Chapter 8

Season 1, Episode 8 of "The Genius Archer"

3. Who is Almond? (3)

Despite having a small number of active members, the community boasts a volume of posts comparable to that of any mid-sized game community. It’s a community with good value for money, where you always see familiar faces. This is the story of the Kingdom Age community known as 'Kingchi-man' (short for 'King Age Talk Only').

With the game having become stagnant, information sharing is secondary, and most of the content is casual game-related chatter. Of course, this is the true charm of Kingchi-man. The multi-game streamer and so-called major streamer, 'Dotorimuk,' occasionally visits Kingchi-man, drawn by this charm.

Thinking, "Is there no mention of me?" he leaned his chin on his hand and scrolled through the bulletin board. He noticed a story that was mentioned a lot today.

"…Almond?"

The name 'Almond' appeared frequently.

[Almond was legit.]

[Is it Almond or peanuts? Damn, so good.]

[He's streaming right now. Come and watch.]

Another incompetent streamer playing Kingdom Age.

He also loves Kingdom Age, but due to its lack of popularity, he has long since transitioned to being a multi-game streamer. With a mix of excitement and sympathy, Dotorimuk clicked on one of the posts.

The post linked to a video, and in the thumbnail, Almond was holding a bow.

"…A bow? A bow challenge?"

Even before watching the video, his head started to ache.

"Ha. Another freak is here."

Despite saying this, he was smiling, thinking he might have found a fellow streamer. He quickly clicked on the video.

The video was a shock that instantly brought his smiling lips back to a neutral position.

The first scene was a masterpiece.

"…What?"

In the video, as soon as the bandit event started, Almond instantly pierced the head of the leader 'Bulka.'

"Is, is this for real?"

Dotorimuk had to rewind that part. It happened so quickly that he couldn't fully grasp it.

Whoosh…!

The arrow flew, and Bulka didn't even react to the incoming arrow.

Thud!

He was instantly killed.

"…This can't be."

While it's generally known that a headshot results in an instant kill, it's not entirely 'instant.' There's a slight delay. But now, Almond had instantly killed Bulka, an elite mob.

It wasn't just a headshot.

"Perfect shot…?"

A perfect shot.

It's a higher-level judgment than a headshot.

In Kingdom Age, it's known that hitting a vital point results in an instant kill. However, for boss-level enemies, one such arrow to the vital point doesn't instantly kill them.

A perfect shot is what can instantly kill them in one hit.

This is a hidden element of the game that is not well-known.

Even in this community, filled with long-time players, it has been mentioned only a few times.

And for good reason—it's something that never happens!

It's an extremely difficult feat.

First, the arrow must be fired at the target for the first time, and it must be a full charge. The charging time must not be too long, and it must be fired within 1.5 seconds.

The most challenging part is the target.

Not just any vital point, but the exact center of the vital point.

It's an impossible condition.

Yet, as if to prove that it's not impossible, the arrow in the video pierced the exact center of another bandit's vital point.

Thud!

"Again…"

It was another perfect shot.

All the subsequent shots were the same.

How is this possible?

It was hard to believe that such a person existed.

"Cheating?"

He momentarily suspected cheating, but it was a foolish thought. Who would use cheats in such a lousy game, especially one where there's no competition with others?

"If it's not cheating, what is it? Is he an Olympic gold medalist? He's crazy."

Dotorimuk unknowingly came close to the truth but didn't realize it.

"Who is this guy?"

He was curious about Almond. How many years of gaming experience did he have? How much practice? What were his secrets?

After searching the site with the keyword 'Almond,'

"Damn, this is crazy."

He fell into a state of self-doubt.

He checked several times, but the evidence was too clear.

The viewers watching the live stream were all witnesses.

"First time…?!"

Fear filled Dotorimuk's eyes.

Jealousy? Envy? Those are feelings you have when a seemingly easy opponent outperforms you.

Now, he felt 'awe.'

In the presence of a one-of-a-kind genius.

"Shit, I need to watch this."

He was supposed to start his own stream soon, but from the moment Bulka was killed by a single arrow, that thought had long been erased from his mind.

He entered his capsule, entranced, and typed 'Almond' into Trivia.

It was still the bandit battle he had seen earlier.

But it was different.

"What is this?"

Instead of fighting the bandits, Almond was hunting them while following them.

* * *

"Chase them! Kill them all!!"

With Roman's thunderous command, the entire mercenary group charged forward.

"Yaaaaaah!"

"Kill them!"

Almond also spurred his horse swiftly.

The wind battered and shook him, but Almond calmly aimed his bow.

"Almond! Are you going to shoot while riding?"

Roman pressed him, keeping up.

He knew Almond's skills, but shooting a bow while riding was a different story.

It was generally more advantageous to use a spear or sword while moving. This way, the speed of the horse could be converted into destructive power, and it was more advantageous in many ways.

"Using a spear or blunt weapon is more advantageous while moving."

However, Almond had no intention of using any other weapon.

"I'm fine."

Almond expressed his intention to use the bow, showing an unusual level of commitment.

'I find shooting arrows fun.'

Having not been able to properly handle a bow for ten years, he couldn't help but have a lingering desire.

The problem was that Roman was not the type to accept subordinates' opinions.

But Almond was an exception.

"Alright. I believe you can do it."

He accepted Almond's opinion.

-Is that really Roman?

-Is it just the name?

-Wow, this is ridiculous. It feels like a girl who's all over a popular guy in front of me.

-What a metaphor lol

Roman, who suddenly became all over Almond.

But Roman firmly believed in Almond and charged forward on his horse.

-But shooting while riding must be difficult…

-Yeah.

-There's not much of an advantage.

'That's true.'

Sanghyun agreed.

Of course, Sanghyun had never ridden a horse before.

Could he really shoot accurately while being violently jolted up and down?

He was unsure.

But he wasn't without confidence.

'After all, shooting a moving target is something I first did in a game. I can do this quickly.'

Games are designed to be achievable, just like all sports.

He reaffirmed this and confidently nocked an arrow.

Swoosh.

The bowstring was pulled taut, and Sanghyun's eyes followed a fleeing bandit.

Even on the violently shaking horse, Sanghyun's release (Release) was completely steady.

His hand, which released the bowstring, did not waver.

How many times had he imagined this steady right hand over the past ten years?

Whoosh!

The arrow flew straight and pierced its target.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

The bandit's neck was skewered, and he fell off his horse.

Neigh!

The next bandits were trampled to death by the horses following behind.

'I hit the neck. I aimed for the head.'

With the target moving up and down, it seemed he needed to match the rhythm to hit accurately.

-Wow!

-Is he crazy?

-He's insane!

-Horseback archery is amazing!

-Look, foreigners! This is the bow of Joseon!

The viewers thought the arrow that pierced the neck was a precise hit. After all, whether it hit the neck or the back of the head, the result was the same.

'This isn't enough.'

But Sanghyun was not satisfied. He wanted to hit perfectly.

Geniuses often have high standards, don't they?

Sanghyun was the same.

He liked to push himself to achieve. Sanghyun was a born predator. There was no compromise in his professional field.

Sanghyun spurred his horse faster.

"Yah!"

Clatter! Clatter!

The horse's back jolted more violently up and down.

'I need to match the rhythm.'

Sanghyun began to synchronize his body's movements with the horse's rhythm. When the horse rose, he rose, and when it fell, he fell.

At a certain moment,

Sanghyun held his breath and his eyes shone like a predator's.

'Now!'

Swoosh.

The bowstring was instantly pulled to a full draw.

Bang!!!

The arrow drew a slight parabola…

Thud!

It cleanly pierced the exact center of the head of the bandit leading the charge.

-Wow!

-Even better than before?

Neigh…!

As the leading horse fell, the bandits' formation collapsed.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Sanghyun continued to follow and shoot, and all his arrows hit the same spot.

Right in the center of the head.

The bandits, who became corpses on horseback, fell one by one.

"Kill them!"

"Yaaaaah!"

Swish! Swish!

Thanks to this, the mercenary group, which had caught up, brutally slashed and speared the bandits.

From this point on, it was no longer a hunt but a massacre.

"You are a god-given archer!"

Roman shouted to Sanghyun.

The other mercenaries also chimed in.

"I've never seen such archery in my life!"

"Is this a resurrection of Robin Hood?"

"I can't believe it even though I saw it with my own eyes."

They were all seasoned veterans who would normally torment new recruits.

-Wow… self-doubt.

-Lol, the effect of a girl.

-Oh, seniors… you can be like this too…

The seniors now looked at Sanghyun like children watching a magic show, praising him.

-This is insane. It's really amazing.

-For such talent to appear in Kingdom Age. This is awesome.

Of course, the chat room was no different.

And one more thing.

A surprising situation unfolded that made Sanghyun's jaw drop.

"Hmm?"

Ding.

[Dotorimuk has donated 100,000 won.]

[All perfect shots… Is this real?]

It was the first donation he received after starting the stream.

A whopping 100,000 won.

-What?

-Why is he here…?

-Is it real? Is it really Dotorimuk?

-This is amazing lol

-Turn on the stream, Dotorimuk!