Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 328: A Mistake?

Jack, Brock, and the Sage walked through the village of white obsidian cabins. Each was small, barely large enough for two rooms, and they also seemed empty. The windows were shut, and no sound came from inside.

However, the moment Jack set foot into the village, he was instantly overtaken by a feeling of immense dread. In his Dao perception, every single cabin overflowed with power. The invisible energy around them was thrumming and pulsing, getting torn apart as each cabin pulled large chunks of Dao inside it.

Each cabin held a powerhouse, an unusually strong C-Grade. The weakest people present had to be around the planetary overseers level, and there were dozens of them. The combined pressure could easily force Jack to the ground. His only saving grace was that these monstrous auras did not work together, nor did they care about him. When the initial shock wore off, he realized that these people were just cultivating in silence.

Jack couldnt quench his burning heart. This was a true gathering of elites, and he was about to be a part of it.

Bro, a voice came from behind him. Turning to look, Jack found Brock still standing, but on shaky legs and sweating bullets.

Are you okay, Brock?

Must rest.

Jack nodded. With Brocks proud mindset, he wouldnt admit this if he wasnt about to pass out. Lets sit over there for a while, he said, pointing to a random stone on the ground. They could also lean against the walls of a cabin, but that might insult the expert inside; or, Jack could carry Brock, but the proud brorilla would hate that.

Brocks strength relied on his Dao, not so much his body. After all, he didnt have access to the System, so he didnt possess all the titles that Jack did. Purely stat-wise, he had roughly half of Jacks stats.

You can use your Dao to resist the pressure, the Sage spoke up, drawing the surprised looks of both Jack and Brock. He raised a brow. Why are you both looking at me like that? Did you think that I, a Mental cultivator, was resisting it so far with my body alone? Gravity is just another Dao. Of course you can use your own to weaken it.

Jack and Brock glanced at each other. They hadnt considered that. When a cultivator developed their Dao Tree and reached the D-Grade, they were no longer affected by minor forces like the gravity of a regular planet. It wasnt that they consciously fought it off, more that such minor forces were repelled by their mere presence.

However, when gravity increased a thousandfold, that naturally stopped being the case.

Jack experimented. He released a little bit of his aura so as not to disturb the cultivators in the cabins around them. As he focused on the space around him, he found it curved, like he was standing on a slope with strong currents pulling him downward. By assimilating the surrounding Dao into his own, as all D-Grades could do, the pull lessened significantly. Jack exclaimed in joy. Though he still felt suppressed, it was much less compared to before.

However, the strain on his Dao was significant. Continuously resisting gravity used up roughly thirty percent of his power, and that was just to decrease its pull by half.

Jack whistled. This place is not joking around.

Tell me about it, the Sage replied bitterly. More than half my Dao is spent just surviving. Physical cultivators really have an advantage here.

Jack couldnt help a small smile. Every branch of cultivators had their own advantages, but when it came to resisting the physical world, Physical cultivators were naturally superior.

Got it, Brock said. His forehead remained creased, but he now seemed to stand more easily. His legs were no longer shaking.

Can you keep it up, Brock? Jack asked.

Yes.

Jack shrugged. Given his Dao, Brock had probably taught gravity that pulling on its bros wasnt cool.

The three of them continued through the village, finally running into the first other cultivators here. A man and a woman walked together, each seemingly unfettered by the extreme gravity. The man was sharp-eyed, dressed in white and carrying a dark blade on his hip.

However, the most impressive of the two was the woman. She was stunningly beautiful. Her waist was slender, her face pristine and symmetrical, her body toned in all the right places. Jack didnt look any more out of respect for both of them, and also himself, but she was certainly one of the prettiest women hed ever met.

Hello, he said. My name is Jack, and these are Brock and the Sage.

Markus William, replied the man, frowning in their direction. You are weak. What are you doing here?

Jack stared back. The Church invited me to become an outer disciple, he replied, suddenly disinclined to give them any more information.

A peak D-Grade outer disciple? the woman said, her expression showing clear disdain. Has the Church become desperate? Or are you the son of a higher-up?

Jack here is an extreme talent, the Sage cut in, sensing Jacks bad mood. He was invited on the basis of his achievements, as was I. And I would suggest watching your words. A disciple should not insult the hand feeding them; if an Envoy heard your disrespectful words, you would be punished severely.

Hmph. I only speak the truth. If a faction lowers their standards, they are lowering themselves.

Brock raised his proud head. The only low here is you, he replied. The womans brows rose like half-moons, while the man frowned deeply. A hint of his aura seeped out. Jack felt an irresistible power enveloping him, like a cold knife pressed against his Adams apple.

Strong! he realized. This man was vastly stronger than the planetary overseer or Jack himself. There was no way to use the Systems inspection outside System space, so Jack couldnt determine the mans level, but he had to be at least a late C-Grade, maybe even a peak one! His aura alone felt like the overseers fully-released Dao Domain.

This was an opponent he absolutely couldnt defeat right now. However, that didnt mean Jack would cower away. He stared at the man, as did Brock. If any of them feared death, they wouldnt have reached these heights.

Besides, there was no way the disciples of the Church were allowed to just slaughter each other over a tiny argument.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

If you plan to do something, do it, Jack said. If not, stop wasting our time.

Seeing their reactions, the woman snorted, while the man laughed coldly. His aura was retracted, and they both kept walking, no longer shooting Jack another glance. Good luck, kids, the man said. Try not to die by standing too long.

Jacks gaze burned their backs until they turned a corner and disappeared. Brock shook his head. Not cool, he said, while Jack turned to the Sage.

Who were they?

I dont know them personally. The man must have been a high-ranker, but the woman felt much weaker. She cant be higher than an early C-Grade.

Was that normal? Is that how people act here?

This time, the Sage thought about it before replying. At the C-Grade, everyone has already embraced their Dao, so every cultivator has their own personality. Some are kind and respectful; others are brash and barbaric. This couple must have been the latter kind. But, in any case, dont take it to heart. We are still weak, so it is natural that we dont command the respect of others. In a few years, when you realize your potential and climb to a good rank, nobody will dare treat you like that.

Jack thought about it, then nodded. Without power, we are nothing. With power, we are gods. The truth of the cultivation world.

The truth of every world. Now; shall we?

They continued on their journey, passing through the village without meeting anyone else. Eventually, they made their way to a larger cabin with an open door. As they stepped inside, Jack noticed stacks of paper neatly organized on bookshelves across the walls, while a desk was situated at the far end of the room. Of course, neither the paper, nor the bookshelves, nor the desk were ordinary. They were made of special and extremely durable materialsotherwise, the extreme gravity would have pulverized them.

A woman sat behind the desk. Her dark hair was made into braids, but besides that, she seemed to be of a species between humans and lizards. Her skin was covered by dark green scales, her head connected directly to her torso without passing through a neck, her eyes had thin vertical slits, and her hands ended in sharp claws. The only reason Jack knew she was a woman was due to reading her aura.

Said aura, of course, towered to the heavens. This was another B-Grade. Working an office job.

What a day Jack thought, already numb to this. Greetings, Envoy, he said. I am here to register as an outer disciple.

The lizard woman raised her gaze and took him in. A forked tongue slipped out of her mouth, then back inside. Jack Rust, she said in a normal-sounding voice. Peak D-Grade, Dao of the Fist, perfect foundation.

You read all that in my aura?

I read it in your file, she said, raising a sheet of paper that contained his face and details. We were expecting you. Welcome to the Black Hole Church.

Uh Thank you.

It was so weird speaking to a world-ending alien like she worked at the neighborhood public office. The best Jack could do was remain as respectful as possibleafter all, she could end him with a single finger.

Your residence is the cabin 425. Your spiritual companion can live with you. As for your friend

She took a look at the Sage, who simply shrugged and said, Im not a disciple. Just a guest.

Very well. I recognize you, too. You should already know your residence number.

I do.

Would it kill you to stop being mysterious for a moment? Jack asked, to which the Sage laughed.

She started it!

Jacks face went pale. That was no way to speak around a B-Gradebut the lizard woman didnt seem to mind.

As an outer disciple, you will receive one Dao stone per universal year. Additional benefits can be earned as you climb the ranking obelisk, with the first threshold being at the ranking of 950. New disciples start at the bottom, which is currently rank 997. She opened a drawer and fished a small crystal the size of Jacks thumb, then tossed it at him. Do you have any questions?

He had. Many of them. For example, he wanted to know what was a Dao stone and what other benefits were available. However, he didnt want to bug this B-Grade too much and risk getting wiped out of existence. In the end, he settled for asking, If you can spare the time to answer, how does one achieve a higher ranking?

The Church possesses a formation called the Ceaseless Murder Globe. In there, you battle phantasmal enemies of increasing strength and gather points based on how many you can defeat. Your ranking is determined based on your number of points compared to everyone else. However, I would not recommend visiting the Globe yet. Even the weakest enemies it contains are at the C-Grade. Your current cultivation is far from sufficient to fight for rankings. Focus on breaking through first.

I see. Thank you for your advice.

Is there anything else?

Thats all from me. Thank you.

The lizard woman nodded. Seeing that neither the Sage nor Brock had anything to add, the three of them exited the cabin. That was all? Jack asked. Im an outer disciple now?

Indeed.

And whats the deal with that Ultimate Slaughter Globe?

Ceaseless Murder. But you dont need to bother with it yet; as the Envoy said, just focus on breaking through for now. The extreme gravity condenses the Dao around here, making the Cathedral an optimal place for cultivation, and this Dao stone you received can rapidly increase your cultivation, pushing you against the boundary of the C-Grade. It shouldnt take you too long; and then, you can begin to enjoy the real benefits this place has to offer.

Jack considered it. Indeed, the Dao around here felt thick and creamy, perfect for cultivation. There was complete silence too, and zero distractions, letting him focus purely on cultivating.

Moreover, he no longer had a time limit. He had no reason to look for trouble before he was ready; he could just take it easy, avoid making enemies, and slowly but surely develop his strength.

Alright, he said. Brock, wanna check out our cabin?

Yes, Brock replied with a smile. Since he couldnt level up, he didnt need to fight anyone to advance, just meditate; the thick Dao here was perfect for him too.

***

Unfortunately, even if some people try to stay away from trouble, trouble has a way of finding them.

Some time later, a group of outer disciples were relaxing on the roof of a white obsidian cabin, enjoying some spirit wine. Coincidentally, one of these people was the beautiful woman that Jacks group had run into before.

Suddenly, all of them turned their heads towards the ranking obelisk. The last few rows of names shook. Then, a new name appeared: Jack Rust!

However, Jacks name wasnt at the bottom of the obelisk, where it should be. It had actually appeared at the number 950! Whatever benefit was received at the ranking of 950, Jack had gotten it, and the cultivator just displaced to 951 had lost it.

What? one of the disciples exclaimed. Jack Rust? I havent seen that name before. It must be a new disciple.

But how did they start at ranking 950? another person replied, furrowing their brows. The Ceaseless Murder Globe hasnt activated recently. That Jack Rust has to have cheated, or there was some mistake.

There werent many things to do at the Cathedral, and the outer disciples were all highly competitive. This group abandoned their wine and rushed to the office of the lizard woman for explanations.

I dont know either, she replied, seeming clearly unhappy. This order came just now from the Head Envoy himself. If you have a problem with it, go ask him!

The Head Envoy was the man Jack had met right before Earth teleported; the mischievous-looking Heavenly Spoon Sovereign. Naturally, these outer disciples wouldnt dare question someone of such high status in the Church, but they remained frustrated. Some of them had been here for centuries. The ranking was of great importance to them.

If someone could climb the ranks through pure favoritism, what was the point of it all?

Lets go check out this Jack Rust, they agreed. If he was really strong, he would be placed at a higher rank. Who cheats to get to 950? He must be weak.

His cabin number is 425, replied the lizard woman, who equally disliked favoritism. After all, she had spent several millennia as an outer disciple herself. Knock yourselves out.