Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 621 Lara Cavalcanti

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While the crowd was still applauding Max's entry into the TOP 5 rankings, Lara Cavalcanti was focused on her personal concentration. Her experienced eyes scrutinized every detail of the competitors' performances, looking for weaknesses, patterns and opportunities.

As the other competitors advanced, one by one, Lara made a mental note of the small flaws in their techniques. This way, she could practice the movements before she even picked up the bow, and her sharp eye would track the subtle nuances that could make the difference. As she watched, she did everything, picking up valuable insights for herself.

So when Max's turn was over and it was Lara's turn to enter the arena, the crowd quietened down, because Lara was a good team, but not as impressive as Emma or Max themselves.

Despite this, Lara walked nonchalantly to the firing line in front of the semi-transparent screen, her calm expression hiding the intensity boiling in her mind.

There was total silence in the gym as Lara raised her bow, an ideal extension of her body. Ever since she was little, she had practiced this sport, playing with her uncles. She promised them that she would be a professional archer and that she would represent the Brazilian national team. So Lara wanted to show them why she had used so much of her life to practice as much as she could.

Lara's shooting posture was impeccable, and the concentration emanating from her was like a vivid aura. Some people's eyes sparkled as they looked at her, without being able to say why.

Lara took an arrow from her quiver and fitted it to the string. Then she closed her eyes for a moment, visualizing each movement in her mind. She felt the rhythmic breathing, the beat of her heart, the connection between her body and the arrow. When she opened her eyes again, all she could see was the target in the middle of a black world.

The crowd watched with racing hearts and, when Lara released the bowstring, the arrow flew with speed, cutting through the air and going very high. Everyone thought she had put too much force into it and that it wouldn't be enough, but suddenly the sound of the target being hit rang out and part of the audience sighed in surprise while the other was confused.

The first target was intact. What exactly had happened? Was it a bug?

A murmur spread among the spectators, and a smile of satisfaction curved Lara's lips when the screens showed that the last target, of all the five targets that were on top of the pillars and the furthest one, was destroyed.

The audience immediately began to applaud her feat, and Emma let out a brief smile, knowing that this was only the beginning.

Lara still had four shots left and now that the pressure was off, because hitting one arrow was enough to put her in the TOP 5, she just needed to improve her score now, so as not to depend on a combination of favorable results to go through to the grand final.

So she pulled the second arrow from her quiver, her mind focused and unwavering. Lara felt the lightness of the arrow under her fingers, the curve of the string molding to her hand and the energy pulsing through her body, the adrenaline. Lara knew that she possessed the skill, technique and passion needed to perform this test to perfection, just like Emma, and she was determined to prove it to everyone.

His eyes fixed on the second target, calculating the distance and the wind as natural extensions of his senses. She breathed in deeply, feeling connected to the air around her. She blocked out all distractions, focusing her attention on the task ahead.

This time, Lara kept her eyes open, staring at the target with a gaze as penetrating as that of an eagle about to dive on its prey.

The crowd fell silent once again, full of anticipation, as Lara raised her bow with confidence. The tension of the string, the solidity of her stance and the determination burning inside her were palpable to all the thousands of people in that gymnasium. And then, with a fluid, controlled movement, Lara released the arrow. The arrow sliced through the air towards the target, drawing a precise trajectory in mid-air and using gravity and the wind of her breaths to her advantage, the arrow hit the fourth target.

The loud sound resounded at that moment, but it seems that the sound of the impact itself echoed when the arrow hit the center of the target.

The crowd erupted in cheers, gazes full of admiration. Lara's expression of confidence was confirmed, and a wave of emotions washed over her as she absorbed the recognition.

People who had been able to feel Lara's aura before began to feel goosebumps as they gazed into Lara's yellow eyes, which were focused on the big screens in the gym. Lara's beauty was surreal, commensurate with her impressive and astonishing skill.

The competition was far from over, but Lara understood the importance of this moment, because she wanted to become a professional archer, so she allowed herself to enjoy the audience's ovation for a moment. They had never witnessed such a natural and smooth ability to hit the targets, even more so in reverse order, and Lara wasn't the kind of athlete who made her movements look absurd, because they were simple, ordinary movements. It was exactly this type of athlete who inspired many people to take up sport, athletes who showed that dedication, focus and time were the best companions for someone who wanted to get somewhere.

As Lara prepared for her next shot, she felt a presence watching her. However, she didn't look at anyone around her, because she already knew who it was.

Andrew was there, with a genuine smile on his lips, his gaze carrying respect. "She's the best." He whispered to her.

Lara smiled in response, feeling her friend's support. So she took the third arrow from the quiver. Lara knew there was a lot ahead of her, many targets to hit and obstacles to overcome. However, in that instant, she was exactly where she wanted to be - in the center of an arena, bow in hand, the world watching and the horizon of her destiny stretching out before her.