"Just stopping by to see you, bro," I said with a chuckle. "what wind blew Lucky Six down the mountain without so much as a hello?"
The jackalvamp paused its chewing, a long silence hanging in the air before it shifted, revealing the scene on the bed behind it.
Another, slightly smaller jackalvamp lay there, daintily consuming a morsel of organ meat. Beneath her, a tiny pup suckled hungrily.
"Too many enemies on the mountain," Lucky Six grumbled. "Came down to seek refuge. Don't lecture me about rules. There's plenty of food and drink here. We'll stay for half a year, until my son is grown."
My smile widened. "Congratulations! Mother and child are both well."
I strolled over and sat beside Lucky Six on the bed, unfazed by its filth. Casually draping an arm around the beastvamp's neck, I chided, "Why didn't you tell me about this joyous occasion sooner?"
Lucky Six glanced at me, but didn't shrug me off. "Don't try to charm me. Even the sheriff himself couldn't make me leave today, let alone you."
"No, no, don't leave."
I fixed the jackalvamp with a smile, my eyes gleaming.
Lucky Six relaxed, a grin spreading across its face. But just as it opened its mouth to speak, its eyes widened in shock. A silver blade was buried in its chest.
"Gah! Gah!"
The startled cry drew Wade's attention. His body froze, his eyes widening in disbelief at the scene before him.
I remained locked in an embrace with Lucky Six, my expression calm. "Guests are guests, how could I rush you?" I purred, driving the dagger deeper into the beastvamp's heart. Blood splattered, adding a macabre sheen to the already gruesome room.
"You… should... stay here... and not go… anywhere." My voice softened, my movements practiced.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Each word punctuated a merciless stab, reducing the powerful body to a quivering mass.
Lucky Six thrashed desperately, but under my arm lock, it was helpless, like a drowning ox.
To an outsider, the vamp appeared docile, a lamb to the slaughter, as I skewered it with an impassive expression.
Finally, I released my hold, watching the lifeless form slumped to the ground.
I raised my head. "Wait outside."
Wade stood rigid, his mind reeling.
Under my piercing gaze, he snapped out of his stupor, turning and stumbling. He couldn't resist a final backward glance before getting out of the door.
I remained seated on the bed, slowly withdrawing the silver dagger from Lucky Six's corpse. The female jackalvamp, weakened by recent childbirth, trembled in fear, unable to muster any resistance. I gently plucked a piece of organ meat from its mouth, whispering, "Sister-in-law, a family should remain together, whole and complete. Wouldn't you agree?"
Wade stumbled again.
He crossed the threshold, stood outside, and closed his eyes, drawing ragged breaths.
After a moment, I emerged, wiping my fingers on a rag, my voice calm. "Go in and clean up."
Wade's eyes snapped open, locking onto my familiar yet alien face. His thoughts swirled like a tangled skein of yarn, coalescing into a single, blunt question: "Why?"
"Why what?" I raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion.
Damn it. Wade gritted his teeth, his eyes widening.
Why did you suddenly attack? One moment you're chatting, the next you're brutally murdering the jackalvamp like a wild animal?
Why did you wear that damned smile throughout? Do you even hate them? How can you remain unmoved by the sight of dead humans, or the deaths of these monsters?
In Wade's eyes, I had not only witnessed the consumption of my own kind with indifference but had extended that same callousness to the jackal family, including the helpless pup.
Beset by questions, Wade forced himself to regain composure, asking the most practical ones: "Why did you kill them? Aren't you afraid of Golden Chief's revenge? Or do you have a plan?"
"What plan?" I frowned, my voice level. "It didn't want to leave, and I didn't want it to continue eating people. I had to find a compromise that satisfied everyone."
"Is... is that even a reason?"
Wade inhaled sharply, recognizing my reluctance to elaborate. He stepped into the house and began gathering the jackalvamps' remains.
In the couple of days since he'd last seen me, I had become an enigma.
Alone at the doorway, I discarded the blood-soaked rag, revealing my trembling fingers. I lowered my gaze to my hand, clenching it tightly in an attempt to quell the tremors.
The sight of those ravenous jaws tearing into rotting flesh, the glimpse of gore caught between the beast's teeth... it nearly made me gag. Only the relentless stabbing had offered an outlet for the fear and rage churning within me.
But I had to maintain control.
Only by remaining calm could I hope to survive until the arrival of the H.A.R.M. team. If I succumbed to panic, I would be utterly alone in this forsaken county.
As for Wade's question, I had considered it, but ultimately reached a simple conclusion: there was no other option.
If I hadn't intervened, the villagers were doomed. There was no solution, no alternative but to fulfill my police duty. Why worry about the aftermath?
Rather than numbing myself with platitudes like "the greater good" or "enduring for peace," it was better to focus on accumulating more lifespan, bolstering my strength. Then, when the next beast bared its fangs, I could strike it down with a single blow.
Speaking of lifespan, this time's harvest was quite bountiful.
[Jackalvamp, pre-First Realm, total lifespan 145 years. Remaining lifespan 59 years. Fully absorbed.]
[Jackalvamp, pre-First Realm, total lifespan 152 years. Remaining lifespan 61 years. Fully absorbed.]
[Unintelligent Jackalvamp, total lifespan 80 years. Remaining lifespan 79 years. Fully absorbed.]
[Total absorbed lifespan: 199 years.]
[Remaining personal lifespan: 1 year.]
The system even rounded it up for me, bringing the total to a neat two hundred years.
I hadn't yet decided where to invest this newfound lifespan.
Should I continue developing Lightstrike, delving deeper into the First Realm?
Or perhaps focus on Tempest Strikes, seeking further enhancements to my boxing talents?
Lost in thought, I barely noticed Wade finishing loading the beastvamp corpses onto a beat-up pickup truck he found somewhere in the village.
"Whatever your intentions, Sergeant..." Wade offered the keys with a conflicted expression, his gaze drifting towards the horizon.
The scattered villagers on the hillside remained numb, their arms hanging limply like the living dead. Only as their eyes swept over the truck did a flicker of emotion emerge.
"At least today, you saved their lives."
Wade managed a strained smile, but I snatched the keys from his hand.
He looked up and found me got on the police cruiser and drove away leisurely.
I rolled my eyes, stifling a sigh.
Whatever my intentions? Did he have to insult me before offering praise? How pretentious.