236. Soul Targeting Technique
Winter follows the waning of autumn.
In winter's grip, the brave rise to hold back the surging tide.
Theodore Montgomery's increasingly flickering Redeemed Spirit hung in the sky, his ears filled with the howls of vampires. Winter had truly come in full force, but it was the vampires who bore the brunt of its fury. Snow and wind, sharp as blades, turned against them, not mankind.
John Kane did not block the horde of vampires from entering Cascadia.
He merely stood in the sky.
Before that tall figure, whether vampires entered or exited, whether they were inside or outside Cascadia's borders, the only difference was where their demise would occur.
The bull vampire had lost all will to fight and was desperately trying to flee.
Each time it swept across the sky, it was punched back by that black-clad figure blazing with rosy radiance.
It had used a treasure artifact to sneak in, but now its mind was filled only with thoughts of escape.
BANG! The bull vampire was blasted backward above Seattle again, its enormous eyes glazed with confusion and astonishment.
Aisha Patani lay quietly on the ground. With her Infant of Love withdrawn into her sea of essence, she had only half her vision remaining, and even that was obscured by blood, making everything appear blurry.
Yet she kept her eyes open, determined to clearly see that returning black-clad figure.
A faint smile curled at the corners of her lips.
With him standing before her, an endless sense of security enveloped her, like a sword returning to its sheath—leaving no more worries.
"..."
I flicked the blood from my hand.
I could sense the vampire was nearly finished.
I kicked the bull vampire's head back, forcing it to meet my gaze.
My eyes, filled with red mist, suddenly transformed into vertical pupils—strange and terrifying.
Lady Taurymne, already exhausted with her will eroded by intense pain, suddenly heard a wolf's howl in her mind—sharp and piercing. In her daze, her soul violently shook and was involuntarily extracted from her vampire body.
At last, she caught sight of Theodore Montgomery in the distance.
Earlier she had thought he was about to perish, but now she was dissipating faster than that spirit!
Amid that ear-splitting howl—powerful enough to shatter metal and stone—her ethereal figure, like a candle in the wind, silently vanished.
[Slain a Blood Transforming Bull Vampire King, total lifespan 16,375 years, remaining lifespan 12,418. Absorption complete.]
[Remaining absorbed lifespan: 22,615 years.]
I instinctively opened my mouth, but quickly covered it and feigned a cough, before storing the enormous bull vampire's corpse in my white pouch.
This battle had cost me eighteen drops of sangrith blood and 20 years of lifespan.
I was eager to replenish my reserves, almost forgetting that many eyes were now watching me.
Slaying a Vampire King of such high status—this news would certainly spread far and wide.
As the giant vampire vanished from the sky, I also withdrew my Infant, and the heavens cleared once again.
Countless people only then realized they had forgotten to breathe, collectively gasping for air in large gulps. The scene appeared momentarily comical, yet not a single person laughed.
Without this warrior's protection, Seattle would now be a living hell.
Even now, a thick sense of suffocation still engulfed them.
"Are you all right?" I descended to the ruins and extended my hand toward the young woman, quickly transferring red light from my fingertips.
"How impressive," Aisha Patani murmured from the ground, her voice weak but her remaining eye sparkling with admiration.
Aisha Patani weakly tugged at my sleeve, placed her hand in my palm, and with pursed lips, offered a faint smile. "Thank you."
I quickly pulled her up. As the red light flowed through her, her injuries healed rapidly, and her beautiful face—previously distorted by vampire power—regenerated quickly.
Theodore Montgomery looked down.
Perhaps for the first time in her life, the young woman who had always protected Cascadia was experiencing what it felt like to be protected by someone else.
Once she had fully recovered, I released her hand.
The red light could repair physical bodies but couldn't mend a shattered Infant.
Both practiced the Cosmic Devouring CrystallizationMethod. I noticed her aura was barely half as strong as mine, likely because she had depleted too much of her accumulated essence during the battle.
However, being young and a true genius, this setback shouldn't significantly affect her.
In contrast, that Redeemed Spirit in the sky, which could dissipate at any moment, seemed to have a more pressing problem.
Theodore Montgomery noticed me looking at him. With a serious expression, he released his sword and, though a spirit, habitually adjusted his uniform before bowing deeply in the air.
"On behalf of the people of Seattle and all of Cascadia, I thank you for your protection," he communicated telepathically.
"It's my duty as a member of H.A.R.M., Admiral."
...
The vampire calamity was brief, with damage confined to only half of the H.A.R.M. headquarters.
However, the commotion it caused was undoubtedly the greatest in Cascadia's long history.
A Vampire King had silently infiltrated the most heavily guarded city, exposing the horrific reality of an apocalyptic world to people who had grown complacent.
Even the four great families with their Crystal Realm masters were reduced to ordinary people, merely awaiting death in the face of this vampire disaster.
The black-clad figure was permanently etched into everyone's minds.
… …
"Is the Blood Moon Vampire King also dead?"
Theodore Montgomery followed behind me, like a lingering ghost.
"Dead." I rubbed my wrist. Fighting such a formidable vampire for the first time, I hadn't noticed during combat, but now, as I relaxed, my entire body felt utterly exhausted.
"The three harmonizing vampire lords are dead as well?" The Admiral kept asking questions.
"Dead." I glanced back at him. I couldn't understand the mindset of such people—nearly dead yet not rushing to find a solution, instead wasting time on pointless conversation.
"What do you plan to do?" I asked, standing with my hands at my sides.
"I plan to visit the Martial Abbey," Theodore Montgomery replied, his face bearing an unmistakable smile. With Cascadia's vampires largely eliminated, his greatest worry had vanished. The thousand years of stress weighing on his heart had finally lifted.
His body was also gone. Naturally, he could no longer serve as Admiral.
Fortunately, nurturing a Redeemed Spirit wasn't actually that difficult; Cascadia already had another H.A.R.M. general prepared for the role.
With enough power of faith, Albany Laurent could soon become the new Admiral.
"Then go quickly."
The Admiral ignored my advice. Instead, he followed me all the way to my house, persistently bombarding me with questions and trying to persuade me to replace him as Admiral. I entered and slammed the door shut.
I hadn't realized before what a chatterbox this guy was.
Theodore Montgomery passed through the door. "Even if you don't want to be the Admiral, could you at least hold the title of acting Admiral until Albany Laurent breaks through to Seeker of Redeemer?"
There was no need to guard Cascadia—merely letting the vampires know that the one who had protected Seattle today was in charge would be enough.
I sat on the edge of the bed, sighed slowly, and my pupils gradually became vertical: "..."
Theodore startled and hastily retreated. He had witnessed firsthand how that bull vampire met its demise.
This silent soul-targeting technique was even more formidable than the Blood Moon Vampire King's.