The young man with a cross-shaped scar on his face flashed a slight smile, revealing white teeth. "We've had our eyes on you for a while. But I thought it would be kinder to wait until you withdrew your savings before arresting you. After all, this is your final wish before death."
"Addison thought that even with a Union Savings Society deposit certificate, withdrawing the money without knowing the password would be quite troublesome, so he agreed to my request."
Charlotte had never imagined that he had been watched all along. He had no intention of using the newly customized Alchemy Staff; in close combat, he was complete trash. Without hesitation, he drew the Magnum Hand Shuttle and emptied every bullet at the speaking young man.
Faced with the gun barrel, the young man with the cross-shaped scar remained perfectly composed. He drew his rapier and gave it a light flick. In an instant, he struck more than ten times. More than ten bullets, each sliced in half, clattered onto the ground. His swordsmanship was truly miraculous.
An ordinary human body had its limits. It simply could not perform swordsmanship at such speed.
Charlotte drew a sharp breath. "A Transcendent?"
From the other end of the long street came a cold voice. "Wells is a diviner. His specialty is divining the trajectories of bullets. As you can see, it's very accurate."
Charlotte gripped the Vampire Hand Axe hidden in his sleeve. "A diviner? You found me entirely through spirituality?"
The young man with the cross-shaped scar said, "That's right. So don't even think about running. No matter where you flee, you won't escape my divination."
Charlotte tossed aside the empty Magnum Hand Shuttle. "Who are you? Why are you after me?"
Wells pointed his rapier forward and replied, "We're detectives from the Fiery Steed Detective Agency. Our client is Kilmainham Prison, and this is an official request for assistance with an investigation."
"The order from Kilmainham Prison was dead or alive, though dead would be preferable."
Charlotte had always felt that the Empire of Fars's law enforcement was not particularly efficient, but he had never expected that this world of supernatural abilities also had the option of Transcendent detectives.
The president of the Fiery Steed Detective Agency, Aubrey Tritton Atwood, was also one of the Empire's seven great detectives. He ranked even above the Cat Spirit Detective Vinnie Arsène. The Fiery Steed Detective Agency was more than ten times larger than the Cat Detective Agency, employing over a hundred detectives, including more than ten Transcendents among its full detectives, two or three hundred detective assistants, a sizable number of Apprentice Detectives, and all manner of clerks. Its business scope was extremely broad.
Faced with pursuers who could divine his location, Charlotte had a terrible headache. He did not attempt to bribe them with money. The two detectives from the Fiery Steed Detective Agency had already made it clear that they intended to take the cash on him, so trying that now would be far too childish.
Charlotte calmed down in an instant and activated Insight without hesitation. A holographic perspective covered the entire street. The Vampire Hand Axe tore through the air and slashed toward the other detective.
The Vampire Hand Axe struck its target with a dull thud. Blazing flames erupted around the detective called Addison, and the fierce fire formed into a whirling vortex. The Vampire Hand Axe cut into the flames but failed to break through the fiery cyclone and harm the detective.
A cruel smile appeared on Addison's face. "I'm a Flame Dragon Rider of the Fiery Steed Detective Agency. Your little tricks can't break through my supernatural ability." Without any visible movement from him, a stream of fire swept the Vampire Hand Axe away.
The Vampire Hand Axe fell to the ground, but its remaining momentum had not faded. It bounced powerfully back up and flew dozens of paces toward Wells before finally losing all force and dropping beside the street.
Charlotte felt slightly reassured, but he deliberately put on a panicked expression and shouted, "A Third-Order Transcendent!"
The "battle qi" Addison used was a Knight's signature skill!
There was a saying on the Old Continent: Knights were the broadest path among Transcendents, as well as the easiest to achieve. The threshold was so low that even a commoner might have the chance to obtain a secret method for cultivating battle qi.
In the Empire of Fars, the National Academy offered a complete Knight training system. Anyone admitted to the National Academy could study Breathing Techniques.
The most outstanding students condensed a Seed of Power, awakened the foundation of life, broke out of their cocoons, and gained battle qi. Only then could they receive the title of Knight.
Even those who failed to enter the National Academy could learn some kind of Breathing Technique from many private organizations on the Old Continent. For example, the Flame Dragon Breath Breathing Method was popular at the Fiery Steed Detective Agency. Those who awakened battle qi through this method could call themselves Flame Dragon Knights.
Charlotte had failed to awaken battle qi at the National Academy. After entering university, he had completely given up training in that area, but he still knew much of the common knowledge by heart.
From Addison's display, he could judge that the other man's battle qi was probably at level three. Among Transcendents, that meant he was a Third-Order Transcendent.
Holding his rapier, Wells strode forward and laughed brightly. "Why not choose me as your opponent? I'm a diviner who isn't good at fighting, and I'm only second-order in strength."
According to the records, Charlotte was merely a civil servant with no actual combat experience. Judging from his performance, he was at most a First-Order Transcendent. Moreover, Bloody Glory, which he specialized in, fought in a manner similar to battle qi but was notably weaker. Everyone knew that.
The two detectives from the Fiery Steed Detective Agency approached this battle with a touch of playfulness and did not take it very seriously. Like old cats toying with a mouse, they were even somewhat lazy.
Charlotte calculated silently. When Wells stepped into a certain range, he said calmly in a voice only he could hear, "Whether in the East or the West, whether in immortal fantasy or mythology, no form of divination has ever been omniscient and all-powerful without paying a price."
The Vampire Hand Axe lying on the ground rose leisurely like a nimble bird and chopped into Wells's neck from a bizarre angle.
Under the control of Blood Flame Qi, this vampiric evil weapon frantically devoured the detective's blood essence and life force. Wells reached several times for the hand axe embedded in his neck, but each time, his hand fell limply before reaching it.
In only a few dozen breaths, all his vigorous life force had been devoured by the Vampire Hand Axe. Like a dead leaf in an autumn wind, he withered in an instant. His young, athletic body shriveled into that of an old man at death's door.
Addison's face turned pale with horror. Faced with such a sudden change, he had not rushed forward at once, missing that fleeting chance to save his companion.
Then he made a decision that even surprised Charlotte. Flames surged over his entire body as he unleashed his battle qi and fled at top speed.
Charlotte was a university student who had received complete and professional Transcendent knowledge training at Sheffield University. Once the two detectives made their moves, he spotted their weaknesses and devised tactics specifically against them.
The two detectives from the Fiery Steed Detective Agency had not even managed to enter the National Academy. They had only gotten the opportunity to encounter Breathing Techniques after joining the detective agency. Though they were quite strong and experienced in battle, their knowledge was far inferior. They had utterly failed to see through Charlotte.
Although Addison knew of Bloody Glory, he knew little about its Thirteen Wonders. In his understanding, the ability to manipulate a weapon from afar was a supernatural ability only High-Order Transcendents possessed.
Especially since Charlotte had seized the initiative and killed Wells the moment he acted. The way the Vampiric Weapon killed had the aura of a villainous demon king, causing Detective Addison to misjudge his strength and choose the "smart person's" approach—fleeing alone.
Although Addison was a full detective at a proper detective agency, his weekly pay was only two flor and forty centimes, less than one flor higher than a First-Class Clerk's. Why risk his life for so little money?
Before you continue