Chapter 119: Expanding the Vampire Population

There were many trivial matters at the City Hall, each requiring Li De’s careful consideration. Many of these matters pertained to the future foundation of Dawn City. After calculating how many vampires the human population of Dawn City could sustain, Li De began to contemplate expanding the vampire population. It was time to increase their numbers while work had ground to a halt due to the snowstorm. The harsh Month of Deep Winter made it impossible to carry out many tasks. Odys’s plan to bring back refugees from the border would cease in at most half a month—cold weather was the greatest enemy. The current size of the vampire population had become a major concern for Li De. Although no one in Dawn City dared to oppose the vampires, their small numbers still left him feeling constrained in many ways. Thus, expanding the vampire population had risen to the top of his agenda. However, how to expand required additional thought. In his plan, the vampires were the undisputed rulers of Dawn City, standing at the top of the food chain. Every vampire was noble, with an esteemed status. The ideal scenario would be for everyone to dream of becoming a vampire. Therefore, this expansion of the vampire population must not devalue the act of becoming one. It should make becoming a vampire a glorious and celebratory event. Moreover, everyone should envy those who achieve it, and their family and friends should feel proud of them. How to pull this off would depend on his skill. A thoughtful look appeared in Li De’s eyes. Rewards—he would treat becoming a vampire as a significant and precious reward for those who worked hard for Dawn City. What do humans cherish? They value what they obtain after expending great effort. The greater the cost, the more they treasure it. Things given freely are often treated with indifference. According to his original plan, he could select vampires from several categories. First, establish a reserve army and choose outstanding humans from it to become vampires. Second, reward residents who had made significant contributions to Dawn City. Third, select young individuals with exceptional talent. However, none of these plans were currently feasible. He didn’t have the time to establish a reserve army. As for making significant contributions, there wasn’t much opportunity for that in Dawn City at present. And as for talented humans, even if there were any, their numbers would be too few to meet the urgent need to expand the vampire population. Thus, these policies would have to wait. For now, he needed to rethink his approach. After pondering for a moment, Li De suddenly revealed a meaningful smile. He reached out and summoned one of the vampires standing guard outside. This time, he would play an interesting game. The King of Schemes was back online. That afternoon, a surprising scene unfolded outside the southern district. A young, handsome man rushed into Dawn City, cradling a female vampire covered in blood with her bat wings still unfurled behind her. His face was filled with anxiety. This sight immediately piqued the curiosity of countless onlookers. What had happened? Why was this female vampire so severely injured? Coincidentally, during his journey into the city, the young man hadn’t encountered any of the frequently patrolling security squads. After circling around Dawn City, he finally reached the square, where the security squad discovered him. “What’s going on?” The young man, holding the blood-soaked female vampire, looked serious and anxious. “Esteemed sirs, I found this vampire lady outside the plains. She was already gravely injured when I saw her. There, I encountered a Horned Thunder Panther!” The security squad members were startled upon hearing this. One experienced member pointed to the scars on the female vampire’s body and exclaimed, “This is indeed the wound of a Horned Thunder Panther! This vampire lord was injured by a magical beast. Hurry, take this lord to the City Hall!” “Young man, how did you escape from the Horned Thunder Panther?” “Esteemed lords, the Horned Thunder Panther was also severely injured. I used a torch to scare it away.” “Good, very good! You’ve done a great deed. Come with us to the City Hall—Lord Kachar will surely reward you!” The residents of the square witnessed this scene firsthand. That night, the story spread throughout Dawn City. “Have you heard? Today, a young man saved a Saintlight Vampire lord. Wow, that young man is sure to rise in status!” “I heard from a security squad member that the upper-level Saintlight Vampires are very pleased with the young man. They’re even considering rewarding him with 100 points!” “Whoa, 100 points can exchange for a noble identity! I’m so envious!” “What’s there to be surprised about? I heard Lord Kachar was very satisfied with this incident and seemed inclined to reward the young man by turning him into a vampire. Wow, such generosity and kindness!” With nothing else to do during the winter, people began discussing this incident fervently. Many indulged in gossip, imagining an elaborate drama. But more than anything, people envied the young man’s luck in saving a vampire. By tradition, he would certainly be heavily rewarded, especially under the benevolent and generous Lord Kachar. Under the influence of certain forces, this news continued to ferment. Eventually, a sudden rumor pushed the incident to its peak. “A vampire from the security squad said that Lord Kachar was extremely pleased with this incident and personally stated that the brave human should be rewarded with a noble identity. When the injured vampire lady woke up, she even pleaded with Lord Kachar to reward Owen, the young human, by turning him into a noble Saintlight Vampire!” “Once someone becomes a Saintlight Vampire, they gain a noble identity, acquire spellcasting abilities, and even achieve eternal life!” Rewarding someone with vampire status, granting them noble identity, bestowing powerful spellcasting abilities, and offering eternal life—this was an incredible proposition. This information quickly spread throughout Dawn City, reaching everyone’s ears in a short time. All the residents of Dawn City eagerly awaited further developments. It was simply too intriguing. On the second day, then the third day, this incident did not die down with time but instead grew more intense. Especially with rumors spreading covertly, the atmosphere in Dawn City became restless. Some claimed that the identity of a Saintlight Vampire was far too noble and that exchanging it would require an immeasurable value of 200 points—Lord Kachar couldn’t possibly reward something so precious. Others whispered that Lord Kachar seemed to be reconsidering his words. He believed rewarding a human in such a manner might be excessive—the Saintlight Vampires were a noble race of spellcasters. Yet within half a day, another rumor emerged: although the Saintlight Vampires were noble, the generous Lord Kachar seemed intent on rewarding a group of humans who had contributed to Dawn City by turning them into Saintlight Vampires. These rumors kept coming, and whether willingly or not, everyone was highly focused on the developments of this incident. After all, the matter involved was incredibly sensitive—becoming a Saintlight Vampire, gaining spellcasting abilities, ascending to nobility, and achieving eternal life. These were incredibly tempting rewards. Of course, some people remained resistant to the idea of becoming vampires, particularly those who had arrived in Dawn City more recently. Regardless, this incident had sparked enough discussion. On the third day, December 5th. A message appeared on the notice board in the square, sparking frenzied discussions among everyone and pushing the incident to its climax.