Chapter 19: Or, Shoot it with an Arrow?

"Let me try."

As Chen Fan said, he retrieved an arrow from the quiver. He intended to examine once more how the experience points were acquired. Naturally, he couldn't miss this opportunity. Of course, the condition was to hit the target.

Fortunately, with the previous experience, his movements were much steadier this time.

When the arrow made contact with the bowstring, it entered a state of utter stillness.

"Phew!"

The sound pierced through the air.

Before the black rat could react, it had been struck through the head by a sharp arrow and was now futilely struggling on the ground.

Another clean kill with a single arrow.

"Excellent!" everyone exclaimed.

"Increase the experience value by 1," a piece of information surfaced in his mind.

Chen Fan sighed in relief. His earlier assumption had proven correct. It was indeed possible to earn experience points by slaying ferocious beasts, although the increments seemed somewhat modest.

He glanced at his [Basic Archery] proficiency, which had risen from 4% to 6%, a 2% increase.

"Good," he nodded to himself, realizing that going hunting not only meant obtaining prey but also a faster improvement in his proficiency.

Someone approached, carrying the black rat back, and remarked with a grin, "Look at the smooth fur on this creature, and it tastes delicious too. Xiao Fan, your archery skills are incredibly precise!"

"That's right, another headshot! Even the Wei family's best archers can't match that."

"Yeah, yeah," everyone agreed.

Chen Fan smiled, acknowledging the compliment but not taking it too seriously.

"Alright, let's move on," Chen Guodong's voice resumed, and he looked at Chen Fan, a mix of relief and gratitude in his eyes.

Thanks to bringing Xiaofan along today, they had acquired two prey in less than an hour, a feat they might not have achieved otherwise.

The hunting party continued their journey, encountering several low-level beasts along the way. Some were alert and met their end upon hearing the slightest noise, while others seemed a bit sluggish, allowing the team to spot them first and signal Chen Fan.

Chen Fan's confidence in his archery skills grew with each shot. In less than an hour, they had bagged three more prey: two black rats and a wild rabbit.

Smiles abounded among the group.

"That's almost two hundred catties in total, isn't it? When was the last time we had such a bountiful catch?"

"Yeah, wasn't it that time when we caught a wildebeest? It weighed nearly 300 catties, and the entire village feasted on it for days."

"If those folks from Lijiazhai hadn't snatched our prey yesterday, we might have brought back a wildebeest."

As these words were uttered, the atmosphere suddenly turned somber.

"Alright," the bald man interjected, casting a stern glance at the speaker, "Let's not dwell on the past. Besides, today's haul is no less impressive than yesterday's."

"Yeah, you're right."

"It's all thanks to Xiao Fan."

The topic was tactfully changed, and everyone concurred.

Chen Fan sensed the unease lurking in everyone's expressions. If, by chance, they crossed paths with the people from Lijiazhai again, would they attempt to lay claim to their prey once more?

He couldn't help but wonder.

"We must become stronger," Chen Fan's previous elation faded. Frankly, if such a situation arose now, he couldn't envision any alternative except yielding the prey or resorting to violence.

"Alright, let's call it a day. We've already gathered enough game, and it wouldn't be wise to linger with the scent of blood that could attract steppe wolves," Chen Guodong suggested.

"Yes, those creatures are tough to deal with. There are still plenty of them around, and they're the most challenging adversaries."

"Then let's head back. To be honest, I never expected we'd return so soon. It's almost like a dream."

"Hahaha," laughter once again filled the air.

Although Chen Fan had some reservations, he nodded in agreement. His current physique was superior to that of an average person, but his strength had its limits. The key to enhancing his strength lay in preserving his life.

Furthermore, with all this beast meat, they could accumulate a substantial amount of potential points upon returning. After reinforcing his physique, he could embark on another hunting expedition and secure even more prey.

"Let's go," Chen Fan said.

Everyone hoisted their prey onto their backs and began their journey back.

"Xiaofan, you did an excellent job," the bald man complimented, giving Chen Fan a thumbs up. "Today's success is all thanks to you. Without you, we might have returned empty-handed."

"Uncle Liu, you're too kind," Chen Fan waved off the praise. "If it weren't for you spotting the prey, I wouldn't have been able to locate them."

It wasn't false modesty on his part; the fact was that these ferocious beasts were adept at hiding. Unless you were a seasoned hunter, spotting them was a real challenge.

"You sure know how to talk, kid," the bald man chuckled, and the men around him joined in the laughter. They had been somewhat apprehensive earlier, thinking that Chen Fan might be arrogant, but now they saw that he was down-to-earth.

As everyone chatted and laughed, a figure appeared in the distance after about half an hour.

"It's a wildebeest!" one of the sharp-eyed men exclaimed.

"A wildebeest?" Chen Fan squinted and saw a tall unicorn-like creature more than 30 meters away. It raised its head as if observing them.

"It's seen us," someone remarked.

"No doubt about it. It's got some guts, standing there staring at us, knowing we can't catch up to it, it won't run away," another commented.

"Hehe, as soon as we get close, it'll bolt," the team members chimed in, their tone tinged with resignation.

"Why not give shooting it an arrow a try?" Chen Fan couldn't resist suggesting, his eagerness palpable.

He didn't have particularly high hopes; after all, if he missed the shot, there would be no harm done, but if he hit, it would be a significant achievement.

"Go for it, Xiaofan," they encouraged him.

Chen Fan took a deep breath, retrieved an arrow from the quiver, nocked it onto the bowstring, aimed at the wildebeest's head, and released the string.

"Phew!"

The arrow whooshed through the air, heading straight for the target. Just as it seemed about to hit, the wildebeest abruptly turned and dodged.

"Missed by a hair's breadth!"

"This creature's reactions are lightning-fast, truly the quickest among low-level beasts."

Watching this, even Chen Guodong clenched his teeth and sighed. They could see that if the wildebeest had reacted even slightly slower, the arrow would have found its mark. It was a matter of mere inches.

Now that the wildebeest had detected them, it swiftly turned and accelerated, threatening to leave them in the dust in the blink of an eye.

However, at that very moment, another sharp sound pierced the air, and something vanished in a flash.

The wildebeest, in the midst of its acceleration, suddenly stumbled forward, taking a step, then collapsed to the ground with a cry.

"Amazing!" the bald man exclaimed.

Before he could even utter the word "incredible," a third arrow followed in quick succession, piercing the wildebeest's belly and pinning it to the ground.

Finally, the wildebeest fell silent.

"Hoo...hoo..." Chen Fan panted heavily, his heart still racing.

In a matter of seconds, he had loosed three consecutive arrows, an exhausting feat both mentally and physically.

Fortunately, it had paid off.