The Carnivore Betting on Both Sides / The Vampire Transformation Ritual

He had worried that Moros would be someone ignorant of the world, someone who knew only how to rely on power and act recklessly.

If that were the case, not only would this meeting become awkward, but it might also bring potential danger.

However, Moros's behavior completely overturned his expectations.

The young man before him conversed with him in an extremely polite and humble manner, making it almost impossible for Fuyuan City's mayor to connect him with the shocking atrocities from before.

Still, this was truly wonderful.

With a silent sigh, the mayor began steering the conversation toward what had happened the night before last.

He wanted to know about Moros's relationship with the destruction of House Edward, as well as Moros's thoughts regarding this meeting.

These questions were of utmost importance to the mayor, as they would directly determine the possibility and direction of future cooperation between Fuyuan City and Moros.

Following the mayor's lead, Moros also brought the pleasantries to an end.

Sensing Moros's willingness to speak further, Fuyuan City's mayor decisively turned away those trying to approach and strike up a conversation, swiftly leading Moros to a meeting room on the second floor of the manor's main building.

Here, more than a dozen middle-aged and elderly men and women between the ages of forty and sixty had gathered.

There was no need to ask. They were the true rulers of the land beneath their feet, as well as the leaders of Fuyuan City's

major families.

Faced with such a lineup, Moros showed no unease. Instead, he met every person present with an even firmer, unflinching gaze.

With the power Moros possessed, aside from humanity's ultimate weapon—the nuclear bomb—he no longer feared any other force, including the Mu Continent regular army that had recently annihilated the First Herrscher - Herrscher of Reason.

Moros now was completely different from who he had been during his time in Y City.

Back then, he had merely been a level 13 Exemplar Tier necromancer, and the Undead Legion under his command had only been a weak force whose strongest unit was a corpse witch.

But now, everything was different.

After a long period of dedicated study and cultivation at the Mage Guild, he had not only raised his level on the Hero Panel to level 25, but had also become a genuine Quasi-Legendary Tier spellcaster.

Although the knowledge he possessed was extremely specialized and riddled with flaws, this power alone gave him the confidence to step into the spotlight and speak with every faction on equal terms.

More importantly, the Undead Legion under Moros's command was no longer what it had once been.

The presence of mid- to high-tier undead units such as Spectral Dragons, Wraiths, Archliches, and Vampire Lords had raised the overall strength of the Undead Legion to a level comparable to the Mu Continent regular army.

With the bonuses from Moros's Attack stat of 20 and Defense stat of 62, even the lowest-ranking Skeleton Archers possessed combat strength no weaker than ranger-type Valkyries.

With such power backing him, Moros naturally had no need to fear Fuyuan City's forces.

Forget Fuyuan City—even against the Mu Continent, Moros now had enough confidence and ability to wage war head-on.

Although the Mu Continent regular army had begun equipping advanced Collapse Energy weapons, Moros likewise possessed powerful campaign spells to deal with them.

Human civilization possessed nuclear bombs as its ultimate weapon, while necromancers commanded the power of legendary magic.

Relying on military strength capable of guaranteeing mutual destruction, Moros could now swagger across this planet just like Yujiro Hanma.

Getting back to the point, after Moros and Fuyuan City's powerholders had exchanged a round of gazes and auras, Fuyuan City's mayor began introducing Moros to the identities of each family leader in the meeting room, one by one.

The process lasted more than ten minutes, yet no one present displayed the slightest impatience. Instead, they waited patiently with smiles on their faces.

When it was all over, an old man who appeared to be in his sixties was the first to speak.

"Everyone, I believe you all know perfectly well why we have gathered here today."

Carnivores Betting on Both Sides

"It is my honor to become friends with all of you. I believe we have broad prospects for cooperation, and I guarantee it."

As Moros spoke, detailed information about a supernatural species known as vampires was clearly displayed before everyone in the meeting room through a magical projection.

"As proof and beginning of our friendship, I am willing to offer every person here one opportunity to undergo the Vampire Transformation Ritual."

When Moros proposed giving everyone a gift, Fuyuan City's mayor had originally intended to politely decline with reserved courtesy.

However, as the detailed information in the magical projection appeared, he found that he truly could not bring himself to refuse.

This was immortality!

Even knowing that becoming vampires would come with all kinds of flaws, the carnivores present still stared greedily at every word in the projection, afraid of missing any crucial information about vampire transformation.

"Since it is a gift from Your Excellency, then I shall accept it despite my unworthiness."

Fuyuan City's mayor was already fifty-nine years old, and there were times when he could deeply feel the mercilessness of time and his own growing helplessness.

Therefore, faced with the temptation of vampire transformation, he ultimately chose to change his position and accept this gift that could alter his fate.

As everyone knew, people tended to follow the crowd.

Once Fuyuan City's mayor took the lead in expressing his willingness to accept, the others in the meeting room weighed their options briefly before stating that they were willing to follow the mayor's choice and accept Moros's gift.

Of course, this was also because these powerholders understood Moros's strength.

If not for that series of shocking killings earlier, these powerholders would not have behaved so respectfully.

Given the Mu Continent bureaucrats' usual arrogance, if they had not understood Moros's power, they might have used force to compel him to transform them into vampires.

However, reality had no ifs.

Knowing just how terrifying the power Moros wielded was, the bureaucrats wisely chose to accept the olive branch he had extended.

In exchange for standing on his side, they gained the precious opportunity to become vampires.

Yes, although Moros repeatedly called it a gift, how could bureaucrats well versed in officialdom fail to understand that there was no such thing as a free lunch?

They knew very well that this was actually a transaction proposed by Moros.

If they chose to stand on Moros's side, everything would proceed smoothly.

But if they refused Moros's goodwill, then there would be no need for the necromancer to act personally. Those bureaucrats who desired more chances for vampire transformation would kill them and use their flesh and blood as stepping stones for advancement.

Once they understood this deeply, it was not difficult to understand why the bureaucrats in the meeting room made such a choice.

"Since we are all in the same boat now, let us share this toast."

After saying that, Moros raised his glass to everyone present, then merely pretended to take a sip.

The others also raised their glasses in response, tilted back their heads, and drained them in one gulp.

Thus, the core portion of today's meeting came to an end.

When Fuyuan City's mayor led Moros toward the banquet being held in the manor, a second round of discussions promptly began in the meeting room.

"Everyone, are you really going to board that man's warship?"

An old man in his early fifties with deep-set eyes narrowed them as he cautiously and probingly asked the question.

The old man's words echoed through the meeting room, stirring ripples in the hearts of many present.

Yet faced with the temptation of immortality, these high-ranking carnivores truly could not suppress the greed and desire in their hearts.

They could not persuade themselves to reject Moros for the sake of the Mu Continent's interests.

"We have already made our choice. What is the point of saying such things now?"

After a long while, a clear and resolute voice broke the heavy silence caused by the old man's words.

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw an elderly woman in a brown women's suit elegantly nodding to the senior bureaucrats present.

She was the head of the family that controlled the energy system of the urban cluster where Fuyuan City was located. Her family's influence was among the greatest in the city, and its status was of immense importance.

Her declaration undoubtedly provided strong support to many present.

"Yes, we have already made our choice."

"Playing both sides will not end well."

"That is immortality..."

"..."

As the elderly woman's words fell, a chorus of agreement began to rise in the meeting room.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the room changed subtly.

The hesitation and wavering caused by the old man's words gradually dissipated following the elderly woman's declaration.

Seeing the tide of the meeting turning, the old man who had initially raised that sensitive question clearly felt the pressure.

"I think you have misunderstood me. Of course I have no intention of backing out."

He hurriedly spoke, trying to clarify his position and salvage the situation.

"What I mean is that we should not place our bets so early. Everyone knows the Mu Continent's strength. An army capable of killing even the First Herrscher is no joke..."

The old man's meaning was clear. They did not need to rush into making a decision. They could assess the situation more cautiously in order to make a wiser choice.

After a moment, voices supporting him began to emerge in the meeting room.

Some began agreeing with the old man's view, believing that they really did need to consider the matter more carefully.

A middle-aged male bureaucrat rose to his feet and offered his own opinion.

"On the surface, of course we are loyal supporters of the Mu Continent, but in reality..."

Though he did not say it outright, all the bureaucrats present understood his implication.

"That is a good idea."

A middle-aged female bureaucrat immediately echoed him.

"We should take some action to demonstrate our sincerity to Moros. After all, this is the only path to immortality we can reach at present."

As the discussion deepened, the people in the meeting room gradually reached a consensus.

These carnivores perched atop the food chain of the urban cluster containing Fuyuan City ultimately decided to remain observers for the time being and not rush into making a final decision.

However, when facing envoys from Moros or the Mu Continent, they would still display firm support and loyalty.

This strategy of betting on both sides could not only win them more opportunities and benefits, but also ensure that they would not suffer losses from choosing a side too early.

After all, not standing with the losers was the core reason a family could remain prosperous for generations.

"So that is what they think..."

Moros lightly stroked his smooth chin, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Through the report of the wraith he had left in the meeting room, he had already learned every detail of Fuyuan City's bureaucrats' final decision.

However, Moros took no action, because his original goal—protecting Eden—had already been perfectly achieved.

Vampire Transformation Ritual

Fuyuan City's powerholders had naturally anticipated that Moros might take some measures to eavesdrop on their secret meeting.

However, due to the arrival of the First Herrscher - Herrscher of Reason, the thinking of Fuyuan City—no, of the entire Pre-Collapse Civilization's privileged class—had been led astray.

They naturally regarded Moros's power as an application of Collapse Energy.

This was not difficult to understand.

As research into Collapse Energy deepened, the Pre-Collapse Civilization had discovered that the versatility of this energy far exceeded imagination.

In some Collapse Energy research institutes, there had even emerged claims that Collapse Energy was omnipotent.

Therefore, the confidentiality measures employed by Fuyuan City's powerholders were almost entirely aimed at Collapse Energy.

When facing wraiths, undead units completely unrelated to Collapse Energy, their anti-surveillance measures naturally had no effect whatsoever.

Want to bet on both sides? Then be prepared to bear the consequences.

Moros muttered inwardly, then decisively lowered the grade of the Vampire Transformation Ritual he had originally planned to provide for Fuyuan City's elite as an experiment by another level.

The higher one's position, the more one feared death.

When it came to transforming into an unknown life form like a vampire, Fuyuan City's elite would naturally take a cautious approach and have test subjects try it first.

However, after learning from the information Moros provided that vampires possessed absolute control over their descendants, Fuyuan City's elite abandoned the idea of using transformed test subjects to turn themselves into vampires.

Why did Fuyuan City's elite desire immortality so desperately?

It was because they wanted to continue enjoying their current wonderful lives.

Just imagine: if another "father" appeared above them—a vampire capable of exerting absolute control over them—would they still desire such immortality?

The answer was obviously no.

Getting back to the point, after thoroughly studying the fifth-tier Dark Magic spell Vampirism, Moros had already mastered a relatively rudimentary Vampire Transformation Ritual.