Bab 20: Surprising Skills
"So, what are we doing?" Kayden questioned, wondering what was Connor's plan.
"Let's see…" Connor began, scratching his chin, "We can start with something orientated to agility. Hannah, do you want to do it as always?"
"Ok," she said, shrugging her shoulders.
Kayden, wondering how the quiet girl called Hannah related to agility training, asked curiously, "What does it consist of?"
"Hannah will shoot arrows with the bow, and we'll have to dodge them. The round ends when Hannah runs out of arrows. Besides that, the tips of the arrows are covered with rubber to avoid getting injured if we get hit." Connor explained.
Kayden listened to his answer, questioning how good Hannah would be at archery.
'Although I know that bow shots can be extremely fast, my reaction speed is simply exceptional after unlocking forty nodes,' Kayden thought.
Seeing his slightly skeptical expression, Connor laughed and spoke while patting Kayden's shoulder, "I advise you not to be overconfident, or you will definitely be surprised."
"Right," Kayden answered, still doubtful.
"I will go first so you can see how it works. The round ends when Hannah runs out of arrows." He concluded as he walked away until he was approximately 20 meters from Hannah.
They were close to the corner to avoid bothering the other recruits.
Connor took his position, facing Hannah with a confident smile.
Kayden observed them intently, curious to see how the exercise would unfold.
Hannah, bow in hand, seemed composed and focused, her eyes locked on Connor.
Without wasting more time, she swiftly drew an arrow from her quiver, deftly placed it onto the bowstring, and pulled back.
She squinted her eyes and released the arrow in one fluid motion, which zipped through the air at a breakneck speed.
To his surprise, even with his enhanced perception, Kayden struggled a bit to track the arrow's trajectory.
Connor, however, kept smiling while he looked at the incoming projectile. With remarkable agility that contrasted with his bulky body, he evaded the arrow with a well-timed sidestep.
'It seems it was a good idea to train with them.' Kayden thought, amazed at the skill of both.
The training continued, with Hannah firing arrows one after another, each aimed at testing Connor's reflexes.
Kayden observed in awe how Connor managed to dodge the arrows by moving only as far as needed. His precision allowed him to avoid getting grazed.
Suddenly, when there were about ten arrows left in her quiver, Hannah paused for a moment.
Watching her actions, Connor's grin widened as he said, "You're finally getting serious now, huh?"
She nodded silently in response before setting the bow properly and taking a soft breath.
'Wait, does he mean she wasn't giving it her all before?' Kayden thought, shocked.
Hannah exhaled, releasing the bowstring. The arrow pierced the air in an instant as if it were a bullet.
Kayden, still stunned, could barely see how the arrow headed for Connor.
Unlike before, Connor's face was one of utter concentration. As soon as Hannah shot, he moved swiftly, narrowly avoiding being hit.
However, this was just the first arrow. It did not take long before he was overwhelmed by the relentless barrage of arrows coming at him.
He managed to dodge some, but the rest of them ended up hitting him.
"Ugh, great job as always Hannah," he said as he gasped.
Impressed, Kayden asked, "If Hannah is so good, why she didn't do her best from the start?"
"Because, in that case, I wouldn't be able to last until the quiver is empty," Connor laughed, clearing up his confusion.
"Now that I think about it, how did her opponents fight her at the sparring? Most of them shouldn't be able to dodge a single arrow." Kayden questioned, his mind full of doubts.
"They didn't," Connor said, bursting into laughter. "After the first match, her other opponents gave up. That's how she got the first position."
"I see," Kayden uttered, "I guess it's my turn now."
As he walked to the corner, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and anticipation. No matter how much he tried to hide his emotions, he really wanted to challenge himself.
Taking a deep breath, he focused his senses, sharpening his perception of his surroundings.
Hannah readied her bow, and the first arrow whizzed through the air.
Kayden moved with astonishing speed, easily dodging the arrow. However, he did not quite control his strength, momentarily losing his balance.
A moment was everything Hannah needed to hit Kayden.
Although he gasped for air briefly when the arrow struck his ribs, he pulled himself together at once, focusing on the next arrow.
Little by little, he became accustomed to his new physical capabilities, showcasing exceptional reflexes and agility as he dodged arrow after arrow.
Just as happened with Connor, Hannah paused shortly when she had a few arrows left.
'Here we go,' Kayden told himself, psyching up for what was to come.
As before, Hannah took a soft breath before exhaling as she started shooting.
Kayden focused on the arrow's whirring sound, sidestepping just before it grazed his ear.
Before he could relax, his instinct warned him to move. He bent just in time to dodge another arrow, which flew past his shoulder.
After dodging the first few arrows to the limit, he began evading them more easily by noticing Hannah's slight movements as she shot.
Although this might sound easy and obvious, it was extremely hard since he had to concentrate on dodging the arrow while looking at Hannah preparing to shoot another one.
With each successful dodge, Kayden's confidence grew, and he reveled in the exhilaration of testing his limits. He was like a shadow, his body flowing with grace and precision.
He felt a sense of liberation as if he had shed the weight of his previous doubts.
The arrow shots finally came to an end, and Kayden dropped to the ground. He was exhausted but happy at the same time.
Connor approached Kayden, a wide grin on his face.
"That was crazy Kayden, you left me completely impressed!" He exclaimed, his tone filled with genuine admiration.
Even Hannah seemed to have an approving expression, which was quite a change from her usual poker face.
After catching his breath, Kayden looked up at Connor and Hannah, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration on his face. He couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment and newfound respect for both of them.
Although he was sure that he was stronger than them, Hannah's archery was simply outstanding, and Connor's agility was exceptional for someone his size.
"Thanks, you both are incredible too," Kayden said.
Hannah nodded in acknowledgment, her expression still somewhat stoic but with a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes.
Connor clapped Kayden on the back, his grin widening. "Well, Kayden, it seems your agility is beyond great. Let's continue the training."
Hadiah
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Power 
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