Charlotte was unaware that the two detectives from the Red Horse Detective Agency were watching him. At this moment, he felt particularly grateful for having mastered the Agility Rune just the day before.
"It's a pity I haven't broken through to the fifth tier yet. If I had also mastered the Spirit Spider Rune, this monster wouldn't be able to outrun me."
To Charlotte, Magru Trelle was already considered a monster. After all, his former superior had used a spell-armed weapon and could no longer return to his human form.
Charlotte hadn't used the Blood Rose yet because, in his view, it wouldn't turn the tide of the battle and would instead reveal one of his trump cards, so he chose not to use it for the time being.
He wielded an alchemy staff in his right hand and a bloodsucking hatchet in his left, occasionally throwing out another weapon. Although he was at a slight disadvantage, his flashy and unmatched combat style made the fight quite a spectacle.
Reggie Asu, observing the battle from afar, was also a master swordsman. He had once admired Wells' swordsmanship and ranked it among the top three in the detective agency, but Charlotte's movements, especially the way he used the alchemy staff, were far more refined. It was clearly superior to Wells' technique.
Wells, a diviner who had been killed by Charlotte in one blow, had been a rising star in the Red Horse Detective Agency, highly regarded by the veteran detectives.
Not only was he a diviner, but he also had a secondary profession and was a second-level knight. His most prized skill was divining the trajectory of bullets, but he could also predict changes in swordsmanship, though his more exceptional talents overshadowed his relatively less impressive skills.
Wells had even bested veteran fourth-tier detectives in swordsmanship within the Red Horse Detective Agency.
Reggie Asu whispered to his companion, "Charlotte has at least two supernatural abilities: Bloodflame Energy and Agility. Even without his abilities, his swordsmanship alone is enough to challenge and defeat many fifth or sixth-level knights."
Kalenda Modi took a deep breath and said, "Fortunately, we came and saw this battle. If we had entered the dueling ring, neither of us would be a match for this guy."
"Not to mention, he has several extraordinary weapons."
"Annoying! Do government employees really make that much money? We've been saving for years to buy an extraordinary weapon, and the quality isn't even guaranteed."
Reggie Asu, watching the battle intently, said with some confusion, "Why does the other combatant seem like the warden? Isn't he the one who hired our detective agency?"
Kalenda Modi, reminded by his companion, also recognized that the person attacking Charlotte was indeed Magru Trelle. He replied, "It is the warden. I heard he fell from power and was extorted of most of his wealth. How did he get out?"
"Maybe! Charlotte's extraordinary weapons are probably from Magru Trelle's wealth."
The two detectives, not being well-informed, speculated wildly, far from the truth.
Charlotte continuously wielded his alchemy staff, deflecting Magru Trelle's giant axe. The Blood Glory in his body surged like boiling blood, flowing between the four Blood Vortexes.
He even felt his body heating up, and his battle spirit rising.
Charlotte thought this was just a normal phenomenon in battle until, in one particular block, he failed to fully deflect Magru Trelle's giant axe. A tremendous force shook his entire body, making his chest feel nauseated. He knew something was wrong and was about to desperately retreat when the Blood Vortex in his heart suddenly released a surge of Blood Glory, connecting with the other three Blood Vortexes.
A strange sensation arose. The bloodsucking hatchet, driven by Bloodflame Energy, whined and buzzed, its speed increasing by thirty percent, breaking through the former warden's protective aura in one swift blow.
Magru Trelle's life essence gushed out like a torrent. He let out a loud roar as his aura burst forth, sending the bloodsucking hatchet flying. Just as he was about to deliver a devastating axe blow to Charlotte, his speed slowed by a fraction, and the axe merely grazed Charlotte's cheek, smashing into a thick wall, reducing it to rubble as an entire section of the wall collapsed.
Charlotte narrowly escaped death, his heart pounding wildly. The sensation from earlier was deeply imprinted in his mind. The Bloodflame Energy Rune vibrated again, sending another surge of Blood Glory into the other three Blood Vortexes, and the sensation returned.
The control over the bloodsucking hatchet became nearly twice as agile as before, and its power increased by forty to fifty percent, making it even stronger than the previous strike.
"So this is the true way to use Blood Glory."
Having changed the way he wielded Blood Glory, Charlotte once again shattered Magru Trelle's strange protective force with the bloodsucking hatchet. When the former warden reached to grab it, Charlotte summoned the weapon back to avoid it falling into enemy hands.
Remote weapon control wasn't without its flaws; if the enemy managed to grab hold of the weapon, it could easily be taken away.
To avoid this, Charlotte aimed his attacks at vulnerable areas like the neck or back.
Magru Trelle, enraged, swung his giant axe like a windmill, giving Charlotte no further openings to exploit.
Having landed two successful hits, Charlotte cooled down and suppressed his urge to attack, beginning to ponder whether the other three Blood Runes could be used the same way now that Bloodflame Energy could be wielded in this manner.
He took a deep breath, and a surge of Blood Glory flowed from his left leg, injecting into the other three Blood Vortexes. His body instantly felt three times lighter.
Charlotte leaped into the air, jumping a few pimi higher and moving thirty percent faster than when he normally activated the Agility technique!
Magru Trelle angrily pursued him, but each axe strike only hit a shadow.
Charlotte was overjoyed and thought to himself, "So this is how you use Blood Glory. I've been doing it wrong all along. Why didn't I discover this trick in the Protagoras Codex?"
What Charlotte didn't know was that most apprentices practicing Blood Glory didn't start learning the Blood Feast Meditation and comprehending the Blood Runes until they had opened six or seven Blood Vortexes. By the time they reached that level, they would have naturally known the technique of connecting multiple Blood Vortexes to amplify Blood Glory.
But Charlotte had chosen a different path, mastering a Blood Rune with each Blood Vortex he opened, so he missed this basic beginner's trick.
Now that he had grasped the secret of using the Blood Vortexes to amplify his abilities, Charlotte's combat power soared. Seizing an opportunity, he flickered close to Magru Trelle, and the Blood Rose emerged from his palm, piercing his former superior's head from a strange angle.
Despite the spell-armed weapon, with such a vital area penetrated and given that the Blood Rose was a bloodsucking weapon, Magru Trelle's face visibly collapsed, and his entire head exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
Charlotte retracted the magic rapier, watching as Magru Trelle's headless body fell to the ground. The curse backlash took effect, causing the body to disintegrate inch by inch, eventually turning to ash. Charlotte couldn't help but sigh.
Magru Trelle could have avoided death and even this fate, but he chose to side with a particular faction and got involved in the struggle between the great nobles…