Chapter 170: The Lord of Darkness

Lanqiu City.

Lanqiu City derived its name from the rolling hills covered in blue tulips located three miles outside the city gates. During the peak blooming season, the breathtaking scenery captivated travelers so deeply that the region enjoyed a renowned reputation throughout the entire Demon-Hunting Continent.

Although it was currently not the season for tulips, Lanqiu City remained bustling with endless streams of traffic and extraordinary vibrancy. Especially after nightfall, wealthy merchants and nobles riding in luxurious carriages flitted endlessly from one entertainment establishment to another, making the nightlife even more lively than the day.

Beneath the pitch-black night sky, Mary soared high above, with the brilliant disc of the moon positioned right behind her, casting her silhouette into an even more slender, graceful, and impeccably delicate form.

Anyone in Lanqiu City who happened to gaze up at the bright moon at this moment would have caught sight of the figure of a beautifully proportioned, elegantly poised maiden. Trailing behind this stunning woman, a pair of gigantic bat wings unfurled against the wind, bestowing upon her an air of profound mystery and sinister allure.

Beginning at some forgotten point in time, Mary had grown fond of this sensation of looking down from the lofty vault of the sky.

The ignorant city clamored far beneath her feet, completely unaware that a terrifying catastrophe was about to descend upon every single soul within its walls. Gazing down from the dark, nocturnal skies, an untamed sense of dominance—as though the very earth lay firmly within her grasp—spontaneously welled up in her heart.

This feeling was truly immaculate, truly intoxicating!

The howling, high-altitude gales whipped at her scarlet cloak, and her broad, leather-like bat wings beat gently. Mary’s slender form stood proud and unyielding in the raging winds, as rigid as if forged from steel, without a single tremor.

Originally, Lanqiu City should have been the hunting grounds of the vile insectoid Entek, but after Mary smiled sweetly and had a heart-to-heart conversation with him, Entek "voluntarily" requested to be reassigned to those small mountain villages in the west.

Consequently, Mary took charge of managing this human city, Entek sealed off several human settlements in the west, and Greem slipped deep into the rear forests, tasked with capturing more flesh and blood materials for Kogen.

Though forced to separate from Greem, Mary harbored not the slightest shred of anxiety or worry. While she might usually rely somewhat on Greem’s tactical planning, that did not imply she was a brainless fool.

No one who managed to become a wizard could ever be a fool!

Riding the night wind into this small human city with a population of merely twenty thousand, Mary had already mapped out the subsequent stages of her operation within her mind.

The Infiltration Plan!

To infiltrate successfully, one needed to conceal oneself, yet purely hiding made it difficult to keep abreast of rapid changes in the external environment. Thus, she required a higher-profile, far more efficient form of infiltration!

Hovering high in the night sky to survey the city, Mary quickly marked out several key locations among the gloomy architectural outlines. Every spot she targeted corresponded to the most densely populated, brilliantly illuminated districts.

With a soft, sharp whistle, Mary folded her wings and plunged downward toward the city below like an arrow released from a string. Only when she was a mere thirty meters from the ground did she snap her wings open, her entire body dissolving into a wisp of dark shadow that blended seamlessly into the boundless night.

***

The Tulip Hotel.

Even among the countless entertainment establishments in Lanqiu City, the Tulip Hotel stood out as the most prestigious and upscale venue.

Though late into the night, the plaza before the Tulip Hotel remained packed with exquisite, ornate four-wheeled carriages, their fragrant pear-wood carriages adorned with the noble crests of prominent families along the corners.

Inside the most opulent and magnificent private suite of the hotel, upon an extravagant grand bed, four individuals—one man and three women—writhed in a desperate, tangled embrace. Yet just as the bald, burly man reached the pinnacle of ecstasy, unable to pull himself away, the heavy doors of the suite abruptly swung open. A tall, curvaceous, and fiercely seductive beauty clad in red armor strode into the room.

Trailing closely behind the red-armored beauty, a mob of thugs swarmed in. Relying on sheer numbers, they surrounded the stunning woman with fierce glares, yet not a single person dared to obstruct her advance. Among the crowd, several ringleaders bore bloodied faces, with enormous, crimson handprints swelling high across their cheeks.

Having his "good time" abruptly interrupted, the bald brute’s fury reached an absolute peak. Wrapped merely in a bedsheet, he scrambled off the grand bed, completely unconcerned that his three female companions were lying stark naked.

A piercing shriek pierced the air!

"Shut your mouths, all of you! If anyone dares let out another sound to disturb the distinguished guest here, I’ll strip her naked and toss her into the Ditch Slums..."

The Ditch Slums were the most notorious shantytown in Lanqiu City; once cast in there, one could easily imagine their fate. While they might not fear being abused by men, that place was overrun by starving, desperate beasts, and rumors of cannibalism were a frequent occurrence.

Thus, in the next instant, the shrieking abruptly cut off!

"Are you the manager here?" Mary, who had forcefully broken in, concealed all her inhuman traits, appearing outwardly like a female mercenary of considerable prowess.

Yet as she offered a gentle, sweet smile, ripples dancing within her azure pupils, an invisible wave of bewilderment left the gathered males utterly infatuated. Even the few fellows whose heads she had cracked open felt the anger in their eyes rapidly dissipate, replaced by lecherous expressions.

"Who the hell are you? How dare you break into my territory! Hehe... Little girl, haven't you ever heard of the name of the Bald Vulture?" Stroking his gleaming, polished bald pate, the brute sneered sinisterly.

Although he too was infected by Mary’s innate charm, he was fundamentally a ruthless and vicious individual, rendering his degree of susceptibility much milder and allowing him to barely maintain his wits. Of course, this also had to do with the fact that Mary had no intention of seducing him whatsoever!

All of this was merely the passive effect of Mary's own captivating abilities!

"What? You wish to converse with me in front of all these people? A dignified boss like the Bald Vulture actually needs to put on such a massive display just to speak with a frail woman?"

The bald man let out a cold snort, exchanging glances with a few of his capable underlings. Moments later, they summoned his trusted right-hand men: Fast-Sword Jack and Black-Blade Andre.

Both arrivals looked somewhat disheveled, but judging solely by their steady gaits and sharp gazes, they were clearly leagues above the mob of rabble outside.

"Boss..."

"Boss..."

Upon arriving, the two men stood behind the bald man. One gently tapped the slender rapier at his waist, while the other produced a pitch-black dagger, playfully juggling it between his fingers. They stared menacingly at Mary, letting out continuous, cold chuckles.

Bolstered by these two powerful subordinates, the bald man finally regained his composure. At his signal, the useless thugs hurriedly retreated from the room, dragging along the pale-faced, naked women with them.

Once the doors clicked shut, the bald man leisurely discarded his bedsheet and began strapping on the leather armor, bracers, and buckler piled in the corner of the room.

Fully prepared at last, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared haughtily at Mary. "Speak! You can state your purpose now!"

Deep within Mary’s azure pupils, tiny threads of crimson began to ripple. As her gaze swept over the three men before her, an endless surge of joy filled her heart.

Three Quasi-Wizards!

These three otherworldly warriors all possessed strength comparable to at least a Quasi-Wizard!

Mary smiled silently.

***

Moments later, the doors of the suite swung open once more.

The countless thugs standing by with weapons drawn were astonished to find their usually tyrannical boss bowing and scraping before the red-armored beauty. Meanwhile, the two elite enforcers cowered behind the woman, hurrying to fetch a rosewood armchair for her to sit upon, before scrambling to serve tea and water with expressions of utter terror lest they displease her in the slightest.

With a light, sweet smile, Mary seated herself gracefully, using a handkerchief to gently wipe away the trace of blood from the corner of her lips.

Around the necks of the bald man and the two enforcers, a pair of tiny puncture wounds were rapidly healing, leaving behind nothing more than faint, barely perceptible scars within moments.

Upon becoming a Vampire Wizard, Mary had naturally acquired the ability of the Embrace. Utilizing this power, she could generate a vast number of loyal blood thralls. Unfortunately, creating each blood thrall drained a portion of her core blood essence, forcing her to carefully select critical targets for the ritual.

And this bald brute, who controlled the entire underworld of Lanqiu City, was undoubtedly a prime target requiring her focused control. By dominating him alone, Mary’s grip over Lanqiu City would instantly soar to an extraordinary level.

With the aid of Vulture as her pivotal puppet, Mary quickly unraveled the power structure governing Lanqiu City.

The true ruler of Lanqiu City was, of course, Lord Mayor Earl Wenlier, while Vulture was merely a high-ranking enforcer lurking within the shadows under his command.

Thus, late the following night, Mary was meticulously disguised and covertly smuggled into the Lord Mayor’s estate.

Upon seeing the exotic beauty delivered by his loyal subordinate, Earl Wenlier—a man in his fifties sporting a neat little black mustache and an outwardly cultured demeanor—was utterly thunderstruck by her heavenly looks.

Consequently, right under the noses of his elite personal guards, Mary was grandly delivered straight to the Earl’s bed.

Thus, on the second night following Mary’s intrusion into Lanqiu City, its supreme ruler also became her loyal blood thrall and servant.

In truth, given Mary’s current strength, subduing this small city should not have required much effort. Yet to accomplish it without causing a stir demanded a degree of subtle finesse!

To ensure her subsequent control ran deep and thorough, Mary even painstakingly bestowed the Embrace upon the few quasi-wizard-level subordinates the Earl had recruited. In this fragmented mysticism-based alternate realm, the vampiric entity clearly exceeded the imaginative limits of the native plane's inhabitants.

Employing a strategy of controlling the whole through focal points, Mary required a mere three days to transform into the true ruler of Lanqiu City—a "Dark Sovereign" hidden entirely beyond the perception of the masses!

Meanwhile, the intelligence and information gathered through both her underground and surface networks began flowing incessantly back into the wizard encampment.

Before long, a particular piece of intelligence concerning the Demon-Hunting Knights captured her attention!