Seven days passed after Athena's and Miles' deaths. The hunting party members buried the two of them near each other, erected a simple wood and did some simple markings.
In those seven days, they did nothing but gather more information and scout what's ahead of them. They didn't dare to simply move forward.
What if they encountered the same type of Apokalip again? They didn't dare to gamble after the reality slapped them. The resolve they thought about how prepared they were to die collapsed. Just the awareness that they could be next or they could've been the one who died filled them with fear and unimaginable dread.
No one is prepared to die when they still have a lot of years ahead of them. Except for Caleb, who didn't fear death. Of course, if he died, he would lose a lot of benefits. Such as the power system, knowledge, and so on...
They are now on the way down the mountain. As if luck was by on their side, they didn't encounter another Apokalip on the way. They rested in between until the night came and they had to sleep.
In front of the bonfire... Jin, Fushigiro, Dunn, Rina, Caleb, and the four teenagers were just doing their own thing. The usual faint and sunny on Fushigiro and Jin were replaced by a neutral expression. All the members couldn't show any other emotion except gloom.
"Fatty, are your knees are okay?" Luna asked with concern.
Fatty rubbed his bruised thigh and caressed the open wound on top of his knees. When going down the mountain. He struggled to balance himself due to his weight and slipped. He fell first with his knees. "It's okay. I can move it normally now. But there's still pain."
Andre patted Fatty on the shoulders, trying to console him. "It's a sign that you need to diet. At least you didn't hit your head first or your dumb head would become even dumber..."
"Bastard!" Fatty removed Andre's hand and snorted.
Caleb watched the interaction with amusement. He knew that they were just coping with the current situation. 'Cope harder...'
...
***
In the morning, Caleb checked his status with a refreshed smile on his face.
Excitement filled Caleb's heart at the prospect of becoming stronger and gaining his second ability. Once that happens, he doesn't need to fear even the speed-type Apokalip that they face.
Fushigiro has already explained to them the classification of Apokalips. Although he didn't know how much improvement he would get after his ascension. He hopes that he could at least solo a Tier 9 2nd Variation.
If he couldn't even do that. How would he face those stronger Tier 8? Not to mention Tier 8 2nd or 3rd variation. Though he doesn't really have to worry about 2nd and,3rd variations. Because, according to Fushigiro, such Apokalips are rare. They aren't cabbage in the market. As long as he doesn't have a shitty luck, he would do just fine.
Caleb clenched his fist.
'Just another seven days!'
After another seven days, he would have more confidence.
Just like that, Caleb walks into an open area alone to complete his daily task of swinging his sword.
Each of his swings was silent. His form became impeccable and swinging had become an instinct for him. The consistent repetition has converted it to muscle memory. He didn't need to pay attention to his form that much, as it became natural to him.
Not only that, he doesn't feel any tightness or ache every time he finishes his session
He did it for one hour and a half and completed the 2,000 swings.
Next, Caleb began to practice his Deka Step. He could feel that he was still far away from doing four steps, but he didn't feel it was impossible to achieve. After all, if his captain managed to do it. Why can't he? Even if his body is talentless or something, it wouldn't change the fact that he was an assassin in his first life. He has a solid foundation when it comes to learning techniques.
With that thought, Caleb just spammed the shit out of Deka Step until his knees began to give in and until he couldn't feel his feet anymore. He pushed his limits until he felt his knees were on fire. He didn't stop while he could still do it.
After using the last bit of physical energy in his body. Caleb directly fell on the ground with his back while looking at the sky with a satisfied expression. He was enjoying the journey, the process of becoming stronger. It was more exhilarating than he thought to the point of addiction. Just like how Gamers would feel joy when their characters in the game leveled up. It was the same feeling. Albeit more intense... He began to crave power and become stronger. Strength is the foundation of a good life. The weak are the mercy of the strong and fate. That cruel reality was imprinted on his mind after dying again and again. Aren't children weak? He realized how fortunate the kids who managed to reach adulthood were when the possibility of dying as a fragile child was high. They are at the mercy of fate and their environment and the only way to survive for them was the proper supervision of their parents and good protection.
The only way for him is to become stronger with the help of his golden finger! He was quite fortunate that was able to bring his progress to other worlds. It made a huge difference in how fast he would become powerful. After all, those other protagonists in novels he has read about the past life of World Hopping couldn't bring their strength when they get reincarnated. Only their memories and knowledge would help them. Unlike him, he could continue to grow stronger without worrying about being stripped of his powers after he died. It was like a game character that could save their progress instead of resetting and starting at scratch again, albeit with experience. Still, in cultivation terms, the difference was that of heaven and Earth.