Chapter 6: A one-on-one war-2

“Place the arrow on the bowstring. Draw the string. Fire!”

Following the professor’s command, the students released their arrows.

It was archery practice time.

The students from the Archery Department were shooting at targets 50 meters away.

“Look at that accuracy. It’s pathetic. Nock another arrow!”

The Archery Department professor’s name was Geoffrey Kett.

With a fierce shout imbued with magic, the students, wearing tense expressions, nocked their arrows again.

“Sigh… You all step out. The next group, come in.”

It was my turn.

Among the nervous students, I alone picked up the practice bow with a calm expression.

The students watched me, and Professor Geoffrey observed me silently.

I didn’t show any nervousness because it would lower my Scholar rate, but I couldn’t admit that.

Well, I didn’t think I’d struggle at this distance with archery being at level 7, even if it was just basic.

“Bullseye.”

Thud. My arrow hit the target.

At the same time, I heard the professor mutter.

It was a small voice, but everyone here must have heard it.

Out of all the students holding bows, I was the only one who pierced the center of the target.

A message spread among the students that the professor was openly staring at me.

It was likely the professor’s way of creating tension and fostering competition.

Whether they realized it or not, the students’ faces grew more downcast.

Without being swayed, I prepared for the next shot.

I held the bow with the slipping grip and drew the string using the Mongolian technique.

The arrow was placed on the right side of the bow, not the left, and I shot while dramatically pulling back with my rear hand.

After releasing the string, the bow naturally flipped downward.

This was my own modified Byuljeol technique.

The movements in this technique were very exaggerated.

It was the kind of technique that would get me scolded by my grandfather for being too flashy.

Despite the scolding, I couldn’t give up on this technique, so I had modified it to make the movements less grand.

「Scholar rate fluctuation: +1% (Elegant shooting) (Current Scholar rate: 74%)」

Now, it had become a controlled yet elegant dance fit for a scholar.

“You shoot with the arrow on the left side of the bow, but it’s not as good as placing it on the right.”

The one shooting with the arrow on the right was me.

Placing the arrow on the left side of the bow increases accuracy because it’s closer to your eyes.

However, in traditional Korean archery, the arrow is placed on the right side of the bow for faster reloading.

Ignoring tradition lowers the Scholar rate, so I also place my arrows on the right.

I glanced at the professor’s expression.

I could see his usual stern tiger-like face soften into a satisfied smile.

The professor spoke.

“Good. Next up is rapid fire.”

The students, eager to show something this time, began channeling their magic.

Firing an arrow in 0.5 seconds, even for a superhuman, isn’t an easy task.

But things change when martial arts are involved.

Almost all martial arts related to archery come with rapid fire as a basic skill.

I was absentmindedly nocking my arrow when I paused for a moment.

Now that I think about it, ‘Scholar Archery’ doesn’t have a rapid-fire skill.

The reason is clear to both you and me.

Rapidly firing arrows recklessly is not considered scholarly.

Should I just shoot without the skill?

It’s just one of many archery techniques, so it should be fine if I can’t do it.

「<A Guide for Apprentice Scholars> Etiquette, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics. Displaying terrible archery skills is unbecoming of a scholar. (Expected Scholar rate fluctuation: -20%)」

No, that won’t do.

What should I do? My eyes trembled as I hesitated to nock the arrow.

The professor tilted his head, watching me suddenly freeze like a statue.

“Uh, Professor…”

Think, Jo Seon-woo. Think of a way out of this situation.

Then, a good idea came to mind.

“Archery is an act that requires a clear mind and sincerity. How can one perform it as if being chased by something?”

“What?”

「Scholar rate fluctuation: +3% (Scholarly critique) (Current Scholar rate: 86%)」

My choice was to brazenly plaster a confident expression on my face.

Professor Geoffrey briefly questioned his own Korean skills, then spoke with a bewildered tone.

“No, but what will you do in real combat when you need to shoot quickly? What if you’re up against a horde of monsters?”

“The best strategy is to avoid such situations in the first place. If that’s not possible, the next best option is to rely on trustworthy comrades.”

The academy also taught that finding comrades who could cover your weaknesses was important.

Unable to find any fault in my answer, the professor shifted the topic.

“Then what if you’re up against a boss monster and need to land multiple shots on a weak point?”

“One powerful strike to the weak point will suffice.”

“What the…”

Professor Geoffrey stopped mid-sentence.

He probably remembered the Torong subjugation.

It might sound ridiculous, but he couldn’t argue with someone who had actually defeated a Torong in such a way.

Hunters each follow their own paths.

One cannot oppose a hunter who asserts their own philosophy after achieving a certain level of success.

At least, that’s how it was at Agora Academy.

Professor Geoffrey had no grounds to stop me.

I was relieved that I managed to hide my terrible rapid-fire skills.

“Fine. Next is shooting while seated. We’ll practice various stances for real combat scenarios.”

The students using longbows looked troubled, but with my shorter Korean bow, I had no difficulty handling it.

At least, at first.

When the professor instructed us to shoot from a strange position, with our hips pushed back and looking up, I simply stood up.

The system window threatened that maintaining this stance would lower my Scholar rate.

The professor looked at me and sighed tiredly.

“What now? What’s the problem?”

“This stance goes against the philosophy of archery.”

「Scholar rate fluctuation: +4% (Scholarly critique) (Current Scholar rate: 91%)」

“…What will you do if you need to shoot upward from below because of an obstacle in real combat?”

“I’ll take a step back and fire a curved shot.”

The professor gestured with his chin, telling me to go ahead, and I stepped back as instructed.

Then, I aimed my bow downward.

The students watching me were nearly shocked.

At Agora Academy, archery was divided into rapid-fire, which focused on shooting many arrows, and sniping, which emphasized powerful single shots.

‘Scholar Archery’ clearly fell into the sniping category.

So much so that it didn’t even provide basic rapid-fire skills, but instead, it came with something else.

While practicing archery halfheartedly yesterday, I had unlocked the second skill of ‘Scholar Archery.’

Magic began to emanate from my body.

• Scholar Archery. Curved Shot.

The arrow that had been aimed at the ground arced upward and struck the center of the target.

It also shattered the arrow that had already been embedded in the target, attacking it from a slightly different angle.

This proved that the power of the curved shot wasn’t reduced.

Seeing this, the professor nodded approvingly.

“You can do as you please. However, due to the set curriculum, I may have to give you the lowest scores in some areas, so keep that in mind.”

“Your generosity in understanding a student’s complaints is as vast as the ocean, Professor.”

I tried to show my gratitude with some flattery, but the exhaustion didn’t leave the professor’s face.

「<Sub Quest: One-on-One Duel> A gentleman does not enjoy conflict, but remaining silent when your parents are dishonored is also not a gentleman’s duty. Defeat your opponent in the official duel scheduled in a few days and prove your filial piety. Objective: Win the duel against ‘Oh Gyeong-hyeon’ Reward: Skill proficiency used during battle, 1mL of Nine-Tailed Fox’s blood」

The next class after archery practice was swordsmanship training.

Professor Kang Tae-woo from the Swordsmanship Department surprisingly offered to personally instruct me.

“It’s fine that you’re late due to archery practice. It was already communicated beforehand. So, you want to learn swordsmanship as a secondary weapon?”

“My skills are humble, but I am determined to polish them.”

As I entered the Swordsmanship Department’s training room, I met Oh Gyeong-hyeon’s gaze.

He didn’t seem to like the fact that I had come to the Swordsmanship Department building.

Yesterday, Oh Gyeong-hyeon and I officially set a date for our duel. It was scheduled for next Monday.

It felt like we could fight right away, but I postponed it, claiming that my weapon hadn’t arrived yet.

He was in the same situation since weapons hadn’t been allowed yet either. They were still inspecting magical weapons.

That ill-tempered guy probably postponed the duel thinking he could crush me even more thoroughly if he had his magical weapon.

‘You fool. Do you really think you can beat me just because you have a good weapon?’

It was easy to read his thoughts from his expression.

Then, as now, he looked down on me.

When Professor Kang Tae-woo personally spoke to me, it seemed to bother him.

“Since this is your first practical class, take some time to practice swordsmanship freely.”

“I understand.”

“What kind of swordsmanship do you plan to practice?”

Professor Kang Tae-woo’s eyes gleamed with interest. It was a bit overwhelming.

He seemed to assume that I must have some swordsmanship skills, but how could I clear up this misunderstanding?

Revealing my weakness would be the worst move. So, I picked up a practice wooden sword.

“I’m thinking of practicing the Samjae Sword Technique.”

“…”

“Huh?”

A question mark appeared on Professor Kang Tae-woo’s previously expectant face.

What? Why? The Samjae Sword Technique is still a legitimate swordsmanship style.

“To climb high, one must start from the bottom. How could one ignore the basics?”

「Scholar rate fluctuation: +2% (Scholarly attitude) (Current Scholar rate: 100%)」

“…Well… that’s true.”

Professor Kang Tae-woo stepped back with a slightly awkward expression.

I settled in a corner of the training room.

Then, I practiced the Samjae Sword Technique, which involved horizontal cuts, vertical cuts, and thrusts, aiming to increase my swordsmanship proficiency.

「Swordsmanship (Blade) proficiency increased: Beginner Lv.3 → Beginner Lv.4」

After practicing for thirty minutes, my swordsmanship proficiency improved.

It normally wouldn’t rise so quickly, but the unexpected additional effect of ‘The Scholar’s Way’ was helping.

If I used improper form while performing a technique, my Scholar rate would drop.

Thanks to that, I was able to quickly correct my stance.

I paused for a moment to catch my breath and wipe away my sweat. I felt eyes on me.

The first gaze belonged to Oh Gyeong-hyeon.

When our eyes met, he twisted his lips into a sneer.

It seemed he was confident that my swordsmanship couldn’t match his level.

The second gaze belonged to Professor Kang Tae-woo.

He had his arms crossed, silently analyzing my swordsmanship, but his expressionless middle-aged face was impossible to read.

I couldn’t tell if he had seen through my abilities or if he was thinking about something else.

And the third…

“Hey! Your name is Seon-woo, right?”

If Oh Gyeong-hyeon was a nobleman, this woman was royalty.

The youngest of the Divine Sword Heavenly Family, Cheon Do-hwa, was the owner of the third gaze.

I acknowledged Cheon Do-hwa’s greeting.

“That’s correct, Lady Cheon Do-hwa. How may I assist you?”

“You knew my name? Well, thanks for that. But ‘Lady’? I’ve never been called that before.”

Cheon Do-hwa chuckled.

Glancing around, I noticed that Oh Gyeong-hyeon was taken aback by the fact that Cheon Do-hwa had spoken to me, while Professor Kang Tae-woo remained as expressionless as ever.

I felt a bit uncomfortable.

The fact that Cheon Do-hwa had initiated a conversation with me was quite significant.

Her actions were simple to understand.

She prioritized personal strength above all else, and her next focus was recruiting powerful talents.

As a member of the Divine Sword Heavenly Family, one of the three pillars responsible for protecting Korea from monsters, she felt a strong sense of duty.

Her personal prowess was also befitting the reputation of the Divine Sword Heavenly Family.

Without the protagonist’s intervention, she would spend all four years of the game as the top student in the entire academy.

That someone like Cheon Do-hwa spoke to me clearly meant something.

In the game, she didn’t show interest even when I defeated a Torong during the entrance ceremony.

But it seemed she was interested this time because I defeated the Torong in ‘one strike.’

My one-hit kill of the Torong had inflated my reputation. Not only among the professors, but even Cheon Do-hwa was intrigued.

At this point, the only person in the school who likely had an accurate assessment of my abilities was Oh Gyeong-hyeon.

“I heard you’re going to duel Oh Gyeong-hyeon?”

“Do you know him?”

“If someone has followed such an elite path, you can’t help but know them, even if you don’t like them. His skills are terrible, though.”

“A duel between an archer and a swordsman? I wondered if you’d be okay. But then I saw you here today.”

It was a blatant question of whether I planned to fight with a sword.

“It’s embarrassing that I have to rely on mere tricks due to my lack of strength.”

“Puhaha! You’re funny. So, you’re saying you’ll rely on martial arts and skills to win?”

My strange way of speaking was partly due to the Scholar rate, but it was also because I didn’t want to get involved with her just yet.

It wasn’t time to get close to Cheon Do-hwa yet.

There were plenty of benefits to befriending her, but that was only after I had secured my strength.

Getting entangled with her too early and revealing my weaknesses would be disastrous.

“I wonder what kind of martial arts you have. I’m looking forward to it.”

“A gentleman does not enjoy killing. Please do not expect too much.”

“Alright, fine. But next time we meet, you should speak casually too, okay?”

Cheon Do-hwa walked away from me.

It seemed her goal today was just to introduce herself.

But after speaking with her, I felt like my plans had been exposed, and it didn’t feel good.

Yes, my sure-win plan to defeat Oh Gyeong-hyeon.

It involved using a hidden piece.