Chapter 64: Level 5 Sea Monster

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Level 5 Sea Monster

Jiang Yuxing adjusted her stance. "Left foot forward, right foot back. Relax, drop your shoulders, and keep your back straight..."

Once her stance was stable, Jiang Yuxing taught her how to hold the bow, nock an arrow, find her anchor point, and aim.

He had her practice the same posture over and over. Only when Shi Zhile could easily draw the bow to its full extent did he let go and allow her to practice on her own.

"Walk forward and stop about thirty meters from the target. Try shooting an arrow."

Shi Zhile expertly nocked an arrow, drew the bow, aimed, and fired.

The Arrow Fletching flew from the bowstring with a WHOOSH, grazing past the target. It had missed by just a hair.

She wasn’t discouraged. She took out a new Arrow Fletching and continued to practice. This time she hit the target, though only in the three-point ring.

Jiang Yuxing walked up behind her and guided her hands, showing her how to aim.

He was a head taller than Shi Zhile, so to accommodate her, Jiang Yuxing leaned down slightly. "The arrowhead needs to be aimed at the lower right of the target. That way, it’ll hit the mark when you release. Arm steady... release!"

As he spoke, the Arrow Fletching shot out again, this time hitting the nine-point ring.

Jiang Yuxing retracted his hands, satisfied, but didn’t straighten up. He spoke, his breath warm against the side of Shi Zhile’s ear.

"Excellent. There’s no shortcut to learning archery. The only way to master the skill is through practice. Keep going. I’ll watch."

Shi Zhile ignored his deliberate attempt at seduction, expressionlessly took out another Arrow Fletching, and shot again. This time, she did it on her own and hit the seven-point ring.

A soft chuckle sounded by her ear. Shi Zhile turned to meet his gaze, looking him up and down.

"Are you really not cold? You have the face of a player; you don’t need to resort to these subtle seduction tactics.

And you don’t have to do it while I’m practicing my archery. You could get accidentally hurt."

Jiang Yuxing blushed a little. "...I wasn’t..."

Shi Zhile raised an eyebrow. "You weren’t trying to seduce me?

So when you were teaching me to hold the bow, you ’accidentally’ tickled my palm? And you got close to my ear and lowered your voice because you were ’afraid of scaring me’ with a loud noise?

Is that it?"

Jiang Yuxing took two steps back, left her with a "Just because you see through it doesn’t mean you have to say it," and hurried away.

Shi Zhile ran over to pull out the Arrow Fletchings, then continued practicing. She kept at it for another two or three hours.

The winter days were short. It was just past five, and the sky was already completely dark. But Jiang Yuxing’s yard had two solar-powered lamps hanging, so it was easy to lose track of time if you weren’t deliberately looking at the sky.

Shi Zhile shot the Arrow Fletching in her hand, then stopped to stretch her sore arms and fingers.

Jiang Yuxing leaned against the entrance of his treehouse, watching for a while. Seeing her last shot hit the nine-point ring, he smiled in gratification.

He called out, "Stop practicing! Come back, wash your hands, and eat. I’ll teach you how to box after dinner."

Shi Zhile went to retrieve all the Arrow Fletchings, then asked, "What time is it?"

"Five o’clock."

’It’s still early...’

As if he knew what she was thinking, Jiang Yuxing immediately added, "It’s not early, so don’t even think about dawdling. Get back here, quick."

Back in the treehouse, the space now felt noticeably larger.

It was fully furnished, and there was even a pot of mint by the bed for decoration. It had a much more lived-in feel than Shi Zhile’s empty stone house.

On the table were two large bowls of tomato and egg noodles, their fragrant aroma wafting through the air, looking exceptionally appetizing.

After dinner, Jiang Yuxing insisted on pulling Shi Zhile along for a walk in the yard.

Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Half an hour later, Jiang Yuxing officially began teaching her how to box. The foundation of boxing, he explained, was the horse stance.

Two hours later, Shi Zhile left a piece of beef as a tuition fee and returned to her own shelter, grimacing in pain.

The first thing she did was boil a large pot of water. She poured the hot water into her bathtub, mixed in some cold water, and sank her entire body into it.

Her body soaked in the warm water, and the soreness began to ease. Just as she was drifting off, she heard the sound of shattering glass, followed by a thick, earthy stench that grew stronger.

Her eyes shot open. She quickly dried herself off and pulled on her soft armor. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, a piercing alarm blared.

[Warning! Warning! Warning! Shelter under attack by a Level Five Sea Monster!]

[Warning! Warning! A Level Five Sea Monster has breached the shelter! Player, repel it immediately to prevent shelter damage and downgrades!]

[Warning! Warning! An unknown Level Five Sea Monster is in close proximity! Your life is in danger!]

The three warnings overlapped as Shi Zhile immediately took out a torch.

She wasn’t sure if her "underwear immunity" was effective against a Level Five Sea Monster, so she prepared for both possibilities, taking out an axe with her other hand.

After the last warning faded, the foul, fishy stench that assaulted her senses became overwhelmingly intense.

A faint rustling sound came from the window, growing closer. By the light of her torch and the glow of the furnace, she could vaguely make out an unknown creature crawling on the floor.

It moved with incredible speed. The moment it saw Shi Zhile, it abruptly changed direction and scrambled toward her.

Shi Zhile raised her axe and went to meet it. Only when she was closer did she realize it was a monster with a human head and a fish’s body.

The skin on the monster’s face was chapped and cracked, and its mouth was full of sharp fangs that made an unsettling sound as they gnashed together.

Before it could get too close, Shi Zhile threw the torch at it. The flames clung to its body with a SIZZLE before being quickly extinguished.

The monster only paused for a moment. A low, raspy sound escaped its throat. It didn’t retreat in the slightest; instead, the fire seemed to have provoked its bloodlust.

It propped itself up on its two chapped arms, then launched itself into the air with a powerful slap of its fish tail against the ground.

Shi Zhile quickly sidestepped and retreated to dodge, simultaneously tightening her grip on the axe and swinging it in a horizontal backhand strike.

The axe scraped against the scales of its tail, sending a shower of sparks. Just as she tried to press her advantage and strike its upper body, the glowing fish tail slammed viciously into her chest.

With that single blow, Shi Zhile was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

Her back slammed hard against an iron pillar. The pain intensified, and the metallic taste of blood rushed up her throat. Her vision went black for a second. She gripped her axe tightly and, just as the monster lunged again, she flung it with all her might.

Unlike the bloody scene she had anticipated, the monster changed its trajectory, deflecting the axe with a casual flick of its tail.

Both the axe and the monster flew toward Shi Zhile. She twisted her body to dodge the axe and pulled out another torch, running head-on at the creature.

Just as the monster opened its mouth to bite down on her shoulder, she shoved the torch straight into it.

While the monster thrashed, she grabbed the back of its neck, pinning it firmly to the ground. The axe was gone, so she casually pulled out a hammer and brought it down hard on the creature’s head.

Once, twice...

Cold, viscous fluid of an indiscernible color splattered everywhere.

The monster’s body struggled violently, the scales on its fish tail flaring out like upright blades.

As Shi Zhile hammered down again and again, the head was gradually smashed to a pulp.

The system notification hadn’t sounded, which likely meant the monster wasn’t dead. Shi Zhile didn’t dare let her guard down.

In the brief moment she paused to pull another axe from her backpack, the now-quiet fish tail suddenly whipped up and struck at her.

It was too fast, and the distance too short. Crouching on the ground, Shi Zhile had no way to dodge and could only duck into her Planting Space.