Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

The moon hung high. Jack sat on his rooftop, enjoying the night breeze. He was alone. Not even Brock was there. His brows were deeply furrowed.

He needed to think.

I am an enemy of Gan Salin, Shard Presht, and most importantly, Rufus Emberheart.

What had happened in the auction was different than every other time. Gan Salin and Shard Presht envied Jack’s strength and were bitter that they’d lost to him. Gan Salin bore the heavier grudge, obviously, due to what happened in Valville, but he wasn’t someone to worry about.

Both of these scions felt relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things, and their enmity wasn’t too deep. They were enemies, yes, but only in the context of Earth. The Animal Kingdom would probably ignore these frictions if they had something to gain from it.

Now, however, Jack had deeply offended the strongest of the scions. The one who channeled supremacy in everything he did. The one who was far stronger than everyone else, and hence more important.

Even after Brock’s reckless actions, he could have diffused the situation in the auction. He could have apologized. Instead, he had embraced his Dao and stood up to Rufus Emberheart. He didn’t regret it; but now, he had to face the consequences.

Jack’s plan had been to form an alliance on Earth to protect himself and his faction until the planet’s grace period ended. By that time, he would have become so strong that the overpowered aliens would rather befriend and recruit him than fuss over small disputes. It was a bet on himself.

But what had happened with Rufus Emberheart didn’t feel like a small dispute. Rufus’s Dao of supremacy now demanded that he step on Jack like a bug, the same way that Jack’s Dao demanded that he punch Rufus hard into the ground. Their conflict couldn’t be resolved unless someone died or accepted a large crack in their Dao.

Could Jack’s plan still work? Or had he shoved himself into a dead-end?

Even if he beat Rufus now, would the Animal Kingdom still choose to befriend Jack and ignore one of their brilliant youth? If he killed Rufus, would his family—the strongest noble family—drop the matter? If he did nothing, would the Animal Kingdom let him go, and would Rufus Emberheart forget about him?

The Animal Kingdom acted in an overbearing manner, paying little to no heed to their subordinate factions. They were rampant tyrants—Master Shol had said as much.

Suddenly, every path led to the Animal Kingdom squashing Jack and his faction as an example to all would-be defiers. Maybe it wouldn’t happen; but could he guarantee it?

I only intended to banter a bit… Jack sighed to himself, then shook his head. What’s done is done. I just have to find the best way forward. Like a fist.

But while the fist had its strengths, it also hid flaws. Jack couldn’t even take a step back and submit to Rufus, as their enmity was such that his Dao demanded to fight. If he bowed now, he would be ruined. His Dao Root would be crippled, he could sense that much in the deepest recesses of his soul.

He was trapped between a cliff and a wildfire, and only one option was left.

Will we really have to flee Earth… he asked himself, looking at the sky. Fuck. I really don’t want to…

That had always been his last resort. There were teleporters and space travel. If push came to shove, he would take his entire faction and the gym apes and travel somewhere far, far away, where his enemies wouldn’t find them.

But it was such an ugly solution. He would have to leave behind so many people—Valville was huge, after all, and he considered it under his protection. He would also have to uproot the gym apes from their home, and take everyone on a desperate escape between the stars so harsh that chances were they were all going to die. Jack himself might be strong on Earth, but in the wider galaxy, he was just a slightly larger ant.

But what else can I do?

The stars did not reply. Hints of pink already colored the horizon; Jack had been up here the entire night and still hadn’t found a solution. The final round of the tournament would start in just a few hours.

To be precise, he did know one other thing he could try, but it was improbable and came at great cost. Unfortunately, he was left with no other choice. He couldn’t drag his people to their highly probable deaths without exhausting all other avenues.

Jack resolved himself to try.

He hopped off the roof, landing before his door and stepping inside. The warmth hit him like a pleasant wave and reached all the way to his bones. He would have sighed in pleasure if he wasn’t so downcast.

Master Shol was there. He was gazing east through the large kitchen window, enjoying the rising sun. His ethereal form shimmered with light, and his face had an unreadable expression. Jack hardened his heart.

“Master…” he said, stepping closer to the ghost.

“Hmm?” Master Shol turned around. “What is it? Did you enjoy your rooftop?”

Despite his heavy heart, Jack chuckled. He then got serious again. “I have something to ask you, Master.”

“Again? Fine. Ask away.”

Jack looked into his master’s eyes, but he couldn’t read them. His face, marred by strict lines, was still hidden behind a hard beard. He looked harsher than he really was. He had already helped Jack a lot without asking for anything in return…and Jack was about to ask for more.

He gulped.

“I am enemies with the scions, Master,” he began. “They come from the Animal Kingdom, and in the auction…I offended the strongest one, Rufus Emberheart, the Leonine.”

Master Shol raised a brow. “Offended how?”

“Brock threw a piece of poop at his chest. It left a stain. He was furious and struck out at me, but I blocked his strike in public. The Hand of God representative then kicked us out.”

Master Shol stayed silent for a moment. “I see,” he finally responded. “That is not good.” Cogs were already turning in his mind. He probably suspected what Jack was going to ask, but Jack kept going anyway.

“I feel that our enmity is now too deep to resolve peacefully. I have also defeated Gan Salin and Shard Presht, two other scions, who also hate my guts. I am worried that, no matter what happens in the tournament, they will attack me and my faction afterward.”

“They will,” Master Shol replied without hesitation. “And even if they don’t, or if you somehow survive, the Animal Kingdom will come in a year. I already told you they are tyrants. They won’t even bother with an excuse. They will just wipe your faction off the map.”

A knot caught in Jack’s throat. He’d suspected as much himself, but it had only been a hunch. Hearing his doom stated with such certainty ground his heart to dust. “They will?” he asked in a trembling voice. “What if I’m strong enough that they choose to let me live instead? That they forget about this enmity?”

Master Shol chuckled hoarsely. “The Animal Kingdom’s power is hereditary. They are organized around lineages. In their eyes, a human like you could never compare to one of their star disciples, no matter how promising you are. In fact, given your enmity with them, you are more of a threat to eliminate than a disciple to nurture. Your entire faction will be culled as a show of force. It wouldn’t be the first or second time they act so.”

Jack fell silent. “I see,” he finally said with an exhale. “But could they really just show up and slaughter us? Aren’t there laws in the galaxy? What about the star pact?”

“The star pacts deals with higher things, and it is not infallible. A titan like the Animal Kingdom can easily bend the rules against a small F-Grade faction.” Master Shol turned back towards the window to admire the rising sun. His voice was slow as he spoke.

“The galaxy is a violent place where death is commonplace, and the Animal Kingdom especially is infamous for its brutality. Perhaps they wouldn’t have acted over just the minor frictions against the canine and the sharken, but Rufus Emberheart is a different story altogether. He is a true noble and a rare genius, even to them. Make no mistake. They will slaughter you or suppress and herd you like cattle until he gains the strength to slaughter you himself.”

Jack’s heart fell like a rock. This was the worst case scenario.

“So, there is no way out,” he managed to say.

“It depends. Unless you do something about it, you and all your allies are a lost cause. Do you have a plan?” Master Shol still looked at the window. Jack could only see his straight back and clasped hands, not his face.

“We can flee from the planet,” Jack replied, “but that would be so painful… Our primate allies would be uprooted from their homes, and I would have to drag my people through a perilous path. We might all die.”

“Would you prefer to die at home?”

“No. It’s just…” Jack gritted his teeth, then raised his head to look at Master Shol, who was still looking the other way. “I apologize in advance, Master, but the Exploding Sun is enemies with the Animal Kingdom. You said it yourself that we are close to the border. If you could protect us, my people wouldn’t have to die. Maybe…”

His words trailed off. He didn’t have to say anything else. His master clearly got the point. They stayed silent for a moment.

“No,” Master Shol finally responded, his voice even. “What you ask is impossible.”

Jack’s heart descended further. “But you are enemies, Master. If—”

“No, Jack.” Master Shol turned around. His face was stern—for real this time. “You do not understand what you are asking. There are rules in the galaxy, give-and-takes. You are telling me to make my faction pay a high price to save yours.”

“The Animal Kingdom can break the rules. Why can’t you?”

“Enough. You are speaking out of line.” Master Shol’s frown deepened as he scolded Jack. “Not another word. You are my disciple and I will help you if I can, but this is too much. You receive my guidance and ask for even more in return? You ask me to sacrifice my faction to benefit yours?” He sneered. “Shameful.”

Jack did not speak.

“You have to shoulder the consequences of your decisions,” Master Shol continued. “I will help you get stronger and win the tournament. After that, your people will have to run, and you can join them if you want, but it won’t change a thing. Most of them will die, if not all. The galaxy is not a place for mortals, and you won’t have the strength to protect them even in a year’s time. F-Grade cultivators can’t even teleport, Jack… Most of them won’t even be able to run away.”

This knowledge struck Jack like a sledgehammer. “They cannot teleport?!”

“Only E-Grade and above.”

“But I teleported to the tournament!”

“That was intra-planetary. If someone without a Dao-infused body tried to travel many star systems away, they would only arrive as a puddle of blood.”

Jack stepped back. “No…”

“Yes, Jack.” Master Shol’s strict gaze landed in his eyes. It held a hint of pity. “If you want to escape the scions, I can take you to the Exploding Sun as my disciple…but only you. The rest of your faction and allies will have to find their own way through the galaxy. Some might survive.”

Jack gritted his teeth. “Master, I am begg—”

Master Shol had had enough. His eyes widened to the extreme. “Enough!” he roared, much like Vocrich had. Jack’s vision was filled with a massive explosion greater than a mountain. He took a step back, cupping his ringing ears.

“I will not help you. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Only Elders have the right to invite subordinate factions, and I am a Deacon.” Master Shol’s intense voice cut through the ringing.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but his master beat him to the punch. His hard eyes cranked as he barked out in harsh rebuttal, “Still you dare speak? Are you completely shameless? This is not how a disciple of mine behaves! Shameful! Shameful!”

The sound seemed to fill Jack’s house, ringing in every brick and piece of furniture. Brock appeared from the basement stairs, looking around in fear and rushing to climb on Jack’s shoulder. He narrowed his eyes at Master Shol and almost moved a hand towards the base of his tail but stopped himself immediately.

“I—”

“Fuck off!” Master Shol interrupted him, still shouting. “You have disgraced yourself enough. The sun is up. Go fight; and if you win, I will keep training you as honor demands.”

Jack clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms, and he lowered his head. “Yes, Master…” he said bitterly.

Master Shol didn’t reply. Without another word, Jack took Brock and headed outside, towards the arena. His head was lowered the entire way, and his mind was submerged in dark thoughts.

I killed my people… he thought. And I disgraced myself so fucking hard. Master Shol is right. I asked for too much, but what choice did I have? Fuck. Fuck!

“Jack—” Edgar tried to greet him at the gates, but Jack just waved him away.

Do I really need to bow? Do I need to break my Dao to save them?

His heart burned as he crossed the town. Everyone got out of his way. And in his frustration, he did not notice that, from a window in the participant district, a pair of old eyes followed him the entire way.