Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Jack stood frozen. All three of them did. The giant silver dragon opposite them didn’t leave them much choice.

It was a creature beyond large. In the dense Dao of the Dark Canal, he couldn’t even wrap his perception around it. He quickly tried to calculate its size—it had eaten the shark, which had eaten the snake, which was several miles long.

God…

If this thing wanted to harm them, there was nothing they’d be able to do. It was an Archon-level existence. Jack’s current power was woefully inadequate to even think about escaping.

However, he had a feeling things wouldn’t go that way.

“Jack Monstrous,” the creature’s voice boomed, echoing for miles. There was a hint of amusement to it. “Or, should I say… Jack Rust.”

Its body began to shrink. From countless miles tall, it grew shorter and shorter, until it was the size of a horse. Its power remained, however—it could still squash them like flies.

Jack was surprised at being seen through so easily. He leaned forward, giving the creature a respectful bow. “Overlord Great Silver,” he said. “Thank you for saving us.”

Starhair bowed as well, and so did Brock, though not as deeply.

Now that it had shrunk, the Overlord’s form was clearer. It was a silver dragon radiating moonlight. Leathery wings spread from its back, while all four of its legs ended in sharp claws—like a tiger given wings. Its face was aged, yet its eyes held more wisdom than ferocity. A sturdy gaze landed on Jack—its weight pressing him down.

“What are you doing in my world, young human?” the Overlord asked. “And why did you not present yourself to me, as you ought to?”

“Greetings, Overlord,” Jack said, scrambling to come up with a good response. If he didn’t play his cards right here, they might all die. “I made a mistake when I tried to sneak around. I was too afraid of you, and I ended up becoming disrespectful. Please accept my apologies.”

“Hmm…”

The dragon rumbled, shaking the island below them. Jack noticed that, while he’d grown smaller in size, the island remained tipped.

“You did not answer my first question,” the overlord insisted. “What are you doing in my world?”

“I came here to gather experience.”

“And steal my faction’s resources.”

“...I admit that was my intention as well. I bear no ill will against space monsters, but I have a duel to the death in twenty-five years, as well as a looming war threatening my entire universe. I will not lie to you—my mindset was to grasp as many benefits as possible and grow my cultivation in the shortest timespan.”

“You are wise not to lie,” Great Silver said.

“Would lying be any use?”

The Overlord laughed. “No, not at all.” He took a few steps forward, the stone groaning under his feet, and slowly approached Jack. “That is a good disguise you have. It fooled me outside the Canal. A gift from your Arch Priestess?”

“Yes, Overlord.”

“Hmm. That the cultivators of the universe have access to such means worries me, but it is not the present subject. The question now is… Should I kill you?”

Jack gulped. The face of the overlord loomed closer—a pattern of old scales, some dark by the years, yet interspersed with sharp teeth and deep, knowledgeable eyes. While the real threat of Great Silver came from his cultivation, Jack’s instincts responded to these superficial signs: the teeth, the eyes, the size, the silver steam escaping his mouth.

Before Jack knew it, the overlord stood before him. He could be killed in an instant.

Yet, Jack raised his head. “We have infringed on your territory, Overlord. It would be reasonable to kill us.”

The dragon face had no hair, yet the scales over his eyes moved like he was raising a brow. “You sing the wrong tune, human. You should convince me to spare you, not eat you.”

“You should spare us. Not because you can’t or shouldn’t eat us, but because there is no benefit to you doing so.”

“And what benefit is there in sparing you?”

“We can help you. Your faction and the Fiend King’s are contesting for resources, yes? With my status as a disciple, I could clear out several of the Fiend King’s Barons and low-level Autarchs. Something that you, for all your power, cannot do without enraging the other Overlord.”

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“Hmm. That is true. However, if the Immortals ever reach our world, we’ll need every competent monster available. Fiend King and I are on the same page. We want to limit killing.”

Jack felt his arguments grow distant. “I can still secure resources for your faction, Overlord!”

“You probably can, but I don’t want to get involved in your war. Neutrality suits us. If word got out that I’m letting you grow stronger in my domain, our already precarious peace with the Immortals might be affected.”

“I’ll be discreet. Let me participate in this Canal Delve, Overlord. If the Church grows stronger, you benefit as well.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. Before letting you participate, I should first decide not to eat you.”

“I believe big dragon bro has already made his mind,” Brock said, stepping forward to join the conversation. “We will fight for you and be discreet. Nobody will know we were here. As big bro said, you benefit when the Church grows stronger. At the end of the day, only one faction in the universe seeks to conquer, and that is the Immortals.”

The dragon regarded Brock with interest. “You are a special one,” he said. “Bold, both of you. How come your friend over there has pissed himself? Perhaps I should eat him so he doesn’t slow you down?”

Jack and Brock turned around, finding Starhair shivering, his face pale. He had never come face-to-face with death like this—and this led to him shaming himself a little.

“Please don’t eat him, overlord,” Jack pleaded. “He is a good man.”

“I’ve eaten my share of good people,” Great Silver rumbled. “Regardless… It is as you say. I prefer you getting stronger, if only to hope for a miracle. I know that we live on borrowed time. If the Immortals win, we might survive, but only while they show us mercy…”

The Overlord’s voice had fallen by the end, betraying sadness and aged helplessness.

“I want you to keep acting as my faction’s disciples,” he said, adopting a commanding tone. “Forget your greed and rejoin the group. You don’t want to draw too much attention to yourself. Any treasure you earn, either from my faction or the other, will belong to you—space monsters believe in personal strength. Just limit the killing whenever possible. Remember this: the treasures of the Dark Canal are great, but they pale in comparison to the Hall of Trials. Your priority should be to survive until then. Don’t take stupid risks.”

“Yes, Overlord,” Jack and Brock replied as one.

“Mm, good. And, one more thing. If anybody realizes who you are, especially Fiend King… I will end you immediately. Is that clear?”

“Crystal, Overlord.”

“Your group is that way,” Great Silver spread a wing to indicate a direction. “Make haste. When you reach them…” His voice lowered, as if giving them some secret. “Don’t rush to the Hall. Follow the Elders. This Delve will be…special.”

“Special, Overlord?”

“I wish you luck.”

The dragon didn’t wait for an answer. He shot into the sky, rapidly growing in size until he was larger than a mountain, then disappearing in the darkness far faster than Jack could achieve. In an instant, he was gone.

Only then did Jack release his breath.

“What the hell was that?” he said, clutching his chest. “I thought we were goners.”

“Did you really piss yourself, bro?” Brock asked Starhair, who was only now recovering from the shock.

“I…” He trailed off, his face becoming beet-red. He then clenched his jaw and said. “So what? You got a problem?”

“No,” Brock replied, smiling.

“Do you think he’s still here?” Starhair turned to Jack, demonstrating commendable adaptability.

“Maybe?” Jack responded. He looked around. “He’s an Overlord. If he wanted to hide, I couldn’t find him…but I don’t think he’d stick around. His time is precious, and we have no reason to disobey his orders.”

“Right.” Starhair’s body relaxed, and he slumped into a sitting position. “By the Gods…” he muttered, holding his head. “I was not ready for this. I’m supposed to be back at our universe, fighting other B-Grades for the Church, not…whatever cross-Grade abomination this is.”

Jack smiled at him. He walked closer, sitting beside the other man. “Welcome to my world, Starhair,” he said. Despite the warmth of his smile, his gaze was distant, lost in past pain. “I know it isn’t easy. Since the start of my cultivation journey, over ten years ago, I’ve been in a constant state of struggle. I’ve made enemies far above my level and surpassed them. I’ve braved countless dangers, risked my life like it meant nothing. The rewards made me who I am—but the price was high. Too much struggle can pollute the soul. Too much pain warps the individual.”

Starhair listened attentively. Jack sighed, leaning back with his arms outstretched. His eyes saw past the ruined stone island around him, into the past.

“I’ve lost my son, you know,” he said. “Murdered, right in front of me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. His loss will never leave my heart, but I’ve made peace with it. It was the greatest pain I’ve ever experienced, far beyond a mere three years of absorbing the overlord core. Yet, though it was undoubtedly the greatest, there were many other great pains, all of which pushed me beyond my limits and scarred my heart. Insights don’t come cheap.”

He smiled ruefully.

“What I mean to say,” he continued, pulling himself away from reminiscing, “is that the road to mastery is fraught with risk and suffering. It is not a path to be tread lightly. Yet, here you are now, and you have no choice but to walk down the same road Brock and I have. I wish things were different, but they aren’t. You’re already too deep—you will either swim or drown.”

Jack ceased speaking, having said all he had to say. Starhair remained silent. His eyes were lost in thought, his heart beating like a drum. Getting thrust into a world of death would unsettle anybody.

“You are not alone though,” Brock added from the side. “You have us. Your bros. If the entire world seems like it’s abandoning you, you can always rely on us.”

Starhair’s eyes flickered. A spark was born inside them—a cog turned, and his worldview shifted. “Thanks,” he said, shaking his head. He rose to his feet. “Let’s go. We have a group to catch up to.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned into a ray of light and flew into the distance, the wind wiping his tears. His hair waved behind him—six strands of star-heavy power. Jack and Brock exchanged a smiling glance before following.

In moments, the trio was gone, the ruined stone island left to its ruin.