Hunt In Reverse

"Finally found you! Those black-skinned …stone-faced agents, they really don't treat martial artists from outside with human dignity."

Butcher Garcia, who hooked my shoulder, sighed in relief. "Alright, alright, it's good that you're okay." He was covered in mud, leaving a palm print on my new uniform with every slap, and his hair was disheveled.

Had he been rolling around in the dirt with his old lover? Was he so … adventurous?

"Yo! Promoted so quickly? Congratulations!"

Butcher Garcia glanced at the stars on my sleeve, and his face was filled with shock.

I glanced at his large belly. "Maybe I should congratulate you too," I said jokingly. "You look like you're about to give birth."

"Heh, body tempering changes a man. You wouldn't get it," Butcher Garcia said, flexing his bicep with a grin.

Te burly man scratched his head, his eyes darting around the room. "I know you're very strong," he began, then lowered his voice. "But it's better to keep a low profile recently."

Finally, he stated his purpose.

I led him into the house, poured two cups of cool, boiled water, the porcelain clinking softly. "What's the matter?" I asked, handing him one.

Butcher Garcia took the water cup and, without ceremony, gulped it down. "You haven't heard? Something big has happened in Vancouver!"

I leaned against the edge of the bed, took a sip of the water, and frowned. Is he talking about me? Hadn't I just returned from Vancouver?

Fortunately, the butcher's next words dispelled my doubts. "Remember that swordsman from Crown Mountain I mentioned?"

"A family of more than twenty people, the one who is chivalrous and tender to every concubine?" I replied, a complex look flashed across my eyes.

"That's him," Butcher Garcia wiped his mouth with his sleeve: "You should have known what kind of force the School of Crown Mountain is..."

"I don't know." I honestly shook my head.

Butcher Garcia stared at me, his jaw slack. "You're a captain of H.A.R.M., but you don't even know your own territory? The top forces in Cascaidia are the Four Families and Six Organizations, all led by Crystal Realm masters." He paused, as if considering where to begin. "The Washington, Sharma, Rodriguez, and Atzmon families," he continued, ticking the names off on his fingers. "The School of Crown Mountain, the bandits of Okanagan Valley, the Sanctum of the Cloud Citadel..."

Butcher Garcia had to use his other hand. "And there's also the Manor of the Crimson Sky, whose swordsmanship is said to be divine…" eventually, he got tired from reciting. "Anyway, just remember, in Cascaidia, they're second only to H.A.R.M."

"What about the Kongo Shintai Securities?" I asked casually.

Butcher Garcia smacked his lips. "Without a Crystal Realmer, they're third-rate. But they have half a body tempering method, and their Jushoku, relying on that, has a physical body that surpasses the Wave Realm. Weaker than a true Crystal expert, but he can still handle those at the peak of the Wave Realm. So, they barely qualify as second-rate."

"What kind of body tempering method?" I asked, intrigued.

"How would I know?" Butcher Garcia sighed. "Not only do you need exceptional talent, you also need to chant Buddhist scriptures for fifty years and preach for fifty years before you even have a chance to learn it." He was in his forties, yet to enter the Wave Realm. His shoulders slumped slightly, and a shadow passed over his eyes.

"Let's not talk about this," he said, straightening up. "Let's talk about you instead."

Butcher Garcia's chest expanded as he inhaled deeply. "That Swordsman from Crown Mountain is the most talented disciple in the school. He's very young, not even a hundred and fifty years old, and yet he's already showing signs of touching the Crystal Realm."

I listened silently, not knowing what this had to do with me.

"A few months ago," Garcia continued, "while he was away from Vancouver on business, one of his pregnant concubines secretly climbed to the county office and, in full view of the public, gave birth to..."

Butcher Garcia's knuckles whitened as he gripped the arms of his chair. His gaze serious. "A Leviasaur."

The cup rattled in my hand, sloshing water over the rim.

"The monstrous infant was born prematurely," Butcher Garcia said grimly, "and devoured its mother on the spot."

This swordsman, he explained, had been on Crown Mountain for over a hundred years. His wives and concubines often disappeared without a trace, claiming abduction by vampires. Who knew how many children he had fathered, or what creatures they might become? A chill ran down my spine.

"When the swordsman returned," Garcia said, his voice low, "H.A.R.M. Vancouver immediately surrounded Crown Mountain. They killed many of his disciples on the spot—all his offspring."

He leaned forward. "Crown Mountain is a reputable school, so H.A.R.M. only surrounded them and didn't attack outright. They're probably waiting for the Admiral to return and make a decision. But I recently heard that the people on Crown Mountain want to secretly send the swordsman away."

Garcia sighed. "All the Containment Division agents, except those guarding Seattle, have been transferred to the foot of the mountain. They're going to take real action this time. I heard from the city guards that many three-star majors have also been transferred there. You should lie low if you can. You've just arrived in Cascaidia; these matters have nothing to do with you. You haven't received any benefits yet, so don't get yourself involved."

I carefully placed the cup on the table, my expression unreadable.

The pieces clicked into place. So that's what the two agents I met in the garden were worried about.

"This place is going to be in chaos for a while..." Butcher Garcia muttered. He pulled out his butcher knife, the blade gleaming under the sun light streaming in from the window. He ran his thumb along the edge, as if trying to draw courage from it. "Righteous and genius swordsman?" he scoffed. "More like an old Leviasaur in the Crystal Realm. Left his clan in the ocean to come up and have some fun, transforming into a human." He paused, shaking his head. "Gradually revealing his true nature."

"The Admiral is powerful, sure," Butcher Garcia continued, "but against several Crystal Realmers at once? He might win, but at what cost? He can't wipe them all out."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with serious concern. "If that Leviasaur escapes, with its brood... they'll take revenge on H.A.R.M. And they know how to hurt H.A.R.M.—through us, the ordinary people."

"Come on, please," he pleaded, his eyes wide. "Let me stay for a few days... Finding a good teacher for my kid costs a fortune these days. I had to haul goods for ten days to gather enough money."

A wave of unease washed over me. "You sleep here," I said, heading towards the door. "I need some air."

I gave up the bed and stepped out into the park. The cool night air brushed against my skin, and the scent of jasmine filled my nostrils. Thoughts swirled in my mind like leaves caught in a whirlwind.

My senses sharpened, every shadow seeming to hold a potential threat. If the Leviasaur escaped, would I be one of its targets for revenge?

With the timing and location all lining up, how could I not guess the origin of that severely injured young Leviasaur?

Even the sealion vampire could smell the scent of a Leviasaur's core.

I'd absorbed the creature's core and transformed it into the Leviasaur Power talent. Did it emit a similar aura? I wasn't sure; my understanding of these matters was still too limited. Since I couldn't be certain, I decided to consider the worst-case scenario.

My eyes flickered as the system panel unfolded before me, a shimmering grid that only I could see. The True Explanation of Astral Fortification, once useful for restoring essence, was now inefficient at the peak of the Wave Realm. I needed a new strategy.

If my oil lamp runs dry, how much lifespan would it take to instantly recover to full strength without using elixirs?

I concentrated, channeling my absorbed lifespan into the Melting Sun Furnace. A warm sensation spread through my core, like a glowing ember igniting. I didn't expect to deduce anything new, so I poured in one year of lifespan at a time, as usual, just to sense the changes in my internal chambers.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise as the notification flashed by.

[Fifth year: Your realm has not increased, but your vigorous body has connected one more orifice to the Melting Sun Furnace, which originally had 270.]

An unexpected bonus! Another orifice in the Melting Sun Furnace... I wasn't sure what benefits it would bring, but any improvement to my core was welcome.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the flow of celestial essence within my body. It felt like a warm current, swirling and eddying within the newly expanded furnace. Though the furnace was more efficient than the True Explanation of Astral Fortification, the sheer amount of celestial essence I'd accumulated was far greater than before.

Limited by the thinness of the celestial essence provided by nature, if I exhausted my reserves, depleting the jade dew I'd accumulated over a hundred years, it would take an immense amount of time to replenish them. Even with my strengthened body and widened essence veins, it would take at least twenty years of lifespan to refill my internal chambers.

Twenty years... a hefty price to pay. Until I found martial arts techniques powerful enough to bring about a qualitative change, this was my greatest advantage—the ability to instantly replenish my strength with lifespan. Elixirs were potent, but they took time to absorb. Lifespan, on the other hand, offered immediate power.