The wheat fields cultivated on the outskirts of Stone Mill Village were an important food source for the villagers. They were also a gathering place for various birds, especially sparrows and finches that loved to peck at the grains.
The area offered a relatively open view, with a large and active bird population, making it the ideal place to put his idea of “living bird targets” into practice.
Arriving at the edge of the wheat fields, Matthew chose a concealed spot on slightly higher ground, with his back against a small clump of shrubs.
Waves of golden wheat billowed in the morning breeze, and the air was filled with the fresh fragrance of ripening grain. Sure enough, in the air above the wheat fields and among the stalks, many birds were flying, hopping, and pecking.
Matthew took a deep breath, suppressing his eagerness. He drew the 【Old Wooden Shortbow】 and notched a homemade, blunt-tipped practice arrow.
A plump sparrow was hopping and pecking on a ridge between the fields.
“This is the one.”
He recalled the key points Byrne had taught him: keep a stable stance, breathe evenly, let your gaze extend along the arrow shaft, feel the direction and strength of the wind... Then, he slowly drew the bow.
The bowstring creaked softly as it was pulled to a half-draw. Bearing Byrne's reminder in mind, he did not try to draw it fully in the beginning to avoid damaging the old bow or injuring himself.
Aiming... predicting where the sparrow would hop next...
Release!
“Swoosh—”
The arrow left the string, tracing a low, flat arc.
However, as if it had eyes in the back of its head, the sparrow hopped nimbly the moment the arrow was about to hit. The tip of the arrow grazed its tail feathers and thudded into the dirt.
“Chirp!” Startled, the sparrow flapped its wings and quickly flew away, merging into the larger flock of birds above the wheat fields.
Matthew was not discouraged; instead, his eyes shone even brighter.
“Sure enough... it's completely different from shooting at a stationary target,” he realized. “It requires faster reactions, more precise anticipation, and taking into account the target's sudden turns and accelerations.”
He notched another arrow, his gaze locking onto another bird slightly further away, which was poking its head out from among the wheat ears.
This time, he deliberately aimed slightly ahead, estimating the bird's potential flight path.
“Swoosh—”
The arrow missed again, landing more than a foot away from the target.
The third arrow, the fourth arrow... they missed one after another.
The flight stability of his homemade arrows was far inferior to standard ones, and with his dynamic shooting experience being practically zero, early failures were to be expected. But Matthew did not care at all. His attention was fully concentrated on the process of drawing, aiming, predicting, and releasing each time, trying his best to capture that indescribable “feeling.”
【Basic Archery proficiency +1!】
【Basic Archery proficiency +1!】
...
The steady increase of proficiency on his status panel was his greatest motivation.
Although his accuracy was extremely low, every attempt tempered his eyesight, reaction time, and spatial judgment.
Finally, after an unknown number of attempts, an arrow flew out crookedly and, by pure coincidence, grazed the wing of a finch gliding at a low altitude!
The bird shrieked and tumbled in the air before vigorously flapping its wings and flying away unsteadily, not having been shot down.
But Matthew's heart jolted!
“I hit it!”
Although he failed to bring it down, this was the first time he had actually touched a target since transitioning from stationary to dynamic targets!
Matthew shot with increasing vigor, an indescribable sense of accomplishment mixed with an even stronger fighting spirit welling up in his heart.
Right up until he shot another arrow, a sudden flash of comprehension dawned in his mind, and a surging yet gentle power washed over his entire body.
【Your 【Basic Archery】 has improved. Current 【Basic Archery】 is at the Basic level. Your Strength and Constitution have slightly increased.】
Matthew slowly lowered his bow. Instead of immediately retrieving his arrows, he stood in place with his eyes closed, carefully savoring the new power flowing through his body.
More importantly, a certain “intuition” had become clear.
When he opened his eyes again and swept his gaze across the wheat fields, the flight paths of those birds no longer seemed chaotic and disorganized.
“How refreshing... It's like a near-sighted person having surgery and regaining normal vision.”
Matthew couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.
【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 6.1 (+1.2), Agility: 5.0 (+0.1), Constitution: 6.1 (+1.2), Perception: 5, Spirit: 6
Equipment: Worn Standard One-Handed Sword (Bound), Old Wooden Shortbow (Bound), Filthy Bone Chain (Bound)
Skills: Basic Archery: Basic (1/200), Basic Swordsmanship: Basic (23/200), Vine Trap: Practiced (35/500)】
“1.2!”
He blurted out, his voice filled with unbelievable wonder.
He had expected that breaking through from “Novice” to “Basic” in 【Basic Archery】 would bring an attribute increase, since breaking through in 【Basic Swordsmanship】 before had granted him 1 full attribute point out of thin air.
But this time, both his Strength and Constitution had actually increased by a full 1.2 points each!
Even his Agility had increased.
This far exceeded his expectations.
“Is it because archery has a greater direct demand on Strength and Constitution?”
“Or is it that the attribute gains from skill breakthroughs aren't fixed, and might be related to the characteristics of the skill itself, the intensity of training, or even my own potential?”
Matthew quickly calmed down and began to analyze.
Archery, especially using a shortbow, did indeed require stable arm strength and constitution...
“Regardless, this is incredibly good news!”
“After all, the baseline for an adult is 5.0, and now both my Strength and Constitution have broken past 6.0!”
Matthew's heart surged. He couldn't help but want to test just how far his skyrocketing strength had reached. Looking around, he walked up to the nearest tree.
He drew the sword from his waist with a backhand grip.
He didn't strike any fancy poses. He simply sank his hips, stabilized his stance, and with all his might, delivered the most basic and direct diagonal slashing!
“Whoosh!”
The edge of the sword cut through the air, carrying a heavier and swifter whistle than ever before.
“Thud!”
The sword blade embedded itself deeply into the tree trunk, leaving a deep indentation in the rough bark. Due to the intense impact, wisps of white smoke even drifted out.
Matthew withdrew his sword. Looking at the deep slash mark and the faint white smoke that had not yet fully dispersed, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
“This is basically no different from being a minor superhuman.”
And this was just as an ordinary human. If he were a Class holder, what would that be like?
“Compared to the dangers in the forest, this is still far from enough.” Matthew quickly reined in his joy, his gaze becoming sharp once more. “Instructor Calm is much stronger than me, yet even he looked anxious back then.”
He bent down and began to retrieve the homemade arrows scattered in the wheat fields. Though crude, they were still valuable practice resources.
“The bird shooting training can't stop. Swordsmanship practice must also continue; it would be best if I can find a way to engage in actual combat. Also, I need to find a way to get some better arrows...”
After putting the still-usable arrows back into his quiver, Matthew continued his training.
Rate on N.U.
