Archery Club

He didn't eat breakfast, so Lan Mu packed up some food and sheepishly took Su Yue home.

Already annoyed, he felt a wave of nausea just looking at the soup dumplings.

Foods he used to love now seemed so ugly to him for some reason.

He felt an indescribable disgust at the smell of meat.

In the end, Lan Mu didn't eat anything, only drinking some milk.

"Why is the Elf being so picky?"

Lan Mu figured he wasn't hungry anyway, so he might as well not eat. This Elf body had never eaten human food before. Forcing it into his mouth might cause him to vomit, and then he'd just be suffering himself.

He thought about how Elves revered nature, perhaps they didn't eat meat at all. Maybe they ate dew drops and fruits...

But there were no fruits at home. He recalled the White-haired Lion going hungry for six days, and this time, he absolutely couldn't hide at home and starve.

"I don't believe it! The person I finally managed to transform into has nothing to be afraid of going out!"

Lan Mu left home again. This time, he didn't bring Su Yue with him. After all, it would be too awkward for a man to be hit on.

Going out with a beautiful woman only to be flirted with himself – the feeling was indescribable.

"Even though Su Yue can't see what I look like, she's probably imagining me as a femboy in her head, right? Oh my god!"

Lan Mu felt like crying but had no tears. Since Su Yue hadn't said anything, he definitely wouldn't bring it up.

His original plan was to buy a computer today, but he changed his mind. Given Su Yue's presence, he thought he should rent a bigger house first.

Also, because he suddenly transformed into an Elf, which could last for at least seven days, it had thrown his entire plan into disarray. So, he decided to deal with the studio after the mandatory transformation period ended.

So, after much thought, he inexplicably walked into a physical archery equipment store. On the way, he also bought two pounds of apples.

This archery equipment store called Modu Forest was huge. It seemed to be the only one in all of Modu. At least, when he searched online on his phone, he only found this one place selling bows and arrows.

It wasn't just selling equipment; it also had a training range inside. The second floor was an archery club, with countless bows of all kinds hanging on the walls, along with various cool crossbows.

Compound bows, recurve bows, traditional bows – they had it all. Before this, Lan Mu had never known there were so many types of bows and arrows. There were no less than thirty models of compound bows alone.

Since it was also a club, the staff were extremely professional and introduced everything to Lan Mu, who was a complete novice, in a dazzling manner.

Lan Mu didn't understand any of it. To him, the quality of a bow could only be determined by trying it out.

The reason he inexplicably came here was because he wanted to test how strong his archery talent was right now.

After all, after the mandatory period ended, he didn't know if the White-haired Lion's transformation would be overwritten. At least for a while, he would rely on his Elf abilities for protection.

At the very least, the White-haired Lion was a natural hunter, and no one could escape its pursuit.

But what about the Elf? If he encountered trouble, and he didn't have a suitable weapon, and his strength was even less than that of a peak human Elf, how could he protect himself?

Rather than spending the next seven days in a daze, it was better to prepare for his Elf transformation and get more familiar with it.

After listening to the staff's lengthy explanation, Lan Mu was increasingly astonished. Most of the bows and arrows here cost over ten thousand yuan, with the cheapest being over two thousand.

Lan Mu was clearly an outsider. The staff probably figured he wouldn't buy a high-end professional bow and recommended a compound bow with a fancy design. This compound bow had two sets of pulleys, a complex frame structure, and was painted with wine-red flame patterns all over. Its biggest feature was its appearance.

"Miss, look, this Fire Nitre is this year's new model. It can generate a maximum let-off of 350 FPS and has 75% let-off..."

Before the staff member could finish, Lan Mu immediately interrupted him, annoyed, "Which eye of yours saw a 'Miss'?"

"Uh..." The staff member was quite sharp. After realizing Lan Mu was a man, his eyes darted around, and he immediately said, "I'm sorry, sir, I misunderstood."

Misunderstood what, exactly? Lan Mu was speechless but didn't want to pursue it. It was best not to mention it; the more he talked, the more complicated it got.

So, Lan Mu said directly, "I don't want this bow! It's too flashy. I want something more practical."

Actually, the bow was quite practical, but the staff member didn't argue. Instead, he introduced a few other best-selling compound bows.

"These two models are almost sold out. Many archery enthusiasts like them, and they are valuable for both hunting and collection."

Lan Mu looked at them. They were both compound bows again. At first glance, they looked very complicated with many accessories. You even needed a bow release aid to shoot. This type of bow wasn't suitable for rapid shooting; the release aid alone would severely affect his hand speed.

"Don't recommend compound bows anymore. I've heard that if the accessories are slightly off, the bow's accuracy drops significantly. I also don't have time to maintain such a delicate bow."

"Uh..." The staff member reluctantly recommended a recurve bow.

"This hunting recurve bow is very popular in our club. Its nickname is Shark. The arrow rest and sight can be adapted to various shooting styles, so this bow can handle whatever your technique is."

Lan Mu thought the Shark looked quite good. He also gripped the handle and felt the grip was excellent.

He pulled the string, and it was quite resistant, but he still managed to pull it to full draw.

The staff member watched, his mouth twitching, and couldn't help but say, "Sir, don't pull it like that. You might break the bow."

Although Lan Mu's technique was very unprofessional, he wouldn't break it.

"How much is this bow?"

"The bare bow is 6900 yuan."

"Oh?" Lan Mu raised an eyebrow. The flashy Fire Nitre earlier was only 5800, and this Shark was 6900. But he did like this bow. Just as he was about to decide to buy it, the staff member added.

"That's just the bare bow for 6900. The full set is about ten thousand."

Lan Mu saw the set the staff member took out: matching arrows, a quiver, a bow case, maintenance supplies, etc.

"A few arrows, a quiver, and a bow case cost three thousand?"

The shop assistant explained further, and with the assistant's smooth talk, from the raw materials to the club members' evaluations, Lan Mu was left speechless.

"I'll shoot a few arrows to try it out first. I heard you have a training ground here."

"We do, but a member is already using it. If you really want to try, you'll need to wait in line for a bit," the shop assistant said apologetically.

"Member?" Lan Mu asked.

The shop assistant smiled slightly and produced a flyer as if by magic. Lan Mu saw that it clearly listed the benefits of various membership levels.

"Junior VIP... Annual fee 480, free maintenance, 10% off non-latest archery equipment, free use of the training ground..."

"Intermediate VIP... Annual fee 1000, free maintenance, 20% off all archery equipment, can use the small training ground and VIP training ground at any time."

"Senior VIP... Annual fee 3000, free maintenance, 30% off all archery equipment, can enjoy professional coach delivery**, can enjoy expert guidance in the VIP training ground, and can participate in the Forest Club's outdoor activities and indoor gatherings."

Lan Mu looked at these VIP benefits and shook his head with a wry smile.

"Why would you learn this? Why not something else?"

"What's the situation with your club? Is there a threshold to join?"

This time, the shop assistant didn't use a flyer but explained verbally: "Modu Forest Club is the largest archery club in Modu. There are ninety-seven club members. Club members are different from our shop's members; the annual fee is at least 100,000 yuan. Not only do you enjoy all the VIP services of our shop, but you can also run for club competitions. We have dedicated leagues and professional competitors."

"As long as you are a club member, all products in our shop are 30% off, and you can also customize any equipment you want. Even if you're a beginner, once you join the club, we guarantee to teach you until you become an expert, as long as you're willing to learn."

"The club frequently organizes gatherings and outdoor activities. Four months ago, the Forest Club even went abroad, hunting in the snow and ice of Canada."

Lan Mu had no interest in this club. No matter how eloquently the shop assistant spoke, the moment he heard the annual fee was 100,000 yuan, he lost all interest.

"So, you mean, I, as an ordinary customer, have to wait behind all the members, and can only get on the field after they're done?"

"Yes."

Lan Mu sighed. He considered just buying the equipment and going back to practice in a park.

But with bows and arrows, how could he know if they were good without trying them himself? What if he spent 10,000 yuan and bought something unsuitable for the Elf?

"Alright, I'll wait. By the way, can I take a look?"

"Absolutely, please follow me."

The shop assistant led Lan Mu to the back of the specialty store, which was the assembly, adjustment, and maintenance area. Two shop assistants were performing maintenance work.

Next to this room, there was a small door. Pushing it open led to the small training ground.

The training ground wasn't large, about the size of two basketball courts. Five people were already shooting arrows, their stances looking very standard: shoulders level, legs spread apart one in front of the other at shoulder width, turning sideways to draw the bow.

"This is it. You can sit on the chairs and rest first."

Lan Mu nodded and sat in a designated resting area, eating an apple while watching the group shoot arrows.

All five were using compound bows, and their stances were impeccably standard. After aiming for a long time, someone finally released an arrow.

The arrow shot out straight and hit the bullseye of the 15-meter target.

As that person hit the bullseye, the other four also released their arrows. They were all shooting at the 15-meter target, and without exception, they all hit the bullseye.

The five smiled slightly, nocked another arrow, and aimed at the 25-meter target.

The shooting range was divided into 15-meter, 25-meter, and 50-meter distances. The 15-meter target was at eye level, the 25-meter target was much higher, and the 50-meter target was already suspended from the ceiling, requiring an upward shot.

Lan Mu was initially interested in observing, but he soon became extremely bored.

These five people, for some reason, would aim for such a close target for a long time, taking over ten seconds to release an arrow.

The scene was silent, making the archery look very serious and contemplative. It wasn't like tasting tea; why the long deliberation for a mere few dozen meters!

After about two minutes, they finally hit the bullseye of the 50-meter target.

Sweat beaded on their foreheads. Although compound bows are very easy to draw, holding the bowstring steady without trembling for an extended period is also very tiring.

After shooting at the three targets, the training ground changed to three targets in different positions. They drew their bows again, held their breath, and remained motionless.

Lan Mu had already finished one apple and, seeing this, had to eat another.

Just then, a young man carrying a bow bag walked in.

He smiled slightly at Lan Mu and also sat on a chair.