Chương 36: Bow Training

"Hello, I am Erika, Bowmaster." It was rare to get a female tutor for combat skills, and she must have noticed my staring as she then asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Uh, no. Normally, my combat tutors are men. Just surprised."

"Hmm. Well, let's get started. Your Strength stat and Bow Skills level?"

"My Strength is 17 and my Bow Skills are 15." She then looked at the nearby weapons rack, which someone had set up on one side of an open grassy area on the estate grounds. She picked up a bow and then handed it to me along with a quiver.

"Shoot that target. Let me see your form." I put the quiver on my back and drew an arrow. I then shot at the nearest target she pointed to. It was twenty meters away. I hit pretty close to the bullseye.

"Next target." I drew and nocked an arrow. After steadying my breathing, I fired when I breathed out, striking the next target almost in the center. The target had been forty meters away. She pointed at the target sixty meters away.

"Next target." I had to angle my bow much more, and the arrow hit the side of the target. She walked over and placed her hands on my body, adjusting my posture.

"Adjust your form here. Loosen these muscles. Keep your wrist looser. It is too tight."

"Now shoot again, first target." I repeated shooting at all three targets. It felt unusual, but my accuracy was slightly improved, and the arrow's trajectory was easier to control.

"Good. Your basics aren't bad, but in terms of combat, you will struggle. To become skilled with a bow, you need to fire in a single breath and hit a moving target while you are moving yourself. A stationary bow adventurer is a dead bow adventurer." She then walked forward.

"You will move and shoot at me. Don't hesitate or be afraid. At your skill level and with your stats, you can't harm me. Aim for lethal points and keep moving. It can just be a walk for now."

"Yes, Bowmaster Erika," I answered and nocked an arrow. She began walking backwards away from me. I fired at her head. She tilted it out of the way.

"Your accuracy isn't good enough to target a vital area like the head. Danger Sense will alert whatever you are shooting at. Aim for the center of mass." I nocked another arrow and fired while walking towards her. She shifted direction just as I fired, and the arrow missed her by a small distance.

"Aiming directly at the center is not always the best choice. Keep firing and try to lead your target and predict their moves." I fired again, aiming slightly to my left. She came to a stop. I was already nocking a second arrow and fired at once. She stepped backwards, and I missed. I kept firing arrow after arrow while slowly walking, while she dodged every shot. I missed every single one and soon ran out of arrows.

"Now collect them quickly." I ran off as she ordered. Two arrows from the quiver were broken.

"Good. You collected them all. A major weakness of using a bow is ammunition."

"What about spatial storage or a bow skill that creates magical arrows?"

"When you are an elite or a legend, you can ask that question. When you first start, you won't have access to such items. That is why it is important to know where your shots go. Also, to know what is behind your target. You hit one target in the field while trying to hit me. If that had been a companion, you would have severely injured them."

"I didn't know I was supposed to avoid shooting them," I replied, and she shrugged.

"It is just a warning to pay attention to where you are shooting. You also didn't take too long or get fancy. Speed is critical when using a bow. Accuracy will come in time, but speed is the first thing you need to focus on. Now, let's go again," she said, walking away. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. I didn't hesitate to shoot an arrow at her feet where her foot would step. She shifted her stance, and the arrow struck the ground next to her foot.

"Nice attempt to change things up, but center of mass is still best," she said as she easily sidestepped another arrow. I fired all eighteen arrows, but another three broke. She had me collect five replacement arrows from the weapons rack so we could go again. My hands and arms were quickly becoming tired and sore from the constant firing of arrows, and as soon as I could, I tried to hit her. Bowmaster Erika kept dodging.

Healer Castelle was on the side, watching these training sessions in case of an accident and replenishing my reserves. I felt refreshed as my stamina recovered and kept firing arrows, then ran out to collect them. The entire time, I kept my breathing as steady as possible. When lunch finally came and the servants brought out food and drinks, I was mentally exhausted.

"Your dodging is quite risky," Healer Castelle said over lunch.

"I would never do such a thing in the dungeon, and I would never put someone else out there. But it is the only way to train someone properly in using a bow for combat. It is similar to sparring with another weapon. Just that I am not shooting back, like I normally would."

"Wait, you would shoot back?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course. The biggest risk in a fight when using a bow is being hit back by a ranged attack. On a team, a bow user will target other ranged attackers first, before assisting their teammates. It can get quite chaotic, and learning how to dodge is important."

"Then why aren't I doing that?"

"Your skills aren't high enough. Dodge is a Tier 2 skill. But I am told you are working towards it."

"Dancing," Healer Castelle said, and I looked at him.

"I know what they plan for you because I've had enough conversations with Damian and the Supreme Warlady. Maximized Dancing can transition into Dodge."

"I thought it was just a noble skill?"

"Dancing is a noble skill, and so is Dodge. Nobles don't like to get hit after all." Bowmaster Erika chuckled.

"Indeed, they don't. The few that fight think they can stay in the back with a bow, but using a bow is the most dangerous position since you must know everything happening around you, and you are using both hands for your bow. You have no shield or other weapon to block attacks."

"Similar to being a healer. It's a massive pain in the ass."

"Oh, you have gone into the dungeon?"

"More than enough for one lifetime. Now I watch over Justin here, making sure he doesn't kill himself during his training."

"The same. I reached the 9 th layer, you?"

"Made it down to the 15 th." Her eyes widened slightly.

"The 15 th, then you must be close to being an elite."

"Bah, I don't care for such things anymore. I am a Healer and will die a Healer."

"Any team would want someone like you with them."

"Foolishness and idiocy. I appreciate the kind words, but the dungeon is nothing but despair and darkness. So many things are lost down there that can never be recovered."

"Hmm, I can understand that sentiment. A bow can only do so much. Skills struggle to latch onto arrows, and the higher-quality ones are too expensive. That is the trouble with using a bow, every shot with gold-tipped enchanted arrows is a massive expense. Once you start using platinum, there is just despair. The costs became too much for me, and I tried to cut corners. I was a fool." She had probably lost people as well and had retired from adventuring.

"And how is retirement treating you?" Healer Castelle asked.

"Well enough, especially after this job. At least Justin here doesn't complain or whine. I swear, I want to shoot brats in the ass when they complain."

"I know the feeling. They ask for healing with the smallest scratch on their precious bodies. At least this one has had a proper upbringing, not getting spoiled senseless by his mother."

"I would have liked to meet the Supreme Warlady. She is an inspiration to female adventurers everywhere."

"She is a force to be reckoned with, that is for sure. Ah, the sun is nice on my old body," Healer Castelle said while stretching and enjoying the noon sun.

"What about lingering injuries? I hate to bother you, but I ran out of healing points and took an attack on my knee." Healer Castelle let out a small sigh at that and opened his eyes.

"Come sit next to me. I will need to check your body." She got up and moved her chair over. He put a hand on her knee." Health Analyze." He used a skill and then removed his hand.

"Five years?"

"Six," she said, and he frowned.

"The healer you got did a decent job. The bone plate and the tissue in between have worn down."

"Can it be fixed?" she asked.

"You would require a Flesh Crafter, not a Healer. The injury has taken root in your soul, so healing skills will no longer be effective in removing it. It is a natural part of you. That means cutting you open and fixing things directly, a Flesh Crafter, not a Healer."

"Ah, I thought so, but I wanted another opinion from someone experienced. My granddaughter is talking about going into the dungeon, so I wanted to accompany her."

"You must have been quite young when you had a child."

"I was, but my husband was an adventurer. When he died, I needed to support myself and two kids, and I had always been good with a bow."

"Don't spread it around. This isn't proper healing. This should last for a year, the less pressure you put on your knee, the better. When it goes, it will be sudden. Be prepared for that." He put his hand on her knee once more." Stabilize Injury." Bowmaster Erika stood up and moved her leg.

"It doesn't hurt."

"My Mana prevents the injury from worsening or hurting, but it isn't fixed. When my skill finally runs out, your injury will be much worse. It will wear out more quickly the more pressure you put on that knee, so be careful."

"Ah, thank you. That is fine. I just wanted to go with my granddaughter on her first descent. After that, full retirement for me. This job is paying for her gear," she said with a slight smile.

"I might be old, but I can still handle the first layer or two of the dungeon."

"Hmm, I would take a potion or two if you can, just to be on the safe side. My skills are likely to give out at the worst possible moment. Don't treat it as healed. Don't be an idiot."

"I understand. Thank you. I will be careful. Well, let's start the afternoon training."