Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

As soon as Klaus and Andrew arrived at the Archery Department, they were greeted by the Department Coordinator, Ms. Nairn, or at least that's what her name tag said. She was a very beautiful woman, about 30 years old, with shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes that were so light they almost seemed to be the color of honey. Her skin was also very white and her face was angelic, but her expression was rigid.

"You're late, Klaus Park and Andrew McClelland. Where were you?" She asked.

"We were busy with a mandatory class." Klaus answered for both of them.

"I'm pretty sure I sent you an e-mail telling you to be here at three o'clock, and here you are, ten minutes late, even though the class ended at two thirty. The campus is big, but not that big. Be more punctual next time."

"Yes, ma'am." The two said in unison.

Then the strict Mrs. Nairn gathered all the members of the department near the practice stand. Some of the members Klaus had never seen before. There was a short, dark-haired boy who looked more like a teenager, and a tall, strong girl with dark skin and white dyed hair. Not to mention a few other unknown members. David and Nathan were also present and seemed excited by the number of beautiful girls.

Ms. Nairn counted how many students were present and then began to explain the reason for the meeting.

"Welcome, members of the Archery Department. As most of you may know, the reason I have called you here is so that we can choose a captain for our archery team. Most of the departments have already chosen their captains, and the board required me to do so. Frankly, I was hoping that you would do this without me guiding you, but if you need my help, I will do it. I want you to know that you are all technically qualified for the job, after all you are some of the best archers in the country, but I am looking for someone who not only has exceptional archery skills, but also leadership skills.

The students listened intently as Ms. Nairn explained what it would take to be Captain of the Department. Klaus looked around and noticed that there were several students older than him. He knew the competition would be tough.

After the presentation, Mrs. Nairn asked all the students to demonstrate their archery skills. Then Klaus and the other students had to wear special clothing, such as shoulder pads and leather gloves, so they wouldn't hurt their fingers.

They all took the types of bows and arrows that were best suited for them, and Ms. Nairn watched carefully.

Basically, there are several types of bows, but only three categories of strength.

The first category is light bows, which are recommended for beginners and people with less physical strength. The second category is medium bows, which have a slightly higher strength and are suitable for more experienced archers. The third category is heavy bows, which require considerable strength and are only suitable for the strongest and most experienced archers.

Mrs. Nairn was an experienced archer, so she had the idea that archers with medium bows are good and archers with heavy bows are even better. Therefore, she was convinced to give priority to some archers of both types to become the captain of the department.

As soon as they started practicing, Klaus was impressed by the skills of some of his colleagues. He tried to concentrate on his own movements, but he couldn't help but compare how his own movements looked like an amateur next to the others, especially the new girl with the white hair. Immediately, the excitement of being surrounded by people who were so good with bows made him excited, as he had just recently started practicing archery.

"Pay more attention to your shoulder position, boys. Benito, your left shoulder is too high, lower it a little more to be more balanced." Ms. Nairn began giving various instructions to the members. "Carrie, your speed and accuracy are good, but pay more attention to your posture. Keep your spine straight, your shoulders back, and take a deep breath before you shoot the arrow."

As Klaus shot with his light bow, he noticed that Mrs. Nairn was watching him closely, but at no time did she say anything. So he tried not to be distracted and continued to shoot his arrows at the targets, trying to copy the movements of the other members of the department.

When all the students had finished practicing, a ranking appeared on the monitors in the booth. Klaus was in seventh place, with 14 targets hit in 30 attempts, while others had perfect scores.

All members were thoughtful, but Ms. Nairn said she hadn't made up her mind yet, so she allowed one more round. Everyone's arrows flew at different speeds as the second round began, and it was amazing how many good archers there were. The hologram targets appeared at random times and positions in each student's line of sight, and yet most of them managed to hit them with great accuracy.

As Klaus shot, he could hear Ms. Nairn giving specific instructions to a few more students who needed to adjust their shooting techniques.

"David, you are not using the right force with your heavy bow, pull the string more, but not so much that you lose your flexibility. Also, pay attention to your breathing, hold your breath when you shoot. If you don't, it can affect your accuracy.

Klaus also watched the other students and noticed how some of them had silly customs and antics while shooting. He learned a lot by copying them, but he had to create his own way of shooting by mixing everything he learned.

When the second round was over, Klaus checked his score and saw how his score was improving. He hit 15 out of 30 targets, but he felt that this was still not enough, and Ms. Nairn seemed to have come to the same conclusion, for after watching him out of the corner of her eye many times during the rounds, she finally approached him and asked:

"What are you doing, Klaus Park? Why are you shooting like that?"

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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