Mythology: Ragnarok

Chapter 122 Cultivating Power

On a bright and sunny morning, the newly reborn Western Swamp welcomed its first group of visitors: Count Lester Magnus Dracula, along with his lover and his vampire followers, fled back to the Western Swamp.

Lester's lover, Brecel, said worriedly, "Darling, won't it be dangerous for us to go back here? The monster that killed the Blood Ancestor might still be here!"

Lester said helplessly, "But we have no other choice. With the death of the Blood Ancestor, his second-generation vampires (the offspring of vampire marquises who were transformed from Dracula's kisses) have started fighting each other for the position of ruler. If we get involved, we'll all be torn to pieces. Only by hiding here will they let us go. What good will it do even if a bunch of fools climb to that position? We've already lost a powerful figure like the Blood Ancestor. Unnecessary infighting will only hasten our extinction!"

Let those old bastards destroy themselves. We just need to stay here and hide quietly. The western swamp is so vast; our chances of surviving by hiding on the edge are much higher than our chances of surviving if we get caught up in the civil war.

Brecel said with concern, "But... what if we get discovered?"

Lester sighed, "Then you'll just have to accept your fate. But I'll create opportunities for you when the time comes. My dear, you must live as long as possible and stay as far away as possible."

“No, I won’t abandon you. I’ll be with you even if it means death.” Brecel looked at Lester with deep affection. Just as the two were about to continue exchanging vows of eternal love, an untimely voice rang in their minds.

"It's been a long time since we last met, but your relationship is still as close as ever."

As he spoke, a hideous black skull appeared before dozens of vampires. Agreed's powerful aura instantly intimidated all the vampires present. Seeing this, Lester immediately shouted.

"Run separately!"

Instantly, all the vampires obediently ran in all directions, but Lester did not run away. Instead, he transformed into a black shadow and rushed towards Agreed, grabbing his leg and shouting, "Darling, run!"

Brecel didn't run away; he just stood there. Then he suddenly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to Agred, pleading, "My lord, I beg you! We...we had no intention of offending your territory. I'm willing to be your slave. Please, have mercy and spare the vampires at your feet! Please, just let go of an ant! Please!"

Agred stared in astonishment at the scene before him. Everything had happened too fast, and even his soul was momentarily unable to process it. Although he had suspected it, this situation was the least likely one. This made Agred change his opinion of the two of them. He had thought their relationship was just a matter of companionship, like "birds of a feather flock together, but when disaster strikes, they fly away separately." Who would have thought that love could truly exist without any basis in desire!

So Agreed spoke up to soothe them, "Alright, stop. I didn't mean to kill you. I just came to see some old friends, Lester and Brecel. We haven't seen each other in a long time, there's no need to be so 'polite'."

“An old friend?” Lester looked up at Agred in surprise, but what could he tell from a skeleton? Lester could only smile and say, “Sir, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I don’t have the ability to know such an important person as you.”

Agreed looked down at him with empty eyes and reminded him, "I am Agreed. Back when Brecel was kidnapped by humans, wasn't it me who helped you find him? I also remember sending people to your territory to borrow troops. What? You've forgotten all that?"

Lester tried hard to recall and reconcile the human from before with the skeleton before him, but he failed. So, Lester asked with some doubt, "Agreed? Then...do you remember what I gave you as a thank you gift?"

“Of course it’s books about blood magic, why don’t you believe me?” Agreed retorted.

Lester released his grip on Agred's leg, slowly stood up, and patted the dirt off his clothes, clearly relieved. But he still asked in disbelief, "It really is you? What happened to you?"

Agreed casually explained, "I got killed by some damn god, so I had to... you know, live in a different way."

Brecel stood up in disbelief, then exclaimed in surprise, "It really is you! But...it's terrifying! You've grown into a top-tier expert capable of killing the Blood Ancestor in such a short time!"

Agreed shook his finger and retorted, "Mr. Brecel, the Blood Ancestor is hardly a top-tier expert. To be honest, in terms of combat strength alone, he is far less troublesome than the divine prodigies I have encountered."

Just then, a loud noise came from all around. Dozens of earth elemental golems came to report to Agreed, holding vampires they controlled with crystals of a special material. Upon seeing this, Agreed gestured, "Let's not stand here talking. Let's go deeper into the swamp. I can entertain you there."

……

Inside a pavilion built of pristine white marble, Agreed poured two large glasses (about two liters) of rich, fresh blood for the two vampires. Then, Agreed said, “I’m sorry there isn’t any decent blood here. Just have some crocodile blood to fill your stomachs. You look like you haven’t eaten in a long time.”

Lester downed the blood in his cup in one gulp and then said, "You are truly insightful. We have been fleeing for almost half a month without daring to look back, and we haven't had a proper meal in a long time."

Then Agreed got straight to the point: "I know the current situation of the vampires, and I also know the predicament of you two and your subordinates, so... I want to make a deal with you two."

“A deal?” Brecel asked warily.

Agreed stood up and said, "If you've finished eating, we can go somewhere where I can explain everything to you both."

"Why not?" Brecel stood up, feeling extremely uneasy. This unprovoked kindness made him suspicious, and he desperately needed to know the purpose of all this.

So Agreed said, "Then, follow me, you two." He then walked forward on his own, and the two vampires hurriedly followed. Under Agreed's guidance, they arrived in front of a giant rock engraved with a complex magic circle. Then, Agreed activated the magic circle, and a spatial portal appeared before them.

The three walked through the gate and were immediately struck by a shocking sight: countless undead were digging rocks day and night to build an underground city.

Agreed pointed to everything before him and explained, “To be honest, it was my fault for causing you all in the Western Swamps to lose your homes. It was also a problem to let the undead creatures, who are incompatible with other races, wander to other places. So I built this city. This land, which is comparable to the Western Swamps, will become your new paradise. I call it the ‘City of the Dead’!”