Rose Hightower, having cleared the table, silently gathered the blood-stained uniform I'd discarded and retreated to the living room.

I entered the bedroom with my dagger and sat on the bed. In the stillness, I turned my focus to the panel.

I slipped into the bedroom, scabbard in hand, and settled onto the bed. The room was silent, the air heavy with anticipation, as I turned my attention to the panel.

[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 226 Years]

I closed my eyes, a surge of excitement coursing through me.

As expected, trouble and opportunity often went hand in hand. If I hadn't made those foolish choices in the past, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon the path to Wave Realm.

The question now was, what technique would Rose produce? And would the absorbed lifespan be enough to master it?

I need to slay more monsters!

The vamps I had once collaborated with were now keeping their distance. It seemed my recent actions had sent ripples through their ranks.

As for venturing beyond the city walls to hunt vamps... The thought crossed my mind, but Rose's predicament served as a stark reminder of the risks involved.

While Pinewood County lacked powerful defenders, it remained under New Terra's watchful eye. The vamps wouldn't dare cause too much trouble unless they were tired of their comfortable existence.

There was a vast difference between discreetly snatching a few victims and openly waging war against the county.

But venturing out into the wilderness meant risking an encounter with a truly formidable vampire.

I doubted I'd be lucky enough to end up tied under a bed, with a generous benefactor willing to provide me food.

More likely, I would be torn apart by sharp teeth and claws, with the vamp at most giving a thumbs-up after swallowing my flesh, praising the day's takeout for being tender and delicious.

Reflecting on Kevin Stone's brutal demise, a wave of emotion washed over me.

Just then, a cold, wriggling sensation crept up my arm, snapping me back to reality. Almost instantly, the emotion in my eyes hardened into icy resolve. The twelve chambers within me roared to life, their energy surging through my veins.

I abruptly threw off the covers, revealing two serpentine forms slithering from the gap between the bed and the wall. One, a sleek black serpent, coiled around my leg, while the other, a shimmering white, entwined my left arm.

They hissed softly, their forked tongues flicking in anticipation.

My eyes narrowed, my hand instinctively reaching for the saber next to me. My senses, now heightened to an almost supernatural level, could detect even the faintest movements of ordinary creatures. Yet, these two snakes had managed to approach undetected.

Suddenly, their forms rippled and shifted, transforming into two women of breathtaking beauty. Their bodies, adorned only in strategically placed scales, were sinuous and seductive. One leaned against me, her head resting on my shoulder with a sly smile, her warmth radiating through my arm. The other draped herself across my lap, her arm encircling my waist, her long legs pressing against mine, a silent invitation.

They looked up, their faces a mesmerizing blend of beauty and danger. With slow, deliberate movements, they twirled strands of hair around their fingers, their voices like tinkling bells. "Johnny dear," they purred, their breath warm against my skin, "long time no see. Have you missed us?"

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Once in human form, their monstrous aura was impossible to conceal. I recognized the First Realm power emanating from one of them, its strength resonating with my own. This was a creature at the peak of the First Realm, a formidable opponent.

Without hesitation, I drew my dagger. Its silver blade pulsed with a crimson glow.

With deadly precision, I aimed for the white snake girl's throat.

"Hiss!"

The white snake girl's expression contorted in shock as she deftly rolled off the bed, narrowly avoiding the descending blade.

Black snake released my waist and raised her palms, her fingertips and palms hardening into a dark, metallic sheen of scales.

She reached out to grasp the blade, but a gasp of pain escaped her lips as surprise contorted her beautiful face. The scales she'd been so confident in sizzled and corroded on contact, dark red blood welling up between her fingers and staining the silver blade crimson.

The white snake woman, now sprawled on the floor, clutched her neck, her ample bosom heaving with a mix of fear and fury. "Are you insane?!" she hissed, her voice laced with disbelief.

"I've heard rumors of Sergeant Kane's drastic change in temperament," Black snake said, her grip on the blade unwavering. She slowly extended her other hand, and a shower of gold coins cascaded onto the bed. "But I can't fathom why you'd abandon our business entirely. We were simply following our mother's orders, asking you to invite the craftsmen from the House of Lumina to the mountains to create some exquisite jewelry for her."

A coldness emanated from her forehead as she spoke. This wasn't merely a change in temperament, but a complete metamorphosis.

The attack I'd just unleashed might have seemed simple, but it was imbued with a refined mastery, a return to the fundamentals honed over decades. Even a prodigy would require years of relentless training to achieve such effortless precision.

My aura, too, was overwhelming, radiating a power that rivaled her own, earned through centuries of cultivation.

Even if they attacked together, victory was far from assured.

"If Sergeant Kane no longer wishes to engage in these trivial matters," Black snake said, her voice laced with a hint of resignation, "then we shall take our leave." She cast a meaningful glance towards her sister.

The white snake girl, understanding the silent command, transformed back into her serpentine form. A thick fog enveloped her, and in a blink, she vanished into thin air.

I watched as the white snake disappeared, a thoughtful frown creasing my brow.

These two were undoubtedly the most formidable opponents I'd encountered thus far. It was no surprise they'd effortlessly deflected my attack.

But their ability to mask their auras and vanish at will had truly opened my eyes. If only I could learn such techniques...

My gaze lingered on the black snake woman, a newfound desire in my eyes.

Under my scrutiny, she fidgeted, apparently mistaking my interest for the usual lustful gaze she was accustomed to. But as the silence stretched, she realized her error.

Her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenching in anger.

The bastard was after her vamp core!

"Kane, I won't fight you today," she hissed, her voice venomous. "But I'll report this to my mother! If you have the guts, don't hide!"

As she prepared to transform, her gaze caught a figure standing in the bedroom doorway. The woman in white, tall and elegant, leaned against the wall, her expression cold and impassive.

Her eyes met the black snake's, and the vamp froze, her scales bristling in shock.

No wonder this human had suddenly become so powerful, so dismissive of their mother's authority. He had found a new patron, a far more formidable one!

"We'll see how long your smugness lasts!" she spat, her voice laced with venom.

Without mentioning Sarpa-Rani, the black snake coiled her body, disappearing in a swirl of black mist, taking the scattered gold coins with her.

Silence descended upon the house, leaving only Rose and me.

I looked towards the bedroom door, a hint of dissatisfaction in my eyes. My lack of knowledge about these creatures had been exposed. I could handle feral monsters, but those with powerful lineages were a different matter entirely. I couldn't even comprehend their magic, let alone counter them.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips.

… …

Rose Hightower lowered her hands, observing me with a mix of astonishment and wry amusement.

She had initially pegged her young captor as a policeman with hidden depths, someone on the cusp of transcendence, ripe for manipulation.

But after two days of close proximity, she had revised her assessment. He was clearly already in the First Realm.

Yet, she hadn't anticipated the sheer extent of his power. To see him intimidate two First Realm perfection vamps single-handedly... and then feel discontented afterward? It was beyond comprehension.

"What are you dissatisfied about? Those were Sarpa-Rani's most prized subordinates," she explained, her voice laced with disbelief. "Even a H.A.R.M. captain would need a team of at least ten and a carefully prepared vamp-subduing trap to have a chance to capture them."

A playful smirk touched her lips. "Or perhaps you're simply regretting not being able to sleep with them?"