The Return of the Legendary All-Master

Chapter 167

The 3rd stage was to target targets concealed by terrain features.

It was about hitting targets that were less than half exposed, not completely hidden.

Of course, Jeong-Hoon passed this stage perfectly as well.

“…”

Kyle was too busy watching his feats in awe to say anything.

“What’s next?”

“You… just what are you…?”

It only took 12 minutes to clear the 3rd stage.

It was a much shorter time than the 2nd stage.

Moreover, he perfectly hit targets as far as 470 meters away, much farther than the 2nd stage.

‘This is unbelievable…’

No one in this training hall could clear the 2nd and 3rd stages with a practice bow.

But that foreigner passed them all in one try.

His archery skills were truly marvelous.

“That’s why I told you. The beginner and intermediate levels are of no help to me.”

Jeong-Hoon smirked.

That smile, which initially seemed arrogant, now appeared confident.

At this point, even Kyle had to acknowledge him.

“…Indeed. Instead of the 4th stage, would you like to try a different training?”

“A different training?”

“Yes. It’s also called the ultimate training.”

“Ultimate training?”

“Yes. It’s a stage above the advanced training. To date, only the former Divine Archer, Richard, has passed that training. It boasts an extremely high difficulty level.”

Richard.

The Divine Archer who was active in Idenharc.

He was an archer who had reached the pinnacle, respected by all archers.

“I see…”

“I’ve judged that I can’t evaluate you with the advanced training. So, I’ll make a proposal. Would you like to challenge the ultimate training?”

Jeong-Hoon’s eyes lit up slightly.

‘It’s done.’

The condition to receive additional rewards had been triggered.

It was Kyle’s recognition.

A red question mark blinked above his head.

[Hidden Quest: Ultimate Training (Archer)]

– Restriction: Users recognized by Kyle

– Reward: ??

– Description: Kyle has acknowledged you. Pass the new trial and obtain the ultimate reward.

Jeong-Hoon accepted the quest and said,

“I’ll take the challenge.”

“Good luck.”

Kyle nodded and left the training ground.

His eyes were softer than before.

Clank! Clank!

And a moment later, the portal bound by magic chains on the right end of the training ground started to wriggle.

The tightly fastened chains rattled.

Crack!

The rattling chains shattered in an instant, revealing a portal.

‘I guess I’m going through that portal.’

Jeong-hoon approached the portal.

[Enter Lv.220 Ultimate Training Ground?]

[*Caution: Difficulty is higher than the indicated level.]

The level was displayed as 220, but the actual difficulty was higher than that.

[‘If there’s a warning, it means it’s a bit difficult, right?’]

“It’s not just a bit. That kind of warning appears when the difficulty is much higher than the level.”

I need to be on my guard.

This ultimate training won’t be easy.

* * *

Kyle came out and manipulated the training ground.

He had temporarily opened the locked Ultimate Training Ground.

Then other instructors approached him.

“Hey. Why are you coming out alone?”

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“Why did it take so long?”

The instructors had no doubt that Kyle would teach him a lesson.

But as time passed and Kyle didn’t come out, they sensed something strange.

Kyle smiled bitterly and said,

“Unfortunately, I failed to teach him a lesson.”

At his words of failure, the instructors’ eyes widened.

“No, why?”

“You, who gives training methods that are beyond absurd, failed to teach him a lesson…?”

“Did you give him easy training on purpose?”

There was no other way he could have failed to teach him a lesson.

But Kyle shook his head.

“I picked only the most terrible ones.”

Ones that even the instructors here would struggle with.

Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3.

At the words that he had endured all the training, the instructors’ jaws dropped.

“That outsider?”

“No way… You mean he shot over 400 meters with a practice bow?”

“That’s insane…”

A practice bow.

He shot over 400 meters with that bow, which struggles to reach even 200 meters?

At the absurd story, suspicion clouded the instructors’ eyes.

“How do you think I feel, having seen it with my own eyes?”

Kyle had watched from very close by.

The instructor paused for a moment before asking,

“So… where did that outsider go?”

“Is he still inside the training ground?”

Kyle nodded.

“Yes. He moved on to the Ultimate Training Ground.”

“The Ultimate Training Ground?! Then what you just manipulated was…?”

“I opened the Ultimate Training Ground.”

“Huh… Isn’t that the training ground that no one has ever been able to endure?”

They fell into silence.

Just what level of skill does he have to knock on the door of the Ultimate Training Ground?

Kyle corrected him, “No one? What about Lord Richard, the Divine Archer?”

“My friend… that was ages ago…”

The reason the Ultimate Training Ground was kept locked.

It was because the difficulty of the training ground was beyond imagination.

Therefore, only those with the right to open and close the training ground could open it, and only those who proved their qualifications to challenge it could have the training ground temporarily opened for them.

“That’s ridiculous. If he cleared it in the past, then it’s cleared, isn’t it?”

“That was 600 years ago… And there’s no evidence that Lord Richard actually cleared it.”

The news of Richard’s clearing had only been passed down by word of mouth.

There was no evidence of his clearing.

“It’s certain.”

“On what basis…?”

“There’s no need for any basis. If I say I cleared it, then I cleared it.”

At that moment, the door to the training ground turned red.

It was a sign that the outsider had entered the Ultimate Training Ground.

If he cleared it here, the color of the door would return to normal, but if he failed, it would turn even redder.

‘I hope he crushes my pride once again.’

Archery that couldn’t be compared to anyone else in the training hall.

It was the first time he had ever seen someone shoot so well.

Could he, perhaps, follow in Richard’s footsteps and endure the trials presented by the Ultimate Training Ground?

If he endured, it would be the birth of someone clearing it for the first time in 600 years.

As the thought reached that point, Kyle’s heart began to race.

[Ultimate Training Ground]

The Ultimate Training Ground boasted a truly harsh environment.

The land was barren, and the surrounding temperature was basically over 50 degrees Celsius, making it incredibly hot.

Not only was the hot sun blazing down intensely, but debuffs were also forcibly applied.

[All stats are significantly decreased.]

[This debuff cannot be removed.]

[If you wish to remove it, leave the training ground.]

It was a debuff that couldn’t even be removed with divine power.

[Detailed Stats]

– Strength: 319 -> 159 (-160)

– Agility: 314 -> 154 (-160)

– Stamina: 304 -> 144 (-160)

– Defense: 291 -> 131 (-160)

– Wisdom: 281 -> 121 (-160)

– Mana: 445 -> 245 (-200)

– Divine Power: 445 -> 245 (-200)

– Mental Strength: 279 -> 99 (-180)

His stats had dropped by more than half.

‘This is insane…’

Jeong-hoon gritted his teeth and tried to activate Blackfield.

[Skill activation failed]

But it failed to activate because it was being controlled by the training ground.

[Item use failed]

[Stat increases are restricted.]

The stat amplification device was no different.

In the end, it meant he had to train with only his decreased stats.

[“Ugh… why is it so hot!”]

Muk-ho also expressed his annoyance at the intense heat.

“Just endure it a little.”

[Debuff: Extreme thirst applied.]

[Debuff: Dizziness applied.]

[Debuff: Headache applied.]

[Debuff: Decreased endurance applied.]

More debuffs poured in after that.

Because of them, his head was spinning even before he started training.

Jeong-hoon quickly gathered his senses.

The high temperature was a problem, but the direct sunlight was too hot.

It felt like the apparent temperature was close to 70 degrees Celsius.

‘No wonder it’s hard to clear.’

Jeong-hoon smiled bitterly.

But he couldn’t collapse under these debuffs.

“I’ll endure it no matter what.”

Jeong-hoon had endured even worse places than this.

He would succeed and acquire the skill he was aiming for.

[Would you like to start the training?]

A holographic window appeared in front of Jeong-hoon.

‘I’ll start.’

[Training begins.]

[Find and hit 9 hidden targets.]

[*You cannot approach within 300m of the targets.]

Find and hit 9 targets in this vast area.

It’s clear they intend to wear me down.

But that won’t happen.

Jeong-hoon took out a scan map from his inventory.

[Scanning the entire Ultimate Training Ground.]

He checked the terrain of the scanned map and marked the most likely places where the targets could be hidden.

Then he purchased a tracking device called ‘Magic Eye’ from the achievement shop.

This Magic Eye was designed to track similar objects in the vicinity by inputting the desired item.

‘With this, I don’t have to find all 9.’

Jeong-hoon used his movement technique to head towards the forest, the most likely place.

The forest was completely withered and dead, probably due to the intense heat.

And between the dead branches, one target came into view.

It was a target so small that it would have been difficult to identify without the Extreme Archer: Soul’s passive.

“Lucky! Found it right away.”

Jeong-hoon immediately drew Anima’s bowstring and aimed carefully.

[Additional penalties will be applied if the arrow misses.]

Fortunately, it wasn’t like the advanced training where missing just one shot meant failure.

But if additional penalties were given in his current state, enduring the rest of the training would be virtually impossible.

‘One shot, one kill.’

Jeong-hoon released the bowstring he had drawn.

Whoosh!

The arrow shot out with a sonic boom.

Thud!

The fired arrow accurately pierced the small target.

[Remaining targets 8/9]

With this, there were 8 targets left.

Jeong-hoon took out the ‘Magic Eye’ he had purchased from the achievement shop.

He pressed his finger on the ping pong ball-sized eye, and it grew to the size of a basketball.

[Select the ‘item’ you want to track.]

Although it said ‘item’, it could track things that weren’t items as well.

Jeong-hoon selected the target he had just hit.

The Magic Eye quickly scanned the target.

With this, he could track that target.

[Set the range you want to track.]

He also had to specify the range to start tracking.

Jeong-hoon input the scanned map as the range.

[Tracking begins.]

Then the Magic Eye floated up and started to move somewhere.

Jeong-hoon followed the eye.

* * *

Whoosh!

The arrow pierced the last 9th target.

‘It was really far away.’

It seemed like the travel time alone took 3 hours.

If it weren’t for the tracking device, the Magic Eye, it would have taken much longer.

Jeong-hoon’s body was now drenched in sweat.

He had sweated so much that he was even experiencing slight dehydration.

If he didn’t hold on tight, he felt like he would collapse right away.

[All targets hit.]

[Moving on to the next training.]

[Exterminate all summoned monsters.]

After hitting all the targets, now it was telling him to hunt monsters.

[Lv.220 Training Giant Bear]

All the summoned monsters were Giant Bears.

And they were level 220 Giant Bears at that.

Normally, he would have exterminated them without a second thought, but now they were quite a challenge for Jeong-hoon.

“This is the worst.”

A bitter smile appeared on Jeong-hoon’s lips.

But he couldn’t give up.

‘Can you do it?’

Anima asked in a worried tone.

“I have to make it happen even if I can’t.”

That’s why he had entered this place.

Jeong-hoon drew Anima’s bowstring.

Giant Bear.

The beast had 4 vital points.

Eyes, nose, neck, abdomen.

Among them, he aimed for the neck.

He released the drawn bowstring, and the arrow shot out.

Whoosh!

The fired arrow accurately pierced the neck of the training Giant Bear.

“Cough!”

The bear, hit by the arrow, screamed in pain.

‘Its defense is high for its level?’

He thought it would collapse since he had accurately hit its vital point, but it was standing upright on two feet, albeit in pain.

Jeong-hoon drew the bowstring again and released it.

Whoosh!

It pierced the neck of the agonizing bear once more.

“Keheuk!”

Only then did the training Giant Bear collapse.

‘Two shots to kill.’

It was doable.

The corners of Jeong-hoon’s mouth lifted.

“Growl! Kill!”

As their comrade fell, the training Giant Bears all rushed towards Jeong-hoon at once.

Jeong-hoon used his movement technique to create distance between them and began to attack by firing arrows.

———