Meanwhile, the kobold priest also finally recovered completely from its initial panic and the shock of Flynn's thunderous strike.
Its murky, yellowish-brown slit pupils swept over the split, heavily injured, or dead corpses of its companions on the ground, the fear in its eyes rapidly replaced by rage, malice, and an offended frenzy.
“Sss-ga! Kuru-ha! Tosss—sss!!!”
It barked out several commands.
Immediately, a large portion of the kobolds turned their gazes toward the bushes where Matthew and the others were hiding.
Meanwhile, the rest stared warily at Flynn.
This half-step Silver Rank Class holder had clearly intimidated the priest.
...
Almost at the exact moment the kobolds turned their heads, Instructor Calm barked sharply, “Prepare to face the enemy!”
Matthew's heart instantly leaped into his throat. The 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 surged in response, pushing his five senses to their absolute limit.
Through the gaps in the branches and leaves of the bushes, he could clearly see the kobolds baring their fangs and growling as they closed in...
“Twenty-one kobolds are approaching!”
Matthew shouted aloud, though his feet were already shuffling backward.
The pressure bore down like a mountain, and the air seemed to freeze.
Matthew could even hear the heavy, trembling breaths of Rayson and Hal beside him, as well as the muffled cursing from the mercenaries.
There was no time to hesitate!
Matthew almost instinctively drew an arrow, nocked it, and drew his bow.
His breathing and movements synchronized instantly. The warm energy brought by the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 surged up his spine and into his arms, pulling the bowstring back into a full draw.
His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, instantly locking onto a strong kobold rushing at the very front, wielding a stone axe, seemingly a minor leader.
The kobold's head swayed slightly in the dim light and mist, but Matthew was highly focused, predicting its trajectory for the next instant.
Now!
Twang!
The bowstring vibrated, and the arrow shot off the string with a faint whistle of slicing air. Like a striking viper, it pierced the kobold's skull with pinpoint accuracy!
Thwack!
The arrow pierced straight through its brain, the tip protruding slightly from the back of its neck.
The kobold's forward momentum froze instantly. The stone axe slipped from its grasp as its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. After its limbs twitched twice, it ceased to move.
A headshot with a single arrow!
However, the expected cheers or gasps of admiration did not come.
A deathly silence hung over the group, broken only by the heavy footsteps and low growls of the approaching kobolds.
Everyone looked grim, gripping their weapons tightly as they stared dead ahead.
Instructor Calm glanced at the fallen kobold corpse, then at Matthew. A faint, barely perceptible trace of approval flashed in his eyes as he whispered, “Matthew, keep a close eye on Hal and Rayson.”
Matthew nodded, though he thought to himself, Instructor, you should be keeping a closer eye on me.
At this moment of extreme tension, several familiar small lines of black text quietly surfaced in Matthew's vision:
【Basic Archery proficiency +1】
【White Snake Breathing Technique proficiency +1】
【You have successfully mastered the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】. Currently, the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 is at the Novice level. Your Strength and Constitution have slightly increased.】
【White Snake Breathing Technique: Novice (1/500)】
Matthew rejoiced inwardly. An indescribable warmth instantly spread from the core in his abdomen, like melting snow in early spring, rapidly flowing through his limbs and bones.
The muscles that had been slightly fatigued from tension and continuously drawing the bow were instantly rejuvenated under the nourishment of this warm energy, becoming even more resilient and powerful than before!
He could faintly feel that this attribute increase was far greater than any previous one!
However, this brief moment of realization and joy was immediately replaced by the imminent crisis before him.
He took a deep breath, perfectly merging his newfound sense of strength from reaching the Novice level in the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 with his combat instincts. His fingers reached into his quiver once more, his eyes flashing like lightning as he quickly scanned for his next target.
Soon, he locked onto an exceptionally tall kobold holding a crude stone spear, howling to urge its companions forward.
The bowstring was pulled back into a full draw once again. Matthew could clearly feel that the energy belonging to the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 within his body had become much richer and denser after advancing to the Novice level.
Guided by Matthew's will, it seemed to transform into a more penetrating force, flowing smoothly along the path of his bones and muscles to pour into his arms, fingers, and even the bow and arrow itself.
Another arrow shot out!
The targeted kobold's movements came to an abrupt halt. The stone spear slipped from its hands as it clawed in vain at its neck, making wheezing, gasping sounds. Its massive body stumbled a few steps before crashing to the ground.
The second one!
“Reaching the Novice level in this breathing technique really gives a massive boost!”
“Not just in terms of Constitution, but because the breathing technique can be perfectly integrated into drawing the bow!”
After all, although Matthew had been able to integrate them before, in terms of efficiency, it was probably less than thirty percent!
But with that last arrow, it had reached eighty percent!
Matthew's changes naturally did not escape the eyes of two people: Sierra and Calm.
Sierra was not far from his side.
As an experienced archer, her senses were highly acute, and she immediately noticed that Matthew's latest arrow was different from before.
She couldn't help but look sideways, astonishment and a trace of confusion appearing in her eyes, though she couldn't figure out exactly what had happened.
Further away, Calm's heart jolted in shock!
He could clearly see that the rhythm of Matthew's breathing and his movements had perfectly aligned, and that invisible "qi" was starting to truly serve his attacks—this was the hallmark of truly reaching the Novice level in the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】!
This kid... actually broke through at a time like this! Calm was both shocked and delighted.
Meanwhile, Matthew was overjoyed, completely oblivious to the gazes around him.
His gaze swept across the kobold pack to find his next target, quickly aiming at a kobold near the front.
Adjusting his breathing, channeling his strength, he drew the bowstring to a full draw once again—
However, just as he was about to release his grip, a sudden change occurred!
The kobold he had locked onto seemed to sense a fatal threat. It suddenly darted to the side, hiding behind a thick, ancient tree!
Not only that, but several other kobold warriors who were originally exposed also followed suit. Either utilizing depressions in the terrain or picking up goblin corpses as shields, they slowly closed in on the group.
“These beasts... are far smarter than goblins!”
They might not have complex tactics, but their beastly instincts and simple survival wisdom taught them to avoid the threat of ranged attacks.
It would be difficult to snipe them as easily as before.
Time flew by.
During this time, Matthew and Sierra's arrows flew one after another. Relying on the acute perception and stable breathing rhythm brought by the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】, Matthew was always able to seize the tiny openings exposed by the kobolds due to terrain constraints or brief distractions.
Sierra also demonstrated her skill as a practiced archer, coordinating with Matthew's rhythm.
In a short amount of time, the two of them worked together to successfully shoot and kill four kobolds!
“They're about to charge! Prepare for close combat!” Instructor Calm's voice was resolute.
Sure enough, after another short screech from the priest, the remaining kobolds let out frenzied howls. No longer hesitating, they lunged forward with heavy steps, brandishing their stone axes and stone spears!
Rate on N.U.
