ALL NOVEL Chapter 3 Unlocked: Basic Archery
Chapter 3 Unlocked: Basic Archery
When Chen Fan followed the sound and arrived, he saw a hut surrounded by people, with discussions rising and falling in the crowd.
“Why couldn’t Xiao Hong bear it? Did she hang herself?”
“Sigh, her husband didn’t come back yesterday, and their child died a few years ago, leaving her alone. She probably thought life was meaningless, so she committed suicide, right?”
“What’s the trouble?”
“Well, in these times, when you can’t even ensure your next meal, death is a kind of release.”
After these words, most people fell silent.
Yes, rather than struggling to live, it is better to die and be done with it. However, death requires courage.
“Make way, make way.”
Two adult men appeared, carrying a pale, emaciated woman’s body on a simple stretcher.
The woman’s tongue was grotesquely extended, a terrifying sight.
At least, at first glance, Chen Fan was scared, his heart racing.
However, everyone present seemed accustomed to it, or perhaps numb to it. Even children under ten years old stared unflinchingly.
Chen Guodong finally walked out of the house, looking extremely self-blaming, because if Zhu Zi hadn’t died yesterday, this woman wouldn’t have been so distraught.
His voice was somewhat hoarse. He first comforted everyone, then looked at several adult men in the crowd and said, “Get ready. We go hunting in half an hour.”
Several people looked at each other and nodded.
The deceased had passed, but the living must continue.
“When did you get here?”
After the crowd dispersed, Chen Guodong walked up to Chen Fan and asked.
“Not long ago.”
Chen Fan, still shaken by the sight of the corpse, replied.
Chen Guodong nodded and turned to leave.
“Dad.”
Chen Fan suddenly asked, “Is there any spare bow and arrow? I want to learn archery.”
Chen Guodong turned around, a bit surprised. In his impression, his son was somewhat introverted and timid. Asking him to fight fierce beasts was undoubtedly asking for his life.
How come today?
“I want to become stronger.”
Chen Fan said sincerely, “I don’t want to starve to death.”
Chen Guodong’s eyes showed a hint of relief, although it was fleeting.
“There are bows. Go to the warehouse and find Uncle Zhang. Tell him I sent you. There are a few bows there. Find the smallest one and give it a try.”
“A few bows?”
Chen Fan was surprised.
He thought the camp had very few iron bows, which is why only two or three people were equipped with them. Now, according to his father, there seemed to be plenty of bows and arrows?
Chen Guodong glanced at him, seemingly reading his thoughts, and said, “Archery is not as easy to practice as you think. In fact, it’s very difficult. If you practice well, you can shoot a fierce beast from twenty to thirty meters away. If not, a knife would be more useful.”
After saying this, he turned and left.
Chen Fan had a bad premonition. It seemed he had taken things for granted, but since he had already spoken, he could only bite the bullet and try.
The warehouse was in the northwest of the camp. There were few people on the way, as everyone was staying indoors to conserve heat.
When he arrived, he was surprised to find several youths around his age practicing marksmanship in the open space at the entrance.
They were holding long spears about two meters long, repeatedly stabbing forward.
Behind the youths was a middle-aged man with a disheveled appearance, limping as he walked, correcting their movements and shouting commands.
Chen Fan squinted his eyes, thinking that this man was probably the Uncle Zhang his father mentioned.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Before he could get close, the limping man turned around, sizing him up.
The youths also took this opportunity to stop and curiously observe him.
“Uncle Zhang, my dad is…”
“I know you.”
The limping man smiled mysteriously, “You’re Chen Guodong’s son. You almost died after eating wild fruits a few days ago, right?”
Chen Fan smiled awkwardly.
“Are you here to practice with the spear?”
“I want to try archery first,” Chen Fan said.
The youths exchanged glances, as if understanding each other.
“Another one.”
The limping man smiled and said, “Follow me.”
As soon as he said this, he turned abruptly and scolded the youths, “Still slacking off? Sweat more now, bleed less later, understand?”
The youths immediately trembled and resumed their practice.
Chen Fan followed the limping man into the house, shocked by the array of weapons. The spacious room was filled with swords, spears, halberds, shields, axes, and even a few cannons.
The limping man noticed his gaze, smirked, and said, “No gunpowder, no use. Here, that’s the bow you want. Pick one.”
Chen Fan looked left and saw several longbows hanging on the wall, gradually increasing in size from left to right. The smallest was about one meter long, and the largest was nearly two meters, about the height of a person.
He swallowed and looked at the limping man, honestly saying, “Uncle Zhang, how about I start with the one on the far left?”
“At least you have some self-awareness.”
The limping man chuckled, took down the bow, and with a slight effort, the bowstring vibrated rapidly, making a “buzz” sound, leaving no doubt that it could easily break the skin if it hit someone.
“This bow requires at least forty pounds of force to draw. Within twenty steps, it can kill a low-level beast with one arrow. Give it a try.”
He then tossed the bow over.
Chen Fan quickly caught it, gripped the bow with his left hand, and took an arrow with his right hand. Aiming at a target not far away, he slowly drew the bowstring, feeling the strain immediately. He gritted his teeth, using all his strength to draw the bow fully before releasing it.
“Snap!”
A soft sound, and the arrow flew out. Chen Fan felt his whole body tremble, and his right arm was almost too weak to lift.
However, at that moment, the attribute panel in his mind changed slightly.
Skill: Basic Archery, LV0 (1%)
“???”
Chen Fan had an urge to exclaim but held it back.
Unexpectedly, just picking up the bow and practicing a bit unlocked a skill: Basic Archery. Although the level was 0, the progress bar had reached 1%.
Doesn’t this mean hope?
By analogy, if he gets a sword, could he also unlock basic sword skills? If he practices boxing, even basic punches might unlock a skill?
At this moment, Chen Fan felt energized.
“?”
The limping man frowned, looking at Chen Fan, who was almost visibly excited.
These days, do young people have such low standards for themselves? Just drawing a simple bow made him this happy?
The key is, you only drew it once.