Chapter 387: Viperwolf Archery
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Most importantly, a bow wasn’t a firearm where one simply had to press the trigger. For one, to execute running archery, one had to split his attention in aiming, drawing and maintaining stability; the difficulty level was at least 5 times harder!
Even amongst the Na’vi race, such archery techniques were only grasped by a small handful. Naturally, the one that had executed this graceful archery technique, was the external aid that the Kiwatakin clan had invited - Jacques!
Jacques stomped forward, his bow already hanging behind his back. Wrapping his hands around a loose vine, he bent his body as he easily drifted through the air; swinging towards the entrance of the Hometree. The rain was still pouring, yet a smooth fish named Jacques sliced horizontally and unrestrained through it.
Yet right at the entrance, an abruptly extravagant and unflustered figure surfaced; like a lofty mountain impeding Jacques. A scorching black ray fastened out from his hands, as it hacked towards Jacques.
A faint yellowish-stained dagger swung forth in resistance. It wasn’t sharp, and even carried a certain bluntness. Only, the dried linen wrapped around Jacques hand prevented the dagger from slipping amidst this pouring rain. As for this powerful personal weapon of his, it was crafted with the fang of a king viperwolf. This viperwolf dagger had accompanied Jacques for 5 full years, carrying untold stories of hundreds of fallen wild beast to its blade.
Without hesitation, Jacques brandished his war-dagger to block his opponent’s assault. But at the moment it connected with that black ray, his body trembled; he suddenly realized his opponent’s strength was completely not inferior to his! It even surpassed him!!
Jacques twisted his body, sweeping a wild horizontal kick; carrying loads of mud and filth as it splashed against the enemy’s face, which was washed away immediately by the pouring rain. Instead, the enemy raised his right foot, heavily trampling forward taking the initiative to advance. As Jacques’s leg swept in, he suddenly felt like he had kicked against an incomparably solid boulder. Both parties trembled from impact, and stumbled backwards several steps.
Meanwhile; releasing wild unrestrained yells as they climbed up the vines of the Hometree, the other Na’vis ascended towards the upper ‘window’ of the tree hollow. Their intentions were clear, to pincer the humans within the hollow! At this moment, Reef widened his eyes and released an earth shattering roar. A formless shockwave swept horizontally rippling against the surrounding raindrops. Jacques and the other Na’vis could only feel a gale rushing against the faces, as though their chest was harshly oppressed by a giant boulder.
While climbing, a Na’vi that had been severely injured by Mogensha’s lightning spear earlier, instantly lost grip due to the roar. Falling, that Na’vi’s head crashed into the mud below. Drenched in blood and mud, the Na’vi panted heavily and wrapped its wounds with grass. Fortunately, another Na’vi, while biting his dagger in his mouth, had leapt up and managed to squeeze through the window and into the tree hollow.
They firmly believed this - once they could engage the invaders in close combat, their superior fighting capabilities would implant painful memories for the invaders. Victory would be theirs!
Just having that thought caused them to bare their teeth and snarl menacingly. A loud announcement of their arrival that would even strike terror into wild beasts.
Inside the dark hollow of the Hometree, not a single reaction was made; just a plain deathly stillness. The stench of blood pervaded the still air. Even that human that Jacques had pinned to the wall with his arrow had disappeared. Beneath the supposed area the na’vi was about to land, a sudden glimmer of dull-gold radiated and swept forth!
Still descending from midair, the Na’vi easily wielded forth its war-dagger, before ferociously thrusting downwards!
This thrust undoubtedly landed on his foe; such a sensation of blade stabbing into flesh was forever mesmerizing to the Na'vi. In the next second, a muffled echo, as oppressive as thunder rolling, compacted in from the remotest of areas. With decades of predatory experience and instincts, the na’vi could smell danger, as he abandoned all notions of stabbing deeper; instead, his arms folded to block his front!
Boom! The oppressive muffle swerved in, causing the na’vi to groan wildly. Facing the tremendous force, the flesh around the chest to his shoulders swelled up, his bulging veins increasingly defined and elegant. Blood oozed out from his ears, nose and mouth; projecting the Na'vi to look increasingly sinister.
As the saying goes, evil fears reasoning, reasoning fears ruthlessness, and the ruthless are not afraid of life. In order to reclaim his own Hometree, that Na’vi had staked everything; and thus exploded forward with naturally terrifying suicidal might! Although the Na'vi was shockingly able to burst forth with 120% of his potential, the enemy’s twin fist still arrived nonetheless; pounding ruthlessly inwards on both temples!
The Na’vi clans were the formidable overlords of the forest, but this was due to their fearsome archery might. When in close proximity, they were still brimming with nimbleness but lacking in threat. The unyielding Na’vi repeatedly attempted to block with his arms, but his foe was like an ocean of pure strength; resistance was futile!
After two consecutive strikes, the Na’vi’s vision blurred, his consciousness on the brink of collapse. Sheyan slid his hands downwards, firmly locking them on the Na`vi’s arms; roaring as he forcefully lifted the na’vi up, before sending the Na’vi crashing against two other aboriginals that had just descended. Sheyan then closely followed up, surging forward with incomparable decisiveness. Depressed groans and struggling cries echoed within the darkness.
A Na`vi had a long and narrow waist, broad shoulders and a ‘v’ shaped back. Their necks were as flexible as owls, and could rotate a 180 degrees; to snap their necks, one had to at least rotate it 360 degrees. They were indeed a race born for combat. Sheyan was now feeling this after crossing hands with them; most humans would simply be unable to execute battle moves that they could easily execute.
Fortunately, Sheyan had thick skin and was even wearing that powerful hydra armour that reduced damage done by Pandora creatures by 30%! Thus with his defense, he remained like a lively dragon and animated tiger after suffering several vicious strikes. Instead, his fist carried supreme unstoppable authority. These Na'vis who had strength four times that of the average human, of about 20 points, simple could not retaliate against the tyrannical might of 49 points of strength.
According to theory, the Na'vi’s who possessed nightvision should be greatly advantaged in the dark. However, every Na'vi had two different kinds of embroidery on their skin. The first were stripes like zebras, like constellations dotting out their nervous system. The other embroidery was myriads of starry fluorescent speckles, something the na'vis used to determine beauty. The fluorescent speckles were not solely for illumination purposes; to Sheyan, it was his target practice! Clenching his fist and swinging towards the fluorescent speckles was completely foolproof.
After being heavily injured by Mogensha’s lightning spear previously, they now had the miserable fate of clashing against Sheyan. Originally not being experts in close combat, they were feeling rather intractable now. Very soon, bullying sounds of punches against flesh resounded repetitively, and not long later, the sounds blended with blood mushes and bone fractures.
The longer Jacques fought, the more apprehensive he felt. He could obviously tell the miserable groans and wails echoing out the tree hollow belonged to his own kind! As a reputable warrior in his clan, his heart could vaguely sense – giving up on the na'vi’s trademark dominance of archery was a complete blunder!
These humans were appalling. Tough as a cliff, ferocious as wild beasts. One could even summon the domineering nature of lightning! Feeling fear, he tightly gripped his war-dagger and made an abrupt front somersault! From top down, his scattered chops clashed against the enemy’s sinister looking shield.
As the immense pressure caved down, sparks scattered between the two equipments. Couldn’t one tell how intense this battle was? Unpleasant clanks emerged from Reef’s shield, its surface still radiating a silver glow. Reef couldn’t help but stagger a step back from the impact, his shield inadvertently rising upwards.
Although one strike paved open Reef’s guarding shield, Jacques’s war-dagger similarly recoiled backwards from impact, his hands trembling in numbness. At this moment, Jacques borrowed this impact to execute a backward leap; as though his legs were infused with springs as he executed a string of actions.
As his feet landed, Jacques instantaneously flipped his longbow into his hand and mounted a long arrow. The arrowhead appeared vile and vicious! The arrow was like a long serpent, and the arrowhead its tongue. A sudden deafening bluster reverberated in everyone’s ears, one that not even thunder could conceal. A brightly colored illusion of a ferocious viperwolf gently emerged, enveloping Reef within!
A Na'vi’s archery was essentially as natural as having a meal. Within a blink, or a flash of lightning in the sky, the arrowhead had pierced into Reef’s chest; penetrating deeply, sending him crashing 5-6 metres behind. The muddy waters splashed violently into the sky, forming a diving gorge in between. Reef’s expression was filled with disbelief.
After that arrow, Jacques sneered coldly. No longer zealous to continue fighting, Jacques turned to leave. Totally unguarded, a black barrel reached out from the darkness, coldly aiming towards Jacques’s back. A thunderous boom rumbled shockingly!