Chapter 145: Livestock?
Chapter 145: Livestock?
This place was smaller than Summit City by a lot, and unlike its warm, inviting glow, this realm was perpetually shrouded in darkness, trapped in eternal night.
The demons dwelling here sustained themselves solely on blood, making the human population of over 500,000 merely a resource to be tapped for their monthly supply.
The surplus blood served as a valuable commodity, traded with neighboring Demon Cities in the vicinity.
Normally, such treatment of humans as livestock would be deemed inhumane.
However, the Demon Lord governing this realm had made adjustments to sustain the operation of this city.
She recognized the importance of balance and understood that stressed and unhealthy humans would not be able to regenerate blood as quickly.
That's why she imposed a law to ensure that such mistreatment never occurred.
Outside the city's outer walls was a large human settlements where they could live peacefully.
The streets were immaculately clean, lined with buildings reminiscent of medieval times, but well-maintained and free from molds.
Not only that, despite the old-fashioned structures, the residents here were adorned in high-quality clothing, have cellphones, and looked healthy and carefree.
In the streets, laughter echoed continuously, with no thought of criminal activity, as everyone was content and fulfilled in their lives.
The place was filled with streetlights and other illuminations that made the settlement in a perpetual festival atmosphere.
Bars and restaurants remained open 24/7, bustling with activity, offering spaces where both men and women could indulge their desires to the fullest
Here, humans were required to donate blood just once a month, in exchange for generous benefits, without having to work .
They just needed to receive their allowance and enjoy their lives, waiting for the next paycheck to arrive.
This was why despite this place being run by blood sucking demons ,a lot of homeless people who did not have any place to go to , chose to live here.
But why not try to reside in other human cities and seek assistance there?
Well, human settlements required a high cost of living, driven by the human love for acquiring wealth from one another.
When it came to the love for material possessions, human greed knew no bounds.
Demons, on the other hand, were primarily concerned with eating, surviving, and growing stronger.
In fact, if it weren't for the necessity of catering to human needs, demons wouldn't even bother building a a functional city like this.
Furthermore, if it weren't for the requirement to govern humans, they wouldn't bother constructing castles to showcase their authority.
The humans had indirectly influence the demons to adjust .
It was ironic that such inherently weaker beings held so much influence over demons, who were superior in every way.
This served as a proof to why the world itself was forced to create demons and the corrupted, to eradicate all humans.
They were just too dangerous if left unchecked.
"Cheers to Demon Lord Elizabeth! May she live forever and ever! " exclaimed a middle age human, standing on a chair with a wide smile stretching from ear to ear.
Witnessing this display of gratitude, other patrons joined in .
They were genuinely thankful for their decision to migrate to this place.
"Cheers to the Demon Lord!"
"Cheers to the Demon Lord!"
"Cheers to the Demon Lord!"
***
A beautiful woman with white hair and glowing dark-red eyes sat at her desk, engrossed in reading something.
She wore a black robe that concealed much of her skin, but underneath it was a drop gorgeous sexy body.
In terms of charisma, she surpassed even Cyril and Anna.
But, her allure wasn't solely due to her physical appearance; it was the aura she exuded.
Cold, Smart, and powerful, it commanded attention and respect.
"Those greedy people,"Elizabeth sighed, her disappointment rising after reading the report that came from the nearest Tier 3 City.
As the Demon Lord reigning over BloodCrest city, she was furious to witness the human corporations demanding yet another increase in price of import goods, and blame it to inflation.
'What's this 'Tarif' nonsense anyway? Why are they even expecting us to shell out for it?'
She pondered silently, her previously 15-year tax-free import contract now expired, leaving her obligated to pay.
But as she read through the new contract, she felt an overwhelming urge to group her forces and obliterate that city once and for all.
"Custom duties? Anti-dumping and countervailing duties? VAT? Excise duty, custom processing fee, railway development levy? Sales tax?" She read through the list, each term adding to her frustration.
What made it even more annoying was knowing that these cities and corporations were aware she imported all these goods for the sake of their fellow mankind.
But instead of rewarding her for her humanitarian efforts, they chose to punish her for her noble actions.
"Demon Lord, perhaps it's wise to trim our expenses. Our human citizens would surely understand if we change the quality of the food we feed them, " her assistant, a female elderly vampire suggested.
"I can't do that; they need enough nutrients to regain their blood faster," Elizabeth sighed heavily.
She was among the rare demon lords who believed in the importance of balance; humans needed to survive for them to thrive as well.
She had long advocated for peace and tirelessly sought to convince other demon lords that her approach was the correct path.
However, the other demon lords only attempted it for a brief period before giving up, citing human greed as unbearable .
They hated the fact that humans demanded resources as if they were infinite.
"We have no choice; we need to raise the price of our blood per liter," Elizabeth sighed heavily.
Blood was the only resource they could export, leaving her with limited options.
"And also instruct the other vampires to lower their consumption of blood for the time being," she added.
"I don't think that's a wise idea, Demon Lord. How about we schedule the blood extraction twice a month instead?" the elderly vampire suggested.
She was aware that while Elizabeth had a favorable reputation among human citizens, her kindness towards them had earned her disdain from other vampires.
"Don't worry, they can't do anything to me," Elizabeth replied confidently.
Despite her kindness, she was far from weak. In fact, she was even stronger than other demon lords at the same level.
"Maybe not now, but your brother Alexander is close to ascending to the Demon Lord rank too. If he achieves it, most of the noble families might turn against you," cautioned the elderly vampire, voicing a potential threat to her position.
"That brother of mine is no match for me, even if he did ascend. I'm more concerned about Anna. I've heard she's the granddaughter of that Demon," her voice grew more serious, showing her unease at the potential challenge posed by Anna's lineage.
"Don't worry, for now. She refused to marry Prince Alexander and has been isolating herself in her room," the elderly vampire reassured .
"That's good news," Elizabeth smiled, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.
"How about finding yourself a husband too? I'm sure it would benefit you greatly, and a lot of Demon Lords fancy you too, so you wont have a problem finding one," the elderly vampire suggested, offering a practical suggestion with a touch of flattery.
"I haven't found someone worthy. Maybe he's not a demon lord yet?" she joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.