Chen Fan entered the warehouse, his gaze fixed on the second bow.
This bow was almost as tall as him, its bronze-colored frame glistening with a sheen, and its bowstring tautly stretched. It was evidently not an easy task to draw.
He shifted his gaze to the right, landing on the final bow.
This bow measured almost two meters in length, with a jet-black body and an equally black bowstring, giving off an ominous aura.
"Don't consider it this time." A voice interrupted his thoughts, and Chen Fan turned to see Zhang Ren entering with a slight limp. "Though you're at the third level of body tempering, it's still too early for you to draw this 300-jin bow. The 200-jin bow is a better choice for now."
"Understood," Chen Fan replied, then curiously asked, "Uncle Zhang, how powerful is this 200-jin bow?"
Zhang Ren squinted his eyes and calmly stated, "Very powerful."
"Powerful?" Chen Fan echoed, thinking to himself that he knew it was powerful, but how powerful was it exactly?
Zhang Ren seemed to discern his inner thoughts and inquired, "I recall the first time you encountered an armored rhinoceros, correct?"
Chen Fan nodded.
He remembered feeling an immense sense of intimidation from the armored rhinoceros when it was several hundred meters away. Even when he encountered it again while wielding the 100-jin bow, he still felt a significant challenge.
"If you had used this 200-jin bow to shoot the armored rhinoceros in the head from within 100 meters, it would have killed it instantly," Zhang Ren revealed.
"One arrow, one kill?" Chen Fan's eyes displayed disbelief.
The creature was approximately the size of a heavy truck, weighing several tons.
"Indeed," Zhang Ren affirmed, maintaining eye contact. "The armored rhinoceros is among the top-tier mid-level beasts. Its entire body is covered in scales, offering defense equivalent to that of a light armored vehicle. Firearms, even assault rifles, struggle to take it down and often provoke its aggression. Do you know how fast an armored rhinoceros can reach during a full sprint?"
"How fast?" Chen Fan inquired instinctively, sensing an unsettling premonition.
"30 meters per second," Zhang Ren disclosed.
"30 meters per second?" Chen Fan's mind reeled.
What did this mean?
An ordinary person took around 13 to 15 seconds to sprint 100 meters, equivalent to 6-7 meters per second, with an agility attribute of 10 points.
His current agility was 32 points, three times that of an ordinary person, equating to roughly 20 meters per second.
So what did this imply? An armored rhinoceros, which appeared so bulky, had a sprint speed of 30 meters per second? Faster than him?
Cold sweat formed on his back. Thankfully, he hadn't acted impulsively that day, or even he wouldn't have been able to outrun the armored rhinoceros, let alone his father.
"Now you understand why your father and the others choose to avoid this creature, right?" Zhang Ren asked. "However, not all mid-level beasts possess the same level of defense as armored rhinoceroses. Normally, an assault rifle can handle most mid-level beasts. Armored rhinoceroses require sniper rifles or high-caliber machine guns."
"Uncle Zhang, are you saying that this 200-jin bow can shoot arrows as powerful as a sniper rifle?" Chen Fan's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Almost," Zhang Ren answered deliberately. "A sniper rifle typically has a range of nearly two kilometers, capable of slicing a person in half from over a thousand meters away. Within 100 meters, its bullets can penetrate a 3-centimeter thick steel plate. Even a light armored vehicle wouldn't withstand such a shot."
He gestured towards the 200-jin bow on the wall. "This 200-jin bow can also penetrate a 3-centimeter thick steel plate within 100 meters and can rival military rifles within 500 meters."
Chen Fan stared at the bow with awe.
When had he become so formidable?
If this was the power of the 200-jin bow, then what about the 300-jin bow? Could it be comparable to a sniper cannon?
"Don't get too carried away; I shared this information to illustrate the bow's power," Zhang Ren cautioned sternly. "While it's indeed potent, to bring down an armored rhinoceros with a single arrow, you need to meet two conditions. First, you must be within 100 meters, and second, you must hit its vital point. Otherwise, you'll merely wound it, and it'll enter a berserk state."
"At that point, within 100 meters, it can close in on you in about three seconds. Can you imagine the impact of nearly 2 tons colliding with you?" Zhang Ren queried.
Chen Fan was stunned, then offered a wry smile.
Two tons—such a force would shatter not just flesh and bone but even a large truck.
Of course, if you manage to shoot another arrow within two or three seconds of the opponent rushing over, the chances of killing them will significantly increase. But how many people can remain motionless in such a situation?
"Uncle Zhang, from what you've described, it seems like using a sniper rifle or a large-caliber machine gun would be much more effective. You just need to hold down the trigger and turn the opponent into a sieve?" Chen Fan inquired.
"It sounds simple," Zhang Ren replied casually. "But have you considered that if the distance shortens to just 100 meters, or even 200 meters, the armored rhinoceros might not remain passive?"
"Once you trigger the opponent's hostility, even we warriors may struggle to outrun them without firearms and ammunition. Moreover, most of those who wield these guns are ordinary people," he continued.
Chen Fan nodded in understanding. While modern firearms possess the power to take down mid-level beasts, the process is far from straightforward.
"This is a mid-level beast; dealing with a high-level beast would be even more challenging. Not only do they have defenses comparable to heavy armored vehicles, but even large-caliber machine guns or grenades may prove ineffective against them. What's truly terrifying is their speed," Zhang Ren explained, a look of dread in his eyes.
"Their speed?" Chen Fan inquired.
"Close to 100 meters per second," Zhang Ren stated slowly.
"Hundred meters per second..." Chen Fan gasped for breath.
This speed was more than twice that of a mid-level beast, and their defenses had also increased significantly. In the face of such a high-level beast, it wasn't just their own village at risk; even Zhaojiabao, and perhaps even Songjiabao, could fall victim.
At that moment, a horrifying realization struck him.
"Uncle Zhang, are there different levels among the beasts, similar to high-level beasts?" Chen Fan asked.
Zhang Ren remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, indeed. Beyond high-level beasts, there are elite-level, commander-level, beast king-level, and the mightiest of them all, the Beast Emperor-level."
"Beast Emperor-level?" Chen Fan questioned.
"Yes, they are the most terrifying entities among beasts. Even the weakest Beast Emperor-level creature can unleash an attack equivalent to a medium-range ballistic missile carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives. It can level streets and cause tens of thousands of casualties."
"Under the force of such an explosion, it's as if over 400,000 tons of explosives simultaneously detonated, comparable to a nuclear bomb. A decade ago, this is how most of our cities were obliterated," Zhang Ren disclosed.
Chen Fan was left in utter shock.