BXBX NOVEL Chapter 54 (LIV) Exploration
Jackson gasped as his eyes widened, grabbing his chest as he leaned forward, breathing heavily. Khione mewed softly, leaning forward on his knee as she tilted her head, staring at him.
Jackson looked down at her standing on his leg, smiling softly as he held his hand out, rubbing her ears and petting her head.
She mewed at him once more before returning to the tent and lying at the entrance, watching Jackson as he took a deep breath, letting the sensation of his surroundings sink in.
He returned to his training, beginning with the first ability, a simple movement of his wrists and fingers. He focused on a pebble in the distance, hoping it would rise off the ground and hover in the air.
After another half hour of training, Jackson sighed, drenched in sweat, pulling the notifications up and nodding in approvement:
[New Martial Artes Detected!]
[Creating New Martial Arte Skill: Timeless Rage of the Meteor Behemoth]
[Rank: S]
[Mastery: 3%]
[Type: Armour]
[A Martial Arte focused on expanding the limitations of the user. A central focus on increasing the body\'s durability and unleashing an explosive counterattack.]
\'Whatever that was, it definitely has to be important if it gained 3% when I only gained 1% for the other in the same amount of time!\' Jackson thought and then went back to cooking dinner.
Once the food was ready, Jackson pulled the pot off the flames and placed the stew inside a clay bowl, adding several pieces of bread to the mix before pouring a bowl for Khione.
She quickly scarfed down her meal and licked her lips clean before curling up in the corner of the tent and closing her eyes.
Jackson finished his own meal and cleaned the dishes before putting them away and settling down inside the tent. He turned to face the entrance, where he noticed Khione sitting with her head raised slightly, looking at him.
She meowed at him again before turning over and falling asleep. He smiled at her before lying down to rest.
The next day, he woke up early and gathered his equipment, deciding to explore the island.
He walked out of the tent as Khione followed him sluggishly, stretching with each step. He stopped as he exited, opening the notification that had arrived in his sleep:
[Modified Sixth Floor Challenge]
[The sixth floor is now open for business, but you will need to prove your strength before you are allowed to leave La Sexta Isla. The challenge is a test of endurance, requiring you to survive!]
[Time Remaining: 6:17:48:23]
"A week?!?" Jackson exclaimed, falling to his knees in disbelief, "I won\'t be able to go home for at least a month…"
"Mew..?" Khione questioned, looking up at him curiously while her master\'s jaw hung open, stunned at the window.
He shook himself and stood up, regaining his composure as he started to look on the bright side of things; first, he would have time to practice all his skills and increase their mastery.
Secondly, he could consume the Fruit and Growth Pill to increase his overall physique and improve his fitness.
Third, and what Jackson was most excited about, was Orzas\'s Dragon Egg was close to hatching, and he was going to be alone when the Spirit Beast hatched from the mythical egg.
He couldn\'t wait to see the creature hatch; he was sure it would be amazing, and he was determined to be the one to witness it.
He shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts of how long he would be gone, and instead, focusing on how much he would improve.
He picked up the Gobbii Bag and strapped it across his chest before heading out of the camp, tapping his thigh as Khione ran to catch up, following obediently.
He made his way across the island, taking note of the plants and animals he passed, where to set traps, and where to forage.
He came upon a large pond and decided to stop there to fill his canteen before continuing on when Khione approached and began drinking.
After a few hours of walking and exploring, he found a cave, which he entered, finding a small room with a stone pedestal in the center with a pile of bones, leaves, and some scraps of leather collected into a pile beyond the pedestal, a tunnel leading deeper into the cave.
A lantern was hanging from the ceiling, dimly lighting the small room as Jackson inspected the pedestal as Khione played in the pile of leaves.
He inspected every inch of the strange object but couldn\'t trigger anything or budge it from its position.
He sat on the floor and rested for a moment, unable to find anything of note, taking a drink from the canteen and sharing a piece of dried meat with the kitten.
As he ate, he checked the minimap for any enemies nearby, noting that the only thing within a few kilometers of him was a singular dot roaming the jungle.
He stood and stretched, exploring the tunnels deeper, finding himself in a large cavern with a lake filling nearly three-quarters of the room.
Near the wall was a pile of leaves collected and built into a small nest. Khione bolted for the stack and pounced into it, rummaging through it wildly, throwing leaves into the air as Jackson smiled at her, kneeling and muttering, "Whoever was here must be long gone by now…"
Jackson stood, approaching the lake as Khione popped her head up from the leaves, snickering as she watched him dip his fingers into the water and taste it, "BLECH!!"
The lake\'s saltiness was overwhelming as he frantically reached for his canteen and took a large swig, swirling the water around his mouth and spitting it out.
"Must connect to the ocean…" Jackson muttered, standing up, looking around the chamber, turning around as Khione started to leave, and following her through the tunnels until they finally emerged back to the forest.
He was surprised that they had nearly wandered around the entire island without realizing it and were quite close to the camp.
He was about to turn around and go back when he heard the sound of a twig snapping behind him.