A technique so breathtaking it couldn't be called mere archery. It was an art form.
The old man lowered the bow, passing it back to Sophia before looking at Kael with a nod.
Kael quickly walked over. "That was incredible, sir. I've never seen anything like it."
Sophia sidled up to her grandfather, shooting Kael a playful smirk. "Of course it was. My grandpa is the most famous—"
"Sophia," the old man cut his granddaughter off gently. He smiled at Kael. "My name is Alaric Thorne."
"A pleasure, Master Thorne," Kael said immediately. "Your skill… it's almost supernatural. Could you… could you teach me?"
Alaric stroked his beard, a look of satisfaction spreading across his face. "I see a fire in you, boy. You have the spark of a true champion. Very well. I will teach you a single technique, the ‘Arrow Barrage.’ May it serve you well on your path."
With that, Alaric began explaining the core principles of the shot, guiding Kael not with a simple mantra, but through the philosophy of focusing energy into a single point before allowing it to detonate outward.
A moment later, a notification chimed in Kael’s vision.
[System Alert: You have passed Alaric's dual trial and learned the skill: Arrow Barrage.]
[System Alert: Luck bonus triggered! The skill has been upgraded to: Phantom Barrage.]
[Arrow Barrage]
Fires a volley of arrows at enemies in a 10x10 yard area, dealing additional damage equal to (Agility * 0.5) and reducing their movement speed by 10% for 3 seconds.
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Mana Cost: 100
Cast Range: 25 yards
Requirement: 50 Agility
Skill Point Cost: 4
.....
[Phantom Barrage]
Fires a volley of arrows at enemies in a 15x15 yard area, dealing additional damage equal to (Agility * 1.0) and reducing their movement speed by 20% for 3 seconds.
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Mana Cost: 100
Cast Range: 35 yards
Requirement: 50 Agility
Skill Point Cost: 5
Kael’s heart hammered in his chest. Holy crap.
The Arrow Barrage was one of his most-used skills in his past life. It was the very ability that had allowed him to grind his way into the top tier of players, eventually landing him a server rank of 999.
And this time, he had an upgraded version from the start. Phantom Barrage!
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More damage, a larger area of effect, and a stronger slowing debuff. This was beyond perfect.
After spending the 5 Skill Points to learn it, Kael was itching to try it out. He said his goodbyes to Alaric and Sophia, made a quick stop at the apothecary for a stack of mana potions, and then jogged out of Stonehaven.
A wide grassy plain stretched out before the town, teeming with various low-level creatures: level 13 Hedgehogs, level 14 Wild Dogs, and level 15 Porcupines.
A few level 10 players were scattered around the entrance, struggling. Most were melee classes, and they were having a miserable time against the Hedgehogs and Porcupines. The assassins, in particular, were getting wrecked by the mobs’ damage reflection and couldn't do a thing.
Kael, bow on his back, weaved through the sparse crowd of players.
"Hey, dude, wanna party up?" a warrior called out.
Kael just smiled, gave a slight shake of his head, and continued running deeper into the plains.
The warrior's teammate watched him go. "Is that guy nuts? He's just running straight into the thick of it."
"Maybe he's on a quest?"
"A death wish, you mean?"
Kael sprinted through packs of monsters, his presence a beacon for their aggression. A massive train of mobs quickly formed behind him, a chaotic flood of fur and spikes. The Hedgehogs had a movement speed of 3, the Porcupines 4, and the Wild Dogs 5. Kael’s was 9.
As long as he was sprinting, there was no danger of being caught. The only trick was to not run too far, or the mobs at the back would lose aggro and leash back. He kept his kiting pattern tight, circling within a one-to-two-hundred-yard radius.
Once he had gathered three or four hundred mobs, Kael skidded to a halt.
He drew his bow, aiming towards the sky.
And released.
A single arrow whistled into the air. As it reached its apex, it shattered into a rain of hundreds of phantom arrows that cascaded down onto the horde below.
A tidal wave of damage numbers erupted from the ground.
-1271
-1382
-5082 (Crit!)
-1178
-5124 (Crit!)
…
The monsters that took a triple-damage critical hit instantly lost more than half their health.
Kael popped a mana potion, the blue liquid restoring his resources as he began running again, kiting the massive, now-slowed mob train while waiting for his cooldown. This time it was even easier. With the monsters’ speed cut by 20%, he could casually weave around them.
Eight seconds later, he unleashed another Phantom Barrage. Many of the previously crit-damaged mobs dropped dead.
After five full rotations, the last of the three hundred-plus monsters collapsed.
[+381 EXP]
[+358 EXP]
[+362 EXP]
…
A single pull netted him over 120,000 experience points. Now that's what I'm talking about.
[System Alert: You have reached Level 11. You have gained 5 Attribute Points.]
The EXP needed from 10 to 11 was 51,200, but the requirement to get to level 12 jumped to 102,400.
Kael allocated his points as before—two into Strength, three into Agility—and began to collect his loot. As they were non-humanoid common mobs, they didn't drop a single piece of equipment. Instead, the ground was littered with crafting materials: meat, hides, bones, and fur.
Just as he finished looting the area and was about to start another pull, a notification pinged.
He opened his interface. It wasn't from Hazel, but a friend request acceptance.
[Lila has accepted your friend request.]
Immediately after, a message from her popped up.
Lila: "Are you the Dawnbreaker? The one who posted the epic Quillboar's Club on the auction house?"
Kael could practically feel her excitement through the screen. He sent back a cool, simple reply.
Kael: "That was me."
Lila: "Are you free? I'd like to meet."
She was intensely curious about the player who had already triggered multiple server-wide announcements on the first day.
His reply, however, was just as blunt as the first.
Kael: "I'm busy."
Lila stared at the message, stunned. She was the heiress of the Whitmore Group, using her real name in-game, and she'd just been shot down without a second thought.
She wasn't one to give up easily.
Lila: "I'll pay you to carry my team through a dungeon. $9,000 per run!"
It wasn't a rash offer. Her party had already attempted the dungeon twice. Even with the Quillboar's Club, they had barely scraped by on their second clear. They’d gotten two random pieces of the set, but the upgrade was minimal. With Dawnbreaker leading them, their efficiency would skyrocket.
If they could complete the full level 10 set in the first two days of the game's launch, their guild's power would soar. Ten or so runs a day was less than a hundred grand. For the boost it would give her guild, it was pocket change.
The reply she received was maddeningly familiar.
Kael: "I'm busy."
Lila was about to tear her hair out. Who the hell is this guy? He was impossible.
Just as she was wracking her brain for a new way to entice him, another message appeared from him.
Her eyes widened as she read it. A wave of pure excitement washed over her, and she furiously typed a number back.
Lila: "1,000,000!"
