I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 268

Bows were weapons widely used across the world until the invention of firearms.

No matter the civilization, long-range offensive means almost always boiled down to the bow, proving just how outstandingly efficient it was.

Bows appear in various mythologies, and numerous divine archers have carved their names into history.

As the traditional ultimate weapon of virtually every civilization, the bow is utilized in a wide variety of roles.

Not only for hunting, but in large-scale warfare as well, archers are treated as an extremely valuable troop type.

So, what about crafting a bow? Speaking objectively, it falls under the quite difficult category.

One might think you can just roughly carve out some wood, but that wood needs to have rubber-like elasticity.

And arrows are no joke either. As Passing Dwarf once said, an armorer’s main source of income comes from arrows.

Unlike other weapons, arrows are strictly ’consumables,’ so it only makes sense for them to be a lucrative revenue stream.

At any rate, the bow is a weapon born alongside civilization itself, as well as a symbol of it.

’Did the gorillas craft bows and arrows? There’s no way.’

Having returned to the Shelter, I stared down at the arrow in my hand. It was an arrow broken in half because I had stepped on it.

I had stumbled upon it by chance near the gorillas’ territory. Finding this left my mind feeling conflicted.

"Hey. Lackey."

"?"

"Reach out your hand for a second."

I requested of Lackey as I observed the broken arrow.

Lackey wore a puzzled expression, but soon extended his hand obediently.

A gorilla’s hand—with an extremely broad palm and short fingers.

Even setting bows aside, it was absolutely not a structure suitable for crafting delicate arrows.

’Did Wi Ho-chang craft it for them instead? No, for that to be the case, the material itself is practically brand new.’

The probability of a blacksmith existing within a gorilla troop was infinitely close to zero.

If they had one, they wouldn’t be walking around carrying crude wooden clubs or stone axes.

’What if it wasn’t gorillas, but an entirely different group?’

That was a problem in its own right. It would mean those creatures possessed a higher level of civilization than the gorillas.

Furthermore, if they could cultivate even a crude civilization inside the Forest of the Four Seasons, they were definitely no push-overs.

While it was merely a hypothesis for now, one never knew what might happen in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

I immediately summoned Ludwig and Cain to discuss the matter.

They, too, showed a fairly surprised reaction upon learning that I had found an arrow.

[An arrow? Are you saying the gorillas can craft arrows as well?]

"I thought so at first, but I don’t think that’s it. Their hand structure itself wouldn’t be able to craft such a delicate arrow."

"...."

While Cain and I exchanged opinions, Ludwig thoroughly examined the broken arrow.

He was far more knowledgeable in these matters than I was, so he was bound to spot something.

Before long, he handed the arrow back to me and opened his mouth.

"Short."

"Huh?"

"Arrow. Short."

He meant the arrow’s length was short. Hearing that, I inspected it closely.

But what did I know about arrows? For a more detailed comparison, I needed a different arrow.

Just in time, cheap arrows were being sold on the auction house, so I bought one.

’It really is short.’

Comparing them side by side, I could tell the arrow I brought back was quite short.

Comparing just the length roughly, it was about one-third shorter.

However, judging based solely on the arrow’s length was tricky.

’I remember our ancestors on Earth using arrows like this too.’

The Baby Arrow—it stuck in my mind because of its unique name.

A weapon with a complicated technique, yet practically closer to an ultimate weapon.

It flew far faster than conventional arrows and boasted superior armor-piercing power.

’Then again, this one just looks plain short.’

It would be best to hear Ludwig’s opinion first.

I was almost entirely ignorant regarding military matters, so an expert’s opinion was essential.

" @#$%% %%%#$."

[He says there are two kinds of people who use an arrow like this. Either someone using a specialized technique like an elf, or someone whose body frame itself is small.]

"Elves use arrows like this?"

"#%%^% #$."

[He says it’s a vicious form of archery.]

Surprisingly, the elven archery Ludwig mentioned was similar to the method of our ancestors.

The existence of a guiding tool attached to shoot such small arrows, as well as its terrifying destructive power.

It seemed victims often died without even realizing they had been struck, thanks to the trickery characteristic of the Baby Arrow.

’Well, they’re elves, so....’

Not only Let’s Grow Trees, but users in the Gallery also said it: Elves were masters of archery.

However, that was the story for elves, whereas the arrow I found was different.

It was highly likely an arrow crafted specifically for use by a small-statured individual.Find the original chapter at novelping dot com.

"If they’re small, who would be using it?"

"Goblin."

Ludwig answered my question sharp as a razor.

Goblins. A monster frequently mentioned recently.

When it came to cunning, they were second to no human, monsters that committed pillaging at every opportunity.

Though their physical frame was very small, their high intelligence meant one could never drop their guard.

"Goblins can craft arrows too?"

"Possible. Though crude."

In the first place, goblins frequently lived in ’tribe’ units.

And bows and arrows were weapons that had appeared even back when societies lived in tribes prior to building civilizations.

Therefore, it wasn’t particularly strange for goblins to make bows and arrows. It was just that...

[The accuracy of most goblin archers is pretty dreadful.]

"Is it because their bodies are small?"

[That plays a part, but there are also many flaws in the bows they craft.]

Furthermore, goblin weapons were closer to ’imitations’ rather than original crafts.

They were closer to weapons plundered from humans and resized to fit themselves.

’Since many explorers have entered the Forest of the Four Seasons over time, it’s not entirely far-fetched.’

They might have killed explorers or copied items from already deceased ones.

Rather than that, where these guys lived was the key issue.

Whether they were truly goblins, or some other monster entirely.

Most importantly, whether they posed a threat to me was what mattered most.

Given that this arrow was likely dropped by accident...

They might have come to scout out the gorilla troop.

’Out of the frying pan into the fire.’

Perhaps they spotted me while I was exploring far out.

And while tailing me, they might have run into the gorilla territory.

Whatever the case, it seemed best to prepare thoroughly.

Especially now that I realized long-range attack means existed out there, I needed to be ready to counter-attack.

"Ahjussi. Are you good at shooting arrows?"

"Basic knowledge."

"Ah. Right."

So I asked Ludwig how one should respond to archers.

Ludwig’s response to this was practically a masterpiece.

"Blast your Aura."

"I don’t know how to project it though?"

"Misspoke. Extend it."

"...."

He meant not to shoot Aura outward, but to extend its reach to deal with them.

Since the surroundings were all forest, he claimed there was hardly any chance of being sniped from afar anyway.

Since enemies would be leaping through trees, extending Aura’s length was better.

"This isn’t the normal way to deal with archers, is it?"

"Only you can do this."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Perhaps."

’Perhaps’ my ass. I let out a dry chuckle.

Still, practicing archery from time to time wouldn’t hurt.

For arrows, I could just rely on the auction house or ask Passing Dwarf.

’Or I can at least replace the arrowheads myself.’

I could swap all the arrowheads out for Mythricon.

Setting up a solid routine would be wise then. I organized my daily schedule.

’I still can’t control my Aura perfectly either.’

Even just due to the construction work by the squirrels and marmots, I had to stay at the Shelter for 3 to 4 days.

As I contemplated my daily schedule, something suddenly crossed my mind.

The crossbow I first traded from Passing Dwarf, and the bow Let’s Grow Trees gave me.

It would be a waste to leave those two rotting in storage. Conveniently, Ludwig was also deeply knowledgeable in archery.

"Therefore, I shall bestow this crossbow upon you."

"...."

I shoved the crossbow into Lackey’s hands. His expression upon receiving the crossbow was quite a sight to behold.

A face that clearly said he had no clue why I was giving this to him.

However, keeping him strictly as a porter felt like a waste, so I handed it over.

"Ah. Right. Need to unfasten this collar on your neck."

While I was at it, I also took off the Mana Suppressor around his neck.

Lackey didn’t even seem to realize he had a suppressor around his neck, letting out an astonished "Ah."

He seemed more content with his current life than seeking revenge, which was why I unlocked it.

’Not like much will change anyway.’

Even if he entertained bad intentions, Bbareumbo was around, so he wouldn’t dare pull anything foolish.Read this novel at NovelPing for the best experience.

Besides, I was the only person who could supply his glasses, which were basically his eyes.

Before long, I finished instructing Lackey on how to use the crossbow, completing the preparations.

"Practice on a suitable tree. Make sure to collect the bolts."

"Understood. Can I inject Internal Energy into this as well?"

"Dunno? Ahjussi. You can imbue Aura into arrows, right?"

"Yes."

Lackey nodded his head and headed off to practice.

He seemed to struggle a bit at first, but adapted surprisingly fast.

After confirming he was practicing, I gripped the other bow.

’Drawing this used to be so tough.’

The bow gifted by Let’s Grow Trees. I heard it was crafted using materials from the World Tree.

I had left it neglected because even drawing the bowstring was a struggle.

Its pristine appearance despite lacking any special maintenance was its standout trait.

"Hmph!"

I accelerated the mana inside my body and drew the bowstring back.

Perhaps because my muscular strength had undeniably grown compared to last time, I was able to pull the string all the way back.

Tiiiing!!!

As I released the string, the sharp twang of air rebounding rang out clearly.

It felt like I’d get exhausted after shooting just a few times.

I exhaled deeply and handed it over to Ludwig.

"You use it."

"What?"

"I cannot use mana."

However, he handed it back to me. He explained that unless it was a Mythricon sword, he couldn’t even channel Aura into it.

Hearing that made me puzzled. I was planning to replace the arrowheads with Mythricon anyway.

When I asked him about this, Ludwig shared the underlying theory.

" $#%^&& $%&^"

[He says an archer must imbue Aura into both the bow and the arrow. The bow needs to withstand the recoil of the arrow.]

"If it can’t withstand it, does it shatter?"

[It won’t shatter, but it would sustain heavy damage.]

To think recoil had to be considered here too. Absurd, yet strangely realistic.

In the end, I had no choice but to decide to use the bow myself.

Using arrows for hunting down the line wouldn’t be bad. I had plenty of time.

With that, I took a suitable stance and nocked an arrow on the bowstring.

For the record, the arrow was bought from the auction house. It wasn’t an arrow of particularly high quality.

" #$%%% #$%"

[He says holding your breath after drawing the string is crucial. A mere gap of 1 centimeter can cause a deviation of over 10 centimeters.]

" #$%%% ##."

[He says finding your own personal feel is key. Everyone places their line of sight differently.]

Drawing the bowstring as Ludwig advised, the shaking was no joke.

With a crossbow, just holding your breath was enough, but with a bow, cardiorespiratory endurance was vital.

I focused with as little shaking as possible and aimed at the target.

Just in case, I designated a far-off tree as the target.

’Calmly....’

I layered focus upon focus to boost my accuracy.

And then... I let go of the bowstring.

Paaaaang!!!

A noise like bursting air pierced my ears.

Startled for a moment, I nevertheless watched the arrow’s trajectory all the way through.

Matching the sound of rending air, the arrow imbued with Aura charged toward the distant tree.

Kwak!

Before long, the arrow slammed into the tree—

Kwagagwang!!!

Triggering a massive explosion, it blasted the surroundings to smithereens.

Hoooowooong!!!

"...."

"...."

"...."

Whether the aftershock rushed toward us or not, we were far too busy gaping at the tragic spectacle.

I clearly fired an arrow, yet the result was bloody terrifying.

’Does everything passing through my hands turn into a rocket?’

Now I had fired a true missile.