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Chapter 63: The Flame Dragon’s Hand
🕑 Added 2025-01-09 22:48:51 +0000 UTCAll the “scientific knowledge” Charlot had acquired throughout his life failed to explain such a bizarre bodily transformation; he could only attribute it to the “magic” of this world.
He tried seven or eight times, shifting from flesh to Bloodfire Qi and back again. The repeated attempts improved his proficiency, allowing him to switch forms within seconds. In the Bloodfire Qi state, he was immune to most physical attacks and could float around, which was barely a form of flight.
However, limited by the fact that Charlot was still only “Fourth Tier”, the speed of his Bloodfire flight was unimpressive—just slightly faster than a human sprint. He also couldn’t gain much altitude; floating up to the ceiling already required considerable effort.
On the bright side, his body could morph into different shapes, enabling him to pass through areas inaccessible to ordinary people. At the very least, he no longer had to worry about being locked up in a prison cell.
“This isn’t quite the free-spirited elegance of those villainous swordsmen in Tales of Mount Shu, flying wildly as streaks of fire,” Charlot commented wryly.
Resuming his human form, Charlot smiled, despite his grumbling. To his surprise, his first real breakthrough in this magical world was mastering the Bloodfire Transfiguration.
The Bloodfire Transfiguration was a secret art that Blood Glory did not possess.
After all, Protagoras was not a vampire. Though he had fought vampires and stolen many of their techniques, he had only grasped the basics of various bloodline arts and was unable to penetrate their deepest mysteries.
Charlot took out his Diary and flipped to the third page of the Vampiric Scroll II-III.
The first page of the scroll described Bloodfire Qi, the second Bloodfire Transfiguration, and on the third was recorded a secret art of the Adonis Clan—The Flame Dragon’s Hand!
The Flame Dragon’s Hand condensed Bloodfire Qi into hands that could vary in size, up to a maximum of eighteen hands. Each Flame Dragon’s Hand possessed the ability to drain life force.
Typically, members of the Adonis Clan did not use the Flame Dragon’s Hand to directly attack enemies.
Instead, they would wield weapons with the hands. While using melee weapons was impressive on its own, combining the Flame Dragon’s Hand with firearms could unleash the destructive power of a small army.
As Charlot carefully studied the Flame Dragon’s Hand, he noticed that the countdown for the vampire evil god Karnstein’s descent had been extended to 71 days, 8 hours, 20 minutes, and 17 seconds! This gave him a slight sense of relief.
Suddenly, the kerosene lamp went out. Charlot snapped his fingers, igniting a small flame of Bloodfire Qi at his fingertip. Upon checking the lamp, he realized it was out of kerosene. He added more, relit the lamp, and sat back down.
By now, the window outside was growing faintly bright. Deciding not to continue training, Charlot put away his Diary. He fed his three lively kitten cubs some goat milk and played with them for a while, improving his mood considerably. Grabbing a few pieces of bread and the coffee brewed the previous night, he settled for a simple breakfast.
Walking to the window, he glanced at the sky.
The weather seemed promising—an expanse of brilliant blue. When he opened the window, the fresh air rushed in, accompanied by a pleasant, cool temperature.
“Looks like I’ll skip work today. I should probably get myself a carriage,” Charlot mused to himself.
As the chief of the Lukavaro District city patrol guards, Charlot technically reported to a superior who was merely nominal and never interfered in daily affairs. If Charlot didn’t feel like working, he didn’t even need to request leave. The “supreme authority” for approving vacation in the Lukavaro District rested in his own hands.
Charlot brewed another pot of coffee and perused the day’s newspapers. The original Charlot Mecklenburg had a habit of subscribing to three newspapers. After Huang Haisheng’s transmigration, he hadn’t canceled the subscriptions, merely changing the delivery address from the Savings Union apartments to 58 Elysée Avenue.
After reading for a while, the sounds of life began to fill Elysée Avenue as the neighborhood woke up. Estimating that the carriage shop would now be open, Charlot grabbed his cane and headed out with a leisurely stride.
When Charlot left home, he always carried a few essential items: his alchemical battlefield cane, his Savings Union deposit slips, a wallet, his keys, the Diary, a military pistol, a Magnum Mauler, the Blood Rose concealed in his left hand, and the vampiric axe tucked behind his waist.
Today, he added yet another weapon—the assassin’s dagger, which he stashed into the vampiric axe.
The alchemical battlefield cane, carried in hand as a gentleman’s accessory, attracted no attention. The wallet, keys, and deposit slips were similarly unremarkable. The Blood Rose weighed nothing, but the Diary, two pistols, and the vampiric axe made his load a bit cumbersome.
Charlot had considered purchasing a spatial artifact to lighten the load. Unfortunately, such items were even more expensive than anti-space extraordinary weapons, often costing over a thousand écus. With his current fortune of barely over one thousand écus, buying one was simply not worth it.
Charlot made a quick stop at the Gate of Radiance. By coincidence, when he emerged, he found himself facing the largest carriage shop on Elysée Avenue. Without hesitation, he strode directly towards it.
The shop was enormous, with dozens of well-trained draft horses available for purchase at any time. They sold both new and second-hand carriages and even provided experienced coachmen for hire.
As soon as Charlot stepped into the shop, a senior carriage broker greeted him with a smile. “Good day, sir! Are you looking to rent a carriage, or would you like to purchase one?”
“I want to purchase a carriage. No need to show me anything new—just recommend a second-hand one,” Charlot replied.
Second-hand carriages were significantly cheaper than new ones, usually priced at about seventy percent of the original cost. Moreover, many second-hand carriages were already decorated with seats, lanterns, reins, and ornaments, unlike new ones, which required additional purchases.
The broker’s smile widened. “You’re in luck. A nobleman recently upgraded to a newer model and sold his previous carriage to us.”
“This second-hand carriage was originally purchased new from our shop just six months ago. It’s practically as good as new.”
Nodding, Charlot followed the broker and soon laid eyes on the “almost new” second-hand carriage.
It was a Fars Empire standard noble-class four-wheeled carriage.
The Fars Empire, along with the other great empires of the Old Continent, adhered to eight carriage types: single-person, double-person, practical, comfortable, elegant, luxurious, grand, and noble-class.
On Earth, these categories could roughly be compared to scooters, compact cars, small sedans, midsize cars, and full-sized vehicles, ranging from small bikes to off-road motorcycles.
The noble-class carriages typically featured 1.5-pimi-diameter wheels. The front included a shaded coachman’s seat, while the back had a luggage rack. The cabin itself measured 2x6 or 2x8 pimi, providing ample space.
Charlot carefully inspected the carriage, even activating his Eye of Insight to ensure there were no hidden defects. Satisfied, he asked casually, “How much for this carriage?”
The broker responded with a bright smile, “This carriage originally sold for 5 écus and 3 flor. You can take it now for just 4 écus!”
Charlot shook his head decisively. “Find me another one.”
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