Pinewood County, West Street.
I turned to the others and said, "You all can go home and rest early." Tonight had been quite a harrowing experience for them.
Especially Babar Khan, who had always taken advantage of the common folk, exploiting his position. Unexpectedly, just as he was starting to mend his ways, he nearly ended up sliced and diced by his own colleagues.
"Take care, Sergeant Kane."
Wade and the others said goodbye in unison.
Garcia opened his mouth, about to voice the question that had been nagging him.
"I didn't go easy on you," I preempted him, rubbing my temples with a slight headache. "I just rarely spar with others, and I actually gained some valuable insights from our exchange, which helped in tonight's fight."
"That makes more sense," the butcher mumbled, a flicker of confidence returning to his eyes.
I watched them depart, then slowly made my way towards my small house.
With the jackalvamps and the apevamps largely eliminated, the county was rid of its most disruptive, albeit low-level, threats. The coming days promised to be significantly less stressful.
I walked to the door, reaching out to knock, but the door swung open in the breeze, a reminder of the damage caused by the ram. She must be asleep, I thought as I stepped inside.
But Rose Hightower was awake, seated at the desk, diligently copying the training manual. Her clenched left hand betrayed her concern of my safety.
Initially, she had only intended to deceive that wretched officer to save her own life. However, over the past few days, as he returned home each night with blood-stained clothes, her perception of him had gradually shifted.
In this chaotic world, those who dared to fight vampires couldn't be entirely bad.
Last night's events had ignited a spark of anger within her. How could a vast county like Pinewood rely solely on one man to defend against vampires? At the slightest misstep, they resorted to violence!
Rose Hightower had personally washed the vampire blood from his clothes every day. Could she not tell if Kane was truly lazy or simply overwhelmed?
Furthermore, this entire situation was unjust. It was absurd to expect one man to bear the burden of an entire county's safety.
"You're back?" Rose's face lit up with joy as she emerged from the bedroom, catching sight of me at the door.
I nodded, a bit taken aback by her enthusiasm. I hung my coat on the hook by the door and stepped into the bedroom, picking up the papers on the desk. "So much?" I remarked, surprised by the volume.
"Did you think Wave Realm training was simple?" she teased. "Don't worry, I'll proofread it a few more times to make sure there are no errors."
Seeing that I was unharmed, Rose visibly relaxed. "Go wash up," she said with a gentle smile. "I'll heat up some food for you."
"No need, I don't have much of an appetite." I continued flipping through the pages, a look of astonishment crossing my face as a new prompt appeared on my panel:
[Wave Realm - Harmonious Quartet (untrained)]
A Wave Realm training technique was incredibly rare; the entire Pinewood County might not possess a single one. Yet, here it was, lying in my hands.
"This technique is rare and powerful, even for Wave Realm standards," Rose's voice floated from the kitchen. "Mastering it requires a solid foundation. It might be a bit advanced for you at the moment, but it's the best I have to offer for now."
She continued, "Remember, training should be gradual."
Moments later, she placed a bowl of steaming stew and a plate of pasta on the table. "My master always said, no matter how much blood you've seen or how many horrors you've witnessed, you still need to eat."
Rose Hightower, who had never before acknowledged having a master, had casually mentioned the word tonight.
She had even taken the time to transform the cold steak into a warm, comforting stew, while I was away. I couldn't refuse her kindness. I picked up my fork, savoring the tender meat and the warmth it spread through me, dispelling the lingering darkness in my heart.
I finished the stew and pasta, feeling a sense of contentment settle in my stomach. Rose, noticing my satisfaction, smiled faintly and cleared the dishes.
I retreated to the bedroom and opened the panel again.
Harmonious Quartet. It wasn't an internal essence cultivation method, nor did it seem related to weapons.
What purpose could it possibly serve? I wondered, perplexed.
[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 651 years]
I didn't rush into simulation. Instead, I took out three vampiric cores: one from the tigervamp and two from the ape vampires.
I placed one in my mouth, and lifespan rapidly flowed into the Harmonious Quartet.
[In the first year, you forcibly practiced the Wave Realm methods, deciphering the obscure text bit by bit, and absorbing the tigervamp's core along the way.]
[In the third year, you finally grasped the fundamental principles of this technique, the vampiric core long absorbed. All the essence within your first chamber transformed into jade dew.]
[In the 29th year, you finally understood the true meaning of "Harmonious Quartet," referring to Air, Earth, Water, and Human. You successfully achieved the first step, "Essence and Body as One," becoming an Apprentice of Harmonious Quartet.]
[In the 32nd year, your progress slowed significantly, primarily due to insufficient internal essence to support the application of this technique. Each attempt to utilize it depleted all the reserves in your chambers.]
... ...
I halted the infusion and placed the second vamp core in my mouth.
[In the 43rd year, aided by the apevamp's core, your essence recovery accelerated, and you gained an insight called "Restless Ape". Through relentless practice, you achieved a breakthrough, becoming a Journeyman of Harmonious Quartet.]
[In the 72nd year, you once again realized the crucial roles of aptitude and precious elixirs. The lack of the former hindered your progress, while the absence of the latter prevented you from compensating with sheer effort.]
Seeing this, I didn't hesitate and swallowed the third vamp core.
[In the 94th year, you ascended to the rank of Master of Harmonious Quartet. Now, with a mere wave of your hand, you could unleash a torrential downpour of energy, resembling a rain of daggers descended upon the earth. But only you knew the true cost—each rain consumed years of accumulated essence.]
[In the 130th year, after countless years without progress, frustration gnawed at you. Training was no longer a simple matter of effort yielding results. If you didn't understand, you didn't understand, and if you couldn't comprehend, you couldn't comprehend... You gradually began to resent your limitations.]
[In the 190th year, time eroded your bitterness. You quietly filled your chambers, condensing jade dew, and patiently awaited the next breakthrough.]
[In the 260th year, you awoke with a start. There was no sudden epiphany, just millions of identical movements. This time, something was different, but your numbed mind couldn't even grasp the reason.]
[Harmonious Quartet, perfected!]
[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 391 years]
... ...
My eyes glazed over for a moment. The immense pressure, the knowledge of 'what' without understanding 'why,' and the overwhelming confusion accompanying success - these emotions intertwined and flashed through my mind in an instant.
A sudden wave of nausea washed over me, as if I was about to expel my very being.
Thankfully, the sensation passed quickly.
"Haaah," I sighed, rubbing my face.
This practice of Harmonious Quartet felt eerily similar to my school days. Getting started and memorizing a few exam points and formulas wasn't difficult, but achieving mastery meant truly understanding the underlying principles and applying them skillfully. Only then could one become a true expert in their field.
I wasn't intelligent enough to grasp the principles, but with centuries of relentless effort, I had recited every book in the field forwards and backwards, memorizing every application of those principles. In the end, I too, had become an expert.
Only someone like me, blessed with endless time and a simulation system that could focus all my effort, would dare to pursue mastery in every martial art.
As the useless emotions faded, all that remained was a intuitive familarity of this Wave Realm martial art.
[Wave Realm - Harmonious Quartet (Grandmaster)]
[First Realm - Restless Ape: You possess a deep understanding of the habits of ape-like vampires. You can scale mountains as easily as walking on flat ground, and the progress of your footwork martial arts is greatly accelerated.]