Master Of None

The trials that had been freshly carved through the plains were not well traveled enough to deter animals and monsters. There were plenty of spots where animals had stopped to explore the trails or to hunt for prey of their own. ”Look here, these footprints are what we are looking for. They are to a white hare or rabbit. Whatever you want to call them. They are a very fast animal and most of the time are only hunted by birds and foxes. But they have managed to stay alive for years and years even though the horned rabbits will also force them out of their territory.” 

The difference between an animal and a monster was simple. Mana, the mana would change a monster over the years and the monsters would produce eggs and hatch. A normal animal was not so complicated. They would live in the wilderness peacefully and exist the best they could. However, they would not have the high amount of mana a monster would have and therefore they would not change through the generations in the same way a monster would. 

”What about these tracks?” One of the longbow system users had found another set of tracks they didn’t recognize. 

”Those are field fox tracks. They are usually grey furred and often confused for wild dogs. But they are actually a very fast earth affinity monster. They have a very weak earth shaping skill that lets them dig deep burrows where they live. They will hint for any little animal they can get their teeth on. They actually hunt better in the fall and spring when their fur matches the season. Right now it is probably hoping it can catch anything. If we manage to catch it though, we will be able to sell it for a decent price.” 

”My parents say that fox fur is a luxury.” The game hunters both had the same thoughts when the other longbow user spoke up. 

”That’s exactly it. For anyone hunting game the fox is a nice catch. It can be sold and turned in to decent coats and blankets for those with more gold in their pocket. Or, you can use it as a head and shoulder cover for hunting in the harvest season.” This was another potential use for the fur that the young archers had not thought of. 

”Then we can hide better and ambush our prey!” The slight excitement made the girl a little too loud. 

”Who cares about an ambush. Just spot it from far away and take it down. That’s way better. 

There was a chorus of yes and this is better from the three longbowmen. ”Oh? Well, let’s test that out. Can you shoot from a hundred meters away? What about five hundred? Can you shoot from the city to here without missing? Because I know archers that can do that. But they never have exact calls on where their shot will land, just that they will hit their target. Accuracy drops the further you are.” Gil pointed at a small bird in the air and then ford an arrow up. The wing was hit and the bird fell. Once it was on the ground he followed up with a second shot. 

”Am I a bad marksman or was the bird out of my accuracy range?” His question was obvious and they all knew he had been lucky to hit it. On top of that, he had to use two arrows instead of one. ”Your accuracy is important. If you can sneak closer and increase your occurrence without alerting a monster then you are safer, and can end a fight in one arrow.” Gil followed this by crouching and following the hare tracks. The fox and the hare seemed to be on the same trails behind one another. 

”That is the fox, can you see it?” The muddy trail was perfect for the fox to blend in. The two game hunters were able to use their skills to see the fox but the three longbowmen could not since they had not trained and grown their level to unlock such sight skills yet. 

After seeing them focus on it and pointing it out to the longbowmen, Gil drew an arrow. ”It’s waiting to snatch that white hare away from us but what it doesn’t know is that we are here to take both. Now, you might not be fast enough to claim both in a breath but I am. From this distance, I have an accurate shot and I am unknown to them.” This was the main lesson today. It was to show balance and skill together. Both would be important for the young archers to train. 

The breathing that the archers heard from Gil became slow and focused. They didn’t know that breathing would be important, but when they noticed that his entire body steadied they took mental notes. The next moment was a blur to them. Gil released an arrow and pulled a second to the bow before they could blink. The second arrow was fired further away at the white hare which they had not realized was a significant distance from the grey fox. 

Both monster and animal were taken down with a shot to the eye. No damage to the furs or body at all. ”Now, who can skin an animal in the wild and who wants to have some stew before we head back to give this fur to my party’s exclusive seamstress?” He couldn’t help but smile seeing the awestruck faces of the five. Their arguments had seemed too unimportant now that they saw how a real archer would act. 

”No takers? What is an arcane marksman like me supposed to do with no one to teach.” The joke still didn’t shake the five from their awe. Gil just started in on the task while they watched him in silence. 

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