Blinding sunlight, noisy crows that love to scream, insects gnawing on coffins... vampires have many things they detest, and swamps are undoubtedly one of them.
In swamps, not only are there all sorts of savage, filthy magical creatures, but also those sticky, muddy marshes that could soil their opulent formal wear and delicate leather boots at any moment.
For vampires who care deeply about their appearance, this is absolutely unbearable.
However, Viscount Casimir was already stepping into this place for the third time.
Even he himself hadn't realized that, unknowingly, he had grown accustomed to this filthy swamp he once avoided like the plague, and had even begun to vaguely appreciate its beauty.
Whether it was the bright afternoon sunlight piercing through the dense canopy to sprinkle upon the swamp, or those slimes huddled under the warm patches of light, lazily basking in "sunbaths," everything seemed to him filled with the beauty of nature.
In contrast, his companion, Viscount Zoran, who had come with him, hadn't stopped complaining since they stepped into the swamp's edge.
"This damned mud."
Zoran carefully lifted his trouser legs, now dotted with mud splashes, waved away a buzzing swamp blood-sucking mosquito, and muttered under his breath:
He subconsciously smacked his lips, feeling his decade-dormant craving for tobacco seemed to be stirring again.
But they had come in a hurry this time, not even bringing half a stick of his treasured cigars, which undoubtedly made his mood plummet to rock bottom.
"You'd better not be lying to me."
"If this is just to have me accompany you out to enjoy the 'swamp breeze,' I'll lie back in my coffin right now and refuse to wake up, no matter what."
"How could that be, Viscount Zoran."
A mysterious smile played on Casimir's face as he pointed ahead. "Trust me, you will absolutely not be disappointed. Look, we're almost there."
The two pushed aside the dense thickets, and their view suddenly opened up.
The slightly harsh sunlight shone down, making Zoran feel a bit uncomfortable as well, but his attention at this moment was completely captured by the sturdy, tall fortress ahead.
What made his jaw drop even more was when he looked toward the woodland beside the city wall, he actually saw dozens of round, plump slimes diligently carrying stones and lumber, working together to build tree houses.
"What in the world, Casimir, these slimes can build houses?"
Zoran thought he was hallucinating from being out of touch with the outside world for too long. He desperately rubbed his eyes, blinked several times, and only then dared to confirm that this absurd scene before him was real.
"These slimes are far more exaggerated than what you said before."
A flash of surprise crossed Casimir's eyes. In fact, this was the first time he learned that these slimes could actually build houses.
But in front of his old friend, he tried hard to maintain his composure, putting on a calm expression that said, "What's there to be so surprised about?"
Since they had already identified themselves and stated their purpose to the patrolling Poison-stinger Wasps before entering the swamp, the master of this place had clearly been informed of their visit long ago.
Two metal slimes, presumably guards, quickly rolled up to them, gestured for the two to follow, and then hopped and bounced their way toward the largest tree house next to the city wall.
"What do they mean?" Zoran asked.
Casimir actually wanted to ask the same thing.
"Ahem, it must be that the Undead Lord values our alliance with the vampire clan greatly and even specially built a dedicated meeting hall." He pointed at the tree house that looked quite sturdy.
His guess wasn't wrong.
To welcome their "generous" allies, Chen Yu indeed attached great importance to this meeting.
He had not only personally participated in the design and partial construction of this meeting hall but had also been waiting inside the tree house early on.
There was even a row of slimes forming an honor guard outside the tree house door. They tried their best to stand up straight and, as the two passed by, swayed their bodies slightly in unison, as if "saluting" them.
Seeing this display, Zoran couldn't help but lower his voice and say to Casimir, "Not bad, Casimir. I didn't expect you to have quite the face here."
"That's only natural. I represent the vampire clan."
Casimir's face beamed with radiance, and he even walked with a bit of a spring in his step, his chin unconsciously lifting a few degrees.
This treatment was simply worlds apart compared to the previous two visits. It seemed Viscount Casimir's name was starting to carry weight in this swamp.
He thought with satisfaction.
Sunlight streamed down through the tree house's skylight, illuminating the entire interior of the meeting hall brightly and clearly, dispelling the dampness of the swamp.
As soon as the two stepped onto the hall's floor paved with smooth stone slabs, they saw, at the far end behind a crude stone table, a short, small skeleton wearing a tiny crown seated upright.
Casimir immediately put on an elegant smile, stepped forward, placed his right hand over his chest, and performed a standard noble bow. "Good day, esteemed Undead Lord. It seems your domain has been developing quite well in the days since my departure."
"This time, I have brought you new good news."
Chen Yu didn't reply immediately. His empty eye sockets slowly turned, his gaze falling upon the unfamiliar vampire beside Casimir.
As an "Undead Lord," even if he appeared to be just a short skeleton, he had to maintain the necessary dignity and posture.
He couldn't lose his composure easily just because of gold coins.
Unless... the gold coins were plentiful enough.
Before coming, Zoran had already learned about this skeletal lord from Casimir, so he didn't show any disrespectful expression, merely smiling and bowing in the same manner.
"Good day, esteemed Lord. I am Viscount Zoran. It is an honor to meet you."
Chen Yu gave a slight nod, inviting them to sit down.
Two slime agronomists, temporarily pulled from the farmlands to act as attendants, hopped over. Their gel-like little hands gripped the chair legs, helping to push open the chairs woven from vines and wood.
"As allies of our undead, the two Viscounts deserve our respect. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Lord."
Only after the two were seated did Chen Yu speak. "Then, please state your purpose."
The smile on Casimir's face remained unchanged.
"According to reliable intelligence, signs of the summer Magical Tides have begun to appear, and the activities of the Goblin Army entrenched at Riftrock Pass have become increasingly frequent."
"I wonder what specific plans you, Lord, have for dealing with these green-skinned threats. Perhaps our vampire clan can provide some assistance within our capabilities for our esteemed ally."
This time, Chen Yu didn't directly deny wanting to deal with the goblins. He merely sighed inwardly about these vampires being such "great benefactors," always finding ways to try and send him supplies.
He went along with the other's words:
"Assistance? Oh, thank you, our generous allies. We are indeed short of funds to expand our military equipment. It's not much, just casually give us three thousand gold coins."
"Th-three... ahem, ahem, ahem..."
Casimir was directly choked by his own saliva, coughing for a good while before catching his breath.
What did he mean by 'casually give us three thousand gold coins'?
Are three thousand gold coins a small amount?!
That's enough to equip a proper-looking army!
These undead are simply obsessed with money. Every time we meet, all they talk about is money.
Casimir raged inwardly, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
He struggled to maintain the smile on his face, though it appeared somewhat stiff:
"Ahem, Lord, perhaps we could change the request? This is really..."
Chen Yu tilted his head in confusion, his empty eye sockets fixed on Casimir. "Do you mean you don't have gold coins anymore?"
These words, seemingly light, were like a naked question: Are you poor?
"Of course not!..."
Casimir was somewhat at a loss for words.
Three thousand gold coins, even for the Blacktooth mercenary company controlled by the vampire clan, wasn't a sum that could be produced at a moment's notice. It would be difficult to gather in a short time unless they could go and swindle another massive bounty from the goblins.
But here's the problem: if they could swindle the bounty themselves, why on earth would they hand it over to these greedy undead for free?
He had intended to politely refuse this request but suddenly seemed to remember something. He pondered, then said in a tentative tone, "If you, Lord, could provide us with some more of that special 'blood' from last time, perhaps I could find a way to help you gather this portion of the funds."
Sure enough, these vampires were fundamentally after his gel.
Chen Yu instantly felt confident.
But some gel was nothing to him.
And he had long prepared a "special" version.
As he willed it inwardly, two buzzing Poison-stinger Wasps flew in through the meeting hall's open window.
They hovered in front of the two vampires, then with a soft *plop*, placed two blobs of emerald-green gel infused with life energy onto the stone table before them.
Seeing this familiar delicacy, Casimir's heart was instantly filled with wild joy.
He fought back the urge to pounce on it immediately and said to Zoran beside him:
"Zoran, try it. The taste is absolutely unforgettable."
Zoran picked up the warm, soft, bouncy blob of gel before him. For some reason, he felt this jelly-like substance seemed to be tempting him.
He didn't retort Casimir's words as he normally would. He didn't even need Casimir to say more;
an inexplicable impulse drove him to lower his head and take a bite.
"Gulp..."
When that cool, smooth life energy slid down his throat and merged with his cold blood, Zoran's eyes widened abruptly, and his body trembled slightly, uncontrollably.
Delicious!
Unbelievably delicious!
How could there be... food in this world more intoxicating than the blood of a virgin?!
Even his precious cigars seemed so mediocre and bland in front of this miraculous green gel.
He finally understood Casimir's words.
What tobacco addiction? Compared to this, that's not an addiction at all.
He greedily sucked the blob of gel in his hand clean. Only when his hand was empty did he lick his lips somewhat reluctantly, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the untouched blob of gel still in front of Casimir.
Seeing his expression, Chen Yu knew another vampire had fallen.
This was gel secreted from his own body. Although he didn't know the principle, it seemed to have a fatal attraction for these vampires.
He simply couldn't resist it.
Seeing the timing was right, Casimir said to Chen Yu, "To be frank, Lord, this special 'blood' is rich in nutrients required by the vampire clan. For us, it is an exceptional food."
"If your domain is willing to provide this gel blood stably over the long term, once I return and persuade those old fellows in the Evernight Domain to gather three thousand gold coins, or even more funds, for you, it will no longer be a problem."
His voice carried full confidence.
Casimir admitted he did have selfish motives.
He wasn't wholeheartedly loyal to Salacha. Compared to so-called plans, he cared more about this gel blood.
Those shiny gold coins?
In front of them, they were simply worthless.
If gold coins couldn't be exchanged for gel blood, then to Casimir, they were no different from worthless scrap iron.
As long as he could get his hands on this gel blood, he had plenty of ways to hide it from Salacha and persuade him to provide more gold coins.
He could even use the gel blood to secretly bribe and win over a group of vampire nobles, pushing this matter forward behind the scenes.
Zoran, sitting beside him, glanced at Casimir, seeming to see through his thoughts, but he didn't voice any opposition.
Because... he wanted it too!
He already didn't get along with Salacha and his arrogant apprentices. Following Casimir to enjoy delicious food wasn't bad, and he could even annoy Salachar in the process.
Simply perfect.
"Trading gel?" Chen Yu pretended to ponder, then agreed.
Using worthless gel in exchange for gold coins? This kind of trade was simply a huge win.
And not only would he give them gel, he would secretly add some talent orbs. Perhaps he could use Casimir as a connection to develop more vampire informants.
Hehe... he might even be able to hollow out the vampire clan from within.
Seeing Chen Yu agree, Casimir's smile grew even brighter. He bowed and said, "Thank you for your generosity and trust, my esteemed Lord. Please rest assured, the matter of funds is in my hands. It is absolutely not a problem."
"However, to give a proper account to Lord Salacha after returning and make him willingly take out this huge sum... I believe it is necessary for your domain to appropriately demonstrate your 'determination' and 'actions' in dealing with the Goblin Army."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I will secretly bribe human mercenaries to spread the news extensively in the Dark Realm. That way, Salacha won't have any suspicions."
Chen Yu thought to himself that this guy was quite considerate, even knowing to fabricate news.
This informant wasn't bad at all.
"Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business." Casimir responded with a smile.
Both sides were very satisfied with this negotiation and cooperation.
Casimir didn't even realize that his actions were approaching substantial betrayal. His heart was still immersed in the joy of soon obtaining more gel blood.
When he and Zoran left the meeting hall and saw several slimes struggling to carry over a few sealed clay pots, their eyes lit up.
They carefully took the clay pots, then left the fortress contentedly, their figures soon disappearing into the swamp's mist.
Chen Yu gazed in the direction they disappeared, also showing a satisfied expression.
"Next, prepare to organize a trade team heading for the White Horse Kingdom, and just wait for the gold coins to be delivered."