Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 68 Winter Training
When they returned to the camp, sure enough, Fila was already waiting at the warehouse door with turpentine, smiling broadly.

Fortunately, Fila didn't ask for too much; she only asked for 50 hunting experience points.

but--

“George, turpentine is dangerous. If you need it, come to me. Don’t ever make it yourself, understand?” Fila repeatedly warned. Oh, this is a long-term business.

That day, he was slaughtered until he was covered in blood and numb.
However, to be fair, applying turpentine to the bow to prevent it from becoming brittle and losing its function is currently the best method.

According to Penny, wearing finger cots and arm guards not only prevents danger but also corrects archery posture to some extent, and keeps the archer warm, which is beneficial to the accuracy of archery, etc.

Finally, he even took Penny's advice, gritted his teeth, cut up his sheepskin blanket that he used to sleep in, and sewed it into a bow bag for warmth.

Only then was he ready for winter field training.

Around one or two o'clock in the afternoon.

Inside the warm room, Leon had already made his boots and gone out to work, leaving only Fila and Li Wei behind.

The former was sewing boots by the fireplace, while Li Wei was running and jumping in place, moving her limbs and getting her body into a warm-up state.

According to Penny, this can prevent physical injury, as exerting force in a cold environment of minus ten degrees Celsius is different from exerting force in a warm environment.

After warming up, Li Wei went out and jogged to the temporary shooting range outside the camp. He took out a recurve bow from his bow bag, drew an arrow, and pulled it lightly. The soft sound of the recurve bow was truly pleasant, and he could clearly and three-dimensionally sense the potential energy accumulated inside the bow.

Yes, that's the feeling. It's as if the power stored inside the recurve bow is no longer separated from or hindered by the power in his body. That arrow is an extension of his power and a manifestation of his will.

"call out!"

The arrow flew through the air and disappeared in the reflection of the snow in an instant, completely invisible, but Li Wei was as certain as if by divine intervention—he had not hit the target.

But this is perfectly normal.

At this moment, Li Wei squinted his eyes, controlled his breathing, and felt the gentle cold wind blowing across his cheeks. He needed to judge the wind speed and the trajectory of the flying arrow.

In addition, distance, wind direction, the arrow's center of gravity, and the angle at which the bow is drawn are all factors that require experience. They need to be calibrated repeatedly, memorized and understood carefully until they become instinctive.

Next, Li Wei calmly shot three more arrows. The first arrow hit the target, and the second and third arrows consistently hit the bullseye.

Then, he stopped shooting arrows, immediately put the recurve bow into the bow bag, and without even picking up the arrows he had shot, turned around and ran back.

Only after the bow was returned to the room and gradually warmed up did he go out to collect the arrows.

The outside temperature is at least minus fifteen degrees Celsius. Even with a bow bag made of sheepskin blankets, it will definitely have a slight impact on the bow over time.

Well, maybe this is going a bit too far. It's like buying a bicycle and then carrying it yourself through muddy or puddled areas – so foolish! Yes, he knows it's stupid, like a fool, but he'd rather go through all that trouble to keep the recurve bow in good condition.

Li Wei didn't know how to become a master archer, but if he couldn't maintain his weapon in peak condition at all times, he would be at a disadvantage from the start on the battlefield.

He doesn't have that right now, but in the future he will need a bow and arrow for daily practice, a bow and arrow for combat, and if he could also have a spare bow, that would be perfect.

The afternoon passed quickly.

Li Wei was busy, running around like a dog, but he only actually shot arrows thirty times.

It may seem like a small amount, but it is not, because he is now trying to perceive wind speed more precisely, testing the effects of different wind speeds, temperatures, and angles on the arrows.

And they also attempted to shoot while moving.

This is far more difficult than shooting from a fixed position. So none of the last fifteen arrows hit the target.

But he was still very excited and fulfilled, feeling like he was completely immersed in it.

As evening fell, he retrieved the arrows for the last time. Penny came over, looked at his target with a strange expression, and seemed about to say something, but in the end, she said nothing and left.

Then Thomas took a detour to come over, chuckled, and said, "George, don't rush. It's not that your technique is bad, but that the environment is harsh and the wind is too strong. Besides, you're a bit too ambitious. Don't force yourself to hit the 50-meter target. Start practicing at 30 or 20 meters first."

Thank you so much.

Li Wei smiled and ignored it.

The first day of the month has passed just like that. It seems that all family members have had a good harvest. Leon and Fira have both made a pair of simple, even clumsy, deerskin boots with wooden soles, which will definitely be very uncomfortable to wear.

But it doesn't matter. These boots are at least warm, much better than straw sandals. And even if they get damaged, they can still be repaired!
After finishing their meal, Thomas and Margaret returned to their room to rest without saying a word, unlike last month when they stayed up all night working.

The cold weather had a huge impact. It was clear that they had really risked their lives to mine the stones that day. The exhaustion that went to their bones was undeniable. Even if they had a level one awakened life value, it would still cause some damage to their bodies in the long run.

Unless they have reached Level 2 Awakening.

After dinner, while Fila went back to her room to rest, Li Wei was still sitting in front of the fireplace, with several oak sticks of different lengths and thicknesses beside him, but all of them were very straight.

These were left over from when he cut down and processed oak trees; there are still many in his room.

The shorter sticks were used to cut arrow shafts, while the longer sticks were used to cut wooden spears.

Although he now possesses iron spears, he still habitually carves wooden spears when he has free time, selecting and storing the best ones.

It wasn't that he had any particular hobby, but after thinking it over, Li Wei concluded that the wooden spear, as a primitive weapon, was actually quite effective. It was easy to obtain materials and make, making it excellent for close-quarters combat and repelling enemies.

He can't be so naive as to think that archers are only responsible for ranged combat and don't need to consider melee combat.

As time goes by, as the family camp continues to upgrade and the family members expand, they will inevitably clash with external forces, and battles will be inevitable. The battlefield is ever-changing, and he can't just blame his own melee units for not protecting themselves and then have the other side's responsibility engraved on their tombstone!

Therefore, wooden spears and spear-type weapons were something he had to consider.

Another reason he chose the wooden spear was that it could be thrown.

This is simply the chosen spear!

Before the ability to throw weapons was introduced, a wooden spear was at best a low-tier spearman, since, as everyone knows, spearmen have E-rank luck...

But if you can throw it, then you need at least Luck E+.

The night was so quiet, with only the faint sound of the wind from the distant mountaintop and the crackling of firewood burning in the fireplace. Li Wei held a steel dagger, precisely and steadily shaving off pieces of wood, like scattered snowflakes.

Occasionally, he would get up and add some firewood to the fireplace to make the fire burn brighter.

There's no need to worry about the consumption of firewood, but the fire in the fireplace must not be extinguished.

He didn't include this in the previous main quest, so he has to make up for it himself.

Otherwise, every morning when he wakes up, his family members will be full of complaints. These complaints, little by little, add up and become hidden arrows aimed at him, the head of the family.

Of course, there was another reason. Li Wei had turned the sheepskin blanket he needed for sleeping into a bow bag. Where else could he go if he wasn't guarding the fireplace?
(End of this chapter)