Chapter 5

"Huff, huff...! There are some pretty troublesome guys here...!"

Is this really a hunting ground for beginners!?

A bear this big appeared!

I couldn't help but turn and run.

In reality, you shouldn't do that because bears have the habit of chasing after those who run.

But once you're recognized as an enemy, there's no choice but to run!

However, bears are fast on their feet!

I'm going to be caught!

There's no penalty for dying, but losing without a fight would be embarrassing.

Let's try to put up a fight!

*Whirr... Shh! Thud!*

I didn't aim for the thick fur covering the body.

I shot three arrows at the eyes, which are the weak point for most creatures, and the mouth that was wide open trying to eat me.

The HP bar was neatly reduced by a third each time, and the bear disappeared in a burst of light.

That was cool, me.

I wish the first girl party I met could have seen this performance.

*Ping! You have acquired a new skill: [In-Fight Arrow].*

◆ Acquisition Reason

"Risky Shot"

You defeated an enemy at close range with a ranged weapon.

Oh, I got a new skill.

And it's a pretty cool name.

I just reached level 5, so let's allocate some enhancement points.

But this place is dangerous.

It looked cool just now, but if I get caught off guard by a bear like that, I don't think I can win.

Is there a safer place?

Is this really a hunting ground for beginners?

Let me check the map again.

"Whoa, even for beginners, this is a hunting ground for parties... It's my mistake."

Even beginners can become powerful if they form a party.

That's why dangerous enemies appear.

But maybe because it's such a dangerous place, I was able to level up quickly and acquire skills.

I want to train a bit more here.

If I say that tough environments make people stronger, I might be disliked by the younger generation.

No, even I, an older guy, don't like it.

I want tough environments to be limited to games.

"Oh, right!"

Since this is a forest, I can rest in a tree.

If enemies appear in the tree, I'll deal with them when they come.

I climb a tall tree nearby.

There are many branches, providing plenty of footholds.

Even an older guy like me can climb this.

My character's physical abilities are set higher than in real life, even though my own are terrible.

I can handle tasks that don't require much agility.

"Phew! What a nice view!"

Climbing a tall tree in the forest, I can see the sunset on the horizon.

Sunsets make me feel nostalgic.

Also, when I logged in, the in-game time was morning.

I must have been playing for quite a while.

I want to continue hunting a bit more, but it might be time to go home.

At the very least, I want to check and allocate the points I've earned.

I open the window and allocate all the points to range.

No hesitation!

◆ Status

Name: Kyuji

Class: Archer

Lv: 5/20

HP: 50/50

MP: 50/50

Attack: 15 Defense: 8

Magic Attack: 10 Magic Defense: 6

Speed: 11 Range: 25

Skills:

[In-Fight Arrow]

I allocated 25 points from 5 levels, increasing my range by 25 meters.

The original range of the "Beginner's Bow" was 15 meters, so now I can shoot up to about 40 meters.

That's already a pretty good range, right?

I might even be able to target enemies on the ground from the tree.

Just then, the bear-type monster from earlier appeared at my feet.

Is it good luck or bad luck to encounter the strongest monster in this forest so often?

Perfect, let's try to take it down from the tree.

But first, let's check the skill.

[In-Fight Arrow]

Fires a high-damage arrow with a short range.

Oh, this skill contradicts my ambition.

But if I compensate for the short range with my status range, it will still be a high-damage arrow.

In fact, it might be a perfect fit.

Let's try it out.

"In-Fight Arrow!"

*Whirr... Whoosh! Thud!*

The arrow, which sounded powerful from the start, pierced the bear through its fur.

It didn't take it down in one hit, but the increased damage is undeniable.

And the range has definitely increased.

I didn't notice when I climbed up, but this tree is quite tall.

Looking down makes my legs shake. How am I going to get down...?

But let's put that aside for now...

My current position is over 15 meters above the ground.

Aiming at the bear on the ground would be at the very edge of my normal range.

Additionally, the arrow's damage drops significantly at the edge of the range.

Normally, the bear's fur wouldn't be pierced.

But it was easily pierced, and I could feel it sinking in.

I had a clear sense of a clean hit.

Conclusion!

The high damage of In-Fight Arrow is real!

The short range can be compensated with status points!

It has low MP consumption and is a reliable main weapon!

I've acquired a good skill.

The drop rate for items and money is low, but this alone makes it worth the effort.

Let's head back to town and log out once.