Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 754

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 3 Episode 224
74. Woowon-ah (1)
The sky above the battlefield.
Floating lazily overhead was Ringo, Japan’s supreme commander. His hands moved back and forth continuously.
He was constantly shifting his formation.
Yet things weren’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, and he bit his lip.
‘This isn’t easy. Youth, perhaps.’
Among the commanders, Ringo was relatively young and rarely found himself at a disadvantage in what could be called “hand-to-hand maneuvering.”
But his opponent’s responses felt like facing a living, breathing army.
Like a school of small fish in the ocean that scattered and regrouped with perfect synchronization, moving as a single, massive organism.
That was exactly how Joseon moved now.
‘Surely… it wasn’t this intense before.’
When he’d faced Cookie in Scrim, he hadn’t felt this way.
‘Tch.’
Ringo’s eyes—though it was hard to tell exactly where he was looking—turned toward his own base.
His fingers moved again, controlling several workers.
While engaged in this formation battle, he couldn’t afford to fall behind in the Three Archers era progression.
‘According to my analysis, the opponent never fell behind in era advancement.’
Ringo had analyzed Choi Sun-sin quite thoroughly.
Deep down, he’d anticipated that she would definitely appear again.
He just hadn’t expected her to show up from the very beginning.
‘My body isn’t fully warmed up yet.’
With the conviction that he absolutely couldn’t fall behind in era advancement, he gritted his teeth and controlled both production and the battlefield simultaneously.
As the two forces underwent countless formation changes to maximize their spatial advantage.
Whoosh!
Ringo’s eyes snapped wide open.
‘Now’s the moment.’
And finally—
[Attack]
—Ting!
The attack command was issued to all swordsmen.

* * *
The swordsmen began to charge forward.
“Charge forward!”
Yamato, the Assistant Commander, drew his blade from atop his horse.
Shing!
“The enemy is cornered!”
He was right. The Joseon Archers stood back-to-back in a circular formation while the Japanese swordsmen spread out in a wide encirclement—they were indeed cornered.
Moreover, the trees and rocks of this dense forest were all working in the swordsmen’s favor.
In such terrain, archers couldn’t demonstrate their full strength.
That is, assuming they couldn’t properly execute curve shots.
‘They showed a reversal with curve shots in the Viking match, but… we know better now.’
Yamato recalled Joseon’s match footage as he rode his horse.
Sync Tank and Japan’s command had reached this conclusion.
‘That curve shot was only possible from that specific position.’
Joseon had made quite a cunning move with their map selection.
Japan’s side had to review the scrim on that map multiple times before they figured it out.
‘Did they really choose the map considering that position wouldn’t change?’
Burning through their map selection like that, yet still pulling off such a bold and audacious strategy.
Cookie is truly a madman.
‘But Cookie isn’t here.’
With that thought, he directed the swordsmen.
“Take cover behind the trees and advance!”
Clop, clop!
He rode his horse in a wide arc, following the encirclement.
Part of it was to command the swordsmen, but he was also looking for an opening to charge in.
Neigh.
As one of the swordsmen entered firing range, one of the Joseon Archers drew back his bowstring.
‘Is he not targeting me?’
The archer wasn’t even looking in Yamato’s direction.
Not only that, but the other archers weren’t watching him either.
‘If I charge in and disrupt their formation, this battle is 100% Japan’s victory.’
No defense.
With that assessment, Yamato urged his horse forward.
“Hyah!”
If he broke through their formation now, this battle would be a guaranteed Japanese victory.
But then—
‘Huh?’
That guy drawing the bowstring at the front…
His face looked familiar.
Only then did Yamato get a clear look at his opponent’s face.
‘Aamond!’
That guy who ran his mouth in the interview.
Yet that guy who shot his bow with such exquisite skill.
The only one who could freely execute curve shots!
The command’s assessment was clear.
‘Don’t get entangled with that thug.’
If you let him toy with you and get excited, things will fall apart.
Yamato certainly knew this, and he had no intention of being dragged along by him.
‘A perfect opening.’
For Yamato, it was an irresistible temptation.
Offering such a clear charge angle like this. I can actually kill Aamond, who reduced the entire nation’s height by over 10 centimeters!
Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t thought it through.
Why the enemy’s ace had given such a favorable opening so easily.
‘Huh?’

* * *
A few minutes earlier.
The Joseon archers were in chaos.
“W-we’re being surrounded?”
“Did we lose the formation mind game!?”
With each formation change, Japan’s preferred encirclement strategy became more apparent.
Danggeun murmured in admiration, her voice low.
“They’re moving so fluidly….”
The more the formation shifted, the more it became like quicksand—like an insect caught in a spider’s web, harder to escape with each movement.
It felt as though they’d been given only two choices: completely retreat from the lake, or fight while surrounded.
In fact, this was the difference in having an assistant commander.
Just as the Joseon assistant commander had the ‘Falcon Release’ faction, the Japanese assistant commander also possessed a faction related to vision.
[Keen Sense]
A skill that allows one to detect vibrations from footsteps with the eyes for a certain duration.
It applied in a straight line and could perceive quite far distances.
This information naturally displays to the commander as well.
While using this skill, Japan’s commander had no choice but to move with more information than Joseon’s.
“Why isn’t our assistant commander coming?”
Danggeun muttered anxiously, biting her lip.
Given the importance of this battle, it would make sense for them to arrive. But so far, they hadn’t.
Then, the enemies appeared.
“They’re coming!”
At her cry, all the archers flinched.
They all wanted to draw their bowstrings, but hesitated.
“Wait. We still don’t have orders….”
No order had been given yet.
Joseon’s first volley was crucial. Each arrow carried three seconds of concentrated focus.
That’s why we never fired without an explicit command from the Commander or Leader.
“Stand by.”
Almond, our Leader, issued the instruction calmly enough.
But the tension permeating the air was unavoidable.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I couldn’t tell if it was my heartbeat or the approaching footsteps of the Enemy.
We all held our breath, eyes unblinking, watching the forest where the swordsmen were advancing.
The swordsmen slowed their pace, moving cautiously from tree to tree as they drew closer.
I could also see an Assistant Commander mounted on horseback.
“W-we’re within range, aren’t we?”
One of the Archers muttered anxiously, but Almond’s response remained the same.
“Wait!”
The order hadn’t come yet.
“Wait….”
We had to wait.
There was a reason. There had to be.
Then, the order came to Almond.
[Don’t look—aim]
‘Don’t look…? Aim?’
I was slightly confused when this order arrived.
No matter how mindlessly I followed orders, being told not to look at my target while aiming was—
I couldn’t just accept it and move on.
It wasn’t a matter of will, but of ability itself.
And yet—
“!”
Shhhhwiiing…!
A trajectory materialized in the empty air.
The Commander must be telling me to aim for this path.
‘A curve shot.’
It was an extremely sharp curve—a dramatic arc.
Since I wasn’t supposed to look at where that path ultimately led, I couldn’t see the endpoint in my field of vision.
‘That Assistant Commander approaching from the side earlier.’
Based on the trajectory, it was the angle to strike the Enemy’s Assistant Commander.
He had been watching only for the angle at which they would charge through our formation from outside bow range.
He wanted to set a trap to ensure they came that way.
The other Archers and I were aiming at Soldiers charging from different directions.
This was likely a special operation meant only for me.
If the opponent were an ordinary Soldier, we wouldn’t go to such lengths, but since it’s an Assistant Commander, our Commander is laying this trap with utmost care.
‘Then….’
Twang.
I drew back my bowstring and held perfectly still.
A pose frozen like a statue.
This meant I had completed my aim perfectly.
Uuuuung…!
Light gathered for three seconds, and the Commander gave the order.
[Fire]
Whoosh.
My bowstring was released immediately.
So smoothly that even my allies couldn’t feel the string leaving—a ghostly release as if I had never drawn it at all.
It pierced the silence and found the battlefield’s first casualty.
Shiiiiick!
The arrow curved to an extreme as it flew along a path the enemy never anticipated.
And─
“!?”
──Boom!
White light exploded across the head of Yamato, the enemy’s Assistant Commander who had been charging in from the flank.
“Gah…!”
As his body lurched violently, his horse stumbled from the impact.
Thud.
He was thrown from his mount.
But it wasn’t over.
[Kill]
Shiiick!
Arrows flew in rapid succession.
My signature rapid-fire technique.
“!”
Thwack!
Without concentration, two more arrows buried themselves in his skull.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Roars erupted from the spectator stands.
‘Damn. From the s-start?!’
My vision rose higher, looking down at my fallen corpse.
He was dead.
His spirit rose higher and higher.
[Release Falcon]
Joseon’s falcon also soared into the sky.
Whiiiiiii!

* * *
“…A curve shot?”
Pangeo asked.
The target of that question didn’t exist in front of him.
[Cookie]
Instead, these characters appeared, and only a voice came through.
-That’s right. Our conclusion was that it would be good to practice curve shots more.
Although he’s in the hospital ward, Sync Tank and I have been leading the practice.
The plan was to increase our adaptability to each other by having Daisunsin Choi participate in realizing the practice.
“But that’s only possible for me and Almond. Will practice even help?”
-Why are you sneaking yourself in there?
Laughter erupted from those around him.
“No. Sneaking in? I’m actually shooting now.”
-Then I’m a stock market expert too.
“…?”
-I’ve made money a few times by chance. But I lost it all again.
“You….”
-But….
Cookie added this, perhaps to boost the leader’s spirits.
-Veterans like Pangeo certainly have insight into narrowing the gap between practice and real combat.
Everyone nodded at his words.
Pangeo had performed the worst in practice, but he had demonstrated focus at crucial moments.
-Pangeo’s curve shot is slightly different from Almond’s and from those called Persia’s Three Archers. Although he performed worst in practice, he was able to excel in real combat because of that difference.
Cookie began explaining in earnest.
-The difference is whether you can adjust the curve angle at any position while shooting, or whether there are only a set number of curve angles and you can only shoot when you’re at those positions. Pangeo is the latter, and Almond is the former.
Everyone’s gaze suddenly focused on Almond.
It was a look of wonder at how such a thing was even possible.
-We’re aiming for the latter for now. That alone will be quite helpful in overcoming forest terrain.
At this, Danggeun raised her hand eagerly.
“Me…!”
-Hmm?
“I’ve actually tried it before. But it was hard to gauge the distance of trees or the positions of enemies. It was too difficult to judge what angle to use.”
-Ah. That’s a fair point.
From a soldier’s perspective, it was difficult to even gauge how far away a tree was, and it was even more difficult to judge what angle to curve the shot to reach that tree.
-That’s something people who’ve shot curves many times gradually internalize… it’s definitely difficult. No, it’s impossible right now.
“Then….”
Danggeun’s expression showed confusion.
It’s impossible, so why practice?
There isn’t that much time until the Japan match.
-You don’t need to worry about that.
“?”
-Our new Commander will show you the way.
At that moment, the Joseon Archers believed she was simply introducing her training methods.
‘Does Choi Sun-sin shoot curve shots too?’
‘That can’t be right.’
‘What kind of training is she planning?’
‘Please don’t tell me it’s running drills again….’

* * *
‘This was it!?’
Pangeo stared at the unfolding scene with wide, astonished eyes.
Whiiiiiiiii!
[Falcon Release]
The moment the falcon took flight, golden patterns etched themselves across the ground.
Screeeeech…!
Centered on where the Joseon Archers gathered, countless circles expanded and overlapped—patterns resembling targets.
This was to measure distance.
Circles drawn to convey a single command to everyone.
[Curve Shot Attack]
Curve shot attack.
The command didn’t end there.
Ting!
Ting!
Tiding!
[Target]
[Target]
[Target]
[Target]
.
.
.
Countless attack pings revealing the positions of each Barbarian Soldier and swordsmen hidden behind dense trees.
Yet for each soldier, there was only one ping.
[Target]
One target per archer.
Grrrick.
A single arrow.
And one path.
Swooooosh…!
The path that had been drawn for Almond began to manifest before the players’ eyes.
The two or three curved angles I had drilled repeatedly.
[Aiming]
Whoosh—
All the Joseon Archers twisted their upper bodies in unison toward their targets.
Their eyes, wide open as if light itself poured from them, locked onto each of their respective marks.
[Fire]
Every bowstring was released.
──Kabooooooom!!!
White light pierced through the forest in countless places, seizing control of the woods in an instant.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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