Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 106: A Crescendo of Violence

Jack ducked under a strike, then pivoted and smashed out his own. Rufus took it to the chest and whimpered, but his elbow came crashing down on Jacks head, whose hair were now wet with blood. Jack barely pulled himself aside to evade the strike, right into a knee that crunched his nose further. He endured the pain to plant his iron knuckles in Rufuss eyes.

Every hit was brutal and meant to kill. They fought like rabid beasts, neither backing down an inch.

The merchants had fallen silent. By now, more people had shown up around the plaza, and even the immortals had arrived, riding on their cloud. They watched as two supreme geniuses engaged in a battle that only one of them could win. The other would be broken forever.

Jack and Rufus traded blow for blow. They were no longer bothering with defense; both bled from many places, and they sported various injuries. Jacks bare chest was covered in cuts and bruises, while Rufuss chain mail had been broken. His once pristine golden mane was now marred with blood.

The only part of Jack that remained unhurt was his knuckles, which he rammed into Rufus with every opportunity. Rufus snarled back and growled, sending phantom paws into Jacks body, each with the power to destroy buildings.

Jacks mind was in a state of serenity. He was wholly invested in the battle. Nothing else existed. He knew that this was the strongest he could get. His soul simply had nothing else to give.

And he could feel that it wasnt enough. Rufus was stronger and more durable, just by a tiny bit, but enough to reign supreme. Despite Jacks advancements over and over again, it still wasnt enough.

But he fought regardless. Fleeing was no longer in his mind. It was no longer strategic, just cowardly. In this battle, he would triumph or die trying.

His limbs were losing strength. His arms were heavy, laden with lead. His breath was shallow, his lungs cramping up. His legs buckled, barely keeping him upright.

He hadnt felt like this in a long time. Ever since he beat the black wolf, no battle had truly pushed him to the limit, scraped him dry of potential. He felt ready to quit.

But Jack had been forged in that dungeon. Back then, this state was normal, an everyday occurrence, and he regularly pushed past his limits. Now, everything returned at once. The man retreated to let the beast out. Jack was back in the dungeon.

He faced the first goblin. He remembered how he walked through fire to destroy the goblin shaman. How he fought the rock bear to the point where he fainted mid-swing. How he challenged Harambe, how the ice pond made him want to die in pain, and how everything in him screamed not to touch the waterfall but he did it anyway.

Those memories werent gone. They were inside him, hiding just below the surface. They were his past, his true birth.

This was the true Jack Rust.

And once again, he was there. He was trapped and desperate with no way out. But no matter how death loomed, he refused to give up. No matter how heavy his limbs got, Jack kept punching, over and over again. It didnt matter that his attacks no longer connected, that his Dao was running dry, that Rufus clearly had more to give. He refused to slow down or cower. He would go down swinging.

And then, as if a miracle, his fist landed on Rufuss face.

***

To the people watching, Jack had lost all sanity. He was bleeding from head to toe. Bones cracked with every hit he received. He should have fallen long ago.

But he still stood. His fists were iron; his form planted terror in the minds of everyone who saw him. He was not a man, but a beast; a fiend. People scrambled to get away, intimidated by Jacks visage. Others held their mouths open, unable to believe what they saw. Beyond terror, some people had eyes filled with respect.

This man was the hero of Earth. His shoulders carried their honor, and though he was weaker than his opponent, he simply refused to fall. This image, where Jack was covered in blood and pain but still fighting, would forever remain engraved in everyones memories.

On the other hand, Rufuss eyes were filled with horror. Just die already! he shouted, though Jack couldnt hear him. His paws landed cleanly. He could feel the bones cracking under Jacks skin, he could feel the impact he delivered.

But Jack simply refused to fall. To Rufus, it was like facing a monsterand he was running out of power. His limbs were heavy from striking. His Dao was running dry. He was close to the end of the line, too.

And, for the first time in this fight, he wondered, What if I fall first?

He had never considered the possibility of defeat before. Of death. Rufus had not been forged in a dungeon, he had never been forced to pit his life against another. He hadnt experienced the things that made Jack a monster. He had been raised as a prince, and he had only been sent here to squash some backward natives who could never stand up to him.

Rufus had never truly fought for his life before. Even if some battles had seemed dangerous, he knew they never were. There was always an immortal waiting to save him if things went wrong. Except now, there wasnt. His aunt might not openly violate the Star Pact for him.

And as the possibility of death loomed over himhe flinched. He felt fear. His Dao weakened like chalk in the rain, shivering in doubt.

Jacks fist met his face, sending him flying back. Rufus was stronger, but he was not a true warrior.

Jack was.

Rufus flew back, turning to land on his feet, but Jack was already there. A meteor smashed into his abdomen, making him buckle. Another hit his face, bending him backward, and then Jack jumped and planted a third meteor into his chest, nailing Rufuss back against the floor.

Rufus spat out blood.

This was too fast, too sudden. He only gave Jack one opening, but Jack grabbed it and didnt let go.

When Rufus had the upper hand, he had stood and gloated. When Jack got it, he simply never stopped. He showed no mercy, no hesitation, he didnt give Rufus the slightest opportunity to recover. He was a hardened warrior, and this was a fight to the death. This realization dawned on Rufus for the first time. It was his fault.

His Dao cracked down the middle.

***

Jack hovered two feet above Rufus, who had just been nailed to the floor. He sensed something in his opponent give in, something in his soul break. He didnt pause. This was battle, and there was only victory or death.

Though Rufus had dropped his defenses, Jack prepared a meteor and struck down. It met Rufuss chest, digging him deeper into the ground. White marble chips whipped up. Jack struck again. He hit Rufus in the head, the chest, the abdomen, the legs.

One meteor followed another until they became a fierce rain. Jack could no longer feel his arms, but he knew he had to keep punching. He screamed until he tore his throat, but his arms never stopped. Purple lit up the white plaza, and it kept going, faster and faster.

The impacts of his Meteor Punches kept him afloat over his opponent, counteracting gravity. Rufus had stopped defending, but the meteors kept falling. A dozen blows, two dozens. They shoved him deep in the marble, burying him under a rain of violence.

Jack realized Rufus had lost consciousness. He could stop attacking; he had won. But if he did stop, Rufus would recover. He would return to kill Jack, his people, and his allies. Jack couldnt let that happen.

He would kill Rufus Emberheart. Right here, right now.

He accelerated further, screaming out his soul. The people around them only saw a flurry of meteors slam down, shaking the entire island. Slowly, they realized what was happening. Their faces went pale as they ran away.

Stop! a shout came from the skies. The planetary overseer had realized Jacks resolve a beat too late, but she still had time to save Rufus. Her Dao came crashing down.

Wait! a second voice thundered. Master Shol appeared in the sky above Jack, arms spread apart. His Dao poured out until his form was so transparent it was barely visible.

The lionesss Dao tore through his. It drowned his spectral body, ripping it apart in an instant.

Hold! a third voice came as another figure appeared to block her Dao. It was the ascetic of Barren High, and though he didnt release his Dao, his gaze was aimed deep into her eyes. In the name of Barren High, stop!

The lioness gritted her teeth. Her Dao screeched to a halt just before his face like a storm of daggers, but every second was precious.

What are you doing? she roared, unleashing her full majesty. This wasnt part of the deal! Get out of the way!

I cannot do that, the ascetic replied, not moving an inch. The lionesss eyes widened like saucers. She had to save Rufus; but no matter what, she could not afford to offend the Barren High.

She was forced to watch helplessly as Jack pulverized her nephew before her very eyes. She engraved this memory deep into her heart. In her long life, she had never been so humiliated.

Jack smashed down Meteor Punch after Meteor Punch. He could sense Rufuss body giving in, his bones breaking, his skull caving, his organs puncturing and breaking apart.

He kept going, using everything he had to make sure Rufus never stood up again. The meteors kept falling. This was the strongest attack he had ever unleashed. Meteor Shower! he screamed. It wasnt a Skill; it was just the name that bubbled out of him. He screamed again, this time incoherently.

There was beauty in his violence. Each meteor had a purple tail filled with tiny stars, making his meteor shower a lightshow second to none. It was like fireworks aimed at the ground and filling the sky with their splendor; it almost made the watchers forget that there was someone buried under the meteors.

Even Dao-infused bodies had their limits.

Jack ran out of steam. Rufus was an unrecognizable puddle of blood and grime buried deep into the marble. Even his chain mail had been ground down to nothing.

Jack had obliterated a favored scion of the Animal Kingdom. Publicly. In front of the entire planet. This was a slap to the face unlike any other, and even the planetary overseer had been forced to watch.

He collapsed to the ground next to the large crater hed made, completely spent. Maintaining consciousness was the most he could do, laying face-up on the marble.

For a moment, everyone watched mutedly. Then, a lone figure pushed its way through the crowd. It was bleeding and panting, heavily injured, but its hand was topped by four wolverine-like claws.

Hey bud, Gan Salin said, approaching Jack. Nice fight. I wish I didnt have to kill you. But I do. So, yeah, goodbye.

He was so hurt that his movements were slow and weak, but Jack couldnt even move. All he could do was watch as the claws came for his throat

and a brown shape flew in out of nowhere, slapping them off-course.

What? Gan Salin exclaimed, looking to the side. Coincidentally, that was where Jacks eyes were directed, too.

He saw a pack of dogs emerge from the alleys, running full-tilt. There were dozens of them. And at the very front, riding a black dog larger than any other, was Brock, holding another piece of poop and hurtling it at Gan Salin.

Wha Salin jumped back to defend, but by then, the dogs had reached him. They growled and snarled as they jumped on him. Ordinarily, he could have easily cut this pack apart, but he was currently heavily injured.

Whaaa! he shouted, raising his hands and struggling to defend against the dogs. One jumped and chomped down on his forearm. Another got his leg. The teeth of dogs shouldnt have been able to pierce his body, but somehow, they managed.

The dogs ignored Jack, who simply watched from the ground. He noticed they all seemedmuscular, for lack of a better word.

I must be dreaming, he concluded.

Brock arrived then. He jumped off his dog, flew over the pack, and punched Gan Salin in the cheek with all his power, sending the canine on the floor, where the dogs piled on him.

Shoo, shoo! The smarter merchants were already rushing over, trying to kick the dogs away. They could never have saved Rufus Emberheart, but if they simply watched a heavily injured scion get torn apart by a pack of wild dogs, they would be summarily executed!

Jack didnt watch that little fight. Two strong arms grabbed him under the shoulders. Brock slinged him on his back like a sack of potatoes and ran through the plaza. Jack wanted to tell him to go to the teleporter, but he couldnt even open his mouth.

Through the crowd, he thought he saw the Sage winking.

Happy travels, my friend, the Sages voice rang inside his head. We will meet again soon.

Jack tried to respond. He already owed the Sage so much. Thank you he thought back.

No need! the Sages voice rang again, oddly cheery. If you want to thank anyone, thank the Black Hole Church! And remember your favors!

Before Jack could consider the implications of those words, Brock slammed a door open, and they were inside a building. The walls were dark and with painted stars like the night sky. Brock carried him inside a column of cyan light.

Jack could barely think anymore. System, hide my Titles he managed to order, taking a final precaution.

He then watched as Brock squinted, probably at a System screen detailing several destinations. Finally, the brorilla made an annoyed face and jammed a finger into the air, picking a choice at random.

Thats now how you Jack thought. In the next moment, the room around him disappeared, and he was hurtling through space. Rivers of stars filled his vision. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seenand it was filled with the promise of adventure.

He was in the galaxy.