Chapter 40: New Feature, Rapid Fire
Two hundred meters from the target, Chen Fan stood firm, raising the bow with his left hand and nocking an arrow with his right. His thumb and index finger gradually pulled back the bowstring.
"Creak..."
As the bow's strain echoed, the hearts of Zhang Ren, Wang Ping, and the others lurched in their throats.
Could Chen Fan truly draw this bow to its full extent?
This was a hundred-jin draw weight bow – equivalent to 50 kilograms!
Yet in the next moment, their eyes widened simultaneously as they watched the bow bend into a perfect crescent moon shape.
Twang!
The release sounded like a firecracker detonating.
Whoosh! The arrow vanished into a blur before thudding deep into the bullseye. Its fletching vibrated violently, humming through the air.
"That's... that's impossible!" Wang Ping gaped.
"He actually drew it! And that sound – like thunder!"
Zhao Feng stared at the quivering arrow, a bitter smile twisting his lips. "Is this the power of a hundred-jin bow? Even savage beasts couldn't withstand more than a few shots." The gap between himself and Chen Fan now felt insurmountable – he couldn't even see the dust from Chen Fan's footsteps anymore.
"This kid..." Zhang Ren murmured, equally stunned. The Wei brothers could manage the draw weight, but their accuracy paled in comparison. Three shots might yield two hits in the fifth ring at best. Yet here was Chen Fan, bullseyeing on his first attempt with this bow.
Unaware of their astonishment, Chen Fan focused on his skill panel:
[Basic Archery: lv5 (26.5%)...]
0.5% per shot? He calculated. Two shots for 1%, meaning 148 arrows to level up. Faster than Tai Chi, but grueling. His arms already burned from the hundred-jin draw. Tai Chi required finesse; this demanded raw power.
"Triple shots could accelerate this," he realized. Nocking a second arrow, he loosed three in rapid succession.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Three arrows buried themselves in the bullseye before the first vibration faded.
"No... way..." The spectators stood frozen. Triple-shots with a hundred-jin bow? When Chen Fan reached for a fourth arrow, their jaws dropped.
"Reached my limit," Chen Fan lied smoothly, returning the arrow. In truth, he could continue – but why exhaust himself when three-shot volleys yielded 3% proficiency? Thirty sets would suffice.
Wang Ping exhaled shakily. "Three consecutive draws! We can barely manage one!"
"Half-draws, more like," another muttered.
Chen Fan waved off their praise. "Enough flattery. Pride comes before falls."
"Ch-Chen Fan?" Zhao Feng's ears reddened as all eyes turned to him. "Could you... teach me archery?"
The request hung heavy. Zhao Feng, notorious for his pride, asking for instruction?
"Of course." Chen Fan's reply came effortlessly. "Anyone interested can join." He gestured to the group. "I've downtime between volleys anyway."
As eager voices rose, their glances flicked to Zhang Ren – their usual instructor.
"Don't look at me!" The stocky man crossed his arms. "Wasn't me stopping you before." Food shortages had limited training previously. Now, with full bellies, they had no excuses.
While Chen Fan demonstrated stance adjustments for Zhao Feng, Zhang Ren wrestled with pride. Should I learn too? But taking lessons from this rookie... His internal debate raged – practicality versus ego.
By nightfall, Chen Fan had consumed two jin of meat, stockpiling 42 potential points. His arms screamed protest, but the warehouse clearing echoed with rhythmic twangs as he drilled triple-shots. A strategic body enhancement mid-session renewed his stamina.
At 10 PM, warmth flooded his muscles. The upgrade notification came subtly compared to Tai Chi's transformations:
[Basic Archery: lv6 (0%)
Traits: Strong Body 6, Arm Strength 6, Deliberate Aim 6, Mounted Archery 4, Rapid Fire 1]
"Rapid Fire!" Chen Fan grinned. New memories surfaced – techniques for blistering shot sequences. He flexed his hands, already envisioning tomorrow's training.
