Chapter 371: The Weapon Form of the Blood Rhinoceros

High Priest Auguslatin had always maintained a close relationship with Charlot Mecklenburg. The two had collaborated numerous times, and with gold écus cementing their friendship, their bond had grown both deep and smooth. Thus, the High Priest wasted no time in explaining his purpose—he intended to serve as an envoy to the Lionheart Empire and wanted Charlot to act as his deputy.

Representing the Fars Empire, High Priest Auguslatin had previously been dispatched to the Ingrima Empire, where he achieved outstanding results. Not only did he facilitate an alliance between the two nations, but he also formed deep friendships with several Ingrima nobles and the High Priests of the Orthodox God’s Church.

No one could deny that bonds forged over fine food, drink, and entertainment were still genuine friendships!

At this stage of the war, the Lionheart Empire, the only one among the five great empires to remain neutral, had become the focus of both factions’ attempts at persuasion. However, the Lionheart Empire had little interest in getting involved in the conflict and had refused all offers thus far.

Emperor Julius VI of the Ingrima Empire, recognizing High Priest Auguslatin’s exceptional diplomatic skill and illustrious track record, decided to send him to the Lionheart Empire to convince them to join his side.

The High Priest knew that Charlot’s favorable standing with the Lionheart Empire’s Emperor, gained from a historical book about the Lionheart Kings, could significantly boost the mission’s chances of success. Thus, he hoped to enlist Charlot’s assistance.

Charlot, however, flatly refused.

Now in command of an army of several hundred thousand, with over ten cities under his control and a strategic position guarding the Red Dragon Strait, Charlot had no intention of abandoning such a favorable situation to travel to the Lionheart Empire. To him, such an endeavor seemed sheer madness.

Moreover, Charlot had no interest in acting as the High Priest’s deputy. Joining the mission would relegate him to a subordinate role, and even if the mission succeeded, what tangible benefits could he gain?

Charlot’s rejection was swift and decisive. Although disappointed, High Priest Auguslatin did not press further. Instead, he decided to remain in Red Cliff City for a while.

As a cleric, the High Priest enjoyed far greater freedom than Charlot, whose duties were tied to administrative responsibilities. Since their friendship was at the level of "gold écus,” Charlot refrained from evicting him.

During his stay in Red Cliff City, High Priest Auguslatin was repeatedly astonished. While he had heard of Charlot’s recent successes, he had not expected him to have subdued an army of several hundred thousand elite orcs, including three Saint-ranked orc leaders.

(Of course, the Old Goat was not an orc.)

Even within the Fars Empire, there were few noble knight orders with comparable strength to Charlot’s forces.

What amazed him even more was Charlot’s economic prowess. By relying on trade to fund his army, Charlot had created a West Wind Knight Order that operated as a "trade knight order.” Despite having only a few trade routes—from South Seraph to Behemoth, and from Cappadocia to Strasbourg—each route thrived with unparalleled prosperity.

This success stemmed from one simple policy: Charlot did not levy taxes.

It was common knowledge that attractions without admission fees often generated greater profits.

The High Priest quickly understood why Charlot refused to act as his deputy. The benefits of leaving his thriving enterprise to journey to the Lionheart Empire simply did not outweigh the costs. Were their roles reversed, Auguslatin himself would not abandon such a successful operation either.

Eventually, the High Priest gave up on persuading Charlot and departed Red Cliff City. Charlot, seeing no reason to detain him, bid him farewell and returned to his work with singular focus—studying the Blood Rhinoceros.

...

After the Blood Rhinoceros had slain the Lion, it entered an entirely new state, poised to transform into a weapon perfectly suited for Charlot. Through the bond he had formed with the artifact, Charlot uncovered the ingenuity of its design: the creator had designed it to adapt its form according to the embedded blood core and its wielder’s needs.

For its previous owner, the Blood Rhinoceros had taken the form of a short spear. Charlot, however, had envisioned countless potential shapes for it since it came into his possession. After much research, he had finally settled on a design—one so unique that no native of this world could possibly conceive of it.

Once High Priest Auguslatin departed, Charlot entered seclusion to unlock the Blood Rhinoceros’ weapon form.

...

After approximately ten days in seclusion, Charlot let out a low cry as blood energy surged through his body. Unknowingly, he ascended another rank, breaking through to the fifteenth tier.

Surprised by this unexpected breakthrough, Charlot set aside any immediate examination of his newfound strength and redirected his full attention to the Blood Rhinoceros. The bracelet emitted an extraordinary glow. As the crimson light intensified, Charlot poured his will into it, transforming the Saint-ranked extraordinary artifact into a massive sphere.

If someone from Earth were present, they might have exclaimed in recognition: “It looks like a Saiyan space pod!”

After countless deliberations, Charlot had chosen this form.

Witnessing the Blood Rhinoceros’ new form, Charlot snapped his fingers. The spherical pod opened, and he stepped inside. Once the hatch closed, the enormous sphere shrank down to the size of a thumb-sized “pellet.”

The pellet hovered in the air for a moment before zipping across the chamber with a sharp whistle, appearing at the other end in an instant.

Charlot tested the Blood Rhinoceros’ new weapon form, piloting it to dart about the room. However, within mere minutes, he realized that even with his recent breakthrough to the fifteenth tier, his energy reserves were insufficient to sustain the artifact’s demands. Reluctantly, he ceased his testing.

The pellet fell to the ground and gradually expanded back to its original size, standing over a meter tall. Charlot stepped out, a hint of disappointment flashing across his face. Although the Blood Rhinoceros could indeed serve as a flying vehicle, its energy consumption rendered it impractical for extended use.

The Blood Rhinoceros consumed even more energy in its combat mode, shrinking into a thumb-sized pellet for battle. Under normal circumstances, Charlot could sustain flight for about half an hour, but in combat mode, it could only last a few minutes.

The artifact also had a secondary form, but Charlot lacked a suitable target to activate it at the moment.

Holding out his hand, Charlot watched as the Blood Rhinoceros’ spherical pod shrank back to a thumb-sized pellet and floated into his palm. Without a passenger, its energy consumption was slightly lower, but it could still only last about twenty minutes in battle mode. This limitation necessitated swift and decisive combat.

Of course, few ordinary transcendents could endure even a few minutes against a Saint-ranked extraordinary weapon like this.

After sealing the Blood Rhinoceros into the blood vortex within his right arm, Charlot emerged from his seclusion chamber. Glancing at the sunlight outside, he heard a faint whisper from the artifact “Fate’s Whisper,” urging him to seek out the Black Dragon—or perhaps the Golden Ram, Herolf, would suffice...

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