"Have you practiced archery before?" Eli looked at Jake and asked. After the training began, Eli had Jake shoot two arrows first to assess his foundation and correct his posture. However, to Eli's surprise, Jake's archery posture was very professional, and his marksmanship was quite good. Even from a distance of over ten meters, the first arrow hit the target. Wasn't Jake saying he hadn't received any training before?
"We have a skilled hunter in our village. I often followed him into the forest for hunting and secretly learned from him," Jake explained.
Jake couldn't reveal that he had learned archery in another world. Eli had no reason to doubt him and nodded, saying, "Your archery posture is very professional, and your marksmanship is quite impressive. Just learning by following someone can bring you to this level. Perhaps you truly have the potential to become an excellent archer."
Eli felt a bit excited. Teaching a smart person was indeed easier compared to teaching someone less capable. Jake, who had achieved this level without formal training, showed that he was no slouch.
"However, you shouldn't become too complacent. While your posture is professional, there are still some flaws. First of all, your arm..." Eli didn't overly praise Jake but pointed out some minor issues.
Eli's guidance was even more detailed than that of the instructor from the "Star Moon" Archery Club. Moreover, what was more important was that, while explaining, Eli provided Jake with insights into how an archer should react in various dangerous situations on the battlefield. The real-world instructor couldn't offer such insights, as he hadn't experienced actual combat. Thus, when Eli's explanations contradicted some of the coach's teachings, Jake chose to trust Eli. After all, Eli was a genuine soldier who had seen combat and had developed his understanding of archery in real battle situations.
Jake wasn't practicing archery for entertainment or competitions. He was doing it to kill enemies on the battlefield. Eli's guidance would be more beneficial for him.
"I've told you what you need to know. The rest is up to practice. Every expert archer becomes skilled through extensive practice. While your foundation is good, if you don't practice diligently, you won't achieve much. At best, you'll be a competent archer," Eli advised Jake.
Jake had a good foundation, or rather, he had good talent. Eli didn't want to see him waste his potential.
"Battalion Commander, rest assured, I will practice diligently," Jake said.
"Good," Eli nodded. "You can begin. I won't call a stop, so don't stop practicing."
Jake felt a bit conflicted. It wasn't that he didn't want to practice. In fact, he cherished this opportunity, especially with someone guiding him and having access to a bow and arrows. However, he was running out of time to leave this timeline unnoticed. If he was teleported away in front of everyone's eyes, they might mistake him for some kind of supernatural entity. How could he find an excuse to leave without raising suspicion?
Jake glanced at Eli, who was staring at him intently with a serious expression. For a moment, he couldn't come up with a suitable excuse. Just as he was feeling troubled, a loud boom echoed, and the once-bright sky suddenly turned dark as thick clouds gathered. Within seconds, raindrops the size of beans began to fall, creating a rapid pattering sound as they hit the ground. The dense rain greatly affected visibility.
"Today's training is over. Return to your tents," Eli said to Jake before he could respond.
In an era with limited medical advancements, catching a cold or fever was a serious condition that could lead to death. Eli valued Jake's talents and didn't want any accidents to happen. Cutting the training short for the day wouldn't have a significant impact, and they could continue tomorrow. As long as Jake didn't encounter any health issues, it would be fine.
Without waiting for Jake's confirmation, Eli turned and left, loudly shouting to those lingering outside the tents, "Everyone, back to your tents! No loitering outside!"
If they were on a march or in a battle, Eli wouldn't have ordered everyone back due to rain. Certain sentry duties were necessary. However, they were not on the battlefield at the moment, and it wasn't worth letting the new recruits who had only just arrived two days ago get soaked. If someone fell ill, it could disrupt the training schedule, causing more harm than good.
Watching Eli's retreating figure, Jake couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The rain came at just the right time. Without this rain, he wouldn't have been able to find a suitable excuse to leave. Now, with the rain pouring down, the previous issue no longer mattered.
"Could it be that the Divine One is secretly helping me?" Jake mused to himself as he hurried towards his tent. Considering his timely departure, he wondered if there was a greater force guiding him. However, upon further thought, he realized it was unlikely. Perhaps, everything was just a coincidence.
This time, he was lucky to have avoided exposing his secret. But the next time might not be as fortunate. It seemed he needed to be more proactive in anticipating such situations in the future.
Less than five minutes after returning to his tent, Jake was transported back to reality. If the rain had come a little later, he might have exposed his secret.
"That was quite risky," Jake said with lingering trepidation upon returning to reality. He didn't want to experience such a situation again. To resolve this problem, he had two options: either get himself out of military service, which wasn't easy, or raise his rank. The higher his rank, the less likely others would dare disturb him. However, achieving either goal was far from simple. For now, all Jake could do was be cautious.
In the morning, as Jake was exercising on the Princeton University campus, he still attracted a fair amount of attention. However, he had somewhat grown accustomed to it by now. After all, his food stall on the street in front of the school had become a tourist attraction. Whether people bought his barbecue or not, many students would come to watch and take pictures. With such experiences, Jake found it challenging to feel uncomfortable.
On the campus field, Jake unsurprisingly encountered Wendy, who still exuded an aloof aura.
"Morning."
"Stay away from Xenia," Wendy stated as she walked by without stopping, leaving Jake puzzled.
stay away from Xenia?We don't seem to have any interactions at all. We're not even close. What does she mean by that? And why would she say that?Jake was perplexed.