On the training field, a lot of people gathered to watch the epic showdown between the acclaimed genius archer and an outsider.
Many had called their friends to come and watch the challenge. Fu Gang had not been low-key either.
His acclaimed talent made him proud, and he spread the news of his challenge in the village. After losing the previous challenge, he had trained harder to improve his technique. He had nothing in his mind but to defeat Caleb Li and wipe off the shame from his body.
Some idle mercenaries had even come to watch a show between two kids. To them, it was a way to relax from their hectic job. Apart from that, they bet among themselves.
In addition, the training ground was lively, with many gossiping and murmuring among themselves.
Caleb Li looked at the crowd without any change in his expression. He observed a group of mercenaries opening a betting booth and walked toward them.
He saw the odds and twisted his lips. 'Is that kid so talented that they believe I don't even stand a chance?' He exclaimed in his mind.
The odds were 1:10, which shocked him a little before a light smile appeared on his face. Without thinking twice, he bet his 3 silver coins on himself.
With that out of the way, he went to the 50-meter shooting range and took his position. As for Fu Gang, he was still bragging back and forth, calling people to watch the show.
"Are we doing this or not?" He asked with a loud voice. "I don't have all day. If you're too scared, just tell me. I won't make jest of you."
His voice dripping with ridicule irritated Fu Gang to no end. He looked at Caleb Li and gritted his teeth. "Fine!"
"You know the stake," he added and took his bow.
"Yeah… Yeah…" Caleb Li responded lackadaisically.
When they heard about the stake, the crowd's gossip deepened as they discussed in hushed voices. It was then they learned about the stake.
Fu Gang wanted the outsider as a slave if he defeated him, while the outsider wanted 100 silver coins if he won. Listening to the unreasonable stake, the audience widened their eyes.
What was going on in the heads of these two kids?
Even for a mercenary, one hundred silver coins were a lot. Ordinary mercenaries needed to take an E-Rank mission to earn such an amount.
And now, such a huge sum was being thrown as a stake by some kid not older than 15 years. Even though they were stunned by the unreasonable betting stake, it made their anticipation much more intense.
Standing in their positions, the two looked at each other, brimming with confidence. Behind them were over two hundred spectators, many of them with a betting stick in hand.
A mercenary volunteered to be the judge of the duel and stood behind them. "The rules are simple. The highest bullseye in ten shots is the winner. To avoid cheating, you will shoot at the same time. Is that clear?"
The duo nodded, ready to show their skill and prove to the world their talent. To Caleb Li, he didn't care about showing his talent to the world.
What he was after was money. This was a rare opportunity for him to make a fortune, and he wouldn't miss the chance.
The referee looked at the two for a moment before he shouted. "Begin."
Instantly, everywhere descended into an abrupt silence as everyone fixed their gaze on the duo.
Whoosh!
Caleb Li and Fu Gang both released their arrows at the same time.
Bang!
Bullseye.
They both hit bullseye. They looked at each other and took the second bow and nocked it.
Bang!
Bullseye!
Two bullseyes in a row!
Everyone sucked in a cold breath, and a gasp escaped from their mouths. Slowly, they realized the duel wouldn't be as easy as they thought. Most people had placed their bets on Fu Gang winning.
But with two straight bullseyes, they were not as confident as before.
Bang!
Third Bullseye.
Bang!
Fourth Bullseye.
Fu Gang looked at Caleb Li with wide eyes. His heart pounded heavily against his chest. He thought this was his territory, but he was wrong. A guy who could not even hit a 20-meter target in a couple of days was now hitting a 50-meter target as if it was nothing.
How was that possible?!
He had trained day and night to reach this level, but some nobody only took a couple of days to attain his level without having any instructor.
Is he more talented than him?
Anger and jealousy crept into his heart before it slowly turned into frustration. He gnashed his teeth. 'When I have you as my slave, I will make sure you never use that hand again.'
As for Caleb Li, he didn't know what was going on in his mind as he focused on hitting ten straight bullseyes.
Bang!
This time it was only one bullseye.
Fu Gang missed the mark by a couple of inches while Caleb Li's shot hit straight into the heart of the mark.
Huh!
Everyone's jaws dropped to the ground. They widened their eyes, not knowing how to react.
Fu Gang's hand trembled, and panic etched on his face. He missed a shot. The thought gnawed on his soul, and sweat gathered on his face.
Bang!
He missed one again while Caleb Li hit his mark perfectly. He sucked in a cold breath and tried to control his erratic emotions. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Caleb Li hit ten straight bullseyes without breaking a sweat while Fu Gang was drenched in sweat. He only had six bullseyes in his name.
He had lost once again.
For a couple of minutes, no one spoke on the training field. They looked at Fu Gang and pitied him. From today onward, he would become a joke in the village.
As for Caleb Li, he didn't waste his time and went to the betting booth to claim his reward. Feeling the thirty silver coins inside the pouch, a bright smile appeared on his face before he turned to look at Fu Gang.
Fu Gang felt the gaze on his body but didn't utter a word and threw a pouch at him and rushed out of the training ground. His world had just shattered with various thoughts and emotions clouding his mind.
What he believed from birth was shattered by a single person in a matter of days. His pride and arrogance were nothing but noise.
As for Caleb Li, he didn't linger on the training ground and left quickly. He knew with such wealth he was in danger.
In the presence of the mercenaries, he gave the hundred silver coins to the old man before he went back to his room. It was not like he fully trusted the old man, but he had no choice for now. He was just too weak compared to the mercenaries.
Back in his room, a grin appeared on his face before he burst out laughing. After regaining his composure, he took a seat on the cold, hard ground and thought for a moment before he decided to leave the Ancient realm.
With a thought, he disappeared from the room.