Chapter 14: Basic Archery IV (9), Strength IV (15) — A Great Surge in Power

What was Su Yu doing? He and Huzi were still in the forest, equipped as they had been yesterday—Su Yu wielding a heavy bow, Huzi carrying a crossbow.

Suddenly, Su Yu raised his hand, signaling Huzi to stay still. Following Su Yu's gaze, Huzi spotted a rabbit not far away, crouched low with only its tail visible, about twenty meters from them.

"That far? Yu-ge, can you manage?" Huzi whispered.

Su Yu waved him quiet and began to inch forward slowly, moving with small, careful steps, almost like a cat stalking its prey. The rabbit occasionally glanced around but faced away from them, so it hadn’t yet detected their presence.

When Su Yu was within fifteen meters, he halted. This was a wild rabbit—highly sensitive to danger. Even standing still and staring at it from that distance risked being noticed.

Su Yu dared not get closer. Instead, he raised his bow, drew it back, and aimed. The heavy bow was tough to pull, but not impossible—after all, Su Yu was an adult.

With a sharp "whoosh," the arrow flew. The rabbit leapt about half a meter into the air and bolted.

"Missed?" Huzi asked.

Yet Su Yu’s system panel indicated he had gained 8 experience points—clearly, the shot hit, though it hadn’t killed the rabbit.

"Impossible. It must have hit. Let’s chase it," Huzi said, not wanting to admit Su Yu’s hesitation.

They followed the trail and soon found faint bloodstains in the grass. Now Huzi was convinced. But how far could a wounded rabbit run, especially with an arrow in it?

"Let’s search around," Su Yu said casually, opening his system panel without urgency.

Host: Su Yu
Age: 19
Strength: 8
Speed: 8
Skills: Fishing Iv3+, Basic Archery Iv1+
Skill Points: 46

A joyous expression appeared on Su Yu’s face.

Huzi thought it was because of the successful shot, but in truth, Su Yu was excited about leveling up a skill.

"System, allocate points to Basic Archery!" he silently commanded, rapidly pressing the plus sign beside the skill in his mind.

The panel instantly updated:

Host: Su Yu
Age: 19
Strength: 13
Speed: 10
Skills: Fishing Iv3+, Basic Archery Iv7+
Skill Points: 6

Point distribution: 1+2+4+8+10+15, consuming 40 skill points.

Leveling from one to two requires one point, from two to three requires two points, but jumping to level four doubles the requirement to eight points.

This pattern isn’t fixed—different skills demand varying amounts of points. Minor skills need fewer points; tougher ones require many more.

Even for the same difficulty, points needed can differ. For example, fishing is at Iv3, but if you practice enough, upgrading to Iv4 might only cost one point instead of more. This means skills can be improved through effort, reducing the skill points required.

This system rewards diligence, allowing for gradual improvement without relying solely on points—though progress is slow and challenging, preventing everyone from becoming a fishing master instantly. Using skill points for upgrades bypasses such restrictions entirely.

As Basic Archery rose to level seven, foreign memories flooded Su Yu’s mind. His corresponding strength and muscle memory began to shift visibly—his arms thickened rapidly, muscles rippling throughout his body as if fueled by an invisible force.

Lifting his shirt, Su Yu discovered defined abs and impressively developed biceps—not bloated, but with a sculpted beauty.

His arms brimmed with newfound power, his entire physique seemingly injected with vitality.

This was the stark difference between level one and level seven.

"Huzi, this way—the rabbit ran in that direction," Su Yu said, leading the way.

Huzi nodded silently and followed.

The archery upgrade brought more than strength—it enhanced his eyesight, hunting experience, and tracking skills. Now, drawing the heavy bow felt effortless; even a heavier bow could be managed with difficulty.

His strength rose from 8 to 13, speed from 8 to 10—restoring him to normal and surpassing average adult strength by three points.

In other words, he was stronger than an average adult but far from a strongman—just a muscular young man.

"Look, there’s the rabbit ahead," Su Yu said.

Shortly after, relying on the tracking skill granted by Basic Archery, Su Yu found the rabbit. His skill panel now displayed Tracking Iv1.

Without hesitation, Su Yu spent the remaining six points to upgrade Tracking to Iv3.

Host: Su Yu
Age: 19
Strength: 13
Speed: 10
Skills: Fishing Iv3+, Basic Archery Iv7+, Tracking Iv3
Skill Points: 0

Huzi strode over, picked up the rabbit, and laughed heartily.

"Haha, rabbit meat for dinner tonight!"

"Enough chatter, let’s move," Su Yu said.

Throughout the day, they occasionally shot other small game—wild pheasants, rabbits, squirrels, and even managed to catch a large hedgehog. The hedgehog’s cry resembled a child’s wail, easily mistaken for a baby by anyone who heard it. Its meat was all dark meat, not exceptional but akin to dog meat—certainly edible, and not to be wasted in times of hunger.

By day’s end, Su Yu had upgraded Basic Archery to Iv9, and his strength had surged to 15, though other stats remained stable.

"Yu-ge, I feel like you’ve grown taller and bulked up a lot," Huzi remarked.

Su Yu was startled to be noticed but feigned nonchalance. "I’m wearing a padded jacket. What do you expect? Now hurry up—we’d be rich if we manage to catch a deer or a moose."

"Heh, if not a deer, a silly roe deer will do."

"Even if not, today’s haul isn’t bad. Two rabbits, three pheasants, a hedgehog, and eight squirrels—enough to eat."

"If I tell my grandpa, he’d be shocked."

Indeed, hunters rarely lack meat, but such a bounty from a single trip was extraordinary—largely thanks to upgrading Tracking to Iv3. Otherwise, in such a vast forest, encountering so much prey would be purely by chance. Sometimes the problem isn’t absence of game but inability to find it.

"Tired? Want to take a break?" Huzi asked, carrying a bamboo basket filled with their catch; his crossbow wasn’t the main weapon.

"No problem. It’s just a few dozen pounds of meat. I can carry it," Su Yu replied.