After setting the target, Rob walked back with an amazed expression on his face.
"I'll go first," Vince announced again.
"Suit yourself," Aaron shrugged indifferently.
Vince glared at him, his cheeks flushing with a mix of determination and annoyance. He meticulously tucked an arrow onto his bow, his movements deliberate, seeking to calm his racing heart.
'I can do this, I can do this, I can do this,' he silently chanted, attempting to steady his nerves.
He took a deep, measured breath, then exhaled, the air escaping his lips in a soft whoosh. With a resolute determination, he released the arrow.
Whoosh!
Everyone watched, their eyes tracing the arrow's flight as it soared through the air with incredible speed, striking the yellow ring, the closest to the coveted red bullseye.
"Impressive!" someone exclaimed, the word laced with genuine admiration.
"Yes, even if he didn't get the bullseye... he's undeniably skilled," another added.
"The Archer will be proud of his son," a third voice resonated.
"Yeah, I agree," a chorus of nods affirmed.
The onlookers exchanged smiles, acknowledging the young genius before them, a talent that was indeed a rare find.
"Phew," Vince sighed in relief, the tension draining from his shoulders.
He turned to Aaron, a smug grin spreading across his face. "I hope you get red, or maybe yellow, or else... I win--"
"--You haven't won yet," Aaron interrupted, his voice calm and steady. He retrieved an arrow from his quiver and tucked it onto his bow, his gaze fixed on Vince.
"Watch," he said, the word a simple declaration, yet his eyes remained locked on Vince's.
"What are you doing? Why are you staring at me? Let me tell you, if you miss the target and claim it's a mistake, that won't work. If you miss, you lose," Vince said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"I never miss."
Whoosh!
He released the arrow, his eyes still fixed on Vince. Everyone, including Vince, watched in stunned silence as the arrow struck the red bullseye, not only hitting it but penetrating it completely, continuing its trajectory and strike the tree an additional 300 meters away.
"....."
"....."
"....."
"....."
"...."
A wave of stunned silence washed over the crowd, even Aurora was taken aback. Not only had he hit the target from 200 meters, but he had also pierced it with such force that the arrow continued its flight, embedding itself deep into the tree beyond.
"What?" someone finally managed to whisper.
"Am I the only one speechless?" another asked, his voice barely audible.
"Who is this kid?" Rob muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Now I know why Emily is interested in him, this kid is beyond anything I have ever seen."
"You! You cheated!!" Vince yelled, his face contorted with disbelief and anger.
"Yes! There is no way you would have gotten that target without using something!"
"Yes!" his two friends echoed, their voices filled with accusation.
'Well, I do use the All-Seeing Eyes, but in my third lifetime... I was trained in all combat, including archery, so even without the All-Seeing Eyes, that target would be easy,' Aaron thought, his expression remaining impassive.
Without offering any explanation, he removed another arrow, placed it on his bow, raised it into the air, and released.
"What are you doing?! Don't think you can show off--"
BAM!
The three boys leaped back in fright as a 1-meter huge bird plummeted to the ground in front of them, an arrow protruding from its throat. The next moment, it exploded into black smoke, which quickly dispersed.
"Did he just kill an Awakened-stage Monster with one attack?" someone gasped.
"Who really is this kid?" another asked, his voice trembling.
"That monster... I think I have seen it before," a third voice murmured.
"He didn't even look upward before taking the shot," someone else observed, his tone filled with awe.
"This kid is more talented than Vince, that's for sure," someone declared.
"I agree," a chorus of voices affirmed.
"You lost the bet, now it's time to kowtow. And I'll say you should hurry because we don't have time," Aaron said, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.
"Huh?"
"....."
Not only Vince but everyone was confused.
"We don't have time? What the hell are you saying?!" Vince yelled, his face flushed with anger and confusion.
Aaron sighed and turned to the Chief. "Alert all the villagers. No one is allowed to come out... We are under attack."
"Huh..." The Chief was stunned for only a second, then yelled, "Sound the alarm, we are under attack!"
"Chief, don't tell us you believe this kid?" Rob asked, his arms folded across his chest.
"Yes, Chief, he might just be making this up. If we were under attack, we would have seen the enemies by now," another added, while the rest slowly nodded in agreement.
"My brother never jokes around with this kind of information. If he says we are under attack, then we're really under attack," Lilly said, her voice firm and unwavering.
"Emily! Go sound the alarm!" the Chief ordered.
"Yes, father," Emily quickly ran out of the training field, which was separated from the village... And the soldiers could see the gate when training, so seeing no enemies... they were all enraged that a kid was trying to deceive them.
DUNG! DUNG! DUNG! DUNG! DUNG!!
The alarm echoed through the village, but seeing no enemies, Vince asked with a sneer, "Where are the enemies? Why haven't we seen them?"
He might have lost the bet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't mock Aaron.
After two minutes, Emily rushed back with more men, all armed. "The women and children have been taken to the hideout, they're all safe."
The men behind her looked around in confusion, not seeing any enemy.
"Chief, I thought you said there is an attack? Where are the attackers?" a man asked.
"Right on time," Aaron said, storing his bow in his storage and bringing out his dagger. Seeing his action, both Lilly and Aurora got on guard.
"What is happening here? Was it fake news? And why are you so tense, Chief Egon?"
"Stop lying and apologize to everyone, there are no enemies attacking us, do you see anything? Look around us, DO YOU?!" Vince was enraged.
"Who is this kid?"
"This is the kid who killed Vince's familiar."
"Yes! I remember him, Emily brought him to the village; did he deceive us, letting us think we're under attack?"
"It looks like it."
Aaron sighed and muttered, "Not all enemies reveal themselves before attacking, the deadliest ones attack from the sky!"
Screech!!!
The moment he finished, everyone heard a terrifying shriek. They all looked up in horror.
"Is that?! That's an eagle made of... skeleton? It's a Cursed-Demon stage Monster!" someone yelled, his voice filled with terror.
The next moment, countless 1-meter huge red birds, just like the one Aaron killed, shot down from the clouds with incredible speed, passing the huge skeletal eagle.
"This eagle! I remembered it... This eagle was the monster who destroyed our first village! We won't let it destroy this one!" the Chief yelled in anger.
Even though they were all stunned and outnumbered, this wasn't the time to be asking questions. They all brought out their weapons and got ready to fight.
Whoosh!!
Whoosh!!
Whoosh!!!
The birds increased their speed, getting closer to the demons, they used their talons and beaks to strike.
"Be careful you bumpkins! If you kill one, move back from it unless you'll be sprayed by their deadly poison," Rob yelled, then leaped back from the one he killed, which exploded into black smoke.
"Poison?" Aaron's ears perked up. 'Poison to increase my Resistance.'
"Don't even think about it," Protean landed on his shoulder.
"Why don't you want my help? I'm missing out on the fun."
"I don't trust everyone here, so it's wise not to reveal your powers," Aaron said, cutting down the bird in front of him, which burst into black smoke.
"Aaron! Stay away from the poison!!" the Chief yelled.
"What is he doing?"
"Isn't he scared?"
"Scared? Look at him, he's petrified."
Vince and his friends, who hid behind a house, said with disdain, all staring at Aaron.
"You three are pathetic, and you dare compete with my brother, even Emily is out there fighting," Lilly said to the three, after roasting a bird to ash with a fire spell. Snow had also joined the fray.
Vince and his two friends turned to Emily, seeing her battling five birds with Precious, her Familiar, which she had summoned.
"I'm not pathetic!!" Vince walked out. "I won't let you two look down on me."
He was referring to Lilly and Aaron.
"I won't if you can kill 30 of these birds," Lilly smiled at him, then walked towards the battle to help.
"30? I'll take down 50!!" Vince took an arrow, placed it on his bow, and released a shot, killing one bird.
"Should we help?" one of the friends asked.
"Bill, Zach! Keep watch!" Vince charged forward after saying that, Lilly's words having fueled his fighting spirit.
"Let's keep watch," Bill, who had blue hair and eyes, said.
"Yes, we haven't even unlocked our Demonic Energy, we'll be looking for death if we go there," Zach said, he had black hair and green eyes.
"Huh?"
The Chief and everyone stared in shock as Aaron inhaled all the black smoke.
{Poison taken...}
{Poison resistance increased: +2.}
'It's better than nothing,' Aaron thought and lunged towards the closest birds from his location.
"Is the prince immune to poison?" Chief Egon asked Aurora, who stood behind him.
"I'm also speechless," Aurora cut down two birds flying towards her with a single swing of her sword, then leaped back from them.
Aaron was in cloud nine, an opportunity to increase his poison resistance and be completely immune to all poison was really tempting.
'Thinking of it only made me want to kill these bastards more.'
Whoosh!
{Poison resistance increased: +3.}
Whoosh!!!
{Poison resistance increased: +2.}
{Poison resistance increased: +0.}
Whoosh!!
{Poison resistance increased: +3.}
"This is too slow, some aren't even giving me anything. I'm betting that guy up there will make a good snack for both of us," Aaron said with a grin, staring at the skeletal eagle 100 meters above them.
"I hope you know that guy is a Cursed Demon?"
"That have never stopped us," Aaron smirked.
"How will you get his attention?" Protean asked.
"Easy."
Aaron kept his dagger and brought out his bow. After tucking an arrow on it, he aimed it at the eagle... Without hesitation, he released it.
Whoosh!
The huge eagle slowly turned its head to the arrow, and with only a glance, it turned into ash.
'So that's why the All-Seeing Eyes showed me 10% success rate,' he thought in mild surprise.