Charlie remembered that during the journey from the Sky Harbor to the Arcane Circle, he rode in a carriage along the main road and missed many breathtaking sights. Today, he finally had the opportunity to feast his eyes.
He thought that under the raging void storms, the wilderness should be desolate, filled with bare rocks and devoid of life. However, the reality was quite the opposite. The plains were covered with dense patches of gray-brown, nameless grass. When stepped on, they were resilient and bouncy, not deformed even when trodden heavily.
The shapes of the trees were also unlike anything known. Their roots and trunks were particularly thick, with twisted branches that bore no leaves; some even had a few small flowers growing directly from their stout bodies, looking quite peculiar.
The adaptability of life was astounding. No matter how harsh the environment, there were always forms of life that could grow resiliently.
After walking about three kilometers, the surging energy flows around them began to ease.
Qianjue switched off the copper lantern. "If you encounter a sudden surge of energy tides, your first instinct should be to find a way to avoid them. In this area, the scale of the tides won't be particularly large. If you can't evade it, creating a secondary light barrier can be very effective in resisting the energy tides. Charlie, a secondary light barrier is also effective; I'll assist you from the side."
Charlie understood that this was directed at him and nodded.
Qianjue emphasized, "If we encounter a large-scale storm, everyone should stay close to me, understood?"
Vincent replied, "Alright! No need to emphasize it every time; there's only your little brother who's not aware of the situation!"
To be honest, this guy was a bit aggressive, and Charlie felt slightly displeased.
Perhaps finding Charlie somewhat likable, Leon spoke up, "Vincent, there's no need to target the kid all the time. Just focus on your own duties."
Vincent scoffed twice, dismissive.
Charlie smiled calmly, choosing not to stoop to his level.
"I'll cast a Lightness spell on everyone; we may need to march quickly to reach Fishing Fire Manor as soon as possible."
The group quickened their pace.
"Stop!" Shortly after they started, Qianjue raised a hand to halt everyone.
About a hundred meters away, a gray-brown lizard, approximately two meters long, appeared. Its coloration blended incredibly well with the surroundings, making it easy to overlook.
Soon, Charlie spotted similar lizards both to his left and right. No wonder Qianjue had stopped them; they needed to take a wide detour to avoid this pack of beasts.
"Desert Magic Lizard?" Leon frowned.
Qianjue asked, "Should we kill it or go around?"
The two women remained silent.
Leon said, "These reptiles are too fast; I can't do anything about them. You two who can kill them should decide!"
Qianjue hesitated, "These three are too close together. If I use magic to blast them, I'm afraid it will attract the other two. If one escapes, we won't have peace while traveling; these kinds of reptiles hold grudges!"
Ophelia interjected, "Qianjue, Vincent, and I can each take one; that should work!"
Vincent smirked, saying, "I have no problem with that. I can handle one myself; I'm an archer! I can take them out one by one!"
Finally, Leon made the decision, "To be safe, let Vincent take the lead. You two can supervise from the side and be ready to back him up."
"Alright."
At this point, Charlie quietly took down his Dusk Longbow, but unexpectedly, this small action triggered an intense reaction.
Vincent caught sight of Charlie's movement and sneered, "What are you doing? What's that supposed to mean?! Do you think I'll shoot empty? Or do you think your archery skills are better? If you want to show off, go ahead and take a shot! Since you, the magical apprentice, want to flaunt your skills so much, let's see it!"
Saying this, Vincent put down his bow and stepped aside.
What a fiery temper! Charlie felt stuck, not knowing whether to continue or back off, and it was quite awkward.
Leon's expression darkened as he said in a serious tone, "Charlie, remember you promised me? Observe more, act less, alright? Don't make things difficult for me!"
In this situation, even Qianjue found it hard to speak up for Charlie.
Theresa, feeling sympathetic, softly called out Leon's name.
Leon turned his head and said, "Stay out of it; I'm the team leader. I have to be responsible for the entire team! This isn't a joke!"
It seemed Leon was a man of principles; even with the girl he had a crush on advocating for Charlie, he remained unmoved.
Charlie opened his hands and said, "I haven't even drawn an arrow yet; is it really necessary? I'm not foolish; I understand team discipline! Everyone, let's not react so strongly, alright?"
Leon pointed at Charlie, "Remember your own words. This isn't a freshman task; don't mess around!"
Charlie took a deep breath, suppressing his strong displeasure, and replied, "Understood!"
With that, Leon turned to Vincent and said, "Alright, don't be so proud; stop acting like a woman, just shoot!"
Vincent pulled out a long, exaggerated bow from his back. This bow was 15 meters long, made from a solid piece of hardwood for the back, with the front facing bonded with polished black horn, enhancing its power.
Then, Vincent put on finger guards, took out three arrows, and stuck them into the ground in front of him, tossing the quiver aside.
What confidence! Does he really only need three arrows?!
Vincent nocked one of the long arrows; his bow was particularly long, and the arrows were several centimeters longer than usual.
The moment Vincent drew the bow, a surge of confidence radiated from him, and even the arrow seemed to glimmer with a mysterious light, suggesting it was bound to hit.
With the long bow drawn to its limit, Vincent's face turned red from the strain. The tremendous pull increased dramatically in the chip's visual field, causing everyone else to hold their breath, silently anticipating his next move.
Boom!
A crisp sound resonated, vibrating through the air as the arrow flew away at an indescribable speed.
According to the chip's calculations, the trajectory of the arrow was undoubtedly aimed at the lizard's head. Charlie couldn't help but admire; this guy may be arrogant, but his archery skills were indeed impressive.
However, the next moment, an unexpected event occurred.
Still as a statue, quick as a rabbit.
Through the chip's rapid visual, the lizard's spine jolted like a spring, quickly changing direction. Its four short legs moved rapidly, as if flying over water, sliding several meters sideways, and gaining speed as it fled.
Charlie monitored the scene, fully aware of the developing situation. He retrieved an arrow, nocked it, and fired in one smooth motion.
With a whoosh, the long arrow pierced through the lizard's afterimage, embedding itself in the mud, not even grazing the lizard's tail.
At that moment, another arrow seemingly predicted the lizard's trajectory, piercing through its skull and pinning it to the ground. With the force of inertia, the lizard rolled forward several times before coming to a halt, dead on the spot.
Luck was on their side; a strong surge of void tide swept through from the side, covering the commotion. The two lizards in the distance closed their sensory organs, remaining still as if lifeless, weathering the energy tide's blow.
With one arrow taking down the lizard and not triggering the others, the turn of events caused everyone's hearts to race heavily.
Ophelia merely covered her mouth in shock, the danger dissipating without a trace.
Qianjue released the frost energy from his hands, praising, "Well done!"
Vincent stood there, feeling extremely awkward. He was frustrated; it was all the bowstring's fault for making too much noise and startling the creature. Its strange ability to shift through space was what caused his perfectly aimed arrow to miss.
However, others didn't care about the process; they only looked at the results: he missed, while Charlie made a hit in a rush.
Leon shot a glare at Charlie and patted Vincent on the shoulder, saying, "Bro, looks like your title of Wind Arrow is going to be snatched by a freshman!"
Theresa smiled, "Charlie, great shot!"
Ophelia couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Awesome! Little brother, you shot quickly and accurately!"
Qianjue chuckled, "You've got quite the flair, comparable to what I had in my youth! Let me take a look at that bow of yours."
Qianjue took the Dusk Longbow from Charlie and stretched it. To his surprise, he could only draw it halfway. His face reddened as he shouted, pulling with all his strength to barely draw the string fully.
Leon asked in astonishment, "Is it a strong bow too?"
Qianjue regained his breath, "Yes, the maximum draw weight is around 120 kilograms!"
Leon reached out to him, "Let me try."
Qianjue feigned anger, "You don't trust me yet?"
Leon flexed his sturdy arms and easily drew the bow back, testing it carefully, "It's just as you said!"
Leon looked at Charlie with astonishment, "A strong bow with a 120-kilogram draw weight
—you can draw it thirteen times? You could apply to our Battle Profession Academy!"
Qianjue reminded them, "Alright, let's get back to business. We need to take down the other two; who's up for it?"
Vincent was eager to give it a shot, but Charlie didn't rush to show off. He had already proven himself and demonstrated his ability to back up the team.
Leon pondered, "Vincent, you don't need to pull the bow fully. A truly skilled archer knows how to adjust their draw. These lizards don't have strong defenses; if you don't fully draw the bow, the noise won't be as loud, and perhaps it won't dodge that arrow."
"Alright!" Vincent felt a warm sense of camaraderie; his leader understood him and grasped the situation from before.
"Charlie, I'll let you supervise!" Leon's words again stirred up Vincent's internal frustration.
Vincent learned from his first arrow's lesson, and with the next two arrows, he didn't make the same mistakes, easily taking down both lizards.
Ophelia exclaimed joyfully, "Shall we deal with them? We'll earn a few hundred points from this!"
Qianjue chuckled, "Little Ophelia is truly diligent; whoever marries you will be very fortunate. You'd make a great housekeeper, ensuring the family thrives."
Ophelia blushed, holding her flushed face and giggling shyly.
Leon gave her a light knock, saying, "I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Trying to think of all these trivial things before completing the mission will only add unnecessary weight!"
Qianjue stifled his laughter and said sternly, "Alright, no more jokes! The threat has been eliminated, and our goal is Fishing Fire Manor. Keep up the pace and don't fall behind!"
After two hours of rapid marching, they trekked across a saltwater wetland and crossed two rivers. To avoid encounters with wild beasts, the team took a long detour; they traveled nearly twenty kilometers for a straight-line distance of nine kilometers.
Climbing up a small hill, they finally heard the sound of the sea, and a rush of briny, damp air greeted them.