Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Congratulations! Level 20 reached. New Class Skill acquired.

Pugilist Body (I): Your body is a vessel of your fighting style. You gain extra flexibility, reflexes, and durability, as well as increased hardness on your knuckles.

Ohh! Jack’s eyes flashed as he read through the skill. A harder body…and finally, hard knuckles.

While he’d gotten the skill right after defeating the rock bear, it seemed that reading about it acted as the activation trigger. As soon as Jack was finished reading, his body squirmed entirely.

It was a disturbing, unnatural feeling. His skin tightened, then somehow stayed there and felt normal. His insides were clenched, but it only felt as if he’d been way too lax until now, and this was his normal state. Moreover, his knuckles burned for a moment, and when he tapped them, the skin felt hard like iron.

He grinned. Finally.

With all changes completed, Jack reviewed his status screen before falling asleep.

Name: Jack Rust

Species: Human, Earth-387

Faction: -

Grade: F

Class: Pugilist (Elite)

Level: 22

Strength: 54

Dexterity: 64

Constitution: 54

Mental: 9

Will: 7

Skills: Fist Fighting (II), Drill (I), Pugilist Body (I)

***

Come morning, Jack awoke to the glowing darkness he was used to. The sunlight didn’t reach his cave, meaning it was always illuminated by the ice pond’s white glow. Nothing changed here; it was an entirely isolated world.

Jack rubbed his eyes and stood, noting the ease with which he pulled up his body. He felt light as a feather and strong as an ox.

After taking a moment to go over yesterday’s events, making sure he wasn’t forgetting anything, he directed his gaze to he ice pond. He calculated.

With his five new Levels—seven, actually, because he hadn’t attempted the pond in a while—he could probably go fairly deeper than he used to. When he last entered, he’d reached the ninth out of thirteen steps. If his predictions were correct…he could now touch the waterfall.

He looked over. A stream of ice-cold, glowing water fell from a crack in the cave wall, dropping three meters to the pond’s surface. Despite the pond’s small size, the waterfall was substantial. As it fell, it fanned out, and it came crashing down into the waters.

This ice pond had saved Jack’s life many times, both with its healing and the extra stats it provided. It was his lucky star.

However, he feared it. Its freezing cold could reach the soul, and he’d almost died inside it once. Moreover, it was full of mysteries. Where did the water come from? Where did it go? There had to be a tunnel feeding the waterfall’s output into an underwater current, but how, exactly, did this work?

And, finally, what would happen when Jack reached the waterfall? His instinct told him it hid great rewards, along with great danger. The moment he touched it, the cold could skyrocket, and if he was already at his limit, he’d be frozen solid.

He’d still go for it, of course; he didn’t have the luxury of waiting. However, it needed him at his best, and that made Jack turn away from the pond for now.

“In a few hours,” he declared behind his back, “I’ll return to defeat you.”

He then left his cave.

As he went over yesterday’s events, he’d realized something, and he even brought up the dungeon description to be sure.

Forest of the Strong (F-Grade)

A forest where only the strong survive. There are three monster groups, each holding a unique resource and representing a unique challenge. Slay the leader of a group to despawn them.

This dungeon is in conquer-or-die mode. Defeat the Dungeon Boss to exit or die trying. We applaud your bravery for entering and wish you the best of luck.

Three monsters groups, each holding a unique resource. Then, where was the bear resource?

The goblins had the High Speed Bush. The bears had to have something similar, he’d just missed it due to the heated battle. Now, he would search.

Jack crossed the forest carefreely, moving at a brisk pace. He didn’t care much about stealth anymore; he didn’t need to. With his all-around upgrades, he felt confident that the only creatures that could threaten him now were the black wolf, which was stealthier than him anyway, and the monkey boss, which shouldn’t leave its area.

Even the Level 20 earth bear would barely be a serious opponent.

It was a touching thought. The Greenway natural reserve—the Forest of the Strong—once held terrifying monsters at every turn, and even the weakest link could eat Jack alive. Now, he was almost the apex predator, and only the strongest were his opponents. How far he’d come.

Jack crossed the forest at a brisk pace. Less than an hour later, he stood by the rock bear’s corpse. It had been eaten in places, probably by other bears, and it looked like shit, but Jack still paused for a moment.

This bear had been his greatest opponent so far, the one who’d brought him closest to death. They’d fought with their lives on the line, and there was a camaraderie born of that, an acknowledgment—even if it was a man-eating monster.

Jack nodded deeply at the bear, then carried on.

The clearing opened before him soon after. This was his destination; it had been the rock bear’s den, and any secret resource had the highest chance of hiding here.

This clearing had a clean pond in its midst, larger than Jack’s but without the frigid cold, and a rock outcropping over it. An earth bear currently sat on that rock outcropping, having already assumed the pack’s leadership.

Earth Bear, Level 20

Bears are omnivorous creatures that stand at the apex of most food chains. Earth bears, in particular, are a stronger, highly territorial variant. They can use very limited earth magic, and the rocky parts of their fur can be used to craft F-Grade weapons and armor.

Earth Bears are most commonly found in the Ursus Forests of planet Ursi.

Jack didn’t give a flying fuck. He walked out of the bushes and met the bear’s surprised stare with his own, calm one. This earth bear was the largest he’d seen, but so what? He could take it if need be.

The bear stared him down and growled, revealing its teeth. Jack smashed his fists together, producing an almost metallic sound from his knuckles. “Fuck off,” he commanded. His intention was clear: he wanted this clearing.

Surprisingly, the bear hesitated. It could have been his confidence, or they may have had a way to sense when they were facing higher leveled beings. Maybe the bear even smelled the rock bear on him or had spied on the battle from afar and knew he’d been the one to kill it.

Whatever the case, facing Jack’s steely stare, the earth bear slowly retreated. Under warning growls, it became one with the overgrowth, then disappeared.

Jack, meanwhile, raised a brow. He didn’t expect this to work.

Huh. Well, better for me.

A single bear wouldn’t give him a Level now. It was more useful as wolf meal.

He then turned his gaze to the clearing and the pond in its center. This scenery was too striking to be coincidental. He suspected the resource had something to do with the pond, maybe a plant at its bottom or even a cave under the rock outcropping.

As he thought that, and as he gazed at the pond inquisitively, Jack barked out a laugh. I should have known!

Clear Pond (F-Grade)

Clear Ponds are naturally-occuring formations spread around the universe and often used as parts of resorts. Anyone who relaxes in these waters will find serenity, their body will loosen completely, and their potential will emerge, making the entire body sturdier.

The stat increase is a one-time bonus.

Jack grinned at the screen, then at the pond. Some relaxation was exactly what he needed right now. Without removing his clothes—he only wore pants—he dipped his toes into the pond and was floored.

The temperature was ideal, the water so soft it hugged his pores. This was completely unlike the ice pond’s brutal test. This was heaven.

Jack quickly entered the waters, submerging his entire body. The pond was shaped like a shallow bowl with a diameter of twenty feet. At its center, the water was barely over Jack’s head, and its shore was smooth and easy to rest on.

It was this shore that Jack leaned against, letting his head fall back and closing his eyes. A week of incessant fighting poured off his body like grime, dissolving in the waters. In just a moment, he felt free as a baby. The next moment, he relaxed further, slipping slightly deeper into the pond and feeling as if his body would dissipate entirely, or that his limbs might float away without him noticing.

The feeling was beyond euphoric. It was the single best thing Jack had felt in his life, and he unconsciously released a long, drawn-out, heartfelt groan of ultimate serenity.

Everything was worth it for this moment.

Despite its extraordinary effects, the pond had no addictive properties, not a hint of mind control. It was just damn good.

Jack couldn’t help himself; he knew he deserved it. He stayed in the pond for an hour before finally pulling himself away, rising as a new man. His mind was calm, his spirit steady, and his body elastic without losing any of its hardness.

Clear Pond bonus acquired!

Strength: 54

Dexterity: 64

Constitution: 64

He smiled. His Constitution had increased by ten.

Going by this pattern, the monkeys should have a strength-boosting resource… That would explain why they’re so buff.

Jack’s path was clear. He would go to the monkeys, get a few Levels off them, defeat their boss, then use the strength-boosting resource. Then…he’d find a way to deal with the wolf.

What could go wrong?

However, before that, there was one more thing to do. After serenity came endless torment. He’d enjoyed the clear pond; now, it was time to see the end of the ice pond.

***

Jack faced the ice pond, staring it down like a warrior. The pond ignored him, as ponds ought to do.

He took a deep breath, then stepped in. The first step seemed refreshing now. The next few were only somewhat chilling.

Jack remembered the times when just dipping his toes into this pond was harrowing. He shook his head and kept going. The fifth step, the sixth. The familiar cold bit into his body but found no purchase. The seventh, the eight. His legs were shivering now; it reminded him of swimming in March.

The ninth. This was his previous limit. The pond was deepening, too; by this point, it reached his waist, and the cold held his lower body like a vice. It was hard, yes; but he could go on. This was nowhere near his limit.

The tenth step. His legs went numb.

Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

The eleventh step. The temperature was dropping exponentially as he approached the waterfall. There was no way this was anywhere close to freezing point—far below it—but the water here didn’t seem to care.

Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

The twelfth step. The cold raced through his body and into his head, trying to freeze his thoughts. The waterfall was very close now, and drops of liquid ice splashed him occasionally, speaking of temperatures far below the current ones. Moving was difficult, but Jack could still go on.

Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

The thirteenth step was the hardest. Jack could sense himself turning into ice. His legs were cranky, his body hard to move. The waterfall splashed right before him, showering him in icy droplets. Even breathing was difficult, but Jack persisted.

Ice Pond bonus: +1 Physical

Finally! Jack had crossed the entire ice pond! Only the waterfall was left, but he was already very close to his limit. If he went any further and the difficulty spiked, as he imagined, he might be in danger…

But he’d already come this far. He couldn’t retreat now. He put a hand through the waterfall and gasped. It was so terrifyingly cold…but he could stand it, for a bit. Probably.

Jack took a deep breath and plunged into the waterfall.