156. Not Enough Quota
What can you exchange these for?
Arnold Stark took a few deep breaths and looked down at the little girl. "Granny, why don't you stand up and let him have your seat?"
Chloe raised her hand in a mock slapping motion. "…"
She tossed her pen onto the desk and stared blankly at the register, unsure where to start.
She seemed to be trying hard not to ask me how I did it. After all, "follow orders, not instructions" and "deliver results, not explanations" were among the iron rules of the Vampire Hunters.
Moreover, my body language made it clear that I had no interest in a prolonged conversation. I wanted my rewards and that's all I wanted to talk about.
The other Vampire Hunters stared in awe at the large screen, as if caught in a dream.
Even shock, as an emotion, should have been something they could process mentally.
But the scene before them left them utterly bewildered.
The death of a harmonizing vampire lord was monumental—comparable to the fall of H.A.R.M. General of Sacramento. This event would shake all of Cascadia to its core. The magnitude of such news would be like waking up to learn that the Washington family of Seattle had vanished...
Chloe pinched her fingers, counting under her breath. "Three times... six times... ten times..."
Seeing her count past ten, Arnold leaned in and whispered, "Cascadia's quota for Vampire Hunters isn't that large."
Chloe looked up at the young man with a sigh. "Are you planning to harmonize the Redeemed Spirit?"
"I'm not." I shook my head.
Rather than having the Redeemed Spirit leave my body to control a distant sword, I preferred developing a powerful physical form that I could combine with the Nine Cycles Sanguine Resurrection.
"Then ten times should be about enough. I'll exchange the remaining merit for an powerful artifact for you, the kind that can guard a city."
Chloe remembered her earlier boast: that New Terra had everything—as long as one had enough merit.
Now it seemed... New Terra really didn't have quite enough.
The reason was simple—he earned merits far too quickly.
The Martial Abbey Cleansing was a rare and valuable opportunity, with strict quotas assigned to each State.
Ten cleansings all at once—it was unprecedented. A talented genius could be directly forged into a fully crystallized vampire fighter with such resources. How could such power be given out freely?
"I also want a copy of the Cosmic Devouring Crystallization technique." I nodded. Though I wasn't entirely clear on how the merit and reward system worked, I figured I should claim as much as possible.
"Cosmic Devouring Crystallization?" Chloe froze momentarily, then let out a relieved sigh.
At least adding Aisha Patani to the equation made everything seem more logical.
"This is one of New Terra's most powerful crystallization techniques. With this included, the exchange should be fair."
She nodded and made note of the requested items. "Alright, don't go anywhere. The items should be delivered by Vampire Hunters from the capital, but in your case, it won't work, and it's better not to involve them. Go home and prepare—you'll depart for the capital in about ten days. I'll have Arnold notify you when it's time. And don't disappear on us during this period."
"At least let the Admiral see what you look like..."
"And let me process this," Chloe muttered. She pressed a button to return all the heart's blood to the silver bell, then handed it back to me before leaning back and massaging her temples.
Even if the death of the harmonizing Moonfeather was connected to Aisha Patani, at least some of those fully crystallized vampires were undoubtedly Kane's victims. What exactly transpired during his absence from Seattle?
I also had more questions to ask, but something in Arnold's gaze made me pause.
Forget it, I'd ask on the way. I thought to myself.
I knew displaying such a vast amount of vampire blood at once would deeply unsettle everyone present.
But I understood the precarious situation in Cascadia all too well.
The Vampire King lurked outside, and the Ascendant King was on the verge of breaking through. Should that moment arrive, the presence of two Vampire Kings would instantly shatter this fragile peace. I would need enough strength...
If the sixth transformation could capture the harmonizing Moonfeather, surely at the ninth transformation I could imprison a true Vampire King within my body?
The thought flickered through my mind.
Yet, even I had to acknowledge the sheer absurdity of that thought.
"Farewell, everyone," I said to Chloe and the others before turning to leave the building, leaving behind a group of stunned Vampire Hunters.
… …
Colonel's residence, H.A.R.M. headquarters.
I returned to my house, encountering almost no one along the way.
It appeared that most of the agents had been deployed. Chandra and Ethan Atzmon's team had all apparently left Seattle.
The increased training had its drawbacks. In the past, after hunting vampires, I would collapse into an exhausted sleep.
But now, my energy felt limitless...
I finally had the rest I'd longed for, yet I found myself, unexpectedly, feeling really bored.
As a result, my mind began to wander. One thing that surprised me was that the device recognized the heart's blood of the Mountain Lord of Chuckanut Mountains. This meant someone had brought its essence sample back to H.A.R.M.
I wondered who that person could be. It couldn't have been Rose—she had given me the essence sample as payment and would never submit it to H.A.R.M. herself.
The thought of Rose made me crave a home-cooked meal. The memory of her perfectly seared steak, its edges crispy and caramelized while the center remained juicy and tender, and her rich, golden chicken broth that simmered for hours until it became velvety smooth with deep, complex flavors - it all made my stomach growl with hunger.
The image of her from last night's illusion was unsettling, yet somehow, it intensified my longing for her. I had deliberately kept my distance from her in Surrey, but now, alone in the quiet house, I suddenly found myself questioning that decision. Once again, I dreaded being alone at home—just like that day when I left Anil Patel's house, and before finding Rose under my bed.
… …
As darkness deepened, a hesitant voice drifted in from outside.
"Excuse me, sir, do you have any clothes that need dry clean?"
A quiet girl stood timidly in the courtyard, gazing at the dimly lit door.
She used to earn some money dry cleaning for the agents, but lately they had been too busy to stay in their residences. She had no choice but to expand her services to new areas of the H.A.R.M. compound.
Spotting a lit room, she gathered her courage to knock, despite the late hour.
… …
I retrieved the blood-stained wolf-emblazoned cloak, opened the door, handed over the clothes, and asked casually, "Where's your brother? Why is he letting you wander around this late?"
Jade Rivers gazed up at the young man before her. His face remained as handsome as she remembered, though the black H.A.R.M. uniform lent him a sterner air. "Sergeant Kane?"
Realizing he had asked her a question, Jade Rivers quickly replied, "My brother is still in training. Do you want to see him? I secretly brought a stove and am cooking something tasty for my brother and Brother Wright."
Unlike agents, H.A.R.M. recruits are strictly managed before breaking through to the First Realm. They must take medicinal baths daily, eat prescribed meals, and are forbidden from consuming other foods, let alone cooking on their own.
"What are you cooking?" I asked, stepping out into the courtyard.
"It's... slow-cooked Southern Beef Stew. Should be ready soon."
Perhaps because they had moved from Pinewood County to Seattle and encountered so many previously unreachable people, Jade's eyes had lost their air of intelligence and grown more guarded.
"Sounds tasty, do you mind a freeloader?" I looked at her expectantly.
At those familiar words, the awkwardness between us melted away.
The demure young lady was slightly taken aback, then a smile spread across her face. She nodded vigorously, her voice clear and bright: "Not at all! My brother misses you very much too!"