章節 44: Birth of Slingshot

One stone after another, Saad tirelessly practiced his throws. He knew he needed to develop the precision required to hit the fiery flies with precision and kill them in one shot. Each throw consumed a single point of stamina, but his determination outweighed the cost. He realized that he received unknown percent of mastery after every three throws.

Hours passed by as Saad honed his throwing skills. He threw, retrieved, and threw again, the process repeating like a well-practiced routine. His arm grew stronger, and his aim became more accurate with each stone released. He also received minute increases in his dexterity and physical damage.

Finally, after four hours of relentless practice, Saad felt a surge of satisfaction. His efforts had paid off, and he finally heard the message he was dying to hear.

[Congratulations. You have gained a new skill [Throwing Master –Novice].]

[Throwing Mastery- Novice]

Proficiency: 0/400

Rank: low

Description: Throwing mastery grants a 10% increase in throwing accuracy and a 15% increase in throwing distance.

-Effects-

Throwing Accuracy: +10%

Throwing Distance: +15%

Quick Draw: Reduces preparation time for a throw by 20%

Precision Aim: +15% critical hit chance when throwing objects

Aerial Precision: Reduces penalty for throwing at moving or airborne targets by 25%

Rapid Reload: Reduces reloading or retrieval time by 20%

Saad frowned as he read the description. The skill had started at low. He couldn't understand just why that was but with the current level of the skill, the chances of him killing the fiery flies in one shot was hard. He groaned as he realized that just throwing stones by himself was incredibly inefficient. If only he had something like a sling shot. Could he create something like that perhaps? As long as it worked even a little like that. It would make it a lot easier for him to kill the fiery flies.

Saad decided to cautiously explore the forest. He knew that this was a place of both beauty and danger, and he had to tread carefully after all, monsters could be lurking anywhere and he needed to reserve his energy. As he ventured deeper, his eyes scanned the surroundings for anything that could be of use. His mind was still occupied by the fiery flies and the realization that he needed a more efficient way to capture them.

In his quest for materials, Saad spotted a Y-shaped branch hanging from a nearby tree. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he approached the branch. It was just what he needed. With careful and deliberate movements, he snapped the branch off, careful not to damage it too much. This would serve as the foundation for his makeshift slingshot. He had a lot of confidence in making it, now all he needed was something with enough pull.

As Saad continued his search, he came across a particular plant with long, flexible stems.

[Chequa Plant]

It's a young Chequa plant that has good elasticity. It can be used as tailoring material.

The plant seemed to have a natural elasticity that piqued his interest. He decided to try using it to create the sling part of his slingshot. With a sharp-edged stone from his inventory, he carefully cut several lengths of the stem, ensuring they were of equal size and thickness.

Sitting down amidst the forest's lush greenery, Saad began to assemble his improvised slingshot. He used the Y-shaped branch as the frame, securing the flexible stems to form the sling. It was a rudimentary construction, far from perfect, but it was the best he could do with the materials at hand.

[Poorly Made Slingshot]

Description: The poorly made slingshot is a simple and rudimentary weapon designed for basic projectile attacks.

Durability: 10/10

Rank: Common

Type: Ranged Weapon

-Effects-

Damage: 2-5

Distance: 10-15 meter

Due to its poor construction, the slingshot suffers from inconsistent accuracy, with a 20% chance of deviation from the intended target, making it challenging to hit precise targets reliably.

Once he had the slingshot ready, his eyebrows knitted at the specifications of the weapon. 'Durability 10?' How was it poorly made?! He had done his best to make a weapon out of nothing! Though there was no need to get mad. He just needed to get better! He had no more money to buy anything and all he could rely on was once more his stubbornness.

He glanced around to find an ideal stone for ammunition. It needed to be small enough to fit comfortably in the pouch but heavy enough to provide some force when launched. After a brief search, he found a smooth stone that met his criteria.

With his rudimentary slingshot in one hand and the stone in the other, Saad took a deep breath and aimed at a distant tree. Pulling back on the elastic stem, he released the stone, watching as it flew through the air.

The result was less than impressive. The stone barely gained any acceleration and fell far short of the target. Saad frowned, realizing that the deviation part due to it being low quality makeshift weapon was making it far from effective. He needed practice, perhaps even a bit of practice, to make it a useful tool for capturing the fiery flies.

By now he knew that if he kept working on making the slingshots, he might just be able to create something due to the whole rewarding system and might even get some weird unnecessary skill again but he didn't have time for that.

Saad's frustration bubbled up within him as he struggled with his makeshift slingshot. In his village, these simple contraptions had been child's play for him. He used to craft them effortlessly and hit targets with pinpoint accuracy. But now, in this virtual world, it seemed like a different story.

He muttered in frustration as he tried to tie the elastic stems securely to the Y-shaped branch. They kept slipping or getting tangled, and his fingers felt clumsy and uncoordinated. The more he failed, the more the memories of his childhood in the village, where he had been adept at crafting such toys, gnawed at him.

"Why can't I get this right?" Saad muttered to himself, his voice tinged with exasperation. He had ventured into the forest with a clear goal in mind, and now he felt like he was wasting precious time.

With each failed attempt to make the slingshot and then the failed stone throwing, his frustration grew. It was as if his skills had rusted over time, and his proficiency with crafting simple tools had deserted him. Saad groaned audibly, a mix of anger and irritation building up.

He couldn't help but remember how much easier things had been in the real world, where he had been surrounded by familiarity and a lifetime of experience. Now, in Seraphia, he was faced with the challenge of relearning these skills, and it grated on his nerves.

But Saad was not one to give up easily. Even in the face of mounting frustration, he was determined to conquer this new obstacle. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. His fingers steadied, and he focused on the task at hand with renewed determination.

[Your Crafting Mastery has increased.]

[Congratulations. You have gained a new skill [Crafting Mastery – Novice].]

[Crafting Mastery - Novice]

Proficiency: 0/200

Rank: low

Description: Crafting Mastery is a passive skill that enhances your crafting abilities, allowing you to create items with greater efficiency and quality.

Crafting Speed: Increases crafting speed by 10%.

Resource Efficiency: Reduces the amount of resources consumed during crafting by 5%.

Critical Success Chance: Increases the chance of achieving a critical success while crafting by 5%. Critical successes result in higher-quality items or additional bonuses.

As expected, he had gained a passive skill. He wasn't mad about it but he really didn't feel much about it. What would that 5% even do? He still continued and with each successive attempt, Saad's movements grew more precise. He adjusted the tension of the elastic, fine-tuned his aim, and finally, after what felt like an eternity of struggle, he watched as the stone sailed through the air and hit a distant tree with a satisfying thud.

[Your Throwing Mastery has increases.]

A triumphant grin replaced his earlier frustration. Saad knew that he still had a long way to go in mastering this skill, but the initial success was a small victory that rekindled his determination.

With newfound confidence, Saad continued to practice with his makeshift slingshot an every time it broke, he made a new one, as if forgetting his initial aim. The forest echoed with the sound of stones being launched, each shot bringing him closer to increasing his proficiency for both of his passive skills. The frustration of moments ago transformed into a burning desire to improve.

As few more hours passed in the relentless pursuit of increasing his proficiency, Saad grew incredibly tired. Of course not physically but rather mentally. He decided to check his progress and his throwing mastery proficiency was now at 327/400 while his crafting mastery was at 99/200. But that just gave him more determination. He was so close to increasing both of the masteries!