Two alchemical schools dominate the Old Continent.
One is Classical Alchemy, also known as Magical Alchemy. Charlot's Battlefield Cane belongs to this school. Its pinnacle achievement is "Self-Alchemy," which transforms oneself into bizarre entities.
Take Warden Magru Trell, for instance. Now half-human and half-spider, his lower body was blown apart long ago, yet he stubbornly refuses to die.
The followers of the Lamp Bearer never established a university. This school circulates in secrecy. Though Charlot had glimpsed scattered documents, his understanding of the Kabbalah Magic School is shallow, leaving him clueless on how to counter Cursed Armaments.
The other school is Traditional Alchemy, founded by the great human philosopher Hermes, a devout follower of the God of Machinery and Alchemy. Thus, Traditional Alchemy is also called Mechanical Alchemy.
Anti-space technology and long-range sniper rifles are products of this school, whose crowning achievement is the creation of Artificial Deities.
Although the followers of the God of Machinery and Alchemy did not establish a university, the great philosopher Hermes once served as a professor at Hartington Thunder and Storm University, which led all four universities to offer Traditional Alchemy courses.
During his university years, Charlot had once envied the brilliance of alchemy. Yet, though born into a merchant family, the family finances were managed by his elder brother. Alchemy is notoriously known as a "bottomless money pit," and his family could never provide the exorbitant funds needed to study such a wasteful pursuit.
Moreover, Charlot had never shown extraordinary talent in the Transcendent path; he couldn't even master combat energy. His family didn’t believe he could achieve anything in alchemy.
Fortunately, even among the four universities, few could afford alchemy studies. Charlot maintained a fairly calm attitude during his school days.
At this moment, faced with an advanced product of Classical Alchemy, Charlot—while fleeing for his life—felt regretful that he couldn’t claim the spoils of war.
Cursed Armaments are rooted in their user’s flesh and soul. In a sense, the user’s body and soul are also part of the spell materials, making them inseparable. If the user dies, the Cursed Armament is destroyed as well.
Warden Magru Trell had long understood that his potential on the Transcendent path was limited. A level-seven Battle Energy Knight was likely his peak. Thus, he spared no expense to commission Master Alchemist Arcane Thirteen to craft a custom Cursed Armament for him.
Seeing Charlot's nimble movement as his continuous gunfire missed, Magru Trell tossed aside his Thunderclap Gun and pulled out a massive battle axe. With a twisted grin and a wild roar, he charged forward, his speed even faster than before.
Charlot, unwilling to remain entirely passive, channeled Blood Glory. With his alchemical cane, he deflected the descending axe with a slight parry rather than meeting it head-on.
Though Charlot was a Fourth-Tier Transcendent who had formed four Blood Runes—mastering Insight, Bloodfire Qi, Angel's Thorn, and Swiftstep Technique—he still felt his arm go numb under the tremendous force. He couldn’t help but mutter inwardly, "This guy’s strength is ridiculous!"
By now, Magru Trell had fully transformed into a half-human, half-spider monstrosity. His axe swung like a whirlwind—not particularly skillful in technique but devastating when paired with his unparalleled strength—forcing Charlot into a cold sweat.
While swinging his enormous axe with ferocity, Magru Trell shouted, “Do you know? Once Cursed Armament is activated, I can never regain my human form. This is all your fault!”
Charlot’s alchemical cane pointed, activating Swiftstep Technique as he leapt over ten pimi back. He thought to himself, "Without Cursed Armament, you'd already be dead." Yet he saw no reason for quips and coldly demanded, “Why are you seeking revenge on me? I have no enmity with you!”
Magru Trell roared with rage, shouting, “If not for you accusing me of framing Menielman, I would never have been abandoned by my superiors, stripped of my position as Warden, and thrown into prison!”
“The prisoners at Kilmainham Prison are all garbage. Those damned Prison Army guards were garbage too. I never belonged there!”
“They forced me to cough up the wealth I spent my life accumulating. They humiliated, tortured, and intimidated me.”
“I’ve killed all of them already. You’re the last one!”
Magru Trell’s stamina seemed endless. Wielding the massive axe, he fought with relentless vigor for over half an hour without the slightest sign of fatigue.
Though their battle had already drawn countless onlookers and destroyed several residences, Charlot did his best to minimize collateral damage. However, combat was never so easily controlled, and still, no city patrol guards appeared.
Charlot, himself the Head Overseer, knew all too well how the patrol system worked. He no longer expected anyone to stop Magru Trell. Instead, he racked his brains, calculating how to take down his opponent with his current strength.
Charlot was about seventy to eighty percent certain that if Magru Trell stood still, two rounds of Anti-Magic Armor-Piercing Rounds would reduce him to a pile of ash. But the former warden’s mobility was absurdly fast, and Charlot’s supply of Anti-Magic rounds was limited. Lord Leo had only ever given him twenty rounds, and once they were gone, there’d be no replacements. Wasting them recklessly wasn’t an option.
His Vampiric Hand Axe was blocked by the bizarre energy surrounding Magru Trell, unable to penetrate his defenses. The same likely applied to Blood Rose, while his Magnum Mauler and alchemical pistols were even less effective.
Within moments, Charlot had devised seven or eight plans, yet none seemed truly viable.
Charlot felt he was at a disadvantage, exhausting himself yet unable to prevail. What he didn’t know was that, a hundred meters away, two onlookers were already slack-jawed, stunned by his strength.
Reggie Asu and Karenda Modi, both mid-tier Transcendents and members of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency, had come to deliver Aubrey Tildon Atwood’s duel challenge to Charlot at No. 1 Falcon Street. They also intended to observe their opponent.
According to the records, Charlot was only a Fourth-Tier Transcendent following the relatively underwhelming Blood Glory path. Yet his reputation was bolstered by his remarkable feats, including slaying eight Fierce Horse detectives, among whom was Winterburn, also Fourth-Tier.
Neither of them expected to see Charlot being “attacked in broad daylight” by a mid-tier Transcendent.
At first, they were merely impressed that Charlot had an extraordinary rifle and remarkable decisiveness. However, when Magru Trell activated his Cursed Armament and transformed into a monstrous half-spider entity, they were truly astounded.
Charlot’s inexperience in battle left him unaware that Magru Trell, in this state, wielded combat strength equivalent to high mid-tier power, comparable to a Level Ten Knight.
For Charlot to fight such an opponent evenly, only slightly at a disadvantage, left Reggie Asu and Karenda Modi exchanging shocked glances. They silently resolved to persuade their chief to remove both their names from the duel list.
After all, neither of them was particularly “related” to the eight deceased detectives.