Chapter 135: Drawing with Both Hands

Leyton froze for a moment, then a sickly flush surged across his face as he shrieked madly, "Roland, are you courting death?" Hearing the surrounding whispers, he realized the man before him was indeed Roland.

Watching the magical energy surging wildly around his opponent, Roland remained calm. "Those who humiliate others should expect to be humiliated themselves. Since you chose to use such cutting words, you must be prepared to face the consequences. I came here to compete in drawing alchemy formations. If you want to fight, I have no time for it. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, Potter Academy prohibits fighting in public areas. If the patrol catches you and you end up locked away for a fortnight, don't blame me for not warning you."

"You—"

Leyton’s facial muscles trembled with rage, but his reason quickly told him he absolutely must not strike. He had issued this challenge today to test the depth of the Light Alliance’s alchemists for his companions, and if he ruined the mission because of this Roland, it would be a catastrophic loss.

Suppressing his fury, he finally tasted the bitter humiliation he had tried to inflict on others, a feeling so suffocating he could have coughed up blood.

"Hmph, Roland, I won't lower myself to your level, seeing as you're just a child. Let us settle this through our work!" Leyton took a long breath and regained his composure.

"That is exactly what I intended. How shall we compete?" Roland asked, his eyes flashing.

"It’s simple. There are two sets of twenty stone platforms here. We each take one set and draw the same four-star high-grade potion alchemy formation. The one who completes the most formations within half an hour wins!" Leyton explained quickly.

Roland nodded, and after Leyton specified a four-star high-grade potion alchemy formation, they both agreed to draw that exact one.

The twenty alchemy platforms in each set were arranged in four rows of five. After speaking, Leyton walked to the first platform in the first row and stood ready.

Roland, however, stood casually by his own set, not even glancing at the stone platform before him, instead smiling at Leyton not far away.

Seeing Roland acting so brazenly, Leyton sneered inwardly, thinking, "Brat, your attitude alone proves you aren't much of an alchemist. Once I defeat you, you'll see how embarrassing this becomes. Hmph, I’ll let you know that without real skill, your tongue is all you have to rely on!"

Seeing both were ready, the timekeeper from the Dark Alliance shouted, "Begin!"

The moment the sound faded, Leyton’s fingers, already saturated with fire-type magical energy, struck the stone platform like lightning, beginning to draw with frantic speed.

Having been stifled by Roland earlier, he held nothing back. He wanted to vent his frustration and demonstrate his prowess to intimidate the alchemists of the Light Alliance. Naturally, the more formations he completed, the greater the humiliation for Roland.

Under his all-out effort, his fingertips glided across the stone surface with a speed that left the onlookers dizzy.

The four-star high-grade potion alchemy formation was a 1,024-stroke star pattern. With his lightning-fast fingers, dozens of lines of fire-type magical energy were etched onto the platform in moments, a speed that was truly astonishing.

Gasps erupted from the crowd. Though the opponent belonged to the Dark Alliance, one had to admit his skill in drawing alchemy formations was exceptional.

"Leyton must have been holding back when he competed with me!" someone in the crowd muttered. It was Simone, who had previously faced Leyton. At the time, Simone had completed five formations in half an hour while Leyton had completed eight. Back then, he thought Leyton was fast, but that speed was nothing compared to this.

Maler and the others broke into a cold sweat for Roland. When they looked at him, they nearly jumped in frustration—while Leyton had already traced hundreds of strokes, Roland was still standing there motionless, head tilted, watching his opponent.

"Hey, Fourth Brother, get moving!" Maler shouted.

"Roland, he's nearly halfway done! Hurry up, or you'll never catch up!" Simone was sweating as well, shocked by Roland's nonchalance.

Bill and Gerbaz added their urgent reminders. Victoria, though silent, wore a look of intense anxiety on her beautiful face.

Seeing this, the crowd began to sigh. "Sigh, it seems the Light Alliance will lose again."

"Obviously. Look at Roland; he’s clearly been intimidated by Leyton. How embarrassing."

...

Seeing Leyton’s speed moving like a meteor while Roland stood there like a dull-witted goose, Terishi offered a contemptuous laugh, and Karina’s brow furrowed slightly.

On the other side, Anthony stared intently at Leyton’s rapidly moving fingers, filled with admiration. Judging by the fluid, precise technique, he estimated Leyton’s alchemy skill to be at least five-star high-grade. He didn't even bother to look at Roland.

Princess Nancy, who had initially been drawn to Roland’s sharp tongue, had expected a surprise. Now, seeing him acting like a fool, she shook her head in disappointment. Yet, just as she prepared to look away, her dark brows suddenly shot up.

She was not the only one; everyone in the arena was stunned, for Roland had begun to do something truly bizarre.

The alchemy platforms on the ground flickered in and out of existence, changing positions rapidly. He was using his undead space to rearrange the platforms.

The original twenty platforms, arranged in four rows of five, were now shifted into ten pairs, each pair pushed tightly together.

The crowd watched in confusion, wondering what the purpose of this rearrangement could be. Meanwhile, Leyton was just about to finish his first formation. Just as Maler and the others were sighing that Roland had no chance of catching up, a sudden wave of gasps rippled through the air.

Roland had suddenly thrust both arms forward, his index fingers moving rapidly across the two tightly paired stone platforms simultaneously!

At the sight of this, the noisy crowd fell into a sudden, stunned silence.