Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse
Chapter 303: Leaving Hell

Jack, Shol, Dordok, and the Sage shuttled through the cosmos on Jack’s bromobile. Nobody locked down the space around them, so they teleported thrice in quick succession. The planet of Hell was already far behind. They were now somewhere in that planet’s solar system, cruising interstellar space.

“We’re almost there,” Jack said, tracing the Sage’s directions in his head. “I hope your people are ready.”

The Sage laughed. “So do I, because look!”

A blinding dot of light disappeared and reappeared in the distance behind them, growing closer. The Animal Kingdom had let them go in public but was already after them again, and this time, they were going for blood.

“Holy shit!” Jack exclaimed. “They’re fast!”

“We’re faster. Floor it, Jack!”

“Floor what?” Dordok asked, unfamiliar with Earth’s lingo, as Jack accelerated their ship to the maximum. They were close enough now that they didn’t need to teleport again.

Soon, an asteroid appeared before them. It was trailed by a long tail as it flew towards the sun, heading towards it from deeper space. The general sense of direction and distance that the Sage was transmitting into Jack’s head pointed directly at the asteroid.

As they approached, Jack made out an irregular shape on its surface. It looked like a large arched gate filled with light, surrounded by dark-robed figures and entire heaps of glowing blue stones.

“Is that it?” he asked.

“Right!” the Sage replied, a wild grin blossoming on his face. “Sneaking out from under the Kingdom’s nose was tricky, but the Church can do anything! We built a large-scale teleporter on an asteroid far away from this solar system, then shot it over. Took us months!”

Shol raised a brow. “That sounds expensive.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s absolutely worth it. Jack—drive our starship right into the teleporter!”

“Into the gate!?”

“Exactly!”

“What about your friends over there?”

“They’ll join us; don’t worry, they know what they’re doing. Just hurry!”

“Where does it lead?”

“To Earth!”

“To Earth!?”

“Just floor it, damn it!”

Jack gritted his teeth. The bromobile pointed at the asteroid and accelerated to the maximum. They were blitzing through space at tens of thousands of miles per hour, while the asteroid hurtled towards them at an equally impressive speed. It was growing so fast that, if not for Jack’s extremely sharp perception and dexterity, he wouldn’t be able to navigate them accurately.

Even now, he was struggling.

“Don’t miss, Jack!” Shol shouted.

“Show them the steering skills I taught you!” Dordok added, stepping beside Shol to calmly watch from the front window. The asteroid was magnifying like someone was zooming in.

Jack wanted to shout back that Dordok had never let him steer the Trampling Ram, but he needed his entire attention focused on aiming the starship. Indomitable Will activated, sharpening his focus and eliminating all distractions. His effective Dexterity of over two thousand homed in on the task. The most minuscule movements of the helm changed their impact point by miles.

From far behind, a Dao-infused roar echoed through space. Even the fabric of reality shivered at its sound: it was a B-Grade.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

However, even B-Grades weren’t omnipotent. Jack ignored the voice. In the blink of an eye, the asteroid dominated their vision. Everything was happening too fast. Everyone held their breath. Jack touched the helm gently, pushing it one tenth of an inch forward, and their ship rammed into the starry gate dead-center, instantly ricocheted into the vacuum behind space. Just like the previous times he’d teleported, Jack saw planets, stars, gasses, and all sorts of stellar objects zoom past as the bromobile crossed the galaxy at a speed vastly eclipsing that of light.

Seven black-robed figures flew right behind them, while Jack barely caught a glimpse of the starry gate they’d passed through exploding just before a menacing, golden-haired figure caught up. Only the echoes of a roar followed them.

“We made it,” Shol said, turning away from the window and towards Jack. He nodded. “Good job, my friend.”

“Nice steering,” Dordok added casually.

Jack wanted to relax and celebrate, but recent experience had taught him to always be on edge. “Who are your friends, Sage?” he asked.

“Church agents. Don’t worry; they’re not going to hurt us.”

“Could they?” Shol asked with a pointed glance.

“Oh, absolutely. They’re all C-Grades.”

In the stunned silence that followed, everyone watched the marvels of the galaxy roll past. The teleportation this time was far less comfortable than when using established teleporters. They occasionally felt strong spatial ripples, only held at bay by the seven C-Grades flanking them. The starry terrain fluctuated like the surface of a lake. An odd pressure overcame them at some point, making them feel short of breath.

Eventually, however, light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and the interspace spat them out into a solar system that seemed…familiar. Or did it? All solar systems looked alike from up-close.

“Is this our sun?” Jack asked, pointing at the burning ball in the distance.

“Of course,” the Sage replied with a happy smile. “And, if you look the other way, you will have confirmation.”

Jack felt a knot in his throat. Slowly, he turned around to look through the starship’s other window. A blue ball with hints of green hung in the far distance. It seemed tiny and surreal, traveling through the cosmos with nothing attached to it. It was slowly spinning, too, and the sunlight fell over half its surface like a bright curtain.

Jack would recognize it everywhere. This was his Earth. It was home. The feeling was impossible to describe; he just felt an intense sense of belonging wash over him, stemming from the deepest parts of his soul. It had been less than a year since he left, but so much had happened in the meantime that it felt like impossibly long ago. All this time, he always suspected he wouldn’t make it back to the warm blue, dying alone somewhere deep in space.

But now…he was home.

Jack hadn’t cried when his death seemed certain. He hadn’t shed a tear when Sapasun broke all his limbs and mocked him. But now, seeing home again after a year, this tiny, beautiful marble of life in endless darkness, he did.

***

Brock, Nauja, and Gan Salin sat cross-legged in a forest clearing, facing each other. Their auras shimmered. They were swimming in a thousand emotions. Pride for Jack’s achievement, and fear for their future.

Well, not Brock. He had no fear, only a desire to get stronger.

All three of them had reached the peak E-Grade and developed all the Dao Roots they could. The only thing left to do was breakthrough and reach the fabled, legendary realm of immortals.

That was damn difficult, unfortunately, but they were trying.

Suddenly, a hooded figure entered their clearing. Brock’s eyes shot open, his gaze cutting through iron. “Yes?” he asked. He felt no familiarity with this person—it was not one of his bros.

The figure stopped twenty feet away from them. “Hello,” it said. When the hood was pulled back, a feshkur woman was revealed under it. “My name is Argn. We have never met before, but I am here to take you away.”

“You can try,” Brock responded, letting his aura leak out. He couldn’t inspect this woman, but he felt that she wasn’t too strong—except for the nagging feeling, deep in his chest, that she was more than she showed.

The woman laughed. A transparent bubble erupted from her body, covering them in the blink of an eye. Brock felt her strength break out from its tiny shell and reveal itself for what it was.

An immortal.

He instantly jumped up and drew his staff, ready to fight.

The woman laughed again. “Don’t worry,” she said, putting her hands up. “I am no enemy. This bubble is only to isolate sound.”

Gan Salin stood up and poked the bubble. It did not break, but a hint of its essence was left on his finger. He licked it. A moment later, he spat it out with a “blegh.”

“Who are you?” Nauja asked, slowly drawing her bow. “Who do you work for?”

“The Black Hole Church,” the woman replied calmly. “Your friend, Jack Rust, is one of us now. He is currently in one of your Earth’s D-Grade dungeons, consolidating his strength, and will keep hiding there until the war occurs in six days. I am here to take you to him, if you are willing.”

The three of them—Brock, Salin, and Nauja—glanced at each other. They all knew Jack’s connection with the Black Hole Church, and they had seen the Sage in the battle recordings. Jack joining them wasn’t too big of a stretch.

“Why should we trust you?” Salin asked, rinsing his tongue with some water. “You could be lying.”

“You can see my strength. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t need to lie.”

That was true. Even Brock, who didn’t possess access to System inspection, could tell she was abnormally strong even for immortal standards.

“Besides that…” the woman continued, cracking a smile. “I have a message from Jack: Harambe sends his greetings.”

Brock’s eyes lit up. No enemy would possibly know his father’s name. He put away his staff, instantly growing friendly with this woman. “Okay, bro,” he said. “Let’s go. To Home. Ah—but I need to do one thing first.”

***

Artus Emberheart lay on the floor, panting. A foot was pressed into the side of his cheek, keeping him down.

“What should we do with this loser, Ancestor?” the Grand Elder asked, spitting on Artus’s face under his foot. “He caused great harm to our faction. He deserves to die.”

Opposite him stood a reality-warping figure. Golden fur covered his entire body, while his mane was proud and clear. He looked like a normal leonine, but the aura of supremacy he emitted was enough to press down on the Grand Elder like a divine decree.

“A liability like him should not remain in our faction,” the Ancestor replied calmly. “However, he can still be of use. We need to curry favor with the Hand of God. Perhaps gifting them a late C-Grade will do the trick.”

The Grand Elder bowed his head. “You are wise, Ancestor.”

“No, Ancestor, please!” Artus pleaded from the ground. “I have served the faction my entire life. I have been loyal and hard-working. Please don’t do this to me! I don’t deserve it!”

The Grand Elder pushed down with his foot, digging the Warden’s face deeper into the concrete. “Shut up,” he growled.

The Ancestor ignored Artus’s pleas. “System,” he ordered calmly, “remove Artus Emberheart from the Animal Kingdom. Revoke all his rights as an Elder.”

“NO!” Artus screamed, but it was useless. Already, System screens were rolling before his eyes. His life’s work turned into smoke. He had been an Animal Kingdom Elder for millennia—suddenly, he was nothing.

And it was all the fault of Jack Rust. Hatred shimmered inside Artus, dark and all-encompassing. He couldn’t defeat the Grand Elder. He couldn’t fight back against the Ancestor.

But he could take revenge against Jack Rust or die trying. His Dao was already broken; what did he have to lose?

“What about Jack Rust, Ancestor?” the Grand Elder asked. “We have lost his whereabouts, and—”

“Don’t think about that anymore,” the Ancestor cut him off. “That man has too much potential, too much hatred towards us to be left alive. He must die. I will see to it personally.”

The Grand Elder couldn’t contain his shock. “Personally!? But Ancestor, you—”

“I know best,” the Ancestor interrupted him again, “so you better watch your mouth. Or are you implying your judgment is better than mine?”

“Never, Ancestor. It will be as you say. With you after him, even the Black Hole Church will not be able to protect Jack Rust.”

The Ancestor snorted a chuckle. “Don’t underestimate the great forces, Olsen. The Church can protect whomever they want. The question is, how far are they willing to go?” His leonine face broke into a slight, confident grin. “And what allies can I secure?”

“You are wise, Ancestor,” the Grand Elder repeated, bowing deeply.

The Ancestor nodded and turned to leave. “As for him,” he said, referring to Artus, who remained under the Grand Elder’s foot, shimmering with bitterness and hatred, “inform the Hand of God that we offer them Artus Emberheart, a late C-Grade, as a gift. They can do whatever they wish with him. Even if they kill or enslave him, we couldn’t care less.”

Artus felt so much dark fire in his chest that he almost lost control and tried to fight back. Of course, that would be pointless. He bottled up the indignation, vowing to release it on the one person who had destroyed his life.

“Yes, Ancestor,” the Grand Elder replied, and the Ancestor disappeared, off to hunt Jack Rust.