I Became the Progenitor Vampire

Chapter 284: Chapter 286: Three Months Later (5200 words) Chapter 284: Chapter 286: Three Months Later (5200 words) Shadows of Dawn…

Lide looked at the now empty room, his dark eyes slowly deepening.

Although everything was still only an initial concept, the goal had been established, and it was just a matter of how the future would unfold.

“We still need development…”

Dawn City might look much stronger than when he first arrived, but its shallow foundation was a shortcoming that couldn’t be resolved quickly.

However, fortunately, there was still time.

Lide’s will was the direction for Dawn City to march forward, and in April, two major events that would influence the fate of Dawn City officially began.

The first was the trade plan with the Fishman Country.

This project was organized by the City Hall, with support from the intelligence command center, executed by Frey stationed in the Short Hills, and even the Iron Hoof Tribe had become part of it.

The primary purpose of this plan was to establish a trade channel with the Fishman Country and obtain the desperately needed magical raw materials for the Crimson Mage Tower, and even in the farther future, to conduct dump style trade with them like with the Centaurs, earning a substantial profit for Dawn City through price differentials.

However, because the sea was too far from the Far Mountain Range and the Short Hills in the middle were Centaur territory, Lide did not use too much of the Bloodline’s own power this time, focusing mainly on the Iron Hoof Tribe.

Frey set out with the Iron Hoof Tribe’s Centaurs in search of the Fishmen.

The second major event was the establishment of the Shadows of Dawn.

As the most core department of the intelligence agency and even capable of changing Dawn City’s destiny, the Shadows of Dawn had been deemed the highest-level secret by Lide.

Apart from him and Harrison and Gastanley, no one else knew of this department’s existence.

This ensured to the greatest extent the secrecy of this information.

However, unlike the trade with the Fishman Country, the progress of the Shadows of Dawn would be quite slow at the beginning, with each development possibly taking years.

Lide was not in a hurry about this; the upper echelons of humankind were definitely not so simple, and such a plan could not be expected to show results the day after its implementation.

April became Lide’s busiest month.

As the above two projects were underway, the completion of two other constructions took Dawn City’s development to a new stage.

The first was the breeding farm, which had expanded to six locations, with 2,000 staff working there.

The breeding farms were the supply warehouses for the Air Force base and the source of meat for Dawn City, and would inevitably become a strategic building for the city.

After the completion of the breeding farms, Lide immediately ordered the cultivation of Magic Language Bats, and Di, responsible for raising the Magic Language Bats, immediately started working.

It was expected that by the end of July, the number of Magic Language Bats would grow from the current 1,000 to 4,000.

Following closely behind the breeding farms, the school, which Lide had long anticipated, was completed.

The school was crucial; the importance of education was unquestionable, as Earth’s Huaxia’s rapid rise was inseparable from sustained investment in education.

This was also true in the Glory World, as high-quality talent was precious for any force.

The high-quality talent—elites from Risier City—captured half a year ago had been thoroughly integrated into Dawn City after a long period of suppression, division, and co-opting.

Of course, these elites who once held power were not so easily subdued, but in the face of unequal strength, all rebellion was but a paper tiger.

Those guilty elites who still thought of resisting Dawn City’s rule, under the full surveillance of the Bloodline, one by one revealed their true colors and were captured; those once influential people, under the interrogation of the Dawn Mage Group, were each convicted.

In the end, Porter, who once organized the Wolf Gang to rebel, found his desiccated body surrounded by several hanged companions.

Those foolish rebels ultimately only accounted for an extremely small portion of the disenfranchised elite who, out of discontent, showed weak resistance.

Conversely, led by the elder Horn of the Risier family, a greater number of elites had completely turned to Dawn City, becoming contributors to the construction of the city.

Among them, the central figure—Horn—had already been appointed by Lide as the first headmaster of Dawn Academy.

The remaining scholars and polymaths from Risier City had all become teachers at Dawn City’s first school.

There were as many as a hundred of them, which effectively addressed the issue of a scarcity of teachers that had troubled Lide.

The formidable team of teachers was undoubtedly a guarantee for the future.

The school’s curriculum was meticulously designed by Lide, all practical subjects, with some specialties created specifically to cultivate talent for the City Hall.

Construction Department, Administrative Department, Logistics Department, and even the Intelligence Command Center and Alchemy Factory had specially created related courses for study.

These departments would directly select talented individuals from among the outstanding students as fresh blood.

In Lide’s plan, the two wheels supporting the transformation of Dawn City’s internal power had now been built.

Dawn Mage Tower and Dawn Academy,
The Mage Tower periodically selects youths of suitable age, cultivating those with a Casting Talent into Mages.

Whether they are Life Mages or Combat Mages, they would be of great use in Dawn City.

Dawn Academy has a slightly lower threshold; there’s no need to test aptitude, and all youths of the appropriate age must compulsorily receive education.

Dawn Mage Tower and Dawn Academy complement each other. Lide even lets Mages teach at Dawn Academy, allowing students without Casting Talent to understand the basic composition of Spells and even teaches them how to counter Spellcasters.

Mage Apprentices must also broaden their knowledge in other categories at Dawn Academy.

Dawn Academy will differentiate students by age, offering specialized education to those over 14 years old. Depending on the requirements of each department, one can graduate after one, two, or three years of study and then proceed to work in the related department.

Those under 14 will be subjected to long-term cultivation policies, required to study until 16 before being allowed to graduate, and possibly even offer higher education in the future, which can continue nurturing talent until the age of 20.

Of course, when Dawn Academy was first established, the policies would be somewhat chaotic, but as it slowly became more standardized, these irrationalities and mistakes could be corrected in practice.

Lide wouldn’t have too great expectations for Dawn Academy in the short term.

Just like the Mage Tower, the first few years for Dawn Academy are purely for investment, and it is basically impossible to expect any returns; it would need at least several years to settle.

However, like the Mage Tower, the school is a project that will gain momentum in the later stages. The initial investment is a bottomless pit, with no visible output or benefit.

But the longer the time, the larger the role it can play, and it could even become as important as the Mage Tower for Dawn City in the later stages.

Besides the construction of these two important buildings, another event also greatly satisfied Lide.

The winter wheat was harvested.

The winter wheat planted in mid-October of last year grew slowly during the winter and started to sprout and stretch crazily after the Planting Season arrived, until it matured in April.

This year’s winter wheat harvest is more abundant than last spring’s. The City Hall hasn’t tallied the precise figures, but the initial estimate is that this harvest is enough for 120,000 people to eat for an entire year.

This is a pleasantly surprising number for Lide.

Currently, Dawn City’s grain reserves, including last year’s surplus and this year’s consumption,
are about enough to feed 170,000 to 180,000 people for one year.

Currently, Dawn City has 50,000 people, and if no new population is added, the current grain reserves can supply the entire city for three years.

Of course, it is impossible not to grow the population, as population plundering will be an unwavering direction for Dawn City for a long time in the future.

Lide spent the entire April busy.

Time flies, and at the beginning of May, the completed Dawn Academy began its official recruitment.

As the Dawn Sovereign, Lide attended this important ceremony.

Lastly, at the school’s inauguration ceremony, in front of tens of thousands of residents who had heard the news, he used Magic Power to carve the four large characters for Dawn Academy onto a rock at the entrance of the school.

These four characters came with a Spirit Imprint that he branded using the Power of Faith and spiritual power.

This imprint cost Lide three thousand units of the Power of Faith, with the sole effects being sanctity and dignity.

Anyone standing under the four characters of Dawn Academy would feel the minuteness of being gazed upon by the Divine.

Moreover, this brand could also continuously gather Magic Power, maintaining its state.

During the inauguration ceremony, the elder Horn from the Risier family led all the scholars and polymaths to kneel on the ground and swear allegiance to Lide at the moment the school was officially unveiled.

Even Horn and several other core figures of the school directly signed Soul Contracts with Lide, becoming his subordinates completely.

As a result, Dawn Academy officially stepped onto the historical stage of Dawn City.

Time moved to July 10th.

Moonlight Plain.

Lide stood in front of a large construction site, looking at the One-eyed Giants who were digging up the yellow earth to bury the boulders, a very satisfied expression on his face.

Behind him at this time were more than ten Dwarfs and seven or eight elegantly poised humans, all members of the construction department.

At this moment, an elderly man with a white beard was respectfully reporting to Lide.

“Your Highness, judging by the current construction speed, the new district is expected to complete its first phase in November.

At that time, it would be able to accommodate approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people.

And due to the large scale of the entire new district, it will not be officially completed until after next year’s Planting Season at the earliest.”

The construction of the new district commenced officially after the completion of Dawn Academy and the breeding farms.

Now, the South City District is brimming with residents; the original city can no longer satisfy the rapidly expanding population of Dawn City, thus the construction of a new district was imperative.

Fortunately, Lide had long since devised an extensive plan, having begun the planning of the new district in the previous year, allowing for the current progress to proceed in an orderly fashion.

150,000 people—that was the target Lide set.

The future new district will be able to accommodate 150,000 residents. Coupled with the current South City District, the full population capacity of Dawn City will reach a milestone of 200,000.

Dwarves from the construction department and the human elite of Risier City took part in the planning and design of the new district, and the final plan received Lide’s approval.

The construction plan for the new district is immensely vast, almost requiring the full force of Dawn City’s resources to participate in the construction.

Currently, all construction and work centers have shifted focus to the building of the new district.

What was once the Moonlight Plain outside the southern area has now become a full-blown construction site.

On a regular day, there are over 8,000 construction workers onsite, with the number peaking at more than 15,000 at times.

All the One-eyed Giants have been summoned back.

Lide even dispatched 1,000 strong Beastmen to Dawn City to partake in the construction of the new district.

The colossal bodies of the One-eyed Giants are more effective than heavy machinery in the area, handling all the large stones.

Meanwhile, the Beastmen, with their robust bodies, became the most powerful labor force on the construction site.

With the breeding farms operating at full capacity, a significant amount of meat is now produced, so the Beastmen dispatched from Dwarf Valley are living happily in Dawn City.

Merely participating in work allows them to eat their fill, and the presence of meat makes it all the more blissful.

It is worth mentioning that, during the construction process of the new district, the Dawn Mage Tower also played a leading role.

Over 400 life-oriented Mages, of levels 2 to 4, cultivated without restriction by Lide, have been deployed for production and construction.

The difference between life-oriented Mages and combat Mages lies in the fact that all of their skills are life-oriented.

Such as Mage’s Hand, Cleaning Spell, Heavenly Rain, Strength Enhancement, Agility Skill, and so on.

All of these can be applied to aspects of daily life and production.

Though spells like Strength Enhancement and Agility Skill can also be used in combat, their effects are clearly better when applied to hard labor.

A Beastman, after receiving Agility Skill and Strength Enhancement, could see a 50% increase in work efficiency within a Sunshine Hour, and 400 life-oriented Mages could directly enhance one thousand Beastmen.

Beastmen, bolstered by magic, screamed in excitement, essentially becoming small-scale excavators, working more vigorously than anyone else.

“Klang, are there any difficulties with the construction currently?”

Lide turned, looking at the white-bearded, elegantly dressed human elder in a white noble robe standing beside him, who had just reported to him.

This elder named Klang was once an elite from Risier City, extremely knowledgeable in architecture. He possessed an in-depth study of Elf architecture, Dwarf cities, human cities, and even ancient cities from bygone eras.

More importantly, this elder was not one to discuss strategy without putting it into practice; he was in charge of the entire expansion and defense system construction of Risier City.

After inquiring about his expertise, City Hall arranged this master architect to join the construction department.

Klang truly lived up to his reputation in architecture and, in just half a year, won over everyone in the construction department, being directly recommended and appointed as the department’s deputy head.

And now, Klang was in charge of the new district’s construction work, as the chief engineer.

Klang shook his head, “Your Highness, with full support from City Hall, we don’t have significant construction issues.

Given some time, the construction of the new district will certainly meet your satisfaction.”

Lide nodded slightly, “Very well, it is already mid-July now, and we may face more disorder from the Beastmen come Frost Month.

We will have an increasing population joining us, so we must complete the construction of a city district that can accommodate no less than 50,000 residents before Frost Month.”

Speaking of the Beastmen, a slight frown creased Lide’s brow.

It’s been over half a year.

The Beastmen seemed to have truly taken root in the lands of the Nolan Empire.

Not only have the Beastmen of Risier City not retreated, but other Beastmen also remain stationary.

The actions of the Beastmen have an indescribable oddity, even more peculiar is that Green City’s reaction to the Beastmen is quite detached, as if none of this happened at all.

But what concerns Lide the most is still the Beastman Prince of Risier City; the Beastman Prince is now like a nonentity, without the slightest stir.

Risier City, now occupied by the Beastman Prince, was under strict surveillance, and even the Beastman King, Kapu, could not approach.

Deep within, Emi and Craig had also vanished without a trace, and Lide had attempted to contact them several times, but was blocked by an invisible force.

“Yes, Your Highness, before the Frost Month, the first phase of construction will definitely be complete,” Klang assured loudly.

Lide nodded and was about to speak when a series of hurried footsteps behind him caught his attention.

“Harrison, what happened?”

Harrison, wearing a black mage’s robe, had an urgent look on his face.

“Your Highness, there’s news from the Mermaid Empire.”

Lide turned fiercely, his gaze intense as he looked at his trusted assistant, his tone solemn.

“Are you certain? How did the Fishmen respond?”

The trade plan with the Fishman Empire, devised in April, was progressing extremely poorly, the difficulty far exceeding Lide’s expectations.

The most direct reason was—they couldn’t find the Fishmen.

That’s right, as simple as that. When had Centaurs, pure land creatures, ever had dealings with Fishmen?? There simply was no channel to make contact with the Fishmen.

If those deep in the sea didn’t surface, who knew where they were?

Of course, another crucial reason for not finding Fishmen was that the Centaurs of the Iron Hoof Tribe were so poor they couldn’t even afford trousers.

Due to poverty and the scarcity of resources, the Centaurs had nothing the Fishmen needed, and the Fishmen had nothing the Centaurs could use.

So beyond knowing there was such a race nearby, there was absolutely no interaction between the Fishmen and the Centaurs.

After heading to the border line with the leadership of Frey, the Centaurs of the Iron Hoof Tribe found themselves in an awkward position.

Unable to find the existence of Fishmen.

And with the fact that the Fishman Empire was attacking the port cities of the Nolan Empire, a war was going on along another coastline. The Fishmen didn’t care about the Centaurs, a terrestrial race that posed no threat to the sea for thousands of years.

This created a strange scene. The coastlines of the Nolan Empire were ablaze with combat, Fishmen desperately trying to capture the port cities, but in the regions controlled by the Centaurs, not a single Fishman could be seen.

Later, left with no other choice, Frey had to utilize the flying advantage of the Bloodline to search in a net-like fashion, and after great effort, he finally made contact with some Fishmen.

But embarrassingly, these Fishmen were all minor figures who couldn’t make a difference.

Therefore, from the start, the dispatch mission for the trade plan with the Fishman Empire was in a deadlock.

When he first heard this news, Lide had a feeling of being powerless to complain.

He had considered everything, even contemplated using war as a means for trade, but never did he expect that finding Fishmen would be the hardest part of the plan.

“Has Frey confirmed that the other party is a high-level Fishman and not the minor figures from before?”

Harrison nodded, his tone steady.

“Clan Leader, the other party is a Clan Leader of the Fishman Clan, with more than five hundred thousand Fishman warriors… A formidable force.”

Hearing this, Lide nodded slightly. There was a vast array of creatures in the ocean that could sustain even more life.

Five hundred thousand warriors was a significant number on land, but in the ocean, it was just an ordinary tribe.

Because the ocean was vast.

“What did the Fishmen say?”

“They want to talk to you in person.”

“Talk to me in person? Why?”

“Frey’s level is only 12…”

At this, Lide’s mouth twitched slightly. Level 12, though strong enough as a Crimson Hunter after class change, was indeed not qualified to negotiate with a boss who commanded five hundred thousand subordinates.

He would have to intervene personally.

“Fine, prepare immediately, we’re heading to the Fishman Tribe.”

Fishmen? A glint of excitement flashed in Lide’s eyes. He had never actually seen this race, infamous in the Glory World.

Could there be mermaids among them??

If there were mermaids… well, capturing a few for the bathtub wouldn’t be too bad.