Chapter 24 - Translation

<h1>Chapter 24 - 6.1 - Lessons</h1><p>Chapter 24: Chapter 6.1 - Lessons</p><p>"Kughk-"</p><p>Inside my room, I was holding my breath, enduring the sharp pain coursing through my body. Why was I subjecting myself to this agony?</p><p>Simple. I needed to get stronger; that was it because this pain was never enough.</p><p>"Grr…."</p><p>I clenched my fists, feeling the tremors coursing through them. The training I had undergone yesterday had been grueling, pushing my body to its limits and beyond. But it was necessary.</p><p>"Huff…. Huff…."</p><p>Just like that, the pain reached its end as I was looking at my body below.</p><p>'There are still some scar marks here left from the past months…. I guess when I will have my money, I can grab a potion for them.'</p><p>I thought, raising my body up.</p><p>Today's training truly proved to be useful as I felt my mana control getting better with each passing moment.</p><p>It was like when you picked a new hobby; you would figure out how to do the basic things quite fast.</p><p>But you would also know that when things get more complex, you would actually need to put up a lot of effort.</p><p>Right now, that was how it was for me. Imbuing the arrows with my mana was pretty smooth since moving the mana was not that hard for me like I instinctually knew.</p><p>But that was not what mana is for; at least, it is not only enchanting a bunch of arrows or bullets; thus, I knew I needed to learn how to use my mana properly.</p><p>'But that should be enough.' I thought as I started thinking about my new trait.</p><p>Shadowborne.</p><p>It was a trait that was one of the most coveted ones in the game.</p><p>Because it enabled one to blend into the shadows, therefore, whenever you are inside a place where the lights are dimmed, you would be able to hide your presence.</p><p>*SWISH*</p><p>With that thought, I imagined myself moving behind the shadows, and soon just as I wanted, the shadows followed my will, imbuing me with darkness.</p><p>My vision was not obscured, and I could clearly see the world around me, but at the same time, it was like I was not there as I was blended in the darkness of the world.</p><p>In fact, I had been experimenting with this trait as well, even though I knew its uses from the game. Feeling this in real life was a lot better than seeing it in the game.</p><p>'Then, this should be it for today.'</p><p>With that thought, I went to sleep since it was already 1 AM on time, and tomorrow I was going to have classes….</p><p>*******</p><p>*RING*</p><p>The sound of the alarm ringing woke me up from my sleep.</p><p>"Humm…"</p><p>The lingering pain after the training and the mixture was still there, but it was bearable.</p><p>'5 AM, huh? This should be enough time for me to apply the change for weapons.'</p><p>Since I needed to change my weapon and I couldn't afford to have a weapon of my own with this little amount of money, I needed to get one from the academy.</p><p>'I shouldn't get a gun.'</p><p>A gun was not necessary since I didn't want to show that I was able to enchant the bullets with my mana that easily. I wanted to save this talent for hiding, and guns are relatively cheaper than artifact bows; thus, after a bunch of dungeon explorations, I could get one on my own.</p><p>'The important thing is to improve my marksmanship, then using a gun won't also be a problem.'</p><p>With that thought, I left my room.</p><p>The sun had yet to rise as we were close to winter, so there weren't many students around us.</p><p>Reaching the student administration building, I saw a secretary there waiting. This world's work hours were a little different than normal.</p><p>Most of the time, jobs like student affairs or things related to hunters would start their job around 3 AM since the gates and dungeons don't care about what time of the day it is.</p><p>She nodded and said, "Sure, we can arrange that for you. Which weapon are you planning to switch to?"</p><p>"Bow," I replied.</p><p>The secretary raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised by my choice. "Oh, interesting. We don't get many students choosing to change bows from daggers, but I'm sure we can arrange it for you."</p><p>She said with a smile. What she said was correct. You wouldn't generally see a close combatant randomly changing their weapons to range one unless some special circumstances are involved.</p><p>'Like enlightening.'</p><p>Even though I was the last ranked student, different from the students around, she showed me respect. That was because she knew the difference between the Arcadia Hunter Academy and the standards of the outside world. Even though I was ranked last here didn't mean I was too weak when it came to hunters outside…</p><p>Well, I was weak, but I could close the gap with my awakening and skills.</p><p>I followed her instructions to the testing area. There, I was handed a basic bow and a set of arrows to demonstrate my skills. It was the same bow that I used on the training grounds.</p><p>After I trained in the testing area for a little to warm myself up, I was greeted by an instructor who would be evaluating my marksmanship skills. He was the Coordinator of the Archery Course; I knew him from the game.</p><p>'Ethan Hartman.' I thought, seeing him.</p><p>The area was a large, open field with different target ranges set up at various distances. The targets were made of sturdy materials to withstand the force of the arrows and had different shapes and sizes.</p><p>"All right, let's begin," Instructor Ethan said, gesturing for me to step onto the designated shooting line. "We'll start with the basics. Hit the five stationary targets over there."</p><p>The first part was going to be easy, as my eyes locked down on the target. Observing the distance and remembering the feeling I got yesterday, I nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring, and aimed at the first target.</p><p>*SWOOSH* *THUD*</p><p>With a deep breath, I released the arrow, and it hit the center of the target with a satisfying thud.</p><p>"Good shot," the instructor nodded, and I felt a surge of confidence. From his body movements alone, I could see he genuinely approved of me.</p><p>As I progressed through the stages, the difficulty increased. In the second stage, the number of targets increased to eight, and they moved from side to side. I had to adjust my aim and timing to hit them as they moved, and my [Perceptive Insight] trait helped me see their movements more clearly.</p><p>In the third stage, the targets were set at farther distances, testing my accuracy and precision. I had to account for wind direction and adjust my shots accordingly.</p><p>*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD*</p><p>However, that didn't matter too much as I hit the mark once again.</p><p>As I moved on to the fourth stage, the targets were made of tougher materials, and I needed to enhance my arrows with my mana to ensure they penetrated the thick surfaces.</p><p>It was the basic skill that was necessary for an archer. To be able to imbue one's arrow with their mana and their attributes.</p><p>'At this point, I am pretty sure I can have a bow, but letting him think I have a trait related to bows would be better.' I thought as I imbued the arrow and released the string.</p><p>*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *THUD* *THUD*</p><p>"Nice use of your trait there," the instructor commented, noting how I imbued my arrows with my energy. Just as I expected, he assumed that was the trait that let me imbue arrows. In a way, he was not wrong, but in a way he was.</p><p>The fifth stage was the most challenging. It combined moving targets, long distances, and durable materials. I had to maintain my focus and use my mana to imbue the arrow while also constantly changing my position to have a better shooting angle.</p><p>"Ho?" I could see the exclamation of surprise coming from Instructor Ethan. It looked like he was not expecting me to progress further at this stage.</p><p>*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *THUD* *THUD*</p><p>But that didn't matter, as I was able to finish the stage given the limited time.</p><p>"This guy is really good…"</p><p>I could see him mumbling to himself. At this point, he already started taking notes on his tablet.</p><p>'I should have passed, but I want to keep going further.' I thought.</p><p>I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I faced the sixth stage. The targets were now even tougher, with reinforced materials that required a significant amount of force to penetrate.</p><p>My body was also aching. Since the bow I had in my hand was a recurve bow, it needed a good amount of strength to pull the string constantly, which tired me at the end.</p><p>But I still went on as I steadied my breath.</p><p>I nocked an arrow and focused my mana, channeling it into the arrow to enhance its power. Then releasing the bow, I watched it fly toward the next target.</p><p>SWOOSH</p><p>The arrow hit the surface of the target with force, but to my dismay, it didn't penetrate deep enough. The arrow bounced off, leaving a mere scratch on the sturdy material.</p><p>Instructor Ethan's expression remained neutral. "Keep trying," he said, and I nodded. He wanted to assess the power limit of my enhancement.</p><p>I tried again and again, pouring more mana into each shot, but no matter how hard I tried, the arrows weren't enough to break through the target's defenses.</p><p>'As expected, for now, I can't seem to penetrate level 6 targets.' I thought, but I was not disappointed; after all, I had just acquired my trait, and I didn't know how to use it more efficiently, as well as my mana.</p><p>SWOOSH SWOOSH</p><p>I released two more arrows, both with the same result – they bounced off the target's surface without making any significant impact.</p><p>"That's enough," Instructor Ethan finally said, stepping forward. "It seems you've reached your limit for today."</p><p>Hearing this, I lowered my now. It was true that I had already reached my limit for today, so I didn't say anything.</p><p>"Huff….. Huff…."</p><p>At this point, I could no longer contain the heavy breathing in my lungs. As a ranger, the most important things were balance and breathing, and to do that, I needed to keep my mouth shut no matter how fast my heart was beating.</p><p>Instructor Ethan approached me, a look of approval in his eyes. "Your performance was impressive, especially considering you have just started using bows. Your mana control is quite remarkable for a newbie. I just checked that you weren't able to use your mana, but it seems you have reached enlightenment."</p><p>He said, looking at his tablet. There I could see a bunch of information about me and my past records. As I have just said, Astron was unable to use his mana before; thus, he was known as the mana-less hunter amongst instructors.</p><p>I nodded to his words in response. "Yes, I just recently found out about my talents at bows and mana."</p><p>Nodding his head, he turned his gaze toward my body.</p><p>"However, even though your speed and your body movements are good, your strength and endurance are lacking. You are already looking like you are tired."</p><p>"That is true."</p><p>"Then, you should use a compound bow instead of a recurved one. Even though they are heavier than recurved bows and harder to use, they also require less strength. I am sure, with your skill, you can handle compound bows better."</p><p>'As expected, he saw right through me.' The reason why I kept going until I was tired was to show this to him. Compound bows were a lot expensive; thus academy doesn't like to give them to students normally, but my strength didn't let me use a recurved bow.</p><p>"Understood, instructor."</p><p>"Good decision," he said with a smile. "I'll talk to the academy, and we'll get you a proper compound bow to practice with while your weapon will also be registered as a bow. But I need to confirm one thing. Did your talent at Daggers disappear? Even though it is a rare case, there are times when one's former talent disappeared."</p><p>"No. It is still there."</p><p>SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH</p><p>Grabbing my dagger from my belt, I swung it rapidly, just as before.</p><p>"Good. I will handle the necessary process. Your bow will be in your hands around noon."</p><p>"Thank you, Instructor Ethan," I said gratefully.</p><p>With that, I left the testing area, feeling a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. My body was aching a little, but that was fine.</p><p>'Now, with this, the only thing that is left is to make money and acquire a gun.'</p><p>Just like that, I returned to my room to get ready for the class…</p><p>-----------------------A/N------------------------</p><p>Hope you liked the chapter. I have been sick for two days, so I couldn't post a chapter yesterday, and I am still sick so hope the quality isn't that bad.</p><p>Give me power stones if you like my novel; I am participating in WPC, so it helps a lot.</p><p>You can check my discord if you want. You will be able to see the illustrations here and engage in a conversation with me if I am available.</p><p>https://discord.gg/XJEgBRM3C</p>

<h1>Chapitre 24 - 6.1 - Leçons</h1> <p>« Ghk— »</p> <p>Dans ma chambre, je retenais ma respiration, serrant les dents pour endurer la douleur aiguë qui parcourait tout mon corps. Pourquoi m'infliger une telle torture ?</p> <p>La réponse était simple : je devais devenir plus fort. Rien de plus. Et cette souffrance actuelle était encore bien insuffisante.</p> <p>« Grrr... »</p> <p>Mes poings se serrèrent jusqu'à en trembler. La séance d'entraînement de la veille avait repoussé les limites de mon endurance. Mais c'était nécessaire. Indispensable.</p> <p>« Huff... Huff... »</p> <p>La douleur finit par s'estomper tandis que j'inspectais mon corps couvert de sueur.</p> <p>'Il reste des cicatrices ici... Des souvenirs des derniers mois. Une fois que j'aurai assez d'argent, j'achèterai une potion pour les effacer.'</p> <p>Cette pensée en tête, je me redressai lentement.</p> <p>L'entraînement d'aujourd'hui avait porté ses fruits. Je sentais mon contrôle du mana s'affiner avec chaque minute passée.</p> <p>C'était comme découvrir un nouveau passe-temps : les bases s'apprenaient rapidement.</p> <p>Mais je savais aussi que lorsque les choses se corseraient, l'effort nécessaire serait décuplé.</p> <p>Pour l'instant, j'en étais là. Imprégner mes flèches de mana restait relativement simple. Déplacer cette énergie me venait naturellement, comme si je l'avais toujours su.</p> <p>Pourtant, ce n'était qu'une infime partie des possibilités du mana. Bien plus que de simples enchantements sur flèches ou balles. J'avais encore tant à apprendre.</p> <p>'Mais pour commencer, ça devrait suffire.' Mon esprit se tourna vers mon nouveau trait.</p> <p>Shadowborne.</p> <p>L'un des traits les plus convoités dans le jeu.</p> <p>Il permettait de fusionner avec les ombres. Dans une faible lumière, on devenait pratiquement invisible.</p> <p>*SWISH*</p> <p>Rien qu'à y penser, je visualisais mon corps glissant dans les ténèbres. Et comme par magie, les ombres répondaient à ma volonté, m'enveloppant de leur étreinte.</p> <p>Ma vision restait claire, je distinguais parfaitement mon environnement, mais mon existence même semblait s'être dissoute dans l'obscurité ambiante.</p> <p>J'avais testé cette capacité malgré ma connaissance théorique du jeu. Et l'expérience réelle dépassait largement la version virtuelle.</p> <p>'Bon, ça suffit pour aujourd'hui.'</p> <p>Cette dernière pensée en tête, je m'abandonnai au sommeil. Une heure du matin - demain, les cours m'attendaient...</p> <p>*******</p> <p>*DRING*</p> <p>Le son strident de mon réveil me tira brutalement des limbes du sommeil.</p> <p>« Hummm... »</p> <p>Des courbatures persistaient, séquelles de l'entraînement intensif, mais restaient supportables.</p> <p>'5 heures ? Parfait, ça me laisse le temps de faire modifier mon arme.'</p> <p>Ne pouvant m'offrir une nouvelle arme avec mes maigres économies, je devais me contenter du prêt de l'académie.</p> <p>'Un pistolet serait inapproprié.'</p> <p>Je ne tenais pas à révéler ma facilité à enchanter les projectiles. Mieux valait garder cet atout secret. De toute façon, les pistolets coûtaient moins cher que les arcs artefact. Après quelques donjons, je pourrais m'en procurer un.</p> <p>'L'essentiel est d'améliorer ma précision. Le pistolet viendra plus tard.'</p> <p>Sur cette réflexion, je quittai ma chambre.</p> <p>Le soleil tardait à se lever en cette saison hivernale. Peu d'étudiants rôdaient à cette heure.</p> <p>Au bâtiment administratif, une secrétaire m'accueillit. Les horaires de travail ici différaient du monde normal. Administratifs et chasseurs commençaient tôt - les portails et donjons n'attendaient personne.</p> <p>Elle opina : « Bien sûr, nous pouvons arranger cela. Quelle arme souhaitez-vous ? »</p> <p>« Un arc », répondis-je.</p> <p>Son sourcil se haussa, surprise. « Intéressant. Peu d'étudiants abandonnent les dagues pour l'arc. Mais c'est faisable. »</p> <p>Son sourire était sincère. Effectivement, passer du combat rapproché au tir à distance sans raison apparente surprenait.</p> <p>'Comme une illumination soudaine.'</p> <p>Même dernier de ma classe, elle me traitait avec respect. Elle connaissait la différence entre les normes de l'Académie des Chasseurs d'Arcadia et celles du monde extérieur. Ici, le dernier n'équivalait pas au plus faible dehors...</p> <p>Enfin, techniquement si, mais mes nouveaux pouvoirs combleraient vite l'écart.</p> <p>Je suivis ses indications vers la zone de test. On me remit un arc basique et des flèches pour évaluer mes compétences - le même modèle que celui du terrain d'entraînement.</p> <p>Après un bref échauffement, un instructeur vint m'évaluer. Le Coordinateur du Cours de Tir à l'Arc - Ethan Hartman, comme je le savais du jeu.</p> <p>Le champ de tir s'étendait devant nous, parsemé de cibles à différentes distances. Constructions robustes capables d'encaisser des impacts répétés, de formes variées.</p> <p>« Commençons », annonça Ethan en m'indiquant la ligne de tir. « Cinq cibles fixes pour débuter. »</p> <p>Facile. Mes yeux se verrouillèrent sur les silhouettes. Calculant la distance, me remémorant la sensation d'hier, j'encochai une flèche, bandai l'arc et visai.</p> <p>*SWOOSH* *THUD*</p> <p>J'expirai lentement avant de relâcher. La flèche trouva son centre avec un bruit satisfaisant.</p> <p>« Bon tir », commenta l'instructeur, et je perçus son approbation sincère dans son attitude.</p> <p>La difficulté augmenta ensuite. Huit cibles mobiles latéralement nécessitèrent ajustements et timing parfait. Mon trait [Vision Perspicace] facilita le suivi de leurs trajectoires.</p> <p>Troisième étape : distances accrues, facteur vent à considérer.</p> <p>*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD*</p> <p>Peu importait - chaque projectile trouva sa marque.</p> <p>Quatrième phase : cibles renforcées exigeant des flèches imprégnées de mana pour perforer.</p> <p>Compétence fondamentale pour tout archer. Fusionner son mana et ses attributs aux projectiles.</p> <p>'Presque acquis. Mieux vaut qu'il croie à un trait spécialisé.' Ma flèche chargée d'énergie partit.</p> <p>*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *THUD* *THUD*</p> <p>« Bon usage de votre trait », nota Ethan, observant ma technique. Comme prévu, il l'attribua à une capacité innée. En partie vrai, en partie faux.</p> <p>Dernier niveau : combinaison de mouvement, distance et résistance extrême. Concentration absolue, mana contrôlé, repositionnements stratégiques.</p> <p>« Ho ? » Ethan manifesta sa surprise devant ma persévérance.</p> <p>*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *THUD* *THUD*</p> <p>Peine perdue - je réussis dans les temps.</p> <p>« Ce gars a du talent... »</p> <p>Son murmure m'échappa tandis qu'il notait sur sa tablette.</p> <p>'Réussi, mais je veux pousser plus loin.'</p> <p>Je respirai profondément pour la sixième étape. Cibles ultra-résistantes aux matériaux renforcés.</p> <p>Mon corps protestait déjà. L'arc recurve demandait une force constante qui m'épuisait.</p> <p>Je stabilisai ma respiration malgré tout.</p> <p>Flèche encochée, mana concentré, corde relâchée.</p> <p>SWOOSH</p> <p>L'impact fut puissant mais insuffisant - la flèche ricocha, laissant à peine une trace.</p> <p>Ethan resta impassible. « Continuez », ordonna-t-il, et j'obéis. Il voulait tester mes limites.</p> <p>Essai après essai, augmentant le flux de mana, sans résultat.</p> <p>'Normal. Les cibles niveau 6 sont hors de portée pour l'instant.' Pas de déception - ce trait était nouveau, mon mana mal maîtrisé.</p> <p>SWOOSH SWOOSH</p> <p>Deux nouvelles tentatives, même échec.</p> <p>« Assez », conclut Ethan. « Vous avez atteint votre plafond aujourd'hui. »</p> <p>Je baissai mon arc sans protester. Il disait vrai.</p> <p>« Huff... Huff... »</p> <p>Je ne pus contenir mon souffle haletant. Un rôdeur doit contrôler sa respiration, mais mon cœur battait la chamade.</p> <p>Ethan s'approcha, satisfait. « Impressionnant pour un novice. Votre contrôle du mana est remarquable. Selon vos dossiers, vous étiez incapable de l'utiliser auparavant. On dirait une révélation. »</p> <p>Ses yeux parcouraient ma fiche. Effectivement, Astron était connu ici comme le chasseur sans mana.</p> <p>J'acquiesçai. « Oui, j'ai récemment découvert mon affinité pour les arcs et le mana. »</p> <p>Il étudia ma posture. « Vos réflexes sont bons, mais votre endurance faible. Vous êtes déjà épuisé. »</p> <p>« Exact. »</p> <p>« Dans ce cas, un arc à poulies vous conviendrait mieux. Plus lourd mais demandant moins de force. Avec votre adresse, vous le maîtriserez rapidement. »</p> <p>'Parfait.' J'avais simulé cette fatigue exprès. Les arcs à poulies, plus chers, étaient rarement prêtés - sauf nécessité avérée comme la mienne.</p> <p>« Bien compris, instructeur. »</p> <p>« Bon choix », approuva-t-il. « Je vais en faire la demande. Vous aurez votre arc pour midi. Une dernière chose : votre talent pour les dagues a-t-il disparu ? Ça arrive parfois. »</p> <p>« Non, intact. »</p> <p>SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH</p> <p>Ma dague jaillit de sa gaine dans une démonstration de vitesse.</p> <p>« Parfait. Les formalités seront faites. Votre arc sera prêt pour midi. »</p> <p>« Merci, instructeur Ethan », dis-je avec gratitude.</p> <p>Je quittai le terrain partagé entre fatigue et satisfaction. Des courbatures, mais supportables.</p> <p>'Prochaine étape : gagner assez pour ce pistolet.'</p> <p>Direction ma chambre pour me préparer aux cours...</p> <p>-----------------------A/N------------------------</p> <p>J'espère que ce chapitre vous a plu. Excusez l'absence hier - maladie. Toujours pas remis, alors j'espère que la qualité est acceptable.</p> <p>Les pierres de pouvoir sont les bienvenues pour le WPC. Votre soutien compte beaucoup.</p> <p>Rejoignez mon Discord pour les illustrations et discussions :</p> <p>https://discord.gg/XJEgBRM3C</p>