Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 278: Fighting a Late Immortal

Jack and Shol prowled through a dense jungle.

Well, prowled was an understatement. They shuttled through at hundreds of miles per hour, dodging trees and animals as if everything else was moving in slow motion. A lion tried to jump out of the way, only for Jack to circle around it regardless.

I wonder how it feels to live on the same planet as your ancestors, Shol said. I see lions here. The leonines originate from them.

Its not that weird, Jack replied. We come from monkeys, and my Earth is full of themkind of. We just never give it a second thought.

Hmm. I guess.

Shol glanced at his wrist, where he wore a clock-like device whose surface resembled a scanner. A blinking dot was slowly but surely approaching the center. Were getting close, he said. On your guard. This could get messy.

You got it.

They fell silent, letting only the sound of splitting air accompany them. Thanks to their speed, even the animal roars sounded oddly. The terrain around them had transitioned from a forest to a thick jungle, making its navigation difficult and time-consuming.

Before long, the sounds of explosions came from up ahead.

Careful, Shol instructed telepathically. I think someone is after him.

What careful? We have to hurry! Jack responded, accelerating ahead and taking charge. Gritting his teeth, Shol followed.

The explosions kept growing stronger. Suddenly, a shockwave crashed down, flattening an entire area of the jungle around them while the ground shook heavily under their feet.

With the surrounding trees demolished, they had a clear view of the sky. Jack drew a sharp breath. Captain Dordok was there. His steel club was held high, emanating a formless, intimidating aura, and his once kind face was warped into an angry scowl.

He swiped once. The very air was pushed away from his club, creating a vacuum. A wide shockwave spread out, impacting the distant jungle and flattening another part of it.

Four cultivators stood against Dordok. One was a goateea goat personwielding a large, golden halberd. The second was a bearfolk with patches of gray on his fur and scars all over. The third was a human, surprisingly, wearing long black robes, and the fourth was an one-eyed ogre just like Dordok, wielding a greatsword that emanated an aura of brutality.

Jack inspected them all.

Goatee, Level 236

Bearfolk, Level 221

Human (Parniol), Level 240

Cyclops, Level 230

All of them were in the late D-Grade, and all shared the same title: Eighth Ring Conqueror. Each of these four individuals had once been a dominant Lord in Trial Planet.

Jack also inspected Dordok, whose level was finally visible.

Cyclops, Level 245

Faction: -

Title: Far Traveler

Traitor! Dordok roared, bringing his club down. The ensuing shockwave cracked the air as it traveled, but oddly, it was off the mark. It simply passed by the opposing cultivators, ruffling their robes before digging a deep crater into the earth.

You are out of your mind, the other cyclops replied calmly, hefting his greatsword. Only an idiot fights for a lost cause.

A powerful idiot. ORAAA! He swung down again, also missing.

Whats wrong with him? Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.

Shol pointed at the human man wearing black robes. Its that guy. I can sense hes up to something. Humans in the Animal Kingdom are generally Mental or Will cultivators.

We should help.

Absolutely. Lets go.

Due to the distance, the other cultivators hadnt noticed them yet. That was about to change. Jack and Shol pushed powerfully off the ground, shooting up like missilesone left a purple trail, the other an orange one. The moment they rose above the treeline, eight eyesthree pairs from the enemy cultivators and two eyes from Dordok and the other ogre put togetherfell on them.

Whos there!? the human shouted, turning an open palm towards them. Suddenly, Jacks world turned dark. He was trapped in an endless night where his eyes were useless, and even his Dao perception was baffled by bodiless impressions. He was lost and alone. State your identity! the human roared again, the sound clear despite Jacks blindness.

An explosion of power came from his side. The night shivered and cracked, rays of light slipping through the darkness. Jack followed Shols lead, unleashing his Dao as powerfully as possible. The outline of a fist appeared around him, purple and almost corporeal, and with a shout, he shattered the other mans domain.

The sky returned to normal, revealing a man with a line of blood flowing down his nose. He gritted his teeth as he noticed the fist outline around Jack. You are

Jack Rust! Dordok interrupted him. His one eye was widened to the extreme, and his mouth was hanging open. Apparently, the night around him had also shattered. Level 179? How!?

Its a long story, captain! Jack replied with a big smile. Ill tell you later. For now, Im here to rescue you!

Dordok stared incredulously for another moment before his jaw hardened, and he raised his club again. Lies. Youre an illusion. How dare you intrude my mind!

No wait captain, I really am

Before Jack could finish speaking, Dordok swung at them. Jack felt the wind around them disappear. An infinitely powerful strike came crashing at his head, filling the entire world. He crossed his arms to defend.

Shol appeared before him. He unleashed a palm strike. Palm met club, and the ensuing explosion was enough to make Jacks head ring and obliterate a large swathe of forest under them. The club was stopped in its tracks, but Shol slid back in the air a few feet.

Your captain is no weakling, Jack, he said with a hint of joy. Why didnt you tell me?

How was I supposed to know!? Jack replied, still awestruck by the collision before him. Either of those strikes would have sent him flying for miles.

Youre strong, Dordok declared, narrowing his eyes at Shol. Too strong for an illusion. Who are you?

Shol Pesna, former second deacon of the Exploding Sun. And you?

Dordok. Captain Dordok for you. What are you doing with my crew member?

Probably committing suicide, but well see. He dragged me here to save you.

Dordok still looked at Jack with intense disbelief. It was understandable. Only a few months ago, Jack had been a greenhorn barely into the E-Grade. And now he was in the mid D-Grade? If he told this to anyone, people would laugh at him!

Without a word, Dordok turned and struck at the four opposing cultivators. With the wizards influence gone, his club fell true, heading for the cyclops that stood in the middle of the enemy group.

A greatsword swung upward. The other cyclops roared, and the two weapons clashed in a terrifying display of strength. The air itself fractured and whistled as it dashed around wildly, and the shockwave blew Jacks robes and hair back.

However, of the two cyclopses, one emerged superior. Dordok completed his swing, and the other cyclops screamed as his sword was pushed out of the way and the steel club met his chest. The sound of thick bones breaking echoed through the sky. The cyclops flew backward and crashed hard into the ground, creating fissures that spread for miles.

Dont let them run! Shol growled, launching forward. He became a shining sun as he flew straight for the night wizard. He shot out a palm. Bright Sky!

The wizard laughed, pushing his hands forward to unleash a beam of darkness. Ive heard about you, Shol Pesna! Ive long yearned to face you. Endless Night!

The two strikes met. They did not erupt in a shockwave but rather wrapped around each other, fighting for supremacy. Shols palm shone with all the colors of dawn, slowly turning into high noon, while the wizards darkness was impenetrable by even the sharpest of Dao perceptions. It reminded Jack of the first few nights in the Forest of the Strong, where the trees and shadows hid unknown dangers.

He immediately snapped out of the memory and charged. There were three opponents still alive; one for each of them. Jack, being the weakest of his group, decided to handle the Level 221 bearfolk.

You will pay! Dordok roared from above, flying club-first into the halberd-wielding goatee. Their weapons clashed repeatedly. The goatee was faster, but Dordok was so much stronger that each of his attacks sent the opponent flying. Victory was a matter of time.

Jack focused on his own opponent.

The bearfolk, seeing her friends occupied in battle, had a very clear plan: kill Jack as quickly as possible and assist them. In her mind, Jack was not a worthy opponent. They were forty levels apart, and the bearfolk herself was also a proud genius, the star of her generation.

Get out of my way! she roared, charging straight at Jack and swiping her claws. A green domain flared out, tinged with redness, only for Jacks purple starry sky to erupt and hold it at bay. He punched out.

Meteor Punch!

All colors and sounds in a narrow radius were sucked into his fist. They exploded against the incoming claws, painting the sky purple and unleashing a massive shockwave in the bearfolks way. She flew back in astonishment. Her strike had been blocked!

How!? she roared, but Jack was already there. It was his first time fighting a late immortal for real, so he did not intend to go easy. With a step through space, he appeared behind the bearfolk and smashed out a fist at the top of her head. It connected. Skull creaked under his knuckles as the bearfolk flew downward, only to catch herself mid-air and turn to face him again. Blood was dripping down her face, but her surprise overwhelmed her pain.

You can even teleport!? she shouted again. Who the hell are you?

Im Jack Rust.

Brutalizing Aurathe new versionerupted out of him. Jack felt primal satisfaction well up in his chest. A formless cloud unfolded, ignoring the bearfolks domain and engulfing her. Instantly, her face went pale; her eyes still held some fight in them, but the power of her domain dropped sharply, letting Jacks slowly conquer it.

A smile formed on his face. From the side, both Shol and Dordok shot him questioning glances, but none seemed particularly affected by his aura.

Who are you!? the bearfolk asked again, full of terror.

Instead of answering, he charged. Realizing she could not escape, his opponents roared and dove back into battle. Punches and claws flew wildly. This time, she didnt dare underestimate him, so getting the upper hand was harder despite her weakened state. His knuckles met her claws directly, the skin not even cracking, as the two slowly became engrossed in a dance of death.

Jack leaned back to avoid a swipe, then ducked below another to unleash a straight punch into the bearfolks torso. The impact was enough to shatter mountains. The bearfolk grimaced but took the hit, then matched it with her own. A set of sharp claws raked down Jacks arm, drawing thick red lines, but contrary to her expectations, he did not even try to dodge. He didnt need to; his Neutron Star Body could protect him.

Instead of dodging, he leaned into a hard uppercut, rocking her head back before following his own momentum to rise above her and slam a second punch into her face. The bearfolk, still dazed, could not respond. She reached the ground in an instant and was nailed into it. Jack immediately shot a Meteor Punch after her, unwilling to hold back, detonating the earth around her in a wide radius. The jungle around that spot was already ruined, but rocks and dirt flew everywhere, and a tall cloud of dust rose for miles.

Not seeing a level up notification, he shot another Meteor Punch. Again, apocalypse came on Earth, and the System finally acknowledged his efforts.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 180.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 181.

The higher level opponents he fought, the faster he leveled up. As counter-intuitive as that seemed, Jack was very thankful, as even finding late immortals to kill was a tough task. Maybe the System calculated that scarcity into the level reward.

He looked around. Dordok was standing alone in the sky over a smoking crater a hundred feet deep. Impressive, given that he was captured by three mid D-Gradesthen again, he had been heavily injured when fighting them.

Shol was still wrapped in battle, but not for long; as Jack watched, the light of day slowly extinguished the darkness, and Shols palm strike penetrated the night. The wizard created a black shield to defend himself, barely weakening the impact enough to survive.

As he was sent flying back, he leaned into the momentum and tried to escape, shooting away at a speed far faster than Jack could accomplish.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast he was, teleportation was always faster. Shol appeared over his head and brought his heel down on it, releasing a very audible crack. The wizard was dead before he even hit the ground.

Well done, Shol said, eyeing the four craters in the ruined jungle. Now lets hurry the hell up.

Not just meall immortals are environmental hazards, Jack thought, inspecting the very same craters. Each battle destroyed a large section of the terrain. His heart ached when he thought of the many innocent creatures dragged into the aftermath of his strikes, but it was something hed already accepted. As sad as it was, there was just nothing he could do about it.

Well, he could fight in higher altitudes, but that wasnt easy if no one else cared about the casualties.

Dordok, I need you to stay very still, Shol said, approaching the cyclops, who eyed him warily.

Why?

The Wardens mark is still inside you. I can burn it out, but youll need to bear with me.

Dordok glanced between Jack and Shol. His one eye hid a thousand questions, but despite his surprise, he made the right call.

Okay, he said, sticking out his chest. Shol reached him and placed a palm over the cyclopss heart.

Do not resist.

Instantly, blazing light erupted where the two made contact. Dordoks eye widened, but he gritted his teeth and did not scream. Smoke wafted upward, and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. Jack watched calmly.

Half a minute later, Shol pulled back his hand, revealing a patch of coal-like flesh underneath. The sight was so revolting that Jack wanted to puke.

Done, he said.

What did you do? Dordok asked, panting and grunting. It felt like you seared my very soul.

Close. The mark was attached to the outer walls of your soul, so I had to burn that entire section. The physical heat was only a small part of it. He threw Dordok an acknowledging gaze. You endured it well.

Naturally. Did you expect me to scream like a little girl?

I expected you to scream like a cyclops.

Can we get the hell out of here? Jack intervened. The Warden must have felt that. Every deacon in Hell could be on their way over.

Right, Shol said. Vegna is already in position. Jack, take out the bromobile and lets go. We cannot stay on this planet any longer.

The what? Dordok asked.

Jack reached inside his robes. Before he could finish the motion, a heavy aura blanketed him. His hand went rigid. His Dao grew weak. A leonine suddenly stood before them, only a mile away, and his eyes shone like suns, and his body exuded an aura of majesty that Jack could only barely resist.

Leonine, Level 249

Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)

Title: Grade Defier

Shit, Shol said.

Facing all three of them, the leonine smiled confidently. Got you.

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