Path of Dragons - A LitRPG Apocalypse (BOOK TWO ON KINDLE SEPT. 2)

Sadie erupted into motion, letting out snarl as she slammed her fist into the frost-covered boulder. It cracked beneath the blow, but due to being bathed in dense ethera for months, the rock was durable enough to withstand the unwarranted attack.

“I don’t think that’s helpful,” Elijah said from his position across the cultivation chamber. He’d been pondering the shape of his soul while trying to usher a plant back to health. He didn’t know what it was called, but the plant was a prickly ball of thorns. He could feel the beauty within the nascent buds that he hoped would bloom into beautiful flowers.

“This is useless,” she groaned, flopping back on her back. “We’ve been at it for days, and I’m no closer to partitioning my mind than I was when we started.”

The complaint was warranted. For Elijah, it hadn’t been that difficult to break his mind into multiple facets. The biggest issue for him was getting enough ethera to fuel his cultivation, so he’d expected Sadie to knock it out in a day or two. But the attempt had proven to be much more difficult that he could have anticipated, with Sadie struggling to even conceptualize the process, much less put it into practice.

“You’re holding back,” she accused. “You don’t want me to surpass you.”

“Wow,” he said, shaking his head. “Just wow. First of all, you’re not going to pass me. I’m two stages higher than you right now, and I’ve already got some ideas on how to take the next step. And second, I’m literally trying to help you here. That’s the whole reason I brought you back to the cave. Which I built for you all, by the way. I get nothing out of this.”

“Except you get to watch me fail over and over again. You probably enjoy that kind of thing,” she spat.

“It’s the beratement, really. That’s my goal. I just want to hear you insult me over and over again. It’s kind of my thing,” he said.

“W-what –”

“Jokes, Sadie. It’s a joke. Jesus – you really are worked up,” he said. “Can’t you just trust that I’m here to help you? Why won’t you believe that?”

“Other than the fact that none of your ‘advice’ has worked?”

“Did you just air-quote me?”

“It seems appropriate.”

He let out another sigh. “Seriously. That’s how it all worked for me,” he said. He’d already explained – numerous times – how he’d broken his own Mind into multiple facets and achieved the Quartz stage of his development. Either she hadn’t listened, or she refused to follow his instructions.

Or maybe she just didn’t have the talent for it.

Elijah knew that cultivation wasn’t a hard science. But with the amount of research people had done into the subject, there were a few accepted facts. One of them was that, like most other elements of a person’s development, success depended at least a little on talent. One could overcome that requirement through work or, as was the case with most people, sheer investment of time, but talent made it easier for some people to cultivate than others.

His own experiences supported that notion. Cultivation wasn’t easy for him, but he’d yet to hit any walls. Meanwhile, people like Sadie struggled to move past even the first stage. That did not bode well for her future, considering that each subsequent improvement was even more difficult than the last.

Easing that burden was the fact that the way grew easier if one’s cultivation lagged behind their level. For instance, levels one to one-twenty-five were generally considered the Mortal Realm of progression, and the first few stages of cultivation coincided with that. So, for a mortal, progressing through those stages was at peak difficulty. Once they reached the ascendent levels, it grew marginally easier. So, most people who attained a significant number of levels would have at least some advancements in cultivation to back them up.

What really set elites apart was when, like Elijah, their cultivation kept pace with their levels. Or in some cases, even exceeded it.

When he’d learned that bit of information, that had immediately become his goal. Yet, saying that was what he wanted to do and putting it into practice were two different things, and he knew he had a difficult road ahead of him.

Sadie’s would probably be even harder to travel.

“I know that,” she said, her expression softening. “It’s just that being cooped up in here with you is not…not conducive to concentration.”

“Are you asking me to leave?”

“I’m telling you that if you stay here for much longer, I’m going to give in to my instincts.”

“Good instincts or bad instincts?”

“I think you know the answer to that question,” she said with a dangerous glint in her eye. Elijah didn’t think she would actually attack him, but then again, he had no idea how strong Sense of Sin had become. She’d talked a powerful ka’alaki into surrendering to execution, so there was no telling what capabilities Sadie might possess.

With that in mind, Elijah decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. So, he quickly excused himself, exiting the cave and planting himself far enough away that she couldn’t hope to sense his presence.

Then, he sighed, his breath misting as he looked around the area. The terrain was just as frozen as it had been during their first visit, but it was far more populated. It seemed that word had gotten out that the challenge had already been conquered once, and the rest of the Trial-takers had decided to test their mettle upon the frozen fortress.

Elijah wished them luck, but there was a bit of resentment there as well. A good bit of his pride was wrapped up in the notion that he and his companions were special. That they’d accomplished things others couldn’t. And while that was still true, the idea that other people might experience – and defeat – the challenge of Pruina was enough to leave a sour taste in his mouth.

Stolen novel; please report.

Did it matter that they were facing a much weaker version?

Not really.

Whatever the case, he’d noticed more than a few groups trekking through the area. A couple had even stopped by his camp, though the moment they recognized him, they hurried along. Apparently, he had a bit of a reputation.

After a few minutes, Elijah tried to focus on other tasks. Outside of the cultivation cave, he couldn’t really work on his soul. So, that was out. He tried to whittle some, but he lacked inspiration. Then, he started working out, but his body had outgrown his attempts. If he wanted to push himself in any meaningful way, he would need specialized equipment. Finally, he thought back to his decision about his latest spell evolution.

He’d chosen the Wild Infusion option, largely because it offered the most balanced benefits. The other two would push him in one direction or the other, which wasn’t what he wanted. He used Shape of Venom and the Shape of the Guardian equally, depending on the situation, and as far as he was concerned, their governing attributes carried the same import. Still, upon glancing at the new spell description, he couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful the other versions might have been: