Chapter 126: The Changes Brought by the Vampire Identity

The year 3522 of the Glory Era, January 1st. Exactly three months had passed since Li De entered the world of Glory. At midnight today, 200 new vampires were born in Dawn City. Twelve humans who successfully completed the Hero Selection Tournament evolved into Saintlight Vampires under the watchful eyes of the crowd. The remaining 188, though not granted the same honor, were bestowed with the bloodline of the Saintlight Vampires inside the City Hall. This was the first time humans had witnessed the birth of vampires, and for the residents of Dawn City, it was an event of great commemorative significance. It wasn’t just about humans becoming Saintlight Vampires—it shattered long-held beliefs. Becoming a vampire wasn’t as terrifying as they had always imagined. The scene Li De deliberately orchestrated made all participants feel deeply honored. No one felt fear amidst the festivities. More importantly, during this process, the humans who became vampires were bestowed with the highest honors. After enduring countless hardships to become vampires, these individuals received their rewards in front of thousands—granted personally by the Lord of Dawn, the great Clan Leader of the Saintlight Vampires, in the most honorable setting. The appeal of this spectacle for future aspirants was immense. Who wouldn’t want to be publicly celebrated, awarded the Dawn’s Heart medal, welcomed with flowers by countless young maidens, and revered and admired by everyone? Such glorious honor was irresistible to commoners. This time, Li De planted a seed in everyone’s hearts—all he had to do now was wait for it to take root and sprout. Thus, this Hero Selection Tournament could be considered a complete success. Not only did it expand the power of the vampires, but it also filled people with aspirations to become vampires themselves. And this was only the beginning. As these 200 new vampires returned to society, their sudden rise in status and privileges would undoubtedly make others envious. Previously, no one questioned the superior treatment enjoyed by vampires, as the Saintlight Vampires were the rulers, the masters of Dawn City. But now, people who were once neighbors or even inferior in status had, in just a few short days, risen to become the elite, enjoying various privileges, respect, and admiration. These were things ordinary people couldn’t attain. Such direct stimulation was the strongest motivator. Human nature was like this—people didn’t envy the wealth of the world’s richest, but they envied a friend who won five million in a lottery. But that was exactly what Li De aimed to create: inequality and class distinctions. Only by giving people hope of ascending to a higher class could he motivate the masses. Everything was unfolding according to Li De’s plan. The next day, the entire city of Dawn was enveloped in a unique atmosphere. The events of last night became the hottest topic of discussion. Whether it was the hundreds of young maidens presenting flowers to the winners of the Hero Selection Tournament, the twelve heroes receiving the highest honor—the Dawn’s Heart medal—from Lord Kachar, or the twelve female vampires performing the Embrace on them, everything sparked heated discussions among the residents. Especially witnessing the entire process of humans evolving into Saintlight Vampires, this legendary and mysterious ritual gave people endless topics to talk about. On the streets of the square, a middle-aged man proudly spoke to two young men beside him. “You didn’t see it—the beauty of those Saintlight Vampire ladies was breathtaking. They were right in front of me. I thought they were going to kiss the necks of the twelve heroes, but instead, they only kissed their hands.” One of the young men looked envious. “If it were me, even just a kiss on the wrist would have been enough.” The middle-aged man shot him a disdainful look. “Tsk, you? Do you know how much effort it takes to become a Saintlight Vampire? Such supreme honor isn’t easily obtained. Didn’t you see that out of 3,000 applicants, only twelve heroes succeeded? If Lord Kachar hadn’t shown mercy, those other hundred-plus people wouldn’t have qualified!” “I—I was just saying...” Thinking about the difficulty, the young man’s expression fell. Though he envied them, he harbored no jealousy toward those who became Saintlight Vampires. It was simply too difficult. And such scenes occurred almost every moment. Among the 3,000 newcomers who had joined Dawn City just a few days ago, many of their initial anxieties dissipated after last night’s spectacle. Especially since most humans kept repeating stories of the greatness of the Saintlight Vampires, many newcomers were gradually swayed. Their fear of the Saintlight Vampires slowly faded, replaced by admiration and anticipation. If what others said was true, then living in Dawn City wasn’t a bad thing at all. The power of word-of-mouth was immense. The residents who supported the Saintlight Vampires would spontaneously promote the benefits of Dawn City and the greatness of the Saintlight Vampires whenever new arrivals came. Often without realizing it, these newcomers would assimilate into the city like the older residents. Especially after being granted land, they would directly become loyal supporters of the Saintlight Vampires. January was the second month of the Month of Deep Winter and also the coldest month. Most construction activities in Dawn City were suspended. The entire city was blanketed in snow, cloaked in silver. Li De didn’t rush to assign tasks to the 200 humans who had become vampires. Instead, he gave them a half-month holiday to return to their original environments and continue living as before. Oli felt that while his life hadn’t changed drastically, it seemed as if everything had transformed. It wasn’t for the worse—it was so good it was unbelievable. First, there was the treatment. After becoming a vampire, he no longer needed to queue anywhere, and everyone greeted him with respect. Moreover, several young girls intentionally or unintentionally approached him during his patrols. One even invited him to go skiing outside the Southern District when he was off duty the next day. The attitudes of those around him had also shifted significantly. Previously, even though he was part of the security squad, people didn’t show him much respect. But after becoming a vampire, even the most respected elders from Eric Town spoke to him with deference. This brought Oli immense satisfaction. So this was what it felt like to be a vampire—it was truly different. However, the one annoyance he faced was his growing aversion to sunlight. He used to enjoy basking in the warmth of the sun, but now, even seeing sunlight made him uncomfortable. When sunlight touched his skin, it felt as if he were being roasted on a grill. Last time, after being exposed to the sun for less than ten minutes at noon, his skin already showed signs of burns. Perhaps staying in the sun for a full sun-hour would send him straight to the God of Death. But the upside was that after sunset, when night fell, his strength would reach unprecedented levels. He could feel his own power in the darkness—far stronger than he had ever been. Praise to the Goddess of Night. This phrase, once exclusive to vampires, now belonged to him as well. “From the masses, back to the masses.” Li De thoroughly implemented this great guiding principle. When people saw familiar friends suddenly rise in status and live well, wouldn’t they feel envious? Wouldn’t they want to become the elite as well? A simple operation stirred within Dawn City the most fervent anticipation of becoming vampires. Ordinary vampires could only perform the Embrace once a year. After Li De’s latest plan, the total number of vampires in Dawn City exceeded 400. New vampires would also have to wait a year before they could perform the Embrace. The strength of vampires lay not only in their innate spellcasting abilities but also in their exponential growth potential. This development model was unmatched by many superior races. Next year, during the Month of Deep Winter, another similar operation would bring the number of vampires in Dawn City to over 800. By then, Dawn City would truly be powerful. And this rapid growth would continue unabated. Li De eagerly anticipated the day when 100,000 vampires would blot out the sky. By then, even facing Green City, he wouldn’t feel the slightest fear. The rise of the Saintlight Vampires was not far off.