Chapter 461: She Might Be from the Sherlock Era

Juno Arthur was Byron's foremost expert, a figure whose influence far surpassed that of the former Earl of Bretagne and Count Lamorak. Through investments, trades, or daring exploits, he had acquired a total of seven saint-rank renowned lances.

For this voyage, he carried only one—the Bloodfiend.

This weapon was a short alchemical pistol. With a casual grasp in the void, Juno retrieved an unassuming, dark-red firearm. Its simple design betrayed none of its true nature as a saint-rank alchemical weapon.

Handing the Bloodfiend to Drusineia, Juno said, “Make sure you return safely.”

The red-haired, stunningly beautiful blood thrall took the Bloodfiend and gracefully leapt from the Dolmabahçe, disappearing into the skies in an instant.

Charlot stood at the edge of the crater left by the Ancient Gomodoro Tree, waiting. It wasn’t long before he lost contact with two of his Mirror Spirits. Startled, he reappeared several hundred paces away in the spot where the Mirror Spirits had vanished. He pressed his palm hard against the ground, unleashing Dark Corrosion downward. The invasive energy penetrated ten meters deep but was promptly dissolved by an unseen force.

Andreas, observing the scene, declared, “Let me try!”

He drew his Vampiric Rapier and thrust it into the earth. A melodious bird-like chirp resonated downward. After a few minutes, the youngest saint-rank of the former Black Phoenix Dynasty withdrew his sword, his expression solemn.

“There’s a power down there nullifying my combat energy,” Andreas reported.

“Unless we go down there ourselves, we won’t be able to find whoever’s hiding below.”

Charlot replied, “Let’s wait a little longer.”

A moment later, all twelve of his Mirror Spirits had expended their energy and dissipated. With a flick of his wrist, Charlot summoned a Mirror of Power, revealing the situation underground.

Beneath the roots of the Ancient Gomodoro Tree lay a labyrinth teeming with fleshy sacs, each containing a Wriggling Demon. Some were fully grown, while others had yet to develop. The images in the mirror shifted rapidly before settling on a massive flesh sac containing a blue giant. Though still juvenile, it was clearly different from the Wriggling Demons around it.

The four of them fell silent.

Andreas broke the quiet, asking, “Charlot, are you sure the ancient tree you collected is safe?”

Charlot shrugged. “No problem there. But my ship isn’t exactly normal either.”

Andreas considered this, realizing that the Radiant Holy Kingdom was indeed an odd vessel.

Gareth suggested, “Let me go down first. If something down there caused Father’s Mirror Spirits to lose contact, it’s definitely not ordinary. But I doubt anything lurking below can harm a saint-rank combatant.”

Charlot was about to refuse when a loud screech interrupted them. A massive winged creature descended.

Reacting swiftly, Charlot drew the Red Viper and Blue Viper, ready to fire, but the creature folded its wings and transformed into a red-haired woman. Recognizing her as one of Juno Arthur’s blood thralls, Charlot lowered his guns and asked, “What brings you here?”

Charlot wasn’t worried that a Wriggling Demon could mimic them. Such transformations lacked the ability to replicate actual strength. A second or third-rank impostor pretending to be Juno Arthur? Absurd.

Juno’s blood thralls, being formidable in their own right, were impossible to impersonate.

Still, Charlot was surprised. Drusineia displayed strength beyond saint-rank, far above expectations.

The red-haired beauty ignored Charlot and the others, instead gazing intently at the crater. Without warning, she leapt straight into it.

Charlot was alarmed and almost pursued her, but he quickly realized that Juno’s blood thralls didn’t need his protection. What concerned him more was Drusineia’s strange behavior, which warranted caution.

Argon suddenly muttered, “She might be from the Sherlock Era.”

Charlot was taken aback. “How’s that possible? The Sherlock dynasty has been gone for ages.”

Argon explained, “The Sherlock dynasty destroyed the ancient Orc Kingdom. So, we orcs have studied them in depth—more so than your human empires.”

Charlot hesitated. Considering the vampires’ long lifespans, it wasn’t inconceivable that Juno could have taken a beauty from centuries ago as a blood thrall.

Charlot asked quietly, “Should we go down?”

Gareth volunteered, “I’ll clear the path for you, Father.”

This time, Gareth leapt into the cavern without waiting for a response. Charlot didn’t stop him. He was curious about what lay below. Besides, with four saint-rank combatants and his own eighteenth-rank abilities, they were well-prepared for any threat.

Unless they encountered an evil god, there was no creature they couldn’t handle.

Even against an evil god, they could hold their ground—though Charlot himself might not fare as well.

He wasn’t a saint-rank yet, and if a battle beyond saint-rank broke out, he’d likely be the first to fall.

As Gareth descended, his energy surged dramatically.

Charlot’s expression darkened slightly. He had taught Gareth the Blood Butcher technique, a secret art that grew stronger the more lives it claimed and the more blood it consumed. Charlot had always restricted Gareth’s usage of the technique.

Now, with countless Wriggling Demons below and no restraints in place, Gareth was undoubtedly thriving.

Sighing, Charlot turned to Argon and Andreas. “Let’s go down too. Stay close to me.”

Andreas chuckled softly but quickly stifled his laughter. Traveling with Charlot often brought moments of humor, though they usually had to be contained.

Once inside the labyrinth, Charlot unleashed eight Flame Dragon’s Hands to illuminate the darkness and act as sentinels.

The sacs containing the Wriggling Demons were almost entirely drained of life, their contents shriveled.

Neither Drusineia nor Gareth was anywhere to be seen.

Charlot focused his senses and realized that both their energies had vanished. Shouting their names yielded no response.

Andreas pointed toward an untouched section of sacs in the distance. “That way. The sacs there are intact, but no Wriggling Demons remain alive. Your Mirror Spirits lost contact in that direction too. They must have gone that way.”

Charlot nodded. “Let’s follow.”

Drawing the Red Viper and Blue Viper, Charlot loaded them with twenty anti-magic armor-piercing rounds each. After checking the energy in both pistols, he followed Argon and Andreas deeper into the labyrinth.

As they advanced, they found nearly all the sacs destroyed and their contents drained of life. Whether the culprit was Gareth, Drusineia, or both remained unclear.

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