Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 405: Spacewind’s Troubles

A bubble burst on the surface of the lava lake, releasing hot gasses that rose to the cavern ceiling. After the caverns formations were activated, even the lava was agitatedit had gone from completely still to slowly boiling, filling the air with harmful gasses. Jack, Brock, and Min Ling could easily resist them.

Spacetime Min Ling said, furrowing her brows as she gazed at the trees runes. I have little connection to that Dao. I can barely teleport.

Same, Brock added.

Youll have to do it alone, she continued, looking at Jack. Can you?

Honestly? he replied. I have no idea. His eyes ran over the massive tree and the runes that criss-crossed its surface, illuminating it in a faint green light that contrasted the lava. But I can try.

There is no I cant, only I dont want to, Brock helpfully added.

Thanks, Brock. I never realized that the only thing standing between me and everything I have ever dreamed of was my secret desire to fail.

No problem, the brorilla replied sagely, and both laughed.

Jack then looked back at the tree. In any case This will take some time. Make yourselves comfortable.

Oh, I dont mind, Min Ling replied, sitting down cross-legged at the edge of the lava lake. My Lightning Dao has surpassed my Fire one recently. This is a good opportunity to meditate on the lava.

Her hand reached into the lake, cupping a handful of lava. Molten metal leaked between her fingersyet, miraculously, she was unhurt. This wasnt even normal lava. It was magically enhanced to burn several times hotter.

I mind a little, Brock said, but nothing we can do. I needed to study anyway. He also sat down cross-legged, summoning his golden Bro Code and slowly reading from its pages. Jack snuck a peek from behind his shoulderthere was no text, only images, but they were formed of swirling golden lights that seemed to contain endless mysteries.

Some cultivation paths were different than others. Jack meditated on the world, so he first understood things and then they became part of his Dao. Brock had somehow conjured a book containing more insights than he currently understood, then meditated on that. Moreover, these insights were expressed as brorillas doing stuff.

Cultivation really was boundless.

As Brock and Min Ling settled down to meditate, so did Jack. He had a lot of things to consider. Expansion and consolidation. After the many battles of this hidden realm, he required some time in quiet meditation to digest all those insights. Moreover, he needed to study the death cube and the spacetime runes on the massive tree, as well as discover how to merge them with his fist.

The more he thought about it, the more things he had to meditate on. And, conveniently, he was placed in a sealed, perfectly safe chamber with no time limit. Wasnt this just perfect?

As for his familythey could only wait. Even if Jack tried to open this place as quickly as he could, it would still take a massive amount of time. Alternating his focus between different Daos would help refresh his mind, which would only be beneficial.

Therefore, Jack sat down to meditate. And time passed.

***

Jack, Brock, and Min Ling had a perfect grasp of what was happening, so they could be calm. The people outside, however, didnt.

At this point, the remaining nine B-Grades were convening again. Their voices were agitatedthey had no idea what was going on.

It has to be related to them, Spacewind spat hatefully. The exits closed only minutes after they entered that hole. Moreover, the hole itself disappeared. There is no way they are unrelated!

I agree, Uruselam said, cupping his hands. However, putting the blame on others will get us nowhere. Let us try to resolve this situation to the best of our ability.

That is naturally what well do. Why do you even bother with that fake religious crap anymore? Are you telling me you wouldnt rip those C-Grades apart if they suddenly appeared in your face?

Uruselam kept his hands cupped, bowing a little. I ask for Benefactor Spacewinds forgiveness. This old monk is devoted to his worship.

Spacewind rolled his eyes but spoke no further.

So, what should we do? another B-Grade asked. If the exits are closed, forcing them open with our strength is laughable. Should we just sit around and wait?

Absolutely not, Spacewind replied. What if they never reopen? We should search around. Perhaps there are clues inside this templeor even in the jungle outside.

The temple is a dangerous place, Benefactor Spacewind, and we have explored less than half of it.

Then what do you suggest? That we wait and hope?

Uruselam remained silent.

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If we do explore the temple, another B-Grade rose to speak, are the seven of us expected to take the front again? This was a cultivator Jack had some relationship withBorkuren Madiba, the frog-like Envoy who had managed the Ceaseless Murder Globe for a while. Currently, however, his muscles were tense, and his face was dark.

On the way here, every B-Grade besides Spacewind and Uruselam had been taking turns leading the group and face-checking any traps. A few of them had died. Now, with another half a temple to explore and only seven people to serve as meatshields, their unwillingness was expected.

What other choice is there? Spacewind retorted, releasing a bit of his aura. He was planning to bully all the other B-Grades into silence.

However, that did not happen. Borkuren kept his head up. You are stronger than us. Your chances of surviving a trap are much higher. Since we led the way before, how about you shoulder some responsibility now?

Spacewind had not expected to be challenged. His eyes sharpened, and his already ruinous temper seemed on the verge of erupting. I am the leader here. Are you defying my orders? he asked coldly.

I just dont wish to die for no reason, Borkuren replied, not backing down in the slightest. We have already suffered enough. Now that things have changed so abruptly, we should take everyones safety into consideration before rushing to unwise decisions.

Spacewinds brows spasmed. He looked to the sidethe other two B-Grades of his faction were staring at him with equally unyielding looks, while Uruselam and the other four Hand cultivators didnt seem willing to take a position.

Spacewinds authority had originally been absolute. However, after most of them died on the way here, their fear was naturally very high. Moreover, these B-Grades had just seen Spacewind use their comrades as forced suicide bombers. Even though his strength was high, their respect for him had already dropped to rock bottom.

They would rather die in battle than serve as meatshields for a piece of shit like that.

Seeing their combined resistance, Spacewind felt his previous frustration resurface. He wanted nothing more than to strike out and kill all of them, but he couldnt afford infighting at this point.

Good, good. Very good, he said bitterly. You all are very nice. I will remember this. When we return to the faction, expect to face disciplinary actions.

Hohoho! Uruselam laughed, not missing a chance to kick Spacewind while he was down. All actions carry their karma. If I can make a suggestion, Benefactor Spacewind, then you should sit down and let your subordinates handle things. Otherwise, you might even suffer an unfortunate accident!

The power relations of this group were already a tangled mess. Spacewind was forced to acknowledge hed lost control of the situation. With an expression as dark as the moonless night, he stepped outside the gathering and waited, barely keeping his anger in check.

This was supposed to be his opportunity. He had paid a heavy price to lead this group. But then, most of his subordinates died, his reputation had been crushed, his authority had come under question, and he was also suddenly trapped. Even if he made it back to the Church, he would be punished severely for these failures, and the reputation hed built for millennia would collapse like a house of cards.

This hidden realm expedition, which should have been his leap to glory, had turned into the most shameful performance of his entire life!

And even worse, all those failures would have been acceptable if he managed to earn significant treasures, but they had been stolen away by a mere C-Grade!

Jack Rust he thought, his eyes burning with dark hatred. You took my woman, took my treasures, and took my reputation. If I dont cripple you and feed you to the dogs, I am no man!

***

Thankfully, Jack could not hear Spacewinds mental threats, or the resulting burst of laughter would have disturbed his meditation.

While the B-Grades were trying and failing to escape and the C-Grades were still touring the jungle with no idea of the exits being shut, Jack had relaxed completely. He was fully invested in meditation. In the sealed-off chamber, where time seemed to stretch to infinity, he began the longest meditation session of his life.

Sometimes, he would take out the death cube and ponder its secrets. After realizing something new, he would switch over to Elder Boatmans insights and look for practical applications of his new insights. Over time, his understanding of death deepened. The black fruit on his Dao Fruit grew progressively darker.

As for keeping the death cube a secret from Min Ling, he could no longer bother. It wasnt only that he trusted her, but also that he wouldnt hinder his cultivation just to keep a secret.

Besides death, he would often think back to the life lines on the three cubes. Back then, hed only comprehended them enough to solve the cubes, but that wasnt the same as fully merging those understandings into his Dao. Now, with plenty of time, he was slowly working to that end, turning over the realizations in his mind until they fit into his Fist. His progress in this regard was far slower than on Death, but his Life understandings were deeper to begin with.

Like this, the two opposite Daos were approaching an equilibrium.

Whenever Jack grew tired of life and death, he would turn his attention to the spacetime runes on the massive tree. It wasnt that he didnt want to spend more time on them, but it was just too exhausting. The problem with these runes was that they were too complex. If Jack had to compare them to the life cubes, they were similar in difficulty, but he didnt have a point of reference like the death cube this time. He could only rely on his own powers of understanding to resolve them.

Thankfully, his comprehension into the Dao of Space had already reached a decent level. He had long mastered teleportation, meditated for months in the Space Chamber of the Cathedral, and also unraveled the secrets of a supernova. His natural talent had been pretty high as well. Compared to his C-Grade peers, he was miles ahead.

But this trial wasnt aimed at his peers. It was aimed at the greatest geniuses of the universe. And, compared to them, Jack had to admit that his Dao of Space was thoroughly lacking.

The only bright side was that the world anchor, which hed absorbed long ago, was coming in handy. During the process of its absorption, he had witnessed the birth of a universe. Hed gotten a lot of insights at that time, many pertaining to the purest form of spacetime. By comparing any new understandings to those elementary interactions, he could quickly spot inconsistencies and refine his insights. His speed of understanding rose significantly.

Even with that assistance, the spacetime runes remained extremely cryptic. Still, he had time. His progress was slow but steady. Moreover, his time here wasnt wasted at all. Studying the runes deepened his understanding of spacetime, not to mention the life and death he was simultaneously working on.

As for Min Ling and Brock, they didnt mind waiting. People of their level often spent months or years in meditation. They could use some downtime. Brock, in particular, had advanced even faster than Jack. He desperately needed to consolidate his foundation.

During this period of time, the three of them each advanced in their own way, their powers slowly but steadily growing.

Jack was engrossed in his cultivation. Like this, three years quietly passed.