Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 199: Earthen Unirabbit?

Chapter 199: Earthen Unirabbit?

Hello, excuse me, a voice came from the mist behind the cultivators, making everyone jump. Magic was held at the ready. Weapons were drawn.

Out of the mist walked three people. A middle-aged man with rackety clothes and a wide smile, a young, Asian man with two black daggers on his belt, and a djinn woman with twin ponytails and a large mallet.

Sage? Jack said.

Do you know these people? Lady Minerva asked, not letting up her readiness. The sparrow from before was hovering over her shoulder, ready to attack. If not, they could be illusions or transformed monsters.

I know them, yes. I met them in Space Ring. Everyone, these people are the Sage, Dorman, and Poppy.

Pleased to make your acquaintance, the Sage spoke again, smiling broadly. The Lords, followers, and treasure hunters, I presume.

Slowly, everyone let up. Lady Minerva unsummoned her sparrow, but not before Jack could scan it.

Diamond-Winged Sparrow, Level 124 (Elite)

A little bird with the ability to move at supersonic speeds without breaking the sound barrier. Its wings are tipped with diamonds, and its tenacity is superb, giving it great attacking power on top of its speed.

If all of Lady Minervas beasts shared the sparrows strength, each could defeat Jack by itself, or at least pose a great threat. And she had revealed five already.

It was a sobering thought.

The pleasure is all ours, Lady Minerva replied. How did you find us in the mist?

I dabble in divination myself, honored Lady Minerva. I saw the best path forward and followed it, hoping to run into you. If you dont mind, I could use my paltry skills to assist your current guide, as compensation for joining this Assault late.

Wait, Longsword said from the side. This doesnt check out. How did you get past the animal tile tunnel? The cave trap?

Ah, the tunnel was simple. You left footprints on the correct tiles. As for the cave trap Im afraid we didnt run into anything like that.

Everyone looked at their feet. The ground of Garden Ring wasnt sterilized; it was a grassland. Of course they left footprints. Plus, Jack himself remained barefoot. Nobody had offered him shoes that could withstand his explosive strength.

Wait. If they didnt go to the cave trap Jack resisted the urge to smirk. Paltry skills my ass. The Sage is better than our guide.

In all honesty, the Sage felt unfathomable. From the very first moment they met, the Sage seemed to have everything under his absolute control, even when D-Grades and C-Grades were involved. If he couldnt guide them perfectly through Trial Garden, Jack would be a bit disappointed.

Many eyes turned to the merfolk guide, sharing the same suspicion that Jack had. In response, the merfolks eyes tightened. Of course. Any help would be great, he replied simply. With you confirming my calculations, I will be able to guide everyone safely through the mist.

After all, he was here as the guide. He couldnt just let go of his positionespecially after it had been shaken by the cave trap.

Of course, of course. I would be happy to lend a hand as needed, the Sage replied, showing no intention to fight for the position of head guide. That pacified the merfolk. A few quick introductions later, the Sages group joined them, and everyone advanced together.

Where are your friends? Dorman asked, walking next to Jack.

They went to other gardens. Im the only one here.

I see. That was probably the right call.

Yeah.

Dorman was now Level 117. Since the last time Jack saw him, he had advanced by ten whole levelsall of them in Labyrinth Ring.

Jack had no clue where Dormans current strength lay. He remembered how they had sparred to a tie during the Integration Tournament. Afterward, Jack had broken through first and defeated Rufus Emberheart, but each had gone their own ways since then. Now, Dorman was higher-leveled.

Can I still beat him? Jack wondered.

Its a shame you werent in time to fight the Guardian, he said. The Ring Conqueror titles are no joke.

Oh, dont worry about it. We have our ways. Dorman seemed nonplussed.

Jack grinned. Youve taken to the Sages mysteriousness, havent you?

Hah. It comes with the territory. You know what Im talking about.

Yeah On the plus side, Jack had company now. And old friends were the best kind of company. How has life been treating you, Dorman? We didnt really catch up in Space Ring.

Ive been pretty well, to be honest. The Barren High didnt spare any expense in training me. I met plenty of strong fighterseven my master was invited over to help me. You remember her, right? The cloud worm.

Hmm, kind of. The worm that moved like lightning and spoke telepathically?

Thats her. She taught me all sorts of stuffand Trial Planet helped me a lot, too. I got a ton of levels.

Same here.

You seem a bit low, though Dorman gave Jack a side-glance. Youre twenty levels behind. If you dont work hard, you wont be able to fight me.

I can still take you.

Oho. Wanna try?

You bet.

Of course, fighting now would be a terrible idea for many reasons, but Jack kept it in mind. They had to spar again at the first opportunity. It could even give him the final spark of inspiration he needed to fuse his Dao Root of Power.

And what sort of fist would back down from a challenge?

The mists of Trial Garden were light and swirling, hiding all sorts of dangers. The next trap they ran into required someone to dive into an empty rabbit barren and pull a bunch of colored levers in the right orderor get buried in that barren forever. This time, a treasure hunter who was also a formation master was sent in, and he thankfully succeeded on the first try.

The hours passed. Their path got more and more jagged as the merfolk guide confidently led them forward, while the Sage was content to follow and nod in agreement.

At some point, however, the two guides slowed down. They looked from side to side, then at each other. The merfolk made to move to the left.

Not that way, the Sage said. Something is intervening with your divination. That is the wrong path.

The merfolk frowned, repeating his calculations. A moment later, he replied, I dont think so.

I am pretty certain.

How do you know?

I can divine it.

The merfolks frown deepened. If the Sage could divine what he couldnt, then there was a clear gap in ability between themand the merfolk had fought hard to remain in the lead position.

You are confused, he finally said. Our next destination is to the left. Nothing could intervene with my divination without my knowledgeand, if something could, there is no way you would find it.

As you prefer, the Sage replied calmly. However, we should be careful. At the first sign of trouble, we stop and send a treasure hunter to investigate.

Jack was very glad not to be the next treasure hunter in line. The merfolk nodded.

And, on the way there the Sage continued, his face unreadable, let me take us through a roundabout route. I promise that nothing bad will happen.

The merfolk narrowed his eyes. Why?

Youll see. Just let me. It will be the same thingwell just walk in circles for a little while. If you feel any danger, just stop me anytime. And, if my caution turns out to be unneeded, I will freely admit that I was wrong.

Cryptic and mysterious as ever. Still, Jack trusted the Sage. If he wanted to lead them through a roundabout route, he must have his reasons.

Wouldnt that make us lost? a treasure hunter chimed in. What if we cant find the way back later?

I guarantee that nothing bad will happen. If it does, you can freely take my life, and I wont complain one bit, the Sage replied smilingly. Besides, you always have another guide to find the way back, right?

Everyone else looked at each other and shrugged. Not trusting your guide was a great way to die. They glanced at the merfolk.

Very well, the merfolk finally replied. He clearly seemed insulted, but also confused. In any case, no matter how convoluted Sage made the path, he could always find his way backand perhaps, deep in his heart, he wasnt as confident in his guidance as he showed.

Throughout that interaction, the Lords had been silent, watching the guides speak with each other.

They veered left. As the Sage had said, he led them through a turning, twisting path, constantly changing directions. Jack could sense they werent covering a lot of distance, but he didnt know divinationsurrounded by mist, he quickly lost his sense of direction.

Half an hours passed. Jack was now completely lost. Suddenly, a voice spoke in his mind. Greetings, cultivators.

Everyone froze. Did you someone began, only for someone else to finish, Yes. We all heard it.

What is that? Jack asked.

I am Drevil Kastermonf, a familiar left here for the worthiest of formation masters. Advance and lay eyes on my form.

The group looked at the guides. The Sage glanced at the merfolk, who shrugged. Treasure hunter, he said, off you go.

The stone golem valiantly walked into the mist. A moment later, his voice reached their ears. Its safe.

Everyone walked up to him. The mist had thinned a lot here, revealing a ten-foot-wide circle. Runes and symbols made up its periphery, their meaning unknown but their forms mystical. A curtain of shimmering wind stretched over the circle, forming a transparent dome.

A creature stood inside the otherwise empty circle. It resembled a rabbit, except with one horn on its head and vivid green fur. Jack tried to scan it, only to come up with nothing. Whatever this circle was, it blocked the Systems inspection.

The moment Kareena laid eyes on the rabbit, however, she gasped.

Do you know what that is? Lady Priya asked her.

I do, she replied. Thats an Earthen Unirabbit. One of the most sought-after spiritual companions for formation masters and Mental cultivators. They can grow up to the D-Grade. This must be a baby!

The silver-haired girl is correct, the rabbits voice rang in everyones minds. It was cheerful and quick, coming in bursts of many words. It really did fit a rabbit.A formal-speaking rabbit. I have been trapped here for the worthybut approach with caution. Hear the rules of my trap: the one who releases me will become my master, either to command or sell me. If you make a mistake, however, hellfire will rise from the magic circle to burn you. Brave my cage at your own risk.

Spiritual companions could bring their cultivator many benefits, from stat improvements to insights. But not every animal was fit to become a spiritual companion. Brock, for example, wasnt, which is why Jack had never seen a tangible increase in his stats.

He was, however, an excellent bro.

Actual spiritual companions were very rare and very valuable. Even Jack could tell that the value of a D-Grade one was astronomicalespecially when you could raise it from a baby.

A few cultivators, including Kareena, quickly approached the circle and began inspecting it. After all, the rabbit had made the rules clear. Whoever released it would become its master. It was a race.

Not everyone approached, however. Many people knew they couldnt match Kareena or the others in formation solving speed, so they didnt even bother. The merfolks face beamed with pride.

See that, Sage? he asked. I discovered such a valuable prize. We would have missed it if we listened to your hesitation. You should not let fear cloud your judgment.

Indeed, an Earthen Unirabbit is a very valuable creature, the Sage replied, nodding. However, answer me this: are Earthen Unirabbits capable of telepathy?

The merfolk adopted a confused look. What are you talking about? Yes, they are. All immortals are.

But look at its horn. The horns of Earthen Unirabbits grow with their Dao understanding. This one only has five spiralsit clearly hasnt reached the D-Grade yet. It shouldnt be able to communicate telepathically, let alone manipulate the threads of fate to lead you here.

The merfolks face was paling by the minute. What are you saying?

Im saying that everyone should get away from that thing. Now.

As the Sage said that, many things happened at once. The rabbit jumped towards the formations edge, transforming into a humanoid with gray skin, bat wings, red horns, spikes on its spine, and long, sharp ears. Its clawed arm then enlarged as it swiped at the cultivators through the circle.

Echidna Devil, Level 124 (King)

A creature manifested from an extremity of the Dao of Law. It is compelled to always keep its word, but it also gains extreme power against anyone who breaks their word to it. Therefore, it enjoys luring cultivators into craftily-worded contracts and deals that end up with it having the upper hand.

This particular Echidna Devil has lost most of its power due to the clauses of a past contract.

None of these cultivators were stupid. Hearing the Sages words, they had already jumped back. One of them, however, hesitated for just a moment too long. The devils claws moved impossibly fast, grabbing him from the back of the neck and pulling him face-first at the circle.

The cultivator rammed into the shimmering air like it was a physical wall. He gasped in pain. The devil screamedits hand was steaming where it came into contact with the shimmering air.

Stomp on the circle! Stomp on the circle and pour your Dao into it! the devil roared desperately, its voice taking on a magical tone that brooked no disobedience. Jack felt a supernature urge to follow its instructionswhich he quickly suppressed.

Apparently, the captured cultivator didnt. His leg rose to stomp down. In the same instant, the tip of a long sword pierced into his neck from behind, ending his life instantly. The leg lost power and plopped softly on the ground, not disturbing the circles symbols, let alone pouring any Dao into it.

Longsword calmly retrieved his sword, having averted a disaster. The devil roared and withdrew its hand, letting the corpse tumble to the ground. It then cradled its hand in his chest, as it still steamed. It was badly burned.

The devils face, however, remained wicked, even as it warped in pain.

Smart human,it shouted in a rough voice, like its throat was parched. Too smart. Suspiciously smart. Release me quickly, or I may reveal your secret to everyone. I promise to run away without harming any of you.