Under the nervous gazes of the centaurs, this former Evil God believer, now a second-generation Bloodline Descendant, slowly descended to the ground.
The Level 15 Dark Priest, dressed in a black priest's robe, flipped down from the Whispering Bat. The deep scar slashing across his face looked particularly savage at this moment.
With Sam watching warily, Stanley strode resolutely to stand before Li De and placed a hand on his chest, bowing.
"Good day, Majestic."
Majestic, Majestic??
Upon hearing the address, Sam's expression changed drastically. He suddenly turned to look at Li De, who stood there with mysterious poise in his black mage robe.
'Majestic' why that title?
Could it mean... Transcendent?!!
The shaman was shaken by his own terrifying guess.
Though the idea was absurd, in this moment, he couldn't help but somewhat believe it.
He turned his head and carefully tried to sense Li De's aura. But with his Level 15 strength, he couldn't detect anything at all. Yes, absolutely nothing. Based solely on aura, he wouldn't even be able to tell someone was standing there.
This discovery frightened Sam even further.
Could this mysterious City Lord Kachar truly be a Transcendent being??
But if that were true, why would a Transcendent treat him with such kindness? That was a Transcendent! What qualifications did the Ironhoof Tribe have to negotiate with such an existence?
And yet…
He suddenly recalled the scene from three sun-hours ago, when that terrifying Bone Dragon with a monstrous aura had crushed this city with ease and then lay on the ground like a dog, letting the man walk down its head.
Wasn't that kind of treatment something only a Transcendent could command??
It was that shameless Witherbone who was truly deceptive. Dragons were known for their pride and arrogance, even as undead. That nature didn't change much.
If someone could make a Bone Dragon kneel like a dog… what more proof did one need?
Li De had no idea that just a single honorific from Stanley had scared Sam out of his wits. If he did, he'd probably laugh helplessly. They said centaurs were muscleheads, so why was this one so sharp?
"Take those humans back to Dawn City."
Li De couldn't be bothered to exchange pleasantries with Stanley and issued the order directly. "Also, notify the forge, have the dwarves craft 800 sets of Rare ★ armor within three days, plus one full set of Perfect ★ armor."
He then turned to the towering Level 15 centaur Patriarch beside him.
"Patriarch Sam, provide my subordinate with the design or measurements of centaur warrior armor. In three days, you'll have a squad of warriors clad in dwarven-forged armor."
Only then did Sam snap out of his daze. Shaken by his own conclusions, the burly centaur immediately became respectful toward Li De.
"Yes, esteemed City Lord Kachar." He waved his hand, and several subordinates came forward carrying three sets of armor. Sam took them and solemnly handed them to Stanley with both hands.
"These were custom-made for our warriors by a group of human merchants twenty years ago."
Sam's expression carried a trace of regret. That was the last time they had ever traded with human merchants, after the deal, their corpses were thrown into a cave.
Li De gave a small nod. With these templates, there would be no issues. Dwarven smiths were more than capable of replicating them.
Stanley took the armor and immediately began organizing the Whispering Bats to land, preparing to transport the captured Risel City elites back to Dawn City.
With the centaurs helping, the entire process was remarkably smooth.
Centaurs didn't bother with niceties. Relying on their strength and height, they simply tied the captives back-to-back in groups of three and tossed them onto the Whispering Bats like sacks of grain.
The more than a hundred vampires did not descend from the sky, the entire process was handled by the centaurs, who perfectly played the role of porters.
With over a thousand Whispering Bats, transporting two thousand people was an effortless task.
Once everything was ready, Li De didn't waste any time. He immediately ordered the Whispering Bats to return.
The beastman border had already been smashed. At this moment, the beastman army was likely still enjoying their spoils in Risel City.
Even flying in daylight, the Whispering Bats were unlikely to encounter any enemies. As for the degradation in their daytime capabilities, it was unavoidable. But it didn't matter, he didn't need these beasts to fight right now anyway.
The Whispering Bats came and went swiftly, staying in the valley for less than a single sun-hour before departing again.
By now, Sam's attitude toward Li De had clearly changed.
It was one thing to suspect the other party might have the power to destroy the Ironhoof Tribe, it was another thing entirely to witness that he truly did.
And now, the possibility that he might even be a legendary Transcendent…
Just as Sam was preparing to further strengthen ties with Li De, Andabella, who had been flying for ages on Castro's back, finally couldn't hold back anymore and found an opportunity to descend.
---
"Lord Ezreal, I have something I'd like to say to you."
As Andabella approached the two, Sam, wearing a knowing smile, tactfully stepped away, leaving the two standing together in the shade of the valley, near the city ruins, gazing at one another.
Looking into those beautiful silver eyes, Li De smiled.
"Everything here has been resolved. If you've got something to say, go ahead."
He had a good impression of this proud girl, willing to face death to defend her city. That kind of courage wasn't common.
"Are… are you a vampire?"
Wearing black armor, Andabella's Blood Cloak fluttered gently behind her. Her silver hair flowed down her back, and her bearing was noble and striking.
The pale silver eyes locked onto Li De, her hands subconsciously clutching her cloak, her expression visibly tense.
Hearing the question, Li De paused slightly. He glanced at the Whispering Bats already disappearing into the sky, then shrugged with a smile, not bothering to hide anything.
"That's right. I'm a vampire."