Chapter 71: Archer Ace

It hadn't been long since Michael obtained the Hardwood Bow.

Only a few days passed, and he wasn't able to test his newest Artifact as much as he wished to. Fortunately, now he finally received the opportunity to test out the gains he made in the last few days.

His perception was heightened through several Artifacts, including the Return Arrow, the Hardwood Bow, and Tigerfang.

It was no problem for Michael to scan his surroundings precisely, and it became even easier upon activating the Eagle Eyes.

"The slit between the golden sign and the principal's photo is the next target," Michael said calmly as he turned his body.

He retrieved the next arrow from his War Rune and nocked it on the bowstring. He channeled some energy in the Hardwood bow to increase the strength he had to use to pull the bowstring back and kept his Eagle Eyes activated.

It was not necessary to keep using his Soultrait but it was almost like a default setting, a subconscious act engraved in his mind to use the Eagle Eyes when he held a bow in his hands. He felt uncomfortable not using the Eagle Eyes Soultrait when he acted as an archer.

Michael pulled the bowstring back and adjusted the angle before he released the arrow two seconds later.

With a dull thud, the arrow pierced the five-centimeter-big gap separating the sign that quoted the school's motto, and the frame of the principal's huge photo on the other side of the room.

The shooting range was merely 50 meters, but the targeted area was very small.

Michael hit the target with great precision, yet he was not satisfied. He had aimed a few millimeters northwest but missed his target by a few inches.

'I need to be a little bit more careful when I channel energy inside the Hardwood bow. I should have used a tad bit more energy.'

Michael's experiments with the Hardwood bow had been mostly about the bow's strongest force. He had channeled a lot of energy inside it to test the Hardwood bow's limit, but that was it.

"What are you guys waiting for? Is it too scary? To think that my high and mighty classmates are scared chickens. How funny!" Michael said in a loud and provoking voice.

He chuckled while waiting for the response of the arrogant fools. Some of his former classmates stepped forward, just like Michael had expected. They shot at the target but failed miserably.

Their arrows hit the golden sign or the wooden frame, but they didn't hit the designated target. Even if their aim was only a little off, they had failed in their task. It was all because they had been influenced by Michael's provocation.

Enraged, they released their arrow a fraction of a second too soon.

It was just a tiny mistake, but that was everything it took for them to fail.

"Trash!" Niklas growled before he pushed his useless subordinates to the side.

He shot the target and hit it easily after taking his time to aim at the target for several seconds.

Inspired by Niklas' successful shot, the others followed suit and took some time to adjust their aim. However, soon enough, it was clear enough that the target was too difficult to hit.

Other than Kaleb, Niklas, and Michael, only two more people were able to hit the designated target.

Both were already Low Tier-0 Lords, leaving Kaleb the only unawakened in the competition.

On the other hand, Michael's War Rune had the highest refinement degree. However, that was weird and difficult for his classmates to digest.

He hadn't manifested his War Rune at the final exam. Only a week passed since then, yet Michael's War Rune was already more refined than Niklas' War Rune.

Furthermore, his archery skill had improved by leaps and bounds. Was that the extent of growth one received upon manifesting a War Rune? That shouldn't be the case.

Did that mean Michael was special? This loser?

That couldn't be!

Niklas couldn't believe it. He was not the only one who was shocked, but he was hit the hardest.

The ordinary loser, who was supposed to become a slave of society, had grown ridiculously strong within a single week.

Not only that, but he obtained an Epic Weapon Artifact as well!! How did Michael deserve that??

Under the influence of his raging emotions, Niklas pointed across the room, locking eyes with the next target.

"The purple grapes are the next target," He announced before he pulled back the bowstring of his bow. An arrow was already nocked on the bowstring.

Niklas aimed for more than ten seconds before he release the arrow that shot across the auditorium. The arrow flew past the buffet tables and tore through the chocolate fountain - which obstructed the path to the grapes - before it impacted.

However, instead of smiling pridefully, Niklas' expression darkened. His arrow pierced a green grape instead of a purple one.

"Does that mean he is disqualified?" Michael asked aloud the next moment. Through his Eagle Eyes he could clearly see the arrow and the green grape that had been pierced.

The question earned him a glare from Niklas, while Kaleb nodded his head to their right, "Since he said that the purple grapes are the target, he should be disqualified."

"What is everyone else thinking about this?" Kaleb added generously asking the others for their opinion.

A sliver of hope surfaced in Niklas' heart, only to be crushed a moment later when Jasmine Blade and the other girls supported Kaleb.

"I think Kaleb is right. Niklas should be disqualified. He didn't hit his target, after all!'"

Michael smiled, ignoring Kaleb's comment. He stepped closer to Niklas because it was his turn now and stood in the same spot to shoot the target.

He pulled the bowstring back once an arrow had been nocked before he released the arrow two seconds later. His arrow shot through the chocolate fountain easily, and it pierced through two purple grapes at the same time.

"That was easier than expected," He muttered, just to step aside to give the others enough space to try it as well.

Niklas glared at Michael, who returned a bright smile.

"You should keep the money ready. I will share my bank account details with you when this is over," Michael added in a gloating voice before he began to laugh lightly.

He never expected that it would be that easy to earn several million dollars in less than half an hour!

"Who said that you won?" Kaleb asked coldly when he finished his turn. He had hit the purple grapes along with Michael and reached the next round.

So, he did not like that Michael was already declaring himself a winner.

"You're not bad. Everyone said that you're just a loser, but it looks like you didn't bet the Epic Artifact foolishly!" Kaleb praised Michael, who could only shrug his shoulders.

He had yet to forgive Kaleb for making him lose his appetite. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel that Kaleb's personality was not that bad.

'He left a bad first impression on me but it's not as if Alice was better. Maybe that's a family thing?'

"How about you announce the next target?" Kaleb asked, ignoring Niklas, who wanted to veto his disqualification.

He merely stared coldly at Niklas before Kelen pulled his former student back. It was not worth enraging the Zenovia family because of a little bet!

"Are you sure about that?" Michael asked, feeling slightly astonished.

Was Kaleb just arrogant or was there a reason behind his offer?

But Kaleb just smiled at Michael before he gestured to him, "Of course, I'm sure. Do as you please!"

"Don't cry later then," Michael mumbled.

He recalled something about the stage in the auditorium as he thought about his next target. It was often used for skits and theater shows of the school's theatre club, and Michael had to help them out once or twice in the past.

"I will pierce the clock behind the curtain. It's backstage." Michael announced his final target while walking further away from the auditorium's stage and stopping a good distance away from the stage, "...from here."

After he announced his target, Michael didn't stay idle.

He activated his Eagle Eyes' full power and channeled a considerable amount of energy into the 3-Star Hardwood bow to increase its efficiency. He took a deep breath and used the full extent of his own expertise and Fenrir's Archery memories that were now fully integrated into his mind.

Michael adjusted his aim for a few seconds before he released the arrow at last.

The arrow cut through the air much faster than his earlier arrows. It shot through a metal ring that attached the curtain to the crossbar on the ceiling and impacted with a loud thud.

Everyone held their breath when they saw that Michael's arrow disappeared backstage. Their heartstrings were pulled the moment the sound of something breaking rang through the eerily silent auditorium.

It was not even possible for most people to see the metal ring from Michael's position, yet he shot through it and hit something. That alone was already enough to make them realize that Michael was slowly becoming an expert. He was clearly a veteran even without decades of practice!

When the first graduate near the stage regained his senses, he rushed backstage.

A moment later, his shocked exclamation resounded through the entire auditorium.

"Oh my god, he hit the clock!!"

[A/N: If you give me some reviews, I might consider releasing a few ! :D]