Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80 Chapter 19.2 - Before the dungeon

"Everyone is here. Then we can start." Captain Adrian said, looking at us gathered around here.

Since today was going to be the first training session with the Archery Club, every member was gathered here.

Of course, it was not mandatory to attend the training sessions, but considering this club's budget and the people attending the club here, naturally, everyone was eager to come.

After all, even getting small tips from such seniors is pretty helpful for those who seek improvement.

'Well, this is mostly because of the excitement of the first day. Not anything else.' I thought, since from the first day afterward, freshmen would drop one by one.

"Today will be our first training session. I assume you are all ready." Captain Adrian began, his voice carrying the weight of experience. His sharp eyes scanned the assembly, making each member feel like they were the sole focus of his attention.

"As you all know, archery is a discipline that demands precision, focus, and dedication. It's not about how strong you are, but how well you can control your body and your mind," he continued. "Today, we'll start with the fundamentals. Even though I know everyone here had already learned archery in one way or another. However, in the pre-academy schools, only the textbook positions are taught."

With practiced ease, Captain Adrian picked up a bow and arrow, demonstrating the correct posture and technique.

"In the field, everything does constantly change. No matter how talented you are or how many times you practiced your basic archery, there will be times when you won't be able to use your perfect posture. Here, it is important to know that, as an archer, you need to change your posture constantly according to your position and situation."

SWOOSH

He drew the string, his movements fluid and graceful, and released the arrow with a soft twang.

THUD

The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the target with pinpoint accuracy.

"This is what you have heard from the hunters that you have known or from the hunters on the internet. Probably most of you here think the textbook examples and the theory are useless when it comes to practice." Captain Adrian continued. "But let me tell you, understanding the theory and mastering the basics makes it easier to adapt to any situation. It's like having a solid foundation upon which you can build your skills."

Looking at his words and the reactions from the club members, I could see Adrian was suited to be a leader. His voice was filled with authority, and when you listened to him, you would feel like he was making a point.

The reactions of freshmen were an example of that. The club members were nodding their heads in understanding as if they realized that theory and practice were not at odds but rather complemented each other.

'If someone other said these, they would simply boo them.'

They were eager to learn more because of the momentary emotion of excitement and hype, which won't last long.

"Now, let's get started with today's training," Captain Adrian said, picking up his bow again. "I'll show you the basic posture that I've made my own over the years and the textbook one. I want each of you to derive your own variations based on your body type and comfort. This will be your first task as an Archery Club member. We want you to make your own posture and present it to us with its advantages with a report."

Those words caused quite a shock for the newcomers.

"What is this?"

"How can we make our own posture?"

"Do they really expect us to be able to do something like that?"

'Where is your excitement now.'

They were clearly not expecting such a task from the first day. That was indeed hard; even in the game, this task took the whole first semester or the year, depending on the affinity of the character.

However, this club was not a charity. As they said, they wanted the members to contribute to the Archery field, and this was one way of doing that. By presenting different types of ideas, you could contribute to the field.

Of course, this didn't mean it was simply one way of getting things. You could ask seniors for pointers, and you could learn from them basically.

With that, he demonstrated his preferred stance; his body relaxed yet poised for action.

His every movement was deliberate, and he encouraged the members to pay attention to the key points of balance, alignment, and flexibility.

'This explains why he was able to get the captain position.' The way he positioned himself was almost perfect for his body, and his talent at bows was showing itself.

"Now, I want each of you to give it a try. Don't be afraid to experiment, find what works best for you, and ask questions to your seniors. I will be wandering around and will look for those who want to learn for pointers."

With those words, everyone started practicing with their bows, and I did the same.

As I began practicing with my compound bow, I couldn't help but notice the gazes of some students around me. The looks they cast my way were far from friendly; in fact, they seemed to hold a touch of scorn.

"He's using a compound bow? Seriously?" one student whispered to another, their words barely concealing their mockery.

"Yeah, I heard those are for hunters who can't handle a proper recurve bow," the other replied with a snicker.

"Isn't he like the lowest-ranked student here? Figures he'd need a crutch like that."

There were a lot of classes inside the academy. Therefore, not everyone knew my face. However, it seemed my reputation as the weakest was spread quite a lot.

However, I kept my focus on my practice. It was not like this was something new anyway, and just like that, the session went on.

******

"Oh, Student Astron. You are here."

As I was immersed in my training, suddenly I heard the voice of certain someone I had been waiting for. It was Instructor Ethan.

"Instructor Ethan," I responded, lowering my bow. By this time, it had been an hour after the start, and most of the freshmen had already left the training grounds.

"As expected, my eyes weren't wrong." He nodded his head with a smile. The clothes on him were his casual ones, and there were traces of small pieces of dust and soil on his sleeves. The faint smell of burnt soil was also there, coupled with the smell of blood.

'He just came from a dungeon.'

It seemed a certain dungeon appeared in close proximity to the academy.

"What do you mean?"