Feeling the wind from the heights, the damp, cool mist of the Eastern Swamp brushed against his gel. Chen Yu spotted the fortress in the swamp from afar, its outline faintly visible through the thin fog, presenting a rather serene picture of peaceful times.
However, a scene near the fortress gate disrupted this harmony. Beneath the Swamp Oak Tree, what seemed to be a corpse was lying there.
Huh? Wait a minute.
That doesn't seem quite right.
Chen Yu lowered his flight altitude for a closer look. It didn't appear to be a corpse, but rather a noble human, emaciated to the point of being skin and bones, with a deathly pale complexion.
Could this be the vampire Little Flower mentioned?
Why is he so skinny? Are the vampires of the Dark Realm so poor they can't even afford a meal?
Or is this skeletal look the current fashion among vampires?
Driven by curiosity, he adjusted his direction and silently glided down, landing on the fortress's battlements.
To highlight his authority as the lord, he also meticulously "sculpted" a tiny crown on the bare skull of the skeleton using his gel. It looked a bit ridiculous, but at least it served as a symbol of status.
Beneath the oak tree, Casimir was in a semi-conscious state, his mind foggy, on the verge of passing out completely once more.
Suddenly, a *splat* sound was heard as a small, sticky blob landed on his forehead.
Immediately after, a voice trying its best to sound serious came from above:
"Vampire down there, I hear you've been looking for this lord?"
The sudden noise and the cold sensation on his forehead jolted Casimir awake. He lifted his head with great difficulty.
His gaze swept over the city wall in confusion at first, then settled on the short, small skeleton wearing the ridiculous little crown. He looked around suspiciously, and finally confirmed with disbelief that the speaker was indeed this tiny skeleton that looked like it could be blown apart by a gust of wind.
*This* is the Undead Lord who defeated Galvin?
It was a far cry from the tall, imposing image of a high-level undead he had imagined.
For a moment, Casimir seriously doubted if he was hallucinating from excessive blood loss, or if the lord of this territory simply had no intention of meeting him and sent a small skeleton to brush him off.
But he still managed to force a weak smile, summoning all his strength to prop up his upper body, performing a trembling noble courtesy:
"Oh, esteemed Lord, I am Casimir, a humble vampire, offering you my most sincere greetings. You look truly, uh... remarkably lean and vigorous."
He racked his brains to come up with this not-too-incongruous adjective.
Chen Yu, of course, noticed the suspicion and disbelief in the other's eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want to mimic a tall, imposing undead form;
it was just that this was the current limit of his Gel Mimicry.
He'd have to make do with this bluff. The general idea was conveyed.
"Hmm..."
Chen Yu responded with his disguised, low voice. "Vampire from the Dark Realm, what are you doing in my territory? The actions of those mercenary groups under your command previously were hardly what one would call polite."
Casimir was just about to explain when another wave of intense dizziness washed over him. He coughed lightly, "Ahem... No offense intended, esteemed Lord. This Viscount has come precisely for this matter, hoping to convey our deepest apologies to you, our powerful neighbor, and to relay my master's greetings."
He caught his breath, his face revealing an expression of intense craving. "But before that, might I humbly request... your generous donation of a little blood."
Chen Yu immediately became alert, tilting his skeletal head. "What do you want to do?"
A vampire asking an unfamiliar Undead Lord for blood.
That sounded like a provocation no matter how you looked at it.
Are these vampires so arrogant they don't realize this is someone else's territory?
Casimir waved his hand weakly.
He certainly wouldn't reveal the truth that he had been drained by swamp mosquitoes—a fact that would utterly disgrace vampire honor. He could only fabricate a reason on the spot.
"Ahem... Well, to meet you as soon as possible and clear up the misunderstanding, this Viscount left in a hurry and forgot to bring my daily required blood packs. I am now somewhat... anemic."
A vampire with anemia?
Chen Yu tilted his skeletal head further, expressing his confusion.
He took a closer look at Casimir's emaciated, skeletal appearance and thought, *This isn't anemia;
this is one step away from the coffin.*
However, judging by this guy's state, he didn't seem to be lying. He really was on the verge of collapse.
Was there any blood in the territory? Or should he have Anvil draw some for him?
Forget it, he'd handle it himself.
Chen Yu secretly secreted a small blob of green gel rich in life energy. Then, using his floppy skeletal hand, he threw it out. It landed with a *splat* right in Casimir's lap.
There's no blood, but here's some life energy. Take it or leave it.
"Is this... blood?"
Seeing the blob of green gel emitting a gentle, pulsating energy in his lap, Casimir, for some reason, felt it looked incredibly delicious, making him want to devour it in one bite.
"It should count as slime blood, I suppose," Chen Yu said.
Whatever it was, the craving for blood overpowered everything else. Gasping for breath, Casimir, forgetting all about noble decorum, bared his fangs and bit into the springy, bouncy blob of gel.
As the life energy infused into him, Casimir's eyes widened in disbelief. He felt a surge of vibrant vitality reviving his body.
This feeling, this taste... It was as if his body, like parched earth, was receiving sweet rain, or a withered tree was regaining its vitality. It was far more intoxicating than the satisfaction brought by cold blood.
So delicious!!
Why did this strange thing make him crave it more than the finest virgin's blood?
Casimir greedily sucked on it, an expression of extreme pleasure, bordering on rapture, spreading uncontrollably across his face. He didn't look like he was eating;
he looked like he was experiencing the ultimate enjoyment.
Chen Yu, watching from the battlement, felt a wave of confusion.
*It's just ordinary gel infused with a bit of life energy. Is that expression, like he's on drugs, really necessary?*
It seemed the vampires of the Dark Realm truly lived a hard life, having never seen anything good.
When the blob of gel in Casimir's lap completely vanished, he let out a long, relieved sigh as if reborn. His previously withered skin seemed to regain some luster, and his body was once again filled with strength.
The only drawback was that he still couldn't sense the presence of blood. Many bloodline-dependent vampire magics remained unusable.
But at this moment, Casimir was completely conquered by the deliciousness of that gel.
He licked the corner of his mouth with lingering desire. Realizing Chen Yu was still watching him, he hurriedly straightened his loose clothing, stood up, and performed a standard noble courtesy again. This time, his movements were much smoother and more powerful.
"Oh, thank you, generous and mighty Lord! The blood you bestowed is truly... unparalleled!"
Casimir's voice regained its vigor, his eyes flickering as lies flowed effortlessly from his mouth.
"Please do not misunderstand. This Viscount's visit is not to ransom prisoners."
"In fact, our vampire clan was completely unaware of that fool Galvin privately accepting the goblin bounty and offending your territory."
"That mercenary leader, reeking of the stench of copper, had eyes only for glittering gold coins. He disregarded our warnings and stubbornly chose to oppose your territory, leading to his current fate."
"Our master, the esteemed Lord Salacha, was deeply regretful upon learning of this. He specifically dispatched this Viscount, bearing gifts, to visit with the aim of eliminating misunderstandings and forging friendship."
After saying this, he confidently clapped his hands, attempting to summon the Blood Bat servants responsible for carrying the gifts.
However, only silence filled the air.
A few seconds later, a rustling sound came from the nearby woods. A swamp squirrel emerged, perched on a branch, puffing its cheeks as it curiously watched them, a small, tattered piece of bat wing dangling from the corner of its mouth.
Casimir: "..."
The perfect smile on his face stiffened for an instant but immediately returned to normal. He even chuckled lightly, as if everything was under control.
"Heh, it seems the gifts prepared by Lord Salacha are so precious they've even attracted the small creatures of the swamp."
At that moment, Anvil arrived, carrying Little Flower the Slime. Realizing the small skeleton on the battlement was his Majesty transformed, he approached the base of the wall and whispered a reminder.
"Your Majesty, you must be careful. These old bats from the Dark Realm love to lie. Their minds are more twisted than the maze grass in the swamp. It's best to pry open their mouths first to see their true purpose."
Seeing Anvil, Casimir's eyes flickered slightly. He immediately spread his hands open, indicating he posed no threat.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, my dwarf friend, please relax. This Viscount swears upon Lord Salacha's honor that this journey harbors no ill intent. It is purely to represent the vampire clan in discussing matters of cooperation with your territory."
"Cooperation? Hmph!"
Anvil rolled up his sleeves, revealing his hairy arms, and said gruffly, "Sly vampire, state your business directly. Don't play tricks, or my hammer won't care who you are."
Casimir maintained his elegant smile as if he didn't see Anvil's threat. "Friend, please don't misunderstand. Lord Salacha's proposal is simple: he wishes to establish friendly relations with your territory and jointly deal with the threat of the Goblin Army."
Lowering his voice, he added, "This Viscount knows what you're thinking. Allying with those barbaric green skins is not our desire. It's just that they have formidable backing. The vampire clan had no choice but to associate with them..."
Speaking with such emotion, he even shed tears, moving himself to the point of weeping, as if the vampire clan were victims oppressed by the goblins.
"In fact, our vampire clan is the race in the Dark Realm that most respects the undead and most desires an alliance with them. I believe we share much common ground and can get along very pleasantly."
Chen Yu watched his performance quietly and suddenly said, "Mr. Casimir, pretty words are easy to say. But the sincerity of the vampire clan cannot be proven by words alone. There must be some tangible demonstration."
The smile on Casimir's face stiffened slightly. "Your meaning is...?"
"Simple. Hand over the task bounty submitted by the Goblin Army, intact. These coins tainted by sin are better left to us for proper purification." Chen Yu stated his nefarious goal.
Casimir's mouth twitched. *I poured my heart out with such moving words, and this skeleton didn't listen to a single sentence, still fixated on the gold coins.*
However, this bounty was no small amount—over a thousand gold coins. Who wouldn't be tempted?
He coughed lightly, his face adopting a sorrowful expression. "To be honest, our vampire clan does not care for money. It's just that the Dark Realm is chaotic, and funds are needed to maintain order here. So, most of the bounty was spent on hiring mercenaries."
*To claim they don't like money? This vampire truly has no shame.*
Chen Yu suppressed his instinct to bounce and said, "I don't care. You may not like money, but we are scoundrels. The value of the vampire clan's friendship here will only be recognized when that bounty is returned to us."
"Come back when you've thought it through."
"Little Ka, escort Viscount Casimir back. Make sure he isn't bored on the way."
Little Ka, who had been crouching on the wall watching the show, immediately flapped his wings upon hearing this and landed lightly on the edge of the battlement. He blinked his seemingly innocent big eyes, staring directly at Casimir.
"A subdrake?!"
The vampire Viscount's face instantly changed color. He waved his hands while backing away.
"You are too kind. This Viscount will leave on his own."
With that, he turned and ran without looking back.
"Growl~"
Little Ka made a fierce posture, flapping his wings as he followed, both disappearing into the forest together.
Only then did Little Flower the Slime, who had been hiding in Anvil's arms observing secretly, poke her head out and ask curiously, "Vampires like to lie. Do we really want to ally with them?"
The skeleton twisted and transformed back into green gel, reforming into Chen Yu's round, chubby form.
He patted Little Flower's head with a gel hand.
"Of course it's fake."
"These vampires want us to deal with the goblins so they can benefit in the shadows, not knowing the Dark Realm is also a target for our Slime Kingdom's expansion."
"Heh heh, first, we'll take back the bounty and drive out the goblins. Next, it'll be their turn."
"Wow! Big brother is so smart!" Little Flower's eyes shone with admiration.
Anvil also chuckled, scratching his head. "I thought you were really going to cooperate with these guys."
Chen Yu continued waiting on the city wall until Little Ka returned and confirmed that Casimir had truly left the swamp. Then he inquired about the lizardfolk situation.
Little Flower thought for a moment. "Many... In summer, they hunt a lot, a whole lot. They collect animal hides, dry meat... It seems they are preparing to migrate away."
"Migrate away? Where are they going?"
Anvil, standing nearby, reminded him gruffly, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? The Magical Tides are coming. Not just the demi-humans;
even in the past, our Copperfire clan would gather enough food before the Magical Tides arrived, then shut the fortress gates and wait for the tides to pass before daring to come out."
"These lizardfolk migrating north are clearly seeking refuge. They'll return after summer ends."
Chen Yu thought about it carefully and agreed.
Count Bran had described the summer Magical Tides as so terrifying. If the Rotten Moss Tribe stayed by the Reed River, they'd be swept away in less than half a day.
"When are they planning to migrate, roughly?"
Little Flower pondered carefully. "Half... half a month later."
No.
These are all potential high-quality warrior candidates. He couldn't just let them leave like that.
Chen Yu decided to truly play the part of a divine envoy this time and lure these lizardfolk back to the territory first.