Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

After Kaizen's conversation with Og'tharoz, he became even more thoughtful about some things about his class. However, he did not let this affect his mood in or out of Rise Online. Since he had been playing since early morning and the day was getting long, he logged out and went to one of the campus cafeterias for lunch.

This was his day off, so he didn't have any classes or mandatory activities, and since he spent most of his time playing, it was already half past noon and impossible to even ask for permission to go to Woodbury. So Klaus decided to practice the new activity he had recently taken up: archery.

When he went to the archery range in the late afternoon, no one was there. He and Andrew were probably the only ones off that day, and Klaus had not seen Andrew since the morning.

Since Klaus had no one to learn from or ask, he had to do a little research on the Internet this time. He finally found out that there are basically different types of archers.

He read about recurve archers, who used bows with the points bent backwards, and thus had greater accuracy and power. He also discovered the existence of compound archers, who used bows with pulleys and cables to reduce the force needed to pull the string and increase the speed of the arrow. Traditional archers were even more interesting than he could have imagined, as they used simple bows with no sights or attachments and relied solely on the archer's skill and intuition, which was obviously the case for most members of the Archery Department. However, there were also the modern archers who used bows with advanced technology and various equipment to improve performance.

Klaus was fascinated by the differences between archers and wondered which one was best for him. He decided to try each of the bows available in the department and see which one suited him best to create his own style. He took a black wooden recurve bow and a quiver of arrows and went to the range.

This time he set up the stand to project some fixed targets at different distances. Soon he chose a nearby target and stood facing it. He tied an arrow to the bowstring and drew it to his face. He took a deep breath and let go of the string. The arrow flew through the air and hit the center of the target. Klaus smiled with satisfaction. He liked the feeling of shooting with the recurve bow because it was not so different from the traditional bow. Still, he felt he had more control over the arrow and could adjust his aim more easily.

He repeated the process a few times until he had hit all the nearby targets with this bow. Then he switched to a metal compound bow and another quiver of different arrows, this time with metal shafts. This time he stood farther away and prepared to shoot. He noticed that the compound bow was heavier and more complicated than the recurve. He also noticed that the string was easier to draw, but required more stability to release. This discovery only made him admire Lara Cavalcanti, the captain of the department, even more.

Klaus placed an arrow on the string of the compound bow and pulled it up to his chest. He aimed at the target with a small lens at the top of the bow and when he felt he was ready, he released the string. The arrow shot into the air with impressive speed, hitting the target with almost no deflection.

"It's definitely a lot harder, but I think I can be a lot more accurate." Kaizen said, looking seriously at the bow.

While he was concentrating on his reflection, Klaus heard footsteps approaching and turned to see who it was. It was Mrs. Nairn, the department coordinator.

She was a middle-aged woman with white hair in a bun and light brown eyes. She wore a white coat with the NIST symbol over her shoulders and carried a clipboard in her hands.

"Hello, Klaus Park." She said with a soft smile. "I've seen you shoot and I can't help but be impressed by your skills."

"Thank you, Ms. Nairn." Klaus replied politely, "I'm just practicing a little and trying to figure out a few things."

"You have a talent for it." She complimented. "And I'm sure you've heard the rumors about upcoming competitions. Would you be interested in competing, or have you ever thought about it?"

"Actually, it was in my first class that a teacher leaked the information about such competitions. But no, I have never imagined to compete in archery. It is more of a hobby for me. I have only recently started to learn archery".

"Well, you should consider the possibility. We will need to recruit members soon, and you would be a great addition to the division committee." She insisted.

"I don't know... I don't have much experience..."

"Don't worry about that. I'm an instructor, I can help you improve your techniques for the states competitions."

"States?" Klaus asked curiously.

"Yes, each of the divisions will be part of a big national tournament." She explained. "It's an opportunity to gain prestige, and if we place well, members of other departments may want to transfer to ours, and if we have a lot of members, we can expand our training facility."

"That sounds interesting." Klaus commented thoughtfully.

"So, what do you think? I know you're just starting out, but you have a lot of talent and I think you can improve."

Klaus looked at the compound bow in his hands and remembered how good it felt to shoot it. However, he also remembered what happened the last time he competed seriously, so he was scared, but deep down he knew he couldn't avoid it forever. Competing was in his blood, no wonder he felt so good when he played Rise Online or did the fitness test.

Looking at the bow in his hands, Kaizen said:

"All right, Ms. Nairn. I will consider your offer, but I need some time to think about it."

The woman crossed her arms with a smile. "All right, take as much time as you need. I trust you will make the right decision."

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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