Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 238

Chapter 238 Chapter 54.4 - Archery Competition

Once, a wise man said to fear those who keep their composure even in front of nothingness as they are the ones who can adapt the most.

That was one of my favorite quotes. For some reason, as I walked to the stage where I would perform my archery, that quote came to my mind regardless of whether it fit the situation or not.

'Sigh…..'

Inwardly, I sighed, seeing all those eyes on me. Some of them were discerning, some of them happy. I even saw some young students looking at me intently.

'Why, though?'

I wondered but couldn't find the reason in my head, though neither did I have to. After all, it was just a random thought from my side.

'I see….'

After a second, the reason came instantly. They had been quiet for a while, but I guess the words that stuck upon me were still there.

As I reached the stage, I took a moment to look around, scanning the faces of those gathered on the Archer Club grounds.

The buzz of anticipation and curiosity surrounded me, and I could feel the eyes of others on me as well.

'Let's see how this goes.'

This wasn't the first time I was at the center of attention since the rumors that were spread about me before did the same. So, I was quite proud of my mental fortitude as I had been rather experienced in this aspect.

With a calm demeanor, I walked forward, the bow slung across my back, feeling familiar and comforting. I reached the center of the grounds, where Adrian awaited, his gaze assessing and expectant.

'Well, you might see what you expect.'

After all, what he wanted was an asset that he could use but, at the same time, an asset that would never be able to outshine him. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Show us what you've got, Astron Natusalune," he said, his tone neutral yet carrying an underlying challenge.

Nodding in acknowledgment, I unslung the bow from my back and felt the familiar weight in my hands. The sleek design and the smooth touch brought back memories of countless training sessions.

I hadn't been focusing on using my compound bow for a while now since I used Celestalith most of the time. But that didn't mean I neglected my archery training.

To train my archery skills only, I had no choice but to use my first bow as Celestalith's bow form is a lot destructive for its own good.

'This should be interesting.'

My eyes subtly scanned the surroundings, gauging the positioning of the mages who would be manipulating the environment during the evaluation.

I couldn't pinpoint their exact locations, but I was prepared for the challenges they might throw my way.

It was not like my target was them either, so that didn't matter that much.

'Let's make this quick.'

Taking a quick breath, I calmed myself down to the utmost perfection. My eyes were focused on my body at its peak for marksmanship.

Adrian's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, and then he raised his hand, giving the signal for the competition to begin. The atmosphere tensed, and my focus intensified.

As the competition started, two targets materialized before my eyes, strategically placed to test precision and reaction speed. My dynamic vision allowed me to immediately perceive their appearance.

'Well, well, they're not wasting any time.'

However, I chose not to act immediately.

Instead, I held back, downplaying my abilities. I didn't want to reveal the full extent of my skills from the outset.

'Considering the reaction Adrian had shown to previous contestants, this should be enough.'

After all, getting the spotlight would make things a little harder, so I analyzed Adrian's mimics and signs.

The key was to strike a balance between showcasing competence and leaving room for improvement, so in my head, I immediately formed a threshold performance I would show to optimize my thoughts.

'Let's keep it simple for now.'

I smoothly drew an arrow from my quiver and nocked it onto the bowstring, taking aim at one of the targets. The audience watched in anticipation, waiting for the release of the arrow.

'Don't make it too obvious.'

SWOOSH!

With a controlled release, the arrow sailed through the air and hit the target dead center.

THUD!

The onlookers reacted with a subtle mix of surprise and approval, but I maintained a slightly shaky expression, subtly downplaying the accomplishment to make it seem like I was nervous.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the reaction of the onlookers, and just as I had intended, aside from some of those, not many were directly impressed.

'One down.'

SWOOSH!

I turned my attention to the second target, repeating the process. The arrow found its mark, hitting with precision, and I allowed a subtle satisfaction to flicker in my eyes.

Yet, I refrained from showing too much as if I had at least the calmness of a marksman. Not getting the focus of Adrian didn't mean just getting expelled from the club.

Adrian signaled for more targets, and this time, the stakes were raised. The new targets appeared at a greater distance, and to add to the challenge, they started moving.

My eyes analyzed the situation, and I couldn't help but shake my head at the increased difficulty level.

'This is not even that hard.'

From outside, this may be hard, but for me, who had been training in the dungeons and with my newly increased stats, it wasn't as challenging as it seemed.

'Though it is not about the stats.'

The dynamic nature of this evaluation demanded not only precision but also adaptability. My gaze tracked the moving targets as I contemplated the best approach.

'Let's keep it interesting a little.'

I smoothly retrieved two arrows from my quiver, nocking them onto the bowstring. I felt like the tension in the air grew as the audience anticipated my next move, though it may have been my own delusion.

SWOOSH!

With a swift motion, I released the arrows. They sailed through the air, following calculated trajectories to intercept the moving targets.

'Not bad.'

The arrows hit the targets as they were close, and I could see some of the audience talking amongst themselves. Even some scouts had their eyes on me.

"He is quite good?"

"Not on the level of Alex, but he is certainly not bad."

"What did you say his name was?"

"Astron Natusalune."