Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

“John Brown and the Dao of Spanking versus Brother Tao and the Dao of the Staff!”

The announcer’s voice had just finished ringing, but both fighters were already on the sand. There were three more pairs fighting, but of course, but few people paid them any mind.

“I have long yearned to face you in combat, brother John,” Tao said. He was a bald Tibetan monk with orange robes, clear eyes, and a black metal staff held steady in his hands. So far, he hadn’t suffered a single defeat.

Human (Earth-387), Level 39

Faction: -

Title: Planetary Frontrunner (100)

Almost everyone remaining had that title.

“The pleasure is mine, brother Tao,” Jack replied with a nod. “My Dao shines best not on mindless brutes or pretty girls, but on warriors such as yourself. Please do not be alarmed by its appearance; spanking is as noble as every Dao, and not at all a disgrace.”

“I would never think that. I understand that every weapon has a spirit, even those that on first glance seem dull or lacking.” He span his staff once, so fast it caused a gale. He then pointed it at Jack, one hand holding it from the front and the other from the back. As he stood on the sand barefoot, steady like a tree and with eyes clear like a mountain lake, he truly seemed like a fearsome opponent.

“I did not enjoy being the executioner in previous rounds, but alas, my monastery needs me,” he continued. “Will you give me a good battle, brother John?”

“Absolutely, brother Tao. I feel the same.”

Though he spanked people, Jack wasn’t a mean person. When his opponents were respectful, like now, he returned that respect in full. He only mocked those who mocked him first.

“Then, here I come,” Tao said, exploding into motion. He closed the distance in three steps and brought his staff down on Jack.

In Jack’s eyes, this Tao was a true warrior. His entire body was riddled with hard, wiry muscles, and though he didn’t seem muscular, he could have easily beaten most pre-System humans into submission. Tibetan monks spent most of their lives training their body and martial arts, and Tao was no exception.

The staff fell like a rock, then slithered like a snake. Its momentum span as Tao turned his body, coming at Jack from the right. He had no choice but to block with the bottom of his flip-flop, absorbing the strike but sliding backward on the sand. His forearm hurt.

Jack grinned. Finally.

He then charged, slapping his flip-flop against the air. Tao stepped back, rotating his staff to defend. His skills were undeniable. As he turned the staff around his body, one end was always where the flip-flop would strike. Jack could only keep up because of his weapon’s lightness. His strikes fell like the rain, but Tao blocked them all.

His defense was like a mountain, and he definitely had several body-augmenting and defense-augmenting skills. It would take more than brute force to overpower him.

Flip-flop and staff clashed a dozen times in the blink of an eye before Jack jumped back. He rushed to the left, then planted his foot in the sand and changed directions, trying to throw Tao off. He failed. The staff was already waiting, and Jack took a blow to the shoulder as he flew backward, somersaulted in the air, and landed on his feet.

“Ouch,” he said.

“I have trained for my entire life, brother John,” Tao said, still as clear-eyed as ever. He made a small smile. “I hate to say it, but you are not my match in skill.”

“Is that so?” Jack asked. He could feel the grin splitting his face and did nothing to stop it. His fighting spirit began to rise.

He echoed Tao’s sentiments. The previous fights had been tiresome, unpleasant affairs. This time, however… Could the Dao of Spanking actually prevail against a strong opponent?

He couldn’t wait to find out.

Jack gripped his flip-flop hard and charged. His strikes flew like eagles and fell like rocks. The flip-flop danced through the air, weaving a pattern of green lines, and the staff danced with it, always a black blur. In the eyes of the audience, the two weapons and fighters moved together, stepping in and out in tandem like following a choreography.

In reality, their every clash was brutal, sending ripples throughout the arena.

Jack’s narrowed eyes met Tao’s. His flip-flop shot up, feinting a blow, then curving so hard that even its enhanced materials almost gave way. A slap fell on Tao’s bare shoulder, echoing throughout the arena and pushing him back, but that was all.

Tao took the strike and stepped in. His staff wasn’t meant for such close range, but he had the skills to make it. He twirled it in the air, striking Jack hard from above. One hand left the staff and formed a fist, digging into Jack’s abdomen.

Jack barely had time to bring the flip-flop back. He put it between the fist and his abdomen, helping it cushion the blow, while raising his other hand over his head and meeting the staff with his palm. The dull thud reached the far ends of the arena again. Only Jack’s fistfighting proficiency and strong body saved his hand from breaking.

He pushed out with both hands, pushing the staff into the air and the fist back where it came from. The staff needed time to recover. Jack stepped back and swung, aiming for Tao’s face.

Tao halted the staff’s ascent but didn’t bring it back down. Instead, he let it go. Both his hands were available now. One blocked Jack’s attacking wrist, while the other wrapped around Jack’s hand, forcing him to let go of the flip-flop. Jack’s elbow straightened under the force, and his feet left the ground as Tao threw him over his back.

Mid-throw, Tao also used a knee to kick one end of the falling staff, sending its other half smashing towards Jack’s head.

Jack’s thoughts accelerated. Though he had been caught, he didn’t give up. His other hand reached for his waist, grabbed the second flip-flop, then threw a vicious backhand blow at the staff, sending it spinning away.

His back met the ground hard, but in the process, he’d managed to pull his hand away. He grabbed the fallen flip-flop, too, and with two of them in hand, he span from the ground and unleashed a barrage of crisp blows at Tao, who took them all with his thigh, dashing after his staff.

He grabbed it and turned to look at Jack, who now held two green flip-flops at the ready. One showed signs of tearing but was still whole.

“So, you can dual-wield,” he said.

Jack smiled. “Looks like it.”

The cheers of the audience reached his ears then, and he realized they were deafening. For how long had they been hollering like that? He didn’t know. He was fighting. His indomitable will broke through the cheers like a fist of thought, clearing the way for him to concentrate fully on the battle.

Truthfully, everything was happening extremely quickly. If not for his new Dao Root allowing him extreme, unwavering concentration throughout the battle, Jack wouldn’t be able to react accurately at this speed, and he might have had to use his true Dao.

As it was, though, he could manage. In fact, this battle was great training.

“Come!” Tao shouted, unleashing a loud cry, and Jack obliged. He dashed forth with both flip-flops whistling through the air, unleashing a barrage of strikes far faster than before. Tao blocked everything. His defense was steady like a mountain and fluid like a river, and he could use one weapon to block two, but there was a limit to the mountain, and a limit to the river.

Under Jack’s barrage, Tao could not fight back. The most he could do was defend with all his might, but even that was a struggle. One flip-flop glanced his shoulder. Another met his chin. A third slapped his thigh.

Strikes were seeping through. Slowly but surely, Tao’s defense was crumbling like a faulty dam. After all, Jack’s Fistfighting III skill made him an expert at martial arts, too, and his Pugilist Body skill made his body more malleable, more suited to fighting.

Tao knew he was losing. Between defending, he smiled. Jack saw it and knew what it meant.

The staff reared back. All defense gave way, allowing one flip-flop to land clean against Tao’s ribs, but the staff was now hurtling downward at extreme speed. This was a strike far slower than his previous attacks, but one that was surrounded by a deep red aura.

It had to have been a Skill, and Jack had no time to escape. Moreover, he only had one flip-flop ready.

“Falling Mountain!” Tao shouted.

The world went black and white. All colors disappeared as a single flip-flop burst purple, drawing everyone’s eyes like it was the only thing in existence. It flew upward, followed by a faint, starry purple tail. Everything went silent. Only Jack’s voice was heard.

“Meteor Spank.”

The flip-flop met the staff, and all color and sound returned at once. The world exploded. The impact generated a shockwave so strong it shook the arena, as well as a burning white flash that seared Tao’s eyebrows clean off, making his head completely free of hair.

For a moment, the world seemed to go still, the two weapons locked in a heated clash surrounded by red and purple sparks. The staff gave way. It flew high, slamming into the energy wall that served as a ceiling before falling back down.

Tao let it hit the sand. He did not move.

Jack only had one flip-flop left—the other was a burned stump—and he pointed it at Tao’s face with a bright, wide smile. Tao exhaled deeply, then opened his eyes and returned the smile.

“Congratulations, brother,” he said. “That was very well-fought.”

Jack’s smile widened even further. “Same to you, brother Tao. It was very close.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

Jack lowered the flip-flop, then shook Tao’s left hand—the right one lay broken at his side.

The audience cheered like mad. They had seen an amazing battle, and the two fighters had reconciled at the end, too! What a sight! What a spectacle!

“You should get that looked at, brother Tao,” Jack said, motioning at the broken wrist.

“I will. You have my thanks.”

“You too. I hope we meet again in the final phase.”

“If fate wills it, we will.”

Jack gave Tao a final smile before jumping to his seat, while the crowd still cheered at Tao’s receding back.

“Great fight!” Edgar said, smiling.

“We did it!” Karvahul roared, red-faced from excitement. “We did it, my boy! We reached the goal!”

“The goal?” Jack asked.

“Oh, System damn in.” Karvahul leaned closer, then did his best to whisper. “The two million. We just reached it!”

“Really!?” Jack’s eyes widened. “That fast?”

“That guy was strong! He had a lot of backers! Nevermind the details, but the stronger your opponent, the more credits we get if you win. We earned four hundred thousand in this fight alone. We did it!”

“Yes!” Jack pumped a fist, unable to contain his excitement. That was one issue taken care of. Plus, there was only one round left in the tournament.

In other words, Jack’s qualification was guaranteed, and so were his credit goal for the auction. Moreover, he’d just gotten a second Dao Root, and his skills all felt on the cusp of evolving. He would need to be pushed to his limits to actually evolve them, but as the fights got tougher, it was bound to happen.

In other words, Jack was at an all-time high.