“How was that one?” Rex asked. He was standing in the middle of an open field next to the Evergreen Forest. His posture suggested he just threw something heavy, but nothing was sticking out of the ground. His companion, Xander, was staring down the meadow with narrow eyes.

“Still not hitting your mark,” Xander answered. He couldn’t tell for sure. The object Rex threw disappeared into the tall grass. It was next to impossible for Xander to see anything because of it. His eyes squinted further, trying to see through the intense summer sun. A hint of metallic shine was all he could see, but whether that was the object or the target remained to be seen.

Rex and Xander were holding their own form of training while the other half of the team explored the nearby forest. Rex forged several iron balls, though these were much larger than the bullets he made. The cannonballs were to be thrown as far as possible. Xander utilized his arrows to create markers where each shot landed. It was a mix between friendly competition and training. Xander made bets on if Rex could hit a target, and Rex tried his hardest to do so.

“How about I make a closer target? [Accurate Shot].” Xander said, using one of his skills. He felt sorry for losing sight of yet another iron ball. Not to mention, Rex had yet to hit a single target. So, Xander fired an arrow into the distance. Its tip dug into the ground, away from the tall grass. It was much closer compared to the others and offered a more reasonable challenge.

“Aright. One more!” Rex shouted before throwing his ball. He didn’t have a skill to activate, so the process was inconsistent. Each throw varied slightly as Rex tried to understand the best way to hit his target.

The iron ball soared through the air. It crashed into the ground with a visible bounce. To his surprise, Xander could see how close this one got to its target. The two didn’t collide, but Rex’s aim was certainly getting better. Xander looked over to his friend and reported the good news. Genesis also had something to say.

“NOTICE. [CONFIDENT COMMONER] HAS ACQUIRED THE SKILL [WEAPON THROW]. [QUIET COMMONER] HAS ACQUIRED THE SKILL [ENHANCED EYESIGHT].”

“Nice. Let’s see if the skill transfers.” Rex said. He bent down to the bag at his feet. All of the iron balls were gone, but he always kept copies of his personal weapon just in case. Rex flipped a [Crude Iron Rod] before catching it in mid-air. He wielded the stick like a javelin, though it was much shorter than a real one. A prominent step forward started his motion. Rex’s arm moved automatically. His skill adjusted everything to create the perfect throwing formation. The skill was activated, and the iron rod flew through the air.

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“That’s a hit,” Xander said. He winced at the sight of his arrow shattering upon impact. Thanks to [Enhanced Eyesight], every arrow was visible. Squinting was still required for the furthest markers, but the skill was better than nothing. Xander could even see all of the iron balls. He gazed at them all, marveling at his improved vision. He counted each arrow as if to show off his skill to himself. Then, he counted the balls. Then, he counted everything again. Then, again…until something felt off about the numbers.

Xander tried to say something, but Rex roared with excitement. [Irresponsible] had a habit of making him perform rash decisions. This time, the skill caused Rex to start throwing his rods without a care in the world. Xander called out each shot. He could feel every arrow break. Each successful shot caused his wallet to shrink. The distant field was soon littered with rods, balls, and the remnants of arrows. Even Genesis was impressed.

“SKILLS [WEAPON THROW] AND [ENHANCED EYESIGHT] HAVE LEVELED UP.”

“Awesome! This is definitely coming in handy.” Rex said with a smile. He stared off into the horizon. He didn’t have the same skill as Xander, so he could only see the first few iron rods. They all stood prominently to show Rex’s mastery over his new skill. Rex tried to think about how to better utilize [Weapon Throw]. If he made longer rods, he’d be able to hold the javelins more comfortably and throw them farther. Of course, this would expand the potential of stick combat.

“Yeah, so…about those rods?” Xander started to ask. He once again counted the array of objects on the field. Doing the math, there were none left in the bag Rex carried with him. To add to this, Xander also used all of his arrows as markers. So, neither adventurer was left with a weapon. This would have been fine, but a large figure was approaching.

“What about them?” Rex asked. He didn’t see the problem. His hands reached down to the now empty bag, and he realized his mistake. Curious eyes glanced at the end of the field but didn’t see anything. Rex wasn’t gifted [Enhanced Eyesight]. He couldn’t possibly see anything more than a normal person could.

“Who’s going to get them before that thing gets here first?” Xander asked. He pointed to the mess of loose weapons and shrapnel. Rex had to focus to see what his partner was talking about. It took a moment, but he was soon able to see a massive flying beast. It was coming straight at them and...chasing two familiar silhouettes.