Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 135: Barbarian Ring

The passage leading to the next ring was a rough tunnel carved into the earth. It was bereft of sound. A single torch illuminated the darkness, creating a small bubble of light that spiraled every downward, with no end in sight.

Jack held the torch and swung it left and right, looking for dangers or hidden passages. After the first few minutes, he got bored.

Show me the staff again, Brock, he said, his voice echoing oddly in the seemingly infinite tunnel. Brock handed it over. The moment Jack grabbed the staff, he once again appreciated how handy it felt. It had the perfect weight and form to swing around; the perfect toy to any child, or the perfect weapon to any staff-wielding warrior. Brother Tao back on Earth would love it.

That it felt perfectly acclimated to Jacks current strength was impressive, given he was fifty times stronger than the average pre-System human. However, after reading the items description, he knew that it wasnt as simple as it seemed.

Staff of Stone, Life Weapon (D-Grade)

An Ancient weapon that utilizes the Dao of Density to adjust its weight, matching the wielders strength perfectly. Its max density is suitable for anyone with up to 1000 attribute points in Strength.

Carved and enchanted by Bozdom the Crafty.

Jack didnt know what a life weapon was, but it sounded awfully convenient. With how quickly peoples strength rose in the System, a cultivator would need to change weapons every few levels to maintain their peak fighting strength, which sounded like a massive pain in the ass. Only a weapon that could adjust to its user, like this Staff of Stone, could accompany someone for a long timemaybe even their entire lives. Perhaps this was why it was called a life weapon.

Thankfully, Jack didnt use weapons, so he never had to consider this. But it did make him wonder. Were life weapons common? If so, why had he never heard about them before?

Brock made a small sound. Jack snapped out of his thoughts, handing him back the staff. The brorilla cheered and spun it in a circle.

My little bro got a weapon Jack thought. How time flies. It feels like yesterday that he was sitting on my shoulder and trying to lift dumbbells.

It was a good weapon. Hopefully, it would help Brock get stronger quickly Though Jack did worry. His own strength would rise tremendously in the near future, but Brock wasnt in the System. He couldnt level up. His current strength came simply from training and growing up, but he was bound to hit a ceiling soon.

Then, what would happen? Could Brock still follow him, weak as he would be? Or would it be too dangerous?

Jack shook his head, chasing those thoughts away. They werent pleasant, so he would consider them when the time came, not sooner. Why burden himself for no reason?

Instead, he sent his thoughts in a different direction. They had just finished crossing the second ringthe first ring was the ruined surfaceand his gains had been nothing short of tremendous.

Name: Jack Rust

Species: Human, Earth-387

Faction: Bare Fist Brotherhood (E)

Grade: E

Class: Fiend of the Iron Fist (Elite)

Level: 64

Strength: 240

Dexterity: 240

Constitution: 240

Mental: 30

Will: 30

Skills: Iron Fiend Body (II), Ghost Step (I)

Dao Skills: Meteor Punch (II), Iron Fist Style (I), Brutalizing Aura (I)

Daos: Perfect Dao Seed of the Fist (early), Dao Root of Indomitable Will, Dao Root of Power

Titles: Planetary Frontrunner (10), Planetary Torchbearer (1)

He had risen by thirteen levels, reaching level 64. He had forged a new Dao Root, the Dao Root of Power. He had developed Brutalizing Aura, a new Dao Skill. And Brock had found a life weapon for himself.

That progress was vastly greater than everything Jack had achieved since breaking through to the E-Grade two weeks ago. And he had only spent one day at the second ring. There were seven of them remaining.

Just how strong will Trial Planet make me? he couldnt help but wonder.

As more time passed, his thoughts lost discipline. He let them roam free, jumping from one subject to the next to restore his mental energy. He remembered incidents from before and after the Integration. He wondered how his friends on Earth were doinghed never found time to visit them. He hoped the professor, at least, was okay, and that Sparman was holding the fort in Forest of the Strong.

The minutes bled into each other. Jack and Brock were running at superhuman speeds by now, eager to reach the next ring, but the tunnel seemed never-ending. They also didnt have a clockhed left his mobile phone in his house in Integration City.

After what felt like hours, they began to sense a change. The stuffy air of the tunnel warmed up. It was imperceptible at first, but the feeling grew as they headed down.

We must be close! Jack said, speeding up. Brock cheered and followed.

However, the tunnel kept going. The air was warm now, and it was also humid, making Jacks hair stick to his head. What is this? he asked. Is the next level a sauna?

It wasnt a sauna. Just as he thought the heat and humidity were getting seriously annoying, light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

They burst out into a lush jungle. Light blinded them. Wha Jack said, squinting and looking around. He had never been to a tropical rainforest, but they probably looked like this.

Trees rose sparsely around them, tall and sleek. Bushes were everywhere. Branches, sticks, and wide leaves blocked the visibility. However, the vegetation here wasnt gigantic, like in the previous ring. It felt normal-sized.

Animal cries filled his ears, coming from everywhere. There were chirps, roars, squeaks, and many other sounds he couldnt quite name. The air was hot and humid, and looking up, Jack saw that the ceiling was closer than in the previous ring, and the sunlight mushrooms were much more densely planted. Perhaps this explained the heat.

However, Jack couldnt shake the feeling that something was wrong. Everything felt slightly off. The roars he heard did not come from lions; they were harsher. The chirps were not by birds he knew. He saw a few of them flying far overhead. They sported bright colors, with long tails and bony wings. They reminded him of colorful, show-offish bats.

The vegetation was also wrong. He recognized some of it, but not all. He saw a slim, tall tree with thin, yellow leaves that drooped downward. They glistened with moisture. He also spotted a bush that seemed ancient, like something hed see in animated documentaries. Come to think of it, many things felt ancient here.

It cant be, he thought, eyes gradually widening.

He looked behind him, where a wide brown column stretched all the way to the cave ceilingas impossibly high as in the previous ring. A new sky. He looked in front, where vegetation blocked his way. It wasnt too dense, however, easily letting them pass. Even large animals could walk around without a problem.

Suddenly, a screen popped in his face.

Congratulations! For descending past the second ring of Trial Planet, you are awarded the Title: Second Ring Conqueror. Trial Planet Quest Interface unlocked.

Second Ring Conqueror: A title awarded to those who made it past Trial Planets second ring. Efficacy of all stats +10%.

Woah! Jack said, looking at the screen. Hed almost forgotten about this. So these titles come as soon as I complete each ring, not at the end Interesting. 10% is a lot, though. Its as much as my Planetary Frontrunner (10) title. I can see why Trial Planet tokens are so valuable.

He could already feel his body tightening, his muscles growing stronger, his eyes sharper, his reflexes faster. Ten percent was no small deal. Coupled with his previous titles, he now had an extra 35% efficacy in all stats. That was pretty massive.

Hmm. But whats that interface thing? System?

The Trial Planet Quest Interface details the achievements needed to acquire each rings title.

Okay. So, just going through isnt enough?

No response.

What is this rings quest?

Yes response.

Barbarian Ring Quest:

• Defeat an opponent of Level 115 or above in a team of at most three individuals.

• Make your way to the Village Ring.

Ohh An actual quest. Not too complicated, but it might be hard. Can I even take down a Level 115 enemy? Probably not. And does Brock count as an individual?

He looked at the brorilla, who was still toying with his new staff. He tried to spin it behind his back, dropped it, and gave a sad monkey cry.

Probably yes.

Well, theres no time limit. I can fight whatever is on this ring, level up, and somehow defeat a Level 115 enemy But I must hurry. There could be more strong cultivators here, or peak E-Grad monsters out for me.

He looked around, finding nothing. This changed his plan a bithe couldnt simply rush to the Village Ring to find Gan Salinbut he could adapt. He simply had to increase his leveling speed.

Hmm. I wonder if there will be more complicated quests in the next rings.

Eventually, he shrugged, filing the information away for now and focusing on the present. Brock, who had watched Jacks interaction with great confusion, tapped him on the shoulder with his new staff. Jack turned around, remembering where he was and what he might discover here. As he looked at Brock, his gaze was filled with excitement.

Lets go! he said.

Yes, Brock agreed.

They stepped into the jungle. The heat wasnt as terrible as Jack had originally imagined; it was simply the moisture worsening the feeling. The animal sounds around them intensified, coupled with the occasional shifting of leaves and rustling inside bushes. Brock looked around, on full alert. He was walking at the front so Jack could keep an eye out and protect him if need be. There was no guarantee the enemies here would prioritize Jack as the insects had done.

However, no animal showed itself. The bushes slowly opened up, revealing a more expansive path that led into a clearing. A large creature waited there, spotting them as they spotted it.

It stood on two claw-tipped legs, using its long, thick tail as a counterweight. It reached around nine feet in height and twelve in length, with short arms that ended in sharp talons. Most importantly, it had a large mouth bursting with needle-like teeth. It roared as it caught sight of them.

Jacks mouth opened wide in childlike wonder.

Allosaurus, Level 84

A carnivorous dinosaur boasting great speed and ferocity. Allosauruses infest the subtropical biomes of many planets, hunting large prey. While not particularly social, different allosauruses often feed on the same corpse that one of them, or some larger predator, killed.

This particular specimen is juvenile.

A dinosaur! Jack exclaimed, unable to help himself.

The dinosaur wasnt as happy to see him. It opened its mouth terribly wide, like a snake unhinging its jaw, and charged at them. The jungle parted in its wakethe sparse vegetation wasnt much of an obstacle.

The danger snapped Jack out of his wonder. Suddenly, he realized they were charged by a level 84 predator. The thought of fighting a dinosaur lit him on fire. He clenched his fist.

Stand back, Brock, he said, stepping forward to meet the allosaurus. It roared. He roared back.

A shape darted out of the jungle. An arrowhead glinted in the mushroom light before impaling the allosaurus, piercing into its large throat from the side. Its eyes bulged. With the thick, wooden arrow still stuck inside it, the dinosaur slowed down before toppling to the side, convulsing on the ground as it quickly bled out.

Jack was caught off-guard. He eyed the new arrival.

A woman stood there, gazing back at him. A longbow was in her hands, while two quivers hung from her back. Her skin was pale, standing out in the bright jungle, and she only wore fur strips around her private areas and chest, revealing a highly toned body. Her features were slim, her hair was blond and done in a ponytail. Her eyes were blue pools of suspicion as she gazed at Jack.

Human (Trial Planet), Level 99

Faction: -

Title: Direct Descendant

He gaped at her, who had just killed a large dinosaur in one blow.

She frowned. What are you looking at, delver?