I Became the Progenitor Vampire

Chapter 211: Chapter 212: Am I Playing the Game or Is the Game Playing Me? (Extra)

Stanley’s sharp eyes fixated tightly on the three men, his tone grave.

“The emergence of the Lost Plane will have a significant impact on this world. To counter this influence, I need the Dark Covenant to have its own undead.”

After finishing, his face became extremely serious,

“I hope you can truly join the Dark Covenant, to become one of us, rather than merely using the Dark Covenant as a stepping stone.

Hun Yuan, you are the smartest one among the three of you, and I believe you know what I mean.

The best way to combat undead is with the undead themselves. The Dark Covenant wants to survive the turmoil without being submerged, it needs to have its own undead.

...

If you agree, you will help me control the Dark Covenant’s undead and follow Lord Ilo to glory.”

The strategic vision and foresight of this NPC were astonishing.

The three players exchanged glances full of admiration; was this NPC cheating? After just a few days, he was able to deduce the future trend of events based on their performance alone.

Such a level of intelligence, it was simply incredible.

Hun Yuan was alright, with enough intelligence to keep up with Stanley’s thinking.

But Thunderclap Hand and Cheng Kun were greatly shaken.

Damn it, why was this ghostly NPC so smart?

If all NPCs had this level of intelligence, would they even play the game anymore?

Now, this NPC had deduced all their secrets and even found ways to deal with other players—and crucially, these methods were effective…

Thunderclap Hand and Cheng Kun felt an enormous shock at that moment.

Because they felt utterly outclassed by the intelligence of an NPC.

If they were in his place, they absolutely could not deduce so much information, nor could they make such advanced decisions.

At this moment, they truly wanted to shout aloud, “We kneel before the master.”

“Lord Stanley, how can you be certain that we are not sincerely joining the Dark Covenant now?

Aren’t we part of the Dark Covenant? In every battle, we’ve always drawn fire for our comrades behind us.”

Hun Yuan didn’t respond immediately but instead posed a question to Stanley.

Stanley shook his head, his profound eyes carrying a touch of complexity.

“Because you remind me of myself when I was young. I was a spellcaster of exceptional talent, arrogant and conceited.

Until one day, my pride and conceit cost me my wife, my children, everything.

So, do you understand?”

“Lord Stanley, I…”

Watching Hun Yuan attempting to speak again, Stanley quickly withdrew the reminiscence in his eyes and decisively waved his hand, stopping him.

“No need to say more,” the Vice President of the Dark Covenant’s voice slowly became more forceful, “Now, it is I who am choosing you, not you haggling with me.

Although you have talents that I covet, you still need a long time to grow.

Moreover, you are not my only option, but the Dark Covenant is your only choice!

Trust me, you won’t have such an opportunity anywhere else but with the Dark Covenant.

But I am different; I can find other undead at any time; you are not unique.

Hun Yuan, you are a smart man; I need smart people to become partners of the Dark Covenant.”

After finishing, he glanced knowingly at Thunderclap Hand and Cheng Kun, instantly angering both, but then they cooled off just as quickly.

F*ck, seems like this bullshitting NPC actually has the right to look down on us.

It just made them feel worse.

Believe it or not, we’ve actually been looked down upon by an NPC for our intelligence…

Hun Yuan took a deep breath, feeling completely trapped by this NPC, and the worst part was that he couldn’t refute any of it.

This damned game is so absurd, I, a dignified player, am actually being toyed with by an NPC so blatantly.

“Lord Stanley, we are willing to join the Dark Covenant and become a member of the Dark Covenant,”

Hun Yuan said solemnly after a deep breath, “I believe we will bring new opportunities to the Dark Covenant.”

“But, how can you be sure that we are sincerely joining?” he added with a playful look in his eyes, curious to see what tactic this NPC would use to truly bind them to the Dark Covenant.

If it’s just some oath or something, he was ready to laugh it off.

Stanley laughed heartily, reaching into his robe and pulling out three yellowed magic scrolls, aged by the passage of time.

“This is a Rule Contract I once obtained from the Divine, by signing the contract, you will be forever bound to the Dark Covenant, never able to betray.

Likewise, the Dark Covenant cannot forsake you either, or the contract will lose its effect.”

He then extended his hand and passed the magic scrolls to the three of them.

After receiving it, Hun Yuan took a serious look at the magic scroll in his hand, exuding an energy that filled him with dread.

He had an inkling that this contract seemed to be a product of some rule, a rule that stood above the Divine.

This was the message transmitted to the soul by the contract, independent of strength.

Moreover, he could feel that the contract’s function was no different from what Stanley had described.

It was a mutual loyalty pact, not to betray each other.

“What if we don’t sign?” he asked.

Stanley’s expression remained unchanged, “Even if you don’t sign, you are still friends of the Dark Covenant.

Rest assured, the Dark Covenant will not make enemies of you or suppress you because of it.

I need partners, not enemies. Even if we cannot become partners, I do not wish for us to become enemies.”

If these words had been spoken by anyone else, it certainly would have surprised them; when did the domineering Lord Stanley become so easy to talk to?

But Stanley knew, although he appeared very calm, the Resurrection Talent was just too abnormal; unless he found a way to break that resurrection, he could already vaguely foresee the rise of these Undead in the not so distant future.

Even though each death meant losing some strength, in the end, it gave them more opportunity to become powerful than them, who only had one life.

Of course, Stanley was not afraid. As a Level 15 power, no matter how strong the enemy, he had enough confidence to face them, especially since these Undead were far from growing strong.

They were not a threat to him yet.

Moreover, with these Undead joining the Dark Covenant, he might be able to use them to gain more resources in the future; he had several treasure-laden, yet deadly places that he had not dared to venture into…

Hun Yuan inwardly wailed; this damned NPC was absolutely shrewd, calculating everything about them.

He couldn’t find any reason to refuse.

Especially after seeing those pitiful players’ experiences on the forums after the Glory incident, he knew how lucky they were now to have caught the eye of the Vice President of the Dark Covenant, who dominates Green City’s Underworld.

It was a massive opportunity for them, and if they missed it, he believed this cunning NPC would immediately find another group of players to sign the contract.

And those struggling, miserable players would definitely sign, as Stanley said, he wasn’t the only choice, but for them, the Dark Covenant was indeed the only choice.

“Lord Stanley, we are willing,”

After a moment of contemplation, Hun Yuan made a decisive decision, without any drama. They were too weak now and needed the shelter of a vast force.

“`

“Good, drip your blood onto the scroll and swear never to betray the ‘Dark Contract’. The spell is…”

Stanley nodded with satisfaction and began to guide them through the oath.

These Magic Scrolls had been discovered by him in an Ancient Ruin a long time ago – he had a whole hundred of them, and they served to enforce the oaths that were made.

Although not as powerful as the Soul Contracts of the Death God, they had a similarly strong binding force. Anyone who had ever signed one and then violated it had met a gruesome end with their souls devoured.

After the trio had signed the contract, Hun Yuan suddenly heard a system notification.

“Ding~ You have signed a Loyalty Contract with the ‘Dark Contract’. Should you betray the ‘Dark Contract’, your account will be deleted, and all your possessions and properties will be reset to zero.”

Fuck, the trio looked at each other with shock written across their faces.

Damn, isn’t this binding force a bit too fucking strong? To get deleted for betraying it? What kind of shitty game is this, and who exactly is the player?

Are we playing the game, or is the game playing us?

Right now, the trio wished they could jump out and give a good thrashing to the game’s designers – this was infuriating.

At that moment, Stanley stood up, his face showing a thick smile because he could feel the power of the contract.

What he hadn’t told Hun Yuan, Thunderclap Hand, and Cheng Kun was that there was a primary contract, and the primary contract happened to be able to control the secondary contracts. He had coincidentally inherited the power of the primary contract in that Ancient Ruin.

So after the trio had sworn their oaths, he was already in direct control of their fates.

Stanley now sensed the trio’s souls branded by the ‘Lost World’ and knew he could erase their brands if he so wished.

As a former follower of the Evil God, even though he was now constrained by Lide, he was no kind creature. It was not strange for these newbies to be duped by this ‘Dark Giant’.

“Hun Yuan, Thunderclap Hand, Cheng Kun, congratulations on becoming partners of the ‘Dark Contract’.

I will form a new division with you at the core – the ‘Immortal Soul’ – and pull in 100 Intermediate Warriors as the foundation.

For now, Draco will manage it. Once you become Intermediate professionals, ‘Immortal Soul’ will be handed over to you.

In the future, I hope you can recruit a group of elite warriors from the ‘Lost World’ to become part of the ‘Immortal Soul’ and contribute even more to the ‘Dark Contract’.”

Hiss~

Suddenly, the trio who were disgruntled by the severe punishment for betraying the ‘Dark Contract’ felt much better.

Being allocated 100 Intermediate professionals, all above level 5 mini-bosses at that, and to have a division established around them.

Wow, this time it really was exciting.

The trio exchanged looks, their eyes brimming with smiles.

They could hardly wait to return to the forums and brag about this news.

Just thinking about having 100 subordinates while other beta testers were still miserably dealing with NPC troubles, they felt a refreshing thrill, like eating cold watermelon on a hot summer day.

This was a score.

“I’ll have Draco help you boost your strength and get you to become Intermediate professionals as soon as possible.

The future ‘Dark Contract’ needs more undead to serve. Hun Yuan, I hope you won’t let me down.”

Hun Yuan looked at Stanley’s deep gaze and nodded resolutely; now they were essentially in the same boat.

The price for betraying the ‘Dark Contract’ was deletion, and that price was too steep.

Even now, he couldn’t bear the thought of deletion, and he would go crazy if all his recent efforts were wasted.

“Lord Stanley, we will work hard.”

Stanley nodded, his tone becoming a little more solemn, “Work hard, and when Lord Ilo returns, I believe he will reward you.”

“Lord Ilo??” asked Thunderclap Hand curiously, “Is that our ‘Dark Contract’s’ President?”

Stanley gazed deeply at him, “Yes, Lord Ilo is our ‘Dark Contract’s’ protector, and also the Vice President of ‘Demon Heart’.”

“`

“You will have the opportunity to meet Lord Ilo in the future,”

“Believe me, it will be the most unforgettable and glorious moment of your lives.”

The three exchanged glances, and seeing the admiration on the face of Stanley, the Vice President of the Dark Contract, who was now too powerful for words, an inexplicable curiosity arose in their hearts about this President Ilo they had never met.

To manage such a vast force of the Dark Contract, and also the Vice President of one of Green City’s three major Underground Forces, the Demon Heart.

One person conquering two spots among the three great underground powers, what kind of existence would such a Dark Giant be?

With anticipation, the three left.

They were already eager to brag on the forums about how they had become big shots, commanding over a hundred followers with Intermediate professions.

Just thinking about the envious, jealous, and resentful comments from those unfortunate beta players thrilled them, oh what a rush.

Once the room was empty, Grote’s tall and burly figure strode out from behind the room at the back of the hall.

He spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction.

“Stanley, are you sure these adventurers from a Different Plane are really that valuable?”

Grote looked puzzled, “Though they possess resurrection abilities, are these mere Level 1 Warrior Apprentices of any value?

You could easily snatch any warrior off the streets who could kill them hundreds of times over.”

“Do they really deserve our attention, warranting such resource allocation?”

To this Northern Warrior, the adventurers from the Lost World may have the ability to resurrect, but their strength was fundamentally weak, and growing stronger would take a long time.

And no one could guarantee their resurrection was limitless.

If after investing significant resources to nurture them, their resurrection ability became ineffective, it would be a tremendous loss for them.

Stanley looked helplessly at Grote’s oppressively sturdy form and shook his head.

They had known each other for over a decade now; Grote was already the Guard Commander for Viscount Bernard back when he was still a Level 13 Dark Priest.

He knew well the temperament of this Northern Warrior; although he had been transformed into a Bloodline, his temper hadn’t changed in the slightest.

“Grote, the strategy is far more complex than you imagine; your vision sees the next five years, whereas I am considering the future ten, even twenty years from now,”

Stanley’s gaze was profound, “For a force to develop better, we must not only focus on the immediate benefits.

This is something I learned from Viscount Bernard.

The Dark Contract’s growth from obscurity to one of the top three giants is the result of Viscount Bernard’s long-term planning.

There are no knights who can slay a giant dragon with a single stroke, nor is there a crop that can feed one for a lifetime after only one planting.”

After a pause, his tone became suggestive, “If the Ancestor Crown were here, do you think he would agree with my approach?”

Hearing this final remark, Grote was taken aback for a moment, then said with a hint of peculiarity, “No, Stanley, if the Ancestor Crown were here, he wouldn’t be making contracts with adventurers from the Lost Plane like this,”

Stanley’s brow furrowed, “Oh?? Impossible, I have faith in the Ancestor Crown’s vision!”

Although he hadn’t been in contact with Lide for long, he could sense Lide’s far-reaching vision; he didn’t believe Lide would give up on these Undead with the ability to be reborn.

Grote suddenly burst into boisterous laughter, “The Ancestor Crown would make these adventurers cry and beg to sign a contract with him, not like how you’re doing it…”

Having said this, he patted his behind, turned around, and left feeling rather pleased with himself.

Leaving behind a bewildered Stanley.

To make these adventurers, who did not fear death, willingly sign a contract?

Could that be possible?

The young Bloodline Stanley, it seemed, had yet to hear the legend of the King of Trickery…