208. In For a Penny, In For a Pound
The Admiral's emotions churned like a tempestuous sea, pride and dismay battling for supremacy.
From his conversation with Samir, he learned that Kane had killed the Ascendant King. Now this same Kane stood beside his second disciple—the very sword he had spent decades honing for the same task.
Thus, all his years of planning were no match for a youth who had emerged unexpectedly from Pinewood County.
This person had chosen not to stay at his courtyard—the most prestigious place in H.A.R.M.—not to wait to become his disciple. Rather, the ambitious soul embarked on a journey from Seamist County, to Crown Mountain, to Bellingham, to Surrey ... advancing at a speed incomprehensible to others. Until finally, with stunning simplicity and directness, he shattered Montgomery's nightmare by single-handedly killing the Ascendant King.
The Admiral's gaze fell upon the gold-patterned scabbard at Kane's waist.
Suddenly, he recalled General Grant's warning. "If Cascadia can survive the vampire scourge, I have no doubt that you will be stabbed dozens of times by the Will Embodied Ice Dragon."
Did he regret what he had done to Aisha?
If he could have known in advance, of course he would regret it, but the world rarely offers such conveniences. Therefore, if he were to start all over again, he wouldn't change a thing.
With that thought, Theodore Montgomery's spirit withdrew his gaze and turned to leave. The brilliant sword streaking across the sky vanished in an instant.
… …
"Alright, everything's fine now," Chloe said with a long sigh. "When I get back to Seattle, I'll send a message to the Abbey..."
A blush crept across her face as she turned to me. She suddenly became shy and polite. "General Kane, please give me the heart's blood you collected, so the people at Martial Abbey can properly identify it. With such powerful artifacts, it's most likely someone from Vampires Valley."
Before she could finish speaking, her face darkened. What would follow was far from "fine"—the situation had escalated beyond Cascadia's ability to intervene. They could only leave the outcome to fate.
Well then, given these circumstances, I have no reason for further worry. Chloe returned to her usual self.
"What about the reward?" I asked as I took out the heart's blood from the silver bell.
"Rewards? They probably want to smash us to death right now." Chloe smacked her lips dismissively; she didn't care.
To hell with the bigger picture—she was Cascadia's Vampire Hunter, and naturally her first priority was Cascadia. That thick-headed Montgomery only knew how to bully his own people. She looked at Aisha Patani with sympathy.
"It's a pity I couldn't see the expression on his face." She laughed. "He must be absolutely livid."
Aisha Patani's eyes had been fixed on mine since the Admiral left. She reached out, took my hand, and asked, "Is the problem completely gone?"
A calming chill rushed into my hand and streamed through my entire body, dispelling any lingering vampiric influence.
The cold wasn't as unbearable as what I had experienced in the mountaintop church. Rather, it reminded me of my fantasy when I was attacked by Moonfeather's blood gift while taming it into my sixth cycle of Sanguine Resurrection.
Suddenly, I felt a stiffness in my groin. "Yes. Annihilated," I quickly answered.
"Then let's go." She pulled my arm around her waist. This had been the way we came, and this would be the way we returned. Only now we had both shed our armors, and I could feel her soft and soothingly cold body.
I didn't dwell on it. Instead, I concentrated on returning quickly, trying out the newly acquired artifacts, and making the Ascendant King my new conquest.
… …
H.A.R.M. Cascadia, Seattle.
For ordinary officers, this was just another ordinary day. Except for the recent decrease in supernatural incidents—which had suddenly made their duties a bit easier—nothing else had changed much.
Some of the more perceptive majors and colonels had already noticed something unusual.
They weren't particularly well-informed, but they had inadvertently spotted Granny Chloe and Samir Jabal wandering around the premises, a rare scene indeed.
Since when had Cascadia's Gold Bell Vampire Hunters ever enjoyed such leisure time?
The last time, Granny Chloe had only been able to stay in Seattle because the Admiral had gone to the capital.
While they pondered the situation, inside the Admiral's courtyard, Theodore Montgomery had already written a letter, carefully sealed it, placed it inside a bell, and handed it to Albany Laurent who stood beside him.
"Go quickly and return quickly," he instructed.
"Understood."
Upon learning that his junior sister and General Kane had returned, Albany rushed back to Seattle at the fastest possible speed.
Yet even now, as he held that cold bell in his palm, he remained somewhat dazed.
In just a few days, the vampire calamity that had given Cascadia such a splitting headache had simply vanished.
Yet why had the heaviness not disappeared from his master's face? That carefully concealed expression only made Laurent more uneasy.
"Go now."
Theodore waved his hand, cutting off his senior disciple's attempt to inquire.
Although events had already been spiraling toward chaos, Theodore now found himself completely removed from the equation. The fate of Cascadia rested entirely in the hands of those above.
He felt no relief, only a profound sense of helplessness.
Power! Realm!
Despite being a Seeker of Redeemer—revered and envied by countless people—Theodore still felt it was far from enough.
Sparing the Ascendant King and allowing it to break through would lead to Cascadia's demise.
Killing it would provoke an immensely powerful vampire family—one that Cascadia could not possibly resist—and Cascadia would still fall.l
No matter what choice was made... there was no real choice at all.
Such was the vulnerability of the apocalyptic world. Perhaps America would have fared better had it followed China's path—instead of protecting its citizens, using them all as resources to rapidly develop hundreds of elite fighters thousands of years ago.
As Albany Laurent turned and left the courtyard, Theodore Montgomery picked up his sword and meticulously wiped it clean, his deeply furrowed brow slowly relaxing.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I walk the path of faith, for God's sake. When worry served no purpose, at last Theodore could find a moment of respite.
Maybe that was where General Kane's true strength lay—walking by faith. He glanced at an opened letter pressed beneath his sword, inquiring about a certain junior disciple, signed by an elder of Fox Wonderland.
Theodore arched his eyebrows slightly. He picked up a pen and inscribed a neat line of writing on a piece of paper.
"Don't know, never heard of him, take your concerns to the Martial Abbey."
In for a penny, in for a pound. Cascadia has already offended Vampires Valley—what's one more enemy in Fox Wonderland?
There is only one Cascadia—how many times can you destroy it? A mere disciple, yet you dare underestimate a Seeker of Redeemer?
… …
Inside my house in the Colonel's quarters.
I sat on the bed.
The Armor of the Faithful lay shattered into pieces, but I didn't mind. It had been uncomfortable to wear anyway.
My hand gently brushed over the white pouch.
For the past two days, I'd devoted myself entirely to studying these magical artifacts. After a brief period of experimentation, I had generally figured out how to use them.
Pieces of bronze armor flew out from the pouch and hovered around my body. On the enormous bull vampire, each plate had been over ten feet apart, but on me, they packed tightly together, forming a normal-looking body armor.
I examined the right shoulder plate. My gaze lingered on the deep notch carved into it, and I felt a pang of regret, unconsciously tapping the back of my hand.
Such a fine piece, and now it bore an unsightly flaw.
Next, I removed the bronze mirror from the pouch.
Compared to the armor set, the mirror was in even worse condition—its edges had cracked from the Ice Dragon's assault, and the mirror's surface displayed fine fractures.
It remained functional, of course, but these damages did impact its effectiveness.
I ought to find a skilled craftsman to repair it properly.
The ring-pommel sword was too enormous for practical use, and I had no immediate plans for it. The red cloud, however, was quite fascinating. After briefly testing it as a mount and channeling my essence into it without restraint, I discovered it moved at least 50% faster than the Whispering Gale.
And I hadn't even formed a true Infant of Love yet. Once I did, it would likely be twice as fast as the Whispering Gale.
When it comes to tools for escape and survival, the faster the better.
This latest hunting experience had once again expanded my knowledge.
The Nine Cycles Sanguine Resurrection may be of angelic grade, but its defenses aren't impenetrable. Had I not captured that peacock earlier—with its nourishing red light—I would have perished out there this time.
My arsenal of techniques was still inadequate.
I shook my head, put away the magical artifacts, and took out the Ascendant King's infant.
[Remaining absorbed lifespan: 14,917 years]