After a moment of contemplation, Li De made his decision.
The vampires' crude methods of development were unsustainable.
With only three years left before the players arrived, if the vampires continued to recklessly prey on humans, those natural disasters would undoubtedly hunt down every vampire with glee.
Moreover, Li De wasn't some kind of psychopath. Allowing the vampires to hunt and kill living humans was something he couldn't stomach, morally or emotionally.
For both personal and practical reasons, the vampires had to change.
In the human world, even a king might struggle to implement major reforms due to fierce resistance from nobles and vested interests.
Fortunately, as the Vampire Progenitor, Li De commanded absolute loyalty from the vampires, making change far easier to achieve.
"Odys, notify all clan members to gather in the council hall."
Odys bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Father."
Father. Hearing this title, Li De's lips twitched involuntarily.
Odys was a second-generation vampire, directly embraced by Li De.
There were only seven second-generation vampires in the ancient castle, and the rest were descendants of these seven.
Odys calling him "Father" wasn't wrong, but seeing a man who looked nearly forty address him this way made Li De inwardly cringe.
Whoosh~
A flurry of bats took flight as Odys went to deliver the message.
Li De didn't want to linger on the wall any longer. Transforming into a swarm of bats, he flew directly to the central hall of the ancient castle, guided by his memories.
Flying through the open semicircular archway, he entered a grand hall adorned with colorful stained-glass windows depicting creation myths and vampire heroes.
Statues with detailed skin textures, bat wings, and the iconic fangs of vampires stood proudly.
Various bold reliefs carved into the walls depicted terrifying magical beasts, and even the ceiling featured a lifelike, fire-breathing dragon.
The hall exuded a strong Western church-like atmosphere.
In the central seat of honor, the bats vanished, and Li De's figure appeared.
Looking around at the exquisite architecture and decorations, his eyes flashed with appreciation.
As expected of the vampires, known for their elegance. The decor here was far more luxurious than his mage tower.
Antique vessels, artistically crafted statues, masterfully painted oil paintings, and even the carpets were meticulously chosen.
As Li De curiously examined the various oil paintings in the hall, the sound of flapping wings filled the air.
Vampires began appearing in the hall, and within ten minutes, all the vampires from the ancient castle had gathered.
Two hundred people in the spacious hall didn't feel crowded. Their every movement exuded elegance—handsome, graceful men and polite, refined women.
Although Li De had memories of such scenes, seeing so many stunningly attractive individuals in person lifted his spirits.
Indeed, beauty was justice. It was a feast for the eyes.
The vampires below looked at Li De with reverence and admiration.
The pressure of his bloodline commanded their respect, while his personal strength earned their worship.
The seven middle-aged men and women at the front took two steps forward.
Together with the vampires behind them, they bowed deeply to Li De, who sat in the central seat of honor.
"Good evening, Clan Leader."
Li De stood up, adopting the proud demeanor of the Vampire Progenitor, and nodded slightly to the crowd below.
Once everyone straightened up, he spoke slowly.
"I've called everyone here today to discuss the future of our vampire clan."
At these words, the vampires below froze, their eyes filled with curiosity as they looked at Li De.
In recent years, Li De had been so engrossed in studying magic that he rarely involved himself in the internal affairs of the vampire clan.
This was the first time in decades that he had summoned the entire clan so formally.
Odys was the first to respond.
"Clan Leader, please speak."
His expression was serious. In front of the other vampires, he rarely addressed Li De as "Father."
The other second-generation vampires, though also curious about Li De's actions, followed suit.
"Progenitor, please speak freely."
"Father."
As the Vampire Progenitor, these were all his descendants. Li De held absolute authority within the vampire clan.
Even if he ordered the two hundred vampires to attack Green City, which was guarded by tens of thousands of soldiers, they wouldn't hesitate.
Li De was pleased with their reaction.
"It seems I've underestimated the weight of my identity as the Vampire Progenitor among the vampires."
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke in a solemn tone.
"My children, my descendants, do you know that our vampire race is on the brink of destruction and death?"
Destruction and death?
His cold words sent shockwaves through the hall.
What?
Odys looked at Li De with wide eyes, his blue pupils filled with confusion.
The vampires were deeply hidden in the remote Far Mountain Range, and their strength was considerable. With Li De, the powerful Vampire Progenitor, protecting them, who could possibly destroy the vampire clan now?
Only the army of Green City would dare say such a thing. Could it be that Green City's forces had already discovered the vampires' traces?
At this thought, Odys' fingers trembled slightly. He hadn't directly participated in the war between the vampires and Green City a century ago, but he had witnessed the aftermath of the final battle.
"Clan Leader, please tell us the reason."
Although the vampires in the hall were shaken and found it hard to believe, no one dared to voice their doubts.
These were the words of their ruler, the Vampire Progenitor. If anyone else had said this, they would have torn them apart.
Li De's handsome face was filled with coldness.
"Lucy, tell me, how many humans have we captured from the vicinity of the Far Mountain Range over the past ten years?"
Lucy, a level 9 mage and one of the seven second-generation vampires, was the youngest at just over a hundred years old.
Lucy stood up from the group of seven. Her long purple dress trailed on the ground, exuding a classical charm.
Her beautiful blonde hair contrasted with her purple dress, and her appearance, looking to be in her early thirties, radiated noble elegance. She was stunningly beautiful.
Though her emerald-green eyes showed some confusion, she answered Li De's question seriously.
"Father, after you ordered us to stop embracing new vampires twenty years ago, the number of humans we captured each year became fixed.
Over the past ten years, we've needed nearly three thousand humans annually as food."
Three thousand per year, thirty thousand over ten years.
Hearing this number from one of his descendants, Li De's expression became slightly uncomfortable.
After interacting with the people of this world, he could no longer see them as mere NPCs in a game.
Each person had flesh and blood, their own soul.
Thirty thousand people had become food for the vampires. Even though it wasn't his doing, the impact on his conscience was still significant.
Moreover, there was another issue: the vampires seemed unaware of sustainable development.
After capturing humans, they treated them solely as food, failing to recognize that humans themselves could create value. They had no concept of sustainable development.
It was like capturing hundreds of chickens but not realizing they could lay eggs. Instead, they killed them all, resulting in a tremendous waste of resources.
The vampires had to change.
"Exactly. Because of this, the nobles of Green City and the mages of the Mage Guild have already detected our presence. In fact, I've received news that Green City is preparing to send its army to hunt us down, just like the war a century ago."
The hall erupted in chaos.
No one doubted Li De's words. The previously calm vampires immediately became restless.
Everyone knew that if Green City's army truly marched into the Far Mountain Range, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Although more than half of the vampires present hadn't experienced the war a century ago, the stories passed down through generations made it clear that no one wanted to relive the experience of being hunted by tens of thousands of soldiers.
After speaking, Li De's eyes were filled with coldness, his expression grave.
Ignoring the now panicked vampires, he continued.
"Green City's army numbers over fifty thousand, including twenty high-level mages and three grand mages."
"If they locate our stronghold, the ancient castle won't be able to withstand their assault."
Even the seven second-generation vampires couldn't remain calm at this point.
Odys, the most impulsive, urgently asked.
"Clan Leader, what should we do now?"
Li De didn't answer directly. Instead, he continued in a slow but deeply oppressive tone.
"But that's not all. Even Locke Hart, the transcendent mage of Green City who personally participated in the war against the vampires a century ago, has already detected our presence."
"Survival or destruction."
"Death or rebirth."
"We are now faced with a choice."