The Oracle Paths

Fortunately for them, the other disciples and Jake's companions swiftly lost interest, as reality crashed into them like a jolt of electricity.

"I-I need to get in touch with Gerulf," Lucia stammered, feigning a sprint to the surface, but Jake halted her with a strong grip on her shoulder.

"I-I must call my consorts," Ulfar chimed in, a worried and anxious look spreading across his face – a sight Jake had never expected to see.

All of the disciples, barring Epsilom - a unique being - had loved ones they worried for. Yet, none of them belonged to a faction as significant as Jake's. Foreseeing their reaction to this news, Cekt rushed to pacify them as best he could, "Calm down. I've already checked in the Mirror World, and your loved ones are faring better than most. The initial victims of the Sinewshade Virus pandemic were, of course, the entry and exit points of the Oracle Cities and Shelters - the Yellow Cubes. Even Thelma suffered greatly.

"However, while some factions acted recklessly, most barred entry via their Yellow Cubes unless the visitor's identity and purpose had been verified. Our planet, B842, is undeniably in turmoil, with most nations and factions embroiled in civil war or having lost significant portions of their populations to the Digestors and their virus.

"Altogether, it's estimated that about 60% of B842's population has been turned into Sinewshades or perished at their hands. With the most competent Aetherists and Evolvers trapped like us, only ordinary healers were left to treat the infected and develop a cure. But because our Aether Network had been crippled, even the Green Cubes were reserved for a select few who could afford it. It's estimated that 10% have been cured, but their Corruption had long since exceeded the critical threshold, sparking a resurgence of civil wars everywhere.

"The only silver lining is that primarily Civilians were infected, as most of the larger factions protected themselves by sealing their Yellow Cubes. The deterioration of the Aether Network also helped. As you know, B842's orbital space spans billions of light-years, and without Yellow Cubes, travel between Floating Islands can take years without an advanced warp-capable spaceship. On the surface, B842 appears to have fallen to the Digestors and the infected, but it will take hundreds, perhaps thousands of years for these monsters to genuinely seize control of the orbital space. This is not comforting news for us, as this is how Digestors usually operate, and such a situation almost always precedes the fall of a planet.

"Cases where a planet's Evolvers have managed to regain control in such unfavorable circumstances are rare and were almost always due to reinforcements. Something that has no chance of happening now that the Mirror Universe's Aether Network is out of operation, and the Yellow Cubes have been disabled to prevent the spread of the Sinewshade Virus..."

Offering a serene nod to Lucia, Hade, and Ulfar, who were pale with worry, Cekt then said,

"Your faction is faring well. Your vice-leader, Will, I believe? He banned the use of your Floating Islands' Yellow Cubes as soon as he grasped the situation. Although the Mirror World largely depends on the cooperation of the Oracle System to stay up-to-date, I can guarantee that the Myrtharian Nerds still exist. You'll have to meet them in person to clarify their exact situation, though"

The Wendok then turned to Jake and continued,

"Your family seemingly sought refuge on your territory before it was too late, but you probably already knew that. Some were working for the Earth Union

government, and I'm less certain about their fate. New Earth, unfortunately, is among the factions that have descended into civil war, primarily because one of their ambassadors on Thelma became a host for a Brain-Eater without their knowledge. They thus let the Sinewshade Virus in, despite being one of the most responsive when the outbreak occurred. I still suggest you contact someone from your faction as soon as possible. While getting there may be complicated, I promise to help you communicate with them, even if it's out of my own pocket."

Jake and his companions nodded grimly, aware that this might take a significant toll on their master, given the near-inoperative state of the Aether Network. After that, Cekt informed each of the other disciples one by one about the status of their loved ones.

Overall, they were doing well. The one who had lost many of his kind was Syrbarun, but then again, the Vrusugs were not exactly known for their intelligence. Being as dull as they were, they fell like flies once the virus broke out, stupidly engaging the Sinewshades in close combat instead of trying to confine them using ranged weapons.

The most vexing part of it was that Vrusug Sinewshades were darn brutes, forming an army of low-cost troops for the Digestors, with their immense physical strength perfectly complementing their outrageous regeneration.

"I know you have more questions about this, but we'll get to that," Cekt resumed, eyeing Siri and Hade who had their hands raised. "Let me finish. What I explained about the Brain-Eaters and the Sinewshade Virus is merely the tip of the iceberg.

The main blow, the third piece of dreadful news, is a direct consequence of the first two: The Digestors have capitalized on this chaos to extend their domains and multiply. Latest reports suggest that almost all of B842 has become Digestor territory, with only a few Oracle Shelters surviving the onslaught. Many have transformed into Digestor Dungeons, while others have merely become feeding grounds, energy reservoirs for these insatiable beasts. The Oracle Capital, Thelma, is under siege too. Though it still holds up according to the Mirror World, I'm pretty sure Oros has ordered to abandon the Floating Island it was situated on, safeguarding the Oracle Palace and other Oracle Buildings and Cubes.

"Now that Thelma and the Oracle Shelters and Cities on B842 have fallen, the Digestors will target the various Evolver factions' Floating Islands. Using Thelma and the planet's surface as a springboard, they'll sweep through the surrounding space, obliterating everything in their path and systematically conquering every Floating Island they encounter. Those who were foolish enough to set up shop in low orbit will be the first to fall, while those in higher orbits, further from Thelma, might have a few decades, or even centuries, left. By the way, well done, Jake. I don't know if it was a stroke of luck or calculated planning, but your faction is situated far enough from Thelma and the surface that the Digestors won't target you for several decades."

Jake remained stoic at the compliment, having indeed chosen his orbit location considering such a possibility. The only reason it was a few decades and not centuries or millennia was because he decided to station his Floating Island in the space territory occupied by the Earthlings and, broadly, the humans.

Regrettably, this zone was practically nearby to Thelma.

Under normal circumstances, this would've been a plus, except Thelma was among the first to fall due to its high visitor traffic.

His companions and the other disciples had fallen silent a while ago, their moods having plummeted long back. The only upside was that they were gradually becoming numb to this torrent of harrowing updates.

Regardless, their luck had run out, as Cekt had yet one more piece of bad news to share.

"...This brings us to the final significant blow of the day," the small alien coughed awkwardly. "The end of the diplomatic immunity period. As Hade mentioned earlier, it indeed ended a few weeks ago, but it shouldn't have concerned you, at least not this soon. So far, I've only briefed you about what's happening on B842, but I haven't discussed the situation elsewhere, particularly on neighboring planets."

Taking a deep breath, the Wendok shot them an apologetic grimace and exhaled, "From B835 to B846, almost all fell in one swoop. Some, like B839 and B841, were already in dire straits before the Digestors unveiled their grand scheme, so it's safe to say they were doomed from the start. Except for the bastions defended by their largest factions, they've lost almost everything, their Aether Network entirely dismantled, or even pilfered by the Digestors. In the case of planets B835 to B841, where the Corruption and Aether density were far higher than ours, they decided to abandon their planets without hesitation. They could have chosen to relocate to any other planet, but because Jax, the Oracle Overseer of B839, had already convinced Zaya and others to take shelter under Oros's wings before the whole mess happened, they decided to go all-in with their plan. Oros, currently short on manpower... chose to turn a blind eye to their invasion. The journey without the Aether Network will drain all their savings, but this means all the powerful factions from these planets will move down on B842 with their full forces, and they have every intention of staying.

"It's a risky gamble, betting their future. To survive, these Oracle Overseers and large factions have decided to bet everything on our planet, turning B842 into their final fortress. And this... is bad news for you."