Chapter 11: Come Over and Replace Me

Approaching nine in the morning, the scorching sun gradually became somewhat stinging. Lu Yu was immersed in the focus of archery practice when, suddenly, a flash of lightning seemed to streak through his mind, followed immediately by a gentle, warm current spreading instantly throughout his entire body.

Although this warm current was not as surging and powerful as when his body was being strengthened, it swept away all the fatigue he had accumulated previously.

Lu Yu felt tangibly that his Constitution and strength had been further enhanced; every inch of his muscles was injected with new vitality, and his breathing became deeper and more powerful.

"Finally broke through to level 2!" Lu Yu let out a long breath, his heart full of anticipation, and he couldn't wait to check the Skill panel in his mind.

Realm: None

Level: 3 (0/4)

Constitution: 11.78

Strength: 10.57

【Basic Archery: lv2 (0%), Traits: Body Strengthening level 2, Arm Strength Mastery level 2, Steady Shot level 2】

Looking at the clear data on the panel, a sense of achievement welled up in Lu Yu.

His Constitution and Strength attributes had each increased by one point, especially the Constitution attribute, which was now just one step away from the critical value of 12 points.

And the level 2 Steady Shot trait caused his hit rate to soar to 60% in one go, which meant that in his subsequent practice and actual combat, his control over arrows had undergone a qualitative leap.

"I wonder how much proficiency can be gained by shooting an arrow now?" Driven by curiosity, Lu Yu immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

At this moment, pulling the bowstring to full draw was much easier for him; the muscles in his arms seemed to have memorized the essentials of every movement, and his use of strength was more fluid and natural, as if he and the bow had merged into one.

"Whoosh!" The arrow, like a black meteor, instantly tore through the air and hit the bullseye steadily, the tail of the arrow still trembling slightly.

"Level 2 Basic Archery is indeed remarkably powerful!" Lu Yu recalled the state he was in while shooting; that feeling of being undistracted and fully focused made him intoxicated.

Once he entered the state of drawing the bow, he seemed to be isolated from the surrounding world, with only the target and the arrow in his hand remaining in his eyes.

However, when he checked his proficiency, the smile on his face stalled slightly.

【Basic Archery lv2 (0.4%)...】

At level one, hitting the bullseye could increase proficiency by about 1.2%, but now it was only one-third of that.

"To raise Basic Archery to level 3, I need to hit the bullseye 250 times. However, with my current physical fitness, shooting one arrow every two minutes shouldn't be a problem. That way, I can shoot 30 times an hour, so ten hours should be enough time."

Lu Yu calculated quickly in his heart, a smile bloomed on his face again, and his inner fighting spirit was reignited.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon. Lu Yu returned home, where his mother had already prepared the meal. Seeing him looking so exhausted from archery practice, she felt heartbroken and specially added a few more pieces of meat to his bowl.

Lu Yu felt a warmth in his heart. Although his Potential Points had only risen to 0.3, still far from the 4 Potential Points required for the next level, his mother's love filled him with gratitude.

After finishing his lunch in a hurry, Lu Yu did not delay for a moment and immediately returned to the open space in front of the Warehouse to continue practicing archery.

Perhaps his persistence and hard work had infected those around him; those few young men also arrived one after another, their gazes toward Lu Yu filled with a bit more admiration.

They had once doubted Wang Liang's words, not believing that anyone could be so obsessed with archery, even persisting tirelessly at night.

But after observing for this whole morning and all of yesterday, they had to admit that Lu Yu's hard work and focus far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Coupled with the departure of the Liu Jia Xiong Di, which left the future of the Zhai full of uncertainty, they realized that if they did not work hard themselves, they would not only fail to live up to everyone's expectations but also be unable to face their own hearts.

An hour later, Wang Liang walked over, sat on the ground to help Lu Yu massage his arms, and sighed with emotion: "You kid, your talent is really good! Now you can hit at least six or seven out of ten arrows; no one would believe you've only been practicing for such a short time if I told them."

Lu Yu smiled sheepishly. He knew in his heart that while the system was an important aid, his own hard work was equally indispensable.

During this time, he had put in countless sweat and energy; every time he drew the bow and every time he aimed, it was a challenge and transcendence of himself.

He constantly honed his will and technique, gradually mastering the essence of archery, which was how he achieved his current results.

"However, if you keep practicing like this, the effect might not be very obvious anymore." Wang Liang changed the subject, his expression becoming serious.

Lu Yu's heart tightened, and he asked hurriedly: "Wang Shu, what do you mean by that?"

Wang Liang looked up, his gaze fixed on him, and said earnestly: "Your hit rate is indeed very high now, but you are only practicing on fixed targets. The Fierce Beasts in the wild won't just stand there obediently for you to shoot; they are fast and have agile reactions. Unless you can approach them silently, it will be very difficult to hit them."

Lu Yu's heart was shaken. Only then did he realize that he had been focusing on the increase in proficiency while ignoring the needs of actual combat, falling into a state of self-satisfaction.

He only saw the progress before his eyes but did not consider the future.

"Wang Shu, are you saying I should practice shooting moving targets?" Lu Yu realized suddenly.

"That's right." Wang Liang nodded with satisfaction. "Although my Archery is average, everyone understands this principle. You have improved quickly, which is worth praising, but to truly become an outstanding archer, it is far from enough."

"I understand." Lu Yu took a deep breath and then asked: "But, Wang Shu, how can I have moving targets?"

Wang Liang was slightly stunned, not expecting Lu Yu to ask this. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said: "I'll help you!"

Thus, a peculiar scene appeared before everyone's eyes: Wang Liang stood to the side and threw the target into the air with force, the target tracing an arc through the sky.

Lu Yu quickly aimed, drew the bow, and shot the arrow, his movements fluid and continuous, showing excellent reaction speed and coordination.

Unfortunately, the first arrow missed.

"Don't rush, take it slow. This time I'll throw it slower, you concentrate!" Wang Liang encouraged, throwing the target again.

Lu Yu squinted his eyes, staring tightly at the trajectory of the target, his brain calculating its landing point and speed at high velocity.

Just as the target reached the optimal position, he decisively shot an arrow.

"Whoosh!" The arrow hit the edge of the target; the target shook violently and then slowly landed on the ground.

Lu Yu checked his attribute panel nervously.

【Basic Archery lv2 (25%)】

"!"

Lu Yu was both surprised and delighted. The progress was only 23% before; this one arrow had actually increased it by 2%! If he could hit the bullseye, wouldn't he be able to increase it by more than 4%?

Even if he only hit the edge, there was a 2% increase in progress. This efficiency was five times that of shooting fixed targets; it was simply too cost-effective!

"What are you thinking about? Concentrate, continue!" Wang Liang's voice interrupted Lu Yu's thoughts.

"Okay, Wang Shu!" Lu Yu looked at Wang Shu with gratitude.

To be fair, Wang Shu was truly a great person.

According to this progress, not only could he quickly upgrade to lv3, but with a little more effort, lv4 would no longer be out of reach.

An hour later, Wang Liang felt his right arm was extremely sore, as heavy as if it had been filled with lead; every time he raised his hand, it was incredibly difficult.

He wanted to suggest a rest, but seeing Lu Yu's determined eyes, he changed his mind.

"Next, I'll throw with my left hand; the force might be a bit hard to control, so get ready," Wang Liang said, gritting his teeth.

Lu Yu also calmed down from his excitement and said with concern, "Wang Shu, why don't we rest for a while? Let's practice again after you've recovered."

"I told you to practice, so just practice! Why so much nonsense!" Wang Liang feigned anger and glared at him, though he thought to himself: I am a grown man, I cannot lose to this brat.

Thus, throwing targets and shooting arrows, throwing targets and shooting arrows; another hour passed, and Wang Liang finally could not hold on any longer.

"Wang Shu, let's rest first." Seeing Wang Shu's exhausted state, Lu Yu felt bad and took the initiative to suggest it.

In these nearly two hours, Lu Yu had hit the target about twelve times; although not once did he hit the bullseye, the progress bar had already exceeded 50%.

Moreover, his physical exertion was not great; after all, his body had been strengthened, and both his stamina and recovery had significantly improved.

Wang Liang seemed to notice this and asked, "Can you still continue?"

"Uh..." Lu Yu hesitated slightly.

"You, come here!" Wang Liang shouted toward a young man resting not far away, "I've seen you resting for quite a while, staring over here the whole time. Fine, I'll give you a chance; come and take my place."

The young man looked helpless, complaining bitterly in his heart: I only just sat down and only took two looks, how did it end up being my turn!