Hawk was puzzled.
He was clearly a very kind person.
But... why did people always mistake his kindness for foolishness and something that could be taken advantage of?
Alexander Pierce was like this.
Aquaman Namo was also like this.
Now it was Corvinus's turn, and it was the same.
Is the saying that 'only the wise adapt to circumstances' really just an old East Country adage?
Forget it.
Hawk sighed, rose from his seat, and looked at Corvinus, who was standing with the Captain of the Guards.
"I'm already this powerful, have you never considered that my hearing is also very good?"
"..."
Corvinus's expression changed instantly.
The next second.
A brilliant golden Phoenix Ray shot out, and with a bang, it vaporized Corvinus, and at the same time, it vaporized and took away the other surviving Vampires, including the Captain of the Guards.
In the blink of an eye.
The castle was empty.
No, that's not right.
There was still one survivor.
Lying on the floor, but now only taking shallow breaths, with no good skin left on her body, was the Vampire Carter.
Hawk's gaze fell on the Vampire Carter.
The Vampire Carter's gaze also fell on Hawk, filled with endless pleading.
Their eyes met.
A slight smile appeared at the corner of Hawk's mouth.
"Boom!"
"Pfft!"
This time, the castle was truly completely empty.
Hawk's pupils glowed gold.
"Blood God Envoy?"
"Heh."
Nineteen years ago, after Bruce and Andore faked their deaths, they found Carter one after another. Carter was indeed instructed by someone to convert them.
But Carter didn't stubbornly refuse to talk; instead, she revealed the identity of her instigators.
Blood God Envoys.
These two envoys appeared earlier than Bruce and Andore. To use Carter's words, their vitality was more vigorous than any pure-blood Vampire.
As a reward for Carter converting Bruce and Andore, the two Blood God Envoys also purified Carter.
They transformed Carter from a mixed-blood Vampire into a pure-blood Vampire.
In the decade and a half that followed, Carter maintained a secret, one-way connection with the two Blood God Envoys. The most recent contact was to have Bruce and Andore infiltrate the so-called Blood Pack Squad, allowing them to go to New York City.
As for why, Carter truly didn't know.
And this was the information Corvinus had concealed.
Hawk's five senses had already been pushed to their peak after he awakened his Little Universe.
So, just now, he appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was present for the entire interrogation of the Vampire Carter by the Captain of the Guards, as if he were there himself.
Not to mention, after the Captain of the Guards came out, he even whispered to Corvinus right in front of him.
And what happened?
Corvinus still concealed this information, thinking he didn't know.
This was purely treating him like a fool.
Hawk felt that if he didn't get angry now, he would be insulting himself.
"I gave you a chance to live."
"You didn't cherish it."
"Why bother?"
Hawk surveyed the now empty, lifeless castle, devoid of any Vampire aura. He retracted his gaze, turned, and stepped out with his right foot.
Zero point zero two seconds, or nineteen point five milliseconds later.
Hawk reappeared in New York City, where it was afternoon.
"Hey!"
"sh*t!"
Sharon, who was just about to leave her office to greet Gwen, heard the voice behind her, turned her head, and seeing Hawk appear in her office, she jumped in surprise, clutching her chest: "Weren't you in Paris?"
Hawk shrugged.
"I'm back."
"Problem solved?"
"No."
Hawk shook his head: "Those two Vampires and the blood servant?"
"The Vampires are still being searched for; Agents have already gone to the blood servant's home."
"Address."
"Jersey City, Maple Street..."
"Call your people back."
After getting the address, Hawk said, then turned and once again disappeared from Sharon's office.
The next second.
Hawk appeared in the home of Corvinus's blood servant, Gioruno Brunn, who was the detective responsible for the Andrew Kloe case back then and was now retired.
Gioruno Brunn, with white hair and an old face, wearing loungewear, was happily cooking in the kitchen, humming a song, seemingly unaware of Hawk's arrival.
Hawk stood in the living room, looking at Gioruno Brunn, who had his back to him.
Gioruno Brunn hummed a song, stir-frying the beef cubes sizzling in the pan.
Time ticked by.
The beef cubes in the pan gradually began to char.
As Hawk watched.
Although Gioruno Brunn continued to hum, sweat beads had already begun to form on his forehead.
The corner of his eye tried to get a clear look at the person standing motionless behind him, while his thoughts raced.
Hawk smelled the burning beef cubes in the pan.
"Are you planning to..."
"Clang!"
Just as Hawk's words left his mouth, the middle-aged Gioruno, with surprising agility, flung the pan at Hawk behind him, and at the same time, turned and, as he squatted down, pulled out a weapon taped beneath the island counter.
He stood up and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang—!!!"
The twelve bullets, clearing the magazine almost instantly, whistled out of the barrel, and then, under Gioruno Brunn's gradually distorting, astonished gaze, they, along with the iron pan, froze in front of Hawk.
Hawk looked at Gioruno Brunn, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Boom!
Gioruno's figure, standing behind the island counter, instantly flew into the air, his back slamming into the kitchen's glass window. As the glass shattered, his backside landed directly on the stove, which was still on.
Gioruno's pupils expanded at a visible rate, and even his expression became visibly contorted.
"Ah—!!"
Accompanied by a heart-wrenching scream, Gioruno violently jumped off the stove, frantically slapping his backside, trying to alleviate the pain.
Two circles of blisters were visibly forming on his backside.
Hawk's mind stirred.
With a whoosh.
Gioruno's entire body was stretched, his limbs pulled, and he floated up, over the island counter, and then hovered in front of Hawk.
"Andrew Kloe."
"Speak."
Hawk's expression was calm as he looked at Gioruno, who was still screaming: "You can keep screaming, but even if you scream until your throat breaks, no one outside will hear your cries."
Gioruno, with white hair and a sweating forehead, gritted his teeth.
"I don't know anything about Andrew..."
"Crack!"
"Ah—!!"
Gioruno's neck veins bulged, his eyes wide, staring in disbelief at the piece of left arm that had fallen to the floor.
It was his left arm.
But, strangely, after his left arm was dislocated, no blood spurted from the wound.
Hawk's lips curled into a smile.
"I just thought George was suspicious."
"What blood servant?"
"Isn't this also a Vampire? However, looking at you, if I'm not mistaken, you must have been converted by either Bruce Jerry or Andore Yage, one of them who returned from Paris, right?"
"..."
Gioruno, hearing Hawk's words, continued to scream.
But his heart was filled with terror.
Yes.
He had only been converted into a Vampire a little over a month ago.
Back then, he could have been converted into a Vampire along with Bruce and Andore.
But... compared to the young Andore and Bruce, who had just lost his wife, his wife and children were still alive, so he didn't choose to become a Vampire at that time.
Even after retiring five years ago, he had no intention of becoming a Vampire.
Because his wife was still alive.
It wasn't until half a year ago, when his wife died of illness, that he contacted Bruce to claim his overdue twenty-year reward.
But... he didn't understand why that incident, which had happened twenty years ago, was still relevant.
Hawk looked at Gioruno, who was still screaming but whose eyes were darting around, and chuckled. He surveyed the room, his gaze finally settling on a family photo on the wall.
He glanced at Gioruno in the family photo, then turned to look at the frozen Gioruno, and smiled, pointing to the young couple in the family photo holding a baby: "Is that your son, daughter-in-law, and grandson?"
Gioruno's screams abruptly stopped.
He watched Hawk take out his phone and photograph the family photo, roaring.
"Stop, what are you doing, what are you doing?"
"Nothing."
After taking the photo, Hawk sent it to Sharon, then made a call and put it on speaker in front of Gioruno.
"Sharon..."
"Did you receive the photo?"
"Doing facial recognition, found them."
"Bring them back."
"No, damn it, no!"
"Understood."
Hawk hung up the phone, his face expressionless, looking at the heartbroken, roaring Gioruno.
Gioruno glared at Hawk: "My son and grandson are innocent, don't touch them."
Hawk snorted and chuckled.
"I haven't introduced myself yet."
"My name is Hawk."
"Hawk Phoenix!"
"Or rather, Hawk Kloe."
As Gioruno's pupils gradually contracted, Hawk said calmly: "Andrew Kloe's son. Now, if you tell me your son and grandson are innocent, I promise, I will tear your son and grandson limb from limb and throw them in front of you."
Gioruno trembled all over.
The next second.
His body shook even more violently.
"Your father wasn't killed by me, why are you coming after me?"
"What do you think?"
Hawk's tone was calm as he raised his wrist: "You have ten seconds, Gioruno. Either speak now, or in ten seconds, your son and grandson will become a feast for wild dogs. Believe me, I keep my word."
Gioruno clenched his teeth.
Hawk was expressionless.
Their eyes met.
Almost just as the ten seconds were about to end.
Gioruno closed his eyes and roared.
"We just helped transport that body out of the country."
"...Body?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at Gioruno.
"What body?"
"Andrew Kloe's body."
"..." (End of chapter)
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