Chapter 566, Section 565: Outside the Square
There was a moment of deathly silence in the audience, followed by a wave of buzzing discussion.
"what happened?"
“Young Master Badley…how could this happen so suddenly…”
Most of the dwarves didn't even see what happened. In their eyes, the lord announced the start, little Badley took a step forward, and then his armor disintegrated, his axe fell to the ground, and the valiant young master was left almost naked and frozen on the stage.
But among the crowd, a few sharp-eyed warriors and veteran adventurers, or those who had chosen the right angle, were filled with disbelief and shock.
“It’s that Puji!” A gray-bearded old dwarf explained in a hoarse voice to his bewildered companion, “The moment the fight started, it flipped over Little Badley’s head, its tentacles wrapped with daggers… I couldn’t see the exact movements, but almost all the joints of the young master’s armor were slashed open at the same time!”
"Bullshit!" a blacksmith nearby immediately retorted, pointing to the pile of scattered armor plates on the table. "That's enchanted tempered heavy armor! A normal dagger would be lucky to leave a mark on it, let alone cut through it? And cut through all the locks at the same time? Do you think it's made of paper?!"
But Little Badley's axe was indeed chopped in two...
Common sense clashed with the reality they witnessed, and the audience immediately fell into a chaotic debate and confusion, with the noise growing louder and louder.
However, not everyone is getting bogged down in the details of the battle.
The attention of some young dwarfs and children had already been drawn to the starkly different scene on stage.
They watched as the once-imposing young Badley, now almost naked and looking like a fool, sat on the stage, his comical and pathetic appearance utterly amusing.
"Pfft!"
Someone couldn't hold back and let out a short, sharp sound.
Immediately afterwards, suppressed laughter rose from several places.
These laughs, though not loud amidst the clamor of the argument, were exceptionally jarring and deeply wounded Little Badley's pride.
Shame, anger, and an unbelievable sense of defeat instantly overwhelmed his reason. He threw away the ridiculous axe handle, let out a roar like a wounded beast, his eyes bloodshot, turned around and swung his fist, which was full of fighting spirit, to smash the puji behind him!
"stop!"
Old Badley blocked his son's powerful punch with one hand, the strong wind blowing his white beard backward.
“Father?!” Little Badley exclaimed in astonishment.
"The duel is over," old Badley announced in a deep voice, "You lost."
lose?
Before Little Badley fully understood the two words, he suddenly felt a chill on his chin.
His meticulously groomed beard was silently broken off in the middle.
Directly in front of his neck, which was originally covered by his beard, a cold, metallic glint was slowly retracting—the tip of the dagger wrapped in the tentacles of the Sword Saint's Puji fungus.
If it had advanced just half an inch further, it could have easily pierced his throat.
Only then did little Badley belatedly realize the imminent death, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
In fact, the Sword Saint wouldn't actually kill him.
He's just a kid in his thirties. If I, a six-month-old, were to really take him seriously, I'd be behaving like a child.
However, if old Badley doesn't intervene, the Sword Saint wouldn't mind shaving young Badley's head and taking off his last pair of shorts as well.
This time, there were no more dissenting voices from the audience.
They realized that it was indeed they who couldn't see the little guy's skills clearly.
But soon, new doubts took hold of everyone's minds.
They were well aware of Little Badley's strength; with his enchanted heavy armor, he could hold his own against a Hall of Fame-level opponent.
And this thing that could so easily defeat a little Badley, what kind of strength does it have?
The servant hurriedly climbed onto the stone platform with the clothes in his arms, about to hand them to the half-naked young master, but was stopped by old Badley.
Old Badley looked at his half-naked son and said, "You lost. As agreed, go apologize. Just like that."
“Father…I…” A look of struggle and humiliation flashed across Badley’s face.
But under his father's piercing gaze, he finally took a deep breath, turned around, and walked step by step off the stage. Before Inanna, he lowered his head and said, "I have offended you... I will keep all the promises, please forgive me..."
Even when Number Four used its tentacles to sweep away the remaining whiskers on his beard, he didn't resist.
Old Badley then approached and nodded slightly to Inanna and Ronan: "The mission may depart at any time. Hearth Ridge will provide the necessary supplies and send guides familiar with the mountain paths."
His tone was calm, revealing little emotion.
There was no intention to cheat.
Honor duels are an ancient and sacred rule, and the result is witnessed by everyone. Even if he is the lord, he must abide by it. To betray it will not only be despised by others, but also a stain on the clan's reputation.
Moreover...
Old Badley glanced back at the Sword Saint, who was hanging the four swords back on his body.
The strength that Puji displayed was such that even he wasn't confident he could win.
The Mushroom Clan... Previous intelligence only emphasized that they could summon the Puji Tide, giving them extremely high strategic value.
But who would have thought that their individual combat strength could reach such a level?
This matter needs to be communicated within the clan, and the assessment and strategy regarding the Mushroom Clan must be readjusted.
After giving his explanation, old Badley said no more. He turned and left with his son, who had just put on his coat and was still somewhat distraught. Their figures quickly disappeared into the crowd that parted and then reunited.
As soon as they left, Inanna immediately put down Number Four in her arms and happily hugged Sword Saint Puji, gently kneading its smooth and round mushroom body with her fingers, making no attempt to hide her admiration.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any attention from Fanpuji for the time being, Number Four silently climbed onto the stone platform and used his mycelial tentacles to curl up the neatly cut section of his beard.
Although this is Fourteen's spoils of war, it is also a testament to the glory of the Mushroom Clan, and it must be taken back to be displayed.
This gave it an idea: it couldn't take heads with it, but if it defeated a powerful enemy in the future, perhaps it could cut off a small portion as proof?
This way, the fans won't be disgusted, and it also leaves proof of the achievements.
But what should we cut?
Not everyone is like the dwarf, sporting such a distinctive long beard...
...
While everyone's attention was focused on the honor duel, no one except Inanna noticed that the third Puji in the delegation was not present.
On the outskirts of Ash City, in a secluded stone house far from the bustling square, the light was dim. A dozen young dwarves knelt awkwardly on the ground, their rough hands clasped nervously.
Standing in front of them was the knight Puji, who wasn't even there.
“Is this…is this real?” A young dwarf, his cheeks still bearing the marks of a hearth fire, stared at the words on the ground, his voice trembling with disbelief and longing.
These young dwarves shared a similar predicament: they were all novice blacksmiths, barely managing to enter the trade with a bit of talent and hard work, but without the support of a clan or a substantial family fortune.
While the mountains are rich in mineral resources, the vast majority of high-quality veins have long been firmly controlled by the major clans, and every piece of ore produced has a predetermined destination.
For novice craftsmen like them, if they want to advance to intermediate, advanced, or even legendary blacksmiths, what they lack most is not hard work and sweat, but a lot of, even extravagant, opportunities to practice.
Normally, they could only work as assistants in the blacksmith shops of clans or wealthy merchants, processing rough blanks and pulling bellows day after day, and only occasionally would they be qualified to forge a few simple small parts with a hammer.
It takes five or six years, or even longer, to gradually accumulate meager experience and savings before one can possibly reach the next level.
Now, a creature called Puji, which can communicate through words, has painted an almost dreamlike picture for them.
Wherever you go, you'll find inexhaustible minerals and unlimited forging opportunities.
They can swing their hammers freely and experiment as they please until their skills reach a true bottleneck and they can no longer make any progress.
That was practically the "paradise" a blacksmith could only dream of.
Their longing burned like a blazing fire in their eyes, but doubts followed closely behind.
After all, the location this guy mentioned is quite close to the demon realm's border...
However, the knight didn't write anything more to explain; he simply took something out of his body and threw it on the ground.
Thump.
A dull, soft sound.
That was a Grade A magic crystal, as big as an adult's fist!
A Grade A magic crystal of this size is worth more than ten years of hard work for these people!
It lay quietly on the ground, emitting a purple glow. The dwarves' pupils contracted, and their breathing became heavy.
After he left, several clear swallowing sounds could be heard from inside the room.
Some dwarves had their eyes glued to the magic crystal, their eyes filled with greed, and they had already begun to whisper among themselves about how to divide this amazing windfall.
But some dwarves stared blankly at the doorway where the figure had splattered away, then looked down at the shimmering magic crystal, the promise of a "blacksmith's paradise" echoing repeatedly in their minds...
(End of this chapter)
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