Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 332: Life Choices

Jack stared unblinkingly at the mountain of a man before him. He was short, wide like a plasma tv, and his name was Dorman Whistles.

But it had only been a year since Jack last saw Dorman. How could he have tripled in weight?

At the risk of sounding insensitive, he said, what happened?

Dorman had a little accident, the Sage tried to reply, but Dorman only harrumphed.

I was set up! Some woman fed me a treasure that made me fat!

Dorman, like yourself, arrived here at the D-Grade, the Sage spoke again. He cultivated using the dense Dao but got desperate to advance quickly. After using his extreme speed to steal a treasurethis happened.

There are treasures that can make you fat?

Even junk food on Earth can make you fat. How could Dao treasures be weaker than cheeseburgers?

Hmph. Dorman snorted, slowly recovering his composureletting Jack see him in this condition must have been a mental blow. She knew I would take that treasure. She left it exposed on purpose. Now, my body is not aerodynamic at all, limiting my speed. My combat ability has gone down a lot.

Dorman cultivated the Dao of Speed. This heavy form did not suit him very much.

Who is the she you keep talking about? Jack asked.

A late C-Grade bitch who refuses to take me seriously.

If you tried to steal from her and she only punished you by making you fat, I would say thats pretty lenient.

Dorman seemed hurt. She made it too easy.

Yeah, and I see it turned out just fine.

Listen, motherfucker, I can still beat you up anytime you want!

Jack smirked but let the challenge pass. He had confidence that nobody under the C-Grade could beat him, and Dorman was only a late D-Grade. Moreover, Jack saw no reason to push Dorman down at this point.

Anyway, I was about to take a walk. Wanna join me? We could visit this Heavy Pagoda and see what its about.

Sure, the Sage replied, falling into step next to Jack. Dorman reluctantly followed. As for Brock, he had heard their exchange but didnt bother getting uphe just wanted to cultivate.

As they walked, Jack felt an awkward atmosphere settling in. He turned to Dorman.

So. How long have you been, uh, well-fed?

A few months. Dorman crossed his arms, not forgetting his previous anger. That bitch refuses to give me the antidote.

Hmm. Well, at least now you know that stealing is bad.

I will seriously destroy you.

By sitting on me?

Dormans eyes widened. YOU! he exclaimed, but before he could reach out, Jack had already blinked away laughing. Dormans cultivation was weaker than Jacks, he was not aerodynamic, and the Cathedrals gravity amplified his already great weight. Under these conditions, Jacks speed was greater than Dormanswhich was supposed to be his specialty.

Really, becoming fat had ruined his combat prowess.

Dormans eyes fell as he realized this, and he became sad.

Come on, relax, Jack said, slowly approaching again. Im sorry. I shouldnt have said that.

Its okay Im just a little sensitive right now, thats all. Sorry for cursing at you before.

Why dont you leave here? Jack asked with a little pity in his eyes. With your cultivation, both weight and aerodynamics would mean nothing on a regular planet. Your speed would be almost intact. It is only here, where gravity is extremely strong, that your combat power is decreased.

Jack thought his question was valid. However, hearing it, Dormans brows rose, and he looked at the Sage. You havent told him?

It didnt come up yet.

What didnt come up? Jack asked, suddenly feeling a bit worried.

The Sage coughed in his hand. Do you remember how, the higher you climb on the ranking obelisk, the more benefits and privileges you earn?

Yeah?

Using the teleporters is one of those privileges. Before you reach the ranking of eight hundredyou cannot leave.

The news fell like thunder. Jack froze. His eyes turned wide as saucers. I cannot leave!? he shouted. Sage! What the hell is wrong with you? Why didnt you mention it earlier!?

Because it doesnt change much.

Doesnt change much? I have children, you idiot. I have a home. If I cannot leave this place until I reach a high ranking, will I never see them growing up!?

Jack was livid. For the current him, even a ranking of 950 was a stretch. There was no way to reach 800 before breaking through, but that could take a long time. Years, maybe.

Was he really trapped here?

Sage, this is not a joke. If you make my children grow up fatherless, I will make you pay for it.

Facing Jacks billowing anger, the Sage was calm. I told you, it will be fine, he insisted. With your potential, breaking through wont take too long. Then, reaching 800 will be a breeze.

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Oh yeah? And how exactly will I break through? Because last time I checked, I would need two decades to gather enough Dao stones.

Im sure youll find a way.

Jack looked at the Sage, unable to believe the words that came out of his mouth. This was a set-up! He was trapped!

Youd better give me some Dao stones, Sage, or I swear Ill break your face.

When have I ever led you wrong? Trust me. It will be fine. If not, I will take full responsibility and use my connections to help you break through.

Jack closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Only now was he slightly pacified, but only slightly. He hated getting played like that. It was almost betrayal. In his mind, he remembered that the Sage was a mysterious, enigmatic figure whose real motives remained unknown.

Perhaps trusting him too much was a bad idea.

Do you understand now? Dorman said with a sad smile. Im trapped here, too. I cannot leave before I reach the C-Grade, but I cannot reach the C-Grade without leaving. I am not a disciple, so I do not get free Dao stones, and I am only a D-Grade, so I cannot produce my own. I have no means to acquire them. Perhaps I could indebt myself to others if I still had my combat power, butas I am right now, there is nothing I can offer to C-Grades. None of them would take me seriously. Im stuck.

Were you also lured here with lies? Jack asked, but Dorman shook his head.

I knew I couldnt leave. I still chose to come, because this was the best place to cultivate, and I thought I would find a way to either break through or escape. That is why I got desperate and tried to steal a treasure.

Jack shook his head in silence. This was a lot to take in. He needed to break through as soon as possible. He needed Dao stones.

Sage, you put me into this mess, so you better help me get out. Can your contacts get me some Dao stones? I will repay them after I reach the C-Grade.

They can. However, try to find some way to earn them yourself first. Give it three years. If you have not managed to collect them by then, I promise I will help you.

Three years?

That was not as long as eighteen years, but it remained a long time. He had planned to visit home often. What would Vivi say if he went missing for three years? What would his children think of their father?

It is too much, he eventually said. I do not appreciate your actions. Six months. That is the most I will endure. After that, you will give me enough stones to break through. Is that clear?

The Sage tightened his lips. He was about to say something, then thought better about it. In the end, he sighed. Fine. Six months. But, Jack I know how this sounds, but please believe in me. I would never betray you or keep you away from your family. The reason I dared to never say anything is because youve told me you planned to return at six months for the first time, and I knew I would be able to provide the stones to aid your breakthrough by then.

As for why I chose to keep this a secret In truth, this is forbidden knowledge. Many disciples have people who depend on them back home. If their enemies knew that they couldnt return for a long period of time, they would certainly burn these disciples homes and kill their families. For that reason, we do not disseminate this knowledge unless absolutely necessary. I didnt think it was so in your case, so I said nothing.

Jack frowned deeply. His mind went over the Sages words. They made sense. If he saw this objectively, he might have made the same choice in the Sages shoes. However, being on the other end felt unpleasant.

He chose to maintain his friendship with the Sage, but keep an eye out. This was a man that kept secrets.

Fine. Six months it is. Until then, is there some way to get Dao stones? I know Im only a D-Grade, but Im strong. Does the Church have some sort of quest system, where I can perform missions for payment?

Sadly, no. The Cathedral has few people, so there is little automation. Any missions are directly assigned to the right candidatesand, even if you could get one, they are meant for people of far higher strength than you. Mostly Envoys. Thats where their title comes from.

Jack grumbled.

There are services to be offered, though, the Sage added. The Cathedral is a lonely place sorely lacking personnel. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of others, all those jobs can be performed if you put away your cultivators pride. Moreover, if you possess any utility outside combat, there will certainly be some demand for you.

What kind of utility?

Anything, really. Magic formations, smithing, Dao theory.

Whats Dao theory?

You get paid to debate the Dao against someone trying to breakthrough. Not many people use such a service, but it can help if youre really stuck at a bottleneck.

I work as a Dao debater occasionally. I get roughly a Dao stone per year, Dorman said with a grimace. The Sage hadnt promised to give him any stones, but Jack didnt pryit was their business.

His mind turned back to money-making; specifically, Dao debating. He hesitated. He could maybe do that on the basis of his perfect foundation, but a Dao stone per year was far less than he needed.

Cant I duel people for money? he asked.

Most people use their friends for that. Plus, youre not strong enough. Seeing Jack deep in thought, the Sage kept trying. Come on, Jack, dont get down. Tell me; is there anything youre good at, besides combat?

...Im a biologist, I guess. I can tell people how ants evolved.

Hmm. That doesnt sound too useful Suddenly, the Sages face brightened. Ah! Have you considered becoming a healer?

A healer?

Yes. You have knowledge about how the body works, which is one of the hardest parts, and you possess a Dao Root of Life. Those are the minimum requirements already.

Huh. I dont think so. My path involves breaking people, not fixing them.

The Sage laughed. Thats not a problem. Of all the side practices, healing is the one that can most directly influence your combat strength, both offensively and defensively. Plus, with the Life Drop inside you, not learning how to use it properly would be a big waste. Not to mention its the path to easy Dao stones.

That made Jack think. He had actually never considered using his Life Dao like that.

Even back at the Integration Tournament, the elef scion used the Dao of Life to heal people. Most other healers hed met did the same. He could already heal himself. Why not others?

Such a weird concept, he mused. How would I sell my services? Perhaps I could break peoples nose and charge them to fix it?

That would be improper, but maybe you can help them after someone else breaks their nose.

Like, my accomplice?

Like any random cultivator after a duel. I dont think its such a bad idea. Many people need healing, and you even have the Life Drop inside you to supply extra Life Dao. With a little bit of studying, you could become a passable healer.

Jack considered it more seriously. Is healing lucrative?

Plenty. There is always demand for healers, and not many people cultivate the right Daos to become one. If youre good, you could even earn dozens of stones a year! But, of course, thats not easy.

Jack cupped his chin. He had spent most of his life studying before the System came. Now, he was leery of falling back into the rabbit hole, but did he even have a choice? He needed Dao stones, and earning as many as he could himself was better than getting them through the Sage.

After all, though he wanted to return to Earth, relying too much on others would affect his Dao heart.

The more he considered it, the more virtues he found in the idea. Learning to control the Life Drop better would directly increase his combat strength. If he became a healer, his self-regeneration would probably rise even further in effectiveness, making him almost immortal. He could also use the excess Life Dao provided by the Life Drop to assist his friends if they got too injured, or use it on strangers and earn a pretty penny. With money, his cultivation would advance much faster, both now and later.

Not to mention his background in biology. But how would his Earthen knowledge mesh with a multi-species magical practice?

I can take a look, he promised himself. Couldnt hurt. Punching will always come first, but I could use a little side hustleas long as it doesnt take up too much of my time.

Plus, I almost have a PhD, goddammit! Its about time I used it!

Look, we have arrived, Dorman said, pointing at a building in the distance. The Heavy Pagoda!