Big G, Coffee Machine and Goblin

Chapter 28 An Incredible Swift Victory
As he spoke, Hunter put away the whetstone, then took a half step forward, raised his two-handed sword above his head, and assumed a high-stance stance.

His skillful and fluid movements revealed him to be a battle-hardened warrior.

Levi frowned, unable to help but break out in a cold sweat for Ma Li, as magic-based classes usually have the advantage when facing warriors.

However, this is contingent on the distance between the two parties being sufficiently large.

Being face-to-face in a large hall with no shelter, like this, is quite dangerous for mages, let alone alchemists who are not known for their combat skills.

Levier now regrets it. He should have known better than to take on this task. If he had gone through the association, even if the negotiations had fallen apart, at least it wouldn't have come to the point where Mali had to put himself in danger.

The old alchemist secretly resolved that if things went wrong, he would risk losing face to stop the duel.

Garrison's gaze swept over the two people in the arena.

"Is there anything else you want to do or say? Considering the dangers of the trial by combat, you may leave your last words to your family or friends in advance."

“I don’t need to, I won’t lose!” Hunter said confidently.

Garrison then looked at Mali, who also shook his head.

"Very well, then let the gods decide. I hereby declare the duel officially open!"

As soon as the middle-aged nobleman finished speaking, Hunter moved, like a hungry lion pouncing on its prey!

However, just as he moved his toes, he heard three loud bangs!

Immediately afterwards, a piercing pain shot through his left leg, and he staggered, falling to his knees.

“You’ve lost,” Ma Li said, holding up his pistol. “Admit defeat!”

At such close range, and having aimed for a long time before the battle, even if he hadn't practiced shooting much, there was virtually no chance of him missing.

However, considering that Whitewood Village was still under the jurisdiction of Eagle Beak City, Ma Li did not want to completely break ties with the Morales family, so he showed mercy.

He had just fired three shots, one of which must have hit Hunter's kneecap. The strong man's left leg was now useless, unable to bend or straighten, and he obviously couldn't continue fighting with only his remaining leg.

However, Hunter on the ground didn't seem to think so. He roared, braced himself with one hand on the ground, picked up the greatsword that had fallen to the ground with the other, and dragged his injured leg as he still tried to pounce on the alchemist in front of him.

Ma Li fired another shot, this time hitting Hunter's arm where he was holding the sword.

To ensure his agility, Hunter did not wear full heavy armor during the duel, only chainmail, leaving his forearms and lower legs exposed. Moreover, given the current distance of less than five meters between the two, even his chainmail would hardly be able to stop bullets.

Hunter let out a scream, and the two-handed sword fell to the ground once again.

"Enough, admit defeat," Ma Li said again. "My patience and kindness are limited; this is the last warning!"

Hunter reached for the sword on the ground, but when he caught a glimpse of the man's eyes out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly felt a pang of fear.

He understood that what the other person said was true, and if he dared to resist again, that person would really kill him!

The burly man deflated instantly. As his adrenaline gradually subsided, fear consumed both his body and mind.

He had participated in many battles and faced many formidable opponents, but none of them had left him as powerless as he was now.

Hunter didn't know how he lost, nor did he know how to defeat such a terrifying opponent. He could only lower his head and say, "I...I lost!"

"It seems the trial has come to a conclusion! The gods have rendered their divine judgment; the half-elf girl is innocent!" Levi exclaimed loudly, jumping out first.

The old alchemist's face showed both surprise and confusion. He hadn't figured out how Ma Li had defeated the big guy, but that didn't stop him from being utterly impressed. Was this the true power of ancient alchemy?! It was unbelievably powerful.

Not only Li Weier, but everyone present was astonished by this duel.

After all, almost no one was optimistic about Ma Li before the match started, and the gap in strength between the two sides seemed quite large, but the result was completely the opposite.

Hunter was knocked to the ground before he could even put up a fight.

If it weren't for the fact that he was still bleeding, Garrison would have even suspected that he had betrayed him and was working with the two alchemists on the other side to deceive him.

The middle-aged nobleman's face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water, but when he realized that all eyes in the hall were on him, he had no choice but to suppress his disgust and stand up to announce.

"The winner is... Ciel."

“It seems that the child has not tarnished the honor of the Morales family,” the old alchemist said cheerfully. “Thank the gods for restoring her innocence.”

Ma Li put the pistol back in its holster and gave instructions to the two guards who came forward to carry Hunter away.

"He needs immediate treatment to remove the bullet from his body."

“That’s none of your business,” Garrison said coldly. “Since that half-elf named Sharl wasn’t lying, it’s obvious who’s lying. Under my watch, no one can escape punishment.”

Hearing his words, Hunter couldn't help but shudder and opened his mouth as if to say something.

However, Steward Briève had already given a signal to those around him, and immediately guards stepped forward, covered his mouth, and dragged him out of the meeting hall like a dead dog.

Soon, all that remained in everyone's eyes was a winding, messy trail of blood.

The middle-aged nobleman had lost interest in continuing the conversation and glanced at Ma Li one last time.

"Show them out, Steward Brière."

The head steward remained very respectful, nodding to the three of them and leading the way.

The elven girl had a bellyful of questions after half a year, but she knew this wasn't the place to talk about them, so she could only keep them to herself for now.

The three arrived outside the castle and met up with Renee, who was waiting there. Then, Levi spoke first.

"I did not intend to hide my experience of being exiled from the magic academy, but it is not a glorious thing, and I did not expect that the news of my departure from the Staff of Radiance would reach here so quickly."

As he spoke, Levi couldn't help but feel discouraged, and sighed, "Alas, in the end it's because the Fusion School has been in decline for too long, and the Morales family has figured out our background and thinks we're useless, which is why they dare to treat us with such contempt."

“However,” his voice became more excited, “he clearly did not expect that you were so skilled in ancient alchemy. With just a flick of your finger, you defeated a fully armed and battle-hardened warrior. By the way, what was the name of the alchemical artifact you just used?”

“A pistol,” Ma Li said. “And could you please stop using honorifics with me? You must be much older than me.”

"There is a sequence to learning, but we researchers never follow the order of age or seniority. Whoever has more knowledge is more worthy of respect. In ancient alchemy, you are undoubtedly my teacher."

“But I have nothing to teach you; in fact, I’m confused myself right now.”

"It's alright, I'll be content as long as you allow me to stay by your side and listen to your teachings from time to time," the old alchemist said solemnly.

"........."

(End of this chapter)