“You have three lives. Whoever hits the farthest target wins.”

Our duel followed the general archery competition rules. I had seen heroes compete in archery on TV. Of course, they included additional effects like earthquakes and whatnot.

“Am I going first?” Chae Nayun asked.

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Let’s start at 200 meters since 100 meters is too easy.”

Chae Nayun nocked an arrow and pulled the bowstring. She stared at the 200 meter mark where the target would rise.

“Shot!”

The target sprung up from the right side. Chae Nayun turned her bow 60 degrees to the right and easily hit the target.

“It’s your turn.”

Chae Nayun crossed her arms and arrogantly looked over. I clumsily copied her posture by spreading my feet apart and shifting my center of gravity. Then I grabbed the bow and nocked an arrow. Was it voice recognition?

“Shot?”

I muttered, and a target sprung up. Startled, I released the bowstring. Naturally, the arrow missed way off its mark.

“Pfft. Puhaha.”

Chae Nayun laughed as she grabbed her stomach and pointed at me.

“Did you really not practice? Do you want to start over from the 100 meter mark?”

I shook my head.

“It’s a handicap.”

Although I failed once, I felt how to position myself now. Chae Nayun had a textbook posture, but I didn’t need the same. Textbook postures only applied in perfect conditions. You couldn’t become an expert with just textbook material. It was only the minimum requirement, but my gift made me a natural master.

“I have to go again, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. You only have two lives left.”

I nodded and stood tall. I didn’t need to aim beforehand since the target moved anyways.

“Shot.”

The target sprung up. I predicted its trajectory and fired so that I would narrowly miss. The arrow grazed its target.

“… Is this a joke?”

I put on a show, but Chae Nayun seemed to have lost interest. The spectators also started calling me a big-mouthed fool desperate for attention. Missing twice in a row took it too far.

“I got the hang of it now.”

“Yeah right.”

“I’m going again.”

I quickly muttered.

“Shot.”

I fired the moment the target rose to about 2 meters. My arrow flew through the air and perfectly pierced it.

“Oh…?”

Chae Nayun seemed surprised at how quickly I fired. The spectators also reacted the same. I gestured at Chae Nayun with a leisurely smile.

“You’re up. No pressure.”

“… I guess you did practice.”

The distance increased to 250 meters. Chae Nayun stared ahead as she drew her bowstring.

“Shot!”

The target zigzagged through the air. Chae Nayun fired after a slight pause, and her arrow effortlessly pierced the center.

“You’re up next.”

Our back and forth felt extremely boring. We took turns firing and hitting our targets. However, the spectators didn’t feel the same as they watched in excitement.

We progressed from 300 meters, 350 meters, 400 meters, 450 meters… The distance increased until we reached 500 meters. The target could hardly be seen.

“...”

Chae Nayun’s arms nervously trembled. She would soon self-destruct as her personality didn’t suit a sharpshooter. She lacked patience and easily grew angry. She wouldn’t do well in a close competition.

“Shot.”

Chae Nayun took a deep breath and fired.

“… Ah.”

However, her arrow brushed past the target. She missed for the first time, and I could tell that shook her up.

“Shot.”

She succeeded on her next attempt with two lives left and sighed in relief.

“Whew…”

Chae Nayun wouldn’t be able to surpass 600 meters. I pressured her by shouting as soon as she finished.

“Shot.”

I fired immediately, and the arrow perfectly pierced the center. Chae Nayun raised her bow again with a dark expression, but I interrupted her.

“Since we're at the halfway mark, I’ll go first.”

I held up my bow and nocked another arrow before she could agree.

“Shot.”

The target sprung up from the 550 meter mark, but I could see the birdlike doll as if it was only a meter away. My eyes could also predict its path. I fired at the doll’s silhouette after calculating for the speed of my arrow. Just like before, my arrow perfectly pierced the target.

“You’re next.”

Chae Nayun, who stared in a daze, suddenly flinched. Her lips dried, and she swallowed hard before silently raising her bow.

“You know it too, right?”

I provoked her before she could fire. Simply put, I trash-talked her to throw her off.

“You suck at using the bow.”

Chae Nayun glared at me. Honestly, hitting a target 550 meters away without magic power was commendable since wooden arrows couldn’t ignore air resistance. However, Chae Nayun wouldn’t settle for just commendable. She wouldn’t accomplish her goal by being decent.

“But why…”

“Shot!”

Chae Nayun cut me off. She gritted her teeth and fired. However, impatient archers never hit their mark. Chae Nayun’s arrow flew past the target.

“But why do you insist on using the bow? I grew curious, so I thought about it.”

“Shut up!”

Chae Nayun shouted in frustration.

“Shot!”

She concentrated as much as she could and fired. Thankfully, she managed to hit the target. I shouted without giving her a chance to rest.

“Shot!”

My target sprung up before the remnants of Chae Nayun’s could even hit the ground. I fired and instantly destroyed the target. I didn't feel any pressure, but Chae Nayun’s face began to pale. I continued what I was saying.

“Deep inside, you know it too. You’re more talented with swords.”

Yoo Sihyuk didn’t take her as a disciple on a whim. As a master rank hero, he could care less about anyone’s background. He only considered talent when choosing his disciples. Chae Nayun was one of the so-called children of Yoo Sihyuk.

“I said shut up!”

Chae Nayun shouted in rage. I raised my bow at the 600 meter mark. WIthout magic arrows, the maximum range for our light bows could only reach 1.4 kilometers. Although the 600 meter mark didn’t even reach half of that, 1.4 kilometers was simply the maximum. Realistically, even professional archers could only hit at half that distance with 50% accuracy. In addition, our targets moved and flew through the air. Chae Nayun could simply not hit a target at this range.

“You’re scared. You’re scared of fighting with a sword and being drenched in blood.”

She was the same in the original story. Her mother’s murder traumatized her, and her trauma should have grown even worse in this timeline because of her older brother.

“That’s why you justify it to yourself every day that you’re just as talented with the bow. That you can still become the greatest hero.”

I took a moment to breathe.

“But with a bow, you won’t be able to kill a single djinn, much less avenge your older brother.”

That was the final blow. Tak. Chae Nayun released her bowstring. Her arrow flew through emptiness and marked her third failure. She lost.

“What did you just say…”

Chae Nayun glared at me, full of rage. I could see blood dripping from her hands as she clenched her bow.

“You should use a sword with that strength.”

I stared into the distance. Then I shouted, “Shot!”

Not once, not twice, but thrice to 600 meters, 650 meters, 700 meters. Three targets rose in quick succession. I rapidly fired and pierced every target. I didn’t stop there. I wanted to know the limit of Master Sharpshooter’s grade 6. Since Chae Nayun lost, I kept shooting by myself to 750 meters, 800 meters… The atmosphere grew heavy as the distance increased, and Chae Nayun’s breathing filled with anger and defeat.

“I’ll stop here at 900 meters.”

I gave up since I felt like the 900 meter mark was my limit. I didn’t want to try and fail at 950.

“Your 550 meters vs. my 900 meters. I win, right?”

I stared at Chae Nayun. Her eyes had watered up before I noticed. Chae Nayun couldn’t win against her anger. Normally, she would have jumped at me when I mentioned her older brother, but she probably didn’t want to make a fuss after losing.

“I got lucky.”

I grinned and extended my hand towards Chae Nayun. Her face distorted, and she refused.

“What do you want.”

Chae Nayun briefly muttered. Unexpectedly, she accepted her loss. I smiled.

“Nothing. I want nothing.”

If I forced her to give up the bow, she would do so in frustration and regret. She would never reach the apex of swordsmanship if she didn’t freely choose. I knew she could overcome her fear and trauma. She always grew through frustration, defeat, and anger. That shouldn’t have changed.

“I want you to think for yourself. What is your gift and talent?”

I said so as I brushed my hair. I sweated quite a bit from all the focus. Then I remembered that the bow in my hands belonged to her.

“Oh, and I’ll take this bow.”

Even the cheapest one cost millions of won. I had to save money when I could. Chae Nayun didn’t seem to mind, or she might not have even heard. Her shoulders slightly trembled, and she quietly cried. I turned around and left the eerily silent archery range.

***

On the highest floor of Seoul’s 5 star hotel…

“Boss, are you really going? You don’t have to, you know.”

Jain worriedly asked in front of a fancy table in the penthouse.

“I am.”

Boss nodded.

“I’ll examine him myself.”

“SIgh. You’re obsessed about something again.”

Boss sounded very adamant. Jain released her magic power without a choice. It covered Boss’ face and formed a new one on top. Jain could use her gift on someone else as long as they remained within 10 kilometers. She changed Boss’ face and physique to a certain cadet.

“So, do we just wait somewhere under the sea?”

Jain murmured as she studied Boss’ expression.

“Jain, are you scared?”

“No, I’m not scared. It’s just that… you know, Yun Seung-Ah, that crazy bitch might come.”

Yun Seung-Ah and Jain resembled a cat and dog. Jain wasn’t confident if Yun Seung-Ah appeared as an exam overseer. She wasn’t confident in letting her live.

“I lost that ring because of her. If I see her again, I don’t think I can hold back.”

Boss stared at Jain before nodding.

“Then just wait somewhere nearby.”

“Okay. Ah, and here. It’s the details for Boss’ disguise. At least glance over it.”

Jain gave Boss a thick stack of paper. She could copy her target’s outer appearance and their habits, but the latter only applied to herself. Boss looked over the document containing the cadet’s information.

“You’re good at acting, right Boss?”

“Of course.”

“… Okay.”

Three weeks remained until the final exam.