Chapter 33 - The Mysterious Woman
【Tai Chi Style: lv3 (0%), Traits: Robust Level 3, Power Level 1】
After two upgrades, 【Tai Chi Style】 had reached level 3, explaining how Chen Fan could fire two additional arrows despite his exhaustion.
"No wonder I felt stronger. There's an extra power trait now," Chen Fan murmured in realization.
The only drawback was the power trait's meager yield - merely one strength point per level compared to the robust trait's two constitution points per level. He sighed briefly before checking his status panel:
Realm: Body Refinement First Layer
Level: 4 (0/8)
Constitution: 26.6
Strength: 18.51
Agility: 11.45
Spirit: 7.32
Potential Points: 6 (3 points/day)
His constitution had increased by four points, strength by one, with three potential points accumulated. Since reaching Body Refinement First Layer, potential points generated faster - though not yet at 24-hour intervals. A noon meal would suffice to level up before evening.
"With my current strength, a hundred-pound draw bow should be manageable," Chen Fan calculated, eyes gleaming. Such equipment could let him eliminate dangerous beasts from 150 meters or dispatch desert hares from 200 meters without alerting them. The mere thought of wielding 300-pound bows made him salivate.
Checking his archery progress:
【Basic Archery: lv5 (25%)...】
"Impressive!" His proficiency had leapt from under 10% to 25% since morning. Even deducting 1% from the wild ox kill, 15% remained. While thrilling, he suppressed fantasies of repeating this feat - survival took priority over reckless grinding.
Combat offered rapid growth but mortal risks. Village practice meant slower progress with safety. Chen Fan sighed - perfection remained eternally elusive.
...
Villagers clustered in sunlit groups, exchanging gossip to pass time. Children's laughter echoed from hopscotch games nearby.
"Sister Meng! Play with us!" A twin-tailed girl tugged at a solitary woman's sleeve. The twenty-year-old lowered her gaze from the village gates, softening at the child's insistence. "Just a short while," Meng Yu conceded, swarmed by eager youngsters.
She shook her head slightly. Yesterday's bountiful hunt had revived village spirits - elders emerged from seclusion, children rediscovered playfulness. Yet her prophetic dream warned of today's meager haul: mere beef scraps and one desert hare at dusk. Such paltry gains would starve many.
They celebrated too soon. Conservation remained vital.
"THE HUNT RETURNS! GUODONG'S GROUP BRINGS PLENTY!" A runner's shout electrified the settlement. Children and elders alike stampeded toward the gates.
Meng Yu froze mid-step. Impossible.
...
Wang Ping arrived breathless at the commotion. Even Zhang Ren approached, hearing gasps ripple through the crowd:
"Six wasteland wolves! How?"
"Wolf packs are deadly! These wounds... arrows?"
The bald hunter chuckled. "Removed for transport, but yes - all arrow kills."
Wang Ping's jaw dropped. "Brother Fan did this?!" The crowd swiveled to stare at Chen Fan, who'd surpassed yesterday's wildebeest kill with six fiercer predators.
"Team effort," Chen Fan demurred, flushing under scrutiny.
"Rubbish!" a hunter countered. "We just watched you flank them! Your plan, your arrows!"
As explanations spread, admiration crystallized into reverence. Wang Ping's group stood awestruck - flanking wolves under their noses required steel nerves.
Chen Fan squirmed under praise. He'd anticipated attention but not this torrent. At the crowd's edge, Zhang Ren turned away muttering: "Clever against low-tier beasts. Won't work higher up."
"Uncle Zhang!" Chen Fan moved to follow, then froze - his gaze met a raven-haired woman's piercing stare.
