High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 4 Martial Artist?

"Cough, cough."

The sudden sound of coughing snapped Chen Fan back to his senses. The man with the limp gave him a casual look and said, "Listen kid, that bow you're holding is just a basic model. Once you're past thirty meters, it lacks the power to actually kill Low-level Fierce Beasts. Furthermore, you’ve only managed to pull it back once. Take a look over there,"

He gestured with his chin toward the open area outside. "Do you see those guys carrying spears?"

Chen Fan followed his gaze and nodded in understanding.

"When they first arrived, they all started with bow training as well. A few even tried the second-tier, sixty-pound bow. But what was the result? After just two or three days, they couldn't endure it anymore."

Eyeing the bow in Chen Fan’s grip, he added, "Just a bit of advice: you'd be better off practicing spear techniques like them. If you run into a Fierce Beast in the wild, you'll at least possess some level of combat ability."

"Uncle Zhang, I appreciate the guidance, but I still want to give this a shot."

Chen Fan glanced at the progress bar next to Basic Archery on his status panel, feeling a wave of resolve wash over him.

"Suit yourself."

The limping man didn't seem particularly surprised.

Young people were always the same, refusing to give up until they had slammed into a brick wall. After firing a few more arrows, when his entire right arm was too sore to lift, he would understand how difficult this path truly was.

"Uncle Zhang, can I try out some of the other bows?" Chen Fan asked with a grin. He had a theory: if he used a heavier bow, would the progress of his Basic Archery increase even faster?

"Sure."

The man with the limp answered without any hesitation. "The second bow is sixty pounds, the third is eighty, the fourth is a hundred, the fifth is two hundred, and the sixth is three hundred pounds. Which one do you want to test?"

"Th-three hundred pounds?"

Chen Fan’s eyes drifted to the black longbow on the far right, which stood nearly as tall as he did. A three hundred-pound draw weight meant that the strength in a single arm had to be at least that much to pull the string back.

"Does that scare you?"

The limping man smirked. "Three hundred pounds is nothing. There are five hundred-pound Battle Bows that some people can draw, capable of taking down Iron Armor Rhinoceroses from a kilometer away."

"Iron Armor Rhinoceros..."

Chen Fan whispered the name. Based on his memory, that creature was a peak existence among Mid-level Fierce Beasts, possessing a hide said to be tough enough to deflect small-caliber bullets.

"Uncle Zhang, is that person an Awakener?" he asked instinctively.

After all, in this world, Awakeners were the ones who stood at the absolute top.

"No."

To his surprise, the man with the limp shook his head. "He is a Martial Artist."

"A Martial Artist?"

Chen Fan’s eyes widened with shock.

"Becoming an Awakener is a one-in-a-million chance. For regular people, it is nearly impossible to fight Fierce Beasts without relying on modern weaponry. Fortunately, as the world evolves, it seems that human limits are also being shattered."

The man with the limp spoke as if to himself, "These individuals temper their bodies and strengthen their bones, achieving power far beyond ordinary men. This is what it means to be a Martial Artist. In Zhao Family Castle, just a few kilometers from our village, there is someone who can pull that three hundred-pound Battle Bow. He is a Martial Artist."

Chen Fan inhaled deeply, feeling as though a new door was slowly swinging open before him. With excitement, he asked, "Are there any Martial Artists in our camp?"

"None like the one in Zhao Family Castle, but there are some who can handle a hundred-pound Hard Bow. The Wei Brothers, for example, can both use them and serve as the core strength of our Hunting Team. However, they likely won't stay here much longer."

The man with the limp sighed, his expression clouded with concern.

"So, how do Martial Artists compare to Awakeners?" Chen Fan pressed for more information.

"They are far behind."

The man with the limp looked him in the eye. "A newly awakened person can be easily killed by a Martial Artist. However, once they master their superpowers, killing a Martial Artist becomes as simple as flipping over one's hand. For instance, can that man in Zhao Family Castle survive a bullet? No. But Awakeners can. Some high-level Awakeners don't even fear heavy weaponry. With a flick of their wrist, they can wipe out an entire town. They simply aren't on the same level."

Chen Fan’s mouth hung open slightly.

Were Awakeners truly that frightening?

He had a sneaking suspicion that his system was linked to Martial Arts. According to Uncle Zhang, the path of a Martial Artist was merely a second-best option for commoners, one with a very low ceiling of potential.

Was that really the case?

"Alright, why are you asking so many questions?" The man with the limp gave Chen Fan a sharp look and tossed a sixty-pound bow from the wall toward him.

"Try it."

Chen Fan returned to reality, set down the forty-pound bow, and tried to pull the sixty-pound Hard Bow. Halfway through the draw, his face flushed red and his right arm began to shake violently. By the time he nearly reached full draw, his strength failed, and he had to let go.

This body is still too weak.

The man with the limp gave him a knowing smile. "Do you still want to try the eighty-pound one?"

"No, there's no need."

Chen Fan shook his head with a wry smile, his eyes lingering on the remaining bows.

He couldn't do it now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't in the future. In a few days, once he had gathered enough Potential Points, he would be able to master this sixty-pound bow, and eventually, all the others.

The man with the limp then handed him a quiver of arrows and stepped outside.

On the clearing at the entrance, he raised his bow and notched an arrow, aiming at a target twenty meters away. After demonstrating the basic stance, he added, "When you draw and fire, keep the 'three flats' in mind: your front wrist should be flat, your rear elbow should be flat, and both your wrists and elbows must be level with your shoulders. This is the foundation of the posture."

As he finished speaking, the arrow flew with a "whoosh" and buried itself in the dirt wall right next to the target.

The man with the limp looked back at Chen Fan nonchalantly. "Practice here today. If you run into trouble, just ask me."

"Yes, Uncle Zhang."

Chen Fan looked at the arrow in the wall and nodded.

"Mm."

The man with the limp turned away, his elderly face turning slightly red. He wasn't actually good at archery; if he were, he wouldn't be stuck guarding a warehouse.

Chen Fan took the bow and arrows, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart. He gripped the bow with his left hand and notched the arrow with his right. Since this was his first real archery practice, he felt a bit of tension.

He took a long, deep breath.

Slowly, he pulled back the bowstring, squinting one eye to line up the sight with the center of the target.

The string reached its limit, emitting a faint creaking noise. A powerful force strained against his right shoulder. Then, with a swift motion, he released the string. With a sharp "whoosh," the arrow shot forward.

Predictably, it missed the target entirely.

Chen Fan had expected this. Only a natural prodigy could hit a bullseye on their first attempt, and he was realistic about his own talents.

In truth, he didn't care much about the miss.

In the next moment, he focused his thoughts, and the attribute panel materialized before him. Seeing the update, he smiled.

[Basic Archery, LV0 (3%)]

This meant that even though he missed, that single arrow had increased his progress by 2%.

If he repeated this forty-nine more times, he would level up Basic Archery to Level 1!