Master-level gymnastics?
Even though this skill is incredibly powerful and super useful for Luke, he couldn't help but think he'd be even happier if the word "gymnastics" didn't include that "physical" part.
The system has never let Luke down when it comes to interactive rewards, often throwing in unexpected surprises that blow his mind.
As he acquired master-level gymnastics, the familiar flood of memories came rushing in.
Gymnastics is a sport that demands an insane level of physical ability. Floor exercises, pommel horse, rings, vault, uneven bars, parallel bars—these events require not just top-notch coordination, balance, reaction speed, and strength, but a well-rounded mastery of all these skills.
Compare that to something like sprinting, which mostly relies on raw muscle power for short bursts. It's a much simpler game.
If Luke didn't have 20 points in agility, 19 in strength, and 15 in stamina, he seriously doubted he'd be able to handle master-level gymnastics.
In his memories, he'd spent decades training relentlessly, perfecting every gymnastics discipline. But those memories also came with pain—more injuries than any other skill he'd mastered.
Maybe only master-level parkour could come close to matching the grind he endured.
With master-level gymnastics now in his arsenal, Luke's coordination, balance, and overall physical prowess got a massive upgrade. Even the balance beam, often seen as a women's event, was a piece of cake for him.
On the floor or on equipment, Luke was a total beast, dominating every aspect of the sport.
He was thrilled with this skill—it was easily one of the most useful in his toolkit.
Master-level throwing knife skills gave him the confidence to protect himself in real life, no longer worrying about his safety.
Master-level swordsmanship took his self-defense to the next level and was his go-to skill for filming fight scenes with bladed weapons.
Master-level parkour was the cornerstone of his non-combat action scenes, letting him pull off jaw-dropping stunts in movies.
And now, master-level gymnastics joined the ranks as a core skill. Combined with parkour, it was a perfect duo, allowing him to make the most of any set and deliver mind-blowing action sequences.
Take the current shoot for Pirates of the Caribbean, for example. The ship was full of ropes, masts, and sails—perfect for parkour, but still a bit limiting. With gymnastics in the mix, though, the set became his playground.
"System, evaluate my completion rate for B-level danger action scenes," Luke asked mentally.
He was curious to see how much master-level gymnastics would boost his success rate.
[B-level danger action scene, Host Success Rate: 68%]
Luke was shocked. Last time he checked, his success rate for B-level action scenes was only 48%. Sure, he'd bumped his strength from 17 to 19 since then, but he figured that only added maybe 1-2% to his odds.
Jumping from 48% to 68%? That 20% boost was almost entirely thanks to gymnastics.
68% was the average success rate for B-level action scenes under normal conditions. But what about unusual conditions?
Luke pulled out a stunt design he'd previously scrapped—a thrilling fight sequence at the top of a ship's mast.
When filming action scenes on a sailing ship, what could be more epic than a duel on the mainmast?
The Black Pearl's mainmast towered over 100 feet—more than ten stories high. Just standing up there and looking down was enough to make most people's legs shake. Add in the ship rocking with the waves, and it was as intense as walking a high wire.
A fight scene in that kind of heart-pounding setting would be a massive draw for Pirates of the Caribbean, a real crowd-pleaser.
With that selling point, Luke's chances of beating The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at the box office would go up a notch.
Facing a juggernaut like The Lord of the Rings, Luke couldn't afford to leave any advantage on the table. He had to keep stacking the deck to have a shot at coming out on top.
Even though he knew it was risky, the sheer spectacle of the scene pushed him to design it and give it a shot.
Back when he first pitched the idea, the system gave him a 48% success rate. That was too low, so he shelved it—he wasn't about to roll the dice with his life.
But now, with master-level gymnastics, the ship was basically his gym. Ropes? Balance beams. Masts? Parallel bars. Sails? Rings. This was his domain.
Surely, this B-level stunt would have a higher success rate now, right?
"System, evaluate the difficulty and success rate of this stunt I designed," Luke asked again.
[Host's designed action scene, Danger Level: B]
As expected, it was rated B-level—insanely dangerous, even for action stars like Jackie Chan. It was beyond what most could handle.
[For this scene, master-level gymnastics provides an additional bonus. Revised Success Rate: 80%]
There it was! Luke finally relaxed.
An 80% success rate was solid enough to take on the challenge.
If he could pull off this scene, his confidence in Pirates of the Caribbean dominating the box office would skyrocket.
Next step: convince director Gore Verbinski to add the scene.
The producer, Mr. Eisen, was already on board, so as long as the director agreed, it'd be smooth sailing.
The system wasn't done yet. A few golden lines of text appeared before Luke:
[Detected: Host has mastered Master-Level Parkour and Master-Level Gymnastics.]
[If the Host acquires Master-Level Footwork and Master-Level Leaping, the above four skills will combine and upgrade into a new skill.]
Luke wasn't surprised. The way parkour and gymnastics complemented each other made him suspect there was a framework tying together all his movement-based skills. Once he collected the full set, they'd merge into something even bigger.
He still needed footwork and leaping, but no rush—he'd get there eventually. For now, he was stoked at the idea of unlocking a new, upgraded skill down the line.
But his immediate focus was convincing Verbinski.
Over the past few days of shooting, Luke's stellar performance had already softened the director's initial skepticism. And Johnny Depp? After Luke saved him, he'd dropped any hostility and now saw him as a friend.
This scene could easily add $100 million to Pirates of the Caribbean's box office.
Luke was determined to make it happen.