The air in the small room crackled with tension, three colonels stood trembling at the door.
"Colonel Kane." One of the colonels, his voice barely above a whisper, stepped forward and respectfully handed me the identification badge.
Kourosh, stripped of his black uniform and bound tightly, knelt in the center of the room, his head bowed, his previous arrogance replaced by a sullen silence.
Rose stood beside Kourosh, responsible for guarding him. Yet, her gaze fixed on me, curiosity burned. What was I planning? After catching Kourosh, why not take him back to Surrey as soon as possible?
"Colonel Kane," the colonel reported crisply, "The Vampire Lord of Black Stone Spring is a venomous hybrid vampire, with cane toad DNA. It's over four thousand years old and possesses Crystal Realm cultivation, along with mastery over poison. Black Stone Spring, sir, despite its name, is an underground glacial lake. Access is limited to a narrow opening, and the water itself is vast and frigid, sir. Even General Laurent himself was unable to eliminate this threat. That is why he assigned Lieutenant General Zarrinkamar and us to guard this location."
The colonel's voice grew softer, his gaze dropping to the floor. It was clear that after Kourosh's injury, they had long since lost the ability to guard Black Stone Spring.
They could only watch helplessly as the vampire lord entered Cascadia as if it were a playground for its deadly whims. Even worse, a trusted lieutenant general had concealed the truth, his ambition and fear outweighing his duty.
"It's the same with most of the places guarded by personal attendants," Rose interjected. "Either the terrain is treacherous, or the vampire's methods are extraordinary. While these threats can't be eliminated, they also can't be ignored since they're too close to Cascadia's twelve cities…" She stopped mid-sentence, realizing I was a personal attendant myself and likely already being briefed of what the job entailed.
"Anyway, according to our intel," this time she was referring to information gathered by Vampire Hunters, "the Vampire Lord of Black Stone Spring is close to perfect Crystallization."
Just then, Kourosh slowly raised his head, staring at me from across the desk, his pale face contorted in a mask of mockery. "Indeed, after digesting me, it will certainly be fully crystallized. So, Colonel Kane, what can you do?" His voice dripped with venom.
He had done so much for Cascadia, he thought bitterly. Even this injury was caused by fighting the venomous toad vampire lord. He just wanted to wait another five years, even risking his life, just so he wouldn't fall back to Wave Realm and be sidelined for the rest of his life. But in the end, he was going to be discarded like a bloody rag. Where was the justice in that!
"Looking for a backup plan in Surrey because General Grant can't stand you? Why don't we trade places!" The old man roared with laughter, a desperate defiance in the face of his fate, when suddenly a teacup shattered against his face, tea splashing all over him.
I withdrew my hand, my expression cold and impassive. "Shut your mouth, unless spoken to."
Rose's eyes widened with appreciation, a spark of pride crossing her face as she admired my composure.
General Laurent's letter lay quietly on the table, but as I sat there calmly, no one, including Kourosh, dared to even think about opening it.
My confident demeanor had convinced them that General Laurent had granted me complete flexibility to act.
Kourosh resentfully lowered his head. He wanted to see what tricks this arrogant brat was playing.
"Is it still in Black Stone Spring?" I asked, my voice sharp, my gaze fixed on the colonels.
Crystal Realm vampires were rare opportunities, especially in a situation like this where I had full control and even Rose's assistance. I just needed to ensure H.A.R.M. would award Rose sufficient merits afterward.
"Based on its pattern, it should return within the next two days..." The colonels lowered their heads in shame.
Rose frowned in dismay. Not only was this vampire freely moving in and out of Cascadia, but it even had established a predictable routine—yet Kourosh had chosen to withhold this information from General Laurent.
The next moment, I stood up, and my words stunned everyone.
"Lead the way."
Rose looked at me in astonishment, finally realizing what I was going to do.
She opened her mouth to say something but then smiled helplessly. Never mind. Until he sees Black Stone Spring for himself, he won't grasp why even Albany couldn't kill this poisonous vampire. Once he witnesses the situation firsthand, he'll naturally stop pursuing this matter.
… …
Three colonels led the way, and over a hundred agents cleared the narrow path that wound through towering pines and treacherous rocky outcrops.
The air thinned as they ascended, the wind carrying a biting chill. Ahead, a circular depression opened up to reveal a hidden grotto, its walls draped with glistening ice formations.
Right in the center, a deep pool about a hundred feet wide came into view. Icebergs, remnants of ancient glaciers, floated on the surface of the lake, their blue-white hues contrasting with the dark water. Even from a distance, one could feel a bone-chilling coldness, and a strange green mist drifted from within.
Rose yanked the chain, pulling Kourosh forward. "In a direct fight, the venomous toad might not match his strength," she said, pointing at Kourosh before turning to stare at the frigid water. "But this lake... this is how that vampire has managed to survive at the edge of Cascadia's twelve cities for all these years."
The innate abilities of beast vampires were truly the envy of martial artists.
Even at the same realm, vampires could soar into the sky or dive into the depths of the sea. Even this terrifyingly extreme cold couldn't harm the toad vampire lord, instead becoming its sanctuary.
"Now that you've seen it, it's time to go." Rose sighed. If it were so easy to solve, it wouldn't have dragged on until now.
"No hurry," I said, smiling towards Rose. "Let's wait a couple of days. You need time to rest and recover properly." Then I turned toward the few temporary tents near the spring. "I'll wait here. You'll be safe back in the houses."
"You're not actually thinking of ambushing the toad vampire out here, are you?" The moment Rose spoke these words, realization dawned on her face.
The toad vampire lord hadn't killed Kourosh outright; rather, it used a sinister and insidious method to slowly consume and digest him. It certainly wasn't out of kindness.
The creature likely wanted to avoid a deadly confrontation with Kourosh and prevent General Laurent from sending an even more powerful personal attendant as a replacement.
After such a long time, the Toad Lord had likely grown complacent. If they intended to ambush it, this was their perfect chance.
"I suddenly thought of a question." Rose looked at me with a quizzical smile.
"What question?" I turned around and said softly.
… …
Rose stared at John silently, her expression teasing but her mind reeling.
What had started as a favor John was doing for her had evolved into an internal H.A.R.M. matter, leaving John in control and her as an outsider.
Had he planned to kill the vampire lord from the beginning? Was he taking such incredible risks with abandon for the people, or for himself? And if… if they somehow succeeded in killing the toad vampire lord, who would claim its heart's blood?
Rose suddenly realized she barely knew this man, despite their deep romantic involvement.
"I finally understand why you don't like to talk," she said, setting aside her questions.
He looked reckless on the surface, yet beneath lay one of the shrewdest minds she'd ever known. The risks he took seemed extraordinary, yet he never failed—not once had she seen him injured. Each time he returned home, his clothes were drenched in someone else's blood.
… …
I noticed that Rose didn't ask her question, but I let it go, turning to enter a tent. Each tent was designed to accommodate just one person. Rose hesitated, then entered a tent next to mine.
Kourosh watched us with intense interest, then lowered his head to conceal his mocking smile.
A wounded martial artist who had just reached Crystal Realm and a young man who knew some body--tempering techniques thought they could defeat the Toad Lord?
He had believed himself doomed, but now an unexpected glimmer of hope appeared.
After the Toad Lord devoured these two, perhaps it would allow him to continue guarding this place.