High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 5: Bitter? Not Bitter.

"How long do you reckon he can keep this up?"

While taking a breather, several young men huddled together and spoke in hushed tones.

"Two days at the most."

"Two days? I doubt he lasts through one. Didn't you see? His right arm was practically useless after less than an hour. Honestly, he might throw in the towel by this afternoon."

"That reminds me of my first day practicing archery. That night, my fingers were peeling and I couldn't even grip my rice bowl."

"Heh, we all went through that. In comparison, shooting targets is simple. If only we had handguns, that would be the life," another youth chuckled foolishly.

"Keep dreaming! Those greedy traders have pushed the price of firearms to the sky. A single bullet costs as much as several pounds of food. It's a total rip-off!"

As their conversation continued, the focus shifted away from Chen Fan.

In truth, Chen Fan was indeed pushed to his limit.

His constitution was naturally frailer than his peers, and drawing the bow to its full extent required nearly every ounce of his strength. After more than ten consecutive shots, his right arm shook violently, feeling as though it no longer belonged to his body.

The silver lining was the significant growth in his proficiency.

[Basic Archery: Lv0 (28%)]

He had nearly struck the bullseye once, which caused his progress to jump by 5% instantly.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Fan raised his deadened right arm once more and pulled the string. This time, however, his strength failed him, and he couldn't reach a full draw.

A moment later, the arrow slipped, flying a mere three or four meters before thudding into the dirt.

"Are you a fool? Can't you see you're out of strength? Take a rest!"

A man with a noticeable limp shouted toward him.

Chen Fan turned around and offered an apologetic grin. "You're right, Uncle Zhang. I'll take a break."

With a sigh, he realized that haste makes waste. He was desperate to level up his skill, but his physical condition was a bottleneck.

"Get over here, let me work on that arm of yours."

The limping man gestured to him.

This offer stunned not only Chen Fan but also the nearby youths, who thought to themselves, "We never got a massage when we were training!"

"Tsk."

The limping man sneered at the group. "You call what you do archery practice? You're so weak and pathetic, people would think you're fluffing cotton instead of training."

The young men turned red with shame.

Even if they had slacked off occasionally... it was only because their muscles were too sore to move.

"Well," Chen Fan said tentatively, "Uncle Zhang, you don't have to do that."

"If you want to struggle to pull up your pants in the latrine later, be my guest," the limping man shrugged.

Chen Fan winced at the thought and gave in. "Then, I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Zhang."

"You should have just said yes. Stop your whining." The limping man hobbled over, grumbling the entire way.

Despite his abrasive attitude, it was obvious to everyone that he genuinely cared.

As Chen Fan extended his right arm, a wave of soothing relief washed over him. The intense fatigue began to fade, and he slowly regained sensation in his limb.

The treatment lasted twenty minutes. Every time Chen Fan tried to pull away, he was pinned down by Uncle Zhang’s sharp glare.

Once the massage concluded, a guilty Chen Fan quickly said, "Thank you for the hard work, Uncle Zhang."

The man dismissed the thanks with a wave. "This is nothing compared to the things your father has done for the people of this village."

Chen Fan grew quiet, understanding the weight behind those words.

Uncle Zhang was referring to how his father had worked himself to the bone to ensure the survival of every villager, regardless of who they were.

"Listen to me, kid. Archery is a difficult path. Even if you can hit the center of a target now, things move in the wilderness. Hitting a moving target is a different story."

He looked at the longbow, his expression serious.

"I understand, Uncle Zhang. But if I quit now, won't all my effort be wasted?" Chen Fan replied steadily, meeting the man's gaze.

He had worked too hard to get his Basic Archery progress near 30%. Quitting now would be a waste of everything he had invested.

"Suit yourself."

The limping man nodded, told him to keep at it, and walked off.

The other youths, of course, were still struggling through their own training.

Watching the man leave, Chen Fan mused that while Uncle Zhang seemed crude and foul-mouthed, he was actually quite observant. If not for his leg injury, he likely would have been his father’s most trusted lieutenant.

With a soft exhale, Chen Fan gathered his equipment and headed back to the firing line.

To an observer, the repetitive act of nocking and releasing arrows might look boring and unrewarding.

But for Chen Fan, every perfect release nudged his proficiency higher. The closer he got to the center, the more his progress surged!

This tangible feedback energized him, allowing him to refine his form with every shot. The physical pain became a secondary concern.

"I definitely underestimated this boy."

The limping man watched from a distance, nodding to himself.

That drive to improve with every single arrow was something rare in the village. Perhaps the boy really did have the grit to see this through.

As time passed, Chen Fan returned home for his midday meal. Lunch was no different from the night before—just a bowl of watery porridge.

When his mother learned he was training in archery, she gave him an extra portion from the pot.

"Xiaofan, don't push yourself too hard. You can rest if you need to."

She looked at his raw, red hands, her heart aching with worry.

While she appreciated his maturity and desire to help his father, she was terrified. If both her husband and son were lost to the hunt, how could she and her youngest survive?

Chen Fan just smiled and shook his head. Hard? He was actually having the time of his life.

After finishing his porridge, he bolted back to the practice field, leaving his worried mother and confused little brother behind.

"There's no other way. Time is running out, and I can't waste a second," Chen Fan sighed.

The settlement was on thin ice. One more disaster could break them. His past life had taught him that when it rains, it pours. He needed strength, and he needed it now.

As he walked, he checked his status panel.

Thanks to his morning efforts, his Basic Archery had hit 52%. If he maintained this pace, he would reach Level 1 by sunset.

At that point, he expected a massive transformation!