Hunt In Reverse

Mission Control, H.A.R.M. Cascadia.

A throng of agents crowded near the counter, straining their ears to hear the conversation within. The mention of the Kongo Shintai Securities had piqued their curiosity.

Several golden eagle agents surged forward, their voices filled with indignation. "Colonel Kane saved our lives!" One of them barked. "Don't you dare try to fob him off with that worthless junk!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't mind them, Colonel Kane," she said. "I'm not one to hoard H.A.R.M.'s treasures. It was just a suggestion. But they're right about one thing—that top-grade Wave Realm Enlightened Indestructible Body of Awakening offered by Kongo Shintai Securities, has been gathering dust ever since."

My eyebrows shot up. Even back in Pinewood County, I'd learned one crucial fact about these sects—they jealously guarded their knowledge from H.A.R.M.

"As for the reason..." the girl began, lowering her voice. "Body tempering techniques are notoriously time-consuming, Colonel Kane. And the results are similar, regardless of the practitioner."

"The Kongo Shintai Securities was once a mighty organization," she explained. "They possessed the Tree of Awakening. Through its fruit's power, disciples could master this supreme technique in just one hundred and eighty years. It bestowed such immense strength and resilience that practitioners became virtually invincible to anyone beneath the Crystal Realm."

One hundred and eighty years was the key. A practitioner typically reached the early stage of Wave Realm with a lifespan of roughly two hundred and twenty years. This meant that any Kongo Shintai disciple who reached the early stage of Wave Realm could cultivate the Enlightened Indestructible Body to perfection, granting them a physique that could dominate the entire Wave Realm.

"But then, the Tree of Awakening withered..." she continued, her voice tinged with regret. "No body tempering enhancement could match the power of its fruit. The disciples, despite their dedication, could only achieve a shadow of their ancestor's strength. Kongo Shintai Securities quickly fell from grace, becoming just another third-rate faction."

The girl blinked. "But they had a stroke of luck," she continued. "They stumbled upon half of a Crystal Realm body tempering technique—and remarkably, it worked! Fearing attention from rival factions, they offered the Enlightened Indestructible Body of Awakening to H.A.R.M. A peace offering, of sorts."

There's no such thing as a free lunch, as they say. But in Kongo Shintai's case, seeking a powerful ally to help them regain their former glory... well, it made sense.

"Even the Admiral himself examined this top-grade Wave Realm technique," the girl explained. "His verdict? unless the Tree of Awakening miraculously revived, it was worthless. Better to focus on breaking through to the next realm than waste time on such a technique."

"It's the only top-grade technique we have here in Mission Control," she added. "There might be others in the treasury, but accessing those requires a warrant from the Admiral himself."

I pondered her words, recalling Chandra's earlier advice. A flicker of uncertainty crossed my face. Finally, I tapped my fingers on the table and scoffed with feigned disbelief. "A technique that requires a specific tree to function? Preposterous! Very well, I'll take it."

The girl raised an eyebrow and glanced at the golden eagle agents outside the room. She'd laid out the facts. If I wanted to waste my reward on a useless technique, that was my prerogative.

The agents fell silent, recognizing the stubbornness in my voice. There was no point in arguing.

"Should I convert the rest of your reward into Body Tempering elixirs then?" the girl asked.

"Yes," I replied, my expression unchanged.

I was starting to realize that in H.A.R.M. Cascadia, anything related to the Crystal Realm inevitably led back to the Admiral.

Reaching the Crystal Realm meant possessing enough power to disrupt the balance of Cascadia. Such individuals needed to be carefully managed.

A top-grade body tempering technique that didn't require exceptional talent or comprehension... it was the most valuable thing I could obtain at my current level.

"..."

Despite the formidable power granted by the Vampire Devouring External Crystal residing within my essence pool, I was keenly aware of its limitations.

I now possessed the essence of the Leviasaur, accumulated over three millennia. However, I lacked the corresponding techniques, neither the Leviasaur's innate ferocity and its resilient scales and armor.

I could bully weaker warriors, yes, but against those of Crystal Realm, I would be at a disadvantage. I could put up a fight, certainly, but victory was far from assured. I was no longer utterly defenseless, but I wasn't invincible either.

And most importantly, the demonic essence within the External Crystal was finite. A prolonged battle, a desperate struggle, could deplete it entirely.

I had one shot—and one shot only. After that, if I couldn't obtain another core from a Crystal Realm vampire to replenish it, the External Crystal would become nothing more than a useless trinket. Every step forward, every small improvement, was crucial.

"I've made a note of everything, Colonel Kane," the girl chirped. "I'll select the finest movement techniques for you as well. We'll have someone deliver it all once the inventory is complete. And if you find the body tempering technique unsatisfactory..." she giggled, "you can always return to exchange it for something else. I'm here from the seventh to the nineteenth of every month. The elixirs are exchangeable too."

The girl flashed a dimpled smile, but the agents frowned. Was that her angle all along?

"Oh, and one more thing," she added. "In Vancouver, you'll have three colonels and twenty captains under your command. If you'd like to bring some people from here, that can be arranged. Three to five transfers shouldn't be a problem."

She shrugged. "We're a bit short-staffed at the moment, so we can't have everyone running off to enjoy the good life under Colonel Kane."

"I'll consider it," I replied noncommittally.

I turned to leave, only to find myself the target of a hundred hungry stares. I took a step, and the captains holding my new uniforms glared at the crowd, their icy gazes forcing the Purge Division agents to back down.

...

On the fringes of the crowd, a broad-shouldered figure stood in quiet observation. Clad in a simple tunic, with a weathered face and a hint of stubble, he looked like a harmless farmer, his hands likely more accustomed to tilling soil than wielding weapons.

Perched on his shoulder sat a small girl with bright eyes and rosy cheeks, her hair tied into two playful pigtails. She wore a cheerful green dress, her tiny white feet dangling playfully.

Her gaze settled on the black-clad young man. "Tell me," she chirped, "what's the meaning of this? Skyler Grant makes him his personal attendant, only to recommend him to us?"

The middle-aged man's eyes remained calm. "Age breeds hesitation," he said thoughtfully. "He wants this young man at his side, yet sees his potential for greater things. Unable to choose, he lets the youth decide instead. He's lost that sharp edge of his younger days. Mark my words—he won't hold Vancouver much longer."

Hearing this, the little girl reached out and grabbed the middle-aged man's ear. "It sounds to me like you're implying something!"

"I wasn't talking about you, Granny," the man chuckled. "He wants to cover up this guy's Leviasaur slaying, prevent retaliation from the Pacific tribe, yet also make a grand show of force to intimidate the Washington family. Look at this mess! Is this the same decisive Skyler Grant we once knew? Does he think his protégé is some helpless infant who can't handle the slightest hardship?"

"Offering a young man a life of ease while secretly hoping he'll refuse... how laughable." With that, he turned and walked away.

"The Admiral has petitioned the capital for aid three times already. A storm is gathering in Cascadia, and we Vampire Hunters will be its first victims. We cannot waste time playing nursemaid to General Grant." The little girl giggled and kicked her feet.

"Speaking of infants," she continued, "I rather like that Hightower girl. Started learning to hunt vampires at the early stage, did she? And nearly got herself killed in a backwater like Pinewood County! Hilarious! Since the Admiral couldn't secure any aid, she'll have to fight for a spot in the Martial Abbey cleansing on her own. Might wash away some of that milk smell."

"Imagine her face when she returns in Crystal Realm and finds this boy playing lapdog for someone else!"

"And to think," she continued, "he was the one she praised so highly in her letter! He's barely tasted blood, just starting to feel the thrill of the hunt, and Old Grant lures him away with a bone—chains him to Vancouver to guard his house! Oh, the indignity!" She wiped a tear from her eye, overcome with laughter.

She wasn't meant to mock. But even the fiercest beast, confined to guarding a house, growing fat and lazy on easy meals, will eventually lose its edge. Its fangs will dull, its claws grow soft.

Every admiral had risen from the ranks of the Vampire Hunters.

They are wolves! Wolves who dare to venture beyond the twelve cities of Cascadia, into the heart of the Vampire King's territory, living by their wits and their blades, facing danger head-on!