250. You Call This Some Proficiency
After binding the Blood Moon Vampire King and using sangrite blood to nurture the Leviasaur to the pinnacle of Vampire King level, my physical strength alone now far exceeds what any ordinary vampire can withstand.
With a single punch, the bear vampire's head was driven deep into the mountain ground.
Then I yanked the bear's head out and slammed it down with another devastating punch.
"I am... I am a Divine Lord... you wretched beast..."
With both eyes smashed to pulp, the old bear vampire writhed in excruciating pain as it desperately attempted to struggle to its feet.
But each time it attempted to sit up, I delivered a swift whip kick to slam it back down.
My fists rained down in a relentless storm.
"Speak louder. I can't hear you."
Hearing the cold voice beside its ear, the black bear opened its bloodied maw and rasped: "I am—"
From beneath the ink-black sleeve, a white arm suddenly shot through the bear's jaw, crushing its tongue.
"You are what?"
"Aaargh!!"
The bear vampire whimpered in pain as the arm withdrew, then smashed half of its skull to pieces.
This was the Red-Eyed Divine Lord.
Once magnificent in armor adorned with bright red fur.
Once standing majestic as a divine general.
I relied solely on my bare hands, never reaching for the Hidden Abyss at my waist. My fists moved in a relentless, unceasing barrage.
My arms ached and my body was splattered with thick blood as I rose slowly from the bear corpse. The entire mountain teetered on the edge of collapse, ready to crumble at any moment.
Standing atop the massive bear corpse, my small figure cast an imposing presence—radiating such intense pressure that everyone waiting at the mountain's foot struggled to breathe.
"..."
I stood in silence, gazing at the corpse beneath my feet.
With a simple wave of my hand, I stored the corpse in the white pouch.
Turning, I walked down the mountain.
"This..." Aurelio Barragan floated in the air.
While the vampire was being slain, he felt powerless to step in. Now, with the vampire defeated, he found himself even more stunned than before.
A disciple of the Martial Abbey, a practitioner of the Redeemed Spirit.
But where was the Redeemed Spirit?
All he saw was a humanoid vampire who had crushed the Red-Eyed Vampire King's head into a bloody pulp with terrifying efficiency.
This Red-Eyed great vampire had dominated North Florida, simultaneously putting pressure on both H.A.R.M. and another Vampire King.
Truly fierce and domineering.
Yet in the Inspector's hands, it was as helpless as a newborn infant.
The sight was enough to leave all observers breathless.
... …
At the foot of the mountain.
Collapsed stone statues, overturned incense altars, and debris of wood and stone scattered everywhere—the scene was utter devastation.
As I approached the crowd, the thick scent of blood hung in the air around me.
"Inspector, sir!" Kade Marrow snapped his right arm up in a crisp salute.
He trembled with excitement.
What he had just witnessed completely shattered his preconceived notion of Seekers of Redeemer.
So it wasn't just Wards of Nature who could inspect the Twenty-five States.
If one mastered body tempering techniques, even a Seeker of Redeemer could become an Inspector! After witnessing Inspector Kane's performance, Kade Marrow believed that in a physical confrontation, even a Ward of Nature might not be able to match him.
… …
The common people kept their faces pressed to the ground, trembling violently, too terrified to even lift their gaze.
For these terrified onlookers, the earth-shaking battle they had just witnessed rivaled the legendary clashes of the Under World.
The Red-Eyed Divine Lord, whom they were forced to worship day and night, had rewarded their devotion with nothing but screams and wails of agony.
It wasn't until the middle-aged man in black armor saluted the fierce fighter that they understood.
Though the title "Inspector" may have been unfamiliar to them, as residents of Florida, how could they possibly fail to recognize the black armor and red cape they had so desperately yearned for?
And now, that H.A.R.M. General was saluting the young man with the utmost respect.
The people of the four lost cities had long abandoned their useless fantasies. Time and again, they watched helplessly as friends and family were dragged to kitchens and served on dining tables, while the black-uniformed officials never came to their rescue. Eventually, they had accepted this grim reality.
Now, had these vampire fighters truly returned?
"Quickly arrange personnel to clean up the four cities, ensuring no vampires are missed." I said with a nod, signaling them to return to work.
No matter how experienced Lady Taurymne was, she couldn't be perfect.
Besides, the Redeemed Spirit had grown too powerful, making it difficult for her to control. Without devotional faith energy to sustain it, she couldn't maintain its presence outside indefinitely.
Upon hearing these words, the people lying on the ground suddenly felt strength drain from their bodies. Their arms trembled, barely able to support their weight. Had it not been for the sharp, acrid smell of blood intimidating them, many would have collapsed into uncontrollable sobs.
This wasn't another vampire staking claim to territory—this was a genuine H.A.R.M. official, here to reclaim the cities that vampires had seized.
Like these ordinary people, Kade Marrow was equally overwhelmed by emotion.
What did "clean up" mean? Had Inspector Kane already visited all four cities and the hundred-plus counties?
"Yes, sir!" General Marrow suppressed his shock and quickly bowed in acknowledgment.
Beside him, Admiral Barragan slowly opened his eyes. His withered appearance and trembling limbs gave him the genuine appearance of a frail old man.
"Aurelio Barragan, Admiral of Florida, pays respects to the Inspector," he announced with a deep bow.
Then the old man dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. "I failed in my duty to protect this State. Please, Inspector Kane, I deserve punishment."
The vampire calamity had been resolved with such ease by the Inspector, leaving Aurelio Barragan both excited and pained. If only he had dedicated his time to mastering body tempering techniques instead of wasting it obsessing over his breakthrough to the middle realm of Seeker of Redeemer...
Perhaps Florida would never have fallen into such a dire situation.
"I don't handle that." I shook my head. I had joined H.A.R.M. less than a year ago—how could I know their rules for rewards and punishments?
Things I didn't understand, I wouldn't manage.
I would deliver the news to headquarters, where those with the proper authority would handle it.
Of course, setting aside those rules, from my perspective: Theodore Montgomery had faced two Vampire Kings and nearly lost the entire Cascadia, while this old man's training wasn't even as advanced, yet he managed to defend half of Florida—so he probably couldn't be called derelict in his duties.
"First, handle this situation and gather the Vampire Hunters to compile information about the other Vampire King. I'll return for it later."
Once more, I summoned my red cloud. While Florida's vampire calamity had ended, my personal affairs remained unresolved.
"Understood, sir." Aurelio Barragan looked up in a daze. A sudden realization dawned on him.
Aurelio suddenly realized that Inspector Kane probably hadn't come to Florida for an official inspection at all. He seemed remarkably indifferent to H.A.R.M. Florida's affairs.
Watching the Inspector depart on his cloud, Aurelio stared after him for a long while before turning to the excited Kade Marrow with a silent, incredulous look. "And you call this... 'some proficiency in body tempering'?"
After years of working together, he had never realized his H.A.R.M. General possessed such a remarkable talent for understatement.
"That's not what I said." Kade Marrow's mouth twitched. How was he supposed to know Inspector Kane would be so extraordinarily modest?