Chapter 57 (LVII) Breakthrough

Jackson screamed in agony as his body was continuously broken down and rebuilt by the process of the Growth Fruit and Ho'Kikomo Fruit working together.

He was no longer aware of his surroundings, his consciousness fading in and out as the world became a blur around him.

He was trapped in a dreamlike state where the only thing that existed in his reality was pain and suffering.

He didn't know how long it lasted. It seemed to go on forever until he eventually fell unconscious for some unknown time.

When he woke up, he realized he'd been lying in the lake in the same position for hours, his entire body soaking wet.

He sat up, the water dripping from his face, and he coughed as he tried to stand up.

He couldn't feel anything, and he could barely move, but he forced himself to get to his feet.

He stumbled out of the shallow end of the lake, falling to the muddy shore, coughing and choking as he vomited up the contents of his stomach.

He stood up and wiped his mouth, looking at the clear blue sky overhead, taking a deep breath, and filling his lungs with fresh air.

His body felt foreign for the first time in his life, as though he was a different person. His hair was matted and tangled, and he was covered in dried mud.

He ran his hands through his hair, brushing it out and trying to straighten the tangles, but he still felt like he needed a bath.

He stumbled back to the camp, stripping down and running into the ocean, scrubbing his body as he washed off the dirt.

He heard a splash and saw Khione swimming in the direction of the beach, her white fur glistening in the sunlight as she swam.

He laughed and splashed her, jumping into the waves and playing with her.

He finally gave up and climbed out of the sea, staring at his reflection in the water. Jackson was not an ugly nor out-of-shape young man, to begin with, but now his body had filled out.

His shoulders felt broader, and his chiseled chest and abdomen glistened as the water dripped off him. His entire physique had changed, and he almost looked like a completely new person.

He smiled at his reflection, realizing he even looked more handsome after the horrors he experienced.

He walked back to his tent, quickly getting dressed and checking his status to see the improvements:

[Name: Jackson]

[Age: 19]

[Race: Human]

[Tier: II]

[Power: 75(+19)]

[Perception: 64(+16)]

[Stamina: 90(+23)]

[Speed: 56(+14)]

[Instinct: 60(+15)]

[Available Points: 30]

[Spirit Pact: Khione]

[Martial Artes: Twenty Moons Under the One Sun (90%), Inferno of the Twin Storms (90%), Asura of the Four Rivers (20%), Swift Phantom of the Twin Moon Assassin (10%), Timeless Rage of the Meteor Behemoth(12%)]

[Mystic Artes: Spirit Summoning (5%)]

Jackson's eyes went wide as he stared at the increase in attributes. Each one had at least doubled, and despite the fact he wasn't receiving any bonus effects from his equipment, the buff from Khione more than made up for it.

He immediately rechecked his stats, this time making sure the numbers were accurate. He was shocked to discover he had gained over 100 points.

He had never seen his attributes grow so fast, seeing the number of available points and pondering how he should allocate the points.

He had many options, but he decided to hold off and allow the points to remain until he may need a boost in his stats to close a gap.

He spent several minutes sitting on the shore, thinking about the new information on his status window, precisely the appearance of him becoming Tier II and what it meant.

He sat, pondering and watching the sun set over the horizon before he got up and walked back toward the campsite. He opened the door to his tent to find Khione curled up on his bedroll, purring loudly.

He walked over to her, rubbing behind her ears, scratching her neck, and petting her lovingly.

She meowed happily, rubbing against his legs, her tail swishing back and forth, enjoying his attention.

He scratched her under the chin, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against his hand as she enjoyed the affection.

He reached into his pack and pulled out a large piece of meat, tossing it into her bowl. She snapped it up in a single bite, licking her lips as she watched him.

He took a seat on his bedroll, eating his dinner as she continued to stare at him.

She meowed at him, her tail swishing back and forth, her ears perking up as she looked at him intently.

He rolled his eyes, reaching into his bowl and throwing another piece of meat to her before he finished his meal, setting the empty bowl aside, and he turned to look at her, smiling as he rubbed her ears.

She continued to watch him, tilting her head slightly as she lay down next to him, resting her head in the crook of his arm.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he drifted off into sleep, dreaming of what the future held for him.

***

The following morning, he continued his monotonous schedule practicing with increased results. The increase in all of his attributes had an explosive impact on the development of the mastery of his various abilities.

He could easily maintain a constant flow of attacks while maintaining a high level of defense.

He was also able to use his swordsmanship skills more effectively, using them as a means of offense rather than simply dodging and parrying.

His body flowed through the motions of each technique without hesitation or thought, allowing him to focus his mind.

Jackson was surprised, he was not used to having such a powerful body, and he wondered if the growth would continue and what the limits were.

Sitting next to the campfire in the sand, a large black egg began to shake, and hairline cracks started forming along the shell.