Chapter 398: Chapter 400: Conquering Black Iron Castle, Defeated Without a Fight (7800 words)

Hearing Lide’s words, Harrison’s expression was truly marvelous.

He even began to doubt if he had misheard. What was Divine Status? The most fundamental power of a Divine being, its value simply indescribable in words.

But now… Lide was saying he had obtained one. Could such a thing be so easily acquired?

“Your Highness, are you speaking of Divine Status?”

Watching Harrison’s astonished expression, Lide felt a bit of schadenfreude. When he first saw the Divine Status, his expression wasn’t much better than Harrison’s.

“Yes, a Divine Status containing the Twilight Divine Position…”

It even contained a Divine Position?!!

Harrison’s eyes widened further, his face filled with disbelief.

Was this equivalent to raiding the home of the Deities, or had he breached another Divine relic?

By the Creator God above, was he dreaming?

Seeing Harrison unable to recover for a long while, Lide began to recount how he had acquired the Divine Status with a smile. After listening, Harrison finally came back to his senses.

His face flushed with excitement, “Your Highness, you have surely been blessed by the Creator God!

Not only to subdue such a terrifying existence as a Divine Monster but also to obtain Divine Status!!

By the Creator God above, the Holy Light Bloodline will certainly become a race of Divine Descendants!”

A race of Divine Descendants, children of the Divine beings.

If one were to look at the current trend, it seemed the probability of Lide achieving Divinity was significantly increasing.

And as the direct Holy Light Bloodline, if Lide truly achieved Divinity, then without a doubt, they would be the biggest beneficiaries.

Divine Descendants were not just a fantasy.

“Let’s not entertain too many thoughts for now.”

Lide waved his hand. Becoming a Deity was still too far-fetched; even reaching Legendary status was a long journey ahead. The focus should be on increasing strength in preparation for the impending disaster of the Olden Days.

“Now, I need to obtain the Dark Faith Power to activate this Twilight Divine Status.”

“The best place to garner Dark Faith Power is undoubtedly the Underworld…

Half-Elf, Gray Dwarf, Dark Night Elf, Half-Beast, Cave Dwellers, Griffon… etc., all these races can help us gain Dark Faith Power.”

Harrison also steadied his emotions and, after a moment of thought, decisively said,

“Your Highness, conquering the Underworld was part of our plan all along, we can start immediately.

We’ll use our army to suppress resistance, and use faith to dissolve dissent. This land will be enshrouded in your radiance.”

“Correct, that’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Lide’s eyes blazed, “We need to conquer a city and then use it as a foothold to radiate outwards.”

“Are you referring to… Black Iron Castle?”

Harrison’s gaze sharpened, “The city established by the Half-body people is undoubtedly a core location in the vicinity of the Mire Swamps.

According to our intelligence department, there are many tribes and groups around, such as the Dark Night Elves to the south of Black Iron City, and the Half-Beast people to the north, all of which are tribes with powerful forces.”

Lide nodded thoughtfully.

“I had intended to erode the Underworld slowly, allowing this land, just like the Centaurs of the low hills, to become part of us under the economic influence of Dawn City.

But now with the Olden Days approaching, we are running out of time. Our corrosion plan can only be changed to a faster conquest plan.”

“The power of Dawn City has already become incomparable to the past, conquering this land is more than enough!”

“No matter how much power they hide, no matter how strong they are, the iron hooves of Dawn City will crush everything!”

Lide’s tone was calm, but the boundless domineering ambition within was enough to make anyone take notice.

With the power in his hands, he was able to face all challenges of the Underworld fearlessly.

“Your Majesty, your vision shall become the guiding light for Dawn City!”

Harrison bowed with his hand on his chest, his eyes filled with a fanatical worship that was even more fervent than that of zealous believers.

The speaker of City Hall had witnessed Lide ascend against the heavens step by step, growing Dawn City to possess several individuals of extraordinary standing; his trust in Lide had already reached the maximum even without the influence of bloodline.

Lide took a deep breath, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s.

“Harrison, issue the order immediately to assemble the army. Deploy all the legions of the King’s Blade for battle-ready status.”

“This battle will be the one to establish the rise of Dawn City, there is no turning back!”

The King’s Blade was an army Lide had built with his own hands, controlling all troops except for spellcasters and Bloodline.

This included the Dawn Wings, the Beastman Legion, the Centaur Legion, the Human Legion, and the Giant Legion.

Each legion differed greatly in number and strength.

The Dawn Wings, after several expansions, now numbered 5,000, equipped with 8,000 Magic Language Bats, of which 3,000 were responsible for airdropping Alchemy Bombs,

The other 5,000 were Magic Language Knights, armed with aerial crossbows, tasked with sniping enemy air units and protecting the bombing squadron.

The Beastman Legion originated from the Lion Tribe, with a total of 50,000 individuals, and in Dwarf Valley, there were an additional 60,000 Beastman Warriors ready to join the battlefield at any time, forming the main force for the underground campaign.

The Centaur Legion was dispatched from the Iron Hoof Department in the Dwarf Hills to resist the fierce Half-Ratmen, totaling 40,000, split equally between archers and heavily armored warriors.

The Human Legion, totaling 10,000, comprised archers, thieves, warriors, knights, and more, and was the most diverse profession-wise.

The Giant Legion, currently active at 1,200, consisted of 1,000 Double-headed Ogres and 200 One-eyed Giants, with over 10 individuals possessing combat strength above level 15, equipped with high-level standard equipment, a veritable iron flood.

Beyond these regular legions, the spellcaster forces were also exceedingly luxurious.

The number of Holy Light Bloodline members had already exceeded 2,700, with 2,000 of these being Blood Mages; the rest were Bloodsucking Sword Guards and Blood-colored Blades.

After over three years of training, the Mage Tower of Dawn currently had over 200 battle mages ready for the battlefield, all above level 5.

Although no level 10 Advanced Mages had yet been cultivated, the investment of resources Lide had spared no expense on made this spellcaster force formidable enough to astonish.

In other words, adding up all these tribes, the number of troops Lide could mobilize at any moment had already exceeded 100,000.

This did not include the Self-Destructing Spiders and troops that were not mobilized abroad.

So formidable was their might.

“At once.”

Harrison took his leave to carry out the order, and without lingering in the office, Lide directly tore through space and appeared in the Dawn Church.

This war would by no means be inferior to the Battle of the Five Armies at Risier City, and the entirety of Dawn City would mobilize for it.

However, unlike the last time, the Sect would play a significant role in this conflict.

He wanted the territory, and he wanted the Power of Faith.

Seeing Lide appear suddenly in the church, Nicole, who had not gone out, was somewhat surprised.

Now tall and gracefully shaped, the girl immediately came to Lide’s side and curtsied slightly, “Good day, Lord of Kachar~”

Those big, round eyes brimmed with joy; she had not seen Lide in a long time.

Lide smiled slightly at the sight, “Nicole, where is your sister?”

“Sister went to evangelize in the Underworld, Lord City Mayor, were you looking for her?” Nicole’s voice couldn’t help but hold a tinge of loss.

“No, looking for you is just as good,” Lide’s words brought an immediate smile to this vivacious girl’s face.

“We are about to dispatch troops to conquer the Underworld.

But unlike before, this time it’s not just for land and resources, it’s for faith.”

“For faith?”

Nicole’s delicate brows slightly furrowed as she looked at Lide with a hint of hesitation.

“But our missionary work in the Underworld is already on the right track, and it won’t be long before I believe many Half-body people will become your followers…”

“No,” Lide waved his hand, his gaze fixed on this charming girl, “This time, I need the faith of the Dark Race.”

“The Dark Race?”

Nicole was somewhat surprised, “But the dealings of the Dawn Sect are too transparent, rarely would the Dark Race betray their own camp…”

Actually, it’s not about betrayal but unwillingness, getting a group of bloodthirsty Dark Race to believe in a sect that advocates peace is like forcing lions and tigers to eat grass.

This is also why the Dawn Sect has only been able to spread among the Half-body people so far.

“No, this time we are not spreading the Dawn Sect.”

“Not spreading the Dawn Sect?” Nicole was somewhat perplexed.

“Twilight is approaching, the Multi-dimensional Plane will fall into destruction, the great God of Twilight is the eternal Main God, only He can save all people, His believers will obtain eternal life when the world perishes, heretics and unbelievers will be given eternal suffering by the God of Twilight.”

Lide solemnly recited a standard doctrine of an Evil God, watching Nicole’s bewildered expression, he slowly continued, “I will establish a new sect, and this sect will be named the Twilight Sect…”

“And you will cooperate with the Twilight Sect in evangelism.”

Nicole’s eyes widened in shock, “Lord City Mayor, you’re going to establish a new sect?”

Although she didn’t believe in sects herself, she knew that sects weren’t so easily established… otherwise, wouldn’t there be sects all over the world, and those humans who joined the Evil Camp wouldn’t be so well-behaved.

“There’s no need to worry, this evangelism is not about abandoning the Dawn Sect but to harvest the faith of Dark Life, hence the need to establish a new sect.

Nicole, your talent in management is rare, and this time you will accompany me to the Underworld; the Twilight Sect, in its early stages, will need your cooperation in management.”

Upon hearing this, Nicole’s eyes sparkled with excitement, accompanying Lide to the Underworld? Everything else was irrelevant; just this sentence had the girl raring to go, feeling as though the air itself became fresher.

“Yes, Lord City Mayor, Nicole will not disappoint you.”

“Go and choose some trustworthy and clever priests to accompany us.

After the troops are fully mustered, we’ll set out immediately.”

—

—

—

Black Iron Castle.

As a Half-body people’s city, it’s always been a symbol of prosperity, at least for the races of the Underground.

And now this belief became even more widely accepted.

For the overland power known as Dawn City brought to Black Iron Castle a plethora of precious materials, many of which were not found in the Underworld.

Interestingly, the distribution of materials brought by Dawn City was limited to only a few Half-body Nobles within Black Iron Castle.

Within just over half a year, these Half-body Nobles with business rights saw their power expand dramatically, and their private soldiers and guards even donned extremely valuable armor.

This made many half-body nobles green with envy.

Within a luxurious noble estate near the city center of Black Iron Castle, a banquet was especially lively.

The reason was that today, messengers from Dawn City, the respected Count Audis, invited all the city’s nobles to a feast, explicitly stating that Dawn City would choose more half-body nobles for collaboration after tonight’s dinner.

Even the city lord hurried over upon hearing the news.

“Did you hear that Lord Audis intends to reselect a few cooperative partners? I wonder if it’s true?”

“Do we even need to say it? The goods from Dawn City sell so well, the families who have been in partnership with them these past days have made a killing…”

“If His Excellency Count Audis offers the management rights to magic scrolls tonight, I’ll do whatever it takes to get in on that…”

“If I could get the management rights to weapons, perhaps my subordinates could upgrade to high-level equipment and longbows in half a year…”

The luxurious hall was brightly illuminated by magic lamps, as bright as the earth’s surface, with half-body nobles dressed in Dawn City’s luxurious clothes engaging in conversation with one another.

Most people were focused on tonight’s goal–the new distribution of management rights by Dawn City.

Dawn City, leveraging its powerful industrial strength, had been furiously dumping products in the Underworld recently.

The half-bodies didn’t know about the huge profits from dumping stock, only that they could get a piece of the action by working with Dawn City, so they were very cooperative.

Second-generation Bloodline Audis was sitting at the next seat at the central round table of the banquet hall. The seat of honor was empty; it was his habit because in his heart, only Lide deserved the seat of honor, even in his absence.

Watching the increasingly lively crowd, a barely concealable smile adorned the face of this second-generation Bloodline.

After Lide handed the Underworld over to him, he had not disappointed, managing it to thrive.

He not only secured a massive amount of resources for Dawn City every month but also ensured that the Dawn Sect could peacefully spread their beliefs in this land.

The smooth development of the Underworld had significantly raised his position within Dawn City.

For him, who had been almost invisible among the second-generation Bloodline previously, this was undoubtedly an event worth celebrating.

“Lord Audis, Sir Frey is looking for you…”

At that moment, a member of the Bloodline approached and whispered in Audis’s ear.

On hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Audis’s eyes. Why would Frey show up at this time?

Doesn’t the Dwarf Hills need him to stand guard?

With a sense of astonishment, Audis stood up and after a brief exchange with a few half-body nobles, quietly left the bustling banquet hall.

Guided by the Bloodline, Audis entered the back hall, but at the moment he stepped into the room, his face revealed a hint of surprise.

“Your Majesty?”

Lide was standing with his hands behind his back under the brightly colored mural in the back hall, exuding an aura of elegance and composure.

Hearing the voice, Lide turned his head and saw Audis’s astonished expression, smiling faintly.

“What, don’t you recognize me?”

At this moment, Audis came back to his senses and quickly moved forward to greet him with a bow.

“Good evening, Your Majesty, I just didn’t expect you to arrive so suddenly.”

After speaking, his eyes slightly sharpened, as if recalling something, and he quickly followed up with a question, “Your Majesty, is there a task you need me to carry out?”

According to Lide’s character, he would normally appear openly and aboveboard; it was rare for him to arrive quietly incognito, hence Audis’s question.

“A task?” Lide laughed, “How about you become the city lord of Black Iron Castle in the future?”

Audis was no fool; his heart immediately tightened, “Your Majesty, are we planning to move against the half-bodies?”

“Tonight, all the high-ranking members of the Half-body race have arrived?”

Lide asked a seemingly irrelevant question, but Audis instantly understood.

“Your Majesty, everyone is here.

Tonight, we plan to bring in a few new partners to redistribute the interests. The Half-bodies we’ve supported before have been effective, so we’re taking this opportunity to expand our influence…”

“There’s no need to go through such effort anymore, after today, Black Iron Castle will only heed the commands of the City Hall.”

Lide’s gaze was calm, “I infiltrated this place to confirm whether there are any Extraordinary beings hidden within this city.”

“Extraordinary? Have you detected their presence?”

“This city doesn’t have any Extraordinary beings.”

Audis felt as if he had misheard, why did he detect a hint of regret in Lide’s tone?

Lide’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression somewhat nuanced.

With the power of Dawn City, overpowering this city wouldn’t be the slightest challenge, but after all, there were many hidden forces in the Underworld.

So, for the sake of safety, he came to confirm first whether Black Iron Castle had any forces that would exceed the army’s capability to deal with. Otherwise, if an Extraordinary being appeared at a critical moment, what if a Forbidden Curse was dropped down? How many men would he lose then?

But now, it seemed he had overestimated this city.

Indeed, Extraordinary beings with such terrifying combat power should be rare; it’s not normal for anyone to have several Extraordinary beings appear overnight like Dawn City does.

“Your Majesty, what should we do next…”

Before Audis could finish, the outer hall suddenly became noisy.

“Great Mage Mahari…”

“Lord of Collins, good evening.”

The hubbub outside seemed to herald the arrival of some important person.

Upon hearing this, Lide smiled faintly and strode out directly.

“Audis, come with me to meet the last Lord of Black Iron Castle. Afterward, this city will become a thing of the past.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

A hint of excitement flashed through Audis’s eyes. The fact that Lide had broken through to the Extraordinary was no secret among the high-ranking members; knowing this, they stood tall with confidence.

Collins Grey Claw, a Level 18 Half-body, as the Lord of Black Iron Castle, was feeling a great deal of pressure lately.

Because the edge of Dawn City was too sharp.

Although the two sides were currently in a cooperative relationship, Dawn City had managed to support a few Half-body Nobles with their exceptional goods, Nobles who were previously not favored by him. These Nobles had gained so much influence recently, creating significant obstacles for him.

Moreover, the Dawn Sect had recently been fanatically spreading their faith, posing a great threat to Black Iron City’s own sects, to the extent that many people begged him daily to stop the other party’s preaching.

But that was not the key issue; the key was that recently, the other party also wanted to extend their influence into the army, a discovery that enraged him. The army was his taboo and something utterly intolerable.

So today, he specifically brought with him the protector of the Black Iron Mage Tower–the Level 18 Great Mage Mahari Grey Claw,

with the intention of suppressing the momentum of Dawn City and showing those despicable vampires who was the true master of Black Iron Castle.

“Where did that vampire go?”

The previous warmth and greetings ceased as Collins Grey Claw’s indifferent words rang out, silencing everyone.

Watching the domineering presence of Collins, all the Half-bodies sensed something wrong.

This did not seem like he came for a banquet, but rather like he came to accuse them.

This made many Half-body Nobles’ eyes dart about, starting to calculate in their minds.

“Audis! The damned vampire!!

The Lord of Black Iron Castle has arrived; come out and greet him immediately!”

At this moment, two Half-body guards behind Collins shouted loudly, their tone disrespectful.

The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, evidently surprised by this scene.

But no one responded.

The atmosphere was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop.

Tap tap~

Just as the atmosphere grew tenser, suddenly the sound of footsteps rose from the silent hall.

This immediately caught everyone’s attention.

Accompanied by the footsteps, a figure emerged from the back hall–an elegant demeanor like royalty passed down through millennia, with an almost perfect appearance–in front of everyone.

“Lord of Kachar?”

Collins was startled inside, a hint of apprehension rising in his eyes.

The last time they met, Lide’s terrifying presence had left him with palpitations to this day.

But seeing the Level 18 Great Mage behind him, his confidence returned.

A Level 18 Great Mage was undoubtedly Black Iron City’s trump card; he did not believe this vampire could stand against it.

“Lord Collins, is there a problem?”

Lide’s gaze was indifferent, and after scanning the crowd, he raised his eyebrows.

The strongest was just a Level 18 Great Mage… it’s really somewhat uninteresting.

Hearing Lide’s blunt words, a furious Collins slapped the table and rebuked Lide with a cold voice.

“Lord of Kachar, when we negotiated our cooperation, it was agreed that Dawn City would not do anything to harm Black Iron Castle.

Now, your people have crossed the line, not only supporting a portion of the Half-bodies against me but also planning to control Black Iron Castle’s army!!”

Lide suddenly recalled an interesting saying from Earth upon hearing this: if treaties weren’t made to be broken, then why sign them?

Unchanged in expression, he glanced around at the Half-bodies with varying expressions and said with a smile,

“What do you intend to do?”

Collins furrowed his brow, the calmness in Lide’s demeanor unnerving him, but still, he suppressed the strangeness in his heart and spoke,

“From today onward, all the trade cooperation of Dawn City can only be conducted with the City Lord’s Estate, and moreover, you have to request permission from the City Lord’s Estate before each preaching session, proceeding only after receiving approval.”

Lide gave the Level 18 Half-body a somewhat odd look upon hearing this.

This guy… wants to have it all?

“What if we don’t agree?”

“Don’t agree?” Collins looked at Lide, whose presence was as ordinary as any human’s, and his gaze turned cold, “No, Lord of Kachar, you will agree!”

The moment the words fell, the Magic Power of the gray-robed Great Mage beside him surged instantly.

His formidable presence was alarming.

Numerous Half-bodies around them felt like they were facing a wild dragon in the wilderness at that moment, the immense pressure making it difficult even to breathe.

“Hissss~ Great Mage Mahari is getting stronger and stronger!”

“Last month, I heard that Great Mage Mahari killed a level 15 Ghost Wolf with a single spell…”

“That’s terrifying, those two Vampires must have been scared witless by Lord Mahari!”

“Alas, what a pity, I was hoping to get some franchising rights from them, but now it all belongs to the City Lord’s estate…”

Amidst the buzz of discussion, not a single Half-body Noble thought Lide would refuse.

After all, this was the Protector of Black Iron Castle, an Advanced Mage whose level had reached 18.

Lide felt the pressure, his face showing some astonishment.

Is this it???

Seeing that Lide didn’t speak, Collins showed a hint of satisfaction, feeling quite sure about accomplishing today’s goal.

Even if the opponent could contend with Great Mage Mahari, he probably wouldn’t want to cause a conflict within Black Castle City, for this was still his territory. Once a fight broke out, he was confident he could take down the opponent.

“Now, I assume Kachar City Lord has agreed, right?”

Lide smiled, “I have a better idea…”

Seeing this, Collins felt a surge of triumph in his heart. When he first laid eyes on Lide, he thought a battle might ensue today, especially since Lide’s aura had been notably powerful last time.

But he didn’t expect the opponent to seemingly chicken out now.

The smile on the face of the level 18 Half-body City Lord became even more radiant.

“Go on, Kachar City Lord.”

But at that moment, with everyone in the hall watching, Lide said something that stunned the crowd.

“From today onwards, Black Iron Castle becomes the territory of Dawn City, and there will no longer be any need to discuss the distribution of rights.”

Collins’s face stiffened, “What did you say??”

A surge of intense anger flared up in his eyes, “City Lord Kachar, this is not the time for jokes.”

“Joking?” Lide’s smile slowly faded, and the gleam in his eyes, sharp like an eagle hunting its prey, was piercing and bright.

“Do you think you are worthy of joking with me?”

With that said, the entire room was shocked.

All the Half-body Nobles looked at Lide with indescribable expressions.

Had they heard wrong just now?

Under the coercion of an 18th-level Great Mage, this Vampire dares to say such things?!

Did he not fear the wrath of Great Mage Mahari???

But in the next second, an indescribable aura began to pervade the hall.

The sky fell, space twisted.

At this instant, everyone felt their souls quivering.

Collins, who had just been enraged, was now gazing at Lide with an utterly shocked look, as if the calm man he’d seen before was anything but ordinary.

If an 18th-level Great Mage like Mahari was a wild dragon in the wilderness, then the aura Lide now exuded was like that of an Ancient Evil God, a creature that slashed through countless planes with its sword, cutting a bloody swathe from the abyss.

Terrifying, invincible.

Beings from entirely different dimensions.

Lide’s gaze was cold as he watched the crowd; his Transcendent aura erupted at that moment. The oppressive might, like a deity seated above the ninth heaven, peered down upon all life.

No one could withstand this force, no one dared meet his eyes, no one dared trespass on his dignity.

Master of Crimson, when an enemy gazes into your eyes, they will be forced to undergo a Legendary Level willpower check. If they fail the will check, they will develop fear towards you, with All Attributes dropping by 20%.

Immortal King, when facing Dark Creatures with a Legend Level below 10, the opponent will fall into negative states such as fear, panic, and willpower weakening, with their attributes reduced by 20%.

Terrifying Presence, enemies will be checked for willpower every ten seconds; those below the threshold will fall into boundless fear.

Two titles, one aura-class Skill, instantly plunged the hall into endless fear.

Previously, before reaching Transcendence, beings of the same level couldn’t bear the combination of these three Skills emanating from Lide. Now, after becoming Transcendent, upon unleashing this power…

The effect was more than tenfold.

Thump-thump~ Thump-thump~

Amidst this cataclysmic aura, the Half-body Nobles’ legs went weak, and they collapsed to the ground, unable to muster any will to resist in their hearts.

This Vampire now truly seemed like a harbinger of Death, causing their souls to tremble.

Too terrifying.

“Transcendent?!!”

The level 18 Half-body City Lord Collins Grey Claw’s eyes went wide with disbelief and horror.

He couldn’t have imagined that this Vampire was a being of Transcendent level!

Endless fear engulfed him, and a profound regret rose within. If he had known the opponent was Transcendent, not only would he not have threatened him, but he wouldn’t have even sought an audience…

Great Mage Mahari, under this cataclysmic pressure, clenched his teeth and circulated his Magic Power. As a Great Mage, his will was still steadfast.

He couldn’t just admit defeat. Resist, he must resist!

“Is this all?”

Lide looked on indifferently, then without further ado, he extended his right hand, and the Power of Crimson immediately flared.

And in front of everyone’s shocked gaze, his five fingers gently clenched into a fist.

*Pop!*

A burst of blood, and the Death Flower bloomed.

The level 18 Half-body City Lord was blown to pieces on the spot.

The room fell into a profound silence instantly. The Half-body Nobles’ inner fears multiplied at that moment by tenfold, a hundredfold.

Leeaving the City Lord’s title aside, this was an 18th-level Half-body!

18th level!!!

There were only two like that in the entire city.

And now, right before everyone’s eyes, one was crushed to death.

Dying without a shred of dignity, like a worm squashed on the roadside.

What use was their resistance???

The Half-body Nobles’ self-esteem sustained a fatal blow.

Seeing this, Mahari’s heart skipped a beat, and his legs gave out; he fell to his knees as the magic power he had mustered scattered.

With the thick smell of blood in the air, everyone who looked at the elegantly standing Lide was shrouded in fear.

It was as if they were looking upon an Evil God…