Seeing that the little girl was about to be trampled by the warhorse's iron hooves, many people shouted anxiously, and some even closed their eyes, unable to bear watching.
Fortunately, Chen Mo had slowed down his pace since entering the workshop area, and the warhorse was only trotting, not sprinting at full speed.
Seeing the little girl running headlong towards the warhorse, Chen Mo quickly pulled the reins.
The black warhorse under Chen Mo, enhanced by the serum, was agile and quick to react. Sensing Chen Mo's command, it immediately exerted its limbs to slow down and stopped just in time before stepping on the little girl.
"Selena!"
The workshop manager, Cain, who had received the news of Chen Mo's arrival and came to greet him, arrived late but just in time to witness this thrilling scene. He didn't even have time to salute Chen Mo and hurriedly called out the little girl's name, running forward to pick her up.
After carefully checking her over and finding that she was not injured, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he remember that Chen Mo was still there, and he quickly put the little girl down and bowed to Chen Mo.
"Lord!"
Chen Mo looked somewhat puzzled at the little girl standing beside old Cain. She was holding a simple cloth doll made of white linen in her left hand, and was biting the fingers of her other hand, looking at Chen Mo on the tall warhorse with a confused expression.
Seeing Chen Mo's confusion, old Cain quickly explained.
"Lord, this is my granddaughter, Selena. Her father, Bert, also works in the workshop, responsible for making clocks."
Nodding, Chen Mo recalled Bert, who had successfully made the clock according to his drawings. He was a very talented young man.
Putting aside his doubts for the moment, Chen Mo explained his purpose to Cain. He had come to build a dungeon to imprison William, whose threat was too great and needed to be securely confined.
Hearing that the source of the werewolf disaster had been successfully captured by the knights, Cain was excited and quickly stated that his son Bert was the best candidate for the job.
Bert loved studying intricate mechanisms and traps and was obsessed with the clock drawings Chen Mo had given him, working tirelessly to finally succeed in making them. He was also skilled in forging, locks, and construction, making him the most suitable person to build the dungeon.
Chen Mo had no objections to Cain's recommendation, trusting his words. Bert would be responsible for building the prison to confine William. However, Chen Mo's gaze towards the little girl Selena became even more curious, with an inexplicable meaning.
Looking at Selena, Chen Mo suddenly thought of something. Vampires not only needed strong warriors but also scholars and scientists. The craftsmen in the workshop had been diligently working for him for years, contributing significantly to the territory and showing unwavering loyalty. They deserved to be rewarded.
Acting on his thoughts, Chen Mo immediately ordered Cain to gather all the craftsmen and their families in the workshop. He had something to say.
Chen Mo's order was quickly carried out, and soon, more than three hundred men, women, and children gathered in an open area in the center of the workshop, looking excitedly at Chen Mo on the tall and majestic warhorse.
Feeling the admiring and eager gazes of the people below, Chen Mo nodded inwardly and slowly began to speak.
"You have been working in the workshop for years, and I am aware of all your contributions."
"Now, I ask you."
"Are you willing to work for me forever and never see the sunlight again?"
Faced with Chen Mo's question, the craftsmen below did not hesitate and shouted in unison.
"Willing!"
"We are willing!"
Everyone present clearly remembered what their lives were like before.
It was the lord who saved them from the slaughter of werewolves and allowed them to live a life free from worry about food and clothing. Compared to not seeing the sunlight, they feared hunger, cold, and death more. Moreover, working for the lord was an honor for them as commoners, an opportunity not everyone could get.
Among the tens of thousands of people in the territory, besides the hundreds of powerful and noble knights, only they had the privilege to work for the lord.
"We are willing to serve the lord for life!"
Chen Mo's gaze swept over everyone's faces and found that each one was genuinely sincere.
Even the children, though they didn't fully understand Chen Mo's words, looked at him with gratitude, awe, and deep admiration, influenced by their parents.
They knew it was because of the lord that they no longer had to suffer from cold and hunger, and could eat and dress warmly every day. It was also because the lord had killed all the terrifying werewolf monsters that they could play happily every day.
Seeing that everyone was willing, Chen Mo slowly nodded.
"Very well, then today, I will take away your right to live in the sunlight, but at the same time, I will grant you power and eternal life!"
…
After the knights, Chen Mo ordered Marcus to turn everyone in the workshop into vampires. The workshop was also moved into a huge cave behind the castle, making it safer and more hidden than before.
Now, with Marcus and William in Chen Mo's hands, Alexander Corvinus was likely hiding within his territory, possibly even near the castle.
After all, having hidden in the shadows cleaning up after his two sons for hundreds of years, Alexander Corvinus was very skilled at concealing his tracks.
When capturing William, Chen Mo had been constantly alert to his surroundings but found nothing, indicating that either his concealment skills were strong enough to evade Chen Mo's senses, or he had stayed far away.
The former was unlikely, as he didn't know about Chen Mo's extraordinary sensing abilities and couldn't have prepared in advance to avoid them.
So, the only possibility was that the cunning Alexander Corvinus had realized Chen Mo's terror and chose to avoid direct contact.
It's uncertain whether he had left Chen Mo's territory. If he had, finding him would be very difficult.
Without delay, Chen Mo mobilized all his forces to conduct a thorough search within the territory.
The vampire knights and the merchant guild's forces were fully mobilized, and every piece of land in the territory was searched, but they found no trace of him.
Chen Mo was certain that Alexander Corvinus had been in his territory but likely left quickly after noticing the search, or he had already left upon realizing Chen Mo's strength.
Alexander Corvinus, though he didn't kill his sons after they became monsters, letting them leave and cleaning up their messes, mainly didn't want them to destroy the human world.
In the movie, when William was imprisoned by Victor, he didn't rescue him but chose to hide and observe.
Chen Mo hadn't expected him to appear but wanted to lure him into the territory and use his forces to find him. However, he didn't anticipate Alexander Corvinus being so cautious and skilled at hiding, evading the search without a trace.
Chen Mo wasn't discouraged. Since this plan didn't work, he would continue with other plans. He had plenty of time, and finding him was only a matter of time.
The long-stalled territorial expansion resumed, and under the powerful vampire knights, new territories were conquered. The lords, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, became anxious again.
Many lords who cared for their people surrendered to Chen Mo, exchanging their lives, freedom, and wealth for peace, becoming wealthy landowners. Those with abilities were given important positions under Chen Mo, joining the management and construction of his vast territory.
As for those who chose to resist, they were all wiped out by the vampire knights, unable to stop Chen Mo's advance. The territory expanded rapidly in all directions.
Time flew by in the knights' battles, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Three years later, Chen Mo had occupied most of the European continent but still hadn't found Alexander Corvinus.
At this time, the European continent, except for the islands like Britain, Ireland, and Iceland, was almost entirely under Chen Mo's rule. Only the last territory at the westernmost end of the continent was still resisting.
This location is the future Portugal, at the westernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula and the European continent. To the west of this territory lies the vast Atlantic Ocean.
When Chen Mo's knights broke through the last castle blocking their way, exterminated the last resisting lord, and occupied the last piece of land, Chen Mo led the knights through the castle to a cliff by the sea.
This narrow cliff was over 140 meters high above the sea. Standing here, one could see the vast ocean in the distance, with the entire continent seemingly behind them. This was the westernmost point of the European continent, Cape Roca.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Chen Mo and his men looked towards the sea and saw a large sailing ship setting sail, heading into the depths of the western ocean.
"Alexander Corvinus!"