 200 laps around Dawn City.

Yes, 200 laps. The first 200 to reach the finish line would become the victors of the Hero Selection Contest.

Lide had set the distance of one lap to be approximately two kilometers.

200 laps, 400 kilometers—it was that intense.

It was a distance nearly impossible to complete. Lide had no intention of allowing them to complete it; he simply wanted to see who could hold on to the end.

He set this distance to illustrate to everyone just how tremendously difficult it was to become a Holy Light Bloodline.

But even faced with such an unreasonable distance, not a single person shrank back; everyone knew how precious this chance was and were willing to risk their lives to push into the top 200.

For Professionals, the higher the Level, the heavier the weight they bore, with Level 4 carrying as much as 80 pounds. There were no easy shortcuts for anyone.

It could be said that Lide designed this competition purely in the spirit of an athletic meet.

Though the plan was simple, it gave everyone a sense of participation.

It allowed each person to understand the difficulties involved.

Success achieved through unrelenting effort and sacrifice was something to be truly cherished.

700 individuals lined up neatly on the broad street; after military training, their upright postures resembled tall trees, each person brimming with vitality.

“My people, today is the last day of the Hero Selection Contest, the closest you have ever been to becoming part of the Holy Light Bloodline.

Strive hard, for everything is fair, and only the most exceptional will be rewarded.

Only the first 200 to reach the finish line will I bestow with the noble Holy Light Bloodline.

I hope that under the watchful eyes of everyone in Dawn City, you win respect and Glory.

I await at the finish line for you to claim your reward.”

Lide’s soaring tone immediately heightened the crowd’s spirits.

“Long live the Kachar City Lord!”

“Come on, Oli! You must break into the top 200!”

“Weiner, I believe in you…”

“I can’t wait any longer…”

“…”

The crowd’s cheers, their conversations speculating on who might make it into the top 200, and their looks filled with anticipation energized those standing on the streets.

Especially those with friends and family outside cheering for them were more determined than ever to make it into the top 200 and receive the reward from Kachar City Lord, to become a noble of the Holy Light Bloodline.

“The race, begins~”

With Lide personally announcing the start, the competition officially commenced.

The already impatient crowd surged forward, causing the cobblestone streets to tremble lightly.

700 participants carrying weights marched with unstoppable determination.

It was destined to be a grueling endurance race, especially considering the extraordinary physical strength of the humans in Glory World.

After 5 Sunshine Hours,

The first participant was eliminated, not due to exhaustion, but to a twisted ankle.

After 7 Sunshine Hours, the first genuine case of exhaustion led to elimination.

By the 9th Sunshine Hour, the number of those eliminated had reached 52.

After the 11th Sunshine Hour, only 435 runners remained racing on the streets of Dawn City.

The crowd, which had initially gathered for the spectacle, had fallen into an unexpected silence, touched by the sight of the runners. A profound emotion stirred within everyone, proud because their friends, their relatives, were among the racers.

At that moment, Oli felt as though his lungs were ablaze with a magic fireball, and breathing felt like sharp agony piercing his bones.

The cold air of Frost Month seemed as scorching as a heated dagger slicing through his throat.

The 20-pound weight on his back made his steps heavy as lead, each one thudding on the cobblestones.

Blurry images swam before his eyes, and the surrounding chants and cheers no longer spurred his excitement.

Just stop, stop, you’ve done enough, give up and you can rest…

It was as if a devil’s whisper in his mind was chipping away at his fighting spirit.

Over the past half month, in what was called a ruthless competition, he had given his all. Though his physical strength couldn’t match the others, he had survived thus far with sheer willpower.

Oli clenched his fists fiercely and bit hard into his tongue.

The sharp pain briefly cleared the fog in his mind.

He refused to give up, unwilling to surrender, yearning to become a Holy Light Bloodline.

Only by gaining tremendous power could he, like the Holy Light Bloodline, help more people. He did not want to see friends or family in danger ever again due to lack of food or power.

Many figures suddenly sprang into Oli’s mind,

Recker with a smile, patting his shoulder in encouragement, Patril’s kind smile, his deceased parents’ last advice ringing in his ears, the desperate look in the eye of a friend who had fallen into an ice hole searching for food.

At last, everything shattered.

One enduring image took over his thoughts.

Lide’s first speech in Dawn City Square stood tall as a mountain.

“My people, I am your City Lord, Kachar…”

The magic-filled voice seemed to echo in his ears.

It was that figure who led Eric Town out of the abyss, giving him a new life.

Now, Oli once again lifted his head, turning all the loss in his eyes to resolve.

He had to earn the favor of Kachar City Lord and become part of the Holy Light Bloodline!!

He must!!

Crack~

Something seemed to break in Oli’s mind; strength reemerged in his nearly depleted body.

The power of faith gave him endless energy.@@novelbin@@

And at that moment, Lide, watching from the high platform, abruptly stood up, surprise painting his face as he looked toward the street where the heavily-striding crowd was running.

“Ding~ Oli has become your fervent believer, providing 1 point of Power of Faith daily”

???

A fervent believer??? What in the world is happening???