Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey

Chapter 31: Late Night Encounter

In the middle of the night, I quietly slipped out of my room, a Bow in my hand. It was time for me to learn how to use this weapon properly.

I was just so novice at the bow.

If I knew how to use the bow I had no problem killing that Frostbite Wolf.

It was Evelyn who killed it.

The Frostbite Wolf had made it clear that I needed to improve my long-range skills.

My destination was the shooting range on the training grounds.

The shooting range was a dome-shaped building consisting of 20 training rooms.

The targets were oddly distributed around where the sharpshooter, Archer, and mages would stand.

[Rank 1001, Lucas Darkheart, confirmed.]

As I approached the circular building, I held my Ai bracket against the entrance, and a robotic voice confirmed my identity as Lucas Darkheart, Rank 1001. The door to the shooting range opened.

Inside, the shooting range appeared simple yet well-designed. Twenty training rooms were distributed around a circular space, each with its targets placed strategically.

The shooting range looked simple.

At the centre of the 130-square-meter circular space was a scaffolding for the long-range fighter. I walked towards the centre.

[ Choose the number of targets you want,] the system prompted me.

"5." My voice rang through,

I decided to start with five targets and blue objects popped up from the ground. The targets were snake-like creatures with a touch of mana, larger than regular snakes but not true monsters.

[Choose your training difficulty.]

[You can choose from Easy, Medium, Hard, and Perfect. ]

Higher levels naturally meant targets moved quickly. At difficulty Perfect, the targets even attacked. Although the attacks should only sting at best, they were extremely dangerous to me.

Next, I selected the training difficulty. I opted for "Easy" since I was still a beginner at archery.

With my bow and arrow in hand, I aimed at the leftmost target. The slow-moving snake started to speed up as it sensed my hostility, slithering unpredictably. But I remained focused, predicting its movements and firing an arrow.

One by one, I moved through the targets, firing arrows quickly and efficiently. The sluggishness of the Easy difficulty made it almost like a game.

After a successful round, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. This was a lot more fun than I had anticipated.

[Your training ended. ]

"... This is pretty fun."

An eternal truth. The better you are at something, the more fun it is.

It was fun because you were good at it. Feeling like I was at an arcade, I shouted 'start' once more.

***

55 minutes later…

Ding—!

[You have gained a second profession. ]

[ profession ---> Archar. ]

[ Profession Level --> 0/ Beginner Level ]

[Your knowledge about your profession has increased. Progress: [9%]

[ Reach 100% to Level 1 ]

I decided to start another round and continued practising for about 55 minutes, honing my archery skills. As I progressed, a notification finally appeared, informing me that I had gained a second profession: Archer.

The progress level for my technique was at 9%, indicating that there was still a long way to go before I could reach the next level.

As I rested and reflected on my training, I thought about the status screen that had appeared when mana began flowing on Earth.

When a Luminous crystal Exploded and mana started flowing on Earth, people who could wield it started seeing a translucent screen.

That translucent screen presented them with information about themselves, such as their name, race, profession/skills, magic potential etc.

It also provided them with a numerical representation of their physical and mental condition like attack, defence, charm, and intelligence.

Over the years, everyone started calling it the 'Status window.'

Oof, flashy names. What's wrong with people's naming sense in this world?

"Ah, I was the one who wrote a name." I laugh at myself.

For simplicity's sake, I referred to it as the status screen.

At around 3 A.M., I wrapped up my shooting practice and headed out of the room.

—whoosh whoosh whoosh

The faint sound of shockwaves.

That's when I heard a faint sound of arrows slicing through the air coming from the adjacent room.

Curious, I approached the door and peeked inside. I found Evelyn, deeply focused on her archery training. Her bow held four magic-infused arrows, and with precision and concentration, she released them.

The magic arrows left behind a vivid blue trail as they struck and obliterated the targets effortlessly. It was a remarkable display of skill and control.

"Amazing," I couldn't help but mutter in awe.

Suddenly, Evelyn turned and locked eyes with me, her expression revealing a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Evelyn and I found ourselves standing there, a moment of silence between us after my whispered exclamation of amazement at her archery skills. She broke the silence first, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"You're up late, Lucas. Couldn't sleep?"

I shook my head, still somewhat in awe of her shooting prowess. "I was practising. Trying to get better with the bow."

Evelyn nodded, her expression thoughtful. "It's a good skill to have, especially in situations like the one we faced with the Frostbite Wolves. But it takes time and practice."

"Tell me about it," I replied, rubbing my fingers that were still sore from drawing the bowstring repeatedly. "I can barely manage basic shots right now."

She chuckled softly. "You'll get there. It's all about patience and persistence.

I decided to also compliment her.

I cleared my throat. "So, uh, Evelyn, you're amazing with a bow. I mean, those shots were... something else."

Evelyn glanced at me, her amber-green eyes carrying a mix of surprise and curiosity. "You think so?"

"Yeah, definitely," I replied, trying to sound confident. "I mean, I've never seen someone shoot like that."

She didn't say anything for a moment, and I couldn't help but feel that I had said something wrong. Maybe I was being too forward?

Finally, Evelyn spoke, her voice calm but distant. "I've been practising for a long time. It's just something I've always been good at."

I nodded, trying to keep the conversation going. "I noticed you were using magic-infused arrows. Is that common among archers?"

Evelyn seemed to relax a bit, her posture less rigid. "Not really. It's a technique I've developed to enhance my shots. It takes a lot of control and mana, but it's worth it."

I was genuinely interested in what she had to say, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering her. Maybe it was the dream, or maybe it was just me being paranoid.

As we continued walking, I decided to bring up a lighter topic. "So, uh, how do you like Nova Academy so far?"

Evelyn's lips curled into a small smile, and I was relieved to see a hint of warmth in her eyes. "It's challenging, that's for sure. But I like challenges."

"Yeah, me too," I replied, trying to sound casual. "I mean, I came here to become stronger and all that."

Evelyn stopped walking and turned to face me, her gaze intense. "Why did you come to Nova Academy, Lucas?"

Her question caught me off guard, and I stumbled over my words for a moment. "I, uh, well, I wanted to... improve myself. To become a hero, I guess."

Evelyn studied me for a moment, her eyes searching. "A hero, huh? That's a noble goal."

"Yeah," I replied, feeling a bit self-conscious. "But it's not just about being strong. It's about protecting others and making a difference."

Evelyn nodded slowly, and her expression softened. "I can respect that."

We continued walking in silence, the awkward tension from earlier slowly dissipating.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of connection with Evelyn as if we were both striving for something greater, even if we had our insecurities and doubts.

As we reached the corridor where our rooms were located, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reluctance to end our conversation. The connection I felt with Evelyn, the ease with which we talked, was something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

Our rooms were side by side, and we came to a stop outside of them. Evelyn turned to me, her sapphire eyes still carrying that hint of mystery. It was as if there were layers to her that she hadn't yet revealed.

I cleared my throat, breaking the brief silence. "Evelyn, before we part ways for the night, there's something I've been curious about."

Her gaze remained on me, waiting for my question.

"How did you become friends with Lyra?"

For a moment, Evelyn's expression shifted, as if a shadow passed over her features. It was a subtle change, but I noticed it. She seemed hesitant, her usually confident demeanour faltering.

She sighed softly before responding, "I transferred to the new school, and that's where I met Lyra."

I see it was after that 'incident' she met Lyra, now I know where this story added Evelyn.

I nodded and offered a reassuring smile. "Well, it sounds like you two are close. Friends like that are hard to come by."

Evelyn's shoulders seemed to relax at my understanding. "Yes, we are. Lyra has been a true friend to me."

I couldn't help but be intrigued by the dynamics of their friendship, but I didn't want to pry any further. "That's great to hear. Well, Evelyn, it was nice talking to you tonight."

With a final nod, we both entered our respective rooms, but the connection we had formed lingered in my mind as I settled in for the night.

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