Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

The Integration City was a gem of beauty. The buildings were mostly white with blue windows, making the town resemble a picturesque island. Ar’Karvahul took Jack and Edgar down the main street, where they saw restaurants, massage places, cafes, bars, as well as a large variety of shops selling anything from trinkets to weapons and armor.

Of course, everything looked expensive, and it was—even more so than it looked.

Edgar scanned the prices of a restaurant and exclaimed, “This is robbery!” Even the cheapest main dish cost twenty credits—in Valville’s newbie market, one credit went for hundreds of dollars.

The nearby wolfman frowned. “I assure you, sir, that our prices are at the lower end of the Integration City’s market, and our products are more than worth it.” Seeing Edgar’s apologetic expression—he hadn’t intended to offend anyone—the shopkeeper smiled and continued, “You can check it out yourself if you want to. I’ll give you a 20% first-customer discount.”

“Really?” His eyes widened.

“Are you hungry, Edgar?” Jack asked. They’d eaten dinner two hours ago—after all, though it was late afternoon here, the sun had set when they left Valville.

“No, not really…”

“Then, let someone else have that discount. We can take a look at our rooms first.”

“Yeah, alright.” Edgar turned to the wolfman. “Thank you, but we’ll return another time. I’m sure your food is delicious, though!”

“Of course it is.” He smiled. “You’re welcome anytime, friends. Enjoy yourselves!”

“You too!” Edgar replied, then groaned in awkwardness. The wolfman was just working here. He had nothing to enjoy.

“Real food is a delicacy that will blow your mind,” Karvahul said after they’d gotten a bit further away. “Not the native stuff you’re used to. I’m talking Antesaurus rib and cockatrice thigh, phoenix omelet and earth-dao cabbage. Ah, that’s the stuff.”

Brock, walking by their side, was already salivating. He tugged at Jack’s trousers and pointed at a stand with steaming meat skewers.

“Be patient, Brock. I’ll get you some later,” Jack said, laughing, then turned to the djinn. “Don’t underestimate Earth, Karvahul. We have quite a culinary tradition.”

“So does everyone, but you didn’t have the Dao. It is the foundation of the universe, my friend, and I assure you that, when it melts in your mouth, you will never eat native food again.”

“Wait, you can eat the Dao?” Edgar asked. “How is that possible?”

Karvahul laughed. “The Dao is infused into the body at the E-Grade. You’ll see soon enough, I imagine. Give it a few months, and your planet will have its first E-Grades to be proud of.”

Jack smiled, then looked around. There was no crowd around them, not yet, as most people lingered longer at the plaza than they had. Of the aliens he could see, almost all were manning various establishments, eyeing them curiously, and the few that were walking around were rushed.

Speaking of that, Jack took a wider look and noticed something off.

“Hey,” he asked, “why is this place so big? We’re only, like, a hundred. What are we going to do with all these shops?”

“There are another seven plazas like the one you appeared in,” Karvahul replied, not breaking pace. It was fast enough to not be bored and slow enough that they could take in the town’s sights. “The Tournament’s participants are 987, according to my primer, but that’s not all. People from all areas of your planet will start flooding in soon. It isn’t just an opportunity for you to network, but also for the powerful factions and native forces. Plus, they will get to watch their planet’s most elite representatives go all-out against each other. This is the place to be!”

“Wow,” Edgar drew a sharp breath. “Will the President be here?”

“If they have enough credits. But keep in mind that the distribution of spawned monsters is not uniform across your planet’s surface—the challenge is. In other words, everyone faces roughly the same difficulty to survive, be it a farmer, an armed soldier, or the leader of a nation. What are the chances of your President becoming the one in ten million to make it here?”

“You sound well-informed, Karvahul,” Jack said, his eyes gleaming. “Doesn’t that mean that armed soldiers will have higher levels, since they face stronger monsters?”

“Hehe.” Kervahul chuckled. “No one can cheat the System. It takes everything into account; don’t worry.”

“I see. Where are we, anyway? Is this place still Earth?”

“Of course! Inter-planet teleportation is expensive. According to my primer, we are somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.”

“I’m pretty sure there weren’t alien towns in the Pacific Ocean.”

“Keep an open eye, John,” Karvahul replied with a smirk, then stomped on the stone-paved street. “This is no town. It is a starship.”

“A starship!?”

“Of course! They teleport it to every newly-integrated planet. Standard procedure.”

“Wow…” Edgar looked at the ground and around him in shock, while Jack laughed.

“Do you come here often, Karvahul?”

“It’s my first time, just like you! We’re a good match!”

Laughing and talking, they made their way through the main street. It wasn’t too large. The entire city only took up around ten square miles—though it was oblong in shape—and Jack with Edgar had appeared in a plaza close to the participants’ area.

“The Tournament City is divided into three sectors,” Karvahul explained. “There’s the arena in the center, of course, along with the Overseer tower. Then, towards the back of the ship—I think it’s to the west—are the participants’ lodgings, where tournament participants can live for free and enjoy various amenities that are otherwise out of reach. You’ll get kicked out of there the moment you’re disqualified, so make sure to treasure the time. There are resources in your houses that even I am jealous of.”

“Really?”

“Of course! That’s why I suggested going there first. Anyway; then, in the opposite direction is the hotel district, where everybody else gets to stay. The space in between is for shops and, of course, the Arena!”

“I see,” Jack replied.

“Of course you do.”

“What’s that?” Edgar asked suddenly, pointing at a building that seemed different from the rest. They’d just entered a large empty plaza, similar to the one they’d appeared in but much closer to the center of the island—starship, Jack reminded himself.

The building that caught Edgar’s eye was rectangular and resembled a mansion with walls made of heavy wood and a roof of red tiles. It was wide enough to cover an entire side of the plaza, while also towering over its surroundings. It must have been at least four, five stories tall, twice the height of most other buildings.

“Oh, that?” Kavrahul looked over as well, pretending he’d just noticed the large building. “That’s the Hand of God auction house. It won’t open for a while, but when it does, it will be a sight for sore eyes... In any case, you can ignore it for now.”

“Come on, Karvahul!” Edgar shouted out, almost pleadingly. “You’re our guide! You can’t just tell us to ignore stuff, you have to explain!”

Jack nodded. Karvahul, finding them in agreement, sighed. “Listen, my friends. You’ve just been shoved into a world of new information, and this city is filled to the brim with things you’ve never seen before. There’s no rush; I’m taking things slow and focusing on the important parts so you have time to digest the information.”

Jack frowned. “Well, no need for that. We’re smart. I have a PhD—almost—and Edgar”—he glanced at Edgar, realizing he actually didn’t know much about the guy— “well, he’s smart.”

Edgar nodded. “Well said, as expected from someone who has a PhD—almost.”

Jack threw him an annoyed glare. Edgar looked the other way.

“As you wish.” Karvahul shrugged. “After all, you pay. The auction house is set to run a single auction throughout the tournament, but it will be filled with items of great value. Since only your planet’s inhabitants are allowed to participate, you can get those items at pitifully low prices. It’s a helping hand to your species.”

“Oh!” The eyes of both humans widened. “Karvahul! That’s important! Why wouldn’t you tell us that!?”

“Because it won’t happen yet, and it’s too early to even start saving up. The auction is the most important event here—besides the tournament itself, of course—so it’s set to happen just before the finals.”

“The finals?” Jack asked, but Edgar cut him off.

“Wait. Why is it called the Hand of God auction house?”

Karvahul smirked. “Good question. Unlike every other establishment in the Tournament City, the auction house is run not by the Merchant Union, but by a faction called the Hand of God. They generally focus on collecting and trading information, as well as various high-end products, but they are also interested in helping newly Integrated species get up to speed. They will provide the auction’s contents.”

“I see. Rich people that also do charities.” Jack nodded. “Sounds fishy to me. Do they have a good reputation?”

“That’s difficult to say. They don’t show up much. Unlike the Merchant Union, they usually only participate in high-end trades, so most people never interact with them—and the ones that do, know to keep their mouths shut.” Seeing Jack’s darkened face, Karvahul hurried to add, “But they aren’t known for bad deeds, either. If I had to pick a side, then yes, their reputation is good.”

“I see,” Jack repeated. He cracked a smile. “You mentioned rare items, Karvahul… What were you talking about?”

“Oh, anything!” The merchant’s mood did a one-eighty as the conversation turned to things he liked. “In previous Integrations, they’ve sold anything from enchanted Dao armor to D-Grade automatons and E-Grade Dao Fruits. The records also speak of elemental cores, purified Dao seeds, hyper-condensed experience balls, spiritual pets, as well as all sorts of treasures. If the Tournament is a fate-turning experience for a planet’s elites, so is the auction, but also for the richest factions.”

“I see.” Jack hummed. He looked at Brock, who was gazing incessantly at a nearby wolfman. “You mentioned spiritual pets. Tell me more about them.”

“What more is there to say? They’re pets. They’re spiritual, which means they can cultivate. That’s it.”

“But they aren’t included in a person’s status screen?”

Karvahul shrugged. “It isn’t really a System thing. However, it does seem to recognize the bond in some cases, like when the teleportation here brought your little monkey along.”

“Hmm.”

“Can we go in, Karvahul?” asked Edgar, pointing at the auction house again.

“I’m afraid not. It’s closed.”

“Oh.”

“Shall we get going, then? Night is already falling, and you probably want to be in top shape for your first battles tomorrow.”

“Right.” Jack nodded, his eyes going to the arena’s tall gray walls. He clenched his fist imperceptibly. “Let’s go.”

They exited the auction plaza and headed west, where the participant district was located. On the way, Karvahul kept talking about one thing or another, pointing at shops he liked or disliked and telling stories about his home planet, Bing.

Bing was perpetually ravaged by the elements, which allowed it to develop several very different ecosystems. There were people who lived underwater and others who built on clouds. Some even inhabited inactive volcanos, taking them as shelter from the endless snowstorms outside.

There were also several sapient species. The blue people, Djinns, were ones who lived on clouds. The brown-skinned, big-bodied merchants in town also hailed from Bing—they were called Efretis and lived in deserts or inactive volcanos.

The flora and fauna of Bing was endlessly diverse, according to Karvahul, who admitted he missed his home very much.

His stories kept Jack and Edgar entertained as they crossed the town—though it was officially called a city, it really wasn’t one. They ran into other groups of humans, too, most following guides to different parts of the town or also heading to the participant district.

There were also some who, lacking funds or the willingness to spend them, chose to go alone. They seemed quite lost for now, as all nearby aliens gave polite yet vague instructions, but they’d eventually get the hang of things and be five hundred credits richer—or more, if Karvahul wasn’t lying about his discount.

However, there was one exception.

As Karvahul was excitedly describing the spear-hunting methods of his people, an odd man exited an alley. Jack’s eyes instantly focused on him. He had a long scraggly beard and wore old, torn clothes. Dirt was all over him as if he hadn’t taken a shower in weeks.

Despite his shaggy appearance, however, there was spirit to his eyes; a slow, purposeful gait in his sandaled feet. He clasped his hands behind his back as he strolled through the town, sharing none of the others’ wonder.

In all respects, he looked like a semi-crazy, harmless, homeless person.

Except the Tournament City had none of those. Jack scanned him. From the side, so did Edgar.

Human (Earth-387), Level 39

Faction: -

Jack had to resist frowning. 39 was the highest level he’d seen so far.

The strange man passed next to them, walking in the opposite direction. Karvahul kept talking as if not noticing him. Jack tensed up. The odd-looking man met Jack’s gaze. He smiled, nodded politely, and kept walking. Just like that, he went past, and then he was gone.

Jack was left staring.

“Hmm?” Karvahul said, finally noticing something. “Is there a problem?”

“There was a weird guy…” Edgar replied.

“I noticed. Well, the crazy ones have an advantage in the early days of the System, but it will even out eventually. Don’t worry about it. Violence is forbidden here, anyway.”

“I could probably take him.” Jack chuckled before turning to Karvahul. “What happens if someone tries to use violence?”

“The guards are sent after them.”

“Oh… I mean, that makes sense, but I expected something like instant divine retribution. You know, the System smiting them or something like that.”

Karvahul laughed. “You’ll find that the System is a very aloof God. It doesn’t care. Almost everything is run by people like you or me—much stronger and wiser, of course, but still people. If you want to stop violence, you station guards. That’s how things work everywhere.”

“I don’t see any guards.”

“Oh, they’re here.” Karvahul gave a toothy grin. “Pray that you never see them.”

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Eventually, the shops began to thin, and the four of them—including Brock, who was growing tired by now—reached an area filled with small houses. Each covered an area of around a thousand square feet, enough to easily accommodate a family, and had a fenced-off garden complete with plants, tables, and chairs. Jack even saw a barbeque.

“The residences are fully furnished and operational. Additionally, you’ll find many amenities that only the Dao can offer, like automated cleaning or self-sustained plants,” said Karvahul.

“Really? Did the architect cultivate the Dao of magical brooms?”

“No, but the Dao of Automation is a very lucrative area of expertise.” Karvahul smiled. “In any case, this is as far as I’ll take you today. Find your assigned house—the number is on your identification token—and enjoy your night. Make sure to check the basement, too. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.”

Jack raised a brow, but the djinn didn’t comment further.

“Fine, then. See you around, Karvahul.”

“See you, my friends. Let’s meet here tomorrow at dawn.”

With a nod, Jack waved goodbye to Edgar, too, and went off to find his house.

A djinn official had given them identification tokens as they left the plaza. They were small, round, and black, with a number etched in striking white color. They were also jaden like a human grandmother’s most precious plates.

“425…” Jack muttered, looking between his token and the house numbers. “425…”

The arrangement of houses was pretty clear-cut. A few minutes later, Jack halted. “425!” he exclaimed, looking at the number carved over the entrance. He pushed the fence door, crossed the garden, then held his token against the lock—it seemed electronic, but who knows, it could also be magical.

With a click, the metal door slid open. Jack smiled. This was nice.

The house was nice too. No, not just nice; it was luxurious. There was everything from a mini-bar full of alcohol—both earthen and alien ones—to a hot tub in the bathroom. Even when he’d gone abroad for conferences, Jack had never experienced such luxury before.

“Hehehe.” He couldn’t help but giggle as he decided to relax in his hot tub before going to sleep. He’d briefly considered fetching Edgar and going out to see the night life, if there was any, but hot water clearly took priority.

Oh, right, he remembered. Karvahul mentioned the basement. I wonder why…

After looking around for a bit, he found a door and, behind it, a flight of steps going down. He followed them to reach a dark space that felt spacious. After a moment of fumbling, he flipped the light switch, and…

Oh. My. God.