Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

After making a lighthearted joke about the princess, Windsordale picked up where Belmody left off and got down to business:
"I rushed back just now because I received the latest intelligence from inside Twilight Continent. It's pretty much what we expected."

Within the vampire clan, the situation has escalated beyond simple panic; serious open disagreements and heated debates have emerged.

The fall of the Eternal Night City and the death of Elder Simmons shattered the confidence of a large part of the core forces.

Right now, in the Twilight City council, vampire nobles from various regions are arguing fiercely.

One faction, led by some veteran military nobles and radical young nobles, is the "fight to the death" faction. They clamor to gather all their strength and even awaken certain ancient and forbidden powers.

Fight to the death against the Demon Gold Empire and Sal, avenge Simmons, and defend the last glory of the vampires.

The slogans were shouted loudly, but apart from desperate efforts, they seemed to have no concrete plans.

The other faction was the 'realists' or 'compromise faction,' composed of many local powerful nobles, big merchants, and a number of more pragmatic elders.

They believed that the vampires, having lost their eastern barrier and a legendary elder, had no chance of withstanding the onslaught of the Demon Gold Empire.

The most urgent task is to seek external assistance immediately, at all costs.

Currently, the only ones capable of not being fully bound to the Demon Gold Empire, besides the werewolves from Nightmoon Continent, are our Supreme Council.

Of course, many of them still harbor unrealistic fantasies about werewolves, or believe that they can bet on both sides, but the mainstream opinion has begun to lean towards contacting us.

Of course, there is another faction, small in number but with considerable influence: the 'escape faction'.

They advocated abandoning part or all of the land of Twilight Continent and migrating the entire tribe to more remote and dangerous unknown areas.

They temporarily hid their core clan members, awaiting an opportune moment. This faction was more pessimistic and the most conservative.

Belmottie and Grace listened attentively, a thoughtful look flashing in their eyes.

Windsordler concluded by saying:
"The argument was very heated. It is said that Blood Lord Lucius has suppressed the roars of all sides several times, but it is clear that he cannot completely suppress this wave of panic and division."

I predict that before long, regardless of the final outcome of the internal debate, seeking external assistance, especially contacting us, will become an inevitable step for them.

The only difference is whether it's a stopgap measure after the 'die-hard faction' has gained the upper hand, or a comprehensive cooperation request led by the 'realists'.

But in any case, their special envoy will definitely arrive through various clandestine channels within a week at the latest.

After listening to Windsor's detailed intelligence analysis, Belmody slowly leaned back in his chair:

"Just as I expected. These arrogant vampires, with their heads held high, have thousands of years of arrogance flowing in their veins. If we don't really hurt them, if we don't let them truly feel the chill of impending doom, we won't succeed."

They would never willingly bow down to someone they once looked down upon.

Even if they are forced to cooperate now, they will probably adopt a condescending or patronizing attitude, expecting us to contribute our manpower and resources while they reap the benefits, and even want to take the lead in the cooperation.

So, Windsor, I'm completely at ease leaving this matter entirely in your hands.

Our strategy must be clear: we must never let them walk into the negotiating room with that ridiculous pride.

Their outdated pride and arrogance must be completely and thoroughly eradicated from the very beginning.

They need to clearly understand who is begging whom, who holds the initiative, and... what exactly our Supreme Council is.

Grace chimed in at the opportune moment:
“Show your muscles, show your strength, let them see reality.”

Let them see for themselves what happens when they oppose us, and what sincerity is required to cooperate with us.

Windsordler nodded gracefully:
"Don't worry, I wouldn't dare treat Cohen like that."

I promise to arrange a welcome ceremony that they will never forget.

"Leave this to me!"

How terrifying it can be for women to hold grudges, let alone three equally powerful and beautiful women. I imagine the Blood Lord will soon have a firsthand experience of this!
……

Just as Belmody, Grace, and Windsor had received and analyzed, Twilight Continent, especially its core city of Twilight and the various vampire territories, was already in complete chaos.

If the successive fall of several important city-states on the southeastern border was like a series of heavy punches to the proud face of the vampires, shocking and making them somewhat uneasy.

Now, the fall of the city-state of Eternal Night, the central choke point known as the "Unbreakable Fortress," and the demise of Simmons, the legendary elder who had reigned over the city for centuries and enjoyed immense prestige among the vampires.

It was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky, striking the hearts of all the vampires and shattering their pride and sense of security inherited from their ancient bloodline.

What followed was a deep-seated panic and fear.

They were completely unable to understand or accept what was happening before their eyes.

That eternal night city-state, which has weathered countless storms and repelled werewolves, trolls, subterranean aliens, and even sporadic invasions from the abyss over hundreds and thousands of years of history.

That eastern barrier, reinforced by countless magic arrays and vampire secrets, was considered impregnable.

How could it have been breached so "easily"?

Are those soldiers of the Demon Gold Empire really tireless, fearless monsters?
Where did their equipment, their tactics, and their terrifying fighting spirit come from?

What chilled all vampires, especially the high-ranking powerful ones, to the bone was the fall of Elder Simmons.

That was a legendary-level powerhouse! A being standing at the pinnacle of power in the Lost Lands! One of the pillars upon which the vampires relied to intimidate all sides!

He possesses the vampire's long lifespan, formidable regenerative abilities, and unpredictable blood magic, as well as the defensive arrays and advantageous terrain that the Eternal Night City-State has cultivated for countless generations.

Logically speaking, even if they are outmatched, with the methods of legendary experts and the support of city-states, they would be able to hold out for a very long time, or even severely damage the enemy and retreat calmly behind enemy lines.

But he died.

His death was so sudden, so "unexplained"!
A legend has fallen, and the world mourns! The sense of sorrow and emptiness that permeates the rules of the Lost Land is an undeniable fact that all high-ranking vampires can clearly perceive.

This overturned their understanding and destroyed their confidence.

If even legends cannot escape being surrounded and killed on their home turf, then what about those who have not yet stepped into legend?

The Demon Gold Empire, that Emperor Thrall, just how terrifying power does he wield? How many unknown terrors lie beneath his command?
Panic spread like a plague within the vampire clan.

The nobles no longer cared about banquets and trivial matters within their territories, but instead frantically sought information from the front lines and secretly transferred their property and offspring.

The army's morale was low, and rumors were rampant.

The various vassal races that depended on the vampires began to stir with restlessness, and some even started to secretly contact the outside world.

In the Council of Elders of Twilight City, the arguing was so loud it almost lifted the roof off. Voices of "fight to the death," "seek peace," "foreign aid," and "retreat" clashed fiercely, but no one could convince anyone else, and no one could come up with a truly effective solution to turn the tide.

Blood Lord Lucius, the enigmatic supreme ruler of the vampires, must now confront the greatest crisis the vampires have faced in thousands of years.

He had to appear frequently to try to stabilize the situation and suppress extreme voices within, but even he could not completely dispel the heavy cloud hanging over the hearts of all vampires.

The Twilight Continent, the homeland that the vampires have cultivated for countless years, seems to have truly reached a critical juncture of life and death.

Twilight City, the Crimson Palace.

In the past, this grand hall, which symbolized the highest power and ancient glory of the vampires, was always shrouded in a tranquil and majestic atmosphere.

The towering dome is inlaid with strange gems that can absorb moonlight and transform it into a soft crimson glow, and the walls are engraved with reliefs that record the glorious epic of the vampires.

When the vampire elders and nobles held their meetings here, they all maintained the elegance and composure unique to vampires. Their words were full of wit and subtlety, yet they always appeared calm and unhurried, as if they had everything under control.

But today, everything is different.

The usual tranquility and majesty no longer permeated the main hall; instead, a panic and anxiety that almost solidified into reality filled the air.

The usually refined and dignified vampire elders and deacons of various clans all had gloomy faces and furrowed brows at this moment.

They showed no sign of their usual demeanor and completely disregarded proper etiquette and order.

The buzzing of heated arguments made the solemn hall noisy and chaotic, like a bustling marketplace.

Lord of the Vampires, Lucius Aragell, sits high on his throne.

At this moment, however, the usual calm was gone, and a storm raged within him.

Before Blood Lord Lucius could announce the start of the meeting as usual, the argument below had already erupted out of control.

The military elder, clad in armor inlaid with black bat emblems, strode forward abruptly, his voice booming like thunder in the hall, drowning out much of the clamor of conversation:
"Enough! Be quiet, all of you!"

What's the point of arguing now?

Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on?

Eternal Night City-State, the Eternal Night City-State we have been managing for over a thousand years!

With Simmons in charge, the most complete defensive array, and the most elite vampire legion and vassal troops!

That is our eastern gateway, a fortress that will never fall!

How could it have been breached in just a few days?
Even the messages for help were not fully transmitted back more than a few times.

Are all the defenders useless? What is Simmons doing?!

His roar sparked more agreement and more heated discussion.

Another deacon from the Senate, dressed in a robe embroidered with silver runes, said in a deep voice:

"Elder Ralph, there may be various unexpected and tactical reasons for the breach of the city's defenses that we can discuss."

But what is truly incomprehensible is Elder Simmons. Why would he leave the City of Eternal Night? As the lord of a city and the pillar of the eastern barrier, how could he easily leave his fortress and put himself in danger when the enemy was pressing in and the situation was unclear?
This is completely out of character for him!

I know Simmons. He may not be as radical as some young people, but he is definitely mature, steady, and extremely responsible.

Unless… unless there’s some irresistible reason that makes him think the risk is worthwhile, perhaps even a turning point in the entire war!

“That’s right!” another female vampire elder spoke up. “Moreover, even if Elder Simmons leaves the city for some reason, with his strength and vampire talent, if he can’t beat him, can’t he at least run away?”

Who can keep a legendary powerhouse who is determined to leave, especially a legend of my vampire clan?

Unless the enemy was well-prepared, having laid an inescapable trap and deployed several times its own strength in a pincer attack, this was definitely not a chance encounter!

An elder in charge of foreign affairs, who had some knowledge of the Demon Gold Empire's intelligence, shrieked:
"Demon Lord Thrall! It must be Demon Lord Thrall himself who made the move!"
Only he, with his legendary high-level strength, could possibly suppress or even severely injure Elder Simmons in a direct confrontation! Add to that the few newly promoted legends under his command…”

"Why would Sal personally go to surround and kill Simmons? Isn't he afraid that this is a diversionary tactic? Or that we, the Twilight City, might take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on his rear?"

"Also, how did Thrall know that Simmons would leave the Eternal Night City-State?"
And what a coincidence, he happened to have enough men lying in ambush in the wild?
The timing, location, and allocation of resources were all terrifyingly precise!
It was as if... as if they knew Simmons's actions perfectly beforehand!

"Could it be that we have internal problems..."

The last sentence was left unsaid, but many elders couldn't help but feel a chilling suspicion rising in their hearts.

The atmosphere inside the hall became even more oppressive, and suspicious and distrustful gazes began to spread.

"quiet!!!"

Finally, Lucius, the Blood Lord on the throne, could no longer tolerate the increasingly out-of-control situation.

His sudden, low shout silenced the entire crimson hall.

All the arguments, discussions, and doubts came to an abrupt end.

Lucius slowly rose from his throne, his tall figure casting a long shadow under the crimson light of the dome, covering the area in front of the throne.

His crimson eyes slowly swept over each face below, the heavy pressure in his gaze causing many elders with weaker cultivation levels to feel their breath catch in their throats.
Arguing solves nothing.

Mutual suspicion will only make us collapse faster in the face of our enemies.

The urgent task is not to find out who is responsible for the fall of the Eternal Night City.

The key now is that we must find out the truth about the fall of veteran Simmons immediately!

Simmons is an elder of my vampire clan, a legendary-level powerhouse.

Even though he is only at the low-level of the Legendary rank, he possesses one of the purest ancient bloodlines of my race, has exceptional talent, profound mastery of blood magic, and boasts a vitality and regenerative ability far surpassing that of other races.

Even if two or three people of the same level joined forces, it would be extremely difficult to completely stop him if he was determined to escape, even with the help of vampire secret techniques.

However, he died, he perished, and the heavens and earth grieved.

This only proves one thing.

He was surrounded and killed by more than one legend, and among them must be those who could suppress or even severely injure him.

Based on the current intelligence, the possibility that Demon Lord Thrall, a legendary high-level expert, will personally take action is extremely high.

But this matter is full of strangeness and suspicious points!
As the lord of the Eternal Night City and the supreme commander of the Eastern War Zone, Simmons was responsible for defending the territory. When the enemy was pressing in and the city was in imminent danger, why did he leave the heavily guarded city and go deep behind enemy lines?

What intelligence, or what objective, could make him think it was worth taking such a risk, even to the point of disregarding the city's defenses?

This is neither in line with his personality nor with common sense.

That can only mean one thing: this intelligence or target is important enough to turn the tide of the entire battle!

There was silence in the hall, and you could hear a pin drop.

Lucius, observing the shifting expressions on the faces of the crowd below, said in a deep voice:

"We must thoroughly investigate the whole story!"

Elder Simmons is not only a pillar of my vampire clan, but also a brother whom I personally awakened from his slumbering blood pool and entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the East.

His demise cannot be left unexplained. Revenge must be taken, and the truth must be uncovered!
Our clan's sacred artifact, the "Pillar of Bloodline," when combined with our innate grand array, allows us to revisit fragments of the scene before the death of someone connected to us by blood, provided we pay a sufficient price.

Especially the powerful imprint of what he saw and felt at the end.

These words immediately caused a stir in the hall.

This matter is unknown even to many high-ranking members of the vampire clan; it is definitely one of the vampire clan's deepest secrets.

Lucius paused, his gaze sharpening, and his voice rising a few decibels:

"However, using sacred artifacts, especially for such a deep retrospective, is not something I can accomplish by myself alone."

It's not a decision I can make on my own.

It requires the power of at least three legendary-level beings of the same origin as a catalyst, supplemented by the essence of at least nine half-step legendary beings as fuel, to jointly activate the sacred artifact.

Only by resonating with the innate arrays that span the Twilight Continent can we break through the fog of time and space and glimpse the final memory imprints of the departed.

Of course, everything requires the unanimous approval of all the elders.

This is a clan rule, and also to protect the sacred artifacts and prevent their misuse.

The expressions on the faces of the elders began to change.

Lucius surveyed the entire room, his tone heavy and resolute:
"Now, our clan is facing a life-or-death crisis. Powerful enemies are lurking, elders have fallen, and the mystery is thick with uncertainty."

I propose that we activate the sacred artifact immediately to rewind to the scene of Simmons's fall!

This matter concerns the fate of the entire clan and requires a joint decision from all elders and deacons!

Low murmurs rose again in the hall, but this time, they were no longer chaotic, panicked arguments, but rather a heavy and resolute weighing of options.

Using sacred artifacts, especially requiring the combined efforts of so many powerful individuals, will cause considerable damage to any participant, and may even leave hidden injuries.

But as the Blood Lord said, Simmons' death was suspicious, and the Demon Gold Empire was full of strange things. If the truth is not found out, the entire vampire clan may fall into a greater conspiracy and danger.

The hot-tempered military elder, Ralph, was the first to step forward, his voice resolute:
"I second that! Simmons cannot have died in vain! Even if it costs us our strength, we must find out who killed him! I am willing to contribute!"

"I second that! The truth must be found out!"

"Seconded!"

"I second that! For the sake of the vampires!"

Soon, under the pressure of life and death and driven by Lucius's prestige, all the elders and deacons present who were qualified to speak, regardless of which faction they belonged to, unanimously passed the resolution to activate the sacred artifact.

After the resolution was passed, Lucius immediately began to take action.

Arriving at the core of a pre-carved crimson magic circle in the center of the main hall, he cut his wrist, and dark golden blood containing powerful energy dripped down, activating the most basic patterns of the magic circle.

Immediately afterwards, two more elderly men with profound and unfathomable auras silently emerged from the elders' seats. They were also legendary-level powerhouses of the vampire clan.

They simply keep a low profile on ordinary days, spending most of their time guarding forbidden areas within the clan or handling secret affairs.

At this moment, they also arrived at the specific location of the magic array with solemn expressions, and similarly cut their wrists and injected their essence blood.

At the same time, nine vampire powerhouses who had been selected at the peak of the half-step legendary realm also entered the nine nodes on the outer edge of the magic array. With solemn expressions, they cut their palms and poured their own blood essence and magic power into the array without reservation.

As the essence and power of three legendary figures and nine half-step legendary figures were infused, the ancient patterns on the floor, walls, and even the dome of the entire Crimson Hall began to light up one by one.

The dark red light spread like blood vessels, eventually converging at the base of the "Pillar of Blood" next to the throne.

The simple stone pillar seemed to come alive, with countless flowing runes appearing on its surface, and an aura of desolation, sorrow, and a certain yearning to peek into the rules of fate permeated the air.

Lucius, the two legendary elders, and the nine half-step legends simultaneously let out a low shout, completely connecting their spiritual power with the sacred artifact.

Everyone's face paled visibly, especially the nine half-step legends, whose bodies even swayed slightly, but they gritted their teeth and persevered.

"Using blood as the guide and soul as the bridge, we trace back to the source and reveal the truth!"

Lucius chanted ancient vampire incantations, his hands forming complex hand seals before slamming them onto the base of the Pillar of Rewind.

"Om-!"

A deep, resonant sound rang out, and the entire crimson hall seemed to tremble slightly.

Immediately afterwards, above the center of the magic circle, countless points of light converged, and a series of blurry, flickering, sometimes clear and sometimes fragmented images began to emerge and flow...

They saw the outline of the Eternal Night City-State, and they saw Simmons's expression change drastically when he received Owen Hunter's secret report inside the city lord's mansion.

I witnessed his urgent discussions with several trusted elders, and I saw his final decision to secretly lead his most elite personal guard out of the city...

The scenery shifts rapidly, showing them leaving the city-state through a hidden passage, trekking through the desolate Gobi Desert, and finally arriving at what appears to be the entrance to an abandoned mine...

Then, the scene became intense and chaotic!
They saw the terrifyingly massive "demon pillars" inside the mine, the soldiers of the Demon Gold Empire being twisted and transformed into hideous demons by the power of the abyss, and the suddenly appearing Demon Lord Thrall, Keles in the shadows, and the berserk Anderson...

I witnessed Simmons' shock, anger, and subsequent desperate struggle.

We witnessed the desperate resistance and rapid annihilation of the vampire elites, the fierce battle of the three legends besieging Simmons, and Simmons's final, resolute act of detonating himself and triggering celestial phenomena...

In particular, the pure demonic aura emanating from the "Demon Pillar" and the soldiers of the Demon Gold Empire was so intense it was almost nauseating. Through the reverberation of the sacred artifact, this aura was transmitted with unparalleled clarity to every vampire powerhouse present!
That aura overlapped with the shadow of the terrifying calamity that swept across the entire prime plane, recorded in the ancient scrolls and deep within the bloodline's memory!
The demons have returned! (End of Chapter)