Chapter 183
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: The Elf's Bow
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Elf.
What is an elf?
In most fantasy stories, they were a race of beautiful appearance, capable of handling spirits, living in harmony with nature, and using the bow as their primary weapon.
In his many past lives, there were races with the same name but completely different characteristics, but half of the 'elf lives' Seojun had experienced were similar to that concept.
“Hehehe.”
Seojun, who had gone to bed unusually early today, let out a suspicious laugh as he looked at the door to the Library of Life.
Go Joowon, one of the main characters in ‘Escape’ whom Seojun would play, was a middle school archery club member, with the setting that he never missed first place in the National Junior Sports Festival.
When he discovered in the synopsis that his role was an archer, he found it incredibly fascinating. Wasn't it a profession rarely encountered in both stories and real life?
Even Seojun, who enjoyed various sports as hobbies, had never tried archery.
But he was confident.
“When you think of elves, you think of bows! When you think of bows, you think of elves!”
Not just Seojun himself, but his aura, sparkling more than usual, seemed to show just how excited his [Basic Breathing of a (Good) Elf], a skill he'd handled since he was a baby, had become.
Seojun smiled brightly and entered the library.
There were many books of life and bookshelves, but Seojun walked toward a specific destination without stopping. Unlike his usual self, who would examine the titles of the books one by one, his steps were unhesitating.
The library, merged with those of other lives, was vast. After wandering around the spacious library, Seojun reached his destination. Standing before a bookshelf, his face was a mix of joy and emptiness.
“...It's really easy to find.”
Even at a glance, there were a great many abilities related to handling a 'bow'.
The bookshelf in front of Seojun was one where the lives of elves were gathered. Not just this shelf, but all the bookshelves in this area were filled with 'elf lives'.
On this bookshelf alone, thirty percent of the abilities were related to handling a 'bow', and now all he had to do was pick a suitable book.
Unlike his usual self, who diligently roamed the Library of Life until he found the right ability, Seojun laughed hollowly at how easy it was to find this one.
“I really need a search function.”
But Seojun didn't yet have the ability to change the Library of Life. He recalled the large, firmly shut doors and the abilities that must be inside them. Once he could use an ability that could affect the Library of Life...
“The first thing I'll do is add a search function.”
Having made a firm resolve, Seojun returned to his task.
From the bookshelf filled with elf lives, he pulled out books related to the 'bow' one by one.
Just as there were many books of life, there were similar abilities and different ones. If he liked one ability, he would sometimes find he liked the ability from the next life he read even more.
The bookshelf was easy enough to find, but...
“There are so many types, it's hard to choose!”
Seojun looked at the books he had picked out in the first round with a weary face. There were still many books he hadn't read, yet the pile was already as high as his sitting height. At a glance, it looked like more than ten books.
“Hmm. What should I do?”
This one seemed good, and that one seemed good too. Sitting amidst the countless lives, Seojun was lost in thought.
***
A weekday morning with few people. An outdoor archery range in the suburbs.
Cocoa Entertainment had rented the outdoor archery range for several hours. At this scale, the archer Jo Younghoon, who had been recruited by the production company Movie Dream to assist with filming, found himself applauding.
Seojun, dressed in a neat, sky-blue tracksuit, bowed his head in greeting.
“Hello! I'm Lee Seojun. It's a pleasure to work with you.”
“I'm Jo Younghoon. A pleasure to work with you too.”
“Please speak comfortably, sir.”
At Seojun's words, Jo Younghoon also smiled brightly.
“Seojun, have you ever done archery before?”
“No. I did try traditional Korean archery for a bit while filming *Naeuiwon*.”
Back then, he was even younger than now, so he never got to shoot an arrow and only fiddled with it a few times.
“Then we'll have to start from the beginning.”
After a brief chat to gauge Seojun's skill level, Jo Younghoon immediately began the training.
An Daho, who was standing on one side of the range, brought over the equipment prepared in advance for Seojun. It was the gear recommended by Jo Younghoon, the kind most commonly used by middle school archers.
Jo Younghoon checked Seojun's equipment and explained each piece one by one.
“This is an arm guard to protect your wrist. You wear it over your clothes.”
He strapped the sturdy arm guard below his elbow. Although it was a hot summer, Seojun was wearing long sleeves to protect himself from the stiff bowstring.
“This is a finger protector to guard your fingers.”
A black finger protector was fitted onto Seojun's fingers. Feeling the unfamiliar archery gear, Seojun clenched and unclenched his hand a few times. His heart began to flutter with excitement over the new equipment. Sensing this, Jo Younghoon smiled and continued his explanation.
“This is a chest guard. The string can get caught on your clothes, and you could get hurt.”
Seojun fastened the triangular chest guard to his chest and put on the rest of the equipment in order. After meticulously checking everything, Jo Younghoon nodded.
“Alright. Shall we start by practicing how to hold the bow?”
“Yes!”
Jo Younghoon brought over a long bow from the side. It was a bow prepared by Movie Dream specifically for Seojun.
“It's a model from a company that's very popular with middle school athletes. I heard you'll be using this for the movie shoot as well. It might feel awkward at first, but you'll get used to it.”
“Okay.”
Seojun nodded.
Jo Younghoon had already been briefed on what he needed to teach Seojun. He didn't know the movie's plot in detail, but he was told there were scenes that required shooting a bow, so all that mattered was getting the form right.
So, Jo Younghoon slowly taught Seojun the process from the basic archery stance to the point just before releasing the arrow.
“Oh...”
Not much time had passed, but Jo Younghoon was already impressed.
Jo Younghoon had also heard many stories about Seojun. That he was excellent at sports like soccer and taekwondo, and that his violin skills after just a year were top-notch. He had been amazed that such a talented child existed, but he never imagined it would extend to archery.
“Seojun. Want to try it on your own?”
“Yes!”
Seojun took his stance just as Jo Younghoon had taught him. It was a little different from the elven way, but the fundamentals remained the same.
‘Find your center, stay light. And breathe.’
He spread his feet wider than his shoulders and found his center. He took an arrow from the quiver on his thigh and nocked it on the string. He hooked the string with the fingers of his right hand and held the bow lightly with his left.
At this point, the bow was still pointing downward.
Exhaling lightly, Seojun raised the bow and aimed the arrowhead at the target. Maintaining his breath to keep his posture steady, he slowly drew the string toward his body in a proper form. The string was pulled taut, reaching near his lips.
Before the arrow was released, Jo Younghoon found himself applauding Seojun's perfect form.
Even to An Daho, who knew nothing about archery, he looked like a professional. An Daho asked Jo Younghoon.
“Is Seojun doing well?”
“Of course. It's not just 'doing well.' He's doing exceptionally well. Judging by his form alone, he's no different from a professional athlete.”
The tautly drawn bowstring slowly returned to its original position. Seojun, who hadn't yet learned to shoot, returned to his starting posture.
Seeing this, Jo Younghoon's eyes sparkled.
“May I let Seojun try shooting an arrow?”
“He won't get hurt?”
“It's fine. He's wearing the equipment properly, and with someone as precise as Seojun, there's almost no chance of injury.”
“Then let's ask Seojun.”
At Jo Younghoon's suggestion, Seojun quickly nodded. He had been diligently practicing only his form as instructed by his teacher and Daho, and his hands were itching to shoot.
For safety, Jo Younghoon checked the equipment once more. He tightened the chest guard and arm guard to prevent injury from the released string and spoke.
“See that target 15 meters away?”
A colorful target was visible in the distance. In front of it was a sign that read '15m'.
“Yes.”
“Let's aim for that one first.”
Nodding, Seojun took his position.
His heart pounded. He steadied his breath, spread his legs naturally to find his center, took an arrow, and placed it on the bow. Inhaling, he smoothly raised the bow, which was as tall as his torso.
*Whoo.*
Aiming the arrow at the 15m target, Seojun exhaled lightly and drew the taut string back without hesitation. His gaze never left the target. The string, pressed tightly against his lips and chin, pushed against his cheek.
‘Focus.’
[Basic Breathing of a (Good) Elf] eliminated any trembling in Seojun's body.
The distant target seemed to grow larger, as if a camera were zooming in.
As Seojun stood motionless, both Jo Younghoon and An Daho held their breath. Though it was clearly his first day, he looked as natural as someone who had handled a bow for years.
Amidst the silence, where even the sounds of insects and birds seemed to have faded, Seojun moved.
He carefully released the fingers holding the string, making sure not to touch it. *Swish*—with the sound of the wind being cut, a *thunk!* was heard as the arrow struck the distant target.
Jo Younghoon, who had been concentrating, shouted reflexively.
“Ten!”
After shouting, he seemed even more surprised himself.
A ten? A ten on his first try?
Jo Younghoon's eyes widened in disbelief.
*Whoo.* Seojun lowered the bow and took a deep breath. An Daho applauded Seojun for hitting the bullseye.
“Great job, Seojun!”
“Ehehehe. Thanks, Daho hyung. Sir. Can I try shooting at 30 meters?”
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
Looking bewildered by Seojun's request, Jo Younghoon nodded.
Once again, Seojun took his stance. An Daho, now a bit more relaxed, started snapping photos of Seojun to send to his parents.
Seojun's appearance in full archery gear was quite novel, and he thought it would be great to show the fans when promoting the movie.
‘I should send these to Director Choi Daeman, and to CEO Lee Hansol too.’
The sound of an arrow cutting through the air was heard.
*Thunk!* As the arrow hit the target, Jo Younghoon shouted.
“Ten!”
30 meters.
*Thunk!*
“Ten!”
50 meters.
*Thunk!*
“...Ten!”
60 meters!
My goodness.
The maximum distance for the middle school division was 60 meters. And a kid doing this for the first time was hitting a 10? It was too far to see clearly, but Jo Younghoon's instincts, honed over many years as an archer, were telling him something.
“...Aren't those all X-tens?”
Jo Younghoon forced the words out, unable to believe the truth.
The X-ten, hitting the very center of the target. In past Olympics, it was where the camera used to be. Even Jo Younghoon had only hit it a few times when he was in top condition... My goodness.
“Seojun, shoot one more time. I'll take a video this time.”
“To send to Mom and Dad?”
“Yeah. They'll both be curious.”
“Okay! Make me look cool, Daho hyung!”
At An Daho's words, Seojun smiled brightly and reached for his quiver again.
‘I'm showing this to Mom and Dad, so I have to do even better!’
Unlike the thoroughly excited Seojun and An Daho, Jo Younghoon, who had seen many archers, was left speechless by their peaceful conversation.
‘No way, a kid who learned for the first time today is hitting consecutive X-tens! And from different distances!’
Jo Younghoon, who had been gaping like a fish, finally managed to spit out a single sentence.
“...Just what kind of movie are they trying to make?”
With this level of skill, he thought it would have to be a movie about conquering the world of archery.
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