BOOK 9: CHAPTER 78: THE UNYIELDING PATH

Despite their advances in body cultivation, the dogs still struggled to go deeper into the cave. They managed it, though, which was all that really mattered, and soon enough the entire group reached the beginning of the next test. As they exited the cave, they found themselves looking up a steep path that circled around the interior of the mountain. Upon initial inspection, it didn’t look particularly steep, but considering the base was around a mile wide and the top was about five times that, it would amount to quite a distance.

“Thirty-five miles, give or take,” Oscar said.

Elijah glanced at the man, noting that he only looked slightly different than before he’d advanced his body cultivation. His features were sharper, his eyes a little more deeply set, and his greasy hair and beard looked slightly healthier. He’d also gained an inch or so in height, but he’d lost some weight.

By comparison, all the dogs looked much better, with glossy coats and powerful-looking bodies.

“You just did the math in your head?” Elijah asked. “That quick?”

“I’m good at math.”

Elijah looked up at the spiral and shook his head. “Damn right you are,” he remarked. “That doesn’t seem that far, though.”

Of course, there was more to the challenge than just walking up a ramp. Indeed, there were nine rocks standing in a line at the base of the spiraling incline. The largest among them resonated with Elijah’s senses in a way that none of the others did, which told him that it was meant for him.

He’d already tried to climb the ramp on his own, but he’d found the way blocked by a dense plane of ethera. From everything he’d tried – even going so far as to flare his mantle of authority – it was entirely impassible. In the end, it was Freddy who figured out what the challenge required.

The idea was simple enough. They were supposed to push their boulders up the spiraling ramp until they reached the top. However, according to the well-informed dog, the way would be complicated by a progressive increase to the ethereal density. And they all knew what that meant.

Upon hearing that, Elijah considered going back into the cave and settling in for another couple of months so that the dogs could progress their body cultivation even higher. But there were two factors that made him question that strategy. First, they’d been in the Primal Realm for a long time. Too long, as far as he was concerned. Not only did that mean he was incapable of responding to any threats to the grove, but the deadline before excisement loomed ever closer with each passing day.

They still had time.

Lots of it, in fact.

However, it was important to maintain urgency or they’d end up procrastinating too long. And with the fate of the world at stake, Elijah refused to allow that. He didn’t intend to waste any more time before he’d ensured Earth’s connection to the World Tree would remain strong and unbroken.

Even so, he might have insisted that the weaker-bodied dogs reach the next level if it wasn’t for the fact that their cultivation had slowed considerably. It would probably take six months for them to reach the next stage, and that was assuming that they were capable. There was every chance that they would find themselves wanting, which would just waste more time.

After all, success in cultivation was not a given. For most people, there were limits. Some would never get higher than the third tier in any category. Even for the talented, there were soft caps on specific aspects. One man who had the potential to reach the ninth level of mind cultivation might struggle with body cultivation such that he couldn’t progress past the fourth stage.

Not without a lucky break, and those were uncommon enough that most people simply assumed they’d never find one. That was the thing about cultivation – some people were clearly more talented than others, and it showed not only in how quickly they could reach the next levels, but also how high they could climb.

Thankfully, Elijah had yet to hit any real speedbumps. Hopefully, that would continue to be the case.

In the meantime, he asked, “How bad is this going to get, do you think?”

“Very,” Oscar answered. The dogs barked in agreement, but if canines could look determined, they certainly did. Especially Escobar, who still held himself with a sense of immense pride.

Elijah rolled his shoulders, then shifted into the Shape of Thorn. “I guess there’s no sense in further delay. What happens if we fail, by the way?”

Oscar cracked his neck. “I don’t know.”

“Probably something horrible,” Elijah guessed, his mind cycling through all the ways he could be killed. His money was on being crushed by the pressure, but having his bones broken by a rolling boulder was a distinct possibility as well. He pushed those notions aside, then strode forward to plant himself in front of his boulder. It was only about five feet across, and despite it looking like a natural formation, it was mostly spherical. The other rocks were similar, if not identical, though with different sizes.

Soon enough, all of the dogs had placed themselves in front of appropriately sized rocks. The two defender dogs were paired with the second largest boulders, with Freddy, Digby, and Oscar coming next. Then, Ray and Maymay. Finally, there was Escobar, with a rock the size of a basketball.

Elijah took a breath, then asked everyone if they were ready. They all answered that they were. Sure, the dogs only barked, but Elijah was well-versed in canine mannerisms, and by that point, he could understand what they meant.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Or at least he thought so.

In any case, he announced it was time, and without further delay, put his claws on the rock and pushed. It didn’t move easily, and the pace was incredibly slow. But it was doable.

That lasted for the first revolution – of which there were nearly four – and then everything changed. The pressure doubled, pushing down on him and making him feel like he – and the rock – weighed significantly more. It was difficult to gauge it, but if the weight hadn’t doubled, he would have been surprised.

And considering that it had already taken a good deal of effort to move, that wasn’t trivial. He leaned into it, grunting with the effort of continuing to push the boulder. Behind him, the dogs let out whimpers as they crossed that same threshold, but none of them stopped.

Still, it took hours to reach the end of the second revolution, and predictably, the weight once again doubled. Elijah’s progress immediately slowed to a crawl. He knew he could keep going. He was far from his limit. But he was worried about the dogs.

As they slowly closed on him, he racked his brain for ways to help them, and he came up with and discarded a dozen different plans until, at last, he found one he thought would work.

But as it turned out, it was unnecessary. Certainly, the dogs continued to whimper as they passed him, but they were determined. Even if they slowed, they didn’t falter. For Elijah’s part, he paced Escobar, who struggled more than any of the others. Even as the chihuahua stood on his hind legs and pushed the tiny boulder forward, Elijah lagged a few feet behind, ready to help if necessary.

Sure, he expected that doing so would mean failing the test. But if that happened, he was ready for the consequences.

Or at least he thought so.

In any case, Escobar never stopped. So neither did Elijah.

Their progress was agonizingly slow, though. And Elijah’s muscles started to cramp after the third hour. He shifted back into his human form, and though the loss of strength made his burden more onerous, he was still powerful enough. Once in his natural form, he summoned Blessing of the Grove, casting the area in soothing rain that mended his aching muscles.

On and on they went. Claws and feet dug into the ground, and the world felt like it shrunk down to the path, the rock, and the next step. The end was always one stride away. That was the only mentality that kept them going.

Then, they began the third revolution. A desperate plea of a whine echoed across the mountain, and Elijah cast his senses out. He immediately felt what had gone wrong. Jackson’s leg had broken, and his progress had halted. He still pushed against his rock, but with only one leg to support him, he couldn’t move it.

The second Elijah came into range, he cast Wild Resurgence and Nature’s Bloom. He also tapped into the False Grove, drinking from that well so he could conserve his pool of ethera. Jackson’s leg mended, though not quickly. It took four casts before it was back to normal.

The dog let out a whining bark that twisted gratitude and pain into the same sound, then resumed the climb.

It wasn’t the first time the dogs experienced broken bones. Even Oscar’s knee buckled beneath him. But each time, Elijah was there to heal the damage. He knew none of it was perfect. There was a good chance that when they were done with the challenge, they’d need to break and reset a few bones. However, his efforts kept them going right up until they reached the fourth revolution.

Halfway around that final spiral was a cave that Elijah knew would offer them some respite, if not from the immense pressure, then at least from their rocky burdens. The only problem was that, as had happened with every other new revolution, the effects of gravity doubled.

For the first time, Elijah skidded backwards, and he wasn’t alone. All around him, the dogs backslid – at least until Oscar activated a series of abilities. Suddenly, the dogs pulsed with so much ethera that Elijah was briefly blinded. When his senses cleared, the dogs were once again trudging forward.

Not to be outdone, Elijah dug his heels in and halted his momentum. A second later, he reversed course and, putting his entire body into it, resumed his trek up the spiraling path. Even as he did, he attempted to embrace his Mantle of Authority. However, the pressure wasn’t just physical. It was ethereal as well, and his mantle simply wouldn’t activate. As physically imposing as it was, it was far worse for his soul, and he quickly abandoned that strategy and put all his focus on the continued to climb.

Each step was agony. His muscles burned, and buckets of sweat poured down his body. The dogs didn’t do any better, and even with Oscar’s abilities buffing them, their progress was slow. So, so very slow.

“Not…much…longer,” grunted their pack leader. “Do…something…”

Elijah knew he didn’t have a choice in the matter. With the end of the line only a few hundred yards away, he shifted back into the Shape of Thorn, then activated two abilities, one after the other. The first was Domain of Vines, which sent roots snaking around the dogs and their burdens. He was forced to add Unchecked Growth a second later, just so he’d have enough vines.

The surge of healing helped his condition as well, but that was only the first part of his plan. Once he had a good grip on the dogs and the boulders alike, he activated Savage Strength. The influx of power eased his burden, allowing him to take one trudging step after another. He dragged the pack with him, latching onto the outer wall to help pull himself forward.

It felt like his entire body was ripping to pieces, and the roots never lasted more than a step or two. Fortunately, they were constantly replenished by his immense Regeneration.

But it wasn’t enough.

He only managed to cover half the remaining ground before he realized that Unchecked Growth would run its course before he reached the destination. When that happened, he would lose his grip and the dogs would be driven backward.

Of course, they were still pushing as well. But his strength was the difference between progression and backsliding.

Elijah refused to allow it.

So, as soon as he realized what was happening, he shouted, “Get ready for a surge! I’m using Bestial Charge!”

Normally, it required a target, but he possessed enough control to force the activation. Suddenly, he shot forward. Or at least that was how it felt. In reality, he only moved as fast as a normal person’s light jog. But that was enough.

The distance shrank, foot by foot, until, at last, they reached the flat surface standing before their destination. That was when Elijah’s abilities ran their course and dissipated. He slumped to ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps. But there was no real relief. The pressure not only remained, but it was stronger than ever.

He dragged himself forward, grabbing a trembling Escobar along the way. Oscar activated another ability, giving the dogs a resurgence of energy, and bit by bit, they crawled into the cave.

Sweet relief flooded Elijah’s body, and he flipped himself onto his back as he let out a deep sigh. The pressure was almost completely gone.

“That was a little worse than expected,” he muttered, closing his eyes. But he didn’t allow himself to really rest. Instead, he shifted back into his human form and started casting heals.

It was going to take a while to get the dogs back to normal, so it was best if he got started as soon as possible. A second later, a rough tongue scraped across his cheek, and he opened his eyes to see a bug-eyed chihuahua looking down on him.

He couldn’t help but smile as he said, “I love you too, buddy.”