122 Rejected Letter
The vampire's timing was perfect. With its lightning speed and plunging descent, the raw impact of its mass would crush the unsuspecting couple—and its talons, sharper than any forged weapon, would finish the job.
In the meantime, Rose's climax was a tempest, a whirlwind of passion that threatened to consume us both. Her spasms were powerful, a force of nature that could have crushed stone. Without body tempering, I might have crumbled. But now, I met her force with my own, expanding within her, pushing the boundaries of pleasure to their breaking point. Each surge, each spasm, was a shared ecstasy.
And as she crested that wave of ecstasy, the very lake seemed to respond. A surge of water errupted behind us, a towering wave mirroring the intensity of her release. It crashed down with the force of an avalanche, striking the unsuspecting vampire out of the sky.
The vampire tumbled into the churning water, drenched and disoriented, its attack thwarted by the raw power of my passion. Before it could recover, a rain of condensed essence—Rose's Harmonious Quartet, amplified by her ecstasy and certainly some anger —pierced its body like daggers. Its blood bloomed in the pristine water, spreading like crimson ink through vibrant blue.
As the wave subsided, the lake returned to its usual tranquility, but the echoes of that climax still reverberated through Rose. She lay limp in my arms, her ragged breath matching the tremors still coursing through her body. A blissful exhaustion enveloped her—an euphoria beyond anything she'd ever experienced. She nestled closer, seeking the warmth of my body against hers.
The late afternoon sun dipped below the mountain ridge, casting the lake in a shimmering tapestry of purples and golds. In the serenity of the moment, Rose suddenly realized something—I was still deeply buried inside of her, bulging, hot and vibrant. With a graceful movement, she rose from the water, her body gleaming like polished ivory in the dappled sunlight. She turned towards me, her eyes sparkling with invitation. Her hands reached down, tracing the length of me until they found their way to the source of my desire. With a gentle touch, she guided me towards the shore, her fingers whispering promises of further pleasure.
I tried to pull her up, but she insisted. Her mouth was warm, her lips soft, her tongue tender and agile, her throat tight and deep. What began as a brief moment stretched into a long, elaborate dance. So I lay back, letting her arch over me in a perfect 69.
Though still sensitive, she was easily aroused. I took my time, savoring the moment, each touch a delicate dance that teased and tantalized. As the tension built, I deepened the pleasure, my tongue delving into her depths. The nectar of a Crystal Realm goddess glowed faintly, fragrant and rich, like an elixir, a taste of the divine that left me intoxicated.
Sensing I was close, she quickened her movements, her body a firestorm of passion and abandon. Slurping sounds filled the air, a primal rhythm that echoed the rising tide of our desire.
And as I surged over the edge, she met me with a fierce intensity, her contractions gripping my tongue like a viper. Her mouth, a velvet prison, held me captive as I pulsed and throbbed, pouring myself into her depths. It was a shared explosion of pleasure, a symphony of sensations that left us breathless and intertwined.
Thoroughly spent, I turned her over and cradled her in my arms. Beneath the endless expanse of the star-dusted sky, with the soft sand cushioning our embrace, and the peak Wave Realm vampire vanquished, we drifted into a slumber as sweet and deep as the love we had just shared.
… …
The journey from Bellingham to Black Stone Spring normally took three days, yet we spent five, taking our time not only for pleasure but also to eliminate vampires along the way.
No major battles. As a Crystal Realm expert paired with a Wave Realm perfect who had Crystal Realm body tempering training, we dispatched the minor vampires with ease.
Rose marveled at my dedication to slaying vampires—particularly how eager I was to deliver the killing blow. But she didn't ask, just diligently preserved and collected vampire cores for me.
"We're almost there," Rose explained. "There won't be any vampires before we reach Black Stone Spring. The lieutenant general is guarding a major vampire lord—no minor vampires dare venture close."
She warned me with a smile, "Kourosh Zarrinkamar has quite a temper. Let me handle the talking when we meet him."
"Okay." I nodded. Compared to the personal attendant lieutenant general, I was more interested in the vampire this place was guarding.
Walking through the dense forest, Rose seemed to know the road like the back of her hand. She easily found a clearing where a row of wooden buildings materialized before us, and several agents in star-adorned black uniforms warmed themselves around a bonfire.
She came to a halt and called out, "By order of General Laurent, I bring a message for Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar. Please inform him."
I expected that to be the end of it, but to my surprise, the agents didn't even lift their heads. They spoke with deliberate slowness: "Vampire Hunters? Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar has ordered that Black Stone Spring does not receive Vampire Hunters. He will not see you."
Their well-rehearsed response made it clear this wasn't the first time they had delivered it.
A cold glint flashed in Rose's eyes. "First, he claimed illness. Then, he was out. Now that General Laurent himself has asked me to come, you say he won't see Vampire Hunters? Tell Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar that playing the seniority card has its limits."
Her voice turned to steel. "General Laurent shows him respect and courtesy due to his seniority, but he would do well to remember who answers to whom."
I stood with my hands clasped behind my back, puzzled by the situation.
Even though H.A.R.M. and the Vampire Hunters operated under different systems, it was strange to see low-ranking agents—who hadn't even reached Wave Realm—treat a Crystal Realm Vampire Hunter with such disrespect. The agents in Seattle never displayed such arrogance.
"Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar has stated he will not receive Vampire Hunters."
The agents rose measuredly and unsheathed their sabers. "Of course, you are highly skilled. By all means, try to force your way into Black Stone Spring—we dare you."
As they spoke, three colonels emerged from the houses, accompanied by over a hundred armed agents. With cold eyes, they formed a barrier, blocking the path forward.
"Black Stone Spring is forbidden. Anyone who enters without General Laurent's written order will be treated as a vampire!"
Faced with the wall of gleaming silver-alloy blades, Rose Hightower's lips curved into a dangerous smile as she stepped forward. "I don't have a written order—just a letter for Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar. But I'm quite curious to see how you intend to treat me as a vampire."
Even Vampire Hunters, despite their lifelong dedication to battling monsters, had their limits of patience.
Even though the highest-ranking among them, the colonels, were only at the perfect Wave Realm, they showed no hesitation as Rose approached, instantly raising their long sabers.
This was the difference between personal retinues and ordinary H.A.R.M. agents.
They obeyed only one person: Kourosh Zarrinkamar, the guardian of this place.
A cold, finely crafted silver-alloy spear whistled through the air, striking the ground precisely three inches from Rose's feet.
A hoarse, gravelly voice echoed from within the house.
"I, Kourosh Zarrinkamar, have guarded this place for many years, and you are the first to dare intrude."
"If General Laurent has business with me, he can send one of his own personal attendants. What right do you, a Vampire Hunter, have to meddle in H.A.R.M.'s affairs?"
A tall figure pushed open the door and emerged as the voice spoke. His hair was white as snow, his beard reached his chest, and his collar was embroidered with a golden dragon motif.
A fierce wolf-patterned cloak billowed behind him, his eyes bearing the keen intensity of a seasoned veteran.
He walked unhurriedly to Rose, pulled out the spear, and looked down at her. "If you were at your peak, you might have the right to fight me. But you come here injured. Don't throw your life away."
Rose clenched her teeth and withdrew a letter from her silver bell. "You've already missed three mandatory reports. General Laurent has been gracious enough not to suspect you of vampire collaboration. The least you can do is read this letter."
"My old eyes are dim. I have no interest in reading a letter brought by someone of unknown identity, nor can I tell it's authenticity."
Kourosh Zarrinkamar turned around purposefully, his voice like ice, "Take your people and leave."
With this cold rebuke, any pretense of civility vanished. The hundred some H.A.R.M. agents raised their blades in unison, pointing them at Rose.
She took a deep breath and glanced at me. "You don't have to get involved," she said. Fighting vampires was one thing, but fighting H.A.R.M.—that was something she didn't want to drag me into.
I calmly surveyed the H.A.R.M. agents. While neither Kourosh Zarrinkamar nor Rose's letter held my interest, their potential vampire collusion certainly did.
The unexpected bounty I had been hoping for had landed right in my lap—courtesy of my own colleagues.
With casual deliberation, I stepped forward and said softly, "I do."
The simple exchange between us finally caused the expressions of the agents to change drastically. They had not expected that the two Vampire Hunters would actually dare to force their way into a place guarded by a lieutenant general's personal retinue!
In this place, Kourosh Zarrinkamar bore all responsibility and held the greatest authority. He could completely represent H.A.R.M. Cascadia.
"Such audacity!"
Amidst the shouts of reprimand, Kourosh Zarrinkamar suddenly turned, his sharp spear thrusting out angrily. Rose, moved with undiminished speed, easily dodging the spear tip, and struck the spear shaft with her palms, channeling a powerful force.
They unleashed their full strength simultaneously. Despite both being officials serving the people, they clashed with lethal intent!
The two forces collided on the fine silver-alloy spear. Kourosh used the momentum to deliberately redirect the deflected spear tip straight at me, standing behind him!
The silver gleam flashed like a white dragon leaping from a ravine—blinding to the eyes and deafening with its piercing whistle.