Returning once more to the outer wall of the Graystone Bulwark, Casimir's current mood was complex.
Guided by two Metal Slime guards holding small spears, he stepped once again onto this land that was now completely under the control of magical creatures.
Looking around, he could see slimes of various colors hopping about with soft "plop-plop" sounds, seemingly engaged in silent communication amongst themselves.
From the curious gazes they cast his way, Casimir could easily sense that in just a few days, he, a vampire noble who once held privileges here, had now become a "strange outsider" on this land.
Yet, far from feeling excessive regret over the vampire clan's current predicament, a hidden excitement was bubbling deep within him.
It's here...
He had finally grasped this rare opportunity!
Temporarily freed from Dunlan's unsettling gaze, he had obtained the chance to meet the King, and perhaps even change the future fate of the vampire clan.
His eyes flickered with an indescribable light, and his footsteps unconsciously quickened.
They pointed their small spears forward, indicating that Casimir should proceed alone.
Casimir's gaze passed over the ruins and rubble, landing on the camp not far away.
Several green slime wooden cabins had quietly sprung up here at some point, bringing a touch of life to these ruins.
And in the central square of the camp, a slime wearing a small crown and a red little cape was already waiting quietly.
Gazing at that enticingly translucent gel, breathing in the air filled with an aroma that made his body sing with joy, Casimir was intoxicated, almost unable to extricate himself.
For some reason... this fatal attraction seemed even more irresistible than during their last meeting.
Driven by instinct, he couldn't help but stride forward quickly and performed an action that even he found somewhat unbelievable.
Casimir knelt on one knee on the hardened ground, lowering his noble head in a pious posture, and spoke with a fanatical tone:
"Casimir is here to pay homage to our esteemed Majesty, the Envoy who illuminates the great earth, the incarnation of nature."
"Praise the Slime King! Praise the newly risen ruler of the Dark Realm!"
If Chen Yu hadn't reacted quickly enough, hopping back a short distance, he even suspected this vampire might have fervently lunged forward, attempting to kiss his gel.
Chen Yu steadied his round body and inquired, "Your vampire clan wants to negotiate?"
Casimir paid no mind to Chen Yu's retreating movement. Placing his right hand over his chest, he raised his head, his gaze burning as he said:
"No, esteemed Majesty! My journey here is not for negotiation, but to represent myself, and all my compatriots who yearn for rebirth, in expressing our submission to you."
"Only by using negotiation as an excuse was I able to temporarily escape Salacha's control and obtain this precious opportunity to meet you."
"But regardless of the process, the moment I laid eyes upon you, this Viscount realized that this decaying Evernight Domain is long overdue for a change of master. It should be governed by one as virtuous and esteemed as you."
Chen Yu looked at Casimir with some suspicion.
Why did he feel this vampire was even more obsequious than during their last meeting? Yet it didn't sound like deliberate flattery or lies, but rather something from the heart.
A cultured vampire buttering up a slime sure is different.
He tried to puff up his round gel belly, attempting to appear more imposing, and responded seriously, "Put away that hypocritical face. So, your vampire clan is here to surrender?"
"Of course, our vampire clan has long been unwilling to associate with those corrupt kin of ours, and those filthy, despicable goblins."
"Only by prostrating ourselves before you, devoutly drinking the Life's Blood you bestow, can we cleanse our sins and attain true rebirth!"
He grew more and more agitated as he spoke. Chen Yu could even see faint white light particles slowly drifting from his body, much like the power of faith generated by the Snowfield Savages during prayer.
Huh, how did this guy seem to have become his fanatical believer?
Chen Yu wondered if these vampires had some strange trait—the more they were oppressed, the more excited they became.
Even if he punched this guy now, he'd probably consider it a reward.
Chen Yu subtly shifted backward a few more times, trying to get further away from him.
"Your vampire clan has committed countless atrocities and amassed heavy sins in the Dark Realm. These cannot be easily covered up with just your words."
Upon hearing this, Casimir hurriedly touched his head to the ground and said in a tone full of repentance, "Your Majesty is right. I, Casimir, am indeed guilty."
"I have, to satisfy my appetite, deceived ignorant young maidens, drinking the blood of virgins. My sins are heavy, utterly unforgivable!"
He raised his head. "I am willing to use this tainted body to atone for you, to establish the Great Slime Religion, to preach the doctrines of nature, and to enlighten the ignorant creatures to become slime believers."
Chen Yu's expression turned odd.
He thought the vampires, having ruled the Dark Realm for so long, must have done plenty of evil.
He never expected the worst thing Casimir had done was deceive ignorant young maidens.
It seems even among vampires, there exists a rather unaccomplished, decadent generation.
Who knows if the vampire progenitor, seeing these descendants, would be so angry they'd jump out of their coffin.
Seeing Chen Yu fall silent, Casimir's heart skipped a beat, thinking his confession wasn't profound enough. He hurriedly added, "Your Majesty, I am further guilty. I even used filthy Gold Coins to insult those pure maidens, weaving lies with sweet talk to deceive them."
"I shall go find them all and sincerely apologize to them."
Chen Yu hopped once. "That won't be necessary."
"Without me needing to say more, you should understand what you need to do upon returning."
A look of delight appeared on Casimir's face. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will surely promote and expand the Great Slime Religion, letting your glory shine upon every corner of the Dark Realm."
Chen Yu: "..."
He really didn't care about any Great Slime Religion.
A sect that sounded so unreliable from the name alone—it'd be a miracle if anyone believed in it.
Suppressing his urge to complain, he corrected, "I meant, this war should end."
Half an hour later, Casimir left the magical creatures' camp, thoroughly satisfied.
He left behind several chests of Gold Coins as bargaining chips and, cradling the Life's Blood bestowed by Chen Yu, embarked on the journey back to the Evernight Domain.
Returning once more to the gloomy meeting hall of the ancient castle, Casimir informed the assembled vampire elders of the good news: he had successfully reached a ceasefire agreement with the Slime Kingdom.
"They agreed?"
"It actually succeeded?"
Everyone let out a sigh of relief. The originally heavy, oppressive atmosphere instantly relaxed.
"Viscount Casimir, well done."
"The family is proud of you."
Praise flooded toward Casimir like a tide, smiles blooming on every vampire's face.
Even the usually silent Dunlan gave a slight nod and said faintly, "Good work."
Then, without asking anything more, he turned and left the meeting hall as usual.
Ignoring the surrounding vampires, Casimir watched Dunlan's disappearing back outside the door, sinking into thought.
He always felt Dunlan had discovered something.
He couldn't delay any longer. Casimir made a decision within.
Tonight, the coup must be launched.
He must completely seize the actual control of the Evernight Domain.
Yes, this was the true agreement he had reached with that Slime Majesty.
He needed to launch a bloody internal purge, thoroughly eradicate the stubborn old guard, cleanse the remaining influence of Mage Salacha, and expel all those filthy Goblin Army troops from the Evernight Domain.
Use the blood of the betrayers to wash away the old sins of this land, to bring true rebirth to the Evernight Domain, to the entire Dark Realm.
Finally... open the gates wide, welcoming the Slime Majesty's army of magical creatures to enter, completing the transfer of power.
As the first bishop (self-proclaimed) of the "Great Slime Religion," he had long been prepared to sacrifice everything for this.
Casimir wore a humble smile on his face, responding to the elders' praises one by one.
The vampire elders chatted amongst themselves, their attention soon shifting away from him, discussing how to host a victory celebration ball.
Watching these vampires lost in a world of wine and revelry, Casimir said nothing and turned to leave.
After exiting this meeting hall permeated with a stale odor, he walked alone through the vast, deep corridors of the ancient castle, his footsteps echoing between the stone walls.
Soon, vague figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the pillars—vampires who had gathered upon hearing of Casimir's return.
A young vampire lowered his voice and asked urgently, "Viscount Casimir, any news about the Life's Blood?"
Casimir stopped walking, clasped his hands behind his back, and swept his gaze over these compatriots hidden in the shadows.
"A regret, everyone."
"Although I tried my utmost this time, the amount of Life's Blood I managed to secure is limited. I'm afraid it cannot meet everyone's needs."
"How could this be..."
"What should we do then?"
Whispers of disappointment and anxiety spread through the shadows.
Just as the atmosphere was growing increasingly downcast, Casimir's tone shifted, his voice filled with temptation:
"But I have a way to secure a stable and ample supply of Life's Blood for you."
The eyes of all the young vampires instantly lit up, their gazes focusing on him in unison.
Casimir looked at their reactions with satisfaction and, smiling, threw out his true objective:
"Before that, would you all be interested in first learning about our great Great Slime Religion?"
"Great... Slime Religion?"
The vampires looked at each other, faces filled with bewilderment.
...
Night.
On the land of the Evernight Domain, there was no true distinction between day and night. No matter how much time passed, the sky was forever a dim, faintly glowing gloom.
But most creatures living here still followed ancient biological instincts. Once the specific timeframe of night arrived, they would feel overwhelmingly drowsy.
On the inner wall of the Graystone Bulwark, a mercenary guard wrapped in a cloak couldn't help but yawn, pulling an hourglass from his robe and holding it up to his eyes.
"It's already the middle of the night..."
He rubbed his sleepy eyes and muttered, "Those slimes probably won't come again, right? Didn't they reach a ceasefire agreement anyway?"
"Who knows?" another, more vigilant mercenary beside him interjected, his gaze still scanning the darkness beyond the city wall.
"Those magical creatures are cunning. Who knows if they'll suddenly tear up the agreement and launch a sneak attack? Better to stay cautious."
"Alright, you sleep for a bit. We'll take shifts. I'll wake you up when it's time."
"You better keep a sharp lookout." The mercenary warned, then, hugging his two-handed warhammer, squatted down against the parapet, preparing to take a short nap.
It came and went quickly, as if it were just an illusion.
He jolted violently, sleepiness instantly scattering. He hurriedly raised his head and nudged his companion beside him nervously.
"Hey, Yuliel, did you see something pass by just now?"
The mercenary named Yuliel looked in the direction he pointed for a long time, then glanced at him with annoyance:
"I think you're too tired, starting to hallucinate. It's pitch black out there, what could possibly be there? Hurry up and get your sleep."
"Re... really?"
The mercenary stared doubtfully for a while longer, but ultimately couldn't resist the overwhelming tide of sleepiness. Mumbling that he must have really seen things, he hugged his warhammer again, leaned against the base of the wall, and fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, behind the inner wall of the Graystone Bulwark, in the area strewn with ruins and dilapidated buildings, several blurry figures that merged with the shadows flashed past.
They moved swiftly, soon disappearing into the deep shadowy corner of a collapsed house.
Not long after, voices speaking in extremely hushed tones could be heard from within.
In the shadows, Nilly crossed her arms, leaning against a broken wall, her face suspicious as she asked, "I say, will there really be vampires meeting us in a place like this?"
The ones who had infiltrated here were the Stone Descendant Assassins from Gore, and a slime was also perched on Nilly's shoulder.
Chen Yu hopped. "Just wait here patiently."
The Stone Descendant Assassins capable of carrying out this infiltration mission almost all mastered Shadow Traversal.
This meant that should they encounter any danger they couldn't handle, they could merge into the shadows at any time and instantly disengage from the battlefield, offering relatively guaranteed safety.
However, when these Stone Descendant assassins, accustomed to fighting vampires, first heard that this mission involved cooperating with vampires, they initially thought Chen Yu was joking.
Cooperate with their ancestral enemies?
It sounded like a complete fantasy.
But if they could truly, through an inside-out coup, completely change the history of the Dark Realm being controlled by vampires...
For the Stone Descendants, that wouldn't be a bad outcome either.
In truth, if not for the oppression by the vampires, they wouldn't even care about matters outside of Gore.
They just still doubted whether those vampires would truly keep their promises.