The Oracle Paths

Naked but unharmed, Hephais stood up without a word, piercing the two Players who had just ambushed him with a contempt-filled gaze. As an assassin, sneaky attacks were his forte, but that didn't mean he enjoyed being on the receiving end.

'Krea, what races are they?' He asked while narrowing his eyes, having just received feedback from his latest Oracle Scan.

[A Morphian and a Sorrgil], the Oracle AI informed him in the same phlegmatic tone as its master.

Morphians were a versatile race that could not only morph into anything they touched but also semi-permanently copy all their memories and abilities. Unlike regular shape-shifters, they could also produce clones of themselves through mitosis. These clones could assume the forms of other targets and had their own individuality. However, any skills or abilities the clones had could also be used by the original as long as they existed—hence the term 'semi-permanent'. Before assuming a shape, a Morphian and its clones would resemble big globs of liquid mercury, which was when they were easiest to kill.

Right now, the Morphian had an indescribable appearance—vaguely human, part monster, and part alien. Sizing up the creature, Hephais recognized familiar traits like lion-like ears, silver hair, goblin-green skin, and golden eyes...

It was only when he noticed the still clones standing behind the hybrid Player that he realized where this familiar feeling came from, and despite all his self-control, his killing intent flared up uncontrollably in a burst of anger. Jake, who was watching from the shadows, was also just a hair's breadth away from blowing his top.

'Sarabi, Xort, Niss... Even Vargen and Balius.' He recognized several faces among these clones, the last two, a Throsgenian and a Myrmidian, being among the strongest of their race.

Although Jake had anticipated such losses in this Ordeal, it still was a big blow. And the culprit was right in front of them.

The only silver lining was that the old goblin couple had been able to reunite one last time before dying hand in hand. While not the ending anyone would desire, it was one that could find its place in the most tragic romantic tales.

As for the second newcomer, the Sorrgil, he vaguely resembled a Kintharian with his coppery skin, imposing musculature, and golden eyes that burned with fighting spirit. His bald head was marked with intricate golden patterns, evoking something like a sun or a sunflower. Unlike his bare scalp, the rest of his body was covered in majestic golden and red plate armor and a matching elegant cape—their quality far too high to be military surplus from the Lustra Plains. Though he emitted no power, he looked strong. Very strong.

Hephais didn't know it yet and had no intention of finding out more, but the Morphian and his reticent Sorrgil companion were obviously the Players Quilo and Sokal—the same who had been dispatched here to buy time before the real reinforcements arrived.

Unfortunately for the Egaean, who usually refrained from talking to his future victims, he fell for the trap, remembering that Jake was probably not far off, keenly following everything happening here. In this case, the role of making these Players talk fell on him. Good, he had some remarks for them as well.

"For Players supposed to be the elite of your Mirror Universe, I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to kill-steal an opponent from one of your own allies," Hephais sarcastically threw out, twisting the events to his own narrative.

An oblivious witness to the scene might indeed think that one of these Players had tried to steal a kill from this lumbering brute. Its kick was spectacular enough to suggest that.

But the reality was far different. The kick, brutal as it was, had at best only bruised his facial skin. The muscles, bones, and organs beneath remained untouched. In the meantime, he had already healed.

On the other hand, the invisible attack that had altered his flight path nearly killed him. Not only had the sudden change in direction without loss of momentum broken several ribs, but the repeated collisions with the river's surface triggered a second Lumyst baptism under the worst conditions imaginable.

Thankfully, for this time, luck had prevailed. Actually, no...

It was currently the Cosmic D Starfeyrves Body Passive that had saved him by adapting to the chaotic influx of spectral energy infused into his Soul and Spirit Body. That, and the fact that his spirit was fucking strong too.

Being saved by their Permanent Faction Skill reminded him that even without the Oracle System and Aether Network, some things still worked. It was somewhat... reassuring.

While this was difficult for Hephais to grasp, and thus a source of optimism, Jake, who could peer into the Aetherdream with his own eyes, held an entirely different view. That this Faction Skill still worked was not good news at all.

When Jake had set up his Cosmic D Starfeyrves Body as a new Permanent Faction Passive, the Oracle had indeed cast the required Aether Arrays onto each Myrtharian Nerd. However, it was Jake and the Myrtharian Nerds themselves who had funded its activation by footing the bill. They also bore the Aether costs to maintain it.

In other words, the Oracle System and the Aether Network might be needed to obtain the Faction Skill, but had nothing to do with it afterward. This only reinforced the current conjecture that the Oracle System and its Aether Network were effectively rendered inoperative.

By the same logic, other Faction Skills like United We Stand, Vitality Link, and Space Link could still be used, although they were currently severely nerfed like any magical ability by Twyluxia.

Back to the topic, Hephais expected all kinds of reactions after accusing the two newcomers of stealing their ally's kill, but not the response that followed.

"What?! Quilo, did you do something earlier?" Sokal exclaimed, glaring furiously at his companion.

The wrongfully accused Morphian immediately bristled and flatly denied,

"I didn't do shit, okay! Plus, we came together and never lost sight of each other! I know Kaelum's faction members are fucking morons, but at least make an effort."

"True..." Sokal conceded before scowling furiously, realizing that he and his entire faction had just been insulted as idiots. "Take that back!"

"Fuck you! Never!" All of Quilo's clones chorused in unison.

"..." Hephais was left speechless, but he could also feel that something was off. If it wasn't them who attacked him, then...

"SIGH... THESE DUMBASSES..." A voice as deep as the earth resonated in his ear, accompanied by hot, foul breath.

BANG!

Jake, perched calmly atop a tree, watched as Hephais was pancaked against the fine sand of the shore. No assailant in sight, but where Hephais had been smashed, a massive clawed paw print had left deep furrows. The crater, shaped like a five-clawed paw, was at least ten meters long, five meters wide, and twice as deep.

Jake calmly surveyed the crime scene, then nodded to himself, "He's fine."

The crushed body of his friend dispersed into black smoke a moment later, with Hephais reappearing unscathed on something invisible. Ignoring what his senses told him, he wrapped his fist in thick shadows and punched with all his might.

BAAM!

A stunning shockwave hurled the assassin back into the river with the velocity of a railgun shot. A towering column of water splashed all around, while the resulting high waves flooded the adjacent shores.

This time, Hephais remained underwater as a precaution, enduring his third baptism in silence. But a myriad of lantern-like wisps illuminating the stretch of water where he was submerged forced him to resurface prematurely.

B-BOOM! B-BO-BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM!

The spots of light filling the river suddenly intensified in radiance before exploding with incredible power that would make an atomic bomb jealous. When the illuminated river was finally evaporated by the radiant blast, a massive and repugnant phosphorescent aquatic creature revealed its existence.

Simultaneously on the shore, the massive behemoth that had twice smashed Hephais with its immense paw ended its invisibility, revealing a huge wolverine that could pass for a small mountain if it stayed still. Its stone-like skin had a complex texture, embedded with gems of every color, but also moss, a bed of flowers, and even trees included.

At a glance, both the wolverine and the aquatic beast were at least fifty meters long. And when the dim-witted stone troll recognized the overpowering wolverine, his eyes lit up instantly,

"Master!"

With the same surprise but not the same delight, Quilo and Sokal also recognized the two monsters,

"Lord Ooom and Glutton..." They growled furiously in their throats.

Two Rank 16 Players! The second wave of reinforcements they were supposed to buy time for had actually arrived before them.