Warsaw, the City of a Thousand Towers

The wicked feast did not last long.

According to Angela, these toys were far too fragile; she hadn't even had time to fully enjoy them before most of them were completely destroyed. The two sisters played a crucial role in this. Fueled by anger and hatred, they had almost never been so ruthless in their killings. Even the normally gentle Fina began to use her Burning Hands to directly scorch the faces of her victims, causing those hateful bandits to die screaming in agony.

The characteristics of Vampire Species not only modify their bodies, but also their inner selves.

Angela, of course, wouldn't point this out. Watching two originally kind and pure souls fall into darkness was her hobby, not the opposite.

Once they have learned to be ruthless towards their enemies, the next step should be to broaden the scope of their perception of enemies.

"I will give you all a chance."

Looking at the two bandits before her, who were already covered in wounds, Angela smiled easily and cheerfully. Although Mina and Fina's eyes had turned completely red with anger, and their gazes were enough to make most people tremble, Angela's will was above theirs. Without her permission, the two sisters could not do anything.

The bandits who had just been swaggering around were now like helpless lab rats, sitting on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Although they didn't know the origins of the women before them, after seeing Angela easily tear their leader in two like shredding paper, their initial lust and anger vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling despair that overwhelmed them, making it impossible for them to resist their fear even as they lay on the ground.

Seeing them trembling, Angela her eyes.

"Right, how about this..."

Looking at the two bandits in front of her, the little girl giggled softly.

"You might as well fight each other. Whoever survives, I will spare his life."

Without any hesitation, the moment Angela finished speaking, one of the men drew a dagger from his waist and lunged at his companion. But before his strong body could pin his companion to the ground, the sharp sword had already pierced his heart. Although his reaction was not slow, it was still not enough compared to his companion.

Pushing aside the man's corpse that had fallen on top of him, the surviving man stood up. He looked at Angela, panting heavily. Clearly, that last push had exhausted all his strength. Noticing the man's resolute gaze, Angela chuckled and began to clap her hands. The crisp applause echoed through the smoke-filled camp, littered with corpses and blood, making it all the more eerie.

"Humans are such fun toys; you can never get tired of playing with them."

As she spoke, Angela smiled slightly and nodded to Mina beside her.

"Sister Mina, I'm leaving you with her."

At Angela's command, the previously invisible restraints vanished instantly, and the girl immediately stepped forward, transforming into a sharp beam of light. She poured all her inner anger into the longsword in her hand, and in the blink of an eye, the sword pierced the man's throat. This sudden turn of events left the man gaping, his expression filled with resentment, anger, and confusion.

"For..."

"I have kept my promise, haven't I?"

Angela stood up, dusted off her skirt, and looked smugly at the poor wretch lying on the ground.

"I spared your life—aren't a few seconds a reward?"

Unfortunately, the poor wretch could no longer protest against this explanation.

This was just a minor incident.

However, after Mina and Fina returned to the carriage, both Li Lin and Nia noticed a change deep within them. Something darker had seeped out through the cracks, infecting and altering the girls' thoughts. Li Lin completely ignored it; after all, it wasn't something he needed to worry about. Nia also didn't offer any opinion on the matter; at least they had dealt with the previous troubles, and that was enough.

The carriage set off again, continuing towards their destination. This time, Nia took the initiative to introduce the place they were about to arrive at.

Warsaw, the City of a Thousand Towers, is only a few hundred years old; in fact, it's not an ancient city. At least, it seems young to those with endless lifespans, but for humans with shorter lifespans, it's ancient enough. This city was founded five hundred years ago, when a series of measures implemented by the Five-Nation Alliance plunged the entire continent into turmoil. Many people ultimately chose to leave their homes and come to this remote northern land to establish their own city. It existed independently of the Five Nations, but it didn't become a nation. Instead, it continued to exist as a city, a melting pot that indiscriminately absorbed visitors from afar.

In Warsaw, most of the inhabitants are of mixed race, with half-elves being the most common, and a few half-dwarves as well (it's truly baffling what kind of human would have the courage to fall in love with a beautiful dwarf with a long beard). Even the rarest dragon veins can be found here. The mixed-race inhabitants built the city, while the rest of the population consisted of wandering criminals, drifting travelers, and exiles. Clearly, they were unwelcome elsewhere, and only this City of a Thousand Towers was willing to accept and absorb them.

Of course, the city initially attracted the attention of the five nations, and as it expanded, the Five-Nation Alliance inevitably became suspicious of it. However, after several skirmishes, the Five-Nation Alliance abandoned its plan to attack. After all, most of the inhabitants of Warsaw were unpopular figures—including many who were disliked for their overwhelming power. Moreover, the inhabitants were predominantly of human descent, making them more difficult to deal with than elves and dwarves. Fortunately, Warsaw was a clever city; faced with the Five-Nation Alliance, ultimately dispelling their doubts and successfully becoming an autonomous province. However, the Five-Nation Alliance still sent representatives to govern the city and monitor everything within its borders.

That was true in the past. But things are different now...

Nia smiled, a rare hint of smugness appearing on her face.

"We'll be treated well there, believe me."

As the dense forest began to thin out, the true face of the City of a Thousand Towers was revealed to everyone. It was entirely constructed as a small mountain. Apart from the man-made walls that isolated it from all dangers, from a distance it looked like a small hill that dominated a garden. It stood firm against the cold northern winds.

"When this city was being built, no one was willing to provide these poor exiles with enough building materials."

Nia looked out at the city and explained to everyone.

"So they had no choice but to start digging, transforming the entire mountain into a magnificent fortress and city."

However, Angela was not entirely satisfied with the magnificent northern ice city before her.

"I had imagined I would see a thousand towers; it's truly a misnomer."

"Perhaps it was named that because the mountain resembles countless towers."

Li Lin only glanced at the city outside and had already guessed a similar answer.

"Regardless, I still admire them. To be able to completely hollow out a mountain and turn it into a city is an achievement that even the Magic Empire couldn't have imagined."

"In fact, I had the same thought when I first came here."

Nia nodded slightly, indicating her agreement with Li Lin's opinion.

"Humans may be fragile and short-lived, but the sparks of their souls are dazzling and impossible to look directly at. It's truly unimaginable that even these hybrids, who only inherited half-human blood, possess such admirable creativity."

"That's why humans are like bedbugs, able to survive anywhere. That's what I hate about them. One day, these unrestrained, unbridled reptiles will be proudly taking travel photos in the sun."

Angela complained indignantly, clearly acknowledging humanity's superior adaptability but not considering it an advantage.

"Weakness breeds awe, and awe leads to knowing one's limits, rather than foolishly acquiring what one shouldn't have. I truly wonder, when these humans can even survive in a vacuum, will they arrogantly steal the secrets and truths of the world's formation? One day, the starry sky will be polluted by these foolish, short-lived species, and even the Milky Way will likely suffer the fate of being contaminated."

"Perhaps this is the price of gain and loss."

Although the two sisters and Nia completely failed to understand Angela's complaints, Li Lin grasped her meaning. On Earth, humanity's reckless deforestation had led to the extinction of wild animals, the pollution of drinking water sources, and even the sky had become a symbol of danger. Angela's former ancient castle had been completely razed, replaced by a modern city. No wonder she harbored such deep hatred for humanity. For long-lived Vampire Species, scientific progress, medical advancements, and economic benefits were irrelevant; they only cared about their food, the environment, and their homes.

"We gain something, but we also lose something. Some paths are long, while others lead to the destination quickly; we just don't know if the price is worth it."

Just then, the carriage arrived at the city gate of this mountain city. In front of a spacious, dark cave, young men dressed in fine armor stopped the carriage. Most of them had handsome faces, and upon closer inspection, one could see that their ears, which they did not intend to conceal, showed a pointed shape, but were not as long and thin as those of elves—this was the mark of mixed race.

Nia pulled her cloak back up to conceal her face, then reached into her robes and pulled out a golden leaf. The guards, who had originally intended to give these "Southerners" a hard time, immediately straightened their posture upon seeing the golden leaf. Soon, without any inspection, the group quickly passed through the guard post at the entrance and entered the dark cave.

The long, dark cave wasn't completely black; moonstones embedded on either side emitted a soft glow, illuminating the path for passersby. Even without much professional knowledge, Li Lin could understand that one purpose of building such a long passage was to block potential enemy attacks. After all, this was a massive mountain peak, possessing far more robust defenses than any other city.

Under the old coachman's guidance, the carriage sped along, occasionally passing pedestrians and merchants.

"Master, I find this somewhat absurd."

Leaning against the car window, watching the lights flash by outside, Angela's expression was somewhat strange.

"It felt like stepping into a subway tunnel."

Li Lin smiled and accepted what she wanted to say. He understood the little girl's way of thinking. In fact, he had similar feelings. Afterward, he turned to Nia and asked his question.

"You seem very familiar with this place? Why?"

"I knew you'd ask me that question, Li Lin."

Nia's smile was very happy.

"In fact, this city is no longer under the control of the Five-Nation Alliance. Now, it is controlled by a group of mages."