My basement connects to another world.

Chapter 30 Eagle Eye

"What's this?" Ke Shan put down the whetstone and took the bottle.

"Would you like to try some wine?" Jiang Yuan said.

"Liquor?!" Ke Shan stared at the bottle opening for two seconds, then immediately took it and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

The moment the liquor entered his throat, his entire face contorted in pain, and even the scar on his face twisted in pain.

Then he swallowed it, his eyes widening suddenly.

"This..." He looked down at the bottle in his hand, then looked up at Jiang Yuan, his voice filled with shock: "This is really wine?!"

"Fruit wine," Jiang Yuan said.

Ke Shan took another swig, this time drinking more slowly, pursing his lips and savoring it for a while before swallowing, letting out a satisfied groan from his throat.

"So this is wine!" He looked at the bottle in his hand, his tone carrying the rarity one would feel upon encountering something legendary.

"I never imagined I'd actually taste the legendary wine in Keshan! I'd only ever heard of it in the records of my elders; it's said to be made with all sorts of rare ingredients!"

There is no wine in Moondwelling Valley, and the Cat-Eared Tribe does not brew wine.

"Captain, I want one too!" The two cat-eared warriors next to him immediately surrounded him.

"Go away." Ke Shan cursed a few times, but still took the bottle cap and poured a small sip.

The two cat-eared people tasted it and showed expressions of utter shock.

Kexi carefully placed the bottle on his lap, and after dismissing the two soldiers who still wanted more, he looked up at Jiang Yuan, his tone very warm:

"Human, you're giving me something so precious, what do you want?"

Jiang Yuan sat down on the tree root next to him: "I have a few questions I'd like to ask, um, about the use of warriors' abilities."

Ke Shan asked curiously, "Warrior ability? Tell me."

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and tried his best to describe his situation in a way that the world could understand:

"When I'm fighting, I channel my magic to different parts of my body. Channeling it to my legs makes me run faster, and channeling it to my arms makes me shoot more accurately and powerfully."

He gestured to his right arm as he spoke, trying to make the other person understand.

Ke Shan, who was smacking his lips and savoring the taste of the wine, stopped when he heard this.

He stared at Jiang Yuan, his expression turning serious: "You figured this out all by yourself?"

"I figured it out myself."

"Nonsense!" Ke Shan's voice rose.

"If you pour magic into your body without a specific route, it will just rush around and cause damage, or even permanent disability. You're lucky you can still lift your arm."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Jiang Yuan's right wrist, his rough fingers pressing around the wrist bone a few times.

"Does it hurt?"

"Is it that dangerous?" Jiang Yuan was startled, then shook his head. "It doesn't hurt."

Ke Shan pressed up his forearm again, applying pressure to several spots. "Here? Here?"

"It doesn't hurt at all."

Ke Shan released his wrist, stared at his face for several seconds with a strange look in his eyes.

What he just said wasn't an exaggeration.

Without the magical infusion of a clear path, it's like pouring a flood into an unrepaired canal; the water will rush wherever it goes, and the dikes along the way will eventually be breached.

Every year, some young soldiers in the hunting party would defy the odds and practice recklessly on their own. Some would practice until they couldn't lift their arms, while others would practice until they were crippled and could never hold a bow again.

This human's arm was completely intact.

"Then you're in luck," Ke Shan muttered, adding:

"I know what you want. Our tribe has several specific methods for operating these abilities, passed down from generation to generation—"

As Ke Shan spoke, his gaze fell on the crossbow hanging on Jiang Yuan's shoulder, "But before I teach you—"

He reached out and patted the crossbow Jiang Yuan was carrying: "Your weapon isn't very good."

Jiang Yuan looked down at his crossbow.

The crossbow he bought from the Falcon Archery Club did indeed begin to limit his performance as his physical abilities improved.

"Come with me."

Ke Shan carefully placed the wine bottle in the groove at the base of the tree, stood up, picked up the hunting bow leaning against the tree trunk, and walked forward.

The two walked one after the other through a row of giant trees and came to a clearing in the forest.

At the end of the open space stood a dead old tree, with a target woven from tree bark nailed to its trunk. Thick hemp rope was tied to the trunk, and the center of the target was painted with a fist-sized black circle of charcoal ash.

Jiang Yuan estimated the distance; from Keshan Station to the dead tree, it was at least 120 or 130 meters.

Around the dead tree were several living giant trees, their trunks inlaid with amber moss. The orange light reflected on the target, making the black bullseye stand out even more.

Ke Shan drew an arrow from the quiver at his waist.

He nocked an arrow, raised the bow, and drew the string.

Without much aiming, the bowstring snapped and the arrow flew out.

Duh.

The arrow pierced the very center of the black bullseye, and the shaft trembled slightly.

"Did you see it clearly?" Ke Shan turned his head to look at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan nodded, then looked puzzled: "I saw it clearly, it was a very accurate shot."

At a distance of over 100 meters, the arrow hit the bullseye perfectly; that's truly impressive.

But after amplifying his own power with magic, he should be able to achieve the same level.

Ke Shan didn't say anything, but took a second arrow from the quiver and nocked it on the bowstring.

This time, his movements were exactly the same as before: nocking the arrow, raising the bow, and drawing the string.

But the moment the bowstring was fully drawn, Jiang Yuan's eyes narrowed.

A faint glow suddenly appeared on the shaft of the arrow.

He recalled the cold white glow that shone from the dagger when Shiru fought.

Archery in Keshan.

The arrow transformed into a streak of white light, traversing a distance of over a hundred meters and striking the bullseye with pinpoint accuracy.

This time, the arrow shaft actually pierced through the bark target and the dead old tree trunk behind it, exiting from the back of the trunk.

Bang!

The arrow, still possessing considerable force, pierced the trunk of a living giant tree a dozen paces behind the dead tree. Most of the shaft went in, leaving only a small section of fletching sticking out.

Jiang Yuan's gaze followed the white light, his pupils contracting slightly.

If this were to hit a monster, it could probably pierce through its bones!

"These are two fundamental skills that every archer warrior in our Frostclaw tribe must master." Keshan put down his hunting bow.

"The first one is called 'Eagle Eye,' which infuses magic into the eyes, allowing you to see farther and clearer. The second one is called 'Piercing Shot,' which imbues arrows with magic, increasing their armor penetration and lethality."

He looked at Jiang Yuan:

"You used to channel magic into your arm to shoot arrows, which did create power, but that was just messing around. This is the true method of 'piercing'."

Jiang Yuan's heart stirred slightly. It seemed that he lacked these basic skills, which was why he hadn't found a profession yet.

He prefers ranged combat to close-quarters combat, as it makes him feel safer.

However, it would be great to learn magic... unfortunately, the Frostclaw tribe doesn't have that.

Jiang Yuan suppressed his thoughts and said, "I want to learn this."

Ke Shan grinned. "Alright, you won't drink for nothing. I'll teach you 'Eagle Eye' first!"

……