Pick Me Up!

Jenna distanced herself about 10 meters away from me.

In her hands, she tightly held a recurve bow—not a practice weapon, but one meant for real combat. The arrows attached to it possessed razor-sharp tips.

The practice of blocking arrows with a shield had become monotonous.

I had also reached an advanced stage in practicing the coordination of shield and sword. The shield alone couldn’t provide the same level of effectiveness in deflecting arrows. It had reached a point where further practice seemed futile.

And so, I discarded the shield.

Now, I grasped a single sword.

One misplaced arrow could prove fatal.

I knew it, and so did Jenna.

“I’m ready.”

“Come.”

Ping!

With a cheerful sound, an arrow came flying towards me.

For a split second, time seemed to slow down. The arrow twirled through the air, finding its way towards my right chest. My right hand moved instinctively, assuming an efficient posture without conscious intent.

The arrow shattered upon impact, just as it had approached.

“One more.”

“Here I go!”

The second arrow took flight. I kept my eyes fixed on it. My sword swiftly arced in a diagonal path, effectively severing the arrow in half.

The next arrow came without warning.

Jenna and I refrained from exchanging unnecessary words. The training ground was filled with the silent symphony of arrows being released and thwarted.

When I split the fifteenth arrow in half, several individuals entered the training area. We momentarily paused our movements.

“Ah, hello.”

As our eyes met, we awkwardly exchanged greetings.

I offered a brief response. They settled into a corner, commencing their training with uncoordinated movements. Aaron was noticeably absent.

“Aaron isn’t here?”

“Leave him be. He’s probably sulking in his room.”

Normally, he would have arrived before me, diligently engaging in training. The same could be said for Dica. Both of them displayed exceptional enthusiasm when it came to honing their skills.

Not like these guys here.

I understood the mindset with which they approached training.

It wasn’t solely about becoming stronger. It was about concealing their potential. When the sky darkened, they acted nonchalant, only to swiftly wield their weapons once it brightened.

“They should have been the ones to die instead of the other two yesterday.”

Those two had shown promise. With a bit more growth, they could have become valuable assets.

My expression contorted, and Jenna seemed to sense the atmosphere, offering an awkward smile.

“Let’s focus on our training!”

“Release!”

Ping!

The sixteenth arrow soared through the air, aiming for my lower body. I skillfully evaded it.

“Wow…”

“Don’t pay them any mind. It’s just their usual behavior.”

Whispers echoed through the crowd.

I had no room to spare for their opinions.

“It seems my reflexes have indeed improved.”

The art of sword and shield encompassed a skill known as swordsmanship. While using both weapons simultaneously yielded the highest efficiency, there wasn’t a significant penalty for employing only one.

Now, my body moved ahead of my thoughts. Like breathing, my sword traced its trajectory with effortless reflexes.

Still, it remained a basic skill for now.

I couldn’t help but recall Shay’s extraordinary swordsmanship, on my first day here, piercing goblin necks with precise strikes. In comparison, I still had a long way to go.

Perhaps Shay could effortlessly cleave incoming arrows in half.

In this world, even minimal training yielded remarkable results.

Back on Earth, reaching this level would have taken at least a year.

Beneath my feet, the broken remnants of arrows began to accumulate.

Some arrows grazed my arms or legs, causing blood to spatter. Despite the wounds, Jenna remained unwavering, as more arrows swiftly followed suit.

These arrows took the flight to kill me, and I wasn’t gonna relent to it.

If I were to die senselessly in this training, it would be futile.

A few onlookers stood at a distance, their gazes fixed on Jenna and me.

We must have seemed like madmen.

The third arrow flew straight towards my forehead. A hit would be fatal—no chance for recovery. With a flick of my wrist, I deflected the arrow to the left using the edge of my sword. It whizzed past and embedded itself into the ground near the spectators’ feet.

“Oh my!”

“Did you see that?”

As I growled, the onlookers quickly retreated to their original positions.

Even while swinging weapons at scarecrows, their attention remained focused on us. They hadn’t even properly trained their stamina.

In my mind, I contemplated sending a message to the Master, letting him handle these beginners. However, as a level 9 player, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to devour such low-level heroes. The same applied to Jenna and Aaron. Dica would need to reach a certain level to make a significant impact.

This time, it’s a double shot.

Two arrows flew at me in rapid succession, targeting my chest and neck. Swiftly, I parried both with precise strikes.

After today’s training, the Master would log in.

I estimated it would be around 10 p.m. I had already discerned Anytng’s daily routine, which is why I requested a watch.

“We will be heading to the weekly dungeon.”

I mentally prepared the necessary materials.

Amidst it all, my hand wielding the sword continued to move skillfully and purposefully.