The Apocalypse Grinder - Chapter 304

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Raising his cultivation wasn’t going to be difficult, but it would certainly be a hassle. The Path of the Gladiator was an unreliable source of shards. In fact, it could even be considered inferior to the tutorials of a lower difficulty. That was simply due to the fact there were very few elite monsters on that path. For Ronan, the most optimal place to find shards that would help boost his cultivation was the nightmare difficulty tutorial with its overpowered bosses and mini-bosses, but unfortunately the administrator’s interference would make using them a real hassle.

In any case, he decided to just go with the hard difficulty. There were plenty of elites and mini-bosses present in that tutorial as well as a suitable boss. Not to mention the elites and mini-bosses present back on his homeworld once the tutorial was complete. Ronan spent quite a few iterations just farming shards, and getting to grips with his new energy cultivation art.

He advanced his proficiency in both legendary arts by a decent margin as well as gaining a lot of percentage points in the Dynamic Flow Mystic Energy Art. While it was somewhat punishing to cultivate it was not difficult and mastery of the strange method of moving his mana came easily to Ronan.

After another dozen or so iterations he had managed to push all of his cultivation paths up to what he believed was the pinnacle of the third tier. That meant one more realm in each of them would push them beyond the third threshold and into the fourth tier. It wasn’t for lack of trying that he had stagnated at the end of the third tier. No matter how many low-level shards Ronan consumed, they didn’t shift his cultivation progress a single fraction of a percentage point. It meant that to make that leap he needed quality, not quantity. That was something he would only get when he headed back to the nightmare tutorial.

Or when he advanced the timeline back on his homeworld. However, that wasn’t something he felt ready to do yet. Ronan was aware he had a tendency to get distracted from his overarching, and even minor, goals, and he didn’t want to add another big task to his list when he still had a few more to accomplish in this grinding session before he was ready to take on the nightmare tutorial once more.

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighteenth realm of Tempered Body Cultivation!

Tempered Body Cultivation has advanced from [Iron ★★★★★★] to [Iron ★★★★★★★]!

Greatly reduces chance of tendon, joint, and muscle damage during movement and combat. Efficiency of bodily functions is greatly increased. Durability, muscle memory, and bodily independence are moderately increased.

Physical damage reduction +300%

Efficacy of vitality, strength, agility, and resistance +250%

Potency of vitality, strength, agility, and resistance +85%

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighteenth realm of Mystic Energy Cultivation!

Mystic Energy Cultivation has advanced from [Vibrating ★★★★★★] to [Vibrating ★★★★★★★]!

All forms of energy regenerate 350% faster

Energy costs are reduced by 165%

Efficacy of endurance and regeneration +270%

Potency of endurance and regeneration +95%

There is a 1% chance to regain 50% of the expended energy when using a skill, spell, or other applicable process that costs energy to activate. Only works on one-time costs and not channeled or long-term energy expenditures.

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighteenth realm of Prismatic Soul Cultivation!

Prismatic Soul Cultivation has advanced from [Yellow ★★★★★★] to [Yellow ★★★★★★★]!

Soul weight is increased by 45.4%

Cultivation talent is increased by 459%

When you defeat an enemy in a soul-based trial, claim a portion of their soul’s power for your own.

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighteenth realm of Crystalline Mind Cultivation!

Crystalline Mind Cultivation has advanced from [Opal ★★★★★★] to [Opal ★★★★★★★]!

Mental processing speed +80%

Nerve processing speed +220%

Mental damage resistance +250%

Efficacy of wisdom, dexterity, acuity, and charisma +270%

Potency of wisdom, dexterity, acuity, and charisma +95%

You are far more resilient against mental intrusions and attempted mind control attacks.

[Partial Status - Ronan Steele]

[Cultivation]

Mind: Opal ★★★★★★★ (99.9%) [Seven Silent Clarities (Legendary), 41.2%]

Body: Iron ★★★★★★★ (99.9%) [Diamondback Gorilla (Rare), 100%]

Energy: Vibrating ★★★★★★★ (99.9%) [Dynamic Flow (Epic), 56.2%] +

Soul: Yellow ★★★★★★★ (99.9%) [Endless Wellspring Prismatic Soul Art (Legendary), 36.8%]

He was annoyed that he would lose some of his progress in the four paths when he had to begin his next iteration, but he felt it was probably worthwhile to attempt the nightmare tutorial again. Even with the administrator’s interference he could definitely take down up to stage 4 and potentially even stage 5 depending on what the scenario of his next attempt was.

Ronan didn’t want to waste the progress he’d made when he was right on the cusp, so he decided to just get it out of the way so he could continue his grind afterwards.

When he began the iteration he asked for the nightmare difficulty as usual and was granted his request. He hoped that the administrator didn’t take note of his unusual status as early as possible, because that might slow him even further. He also hoped for a combat-focused scenario rather than one of the annoying shapeshifting ones.

His wish was granted.

The first stage landed him in London, which wasn’t that unusual. He saw signs of human life, but couldn’t spot any people. That was also not that strange. There had been a mixed presence of people in the various nightmare tutorials and it didn’t indicate what the challenges would be. That was when he heard the roaring.

Ronan rushed in the direction of the bestial sounds as fast as he could. Rather than take the luck classes in that iteration he planned to take one of the combat-focused ones. More specifically, Perfectionist, so that he could raise all of his masteries. It had been uncommon when it first appeared but now an epic version was available with much better bonuses across the board.

After running for about two minutes he came across the first monster. It was a huge chimp with eight glowing red eyes and spiky grey fur. Its fangs were yellow and dripped with a green substance that looked venomous. Not only that, but it had four arms and two tails, for a total of eight limbs. Ronan checked the tag above its head.

[Taranchimpula Lv.25]

Spider monkeys. But not the cute kind that had been back on Earth. Instead, it was some mutated freak version conjured up by the system. Ronan didn’t find it particularly gross but he disliked venom. He marked the monster and conjured a javelin before letting it fly. Then he repeated the process with a varying assortment of thrown weapons that went well beyond his usual repertoire of knives and javelins.

He wanted to unlock as many new masteries as possible. After discovering that masteries could merge to form new, better ones, he wanted to figure out how to do that for all of them. I bet there is some sort of all-weapons mastery, the same way there was the Stupendous Stats skill.

The monster displayed exceptional awareness and managed to scuttle out of the way of his first javelin, but it simply curved around in an impossible arc and pierced through the chimp’s head nonetheless. Ichor splurted out as it let out another roar, eyes turning towards Ronan. One of its tails flicked out. Ronan leapt to the side right as it smashed into the road, tearing up great chunks of asphalt.

He let a few more weapons fly. Each of them pierced, smashed, or blew up against the monkey to great effect. Explosions echoed out, each weapon granted the enchantment for maximum potency. Ronan ducked and weaved, avoiding the punches and tail whips of the monster. It was exceptionally fast, having bounced off some buildings and raced after him the moment he threw the first attack.

Avoiding it wasn’t impossible, but it was a task made that much harder by the fact he was also trying to kill it in the process. Once he felt he’d done enough to earn a few more masteries he stopped, turned on the spot, and conjured a large hammer which he swung with all his might at the charging taranchimpula.

The monster hadn’t expected the sudden change in weaponry and tactics and charged right into the hammer-blow. The weapon stopped the creature short. Ronan’s arms shook with the force of the charge, but he held, and all of it was transferred into the ugly bastard’s chest. It caved in and then exploded backwards, the entire monster’s chest bursting in a gory spray of blood and guts.

That was when he heard the second roar. He just about leapt to the side in time to avoid the tail that slapped into the spot he’d occupied at the moment of the kill. A glaive appeared in his hands as he turned to face the new arrival, which turned out to just be an identical monster to the first, with the exception of its fur being closer to light brown than grey. The monster roared, and Ronan roared back. Then they both charged.

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