Chapter 54: Dragon Falcon

The next day.

Ji Xinghuo only went through six training cycles and went out in the afternoon.

First, he went to the bank to withdraw money, all in the largest denomination of 100,000 Asia-Pacific Community yuan notes, which are usually circulated only in Olympia. 65 notes totaling 6.5 million were bundled and stuffed into his pocket with no sign of the large amount he was carrying.

Then he rented a horned horse and headed to the center of Olympia City.

Not far from the Star Gate Square, Ji Xinghuo reached his destination and looked up at the towering building which had a sign reading “Green Wilderness Archery”.

“Green Wilderness Archery.”

It’s one of the most famous bow brands on Earth, producing and selling top-end bows and accessories.

Ji Xinghuo had heard of it before.

Almost every ranger, hunter, and bow-wielding extrahuman has thought about getting their own fine bow from Green Wilderness Archery.

The least expensive bows at Green Wilderness are premium one-star, merely considered as extras.

Their flagship product is the super bow!

In the Asia-Pacific Community, Green Wilderness has less than thirty branches, only located in mega-cities and top-tier cities.

In Olympia, this is the only one.

Ji Xinghuo walked into the doorway where the simple interior lacked any hint of luxury. A middle-aged man in archer’s attire came up with a welcoming smile, “Welcome to Green Wilderness Archery. Sir, are you here to buy a bow or need other services?”

Ji Xinghuo glanced at him; the man was a mid-level extrahuman.

Judging from the marks on his fingers, he must be a seasoned archer, likely a ranger or hunter.

“I would like to see the super bows.”

Ji Xinghuo stated his purpose. A good bow is essential for solo hunting, and could significantly enhance his combat abilities.

“May I ask your surname?”

“Ji.”

“Ji, as in the seasons?” The man was momentarily taken aback.

After receiving a confirmatory reply, he became even more courteous, as usual.

“I’m Liu Yu, the sales manager of Green Wilderness Archery’s Olympia branch,” he introduced himself. “You can call me Liu.”

Ji Xinghuo naturally wouldn’t do so; “Lead the way, Manager Liu.”

He followed Liu Yu to the third floor.

There weren’t many customers in the store, and the third floor was even quieter with only a few patrons at the counter, each accompanied by a salesperson.

The hall on the third floor had a tall wall displaying various bows—compound bows, traditional hunting bows, and light bows, each uniquely designed and belonging to different series.

The common feature was they were all super bows!

To prevent theft, bulletproof glass protected the display; admiring was possible, but if a specific bow caught your eye, you would need to ask the salesperson to bring a similar bow down for hands-on shooting. There was an archery range outside the third floor where you could shoot at targets behind the store.

“Mr. Ji, do you see any bow you like?” asked Manager Liu.

Ji Xinghuo shook his head.

“Then allow me to introduce some bows to you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Liu Yu pointed to a black compound bow on the wall, speaking at a steady pace, “Mr. Ji, this is the ‘Wolf Fang’ series, our ace product at Green Wilderness Archery.”

“It’s a balanced type compound bow, maxing out at 160 kilograms with an 85% efficiency ratio and an effective killing range of 240 meters. The bow itself weighs only 10 kilograms and is made from the highest performance lightweight alloys, sturdy and reliable with simple maintenance. It can be fitted with any compound bow accessory available on the market.”

“The greatest strengths of Wolf Fang are its stability, accuracy, and reliability.”

“The latest, seventh generation Wolf Fang which just hit the market last year has been well-received by users.”

“Wolf Fang includes a ‘Sharp Edge’ effect, enhancing the arrows’ armor-piercing capability. It can penetrate a 3-millimeter thick steel plate within 200 meters.”

“If within 100 meters, it can pierce a 5-millimeter thick steel plate!”

“Even the rock skin of an elite stone sylph can’t withstand a Wolf Fang arrow. A hit guarantees armor penetration, causing fatal injuries.”

“Higher-ranked iron guards also give way to Wolf Fang’s arrows.”

At this, Liu Yu’s face showed pride, “Although Wolf Fang is just a one-star super bow, it has been consistently our top-selling bow with over 12,000 units sold annually.”

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

He had heard of the Wolf Fang series before and it was indeed very popular.

The bow had appeared in many archers’ videos and often compared to firearms for its impressive armor-piercing capability.

“How much is the seventh-generation Wolf Fang now?” Ji Xinghuo asked.

The price of super bows often changes, influenced by market fluctuations and promotional sales by vendors.

Liu Yu replied, “Green Wilderness Archery is currently offering a winter promotion, and you can get the seventh-generation Wolf Fang for only 2.68 million.”

It was cheaper than he expected.

However, Ji Xinghuo wasn’t completely satisfied as the classic super bow had proven its market worth, but it didn’t meet his needs.

Liu Yu, reading his expression, immediately guessed Ji Xinghuo’s thoughts.

He then continuously introduced several super bows.

“Wind Spirit” series is designed for agile type archers with light bows; the killing power is modest and the range short, but it allows for high-frequency shooting and enhances the archer’s running speed.

“Nightingale” series boasts easy carrying, low vibration noise enabling stronger visual acuity in low-light environments and offering camouflage effects for archers.

“Light Seeker” is a traditional hunting bow that makes each arrow flash as it shoots.

Moreover, there’s the “Heavy Blade,” a compound bow designed for power-type archers with a weight limit up to 210 kilograms and very long range, although slightly less precise. The edges of the ‘Heavy Blade’ bow limbs are sharp, making it a unique melee weapon and turning the archer into a melee bowman.

Each of these super bows is powerful.

Ji Xinghuo was somewhat tempted after listening to their descriptions, but something was still missing.

Liu Yu, very patient, knowing Ji Xinghuo wasn’t here for fun, directly asked, “Mr. Ji, could you disclose your budget?”

“Around 6 million,” Ji Xinghuo replied, “Any more expensive, and I can’t afford it.”

Liu Yu felt regret upon hearing this.

If the customer could raise his budget a bit, say to 10 million, then he could consider a two-star super bow.

Entry-level two-star super weapons are priced around 10 million.

Considering for a moment, Liu Yu asked, “Mr. Ji, there’s a super bow in our store that you might like. Have you heard of the Hawk Bow?”

“The one that combines the designs of compound and recurve bows?” Ji Xinghuo had heard Lu Yunhai mention it once.

“Yes.”

Liu Yu led Ji Xinghuo into the second exhibition hall on the third floor, much smaller than the previous hall, with only a few bows hanging on the wall.

“These are all Hawk Bows, Mr. Ji, please take a look.”

Ji Xinghuo’s eyes lit up.

No surprise there, all the bows on the wall had the same impressive design.

The shape of the bow resembled a soaring eagle; the main body was still the handle of a compound bow, but the limbs were split into two sections. The tip of each limb bent outward like a recurve bow, while the inner limb was fixed to the handle. A pulley system was installed at the junction of the two limbs, transferring force through a cable.

You could imagine, when the archer pulls the string, both limbs would contract inward, mimicking a soaring eagle.

“Such a cool bow!”

Ji Xinghuo couldn’t help admiring, wondering about its power.

He remembered Lu Yunhai saying that the Hawk Bow, combining two bow designs, had its pros and cons.

The advantage was increased shooting frequency, able to load arrows as quickly as a recurve bow while maintaining the precision of a compound bow; the downside was a reduced efficiency ratio, usually not exceeding 50%, and less precision than a pure compound bow, requiring higher archery skills, and it was heavier than all other types of bows.

Such complex design seemed a bit superfluous and mediocre.

But it really looked cool…

Noticing Ji Xinghuo’s interest, Liu Yu smiled and explained, “Indeed, the Hawk Bow has several drawbacks as Mr. Ji seems aware. However, it also has many advantages, such as a good shooting feel, extremely fast arrow speed, and its overall performance is not much less than a compound bow.”

“Our Green Wilderness Archery’s ‘Dragon Falcon’ series, redesigned by a master bowmaker using the best materials and most suitable extrabilities, fully exploits the advantages of the Hawk Bow.”

He pointed to a camouflaged Hawk Bow on the wall.

“This third-generation Dragon Falcon weighs 16 kilograms, with a force rating of 180 kilograms and an efficiency ratio of 60%. These basic stats are all outstanding, making it better than most one-star super bows.”

“But its most striking feature is the arrow speed.”

“Arrows shot from the third-generation Dragon Falcon can reach speeds up to 275 meters per second, which is near subsonic speeds on Earth.”

Ji Xinghuo was rather astonished, “That fast?”

The fastest arrow speed of the previous super bows was only around 180 meters per second; a big difference.

“Yes, the Hawk Bow is fast!”

Liu Yu nodded, “The Dragon Falcon is named after the star realm’s fastest flying bird species. Its handle comes with a ‘Wind Breaking’ extrability; when arrows are shot with it, air resistance is greatly reduced, speeding up the arrow and extending its range, with an effective killing range of 300 meters!”

“Of course, only the top archers can handle such a long range.”

“Additionally, like the Wolf Fang series, the Dragon Falcon also has a ‘Sharp Edge’ effect with powerful armor-piercing capabilities. Because of the faster arrow speed, its armor-piercing is even stronger.”

“With two extrabilities, the Dragon Falcon’s power approaches that of a two-star super bow.”

Liu Yu talked at length, almost exalting the bow to the skies.

Ji Xinghuo was indeed very tempted.

A super bow with high arrow speed and range, combined with a stealth ring’s ‘Silence’ effect, could turn him into a long-range assassin!

“How much?” he directly asked.

“The Dragon Falcon isn’t included in this promotional sale, it’s only sold at the original price,” Liu Yu smiled. “If you buy the latest third-generation Dragon Falcon<\/transform_text_quest>, it’ll cost you just 5.99 million Asia-Pacific Community yuan!”

Ji Xinghuo was speechless.

He declared a budget of 6 million, and the Hawk Bow’s price was just shy of that, very precisely calculated.

“Let me try it first,” Ji Xinghuo wasn’t ready to place an order immediately; he needed to hold the Hawk Bow and test the shooting feel before deciding.

“Sure.”

Liu Yu quickly fetched a brand-new Dragon Falcon, handed it to Ji Xinghuo, and took him to the shooting range behind the store.

Moments later, Ji Xinghuo walked out of Green Wilderness Archery carrying a large bag.

He had entered with 6.5 million in cash and left with just a few coins.

In addition to a super bow, Ji Xinghuo also replenished his stock of capacitor arrows and bought twenty ‘Blaze Exploding Arrows’ that would burst into flames upon hitting the target, each priced at 8,000 Asia-Pacific Community yuan, a discounted price for purchasing the Hawk Bow.

Just these two types of special arrows cost nearly 200,000.

High-poundage bows require better arrows with lower flexural strength (harder) and heavier arrows to fully unleash the bow’s power.

Ji Xinghuo chose titanium-aluminum alloy arrows, each weighing 70 grams, costing over 200 Asia-Pacific Community yuan apiece.

He bought 500 in total, spending over a hundred thousand, with the arrows alone weighing 35 kilograms, filling up his entire backpack.

Ji Xinghuo returned to the villa and spent the entire afternoon practicing at the archery range to get used to the newly acquired Hawk Bow.

In the evening, he packed his bag.

Weapons, armor, a tent, sleeping bag, deodorizer, insect repellent, various medicines, and other supplies.

After triple-checking to ensure nothing was overlooked, Ji Xinghuo slipped a letter into Jiangnan Caiyi’s room, shouldered a 50-kilogram backpack, and left the villa under cover of night.

(Note: The prototype of the Dragon Falcon is the Onida Hawk Bow, Red Falcon)