Conqueror

I'm bored and I don't know what to do. Zieglind still hasn't given me a single thing to do. I'm here in the garden the citizens built just admiring the peace that I can still grasp. This is incredibly different when I was just a small goblin living in the forest.

It wasn't exactly a fun life since all I did was simply pick up sticks, skin bunnies and all other wildlife to make something that can be barely be called a cloth. All those memories are simply memories that I hope to never be into again.

A desolated female goblin by myself living alone in a village where no one helps you but yourself as you try scrape food and clothes and barely called a shelter to try and survive.

The life I'm living right now isn't so bad.

"Rize." Someone called out to me. I looked back and it was none other than Afal.

"Hey." I stood up from where I sat and met Afal eye to eye. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need your help for a couple of minutes." 

"Sure. I've got nothing to do since Zieglind hasn't given me anything to do."

"My lord hasn't? You better check in with him later. Everyone else got their own quests."

"I will. So let's do yours first. What'd you need me to do?"

I went with Afal and he asked me to make a giant barrier for his soldiers to train in. I stuck around for the whole elite unit trials. It was a bloody, pitiful and unorganized mess that completely showed how desperate people are for the benefits Zieglind put on them. I guess reality is that cruel. For people to do anything to get those benefits.

I saw in Afal's how eyes how he was so captivated in training the people he selected and survived. In those trials, it was shown who has talent and has a natural born trait of a leader.

One person attracted my attention as their bowmanship was spectacular for someone who was just once a slave. Everytime they shot their bow, someone was going to be eliminated. Everything he let out hit something with absolute accuracy.

The moment I saw him, bloodcurling fear was felt as I admired his insane accuracy. I also saw some others. 

The other one was using an incredibly heavy bow as her pulling that bow took her around her ten seconds to just release it. The veins on her arm was seen when she was pulling that. I guess I'm going to take these two and train them like Precia's old comrade and how she taught me.

I'm also bored since Zieglind doesn't give me any quests for now so I'll pass the time with this. I ran over to Afal after the trial and his speech has ended and asked for the two people I saw talent for. 

"Hmm..." Afal was hesitant at first since he said that, "Some other elite units here might feel that you're playing favorites but... I guess it's fine. As long as it benefits lord Zieglind, I have no qualms about it. Do what you must. But every single day at five in the morning, they must be mine for the time being. You can only borrow them after the training which is around eleven."

"Got it. I have no problems with that. Thanks Afal!"

"Mhm."

I left Afal there and went to the two people whose bodies were wrecked and heavily bruised. Well that fight was a dogfight so this much is to be expected. I called over to them, "Hey!" And waved my hand as I ran up to them. "I'm Rize. I'm the sharpshooter of the Crimson Knights and your instructor Afal is one of my comrades." I need to let them know that I'm an authority!

"Uh huh... Nice to meet you miss Rize." The both of them replied.

"Alright. Then the reason why I called the two of you is because I want to take the both of you as an apprentice. I've seen your talents with the bow and I'm impressed with it. That's why I'm going to take the both of you as apprentices."

The woman spoke first, "I'm sorry but I have to decline. I've pledged my loyalty to my lord, Afal and this elite unit will also help me to give benefits to my friends. I don't have a family but they'll be the ones that'll be protected by the king as lord Afal promised."

"I have also to decline." The man with the insane accuracy next spoke. "I can't give up the benefits for further strengthening myself. Even though I'd like to be an apprentice of the person who saved us, I'll have to decline. This is for the future of my family."

"I see..." I scratched my head. "Well, you can still keep the benefits. But in exchange your training will just be more worse."

"What do you mean by that?"

"After your morning practice with Afal, the both of you will be under my tutelage and we'll be training for the rest of the day. This way you can keep your title as an elite unit and be able to receive the rewards. You'll be given artifacts by Afal right? They're all hunted by Neco, he's a person that was once a citizen but is now a proud member of the Crimson Knights. You'll be provided with artifacts by me and Afal so this is a bonus for your bonuses."

"That is tempting... But are you sure that we can keep the benefits of in an elite unit?"

"Yep. You'll just be able to do your duties the same. So for now, I'd like to see if you really are the talents that I saw in my eyes."

"What do you mean?" The woman asked.

I then replied, "Hit me. Just once. With your arrow. Give me your best shot. I'll put some handicaps on me, I can't fly or hit you. But I can hit your arrows. That's all it is."

"Are you sure... about that? What do we get in return?" The man asked.

"Every artifact that I find from here on out will be split in an 80 to 20. 80 being yours and 20 being mine. But if I win, I'll have to double your training and you'll have to work harder to serve under me."

"Alright then." 

The both of them shook their arms off. To get the dust and lessen the strain on their arms.

"Heal, Great Heal!" Green particles appeared all around their body and removed the bruises that was once on their body. Their bad smell also disappeared along with their wounds. "Alright. Inventory." I took out Hou Yi's bow out of my inventory. This way I can control how I shoot my arrows and their power. "Barrier!" A giant cube of barrier was formed. "To limit our movements and to know that I won't go anywhere farther than this. Alright, that's enough preparation. One hour, I'll give you all one hour to hit me once."

"Lock On!" The man casted and the arrow suddenly curved through all the trees I passed through.

I can't dodge this one so I turned around and quick shot an arrow and destroye his with ease.

Three more arrows came homing towards my way so I stopped and quick drew three arrows intercepting his. A giant arrow of fire then came bursting through melting any trees that was in its way. It's high destructive power means it's from that female archer.

I pulled back Hou Yi's bow with all my might and without using any skill I let go and destroyed her spell completely with just pure raw strength. I can't hit them so all I could do is just parry or just deflect all of their attacks. So I just continue to run around circles.

The man let out falling arrows from the sky and every single one of them arrows were literally homing so deflecting all of them were difficult. "Bullet Hell." I enchanted my arrow. I barricaded the entire arrow rain. I can't deflect all those arrows with my weak barrier but this barrier can help contain the bullet hell so I don't hit them. So I release the arrow and it all exploded inside destroying my barrier and all the arrows.

This exchange of attacks were repeating throughout the one hour ordeal that I set upon ourselves.

There were sometimes that they were close at hitting me so I used skills like Quickstep and Blink to get away faster. One hour went by incredibly quickly and I didn't even break a sweat. "So... that's one hour time. How'd you feel?"

The man has ragged breaths and were sweating profusely. "My arrows... the accuracy that I was proud of... I never hit at least one..?"

"My powerful arrows that I managed to pierce through Xend materials were broken without any effort at all? Just pure raw strength..?" The woman was confused.

"Know that there's always someone stronger than you. But today's training is enough. And as the deal the both of you agreed, you'll be under my tutelage. My full name is Rize Reysh, what about the two of you?"

"I'm Hawk... Hawk Gern." The man replied.

The woman followed, "Eri Strent."

"Hawk Gern and Eri Strent, nice to meet you. Tomorrow, our training starts!"