Miles put himself in Oshura's shoes, recalling the scene at the time.
His former teacher had pulled him along, cooperating with his family's team on a few hunts, and then suddenly invited him to join.
The most crucial point was that one of the family team members was the teacher's nearly thirty-year-old son, still single, and constantly grinning foolishly at her.
What kind of invitation from hell was this? He was numb.
Miles rubbed his forehead, smiling wryly as he said, "I'm really getting old; I've forgotten all about social etiquette. No wonder she ran off so quickly after I invited that child."
"It's all your fault!" Maksim suddenly glared at Ted, enraged. "Ugly brute! You scared Oshura away!"
Ted felt a bit wronged. He was just worried his fierce appearance would scare people, so he smiled a bit more at Oshura. Who knew it would lead to such a misunderstanding?
"Scared me away from what?"
Gordon was startled by the sudden voice behind him. He suddenly realized that this senior had a knack for appearing and disappearing mysteriously.
The previous topic was rather sensitive, so the few of them all shut their mouths. Oshura didn't pay much attention either; instead, she turned her head, proudly showing them her new helmet, or rather, her new hat.
Unlike Swordsmen who prioritize defensive performance, Archers often need to use the sensitive skin on their faces and necks to sense wind direction and calibrate their shots.
Precisely because of this, the helmets of Archer armor are designed to be lightweight, just like the "King Yian Kut-Ku Face Guard" Oshura was wearing at this moment.
Although it was called a face guard, in reality, only the forehead area had armor protection. The rest looked fluffy, and the tuft of "brightly colored hair" was made into an ornament, hanging on both sides, giving the impression that its decorative purpose outweighed its practical one.
But this was actually a misconception.
The bonus to assisted shooting from Archer armor was far greater than the lost defensive power.
Facing the suddenly appearing Oshura, only Miles remained composed.
Big guy Ted didn't know what he was being shy about, shrinking his neck, while Maksim, a female of similar age, rambled on about irrelevant topics, leaving Oshura utterly confused.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Oshura crossed her arms. She suddenly thought of something unpleasant and glared angrily at Gordon, "You didn't tell them about that, did you, Gordon?!"
Gordon: "..."
Gordon, of course, knew what Oshura was referring to: none other than the embarrassing incident of someone being splattered with the King Yian Kut-Ku's excrement.
He wasn't the type to joke about people behind their backs, so this matter had never spread. But Oshura saying it now was somewhat of a self-incrimination.
Sure enough, the three people at the table, and even the other Hunters attracted by her shouting from the next table, all looked at them with interest.
"What are you talking about?" Gordon gave a look, trying to cover for Oshura again.
Who knew that Zhu Pa, who was being hugged by Maksim and half-drunk from Matatabi wine, suddenly spoke, "You mean~ the incident where I got hit by the pink gorilla's poop, meow?"
The area around the table fell silent, followed by an enthusiastic, almost exaggerated burst of laughter.
Hunters were like that; even trivial matters like being stung by a Vespoid during a hunt could be joked about for a long time, let alone the bombshell Zhu Pa had dropped.
Ted and his sister, who were closer to Oshura, even simultaneously covered their noses and moved two steps away, putting on an exaggerated expression of disgust. Even the steady Miles couldn't help but chuckle a few times.
Oshura's expression immediately collapsed. She buried her face on the table, clutching her head and huddling close to Miles like a Shield Crab retracted into its shell, attempting to block out the teasing from those around her.
Unfortunately, it wasn't very effective.
The usually feisty and bold Oshura showing such a shameful, mortified appearance was a rare sight.
Someone was already leaning in close to her ear, asking strange questions about the color, texture, smell, and quantity of the King Yian Kut-Ku's excrement.
After a long silence, Oshura finally erupted. She grabbed Ted's oversized wine glass and wildly swung it, chasing away all the jeering individuals. Only then did she sit back down, sullen.
She then snatched the culprit, Zhu Pa, from Maksim's hands and kneaded him vigorously, which somewhat helped her vent her anger.
"Indeed, some King Yian Kut-Ku like to throw feces at enemies; it's not a strange thing. You don't need to take it too much to heart." The first to comfort Oshura was actually old Miles.
If anyone else had said this, it would have carried a hint of schadenfreude, but with Miles's serious and slow tone, it somehow gave people the feeling of, "The teacher is lecturing; do you find this very funny?"
Oshura immediately felt that only the old man understood her, and she grumbled, complaining, "Exactly! That stuff splatters, who can dodge it?"
Miles was silent for two seconds, then sighed, "What did I teach you before? When you see a monster make a strange movement, dodge early. The King Yian Kut-Ku's move has a pretty obvious wind-up. Getting hit means you weren't cautious enough."
Oshura: "..."
Damn it, this old man was still as preachy as ever, and the crucial thing was that he was quite right, and she couldn't talk back.
"After hunting so many King Yian Kut-Ku in the past six months, what insights or gains have you made?" Miles, who had served as Oshura's Archer instructor in the Hunter Training Camp, took a sip of tea and continued to ask.
Oshura stiffened.
Here it came, that familiar feeling, that feeling of a teacher checking homework.
Pulling at the corner of her mouth, forcing out a stiff smile, Oshura said with difficulty, "As long as you're familiar with the monster's Attack patterns, using a Light Bowgun at close range is quite satisfying, and the power is great. Just press the muzzle against the monster's weak point, bang bang bang bang..."
Upon hearing this, Miles's face darkened.
There were quite a few Archers who used ranged weapons for close combat; Spread Ammo and Cluster Bombs were invented for these guys.
But this was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous fighting style. One must know that the defensive performance of an Archer's equipment was not comparable to a Swordsman's; there was little room for error. A slight mistake and being hit by a monster could mean death in the Hunting Field.
He had originally expected Oshura to become more stable after these few months of tempering and refinement. Who knew she had become even more reckless?
"What armor are you wearing now, and what Bowgun are you using?" Miles's stern tone made Oshura instinctively sit up straight.
How could Instructor Miles not recognize her armor and weapon models? Impossible. This was clearly the reaction of an instructor facing a misbehaving student!
It felt like she was back in the Hunter Training Camp, the days of being constantly reprimanded.
Oshura stammered for a while, then mumbled, "King Yian Kut-Ku set, monster bird's wrath..."
"Heh, if I remember correctly, the special effect of the King Yian Kut-Ku set is to enhance Normal Ammo, and monster bird's wrath is also a weapon that primarily uses Normal Ammo and Fire Bullet." Miles's tone was cold, and it felt as if a freezing aura permeated the air.
At this, not only Oshura, but the young people at the table also unconsciously sat up straight.
"Mhm mhm, Instructor has such a good memory!" Oshura tried to bluff her way through, but Miles glared her back into place.
"So you *do* know? You dare to fight at close range with a Light Bowgun without a Spread Ammo Bowgun or armor that enhances evasion and stamina? Where's your brain?
Is there a difference in Normal Ammo damage at one meter or ten meters from the monster? Being reckless in the Hunting Field, do you have a death wish?!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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