Lord Leo’s face brightened with satisfa as he said, “Kainan, you truly are an excellent soldier. I will overlook your earlier mistake. My two attendants and I have traveled far and need rest. You’ll keep wate.”

  Charlot led Lord Leo into the adventurers’ camp. The middle-aged vampire selected a rge tree, leaned against its trunk, and preteo doze. His two attendants stood guard by his side in shifts, clearly mistrusting the adventurers.

  Charlot wiped the sweat from his brow and slipped away from Lord Leo, finding a secluded spot to sit down heavily.

  After a full day of travel and a fierce battle, the ued i earlier had been a harrowing ordeal, pushing his adrenalio its limits. Now, with the tension ebbing away, fatigue struck him twice as hard. His entire body ached, and even moving a finger felt like a moal task.

  Although his quick thinking had allowed him to temporarily evade the crisis, it was iable that Lord Leo would eventually realize he was not an ally.

  When Lord Leo discovered Charlot was not a member of the Adonis but instead practiced Blood Glory, a teique despised by vampires, how could he possibly survive the wrath of a high-ranking Transdent?

  Charlot had no answer yet.

  He khat, despite the surface calm, the situation was fraught with danger. Any misstep could cost him his life. F himself to recover some stamina, he tried to suppress his exhaustion and trated on practig the Protagoras Breathing Teique to quickly absorb Winterburn’s life force.

  Lord Leo’s nce had pierced Winterburn’s body, but he had not ed his life force. High-ranking vampires valued the purity of their blood energy. Wanton ption of life force ofteo corruption and degeion into monstrous forms, so they avoided feeding on prey of lower Transdent rank unless it was necessary.

  For Charlot, however, the life force of a fourth-rank knight was an invaluable resource. He had not yet reached the stage where he could afford to be “selective,” which was why he had delivered the final blow.

  ...

  After over a hundred breaths, all the life force had been transformed into Blood Glory. Instead of opening a fifth Blood Vortex, Charlot chose to dense a Blood Rune—Angel’s Thorn.

  His decision was driven by Blood Rose.

  Angel’s Thorn was one of the Thirteen Miraculous Teiques within Blood Glory, and it was also the foundational secret art of the Arsilo Family.

  The Arsilo Family was one of the three vampire royal s, known for their mastery of martial skills. Their swordsmanship was unparalleled among the thirty-seven vampire s. As the erstone of the Arsilo Family’s secret arts, Angel’s Thorn was not only araordinary teique but also a legendary swordsmanship method, rehroughout the Old ti.

  The records of Angel’s Thorn within the Blood Glory manuscripts were sparse and cryptio one knew how the philosopher Protagoras had learhis secret art or how he had ied it into Blood Glory.

  Among the four imperial uies, few students practiced Blood Glory. Sihe death oras, all the other Miraculous Teiques within Blood Glory had been successfully cultivated by someone, but Angel’s Thorn remained unattainable.

  Many schors, after studying Protagoras’ manuscripts and the s of the Arsilo Family, cluded that mastering Angel’s Thorn required a vampire’s “iance.”

  The elders of the Arsilo Family would deheir lifetime cultivation into a special “seed.” Only those who obtaihis seed could master Angel’s Thorn and begin training in the Arsilo Family’s secret arts.

  Although Protagoras had gifted his manuscripts to the four uies, he had never accepted any disciples. Later, when the Fars Empire and Byron decred a ban on humans practig Blood Glory, no human could ever again obtain the iance of Angel’s Thorn.

  The Blood Rose’s ability to forcibly break through the fourth Blood Vortex suggested it taihe insights of its previous owner into the Arsilo Family’s secret arts. Charlot had no iion of letting this opportunity go to waste.

  Reag out, he touched the Blood Rose, which grew warm and transformed into a stream of blood-red light, merging into his left arm.

  Within the Blood Vortex in his left arm, the magical rapier became a sword-shaped rune, stantly trembling and stabbing i movements.

  Closing his eyes, Charlot’s mind filled with tless strange and brutal sword teiques. Each strike was unfathomable, as swift as lightning and thunder.

  Fortunately, his prior two enters with the Fn Gods of Chaos had greatly enhanced his spiritual resilienow parable to a high-ranking Transdent, he could fully imprint these sword teiques in his mind, accepting the Arsilo Family’s lega its ey.

  ...

  Several hours ter, as daroached, Charlot opened his eyes. A faint blood-red light flickered in his gaze. Exhaling deeply, he gave his wrist a casual flick, and the Blood Rose materialized out of thin air.

  Cradling the vampiric rapier in his hands, Charlot stroked it thoughtfully, musing to himself, “This extraordinary on gifted by Louis Simy must have a signifit history. Obtaining Shanlens’ Spear might be attributed to sheer luck, but to also possess this vampiric rapier suggests there’s more to the story.”

  “Louis likely doesn’t know the ins of these two ons, or he wouldn’t have giveo me.”

  “I have a feeling this will lead to trouble…”

  Hearing someone call out Kainan’s name, Charlot had no time to delve deeper into his newfound ability. He stood up hurriedly and made his way to Lord Leo.

  The Byron vampire lord had already awakened. Upon seeing Charlot, he smiled faintly and said, “I’ve brought some blood bait. Care for a few pieces?”

  Blood bait was a magically crafted food made entirely from human blood. It was a favorite delicacy of vampires, portable and long-sting.

  As a human, Charlot was revolted by the thought. Even in this life, he could not overe his psychological aversion.

  Charlot smiled and replied, “I have blood thralls with me.”

  Lord Leo nodded slightly, refraining from insisting. Uhe care of his two attendants, he enjoyed a simple yet luxurious breakfast.

  The attendants spread a piic cloth on the ground, arranged filery, and served blood bait alongside pastries on tihey even poured wine from an ornate fsk into matg tin goblets.

  After finishing his meal, Lord Leo wiped his mouth with a red napkin and decred, “We tinue on our way.”

  His attendants swiftly packed up the piic setup and followed him silently, guarding him closely without uttering a word.

  Charlot instructed the adveo prepare for departure. The female adventurers gathered, broke camp, and clustered around Lord Leo as they set out for Machubi.

  ...

  By midday, after a grueling trek, Charlot was inwardly cursing his situation. He was unaced to such hardship.

  The adventurers he had gathered were too poor to own mounts. Lord Leo, as a high-ranking vampire, was faster than any ordinary steed, rendering a mount unnecessary for his covert operations in fn nds.

  Charlot couldn’t very well demand a horse for himself.

  Moreover, they hadn’t passed any major towns where mounts could be purchased.

  Charlot couldn’t help but long for the agility rune he had yet to master.