"How long are you planning to stay?" I inquired, suddenly had an urge to eat, in response to her enthusiastic eating. I reached for the takeout but was stopped by a gentle tap from her delicate fingers.
Rose Hightower offered me a piece of toast. "I've made a simple bed in the living room to avoid disturbing you," she explained. "As for how long I'll stay... perhaps a month?" Her voice wavered with uncertainty.
I accepted the toast, keeping my expression neutral.
This woman was a mystery. She appeared to have a clean background, but the truth was she had been sent away by the Hightower family years ago. She returned with inexplicable skills and a penchant for solo vamp hunting.
Initially, I'd dismissed her as a reckless fool. But my recent interactions with her had revealed a shrewdness and resilience that belied her initial bravado. Her actions and demeanor hinted at a past filled with hardship, not the sheltered life of a wealthy heiress.
Yet, the most perplexing question was: how had she survived the wrath of those enigmatic fox vamps after antagonizing them?
My attempt to confine her to the house now seemed like a foolish gamble. If word got out, how could a mere police sergeant like myself withstand the Hightower family's fury?
And more importantly, why had the fox vamp spared her life?
I couldn't figure it out, so I stopped thinking about it and said calmly, "No, that's too long."
A playful smile danced on Rose Hightower's lips. "Oh?" she teased, her voice light and airy. "Didn't you yearn for me to be your mate? Changed your mind so soon?"
She was right. The lustful desire in my eyes when I grabbed her wasn't feigned. But that was the old me. The new me had different priorities.
Rose expected my facade of composure to crack, anticipating some reaction to her veiled proposition.
Instead, I met her gaze with a hint of amusement, my dark blue eyes sparkling with a mocking glint.
Her chewing slowed, and her hand paused mid-bite as she wiped a crumb from her lips with a delicate finger. The playful facade faded, replaced by a guarded expression.
"Why?" she asked, her voice now laced with a trace of wariness. She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she leaned back in her chair. In that moment, her entire demeanor shifted to something sharper and more calculating.
Rose straightened, her gaze narrowing as she assessed me. "You're just a lowly policeman who collaborated with vamps," she said, her voice biting. "I don't understand why you've suddenly turned against them."
She glanced at the bloodstained clothes I wore. "Acting calm isn't easy, is it? You're desperate to know the secrets of transcendence, aren't you?"
Rose Hightower bluntly pointed out that I was at the cusp of First Realm. She crossed her legs, a predatory glint in her eyes as she adjusted her borrowed clothes.
"Call me Master," she said, her voice dripping with confidence, "and I'll guide you across the threshold of the First Realm. What do you say?"
Her previous martial arts names were hastily made up, but today she came prepared. I'll fool this young cop with ease. she watched me expectantly, a smirk playing on her lips.
But her confidence wavered as I calmly unsheathed my blade and placed it on the table.
"You left home to learn the art of combat," I said, my voice cold and measured. "Were you studying opera instead?"
My fingers traced the scabbard, and Rose suddenly felt enveloped in a strong evil energy. She swallowed nervously, her eyes widening with apprehension. "You... what do you want to do?"
"I'm not interested in you," I replied, my gaze unwavering. "But I am very interested in your knowledge."
I ignored her protests and pulled a small cloth bag from my pocket. Placing it beside the dagger, I unfolded it to reveal the pulsating organ I had extracted from Golden Chief.
"Prove your worth," I said simply.
I stood before her, hands clasped behind my back, my demeanor deceptively calm. The blade and the pulsating organ on the table spoke volumes.
Choose one, I silently urged her. Choose wisely, and don't waste my time with theatrics.
Rose Hightower's eyes fixated on the pulsating organ, her fingertips trembling subtly within the confines of her long sleeves.
A moment of stunned silence passed before she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "A vamp core? Where did you get it...?"
Her gaze flickered to the bloodstained uniform I wore, and the answer became self-evident.
"A four-hundred-year-old vamp core," she murmured, a trace of awe in her voice. "This must be Golden Chief's."
Rose clenched her fists, suppressing her surprise. I had left with toast hanging out of my mouth in the morning and returned at night with the core of a First Realm vampire. When did the policemen in Pinewood County become so fierce?
"Vamp cores of this quality can be used directly as the main ingredient for Atherflex, which supplies celestial essence," she explained, her tone professional, "or as a supplement for refining the higher-grade elixir, Manastream. If the situation doesn't allow, direct ingestion can also yield 70-80% effectiveness, but its impurities are potentially harmful. Patience is key."
"Of course," she added, a note of caution in her voice, "warriors below the First Realm cannot utilize these cores... This is the truth."
I nodded, satisfied with her assessment. It aligned with my own guess. If she had downplayed the core's significance or dismissed it as poisonous, I would have been forced to consider more drastic measures.
I carefully re-wrapped the core, my mind racing. Rose's recognition that this core belonged to Golden Chief and her knowledge of vamp core's intricacies hinted at a depth of experience I had not anticipated.
Could she be more knowledgeable about the beastvamp factions surrounding Pinewood County than I initially believed?
"You can stay," I stated firmly. "But I won't involve myself in your affairs with the foxvamp, nor will I pry into your identity."
I paused, meeting her eyes. "In exchange, I want copies of two genuine First Realm techniques."
Rose Hightower's lips curled into a wry smile. "Splitting Mountain Axe, Vampire-Slaying Sword..." She raised her hands but quickly retracted it under my icy stare. "I don't have them with me now," she admitted. "I can only provide them once I'm rescued."
"Fine," I conceded, not pressing the issue further.
I wasn't one to put all my eggs in one basket. While H.A.R.M. was a powerful organization, connecting with other mentors or security schools could create more opportunities for learning and advancement.
Rose kept taking bites of her toast, her voice muffled as she spoke. "Pinewood County suddenly lost its Golden Chief. Aren't you worried about the other vamps' retaliation?"
Rose picked up another piece of toast and stuffed it with brisket. She took a bite and said while chewing, "Although the vamps are divided into different factions, they are aligned against humans. If you ask me, I would tell you that you shouldn't have done anything against Golden Chief to alert the other factions."
"What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued by her statement.
"The yellow-skinned jackalvamp was a newcomer to the First Realm," Rose explained after swallowing her mouthful. "But the great ape, Lucius Simian, in Mountain Berkshire has been there for years, preparing for its breakthrough to First Realm perfection. It's likely to be wary of such a sudden shift in power."
Her cheeks flushed as she struggled to finish her toast. After a deep breath, she continued, "And then there's Sarpa-Rani. Rumors say it was already a vamp in the Wave Realm over a century ago. If I were you, I would report it to the authorities. H.A.R.M. may send colonels to deal with it, forcing the old ape and the yellow jackal to flee."
I listened attentively, waiting for her to continue, but Rose fell silent. "What about the foxvamp?" I prompted.
She pursed her lips, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
She had already cleared away all the food and gently patted her plump bosom. "Ugh... I'm sleepy," she mumbled, a hint of a blush on her cheeks.
I leaned back on the chair, a wry smile on my lips. "Thanks for alerting me."
Rose rolled her eyes and sauntered towards the living room. "At least you're not completely ungrateful," she quipped playfully.
… …
As she stepped into the darkness of the living room, her carefree expression vanished, replaced by a complex mix of emotions.
Despite her earlier dismissal of the Golden Chief, she couldn't deny the reality of the young man's power. A First Realm vamp, even at the initial stage, was a formidable opponent. Yet, a mere policeman with no advanced training had slain it with apparent ease. It was a feat that defied logic.
If he could achieve such a feat with limited resources, what heights could he reach with proper guidance and training? The thought sparked excitement within Rose.
If someone with such talent died in the muddy waters of Pinewood County, it would be a waste.
She sighed, "It's a pity that I can't even protect myself now, let alone mentor others... I'm so hungry."