Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse
Chapter 139: The Day of the Hunt

Jack awoke to a pair of strong hands shaking him.

“Orgh,” he said groggily, rolling over.

“Bro.” A commanding voice reached his ears.

“Ugh… Five more minutes?”

“No.”

“Damn, man.” A yawn. “Is it really time to go?”

“Yes.”

Jack yawned again, then rose to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. He was in the guest hut of the Tri Lake tribe—little more than a walled-off circle on the soil. There was a fur bed on the floor, made from the same material as the clothes of the tribespeople, and one window that was covered by a piece of wood. Jack could remove it to look outside or keep it there for privacy. He’d kept it on during the night.

Now, thin rays of sunlight slipped in through the cracks of the door and shut window, yellow and syrupy. Dust particles danced in the light, disappearing the moment they crossed its edge.

“How long was I asleep?” Jack asked, slowly coming up to speed.

Brock shrugged. They had no clock. How was he supposed to tell time?

Last night’s events returned to Jack’s mind. They’d danced and drunk, and he had a cryptic but important-sounding conversation with Neuja’s dad. Near the end of it, the tribe chief had mentioned Jack would be hunting a beast with Neuja tomorrow. Today.

Jack bolted up.

He was already dressed—black boots, white pants, and nothing else—so there wasn’t much to do. He opened the door and strode out. Brock followed a step behind, still wearing his red shorts and holding the ancient-looking Staff of Stone in his right hand.

The tribe was already active. Jack had no way of knowing how long ago the day began, but he saw people tending to the triceratopses like yesterday, children fetching water from the lake, and a few groups of men and women heading into the jungle with big, woven baskets.

“Jack!”

Turning, he found Nauja walking his way. “Morning, Nauja.”

“It is. Took you a while. It’s already one hour after dawn!”

“What can I say? Multiple deadly combats in a row made me sleepy. Sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be cranky.” Her smile widened as she squatted. “And good morning to you too, Brock. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes,” the brorilla replied, nodding somberly.

“That’s great!”

“Were you waiting for us, Nauja?” Jack asked.

“Father called for you,” she replied, raising her gaze from Brock. She was petting his fur—something that Brock only allowed women to do, for whatever reason. “Said I should bring you to him the moment you woke up.”

“I don’t suppose there’s breakfast on the way?”

“No. You’ll have to bear with it. Come on!”

Under Nauja’s lead, they crossed the small tribe to arrive at the largest and center-most hut. She knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” A tired, imposing voice came from inside.

“It’s Nauja! I brought Jack and Brock.”

“Come in.”

There was no doorknob or lock. Nauja simply pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit, sparsely furnished interior. A pile of fur on the floor served as the bed, while there was also a small table, a chair, and a knee-high bookcase containing five leather-bound tomes.

The chief sat in the wooden chair, somehow fitting his large body into it, and sipped from a clay mug. Mura, the veteran hunter Jack had met on his arrival to the tribe, was also here, standing by the chief’s table and staring at them oddly. It looked like they’d just interrupted a conversation.

“Good morning, Father,” Nauja said, and Jack hurried to say the same.

“Good morning, chief.”

“Hmm,” he replied, while the three of them—Jack, Nauja, and Brock—also exchanged respectful nods with Mura.

Nauja cleared her throat. “Since I brought them over, Father, I will take my—”

He cut her off with a gentle shake of his head. “Stay,” he commanded. “This involves you too.”

“Me?” she asked in surprise.

“As you know, Jack must defeat an enemy of level 115,” the chief said slowly. Nobody interrupted him. “By himself, that will be a dangerous and time-consuming task. I fear that the nearby delver camp will not let him be. Therefore, he should expedite.”

He took a deep sip before continuing. His voice remained solid as a stone. “You, my daughter, must also defeat an enemy of that level to become a true hunter of the tribe. You will team up today. There is a tyrannosaurus picking off our animal friends near the Forbidden Cave. You shall head there, slay it, and return victorious.”

As he spoke, Nauja’s face showed increasing horror. “Father!” she cried out. “I— I apologize for my weakness, but I cannot defeat a tyrannosaurus! Much less while protecting a lesser Hill Breaker.”

“I suspect he does not need your protection,” the chief replied calmly. “My instructions are final.”

“Then, what about the third member of our team?” She glanced at the nearby Mura. “It should be someone strong enough to protect us.”

However, the chief only shook his head. “The third member of your team will be Brock, the brave brorilla.”

“Father!” Nauja cried again, her voice rising slightly higher. “What are you saying? This is suicide! I cannot fight a tyrannosaurus! It will kill us all. Mura, say something!” Mura gave her a helpless smile, then shook his head. That helplessness only fueled her frustration. “Father, I implo—”

The chief raised a hand. Despite her agitation, Nauja paused mid-word. His authority was absolute. “Do not doubt me,” he said. Jack felt his heart speed up—for no apparent reason. “You will go, and you will return victorious or not at all. This is my command.”

Nauja’s mouth moved without sound. She seemed to be struggling with herself. Jack watched her silently from the side, as did everyone. He knew his own strength. Even if he was weaker than her, it wasn’t by much…but how could she know?

Regardless, he did not speak. This was not his place. Brock remained composed on Jack’s side as well, face as stony as his staff.

“I do not understand, Father,” Nauja finally said, her voice weak. “I will obey your will, but…can you at least help me understand? I… I do not see it. This is all too sudden.”

“When fate knocks, there is no time to prepare.” However, the chief must have been satisfied with her words, because he finally revealed a small, sad, tender smile. “You must fight today, my daughter. Prove that you have the power to ride the wave of fate, should it manifest. I know you do not understand. Perhaps, one day, you will.”

He hesitated for a moment—and, from Mura’s raised brow, Jack got the impression that this wasn’t common. “There will be no one guarding you this time,” the chief continued. “All the veterans will remain in the tribe… Very well. I remedy my word. You may return alive. But you must fight first, and give it your all. If defeat is certain, you may retreat, and the will of our ancestors will judge your life or death.”

Nauja looked like she’d seen a ghost. Her eyes contained betrayal, pain, and fear, as well as massive incomprehension.

“I do not understand, Father…” she muttered, lost.

“It’s okay, my child.” He looked her in the eye. “This pains me as it pains you, but I have consulted with our ancestors, and I have thought about it deeply. This is the way. Go. And, if you die, remember that I love you. My heart will break with yours.”

“Father…” She took a half-step forward, then caught herself. She took a deep, trembling breath. Jack felt her heart fluttering, then settling. She still did not understand, but she would obey. “Very well,” she finally said. “I shall do as you ask. Look forward to my victory, Father. When I return, even Mura will have to treat me as an equal.”

Mura’s expression changed into pained amusement. “May the ancestors be with you, child,” he said.

“Farewell, daughter,” the chief said, and this time, his determined voice hid more than just tiredness. “May the ancestors be with you. You too, Jack Rust. You too, Brock the brorilla.”

“We will not disappoint you, chief,” Jack said, inclining his head. Brock did the same without speaking. Then, they turned and followed Nauja out of the hut. She walked silently for a few steps, her stormy expression scaring away an approaching child.

“I don’t understand. What is happening?” she finally erupted, whirling around to glare at Jack. “What did you tell him yesterday?”

“Not much,” Jack replied calmly. “Just some things about myself, but nothing related to this tyrannosaurus hunt.”

“You will tell me everything,” she told him in a tone that brooked no disobedience, her blue gaze boring into his. “Give me some time to say my goodbyes. Wait behind the triceratops pen.”

Her eyes indicated she had a slew of things to tell him, a storm of emotions to vent, but she chose to think things through by herself first. That was…more reasonable than Jack had expected.

“I’m stronger than I look,” he couldn’t resist saying.

“I sure hope so,” she replied darkly. “Because the beast we’re hunting is a killer.”

And then, she took off, leaving them alone. Out of respect, Jack didn’t follow her with his gaze.

“Is there anything you want to do, Brock?” he asked. The brorilla shook his head. “Me neither. Let’s go wait.”

He could quench his thirst by the lake. He was hungry, too, but he felt such guilt that he couldn’t bear to take the tribe’s food.

He was unsure what was going on. What did the chief’s words mean? Why did he suddenly send his daughter on a near-suicide mission with a total stranger? Had Jack said anything yesterday that might have triggered this reaction?

As they made their way around the lake and towards the triceratops pen, his mind swam in doubts.

I didn’t say anything. I just told the chief who I am… What did he see in my words? In me? Could he be insane? But he didn’t look the part. He was odd, yes, but in a wise way. Like Master Shol.

When this connection was made, he quickly drew a few more lines of similarity. This chief handled things in a way that reminded Jack of Master Shol. Cryptic and concise. He didn’t explain his reasoning, as if Jack wouldn’t understand, but there was something behind his words that made Jack trust that the chief knew better.

He hated this feeling. Once again, he was swept into the plans of another, unable to set his own course.

He could always run away. Nobody was holding him, and he doubted that the chief would come out and chase him personally. But Jack wouldn’t run away. He believed he could trust this mystical man, so he would go and hunt the tyrannosaurus with Nauja. This was his plan, anyway. Make it through this ring quickly to find Gan Salin—and other allies, if possible—in Village Ring.

I wish I was stronger… Jack wished with every fiber of his heart. Only strength would allow him to choose his own path. If he was an immortal, the chief would have discussed things with him instead of simply spout instructions.

Only strength mattered. Jack’s resolve reaffirmed itself.

He bent down by the lake, cupping some water into his hands and sipping greedily. It was perfectly clear. Tasty, even. He could see the bottom of the lake as if the water was glass. There wasn’t the tiniest wave obstructing his sight. The only indication that the lake even existed were the gentle ripples caused by his cupping hands, along with the glint of mushroom light deeper in.

He raised his eyes, taking in the lush grass that filled the bowl-shaped valley, the smiling people who lay on it or tended to the dinosaur cattle, the jungle beyond.

It occurred to him, for the first time, that this valley was shaped as a crater. He liked that mental image. Life and peace in a former spot of intense violence.

He reached the back of the pen and waited, looking into the jungle ahead, not wanting to spoil Nauja’s goodbyes with his stare. Brock lay on the soft grass, relaxing with his hands behind his head.

Eventually, soft footsteps approached. Nauja stood behind them, wearing the same, simple clothes as yesterday—fur strips around her privates and chest. A bow was slung on her back, along with two quivers: one containing normal-sized arrows, and the other large ones, the size of small spears.

However, her gaze carried an intensity that Jack recognized. It was the same gaze everyone had adopted towards the end of the Integration Tournament. A warrior ready to battle.

“I am ready,” she said. “On the way, you owe me an explanation.”

“Sure. But you also need to explain all the things your father mentioned. What is that Forbidden Cave? How dangerous is that delver camp? And, most importantly, what’s the deal with your title and ancestors?”

Her face cramped. “You ask a lot for a weakling.”

“I risk my life alongside yours. I deserve to know.”

Her face-cramping intensified before easing into a wary glance. “Fine. But only if we survive.”