Chapter 135: Let’s Increase The Stakes

It was midday and the soft hum of voices and faint rustling of branches filled the air as Luca and Nyx made their way along the pathway that led toward the large training clearing.

Luca glanced toward Nyx and asked casually, “So, everyone’s gathered already?”

Nyx gave him a sly smile.

“Most definitely, Hero. Luna only told a few elves, and by the time she’d finished explaining, it spread through the entire village like wildfire.”

“Efficient.” Luca said with a grin.

“Oh, more than that.” Nyx continued with a teasing lilt. “By the time I passed the bridges earlier, half the village was already there—most up in the trees watching from the platforms, others crowding around the clearing.”

“The younger ones are practically vibrating with excitement. They all have their bows out, ready to show off. And honestly…”

She chuckled under her breath.

“I can’t blame them. Archery is practically religion to the elves.”

“And the idea of learning from a ’Hero of another world’ made them all giddy. Every one of them thinks this is their chance to prove they’re the best shot in the forest.”

Luca nodded, amused. “Well, that’s good. The more enthusiastic, the better.”

Then he cast her a suspicious look.

“But hold on. Why did you come all the way to my place to escort me? I mean, I know I’m new to the village, but I definitely can make my way around it without getting lost.”

“Oh, I’m not here to guide you, Hero…”

Nyx shrugged, her grin sharp and playful.

“…I’m here to survive.”

Luca blinked. “…Survive?”

She gave a dramatic sigh and crossed her arms.

“Yes. You see, I was standing around earlier, waiting with the others, but after seeing those maniacs waving around their bows? I knew it was only a matter of time before someone shot me in the face.”

Luca chuckled. “Come on, it can’t be that bad—”

“Can’t be that bad?” She cut in, giving him a look. “Hero, I know my people. I’ve seen them in action. If one more of those girls ’accidentally’ shoots an arrow into the crowd, I’ll start believing they’re secretly trying to kill each other.”

“So I decided to make a tactical retreat and pretend I was going to fetch you.”

Luca smirked. “So this is an escape mission, not an escort.”

“Exactly.” Nyx said with a laugh. “I just hope no one’s died. I don’t want to arrange another funeral right after my mother’s.”

Luca didn’t know whether to chuckle or not at that rather sensitive joke and instead he asked, “What about you then, Nyx? Are you good at archery?”

She snorted immediately. “Me? Absolutely not.”

Luca raised a brow. “Not even a little?”

Nyx waved a hand dismissively.

“Oh, I can shoot. I just don’t care to. Everyone here worships bows like they’re sacred relics. Personally, I think standing a hundred feet away and flinging sticks at someone is boring.”

Her tone dropped, taking on a darkly amused edge as she smirked sideways at him.

“Rather, I prefer something more…personal.”

“Personal?” He asked noticing the dangerous look in her eyes.

She gave a slow and sadistic smile as she said in a worshipful manner,

“I like being close enough to see the look in my enemies eyes. To feel their breath when I’ve got my hands around their throat.”

“When I squeeze and watch that last bit of life fade away…now that feels satisfying.”

Luca stopped mid-step, giving her a slightly scared look.

Nyx chuckled deeply, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.

“Relax, Hero. You’re far too cute for me to choke.”

“Comforting.” Luca muttered dryly.

He then quickly changed the subject.

“What about Leona? When I first met her, she seemed pretty skilled with a bow.”

At that, Nyx’s usual teasing demeanor softened slightly.

Her lips curved into a proud, nostalgic smile.

“Oh, she’s not just skilled—she’s the best in the village. Even back when mana still flowed through the forest and we could form arrows of pure magic, my sister was unmatched.”

“Every shot—perfect. Every aim—precise. She could hit a falling leaf across multiple fields.”

“Impressive.” Luca said sincerely.

Nyx nodded, her voice losing its sharpness, replaced by quiet fondness.

“And even after the mana disappeared, when we were forced to use crude bows and wooden arrows again…she never faltered. She just adapted.”

“Still hits her mark better than anyone.”

Luca smiled softly. “You really are proud of her, huh?”

Nyx looked ahead, her eyes glinting with something gentle.

“Of course. She’s my sister. No matter how much she’s changed, or how cold she tries to act now…I’ll always be proud of her.”

For a moment, Luca saw a rare expression cross her face—a flicker of warmth, almost childlike in its sincerity.

It was strange seeing it on someone like Nyx, who usually carried herself with teasing confidence and dangerous allure.

But the peaceful moment didn’t last.

Because soon, they heard it—loud laughter echoing through the trees.

“Hahahaha!!!”

Not the cheerful, melodic laughter of the female elves, but the arrogant, mocking laughter of the males.

Both Luca and Nyx stopped walking, exchanging the same tired look.

“That’s never a good sign.” Nyx muttered.

When they finally reached the clearing, Luca saw what she meant.

The open training ground was filled to the brim.

On one side stood rows of female elves, all with bows in hand, their faces set with determination and frustration.

On the other side, male elves stood proudly, their bows slung over their shoulders, grinning smugly.

Most of the female elves were perched on bridges and branches above, as they weren’t confident enough to show off their skills to Luca and decided to watch first.

And right now, the males were laughing loudly, mocking the girls.

One tall elf sneered.

“Look at them! Trying to act like they can match us! Without us, they’d be running for their lives the moment humans show up.”

Another added, chuckling.

“Just look at the targets! Their arrows didn’t even touch the dummy! Not one!”

Luca turned his head—and sure enough, in the distance stood two wooden dummies with a humanoid shape.

And the the dummy on female side…was a disaster.

Not a single arrow had hit the target.

In fact, most weren’t even close.

Arrows were embedded in trees, bushes, the ground, and even one unlucky wooden post far off to the right.

It looked as if the arrows had purposely avoided the target.

Meanwhile, the male side wasn’t much better—but at least their arrows were around the area of the target.

Not quite on it, but close enough that they could brag.

And brag they did.

One male elf stood with his arms crossed, smirking at the women.

“Hah! Just look at that! You try to act so superior all the time, but the moment it comes to real skill, you fall apart!”

Another chimed in with a mocking grin.

“Exactly! You all talk big, but without us, you wouldn’t be able to defend yourselves!

“Just admit it! If humans attacked the village, you’d be useless!”

“I mean, look at the evidence right there!” one said, pointing toward the targets. “Our arrows actually landed near the target. Yours are scattered like they were shot by drunk goblins!”

Their friends laughed loudly, slapping each other’s backs.

Seeing this, the female elves clenched their teeth, their expressions twitching in silent fury.

They wanted to shout back at the arrogant males so badly—but the results on the targets spoke for themselves.

And among them, Lulu was practically fuming.

Her ears twitched with rage, her fists balled tightly at her sides as she glared at the smirking male elves across the clearing.

But the moment she spotted Luca standing with Nyx near the edge, her entire expression shifted from anger to wild indignation, as if she’d just found her savior.

“Luca! Luca!” She cried, darting out of the crowd like an angry little comet.

She ran straight to him and grabbed his hand tightly, shaking it in frustration.

“You have to do something! They’re bullying us! They’re absolutely bullying us!”

Luca blinked, momentarily thrown off by her sudden grip. “Bullying?”

“Yes!” Lulu pouted fiercely, tugging his arm for emphasis. “We were just standing here, minding our own business, practicing in peace—and then they showed up out of nowhere! Nobody even called them!”

She jabbed a finger at the group of male elves standing smugly on the other side.

“They brought their own targets, set them up next to ours, and started shooting like they owned the place! Then they started making fun of us—saying how useless we are, how we can’t even hit a dummy!”

“Just look at them!”

Luca glanced toward the male elves, who were laughing among themselves, clearly entertained.

Before he could say anything, Luna approached as well, her steps a little hesitant.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Luca—memories of the morning flashing in her mind—but she quickly shook her head, forcing herself to focus.

“She’s right.” Luna said firmly, though her tone carried a faint nervousness. “We told them several times to leave. This was supposed to be our practice session.”

“But they insisted on staying—said they wanted to ’help’ us improve.”

“Help my ass!” Lulu stomped her foot. “They’re just annoying us!”

Before Luca could respond, a familiar arrogant voice cut through the air like nails scraping bark.

“Oh come now, my daughter, don’t be so dramatic.”

The crowd parted as Julius strode forward, his usual smug smirk plastered on his face, flanked by several of his equally pompous followers.

He carried himself with an exaggerated air of superiority, his hands clasped behind his back.

“My boys are simply being generous.”

Julius said, spreading his arms as though he were doing them all a favor.

“They saw how terrible your aim was and decided to offer their assistance. Just look for yourself!”

He gestured proudly toward the two sets of targets.

“Your arrows are scattered like drunken bees, while ours—” He grinned smugly “—are at least close to the mark. Clearly, you have much to learn. We’re merely trying to help you improve.”

Lulu’s eyes blazed.

“No one asked for your help!” She snapped. “We don’t even want your help, since Luca’s going to teach us!”

“Really? Him?”

Julius raised an eyebrow, looking between her and Luca before letting out a mocking laugh.

“Oh, Lulu, always the dreamer. Let me just tell you that, Elven archery is something sacred—taught only by our kind. So, it would be ridiculous, laughable even, for a human to try teaching us.”

Luca remained quiet, his expression calm as ever.

Julius continued, his tone dripping with condescension.

“Not to mention, that archery is not some brutish sport where you swing swords or bash skulls in.”

“It’s delicate—poetic, even. A true art form. Something that requires grace, patience, and control—qualities that your Hero surely lacks.”

He looked Luca up and down dismissively.

“I doubt the man even knows how to hold a bow properly. He probably just smashes things with his fists.”

The male elves snickered behind him.

Lulu was about to retort, but Luca raised a hand calmly. His smile didn’t falter as he said,

“Wow, Julius. You really do talk a lot for someone who still hasn’t proven anything.”

Julius’s smile faltered slightly. “What?”

Luca’s tone stayed casual.

“If you’re going to boast about how delicate and poetic archery is, then surely, you should be good at it, right? Because from what I recall, the only arrows I saw earlier were all around the dummy, not on it.”

The males behind Julius shifted awkwardly, but Julius only sneered.

“Oh, please. I don’t need to explain myself to you. But since you’re obviously looking down on my ability, I’ll show you a thing or two.”

“…Hand me a bow.”

One of the male elves quickly passed him a bow and a single arrow.

Julius took it with a flourish, rolling his shoulders dramatically as he stepped toward the firing line.

“Watch closely, everyone.” He said arrogantly. “This is how a real elf shoots.”

He pulled the string back smoothly and released.

Whoosh!

The arrow soared through the air—and to everyone’s surprise, it actually hit the dummy.

Twack!

Not the bullseye, not even close—it landed on the very edge of the wooden torso—but it did stick.

But the males cheered as if he’d just won a war.

“That’s our leader!”

“Look at that shot!”

“Perfect form!”

“See that?” Julius turned back with a satisfied grin. “Right on target. I may not be perfect, but that’s more than any of you can manage.”

The female elves, meanwhile, collectively groaned.

Lulu muttered darkly. “He hit it once and thinks he’s a god.”

She along with the others then looked at the back of the group of males, where Leona stood silently with her arms crossed, her expression cold as ever.

Everyone knew that if she’d picked up that same bow, she would’ve pierced the bullseye with her eyes closed.

But she didn’t move, didn’t say a word like she was specifically told not show off her skills at the moment, so that Julius didn’t lose face.

Julius looked smugly toward Luca.

“Well, Hero, that should be enough proof, don’t you think? Clearly, I’m more qualified to teach archery than you.”

And to everyone’s surprise—Luca actually nodded slowly, even clapping his hands.

“Actually, that was impressive, Julius. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect that. I thought that you were simply a talented doctor, but you have some combat abilities as well.”

“…Colour me impressed.”

Hearing this, the males beamed proudly, while Julius puffing his chest even more.

“Glad you can recognize talent when you see it.”

But then Luca’s tone shifted, a sly smile curling his lips.

“Although…”

Julius frowned. “Although what?”

“Although.” Luca continued. “A simple dummy like that doesn’t seem…worthy of your ’talent.’ I mean, someone of your caliber deserves a real challenge, right? Something more exciting, more dangerous.”

The smug confidence on Julius’s face faltered slightly.

“What are you implying?”

Luca grinned. “Glad you asked.”

He reached into his satchel and pulled out two bright fruits—small, round, and glossy like miniature apples, their colors vivid red under the sunlight.

Turning toward Nyx, he said, “Nyx, come here a sec.”

Nyx arched an eyebrow but followed him without question, clearly curious.

Luca then gestured to Julius’s disciple, “You too. Isaac, was it? Come on.”

Isaac looked nervous. “M-Me?”

“Yes, you.” Luca said pleasantly. “You’ll do just fine.”

Isaac looked at Julius nervously, who gave a dismissive wave.

“Go ahead. Let’s see what this fool is planning.”

The crowd murmured as Luca led both Nyx and Isaac toward the target dummies.

When they arrived, he positioned them carefully by their respective dummies.

“Alright.” Luca said with a friendly smile. “Stand still. Right there. Perfect.”

Then, before anyone could ask, he carefully placed one of the fruits on top of Nyx’s head.

The crowd gasped.

Nyx simply tilted her head slightly, smirking.

“Oh, I think I know where this is going.”

Then he placed the second fruit atop Isaac’s trembling head.

Isaac’s face went pale instantly.

“W-Wait, Hero, are you—”

“Don’t move.” Luca said lightly. “You’ll ruin the balance.”

He then stepped and walked back to Julius, who was now looking more nervous than amused.

“Now this…” Luca said cheerfully. “…is a real test for a skilled archer.”

“Two fruits, two targets. You just have to shoot clean through the center without hitting the heads below.”

“Should be easy for someone as good as you, right?”

The entire clearing went silent.

Julius’s confident expression froze.

“You’re joking.”

“Of course not.” Luca smiled innocently. “You said it yourself—archery is an art of grace and precision. Surely hitting a fruit on someone’s head should be child’s play for someone like you who’s mastered those very aspects.”

“And to make it fair.” Luca picked up a bow from Luna, casually testing its tension “I’ll take a shot too—at the fruit on Nyx’s head. That way we can compare skill directly.”

He glanced at Nyx as he asked,

“You alright with that, Nyx? Or do you want someone else to take your place?”

Nyx smiled lazily, unbothered.

“Shoot as many arrows as you like, Hero. I won’t move an inch.”

Isaac, on the other hand, squeaked.

“M-Master, please don’t! I don’t want to do this!”

Luca ignored him and turned back toward Julius, his tone polite but edged with challenge.

“So what do you say, Julius? Care to prove who’s better with proper stakes on the line?”

“…you with your precious disciple…”

“…and me with a elf, who I’m rather fond of and don’t accidentally want to kill…”

“It’s much more exciting this way, don’t you think?”

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