Chapter 8 Examination

  The intermediate assessment is divided into three projects, the first two of which are similar to the primary assessment, but with increased difficulty. The first project is shooting at a fixed target, 100 steps away, and shooting ten arrows. As long as you don't miss the target, hitting five arrows in the bullseye is considered qualified, and if you hit eight or more arrows in the bullseye, it's considered an excellent score. In contrast, the primary assessment is at a distance of 50 steps.

  The second project is shooting at a moving target, also at a distance of 100 steps, with ten arrows. If you can hit eight arrows, it's considered qualified, and if you have eight or more arrows hitting the bullseye, it's considered a good score.

  I heard that for advanced archers, the shooting distance needs to be increased to 150 steps. My eyesight exceeds 100 steps, but my accuracy rate will drop significantly, which is the biggest obstacle for me to assess as an advanced archer. However, at the current distance, I am confident of achieving an excellent score.

  While the intermediate assessment has one more project than the primary level, that is trap setting. A good archer who doesn't know how to set traps can't pull away from his opponent, so the intermediate assessment adds this project. I don't know what specific content will be tested, but Uncle Lock said that with my knowledge and intelligence, passing this test shouldn't be too difficult.

  The first examination room was set up in a venue not far from the entrance, and when I arrived there, many people had already gathered. After picking up my number plate at the registration desk, I started watching others take their exams like everyone else, waiting for my turn.

  Ten people took the test, each with a target 100 steps away in front of them. They were given ten feathered arrows to shoot, and once they finished shooting, an announcer would report their scores and the test would be over. Although there were many test-takers, this round was relatively simple, so the testing process went quickly. Most people passed easily, as fixed targets are what they practice every day. As long as they practiced diligently, it wasn't difficult to reach a passing score. Those who were eliminated had poor mental qualities and were new recruits who probably didn't have many opportunities to practice. Most people were able to hit the bullseye with at least five arrows.

  It was soon my turn, I stood in front of the target, today's weather is very good, almost no wind, so the impact of the wind can be ignored, it's even simpler. I picked up my bow, put on a feather arrow, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, opened my eyes quickly aimed at the target, shot an arrow out, the feather arrow hit the bullseye, found the feeling, I didn't stop either, continuously putting arrows on, drawing the bow, shooting, soon finished shooting ten feather arrows.

  My hand had just put down the bow, and the scorer had already reported my score: "Ten arrows all hit the bullseye!" The recorder looked at me with approval, handed me another number plate, and said to me, "Good job, kid! Go to the next venue, hope you can do it again like this time." I smiled and thanked him, following the passers-by to the next venue.

  The second test's moving target seems a bit different from the one I practiced with. Uncle Rock usually teaches me to practice with small targets, but here they are as big as the first venue's targets. The speed of movement is also not as fast as my usual practice, and since there was no wind today, when I saw this situation, my heart immediately didn't have any worries at all, it's completely easy!

  Even so, many archers who entered the venue were eliminated. After all, shooting at moving targets is different from fixed targets, and the difficulty has increased a lot. Not only do you need to calculate the speed of the target, but also estimate the flight speed of your own arrow. When shooting, you can only rely on feeling to judge. Therefore, many novice archers were eliminated in this round.

  This level can only accommodate three people at a time, so the venue for moving targets seems a bit crowded. I waited for a long time before it was my turn.

  "Number twenty-three! Come on stage." a voice without much expression shouted.

  "Here!" I hastily stepped forward and showed my number plate. The person who reported the number said to me expressionlessly: "First position, go by yourself, timing starts when you pick up the bow, and it ends when the target is finished, hurry up." I responded with a sound and hurriedly walked over.

  The target was suspended and moving at a distance of one hundred steps, with a speed similar to that of an average person walking. Ten targets appeared in sequence. I picked up my bow, nocked the arrow, aimed at the direction where the target would appear, and one target smoothly entered my field of vision. I took a deep breath, letting my slightly panting breathing calm down - this was Uncle Locke's method, and stable breathing is crucial for accuracy. An arrow flew out as soon as I released the bowstring, hitting the edge of the red heart on the first target! I quickly adjusted the angle and shot another arrow, finally hitting it as desired. Next, I held my breath and continuously shot out the remaining arrows, hitting nine of them! It was still not embarrassing, so I let out a sigh of relief.

  I picked up the number plate for the last venue and smiled politely at the judges before turning around to enter today's final exam room.

  The examination venue set up by the trap was actually a forest, which made me quite unexpected. How can I take the exam?

  The judge saw my puzzled eyes, smiled at me and said: "Don't be nervous, kid. This test is easy. Go to the woods over there and set up ten traps. As long as I don't see through two of them, you'll pass."

  I was taken aback by his words: Which of the experienced experts here can't make judgments, and how can they avoid being seen through by him? But no matter how I thought about it, time didn't wait for me, and I could only pick up the materials and enter the forest.

  The trees in the forest were sparse, and it wasn't actually a good place to set traps. I looked around and sighed, starting to make traps with my hands.

  Before I knew it, the time had arrived and the judge called out from outside the forest, "How is it? Can I come in?" I stopped what I was doing with my hands, hastily covering up the last traces, and replied loudly, "Alright, Judge, you can come in." I watched nervously as the judge's figure stepped into the forest one step at a time.

  "Judge, you can go ahead and don't worry, all the traps have no attack power, I've removed everything that could harm you, so you don't need to be concerned." I shouted at Judge, but in fact, I was planning to constantly disrupt his attention and distract him, so he would have much less chance of discovering my traps.

  "Hey kid, trying to distract me? Hehe, you're clever, but I've been hosting mid-term exams for ten years, and these little tricks are nothing new to me. Even if we chat, I can easily spot your traps." The judge's words made me feel a bit deflated - in ten years, there must be plenty of people smarter than me, and such tactics were indeed useless after all! I obediently shut my mouth and gave up on the idea of distracting him further.

  The rest can only be left to heaven's blessing, I've done what I should have done.