LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 11: Tutorial.8
Back in the present, the next arrow came, and once again, I felt that something was about to hit me, so I tried to dodge. I ended up being hit again and even stumbled as I tried to escape. I got up once more, undeterred. I could feel it there. It wasn't just the concept of danger approaching; I could actually sense what was about to hit me.
We continued practicing for a while longer, and I even managed to dodge one or two arrows here and there. Wyatt finally started to believe everything I was doing and even began asking me questions about how I was able to do it. I tried to explain the feeling I had, but I realized I'm terrible at putting this sensation into words. It was like trying to explain colors to someone who has never seen.
Another hour passed before someone came from the makeshift camp. They said the food was ready, and although neither Wyatt nor I were hungry, we knew the importance of eating. After all, no one knew when we'd have our next meal.
The dinner being prepared was the two badgers we had killed earlier. They were being grilled in a makeshift way over a small campfire after being skinned and gutted. Surprisingly, Xavier knew how to do that. We didn't have any spices or proper tools, so honestly, the food looked quite... plain.
Even Gabriela, the cook, had to admit that it didn't look appetizing at all. Beatrice was the one who came to us, the "Deadly Shots," to convince us to eat. I almost felt like all the pain had been worth it when she sat next to me while we ate to heal my injuries. The healing was incredible, like a cold current running through my veins, and I could see the bluish marks slowly fading over the next twenty minutes as I sat there, savoring the sensation.
We talked while Beatrice asked questions, mostly about why I had let Wyatt use me as a target for nearly four hours, along with smaller curiosities, like why I was so skilled with a bow and arrow.
I was happy to talk to her and explained my training with Wyatt and what I hoped to achieve through it. I also shared how I practiced archery during my youth and how I still practiced occasionally, justifying my skill with the bow.
I ended up revealing, much to her interest, that I had unfortunately had to give up becoming a professional due to an injury. Beatrice seemed surprised, as she had always seen me as the nerdy, quiet, and non-athletic type. This also made me realize how little I interacted with her outside of work-related matters. In fact, the same was true for everyone in the group.
I was never the social type in any environment, actually. Although I'm not completely awkward in social interactions, I've always tried to minimize them. For starters, I ended up choosing archery because my father insisted that I practice some sport. So, I chose one that didn't require a team or direct interaction with opponents. It was something I could enjoy on my own, just me and my bow.
The likely reason I like Lucas and Beatrice is that they are two of the few people outside my family with whom I feel comfortable. Lucas has this welcoming nature and such an open demeanor that he makes almost anyone feel at ease. As for Beatrice... well, I'm not exactly sure why I like her. Maybe I just find her physically attractive, and that's it. The truth is, I barely knew her before all of this started.
At university, I worked hard to improve my social skills. I actively participated in meetings and events, even though I never fully felt at ease. These efforts greatly helped boost my self-confidence. Managing to get a girlfriend and some close friends contributed even more to that development. But all of that came crashing down the day I found out my girlfriend and my supposed best friend were together. Apparently, it was an "open secret" in our small group, known by everyone except me.
All the work and growth I'd achieved went down the drain, and my self-confidence and self-esteem plummeted. My girlfriend claimed it was just "fun" and didn't mean anything, while my "best friend" seemed to think it wasn't a big deal. He even said I needed to "stop being a coward about it." Somehow, the rest of the group seemed to share that sentiment. Or maybe they just feared being excluded from the social circle if they spoke out against it.
This event led me back to my old introverted habits. I studied, practiced archery, played games, watched TV, and went to classes. A good day was one where I didn't speak a single word to anyone except my parents when they called to check on me.
Things improved after I graduated and landed a good job. Because of that, I was forced to get involved in the social system of the workplace. It was Lucas who initially pulled me out of my shell and helped me open up more to my colleagues. Enough to maintain friendly relationships with everyone, at least. Come to think of it, maybe the reason we were in this tutorial together was precisely because Lucas insisted on inviting me to lunch with him.
In a professional environment, I no longer have trouble speaking or expressing myself normally. It's the same reason I was able to discuss my decision-making with Lucas earlier and talk to Wyatt during training. But what I was doing now... casually talking to Beatrice... was more stressful than facing the huge boar.
In the middle of the conversation, Bruno shouted at us, visibly nervous.
"Beatrice! Abigail woke up. Can you come see how she's doing?"
Everyone looked at me with a certain nervousness. Beatrice didn't hesitate, apologized, and followed Bruno to Abigail. Not that they were far away—they were less than five meters from where we were sitting and eating.
I could easily spy or listen to what was going on, but I decided not to. I wouldn't blame Abigail if she were angry with me. In her eyes, I was the indirect cause of the injury, after all. However, I admit that I was a bit scared of the possibility of her turning those thoughts into words or actions.
How would I react if she started yelling at me? Blaming me? Could I stay there and argue, sticking to my decision? Or would it just heat up and turn into another big argument? The fear of finding out made me fall back into my old habit of simply avoiding potential confrontations.
So, I preferred to close my eyes and, once again, focus on trying to understand and relive this strange new sixth sense ability I was experiencing. As I mentally shut myself off, I completely lost track of time until I was awakened by Wyatt, who was about to poke me in the side.
I opened my eyes before his finger even touched me, surprising Wyatt. I was about to ask what he wanted when I realized that Lucas had also gotten up, clearly about to give another one of his speeches.
"Well, folks, we made it through our first day," he began, casting a sad glance at Abigail. "Wyatt checked and confirmed that the beasts at least have some fear of fire. However, we're not sure if that's a certainty. I think we should have someone on watch while everyone sleeps. We should do a rotation."
No one objected to the idea of having someone on watch while the others slept. It was decided that two people would be on watch together while the others rested. Since we had an odd number of people available for the rotation, Abigail was excluded. Without making a fuss, I volunteered to stay on watch alone, and no one contested it.
The first shift would be Gabriela and Bruno, the second would be mine, and the third would go to Lucas and Beatrice. I won't lie, I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of Lucas and Beatrice being alone, sitting near a fire under the moonlight. But, let's be honest, a forest full of killer creatures isn't exactly a romantic setting.
After we finished cleaning up what was left of dinner, everyone rushed to sleep a little. Although most of us still had plenty of physical energy left, we were mentally exhausted. I, on the other hand, didn't feel particularly tired, but I knew it would be foolish not to take the chance to rest. It wasn't at all comfortable lying on the hard ground with only my thick cloak to cushion me, but it was all we had.
I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost immediately, which, given the circumstances, was impressive. I have no idea exactly how long I slept—maybe the three hours we agreed on—but I woke up when I felt someone approach me. I opened my eyes instantly, alert, and saw Gabriela let out a small scream, jumping back, startled because I had woken up suddenly just as she was about to call me.
"Shit, you scared me. Were you already awake?" Gabriela whispered as I got up, checking if I still had my bow, quiver full, and knife with me.
"No, I just woke up. How long have I been sleeping? Did anything happen while I was out?" I asked, looking around. It was already late at night, but not as dark as I thought it would be. The moonlight was doing a great job of illuminating the clearing, making it easy to see everything. Or maybe it was my enhanced vision, making everything look brighter. Honestly, I had no way of knowing.
"We've been on watch for just over three hours. We've been using the tutorial countdown to keep track," she replied. "Nothing really happened. Some small animals and what looked like more of those badgers were around the clearing, but they didn't come out of the bushes or get close. I think they were scared of the fire. Or maybe my amazing magic!"
I laughed at her attempt to joke, more out of politeness than actually finding it funny. I could see how tense she was, and she was clearly trying to lighten the mood. She smiled, and together we went to Bruno, who looked more than happy to be relieved from the shift.
The two of them headed straight to where the others were sleeping, wishing me a peaceful watch before lying down. I sat down on the same log where Bruno had been earlier and stared into the dark forest. Let's hope the rest of the night is just as peaceful...
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