Morgen and Amy exchanged glances. Although their hearts were racing, they maintained their composure.

"Your Excellency Bone," Amy said with a forced smile, "this is indeed wonderful news."

"Viscount Bernard has spared no effort in acquiring the artifact to ensure its safety," Bone replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Mr. Amy, come with me. A dark covenant without you would be incomplete."

With that, he turned and snapped his fingers.

A faint blue light flickered on the shadowy street, and with a swish, the space before them shattered. Soulfires burned within two skulls, and skeletal horses with whitened bones emerged from the street.

Bone mounted and settled into his saddle.

"Mr. Amy, join me."

Amy cast a glance at Morgen, then mounted the horse and rode off with Bone.

Morgen turned and looked into a dark corner behind him. A sense of danger lingered, so he shrugged and spread his massive bat wings.

The others had been prepared. Unless he engaged in a fight now, he would not be able to leave so easily.

In a pub in the South District, frequented only by wealthy merchants and nobles, Morgen was surprised to find that their destination was not a dark chapel or a secluded, dimly lit room, but rather a luxurious establishment.

He stood silently behind Amy, taking in his surroundings.

Before them lay a medium-sized room. The ceiling was adorned with a colorful tapestry depicting a hero slaying a dragon, the epic scene breathtaking.

The floor was covered in a soft white velvet carpet with a tulip flower pattern embroidered in gold thread. The tulips seemed to bloom upon the ground, creating an enchanting atmosphere.

The room's decor was typical of medieval nobility, with its unique style surpassing that of modern architecture.

Elaborate carvings adorned the room, crafted by elves from the ancient deep forests. The intricate patterns and exquisite designs were impeccable, showcasing the elves' unique aesthetic and craftsmanship.

In the center of the room, a wide, three-sided, ten-cornered oval table made of white maple was surrounded by twelve individuals seated in elven-crafted chairs.

Morgen stood behind Amy in the lower right corner.

Surveying the scene, he noticed that Bone, the undead mage who had greeted them, was seated across from him, flanked by the mighty Bone Dragon.

At the head of the table sat an elderly man in a long tuxedo, his gray hair and distinguished manner exuding an aura of nobility beyond that of common lords.This individual is Viscount Bernard, a mage of Beta Plus level.

Beside Viscount Bernard stood a two-meter tall, muscular warrior clad in thick black armor - Grot, the captain of Viscount Bernard's guard, a warrior of Beta Plus level.

Other attendees included the eight-armed snake demon Roy Ackerman, a Level beta plus member of the Dark Covenant, Stanley, a Level beta Dark Sacrifice from the Evening Bell Church, and Cologne, a Level beta plus Dark Bishop.

Five mysterious individuals cloaked in robes concealed their identities.

Although he had heard Amy speak of the Dark Covenant's strength, seeing them in person left Morgen overwhelmed with awe.

"Mr. Amy, I sense a familiar aura from your servant," Roy, seated below Viscount Bernard, said after Amy had taken his seat. His cold, serpentine eyes scanned Morgen.

The comment piqued the curiosity of everyone in the room, and they turned their gazes towards Morgen, their expressions filled with doubt.

A vampire? Why would a powerful demon like Roy Ackerman be familiar with a Level beta minus vampire?

Amy shook his head.

"Mr. Roy, are you acquainted with my servant?"

Roy scrutinized Morgen with his narrow, indifferent eyes before shaking his head after a moment's deliberation.

While the aura felt familiar, he could not recall its origin.

As a high-level demon, Roy's intuition, a trait of the snake demon king clan, rarely led him astray.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Outside of this gathering, he would not hesitate to kill the servant or interrogate him directly.

But Amy was the Dark Covenant's vice president, and after considerable thought, he decided against offending her for the sake of an uncertain suspicion.

Seeing no objections, Viscount Bernard turned his gaze to Morgen. A mere vampire, as long as he served Amy, there was no need for concern.

The first hurdle had been safely cleared.

Morgen felt a slight sense of relief.

Viscount Bernard, dressed in a tuxedo, exuded an air of elegance and composure surpassing that of any noble. He glanced at the attendees and spoke first.

"Friends of the Dark Covenant, may darkness guide our path."

"Good evening, may darkness guide our path," everyone responded in unison.

Viscount Bernard nodded in satisfaction, his deep eyes surveying the crowd.

"Today, we gather for our quarterly internal trading. We shall discuss the acquisition of the artifact later.

"As per our usual practice, members may offer items for sale or trade."

At this moment, Bone rose from his seat, his dark eyes beneath the gray hood gleaming slightly in the dim light of the room.

But his next action caused a stir among the attendees.

With a wave of his hand, a wide and elongated rift in space emerged above the carpet before him.

Heavy objects struck the ground, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a dying female human clad in leather shorts lay before them.

Most notably, her body was covered in scars resembling bark, dense and gruesome.

A warrior, a veteran of countless battles.

For a warrior, scars represented their greatest glory.

Evidently, the woman before them had achieved remarkable feats.

A faint voice emerged from beneath Bone's gray cloak, filled with pride.

"The Nolan Empire and the Glorious Empire joined forces to invade the Northern Plateau during the winter moon planting season.

"I ventured to the Northern Plateau last month to collect fresh souls and inadvertently captured this prisoner.

Initially, this would have been unremarkable, but Bone's next words sent shockwaves through the room.

"Due to food shortages, the Northern Plateau has fallen to the well-prepared Nolan Empire and Glorious Empire.

"This prisoner is a thrall I seized from the Nolan army. She is the Northern Valkyrie, a member of the Northern royal family and a Level beta warrior!"

Even Morgen was moved by this revelation.

"The Northern Valkyrie. I have heard tales of this warrior three years ago. Rumored to be the most radiant jewel of the Northern Plateau. To think that such a figure would one day become another's pawn."

"Perhaps we could negotiate a price? How glorious it would be for the goddess to be protected by the Northern royal family.

"..."

Several of the mysterious individuals whispered among themselves, but the most eager were Stanley of the Evening Bell Church and Grot, the Northern warrior.

Roy, however, remained indifferent.

"Fools. While this is a member of the Northern royal family, the power within her blood has been nearly depleted.

"Moreover, she has undoubtedly employed a powerful warrior's secret technique that has drained her life.

"In other words, the Northern Valkyrie will not live much longer. Perhaps three months, perhaps half a year, before she meets her demise.

Bone's dark blue eyes flickered beneath his cloak, secretly cursing Roy. He then explained to the crowd, "Do not heed the ignorant ramblings of this demon.

"This is a Level beta Northern royal family member. It is impossible for her bloodline power to be completely depleted.

"With sufficient time, she will recover and regain her strength."

As he finished speaking, the crowd, whose enthusiasm had waned, glared angrily at Roy.

"She utilized the Northern warrior's unique ability, leading to a deficit in her vital energy. All that is required is to replenish this deficit, and her life expectancy will return to normal. You will then have a complete Level beta Northern warrior at your disposal~"

What? The attendees' interest was immediately piqued again.

They had no use for a dying Level beta Northern Valkyrie. No matter how powerful she had been in life, she would be worthless in death - with the exception of dragons.

But a living Level beta Northern warrior was of great value.

Roy continued to observe the proceedings with his cold eyes, a hint of mockery in their narrow gaze.

"Replenish it? Nothing can restore the life that has been drained, except for dragon blood.

Dragon blood? The crowd was stunned once more. What level of dragon blood would that require? The value of high-level dragon blood could rival that of a Level beta Northern warrior.

They had no access to such a rare treasure.

Bone glared at the abyss demon. If not for Viscount Bernard's presence, he would have let this damn fool experience the fury of a dragon's breath.

"No, it does not necessarily require dragon blood." Desperate to save his sale, he retorted under the scrutiny of the crowd, "As long as it is the blood of the golden race, and the golden race is not limited to dragons!"

The golden race? Where would they find members of the golden race, and which golden race was not incredibly powerful?

Dragons, Titans, and Ancient Giants were the most well-known golden races, but the problem was that they were elusive and exceptionally difficult to defeat.

The reason these races belonged to the golden race was not due to anything else, but because they were powerful enough to command respect.

"Mr. Bone, the Evening Bell Church is willing to purchase your prisoner. What is your price?" Stanley stepped forward and inquired, his gaze intense.

Whether this woman had lost her strength or not, as long as her soul remained, she held value to him.

The great Tyrannical God required fresh souls, not decaying bodies. A Northern royal family member with strong warrior blood would make for an ideal sacrifice.

"Mr. Bone, I implore you to return Her Highness to me. I am willing to offer everything." Grot spoke in a voice choked with anger upon hearing Stanley's words.

The Northern warrior was on the verge of losing his mind at this point, and he risked everything as the other party did not make an offer.

Morgen observed the scene silently, his expression calm but his heart racing.

The golden race required the blood of the golden race to replenish the lost life of the Northern Valkyrie.

To others, the only golden race was the dragon.

However, he possessed a being with golden blood - Isa.

The little loli with ruby-like eyes was a true member of the golden race.

Morgen gazed at the Northern Valkyrie lying on the ground, his heart pounding.He sensed a faint familiarity with the woman on the ground.

If he could gain another Level beta combatant...