The First Magic World War

Chapter 36 35. Promoted to Third Order

Charles had no intention of chasing after him. He shook his head, walked over to Wells, pulled out his wallet, and also found a brand-new Magnum Hand Shuttle and a leather bullet pouch on the detective.

As for the rapier that seemed quite valuable, he didn't take it. First, he wasn't skilled in swordsmanship, and second, it would be difficult to liquidate during his flight.

Charles also picked up his second-hand Magnum Hand Shuttle and then strode away.

After having devoured the life force of Wells, a Second Order Transcendent, he needed to find a place to digest it.

It was only after Charles had left that the street gradually began to see pedestrians again.

Murders on the street were common in smaller places, and even in the capital Strasbourg, it was not rare, nor did any passerby think to report it to the Patrolling Army. Instead, someone kindly notified the city's coroner.

The ghastly sight of Wells' death made the nearby residents uncomfortable, necessitating a cleanup.

Charles didn't leave immediately; he turned back to Upper Zone Seven, hurriedly crossed through the center of Strasbourg, and entered Franche-Comté District, which was distantly opposite the city center from the Marne District.

Although he lacked experience in counter-surveillance, he had seen enough related posts online in his previous life to slightly mislead his pursuers.

Once he left Upper Zone Seven, the prison army generally wouldn't follow, and the Patrolling Army's presence became weaker. If he could misdirect them towards the Marne and Lucavaro Districts, it would be even safer.

Though there were stationed troops in the outer fifteen districts, they generally showed little interest in minor cases.

He wasn't worried about a citywide search either. He had fallen out with the new warden, a private grudge, without a clear accusation. Even if there were concrete charges, his low status and the minor nature of the offenses, such as trafficking in the prison's extraordinary weapons, wouldn't warrant such a large-scale operation. The Empire didn't have such an abundance of Patrolling Army forces to squander.

This truly wasn't Earth!

Although Charles worked in the Marne District, once he entered Franche-Comté District, he could distinctly feel the difference between the outskirts and Upper Zone Seven.

The area was dirtier and more chaotic; the buildings were messier, and the people walking the streets were expressionless, obviously under great life pressure, devoid of vitality.

He had no time for reflections common to transmigrators and hurriedly found a passable tailor shop, entering directly and saying, "I need a robust outfit for a long journey."

This tailor shop, called Wild Lily, had only an old tailor and not even an assistant. The old tailor glanced at Charles and said indifferently, "It will take five days!"

Charles gave a slight smile and said, "I need it now, and I'll pay you thirty percent extra."

The old tailor methodically replied, "There are indeed a few ready-made outfits, but they don't quite fit your size; they'll need some alterations."

Charles said, "Then please hurry!"

The old tailor brought out several ready-made garments from the store; Charles chose a pair of calf leather boots, a sturdy hunting outfit, and also bought an old travel trunk that had been sitting in the store for a long time. He was embarking on a long journey without any luggage, which would have looked odd.

The old tailor was skilled, and in about half an hour, he had altered the clothes.

When making the payment, Charles decided to pawn his old clothes to the elderly tailor.

The clothes he was wearing had been custom-made in an upper district tailor shop, from quality materials. Although not high-end and already second-hand, they were still more expensive than the clothes in the elderly tailor's shop.

The elderly tailor was known for his integrity in business, and he estimated a fair price, giving Charles two Sheng Dings, which completed this transaction to their mutual satisfaction.

Although he had wrung them out, Charles still felt unpleasantly damp. He borrowed a towel from the elderly tailor, dried himself off, and changed his clothes, feeling much refreshed afterwards.

Carrying his walking stick and newly purchased suitcase, Charles stepped out of the tailor shop and suddenly remembered that shortly before his arrival, a robbery had occurred at Hangzhou's Wanjiaxing City—a heist that ended within ten minutes as the police apprehended the criminal, a pace of action that made the Fars Empire's Warden Army and the Patrolling Army look incompetent in comparison.

Of course, he didn't wish the investigative efficiency of the Fars Empire to improve suddenly.

Experiencing one encounter with a fortune-teller detective was quite enough for him.

Charles walked for a while and found a carriage waiting for passengers. He boarded and provided the coachman with an address to a famous manor outside the city.

He wasn't actually heading to that manor, but rather used the faraway destination because it would take five or six hours to reach, giving him ample time to assimilate the life force he had consumed.

As a Second Order Transcendent, Wells' vitality was exceptionally robust, and his Bloody Glory was almost at the bursting point.

The coachman was delighted with the extended trip, a good job, and immediately set the horses in motion.

Charles adjusted his breathing, circulated the Bloody Glory within him, and began to refine the absorbed life force.

Several hours later, his left leg thundered as the third Bloody Vortex coalesced into form.

Even though he was on the run, Charles felt a slight joy. Under normal cultivation progress, even a genius like Miss Annie would take five to six years after graduation to advance to Third Order.

He spread his hands, and the Bloody Glory surged in his palms, now at least three or four times stronger than before.

After briefly testing his powers, Charles contained the Bloody Glory, thinking to himself, "I wonder when I'll be able to condense a Bloody Vortex in my right leg and successfully meditate on the runes of Quickness and Spirit Spider Techniques."

He had chosen to focus on condensing Bloody Vortices in his legs in the hopes of sooner mastering these two extraordinary techniques. The Quickness Technique would allow him to be as light as a swallow, fast as a horse, agile as a monkey, and to jump as a deer. The Spirit Spider Technique would enable him to walk on walls, traverse mountains as if on flat ground, and even form spiritual power silk threads to swing through the air, possessing a bit of special reactive inspiration.

Once he mastered these two extraordinary skills, his movement techniques and running speed would no longer be at the level of ordinary people. Even if he encountered a High-Level Transcendent, he could escape with ease, not to mention evading regular pursuers.

Having assimilated the life essence he had consumed, Charles finally felt relieved enough to go through Wells' wallet—this detective must have just received a sizeable payment from Warden Magrull Teller since it contained five Aegeus and some Fu Er "change."

One Aegeus had the purchasing power of eight to nine thousand RMB, which showed that Magrull was indeed quite "generous" with his payment.

In the wallet was also a receipt for a Rapier. Charles guessed that this detective, proficient in swordsmanship, had ordered a new weapon but had yet to collect it.

He pocketed the cash and the receipt and casually threw the wallet out of the carriage window. By then, they had left the city area, and both sides of the road were wilderness. The wallet rolled into the underbrush, where it was unlikely ever to be found again.