The Oracle Paths

Long after the Wendok's final words, his followers remained motionless, spellbound by the staggering weight of this cataclysmic news.

Jake and his companions, caught in a whirlpool of urgency, had to forcefully rein in their impulsive desire to rush to the surface's Yellow Cube and bolt for home. The bitter irony that they couldn't even afford the journey proved a chilling constraint on their eagerness.

When Cekt gauged they'd had enough time to digest the grim revelations, he cleared his throat yet again and resumed, his voice now tinged with a brighter note,

"Now that you've taken the punch of the bad news, I'll focus on the silver linings or at least, what we can do in our predicament. But first, we must address the issue of the Corruption that plagues us all. Although I know you're itching to see your loved ones, I strongly advise against it. Without mental fortitude and appropriate adjustment, making visual contact will only lead to disaster..."

The elderly alien then detailed the physical and psychological symptoms they could expect at each Stage of Corruption, based on its percentage. To preempt any disputes, he measured each of their Corruption levels, including Jake's.

Unsurprisingly, their Corruption ranged between Stages 7 and 9, with levels oscillating between 71 and 96%.

Despite Epsilom and Drakon being the first infected by the Sinewshade Virus, Lucia bore the highest Corruption in the group, while Hade fared the best due to his late contamination. His superior Soul Strength and Spirit Body level also played a part.

By Stage 7, a typical Evolver would struggle to resist attacking even their own family. In isolation, control was possible, but the insatiable hunger and corrosive, destructive thoughts gradually eroded their personalities. This was a long and painful process that would ultimately make them forget who they were. Some stubborn individuals managed to live with these urges without forsaking their values, but that was a rarity.

At Stage 8, the symptoms worsened, the overpowering hunger and hostility towards Mirror Universe beings diminishing their cognitive faculties. According to Cekt, if they didn't yet feel a difference, it was because their Corruption levels had surged too quickly and their current horrific hunger was yet to become their new normal.

The threat of alienation loomed as these inhuman emotions slowly became their default mood, quickly making them forget their past sanity.

By Stage 9, they were nearing the critical threshold that the Wendok defined.

Beyond Stage 10, or over 100% Corruption, they would be rejected by the Mirror Universe, seen as foreign invaders akin to Digestors. This subtle transformation would rewrite their psyche on an Aetheric level, instilling them with the same unyielding hatred and animosity that drove Digestors to their destruction.

The old alien didn't sugarcoat the truth. He honestly outlined their chances of retaining their identities and cherished values based on their current Stage of Corruption. Lucia and the others were understandably crestfallen by the time he finished.

Lucia, given her current Spirit Body level and Soul Strength, knew that without help, she would become an unrecognizable ball of hatred and bloodlust within a few months, barring a miracle.

Jake was equally disheartened after hearing his master's warnings, but he managed to calm down when he continued,

"For that reason, you'll have to stay here under my supervision. I'm not doing this just for you. I, too, have been infected by this virus. I'm dealing with the same symptoms, perhaps worse, given my circumstances. I need to isolate myself and strengthen my Soul Strength to leave without endangering others. During this time, I promise to do my best to help you acclimate to your Corruption. It may be hard, but helping Evolvers of your level is within my abilities."

Cekt was a capable Aetherist, well-versed in science and magic, and they knew they could trust him. Be it through potions, pills, enchantments, spells, meditation, or other methods, they had no doubt his aid would significantly increase their chances of managing their Corruption.

According to the gremlin, the key was to enhance their mental parameters enough to proportionally reduce their Corruption percentage. This was not straightforward, as the Corruption was closely intertwined with their pure Aether.

Corruption had the perk of gradually infecting the pure Aether it encountered, which was how Digestors insidiously corrupted the Mirror Universe.

According to Cekt, the opposite was also possible, but it was incredibly improbable, so much so that a complete recovery was unheard of. The best strategy was to accumulate as much pure Aether as possible until the corrupted Aether became a minority.

After he finished explaining how they should proceed and train to potentially stabilize their condition, Lucia and the other followers now saw a glimmer of hope.

The Myrmidian princess seemed pumped, ready to wage the ultimate battle against the Corruption preventing her normal life. Ulfar was his usual confident self, trusting his luck to pull him through once more, but Hade's melancholic expression was striking.

'At least in this state, I might be able to understand what my son was going through,' mused the Fluid Grandmaster, a furrowed brow betraying his inner conflict.

Once Cekt had wrapped up his strategy briefing and morale-boosting, he clapped his hands one last time to recapture their attention, casting a meaningful glance at Jake.

"Now, let's talk about your Fifth Ordeal, and Jake's departure. He's the only one among you that I'm willing to allow to leave. His Corruption is at Stage 7, but due to his unique circumstances, he's barely affected..."

"What does Jake's departure have to do with the Fifth Ordeal?" Lucia mumbled under her breath in a dejected tone, but her grumbles were caught by all present.

"Everything," declared Cekt with a benevolent grin. "With the Aether Network near collapse, using the Yellow Cube to return home will require an astronomical amount of Aether, tantamount to the energy needed for teleportation across such immense distances. Remember, we're talking about hundreds of billions of light years... Such energy, without the aid of the Aether Network, is almost unfathomable. I have the resources to finance such a journey, but I'd rather use them to help us reduce our Corruption if we hope to leave this place someday.

"If there were no other options, I would have reluctantly allowed Jake to return to his faction, but it turns out that the Mirror Universe hasn't entirely forsaken us.

Aas, the Cube Ancient Designer, has fully shouldered the operational costs of the Oracle System services during the Ordeals, including that of the Red Cubes, throughout these four years. How and why, can only speculate, but it's a windfall for you. The Red Cubes are teleportation devices too. By making a request beforehand, you can select another Red Cube as your exit point at the end of your Ordeal, free of charge."

Jake's eyes ignited with comprehension.

"So, you want me to..."

"Exactly," Cekt beamed. "To leave this place, you'll enter through my portable Red Cube and undertake your Fifth Ordeal. Regardless of how long it takes within, it will end 24 hours later according to B842 time zone. It's not as instant as teleportation, but it's better than nothing."

Jake was sold. It was indeed a perfect solution given the circumstances.

It also had added perks, like the fact that Aas, against all odds, had kept all Oracle System services running during the Ordeals, which included auxiliary Oracle Skills like his Portable Oracle Store. If the Oracle Store remained accessible without any additional costs within, there were indeed many advantages to this fifth Ordeal.

However, he couldn't help but be skeptical at such generosity. Even for a filthyrich Ancient Designer of several billion years, taking on all the operation costs of Ordeals across the entire Mirror Universe must hurt.

As for why his master uttered the Fifth Ordeal also concerned the others, the answer came shortly after.

"You all will also participate in your Fifth Ordeal at the same time as him. The Oracle wishes to help its Evolvers resist their Corruption and has long established protocols to utilize you in the Ordeals without jeopardizing stable Players. You're likely to be separated from your uncorrupted friends and pitted against Corrupted Players from other Mirror Universes, but it's also the simplest way for you to strengthen your mental resilience thanks to the Ordeal Rewards."

Ending on a more negative note, the Wendok concluded without enthusiasm, "The only difference from Jake is that, depending on your performance and the evolution of your state, you will have to return here in the end. Of course, that's only if you make it back alive..."