Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

When the second round of the archery captain's test was over, Klaus checked his position on the table and saw that his score had improved slightly.

He hit 15 out of 30 targets, but he felt that it wasn't enough, and Mrs. Nairn seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because after watching him out of the corner of her eye for much of the two rounds, she finally approached him and asked:

"What are you doing, Klaus Park? Why are you shooting like that?"

All the other members of the department immediately looked at him, and most of them seemed as confused as he was.

"What are you talking about, ma'am?" asked Klaus.

The department coordinator crossed her arms and looked him in the eyes. "I watched the video of your archery test in the selection process for the program, and unlike everyone here, you do not shoot as well today as you did back then, you are worse. What? Are you having a bad day?"

"No, but..."

"There is no 'but' in my department. Just give me the explanation why you are so different. Your aim is very erratic, even when you use a light bow with all those muscles on display. What do you think?" She looked at Klaus sternly.

Klaus remained serious and did not look away from her eyes. When Mrs. Nairn finally stopped talking, he asked:

"May I be honest?"

The short-haired woman frowned. "You must be."

"I'm testing a few things, like stances, bow positions, and different speeds for different shots."

His statement immediately made everyone's eyes widen, especially Mrs. Nairn's. No one had expected such an answer, and it made some members of the group angry with him. After all, they were all doing their best, even those who knew they had no chance of becoming captains. However, after the shock of the surprise had worn off, the reactions and thoughts of the members of the department were somewhat different. Some gritted their teeth in anger, others clenched their fists in determination, and there were even those who smiled animatedly, like Andrew, Carrie, and the muscular girl Klaus had never seen before, Lara Cavalcanti.

Mrs. Nairn was also very surprised for a few seconds, but soon thought that Klaus had made up an obvious lie to fool her and himself. To her, the most obvious answer to the difference between the Klaus of the Selection Process and the current Klaus was that he was a little slower now that he was no longer in the Selection Process. However, she was not the kind of coordinator who would let the members of her department be lazy, she wanted only the best, which is why she was so strict.

That being the case, Ms. Nairn smiled defiantly in the face of what she believed to be a lie and inquired of Klaus:

"Well, if you're just trying out new things, I guess you'll have no problem going back to the cabin, this time alone, to prove what you're capable of, will you?"

Klaus sensed Mrs. Nairn's challenging tone and it made him smile, too. He liked that, he liked it when they underestimated him, because it was delicious to see the shocked expression on people's faces when they saw reality.

"As you wish." Klaus said and picked up the light bow from the table. Then he filled the quiver at his waist with arrows and stepped into one of the corners of the shooting range.

All the other members gathered behind him or at the sides of the stand to get a good view of what was about to happen.

Klaus's colleagues, who had never seen him shoot again, smiled, almost mocking him, and those who had witnessed Klaus's true potential firsthand made sure to pay attention.

Klaus took a deep breath, felt the air fill his lungs and then let it out slowly, relaxing his muscles. He closed his eyes for a moment, mentally visualizing the movements he would have to make to hit each of the targets. When he opened his eyes, the first hologram target appeared, accompanied by a beeping sound.

Without wasting any time, Klaus lifted the light bow with ease and while holding it with one firm, outstretched hand, he took an arrow from the quiver at his waist with the other. With a quick movement, Klaus placed the arrow on the bowstring and, keeping his eyes on the target, aimed the bow in the direction of the first target. He took another deep breath and with a fluid, precise movement, released the bowstring and shot the arrow toward the target.

The arrow flew, slicing the room with agility and precision before hitting the target exactly where Klaus had aimed.

This combination of quick movements was so subtle and impressive that the onlookers were still stunned after a few seconds had passed.

Yes, Klaus was using a light bow, but still, humans couldn't be that fast and accurate, could they?

Without hesitation, Klaus pulled another arrow from the quiver and repeated the process, shooting at the second target that appeared on the stand with impressive speed. The arrow flew, moving elegantly through the air, finding its target with surgical precision.

The crowd behind him watched in fascination as Klaus once again demonstrated his archery skills. To everyone's eyes, he didn't seem to be trying very hard, yet each arrow he shot landed exactly where he wanted it to with a speed that no one present believed he could replicate. His movements were smooth and graceful, almost as if he were dancing as he continued to shoot arrows at the targets.

Holograms of the targets appeared on the shooting stand, each one in a random position, some closer, some farther away, but the end of most of them was always the same: being hit by an arrow from Klaus.

Klaus kept a firm stance all the time, with his feet shoulder-width apart and his arms stretched out in front of him. There was nothing special about the way he shot, he was actually static like a beginner. However, he pulled the string of the light bow without resistance, bringing the arrow to face height, his eyes always fixed on the limited space where targets might appear, and his fingers releasing the string with surgical precision. Klaus looked like a complete novice, but his reflexes, strength and natural instinct were those of a genius.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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