CHAPTER 129: CHAPTER 128: THE ERA OF SWORDSMEN HAS ENDED

On this morning, all the employees of the Old Sen Magical Technology Store gathered in front of a warehouse deep in the mountains. Through their collective efforts, the next-generation magical weapon of the shop was born.

Ave carried the half-body-height, black metal-made crossbow on her shoulder.

"Electromagnetic Crossbow Alpha Prototype."

The name was given by Ethan, who explained that "prototypes" usually have special significance.

Ave put a lot of effort into the design. Its streamlined design and majestic appearance would make it an excellent collectible even if it wasn’t used as a weapon. Since it was a prototype not for sale, they didn’t adhere to the principles of convenience and usability. According to her preference, it was naturally as cool as possible.

Ave was very satisfied with her creation. If she donned a black cloak, she could play the role of a famous ranger in hunter history. As followers of the Hunting Goddess Cynthia, bows and crossbows were almost synonymous with hunters.

Although most hunters now use firearms, Ave, as a remnant of the era, still favored traditional aesthetic styles.

However, before the testing phase could begin, the sound of footsteps from downhill startled everyone.

With successive "bangs," the members of Old Sen Magical Technology scattered, leaving only Ethan and Ave in the forest clearing, along with cats and dogs sitting around, turning it into a zoo.

The "Electromagnetic Crossbow Alpha Prototype" was also stuffed into Ave’s arms.

Soon, a panting voice came over. A man wearing light armor, shorts, and a knight’s long sword at his back appeared in front of the two with a very bizarre fashion style.

Ave’s eyelids twitched fiercely.

If it weren’t for recognizing Captain Hagrid, she truly wanted to shoot an arrow at his butt.

Apparently, Hagrid also recognized them and waved at them from afar, maintaining a steady pace as he ran over toward them.

"What are you doing here?"

Ave asked with an unfriendly tone. As a noblewoman, she didn’t like someone speaking to her while wearing big shorts and drenched in sweat.

"Me? Didn’t I tell Brother Ethan? I plan to pick up swordsmanship again, and first, physical training is essential!"

A big red wolfdog nodded continuously at those words—Ave was known in the military as the epitome of tough training, resolving all dilemmas by first hitting the training field for running laps and swinging swords. After coming to Ximu Town, she maintained her habit of running two laps along the mountain roads every morning and evening. Initially, Rowena was fooled by her, coaxed into running a lap once, after which she lay in bed for two days, nearly dying.

This became the only thing Ave was dissatisfied with about Ximu Town; she couldn’t find anyone to run with her.

She thought it was mainly because the Old Sen Mage Shop had too many magically inclined professions; they had thin arms and legs and started panting after just a few steps.

She didn’t expect to find someone like Hagrid in Ximu Town who was also into tough training.

"Are you guys here to walk pets? If excluding the beasts, it’s indeed a good place... But perhaps it’s just my imagination, I always feel there have been a lot fewer beasts on the mountain lately." Hagrid laughed heartily and suddenly noticed the big treasure in Ave’s arms, "Huh? What’s that you have there, a crossbow? Quite something, it seems crafted by a master. I learned a bit of archery in my younger days, but as firearms became more popular, fewer and fewer people practiced archery."

A look filled with nostalgia.

Ave turned away disdainfully, hugging the crossbow in her arms.

The "Electromagnetic Crossbow Alpha Prototype" was their labor of love, and she didn’t want it tainted with Hagrid’s sweat. The golden fur on top of her head also turned disdainfully towards Ethan.

According to Ethan’s observation, this tuft of golden fur was very fond of cleanliness; if soup got flicked on it during meals, it would spin like a propeller for a while until the soup was completely whipped off.

Hagrid eagerly volunteered, "If you’re studying archery, I could give you a few pointers."

He was a warm-hearted guy, proactively distancing himself from Ave, pulling out his knight’s sword, and assuming a fighting stance, "Only shooting stationary targets is far from enough; your adversaries will always be in motion, just as now, swordsman Hagrid challenges you!"

"Get out of the way!"

Ave’s head throbbed slightly; Hagrid had no idea what he was up against.

"Don’t worry, just treat me as a target; I’m wearing light armor!"

"If you don’t want to die, stand over here quietly!"

Ave raised her voice. She was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Margaret Family, and when her face grew stern, it was quite intimidating. Hagrid shrank his neck and obediently stood by Ave’s side, while Ethan quietly explained to him, "This is something the leader bought from a place called Old Sen Magical Technology Store in Fireplace Bay; it’s rumored to have used magical technology, not your usual crossbow."

"Not the usual crossbow?"

"It’s a crossbow cannon, with a cannon."

As the designer of the "Electromagnetic Crossbow Alpha Prototype," the prototype also had an overload release function that a general electromagnetic crossbow did not possess. This feature could unleash all the magic power stored in a crystal at once, which was why they needed to test it out in the wilderness.

"But it’s still a crossbow."

Hagrid was quite puzzled. He continued to observe Ave’s actions, loading arrows; they were the most common universal arrows used in the town.

Ave lifted the electromagnetic crossbow, which was quite a strain for her. She aimed at a tree stump not far away and shot an arrow.

The crossbow emitted crackling sounds, and the recoil pushed Ave back a big step.

The advantage of the electromagnetic crossbow was its ease of use; the arrow shot out in a straight line, eliminating the need to consider an arc in the line of sight’s effective range.

The pale blue arc of light pierced through more than ten tree stumps in succession and disappeared at the horizon in an instant.

Hagrid, unyielding to disbelief, rubbed his eyes and hurried to the hit tree stump. A fist-sized cavity remained with scorched marks, the smell of burning made him shiver multiple times, feeling a wave of after-fear, then awkwardly scratched his head upon returning, saying, "The power of this is just too great, haha, I overestimated myself just now."

If Ave had really shot him with an arrow, he would have been done for.

Ave was expressionless, saying, "Low-grade magic power test completed, the power is comparable to an ice arrow."

This will be the version customers purchase; they first have to ensure that customers won’t pay more for a magical weapon of lesser power, as it would damage the shop’s good reputation.

"Wait, you said low-grade?"

Hagrid was instantly unsettled; to him, the power of that arrow just now was considerably stronger than a firearm, capable of dealing with not just humans, but even large magical beasts.

Ave remained silent, stating, "Next is the full-grade test, move away from me."

This time Hagrid was smart, tactfully stepping back several meters behind Ave, watching as she loaded another arrow, he was so tense he didn’t dare to breathe.

"Charging, releasing."

Ave’s voice was promptly drowned by the sound of electric currents, with arcs of electricity visibly enveloping her. The overwhelming recoil forced her to kneel on one knee, pressing the butt of the electromagnetic crossbow against her shoulder, while the middle section pressed against her knee.

In the next moment.

"Boom!"

The bursting arc was instantly dyed red, followed by a scorching airflow. Wherever the ray passed, not a blade of grass grew; plants were uprooted, leaving a path half a meter deep on the ground. The ray showed no signs of diminishing, continuing straight into the opposite mountains, causing even more intense explosions within the forest.

Disturbed magical beasts scattered and fled, as if an apocalypse was arriving.

Hagrid looked into the distance, watching the birds scatter, then was hit in the face by the dust blowing his way.

"What on earth was that!?"

This had nothing to do with archery anymore, right?

He looked at the terrifying scorch marks left by the ray, then at the ancestral knight’s sword in his hand.

Swordsman...

Has ultimately been completely rendered obsolete by the times?