It had to be said that Li De was intrigued by Emi's proposal.
It wasn't because of the distant dream of ascending to godhood—there was still a long way to go before reaching Level 15, and aspiring to become a deity at this stage was unrealistic.
What captivated him was Emi's profession—the Shadow Priest.
Emi, now a Shadow High Priest, could help others transition into the hidden profession of Shadow Priest.
The innate skills of the Shadow Priest complemented vampires perfectly, and when combined, they could exponentially increase combat effectiveness.
This was something Emi, the Shadow High Priest, had personally reported to him, and it had lingered in his mind ever since.
However, the prerequisite for transitioning into a Shadow Priest was first becoming a priest.
In Glory, aside from temples, there was no other way to become a priest.
Thus, Li De found himself tempted.
The innate abilities of the hidden profession, Shadow Priest, were undeniably powerful. If Dawn City could acquire this profession, it would undoubtedly significantly boost the city’s strength.
Moreover, building a temple in Dawn City meant he would have absolute control. Even if something went awry, he could promptly correct it.
This was an incredibly enticing prospect.
If successful, the vampires would gain access to another hidden profession. Even if it failed, there would be no significant loss.
"Emi, I agree with the idea of building a temple.
However, after establishing the temple, how do you plan to preach? How will you spread faith?"
Any temple, once established, inevitably propagated the worship of its deity.
But Li De wasn’t a deity. Spreading faith required certain methods.
Spreading faith also involved establishing a religious faction.
The Goddess of Life had the Order of Life, the God of Death had the Order of Death, and the God of Justice had the Order of Justice.
To establish a temple, he needed to create a religious faction, define divine duties, and clarify doctrines—a task far from simple.
Emi puffed out his chest proudly and responded:
"Lord Progenitor, leave everything to me. You just need to determine your divine duty."
Having lived in the Temple of the Knight God for decades as a high-ranking priest, he was more than familiar with the intricacies of deities.
Determine my divine duty?
Li De couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Did anything he say really count?
For mortals aspiring to become deities, one must first possess a divine duty. The Goddess of Life's divine duty was life, and even evil beings across the Glory Main Plane had to show respect to her.
The God of Death’s divine duty was death; all souls not entering a divine realm after death would be cast into the Netherworld River for reincarnation.
These were the two most powerful deities in Glory, governing life and death. This was what divine duty meant—a defined domain over which every deity presided.
Even if Li De were to fake it, he still needed to fabricate a divine duty. Otherwise, preaching would be impossible.
"Vampires and blood—those two will do."
Divine duties among gods could not overlap. A conflict meant sharing power, which almost certainly led to divine wars.
Therefore, even though his temple was a fabrication, he dared not adopt divine duties like life or death.
Vampires and blood—he had never heard of any deity overseeing these domains.
"Yes, Lord Progenitor. Await my news."
Emi, having received Li De’s approval, left with an eager heart.
Studying the path to godhood—what could be more wonderful?
Li De watched Emi’s retreating figure, shaking his head with a wry smile. He didn’t dwell on it much. Having a Zealot was merely an unexpected bonus.
He could sense the feeble thread of faith energy in his mind—it was so weak that even casting a Mage Hand spell consumed dozens of times more mana than it.
To reach a state where it could benefit him, perhaps tens of thousands of believers would be necessary.
But how many people were there in Dawn City? Thus, in the short term, he held no expectations for this seemingly grand power.
It would serve only as an additional contingency, to see if it might yield results in the future.
The key priority now was still the development of Dawn City—that was the foundation of everything.
However, the Month of Deep Winter posed significant challenges, leaving many tasks unfeasible. This troubled Li De, especially the issue of ores.
Without veins of ore to support it, discussing the development of a city was practically empty talk.
Not to mention weapons—even everyday items required metal.
Currently, Dawn City couldn’t even forge a kitchen knife.
Dawn City couldn’t engage in external trade either, so buying ores was out of the question.
Relying on the Crimson Mage Tower for acquisitions was too time-consuming. Ores weren’t like cotton or grain—long-term procurement meant wasting time on transportation, making it impractical.
Just as Li De frowned in thought, a scent of blood in the air made him snap his head around.
Thump-thump—rapid footsteps echoed.
"Lord Progenitor, the prospecting team has encountered trouble!!"
A vampire coated in blood burst into the office, though there were no signs of injury on him. Clearly, the blood wasn’t his own.
Li De stood up, a foreboding feeling washing over him.
There was only one prospector in all of Dawn City. If something happened to this prospector, they would truly be out of options.
"Take me there. Do you know what happened?"
Without hesitation, Li De strode out of the office.
The reporting vampire led the way, his expression grim.
"Henner said he must report directly to you."
Li De nodded silently, his face growing stern.
Henner was a third-generation vampire, a descendant of Augustine, known for his meticulous nature. He was someone Augustine had highly recommended.
Though the prospecting team was small, it included two level-7 Whispering Bats and two level-8 vampires. Against ordinary foes, even if they couldn’t win, escaping wouldn’t be an issue.
Yet now, injuries had occurred, indicating some unforeseen event.
As Li De contemplated, the two arrived at the first floor of the City Hall.
By now, the hall had been cordoned off. Residents coming to conduct business were blocked outside, while over twenty vampires stood solemnly on guard.
Inside the hall, two blood-soaked vampires lay weakly on the ground, their bodies battered. Nearby, a tear-streaked boy of about twelve or thirteen sobbed quietly.
Upon seeing Li De, Henner struggled to sit up and bow, his handsome face smeared with grime. His blue mage robe was torn to shreds, leaving him looking even more disheveled than a beggar.
"Lord Progenitor," came his weak voice.
Li De quickly stopped him.
"No need for formalities. Have messengers fetched the Mana-Infused Blood?"
"Clan Leader, they’ve already gone to retrieve it," a nearby vampire replied before departing.
Li De nodded, then looked at Henner gravely. "Henner, what happened?"
Henner coughed up a mouthful of blood, unable to speak coherently.
Beside him, Jones, eyes red-rimmed, choked back tears as he answered.
"Lord Kachar, Master Henner was injured while protecting me."
The boy’s young face was filled with guilt and sorrow. If not for him, Master Henner wouldn’t have been hurt.
"Protecting you? Are you the prospector apprentice?"
"What happened? Why are you so badly injured?"
Henner lacked the strength to elaborate further, leaving Jones to answer Li De’s questions.
"Lord Kachar... we... we found an iron vein!"
"What? Really?!" Li De’s eyes widened, his stern expression breaking into a mix of surprise and excitement.
Jones handed him the grayish-brown ore clutched tightly in his hand, still warm from the boy’s grasp.
Through sobs, he continued.
"We found an entire iron vein...
But... but there were Cyclops near the vein!!" Speaking the name, Jones’ eyes filled with fear and dread.
That sudden towering figure had left a deep psychological scar.
"Master Henner was attacked by the Cyclops while protecting me. Two blacksmith uncles were also killed."
Jones’ words caused Li De’s brow to furrow, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
Even if you were an Ancient Titan, today I will make you understand the consequences of angering the vampires.