Newbie Guardians

Chapter 14 Special Training

Back in his dorm, Huang Xin lay motionless on his bed, his face full of dejection. A deep sense of powerlessness filled his body, making it hard for him to breathe.

Knock, knock, knock! A knock sounded at the door, and Jin Jun's flat, emotionless voice came in.

"Huang Xin! Let's go eat together!"

"Brother Jin, I...I...I'm not hungry..."

"Man is made of iron, food is made of steel. When I was a child, my father often reminded me that no matter what difficulties I encountered, I should not let them affect my eating and sleeping. Many times, when I encountered a problem that I couldn't solve, after eating or sleeping well, I would suddenly think of a solution! Get up, let's go eat! Whatever difficulties you have, let's think of a solution together after we finish eating!"

Huang Shen thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense, but she couldn't figure it out for the time being anyway. So, she quickly got up and went to the cafeteria with Jin Jun.

This time, Huang Xin only ordered four dishes and a soup, while Jin Jun ordered more than a dozen dishes, mostly meat dishes. It was lunchtime, and a dozen or so freshmen were eating nearby, discussing today's tests as they ate.

"Those two students with dual elemental specializations are amazing! One of them is even a Wind/Thunder dual-elemental student. I heard both of those elements are incredibly powerful!"

"Isn't that right? Once you've mastered these two elements, you can do whatever you want. Just think about it, lightning has a paralyzing effect, and wind can lift people high into the air. Fighting him will definitely not end well!"

"I'm so envious and jealous! I wonder how that guy with no talent is doing now?"

"What else could I do! I cheated to get into the academy, and then got caught red-handed in front of everyone. If it were me, I would definitely want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into."

"Yes, we've completely lost face!"

"Don't talk nonsense. They might be related to you. Be careful what you say!"

Jin Jun buried his head in his food, already roughly understanding in his mind that the cheater the group was talking about was his roommate Huang Xin. Although they hadn't known each other for long, his intuition told him that Huang Xin didn't seem like the type to cheat.

Back in the dormitory, Jin Jun brewed a pot of tea, and the two sat facing each other in silence.

After a stalemate of seven or eight minutes, Jin Jun finally spoke first.

"Brother, tell me, what exactly are you having trouble with?"

"I have no qualifications at all in today's test," Huang Xin said without any concealment. He could feel that Jin Jun was concerned about him.

"So, you think receiving the acceptance letter was a misunderstanding?"

"I don't know... I..."

"Brother, the Folklore Academy is a top-tier institution; there's absolutely no possibility of them sending the wrong admission notice. Everyone who gets in must have exceptional abilities."

"But I can't do anything?"

"That's impossible. Think carefully about what your special skills are!"

"I don't have any special skills, except that I'm quite brave..."

"How about this, let's go to the training ground and practice together!"

"Ah! The training ground, I don't know how to fight..."

"How will you know if you don't try! Let's go!"

Jin Jun stood up and walked out of the dormitory first. Huang Xin shook her head and silently followed.

Jin Jun led him to the wood-type training ground.

"Brother, you said you wanted to learn archery, why don't you try taking me as your opponent!"

"Brother Jin, I..." Huang Xin wanted to say that he had never touched a bow and arrow before and didn't know how to use it.

"Don't worry, the metal element is good for both offense and defense. I'm activating defensive mode, so go ahead and unleash your full power, you won't be able to hurt me!"

"I...don't know how to use a bow and arrow."

"What? You don't know how to use it? Then why bother repairing bows and arrows?"

"I... I guess this was a childhood dream," Huang Xin said, not wanting to talk about her experience of experiencing the future, so she could only make up a reason.

Jin Jun gripped a longbow, took out an arrow, drew it taut, released it, and whoosh! The arrow shot towards the scarecrow a hundred meters away, hitting it right between the eyebrows. The entire arrow was completely embedded, with only the fletching still trembling.

Huang Xin's eyes widened. Wow, that shooting skill was simply amazing! He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Brother Jin, please teach me archery!"

"No, no, no! We're brothers. If you want to learn, I'll definitely teach you. Don't be so formal."

Next, Jin Jun demonstrated his mastery of all kinds of martial arts, including swords, spears, clubs, and long and short weapons. Huang Xin was even more impressed and admired him immensely.

Jin Jun patiently explained,

"The Metal element, also known as the Weapon Master, is proficient in everything from swords and spears to daggers and bows. However, this does not mean they have a class advantage. For example, they have difficulty penetrating tank armor, and they have difficulty getting close to magic-based classes. In terms of archery skills, they will also be countered by Wood element experts."

Jin Jun paused for a moment, letting Huang Xin process the information before continuing.

"The Wood element is divided into four categories: Assassin, Archer, Summoner, and Healer. Many archers choose to specialize in Assassin because once you get close, your bow and arrow are not very effective, and you need to switch to melee combat."

Huang Xin had a sudden flash of inspiration, as if he had thought of something, but couldn't quite grasp it. Jin Jun glanced at him and continued...

"Assassins excel at dagger attacks, wielding one in each hand, and are known for their attack speed; therefore, they require extremely high agility!"

Huang Xin had another flash of inspiration, and seemed to be getting closer to the answer.

"Besides mastering accurate shooting, archers must also master shooting on the move. Therefore, agility and speed are paramount. The former allows them to fire arrows at will, regardless of location, while the latter is essential for survival. Only by running faster than the opponent can they maintain distance. Using shooting on the move, they can attack while running, and the same applies when chasing, allowing them to pursue and fire at the opponent from a distance. Insiders jokingly refer to this tactic of 'being unable to catch the opponent and unable to escape' as—flying a kite."

Huang Xin's mind went blank for a moment, and he suddenly realized that his grandfather had repeatedly emphasized that he must figure out what his special talent was! The answer was right in front of him: he was fast and agile, and was born to be an archer.

"Brother Jin, please teach me archery skills!"

Jin Jun knew Huang Xin was a complete novice, so he explained things in great detail, for example...

When choosing a bow, the principle is "better to be light than heavy, for every inch of stability brings an inch of accuracy".

When holding a bow, the key is to "hold lightly and push firmly"; only when the bow is flexible will the arrow obey your commands.

When nocking an arrow, the principle is to "not press down with the upper finger, not pinch with the middle finger, and make the arrow resemble a silkworm lying down."

When drawing a bow, one should think of "the hand as a small boat and the back as the sea"; the hand should simply hook the bow, while the back provides the power.

When aiming, the key is to "aim with your body, not your eyes."

When shooting an arrow, one should "only loosen the fingers, and the whole hand drawing the bow should not swing back, and the front hand pushing the bow arm should not move up and down."

Huang Xin listened intently and memorized all the key points. Finally, Jin Jun asked him to try it out. Huang Xin concentrated and followed the instructions strictly. He drew his bow, shot the arrow, and with a whoosh, the arrow flew a distance before landing on the ground more than thirty meters away. It bounced a few times and then stopped moving.

Reality once again brought him back to reality. Without the aptitude for wood, he was destined to be just an ordinary person. His speed and agility were only for ordinary people. Against a guardian, his speed and agility were simply a huge joke.