Chapter 80 Chapter 19.2 - Before the dungeon
"Everyone is here. Then we can start." Captain Adrian said, looking at us gathered around here.
Since today was going to be the first training session with the Archery Club, every member was gathered here.
Of course, it was not mandatory to attend the training sessions, but considering this club's budget and the people attending the club here, naturally, everyone was eager to come.
After all, even getting small tips from such seniors is pretty helpful for those who seek improvement.
'Well, this is mostly because of the excitement of the first day. Not anything else.' I thought, since from the first day afterward, freshmen would drop one by one.
"Today will be our first training session. I assume you are all ready." Captain Adrian began, his voice carrying the weight of experience. His sharp eyes scanned the assembly, making each member feel like they were the sole focus of his attention.
"As you all know, archery is a discipline that demands precision, focus, and dedication. It's not about how strong you are, but how well you can control your body and your mind," he continued. "Today, we'll start with the fundamentals. Even though I know everyone here had already learned archery in one way or another. However, in the pre-academy schools, only the textbook positions are taught."
With practiced ease, Captain Adrian picked up a bow and arrow, demonstrating the correct posture and technique.
"In the field, everything does constantly change. No matter how talented you are or how many times you practiced your basic archery, there will be times when you won't be able to use your perfect posture. Here, it is important to know that, as an archer, you need to change your posture constantly according to your position and situation."
SWOOSH
He drew the string, his movements fluid and graceful, and released the arrow with a soft twang.
THUD
The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the target with pinpoint accuracy.
"This is what you have heard from the hunters that you have known or from the hunters on the internet. Probably most of you here think the textbook examples and the theory are useless when it comes to practice." Captain Adrian continued. "But let me tell you, understanding the theory and mastering the basics makes it easier to adapt to any situation. It's like having a solid foundation upon which you can build your skills."
Looking at his words and the reactions from the club members, I could see Adrian was suited to be a leader. His voice was filled with authority, and when you listened to him, you would feel like he was making a point.
The reactions of freshmen were an example of that. The club members were nodding their heads in understanding as if they realized that theory and practice were not at odds but rather complemented each other.
'If someone other said these, they would simply boo them.'
They were eager to learn more because of the momentary emotion of excitement and hype, which won't last long.
"Now, let's get started with today's training," Captain Adrian said, picking up his bow again. "I'll show you the basic posture that I've made my own over the years and the textbook one. I want each of you to derive your own variations based on your body type and comfort. This will be your first task as an Archery Club member. We want you to make your own posture and present it to us with its advantages with a report."
Those words caused quite a shock for the newcomers.
"What is this?"
"How can we make our own posture?"
"Do they really expect us to be able to do something like that?"
'Where is your excitement now.'
They were clearly not expecting such a task from the first day. That was indeed hard; even in the game, this task took the whole first semester or the year, depending on the affinity of the character.
However, this club was not a charity. As they said, they wanted the members to contribute to the Archery field, and this was one way of doing that. By presenting different types of ideas, you could contribute to the field.
Of course, this didn't mean it was simply one way of getting things. You could ask seniors for pointers, and you could learn from them basically.
With that, he demonstrated his preferred stance; his body relaxed yet poised for action.
His every movement was deliberate, and he encouraged the members to pay attention to the key points of balance, alignment, and flexibility.
'This explains why he was able to get the captain position.' The way he positioned himself was almost perfect for his body, and his talent at bows was showing itself.
"Now, I want each of you to give it a try. Don't be afraid to experiment, find what works best for you, and ask questions to your seniors. I will be wandering around and will look for those who want to learn for pointers."
With those words, everyone started practicing with their bows, and I did the same.
As I began practicing with my compound bow, I couldn't help but notice the gazes of some students around me. The looks they cast my way were far from friendly; in fact, they seemed to hold a touch of scorn.
"He's using a compound bow? Seriously?" one student whispered to another, their words barely concealing their mockery.
"Yeah, I heard those are for hunters who can't handle a proper recurve bow," the other replied with a snicker.
"Isn't he like the lowest-ranked student here? Figures he'd need a crutch like that."
There were a lot of classes inside the academy. Therefore, not everyone knew my face. However, it seemed my reputation as the weakest was spread quite a lot.
However, I kept my focus on my practice. It was not like this was something new anyway, and just like that, the session went on.
******
"Oh, Student Astron. You are here."
As I was immersed in my training, suddenly I heard the voice of certain someone I had been waiting for. It was Instructor Ethan.
"Instructor Ethan," I responded, lowering my bow. By this time, it had been an hour after the start, and most of the freshmen had already left the training grounds.
"As expected, my eyes weren't wrong." He nodded his head with a smile. The clothes on him were his casual ones, and there were traces of small pieces of dust and soil on his sleeves. The faint smell of burnt soil was also there, coupled with the smell of blood.
'He just came from a dungeon.'
It seemed a certain dungeon appeared in close proximity to the academy.
"What do you mean?"
"Come with me." He gestured for me to come, and I didn't waste any second and followed him.
Bringing me in front of a small door, he looked into my eyes.
"I had been watching your practice."
"You were?"
"Indeed. For a person who started using bow recently, you are progressing very fast."
FOOSH
After he scanned his bracelet, the door opened, and the scene before me made me think of those sci-fi movies on Earth.
The room was filled with LED lights, but the lightning was still a bit on the darker side. There were some screens and holograms showing things around. It looked like a shooting range, but it was a little different.
"What is this place? You might be wondering about this." He said, approaching the device. "Here," pointing his fingers towards the range, he continued. "I want you to continue your training there for a little while."
"I see," I replied. From the screens and holograms, it wasn't that hard to understand what this place was. "You want to analyze my body, correct?"
"Yes. While I was watching you, I could see you already have something in your mind about your bow. But, your body is yet to develop for it."
Showing the screens where a part of the body was shown, he continued his words.
"Since you have yet to develop your specific muscles, I want you to use this room for a better analysis. With the results, I will be able to give you a specific method of training. Suited for your body. What do you think?"
"I have no reason to refuse."
After I came to this world and awakened myself, I had been training non-stop, but that didn't mean my training was effective. In the academy, you could consult professors for this, but my homeroom professor was Eleanor White, and I didn't want to deal with that woman.
This opportunity was quite good, and this was one of the reasons why I joined the Archery Club.
Different from other clubs related to weapons, Archery Club had a rather modern approach in terms of training.
The Spear Legacy Club was filled with blockheads who preferred ancient training methods left from the first generation of hunters, and the Sword Masters Club was the same.
This was mostly because of the representatives of each weapon. Sword Emperor and Spear Emperor were both from renowned families, and they represented those weapons in a way that resembled an old-school way.
However, the Bow Empress was different. She had a new approach to things, and she was someone who was modeling for magazines as well.
This was the reason why the Archery Club, who idolized and were supplied by the current Bow Empress, had the modern approach, and this room was one of the results of it. Of course, the academy also provides such rooms, but they require students to be of a higher rank, which I am not right now, and won't be enough until the mid-terms.
Therefore, this was something I had been aiming for, but honestly, I didn't expect things to progress this fast. I was rather expecting this to happen after I slapped some of the arrogant-faced freshmen, but I guess that wasn't necessary.
Instructor Ethan led me further into the room, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and excitement as I took in my surroundings. This state-of-the-art facility seemed designed for serious training and improvement.
"We'll start with some basic assessments," Instructor Ethan explained. "I want you to fire a few arrows at those holographic targets over there."
Just like that, the session started with stagnant targets to moving targets, moving lands, and even shooting in the river…..
******
"Good, I will send you your regime later. Your results will be up tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" Instructor Ethan asked after the training.
"No problem."
"Then, you can leave."
"Thank you for the help," I replied, bowing my head.
In the last week, I feel like I received quite a lot of help from other people, and certainly, it was not a bad feeling.
"It is my duty." Instructor Ethan waved his hands, and I left the place not long after, making my way to my room.
To be honest, today's training was not that bad. I'd been able to test my archery skills in a dynamic and challenging environment, but that was not alone. I also had feedback from Instructor Ethan, and that was really helpful.
He gave some pointers I had overlooked while training, for instance, how to manipulate my mana while pulling the strings of the bow, how to increase the speed of the arrow by putting mana on the tip of it, destroying the wind resistance, and a lot more.
It was clear that my reflexes and adaptability were good, but it was in my head. I needed to work on my body a lot more, and I looked forward to receiving the specialized training regimen that Instructor Ethan promised to send me.
'Now, all that is left is this.'
DING
Just as I was walking to my room, I heard the sound of a notification coming from my watch.
"As expected, they couldn't refuse it."
Looking at the message, I thought.
---------------------------
Guild: Azure Crest
Message: Urgent Acceptance
We are pleased to inform you that your application as the Archery Specialist for our urgent dungeon exploration mission has been accepted. We apologize for the delay in our response.
Your presence is requested at the Azure Crest Guild Hall in Arcadia City/3. District Guild Street No 351 tomorrow at 13:00.
Please arrive promptly as we will discuss the mission details and strategy.
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It was now the time to destroy another follower of demons.
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