Chapter 594 Circuit (Part 2)
The gymnasium was immersed in a tense and anxious silence, all eyes fixed on Klaus' figure.
The intense light highlighted the contours of the archery circuit's obstacles and, facing it all, the young archer took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat quicken as his steps took him towards the entrance of the challenge booth. His dark, piercing eyes quickly scanned the scene before him, recalling every detail he had seen before thanks to his sharp eyesight. Klaus had already carefully observed the previous contestants, storing up information that he would now use to his advantage.
As he entered the cabin, a sense of absolute focus enveloped him. The outside world disappeared, and Klaus was immersed in his own bubble of concentration.
His light bow rested in his large hands, bringing a familiar sense of confidence.
"The countdown will begin in ten seconds. Prepare yourself." echoed the voice inside the cabin, almost like a mantra to his mind.
Klaus adjusted his posture, feeling every muscle ready for the challenge ahead. His legs flexed slightly, ready to propel himself at the right moment.
The air around him seemed electrified, and the crowd turned into an indistinct mass, their expectations muted by the intensity of the moment.
Klaus took a moment to breathe deeply with his eyes, feeling the air move in and out of his lungs, oxygenating his mind and muscles.
Finally, the signal sounded after the ten seconds flew by, marking the start of the challenge. Klaus launched himself forward with a burst of restrained energy. His feet touched the ground with agility and precision, dragging the rough ground and each next quick step served to minimize friction and maximize speed. First, he skirted the obstacles gracefully, his agility allowing him to overcome them with ease, which drew a gasp from the audience because most competitors started more cautiously.
His eyes did not stop as he leapt, taking in every detail of the stretch in front of him. Klaus had already realized that there was a randomness to the order in which the targets appeared, including the hidden targets, so his mind needed to capture and process as much information as it could. His experience as an archer in Rise Online was certainly useful now.
Suddenly, Klaus raised his bow quickly as he moved and pulled an arrow from the quiver tucked into the right side of his waist. The arrow barely fitted the bowstring and Klaus already jumped it. Yet, contrary to what the others expected, the arrow was not slow, but rather with frightening speed.
*Plim!*
The sound of a target being hit resounded, and then he pulled out two more arrows, which he shot one after the other, to hit the second target, and then another target that was hidden behind that one.
For Klaus, each arrow was an extension of himself, launched with an almost alarming accuracy that startled the crowd in the gym.
The first targets exploded into hundreds of particles, and how each arrow found its way was indescribable. His score began to rise rapidly, and the crowd changed from silent observers to euphoric shouts in a very short time.
However, Klaus was not satisfied with accuracy alone. He knew that to beat Ethan's score, he needed to be faster, so he kept shooting the arrows on the move, a somewhat daring choice, but his confidence was now unshakable. He didn't waste a single second, shooting while moving. The arrows flew in elegant bows, making such absurd effects that it left the narrators dumbfounded.
Spectators watched in fascination and growing respect. Klaus had turned the challenge into a masterful display, every movement seemed sublime, every arrow launched seemed to have a pre-defined path. The impression Klaus gave people with his concentrated eyes was that he could control the very path of the arrows, involving everyone around him in a unique spectacle of skill and concentration.
'Compared to that cursed bow, which deflects my arrows even while I aim correctly, shooting with a bow like this is easy.' Klaus thinks and hits another target, this time a golden target hidden behind a sign with an arrow pointing forward.
*Plamm!*
As Klaus progressed through the circuit, his performance only improved. He was in perfect tune with the light bow he had chosen and could hit targets at long range with incredible accuracy, because his physical strength compensated for the instability and, since he was running, a light bow that he didn't have to push too hard was perfect for that. Every movement of his body felt natural, and the crowd couldn't take their eyes off the spectacle Klaus was providing.
Finding the hidden targets was no longer a challenge for him. His keen eyes quickly tracked every memorized detail of the scene, and his arrows found the hidden targets with ease. The crowd cheered and was amazed at the extraordinary skill of the young archer.
The minutes passed quickly, and Klaus was determined to beat Ethan's score. His mind was completely immersed in the circuit, as if he and the bow were a single entity. There was no room for distractions or doubts.
By the time the timer reached two minutes, Klaus had already passed the 500-point mark. His speed and accuracy were remarkable, and he showed no signs of slowing down. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, and he felt a mixture of intense excitement and concentration. Each arrow shot was a small victory for him, and the feeling of overcoming drove him further.
The targets were blown apart as Klaus hit them with an incredible sequence of rapid shots.
Then, as the timer hit three minutes, Klaus reached a score of 800 points, beating Ethan by more than 60 points, but he didn't stop there. Klaus continued to fire away to set an unmatched score.
The final seconds of the circuit were electrifying. Klaus moved with grace and skill, hitting targets that moved and those that were strategically hidden. The crowd was in complete delirium, and the commentators could barely keep up with what was happening.
Finally, when the buzzer finally signaled the end of the challenge, the finish line on the other side of the arena, Klaus scored an incredible 920 points.