Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Tomorrow… Huh?

Jack had spent eight years cultivating. He’d reached the E-Grade in a month, the D-Grade in three, then the C-Grade in a year and a half. Since then, the other six and a half years had spent inside the C-Grade. It had been a tremendous amount of time—but it didn’t feel that long. Things had been slower.

Three years in the Green Dragon Realm, one in the Black Hole World, one and a half at the Black Hole Church, and finally one spent running around the Milky Way… Over all that time, he’d gotten used to being a C-Grade. The Dao Tree in his soul world felt intimate, while its every fruit was a sight he’d seen a thousand times.

Breaking into the B-Grade tomorrow—or, at least, attempting it—felt like a dream.

Tomorrow…

Jack didn’t know how he reached his room that night. All he knew was that, when he awoke, he was on a hard military bed in a high-tech room in a massive starship in a galaxy far far away. A tinted window showcased the starry cosmos outside, while the room itself was illuminated by fluorescent wires running through the ceiling. Besides the bed itself, a bathroom occupied part of the space, outfitted with a shower and a toilet.

Jack shook his head to clear it, then pulled away the covers. He quickly got dressed—an action which involved a mere putting on his pants and boots. It felt weird to dress like a barbarian in a starship, but who were they to judge? This was his war attire!

Today is the day I’m breaking through.

It still felt like a dream. He walked out of his room regardless, finding Brock leaned against a wall. “Morning, bro,” said the brorilla. “Slept well?”

“Good. So I did.”

“Had any dreams?”

“Me, you, and Grandpa Dead eating bananarms.”

Jack laughed. “That’s a dream alright.”

Brock smiled. “Are you ready?”

“I was born ready.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

They followed the corridor, only to run into a beautiful D-Grade woman at the next corner. Her blond hair was long and thrown back, while her blue eyes exuded a feeling of professionalism. Light blue robes covered her shapely body, and her features were sharp in a resolved way. “Good morning,” she said. “My name is Literia, an assistant of Death Boat. I will be guiding you today. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Uh… Likewise,” Jack responded. “Who’s Death Boat?”

“That’s the name of this starship, Sir. Coined by the great Elder Boatman himself.”

Jack remembered seeing the ship from afar—it had looked like a dark, ominous boat. He could picture Charon ferrying souls on it.

“Where are you guiding us?” he asked.

“Around,” she replied, then smiled. “I have been instructed to take you to your assigned breakthrough location, if that’s fine with you.”

“Oh.” Jack blinked. He wasn’t just breaking through today—he was doing it, like, now. “Sure.”

“Great!” She smiled again, lighting up the walls. “Follow me, please.”

Literia sailed down the corridor on her long legs, only halfway covered by her robes. Jack only had to glance at her once to suspect they’d sent their most beautiful assistant on purpose.

“Who exactly ordered you to guide us?” he asked as they followed.

“Envoy Min Ling,” Literia replied with reverence. “She’s an honorary manager of Death Boat. I presume you’re acquainted?”

“Hmm.” Jack narrowed his eyes. “A bit.”

He did not press the issue further. Brock chuckled silently. They followed Literia down a set of winding corridors, finally emerging on a wider one whose right side was covered entirely in glass. Behind it, Jack had a terrific view of one level of the Death Boat. He was stunned. There were tens of thousands of houses—just this level was like a small city.

“Death Boat hosts more than just Crusade combatants,” Literia explained, not hurrying along. “Elder Boatman’s entire faction lives in this starship. When we escaped System space, we also brought along many survivors of Hand attacks to keep them safe. As a result, we’re currently a little overpopulated…but that shouldn’t affect you.”

“I didn’t know Elder Boatman had his own faction,” Jack replied.

“Most Elders do. Don’t imagine anything too grand—they just like to keep their friends, family, and disciples safe. Over an A-Grade’s long life, that small community can expand to millions or billions of people. It’s normal.”

“I see,” Jack said. “Then, all those people below are cultivators?”

“Not at all!” She laughed, a pleasant, chirping sound. “Most are mortal civilians. There are schools, shops, cafes, restaurants… Some layers even have forests and lakes. It’s a whole world in here—all courtesy of Elder Boatman.”

Jack nodded along. He was beginning to see a pattern. Archons Green Dragon and Black Hole had created a hidden realm in which they kept their people. Elder Boatman either couldn’t or didn’t want to do that, but he used a giant starship instead. So did most other Elders, according to Literia. It appeared there was no place in the universe where high-ranking people felt safe leaving their people.

Jack would have assumed the Black Hole Church headquarters to be such a place. Now, he knew better. While he didn’t understand quite everything, he didn’t need to—he would just copy those who knew what they were doing. His family and friends would remain on Earth, which he’d make sure to keep out of reach for the rest of the universe.

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That was the only way to be safe.

“Are there other A-Grades onboard?” Jack asked.

Literia smiled—needlessly? “There is Elder Heavenstar,” she replied. “His own abode was destroyed in the process of escaping System space. Elder Boatman graciously accepted him and the survivors into his starship.”

Jack nodded. He had a decent impression of Heavenstar—he was the master of Sovereign Heavenly Spoon and Min Ling, a scholarly Elder known to assist the younger generation. At the banquet before they entered the Green Dragon Realm, Heavenstar had stood by Boatman when he almost fought Purity. He seemed, at the very least, to be a man of integrity.

That also explained why Min Ling was an honorary manager of Death Boat, and also why Sovereign Heavenly Spoon would spare a month to ensure Jack’s safety.

They continued through the corridors, circling the city and finally losing it from sight. Literia was not at all in a hurry—throughout their walk, she maintained a cheerful conversation with Jack and Brock, often asking about their experiences or offering hers. She was a well-spoken woman.

Of course, if they really were in a hurry, they could just teleport wherever they wanted.

Shortly afterward, the left wall of their corridor was made of glass, revealing an expanse of dust and rocks. “This is the Bone Belt,” Literia explained. “Our hiding place. It extends for millions of miles, and thanks to the dense clouds of dust, it’s difficult for the enemy to scout us out with their perception. They have to manually search through the entire belt, where our Envoys lie in ambush to make their job even harder.”

“Hmm.” Jack hummed. “Since we’re hiding, I assume we’re losing the war?”

Literia turned defensive. “I wouldn’t say that,” she replied, sounding a little hurt. “This is just the current state of things. The Hand of God is presently much stronger than us, but it won’t be like that forever. We aren’t the only parties of this war. When the Old Gods join, things will be much more balanced.”

“The Old Gods are joining the war?”

“Of course! We’re fighting on their side—how could they not help us?”

Jack had his doubts. From what he knew, the only Old God to care about cultivators was currently trapped in a black hole somewhere in the universe. Even if the other eleven knew there was a Second Crusade brewing against them, and also that there were cultivators fighting on their behalf, why would they rush over here and join? They were Old Gods. They could just retreat to the far end of the universe and remain there for billions or trillions of years. The cultivation world couldn’t reach that far.

Of course, Jack also recognized there were many things he wasn’t privy to, so he chose not to speak.

“When you say we’re currently weaker,” he asked, “how much weaker do you mean?”

Literia hesitated. “I’m not aware of everything,” she finally replied, “but I would say our forces are half of theirs. It’s not a difference we cannot overcome with good planning, bravery, and a little bit of luck.”

Jack nodded. Brock placed a hand on Literia’s shoulder, startling her. “Don’t worry, Pretty Bro,” he said with a calm smile. “We are here now. It’s going to be okay.”

She struggled to form words for a moment. Finally, her lips broke into a bright smile—one that seemed more genuine than before. “Thank you,” she replied. Brock removed his hand, and she kept walking.

Jack shot his bro a questioning gaze—Brock shrugged.

Finally, they reached the end of the corridor: a decompression chamber connecting to the universe outside. It was obviously meant to shield E-Grades and below from the vacuum, but to Jack, Brock, and Literia, that was completely unnecessary. Jack teleported the three of them outside. Literia blinked in surprise.

“This is faster,” he explained, to which she nodded.

“I guess you’re right,” she said. “Then, follow me!”

She turned into a ray of cyan light that flew into the distance. Of course, to Jack and Brock, she was beyond slow. They would have offered to lead the way, but thankfully, they could see that their destination was near.

A large asteroid hung in the distance, so large it resembled a planet. Crowds of cultivators hovered around it, and looking back, Jack could also see a large window of the Death Boat overlooking this spot, crowded with the faces of thousands of people.

“Is this the breakthrough location?” he asked.

“Yes,” Literia replied, sounding a little embarrassed. “We know privacy is usually best, but in this case, we need a show to increase morale. We hope you can understand.”

“It’s fine either way,” Jack said. “But won’t morale drop if I fail my breakthrough?”

She looked at him like he’d made a joke. “If even your breakthrough fails, sir, then the rest of us might as well abandon cultivation and become farmers.”

“That ‘sir’ feels weird. Just call me Jack.”

She beamed. “Okay… Jack.” She said the name slowly, as if enjoying it. Jack couldn’t tell if she was a fangirl or an expert hostess. Her voice turned warmer. “In any case, Jack, there is no need to worry. I’m sure you’ll do just fine. Both of you. We aren’t just waiting to see if you succeed, but to how many miles you can grow your inner world!”

“Thanks. That’s— Wait. Both of us?”

“Yes?” she replied. “The two of you are breaking through, correct?”

Jack looked at Brock, who winked. “We’re bros,” he said. “We walk together.”

“I guess we do.” Jack laughed. “There is one else I would rather share my breakthrough, bro.”

“I know.”

“This is as far as I can go,” Literia said as they approached the asteroid. “I wish you luck, Jack…and Brock.” She’d used the brorilla’s name as well—he smiled and winked at her.

“Thanks, Pretty Bro. We’re bringing it home.”

Literia didn’t recognize the phrase, while Jack wondered where Brock had picked it up. Earth, probably. Gan Salin?

The girl flew to the side, joining the crowd which was staring at them by now. Jack saw many familiar faces—Sovereign Heavenly Spoon, the Sage, Min Ling… Even Elder Heavenstar was present, sitting on a starry throne at the very front of the crowd, his scholarly aura putting everyone at ease. He smiled politely at Jack and Brock.

“Show us the power of your generation,” he told them telepathically, to which both smiled.

“Thank you, Elder.”

They flew towards the nearby asteroid. Elder Boatman hovered alone right over it. An aura of death surrounded him, not menacingly, but like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I have taken very few disciples in my life,” he said as they approached. Though it felt like a whisper, his voice somehow spread across space, even reaching the Death Boat. “I believe in the two of you. Your potential is great. Do not disappoint me.”

Short and to the point. Classic Elder Boatman. Yet, though he sounded strict, Jack could hear the love behind those words. Elder Boatman was maintaining absolute vigilance, ensuring that nobody would arrive to disturb them, and he also used his Dao to keep the asteroid below them completely still. This last job could have been delegated to a B-Grade, but he chose to do it personally. That showed he cared.

“Thank you, Master,” both said as one. “We will make you proud.”

Boatman nodded. “Then, you may begin when you are ready.”

He flew away, coming to float beside Elder Heavenstar. The two of them were the only ones sitting—one had a throne seemingly made of stars, while the other of dark bone. Everyone else was standing.

Nobody was within a hundred miles of the asteroid’s surface. Jack and Brock exchanged a glance. They clasped hands. “Good luck, bro,” said Brock.

“You too,” Jack replied with barely contained excitement. “Let’s become strong.”

Brock flew away, circling the asteroid to land at the exact opposite side. The breakthrough to the B-Grade was a very delicate process—even soul companions like them couldn’t be too close to each other.

Jack stood alone, on an asteroid in space, overlooked by A-Grades, in a galaxy far from home. The pressure was one he was used to—and it was made easier by the fact that his bro was undergoing the same thing on the other side of the asteroid.

He sat down and closed his eyes. It was time to reach the B-Grade.

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