A single territory in the middle of the enemy faction, like this, was pretty much a bleeding resource. There was not much profit to be had, and one needed a massive army to even protect the territory.

There was simply no way for a C rank like Damon without any backing or clan support to control a territory like this. It would only end up being a losing battle that would cost him a lot.

Instead, by offering everything without any demand, the young lord had once again shown his strategic prowess. Even someone from the Karakan family would only lose face if they accepted such a tribute, stripping the valiant and heroic young lord of his position.

The elder now had no choice except to allow him to continue as the Niera city lord while also accepting the majority of the responsibility. It was a lose-lose deal packaged as a free offer.

Another bold move from the young vampire lord!

The Karakan elder was tempted to call Damon on it, but the truth was that even they had been itching for a war with the light faction for a long time now. Even though he knew he was being taken for a ride, he did not bother refusing it.

"Fine. Let it be as you wish. The main families will each take a city under their control, and you will continue to remain as the Lord of Niera City." The man laughed again, giving Damon another nod of approval.

However, the wily old vampire made sure to share the burden of the undertaking among all the main families and not just put the whole weight on the Karaken family.

The other main families also did not seem to mind. After all, everyone was excited to finally have a foothold in the light faction. If it were just Niera city, it was nothing much, but this was seven cities in total, a pretty big deal.

One by one, all the other elders cleared their throats and voiced out their approval. Damon was not familiar with any of them. Demora Valeross from the Valeross family was the only one whom he recognized.

Even in his last life, he never had a chance to see any of these prominent figures. Normal players couldn't exactly come in contact with the main families so easily. But now everything had changed.

Damon's plan had also worked perfectly. In all honesty, he never expected the Blood Hall battle to become such a big event. This was a gain beyond his expectations. He would have to thank the super guilds for this unexpected gift.

Normally, he would have been over the moon about this new development and would have been all over the main families of Crimson Mountains, even perhaps milking more benefits from them. But right now, his mindset was different. He did not really care about any of this. There was only one thing on his mind.

Damon did not bother talking anymore politics right this moment and quickly came to the main thing he wanted to talk about. If he had started with this right away, they would have seen through his desperation, so he had to come here in a roundabout fashion.

There was perhaps more he could do, but he did not have the stability to think about all of that and plot in detail right this moment. Kate's expressionless face was the only thing on his mind.

Damon's hand curled into fists as he once again spoke up. "There is another matter I wish to address. One of mine was struck down during the battle. Her soul… was damaged beyond repair. I suspect that the light faction has pioneered some unique soul techniques that are very difficult to block."

The room that had moments ago been filled with faint murmurs and polite political tension suddenly went still. The elders' amusement faded instantly.

Soul damage was clearly not something vampires took lightly. Wounds could heal, limbs could regrow, but a fractured soul was a death sentence beyond death itself.

The Karakan elder's faint smile vanished. His crimson eyes narrowed as he leaned forward slightly, resting one clawed finger on the armrest of his throne. "Soul damage, you say?" he asked, his tone suddenly sharp. "Are you certain?"

Damon nodded, his expression grim. "She was struck by light, unlike anything I've ever seen. All the potions and skills I currently have in my possession are useless to heal an injury like that. Before we proceed further with our grand conquest, I suggest we first find a solution to this problem. Otherwise, we might face a roadblock very difficult to recover from."

Damon tried his best to sound neutral. Now he could only hope that he was not seen through.

A few seconds passed in silence when Demora Valeross finally spoke up. "You are right in bringing up this issue. We might have to pause our march and consolidate this territory if the light faction has truly succeeded in creating a powerful soul attack. We have a few talented alchemists in our family. I can send them over to take a look at the injury. We can prepare accordingly afterwards."

The Karakan elder nodded slowly, his sharp gaze drifting between Damon and Demora. "That would be wise," he added. "If the light faction truly has developed such a weapon, we'd be fools to advance blindly. Soul magic is very difficult to decipher. If they've harnessed divine light to pierce the essence of the undead, then the war has entered a new age."

His eyes flicked back to Damon. "You said this happened during the battle? Describe the attack."

Damon was annoyed at how long everything was taking, but if he pushed this any further than things would be revealed, and he might not end up getting what Kate needed so easily. He could only explain things for now.

The discussion continued for a while, and the alchemists' visits were arranged. However, it was still going to take a few days to set everything in motion, days which Kate did not have. Damon could only grit his teeth and push his luck once again.

"Is there any soul-mending potion available in the meantime?"

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