Chapter 119 - 88: Arrow of Serpentine Movement

’As expected of a niche sport. This is way more expensive than a trial class at the gym.’

...

"Go ahead and pick a training bow that feels right for you. I’ll go get the coach!"

Seeing that Chen Jue had paid by scanning the code, the sales consultant enthusiastically brought over a timer and had him put it on.

He was told the watch would vibrate when his time was up. It seemed even more stingy with time than the spa services at the Jingtang Club.

Meanwhile, the young lady at the front desk started introducing the row of bows and arrows hanging on the wall to Chen Jue.

"Mr. Chen, we have traditional bows and Compound Bows. If this is your first time, you could choose this beginner-friendly Recurve Bow."

"We recommend this one for all members taking a trial class. It’s relatively easy to get the hang of, and drawing the bow isn’t too strenuous," the receptionist explained, grabbing a few beginner Recurve Bows for him to try.

Chen Jue took them and pulled the bowstrings, but they all felt a little too light.

However, the receptionist had told him that Archery wasn’t about brute force, and it was best to choose a bow with a suitable draw weight. That would make practice less tiring and reduce the risk of injury.

Chen Jue thought that made sense. Just like starting a new workout routine, he needed to progress gradually and not overdo it right away. So, he simply picked the heaviest of the options: a 55-pound Recurve Bow.

Carrying the bow and a full Quiver, he entered the range in the back, where the hall’s coach was already waiting.

’I didn’t expect the coach to be a woman!’

She had ordinary looks and wasn’t very tall, but the way she held her bow gave her the impressive air of an ancient female general.

"Mr. Chen, this is our coach, Zhang Ning. She’s a retired athlete from the Jiang Province Archery team and even represented Jiang Province in the National Games. Her skill is top-notch," the sales consultant boasted before tactfully excusing himself.

"The consultant said this is your first time shooting, so you’d better wear an Arm Guard and Finger Guards. The string has a lot of force when it’s released; this will prevent you from getting hurt," Zhang Ning said, pulling the two pieces of protective gear from a large bin on the range.

Chen Jue didn’t refuse. He was, after all, a complete novice, so there was no point in putting on airs in front of a professional.

After putting on the Arm Guard and Finger Guards, he followed Zhang Ning’s lead, checking the Recurve Bow’s string to make sure it wasn’t loose. Then, he copied her warm-up exercises for drawing a bow.

The sport of Archery seemed simple, but it actually involved a great number of precise movements.

From gripping the bow and drawing the string to nocking an arrow, aiming, and releasing the shot, there were countless details to be aware of. If you just drew and shot carelessly, you could easily get slapped by the string, and the fletching of the arrow could scrape your fingers on its way out.

"Your arms look pretty strong. You must work out a lot, huh?"

"No wonder you picked a 55-pound bow right from the start!"

As Zhang Ning stood beside him, guiding his grip and correcting his posture for holding the bow and drawing the string, she gave his arm a squeeze through his sleeve and asked the questions.

The firmness of his muscles and the stability of his stance while holding the bow made Zhang Ning’s eyes light up.

’Teaching a client with this kind of physique is so much better than dealing with those out-of-shape office workers.’

"I’ve trained a little," Chen Jue nodded, imitating her as he nocked a practice arrow onto the string.

He then aimed at the practice target four meters away, drew the bow, and released the string. The string vibrated sharply, sending the practice arrow flying.

But in the instant the arrow was loosed, Chen Jue made an amazing discovery. The black arrow didn’t fly straight; instead, it wobbled erratically, almost like it was snaking through the air before THUDDING into the target wall.

If his vision hadn’t recently improved so dramatically, Chen Jue wouldn’t have even been able to perceive this serpentine flight path.

Just then, a new notification popped up on his panel, exactly as Chen Jue had predicted:

——————

[DING~]

[A qualifying physical activity has been completed.]

[Skill Activated: Archery]

——————

"Yes!"

"It’s just like I thought!"

Chen Jue looked at the brand new [Archery Lv. 0 (1/100)] icon that had appeared in his Skill Bar and clenched his fist in excitement.

Previously, Chen Jue had only ever unlocked these strange Skills by pure coincidence.

Now, after some formal instruction and combined with the panel’s hints, he was finally starting to figure out the pattern behind how these Skills were acquired.

It seemed any physical activity related to human evolution and adapting to the environment had the potential to be registered by the panel.

Just like the [Hunting Throwing] Skill he had activated before, the sport of [Archery] was also originally used by human ancestors to hunt wild animals for food.

It was only after generations of development that [Archery] transitioned from its original purpose of hunting to being widely used in human warfare. Eventually, it was rendered obsolete by the rise of firearms and became a recreational and competitive sport in this modern era of peace.

...

Probably because he had figured out some of the rules for triggering Skills, Chen Jue was now in high spirits and was especially enthusiastic about his Archery practice.

The constant "+1, +1" Skill Level notifications popping up on his panel only added to his excitement.

As if he’d discovered a new favorite toy, he drew the bowstring with immense energy, leaving the coach, Zhang Ning, stunned as she watched from the side.

’Drawing the bow over fifty times in a row without even breaking a sweat? This guy’s physical condition is incredible!’ Zhang Ning thought to herself. Professional archers like her shot, at most, one or two hundred arrows per day in training.

Only when cramming before a major competition would they increase that number to over three hundred.

That was because executing the complete, standard Archery motion was extremely taxing.

Although Chen Jue had only been practicing for a short while and his form was still a bit off, the fact that he could pull the string to a full draw every single time was far beyond what a beginner should be capable of.

Thus, at Zhang Ning’s suggestion, Chen Jue, having just finished his warm-up, went to try out the long-range stationary targets.

The official competition distance for a Recurve Bow is a standard 70 meters (50 meters for a Compound Bow; only the Recurve Bow is an Olympic event), and the target face is marked with concentric circles for scoring.

However, considering that most of their customers were beginners and hobbyists, Feiyu Archery Hall had all its stationary targets set up within 50 meters. There was only one professional 70-meter target, tucked away in the far corner.

’It looks a bit like a professional Darts board!’

’But this distance is seriously impressive.’

Chen Jue muttered to himself. If his vision hadn’t transformed, he wouldn’t even be able to make out the scoring rings on the 70-meter target that far away.

When Zhang Ning, who was standing beside him, saw Chen Jue immediately select the furthest, competition-standard target, she was a little taken aback. "You want to shoot at that one?"

"I’ll give it a try. If I can’t hit it, I’ll move to a closer one," Chen Jue nodded, raising his Recurve Bow and using its sight to eyeball the bullseye’s position.

When he drew the string, pulling the 55-pound Recurve Bow into the shape of a full moon, Zhang Ning’s eyes went wide in disbelief!

’A full draw!’

’How is his arm Strength so immense? Wasn’t what I saw earlier his limit?’

Zhang Ning’s eyes were wide. She felt like she was seeing things. She was witnessing the form of a professional athlete in a complete beginner.

Meanwhile, Chen Jue, having turned sideways and drawn the string to its limit, relied on the aiming intuition from his Max-Level Hidden Weapon Throwing and abruptly let go.

TWANG! The bowstring vibrated, and the black arrow flew out, crossing the 70-meter distance and THUDDING into the target.

Although it didn’t hit the bullseye for a perfect 10, the "9" that flashed on the electronic scoreboard still made Zhang Ning gasp. ’Is he really a beginner here for a trial class?’

Chen Jue, however, looked at the score on the display with some dissatisfaction, muttering a humblebrag, "I can’t believe I missed the bullseye?"

Meanwhile, as the arrow struck the target, a notification popped up on the Attribute panel in his field of vision:

——————

[DING~]

[Completed an excellent Archery training session. Your upper body muscle groups were effectively exercised. Muscle endurance and explosive power have increased.]

[Archery Skill Level +5]

[Strength Attribute +0.01]