Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Archery Breakthrough
Warriors control Fighting Qi, while Mages wield Magic Power.
Neither of these two types of Extraordinary Energy can be definitively called superior or inferior to the other; they each have their own strengths.
In terms of combat, a Low-Level Mage is like a stationary turret. Without protection, they are easily killed once a Warrior gets close.
According to the books, a Mage’s awkward disadvantage in combat is only alleviated once they reach the rank of Grand Mage and master the Arcane Magic known as the "Blink Technique."
Grand Mages cast spells quickly, possess mobility skills, and can use Restrictive Magic, allowing them to confront Warriors of the same level head-on.
These Mages are also known as Combat Mages.
’Before becoming a Grand Mage, Warriors are more efficient in single combat. It’s just that Magic has many other wonderful applications in other professions.’
For instance, Enchantment and making Magic Potions both involve manipulating Spiritual Power, something ordinary Warriors are incapable of.
A Mage who can create Magic Potions is highly sought-after anywhere they go.
After some thought, Duane decided to continue adding points to Strength.
At least until he had dealt with the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association, he wouldn’t be considering his Spirit Attribute.
After sorting through these matters, Duane left his study to rest.
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, Conaberton, the captain of the Sea Bird, paid a visit. His crew had finished resting and were preparing for their return voyage, so he had come specifically to ask Duane about the cargo.
Duane gave him an affirmative answer, arranging for Conaberton’s friend to make a trip at the end of the year.
To ensure his friend wouldn’t make a wasted trip, Duane promised that if he couldn’t provide any cargo at that time, he would pay twenty Gold Coins out of his own pocket as compensation.
Conaberton was very confident that his friend would definitely come.
After seeing the captain off, his next visitors were members of the Broken Wave Gang. They had agreed to Duane’s terms and rescheduled the meeting for three in the afternoon.
After seeing off both groups, Duane began his busy day.
First up was Archery practice.
He started by making targets, which were really just a few straw men he bundled together.
Even making these simple straw men earned him 9 Skill Level points for [Basic Manufacturing].
Neither Kaelon nor Raymond had much experience with a bow and arrow, so they couldn’t offer any guidance. Duane would have to figure it all out on his own.
Fortunately, it wasn’t complicated. All he had to do was draw the bow, nock an arrow, and let it fly. Whether or not it hit the target was another matter entirely.
The ten bows he’d brought from Lakefront Manor were longbows, a common type used in the army. They had a draw weight of around 120 pounds and a maximum range of 200 meters.
Duane stood one hundred meters away and drew the bowstring.
With his current strength, he could draw this kind of bow with ease.
Then, he nocked an arrow and aimed.
WHOOSH!
The arrow shot through the air with incredible speed, but it missed the target completely.
Duane was frustrated. ’I aimed for so long and felt like I had it dead on,’ he thought. ’How did that miss?’
[You have completed one archery shot. Basic Archery Skill Level +3]
He might have missed, but at least he’d activated a new Skill.
"Again!"
Duane drew his bow, nocked another arrow, and fired again.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...
Arrows flew one after another; some hit their mark, while others went wide.
An arrow that struck the bullseye awarded 10 Skill Level points, while other hits awarded 8.
Missed shots awarded between 1 and 3 Skill Level points, depending on how far off they were.
Duane felt nothing after firing twenty arrows in a row, but by the time he reached forty, his arms began to ache and go numb.
Fifty arrows was his limit.
"Owington, go collect the arrows."
"Yes, my lord."
Owington set to work.
Fifty arrows might not sound like a lot, but with a few scattered here and a few over there, collecting them all took some time.
Duane opened his attribute panel.
The fifty arrows he’d shot had raised his Basic Archery Skill Level to (Entry 75/200).
In fact, he had already leveled up on his twenty-seventh shot; the subsequent twenty-three arrows had earned him another 71 Skill Level points.
Although Duane’s accuracy had improved after his Basic Archery Skill Level reached the Entry rank...
...the Skill Level points gained from a bullseye had correspondingly decreased to five.
Duane added 0.1 attribute points to Strength and stretched his arms.
The soreness eased a little, but considering the afternoon’s meeting, he decided not to practice any further.
He rested for a short while, then headed into the kitchen to begin the day’s Cooking.
The winemaking would have to wait until after the afternoon meeting.
There was a new face drinking the Fire Source Beast Bone Soup today. Since Michele had been promoted, his replacement was Benur, the leader of Squad One, Team One.
The young man was seventeen and showed some talent, which made him worth cultivating.
Lunch, then rest.
At around one in the afternoon, Kaelon and Raymond had assembled all the Guards.
Duane also called for Monbodt, who had been busy in the fields with Julian, Haien, and the others, and asked him to lead the way.
And so, with three horses and three squads, they advanced in a great procession toward the three-way intersection.
The island’s residents, unaware of the full story, all assumed the new Lord was about to go to war with the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association, and their curiosity was piqued.
Some of the bolder ones trailed the procession from a distance, hoping to watch the spectacle unfold.
’Who will win? The new Lord, or Bard and Daniels?’
They waited in great anticipation.
Duane didn’t drive these people away, allowing them to follow from a distance.
He felt uneasy. After all, he was at a disadvantage, but no one else knew it.
But he had to take this gamble, as there was currently no outside help he could rely on on Black Forest Island.
And in the Pruck Kingdom, he had no allies either.
If he didn’t risk it, he would never be able to break the deadlock.
It was April, and though noon had passed, the sun was still warm.
Clad in his armor and mounted on a warhorse, Duane led his men slowly toward the designated three-way intersection.
"My lord, they’ve arrived," Kaelon said.
Duane looked over and saw the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association standing on the two roads leading to Broken Wave Bay and Forest Village, respectively, a few hundred meters from the intersection.
"They’ve brought sixty or seventy men between them, I’d say," Raymond estimated roughly.
Duane nodded slightly. That was twice their number.
"Let’s begin," Duane said.
Kaelon grunted in acknowledgment, took a deep breath, and bellowed:
"Duane Brian, Lord of Black Forest Island, accepts your summons! You may now approach!"
His voice rolled like muffled thunder, spreading out in all directions. It even startled their mounts, and the townspeople following from afar felt their hearts skip a beat in fright.
In the distance, Bard’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Kaelon.
’Such a powerful voice... and the Fighting Qi mixed in his aura seems abundant,’ he thought. ’This man really is an Earth Tier Warrior!’
He glanced cautiously to his left and right. "Gaius, Kubatu, you’re with me."
At the same time, Daniels of the Holy Hand Association rode forward on his horse, almost in perfect sync.
This time, however, he was followed by Uleir and another Knight. Kalina remained where she was and did not follow.
Three from each side—that was the agreement.
However, since Duane was the Lord, his men were positioned only a hundred meters from the intersection, much closer than the others.
Duane waited until Bard and Daniels had reached the three-way intersection before he tugged on his reins.
"Let’s head over as well."
He led Kaelon and Raymond slowly forward.
