The Oracle Paths

On the top floor of the magnificent tower in question, the spacious crescent-shaped hall, where pivotal decisions for half the continent were made, was more crowded than usual. The five coveted golden thrones, facing the breathtaking stained glass windows overlooking the even more imposing Heaven Cascade, were now fully occupied.

Master Eldrion, who had occupied the central seat last time, had humbly yielded his throne to a tall, muscular man with sun-tanned skin, slate-grey eyes, and a neatly groomed beard, seated on a majestic golden throne adorned with spikes. His expression was severe and solemn, reflecting his readiness to judge his subjects and make crucial decisions for his people.

Between his gigantic golden throne, fit for a giant, the faint but almost tangible Life Lumyst Aura constantly exuding from his skin to the point of searing their retinas, and the fact that he filled the throne to the brim, the man could only be identified as Valandar, aka the Celestial.

The other three seats were currently filled by two stunning young women with diametrically opposed auras, and a gaunt man who embodied the word cruelty: Lady Faye, Lady Lyria, and Lord Calyx. The white radiances radiating from their immaculate bodies were barely more restrained than that of their enigmatic leader, making the atmosphere in the room suffocating to the point of being unbreathable.

This scene, with the five legendary members of the Radiant Conclave all gathered together, was so rare in the history of the Lustra Plains that each occurrence had preceded events and changes with drastic consequences.

However, one glance at the schadenfreude expressions of the two young women, Master Eldrion's annoyance, Lord Calyx's ugly grimace, and the Celestial's deepening scowl was enough to know that not everyone was here willingly. Without the unifying presence of the intimidating Valandar, these famous invincible individuals would have already come to blows. At least verbally.

Several among them had good reasons not to be thrilled about being here at this late hour. Not only had they been disturbed by an attack on Lustris and urgently summoned by the Celestial in the middle of the night, but they also knew that this time, with everyone present, they couldn't avoid their punishment.

Contrary to what one might think, the Celestial and his four Saints didn't get along as well as their apparent absence of conflict might suggest. At best, they endured each other, not hesitating to stab each other in the back at the slightest opportunity. The inalienable invincibility of their supreme leader was the glue preventing their fragile alliance from collapsing…

As for the reason for their impromptu meeting here, and the Celestial's scowling, unfriendly expression, it was obviously the recent assault on Lustris, but not only… The three Rank 17 Players standing grimly before them were a significant source of the bad mood for both Valandar and the usually patient Master Eldrion.

Shadrex 'The Bipolar', Weiss 'The Mindweaver', and Caelum 'The Titan of Vrax', were indeed the culprits of this unauthorized entry.

At the moment, these three foreigners had burst into the room forcefully, disregarding all protocols. Not security protocols—who could threaten the Conclave on their own turf?—but bureaucratic ones.

Reaching this hall without being mandated was supposed to be a real challenge. It was designed that way so that Master Eldrion, who typically made decisions alone in the absence of other members, would be bothered as little as possible.

Too bad for them, if it were only the old, conciliatory Eldrion, the trio of foreigners might have managed to convey their warning without trouble. Instead, it was a full conclave, Celestial included, who welcomed them, forcing them to tone down their approach.

Right now, the overwhelming Lumyst Auras of the Celestial and the four Saints pinned them to the ground, even lifeforce and a weak light attribute becoming lethal when emitted in sufficient quantities. Just looking the Celestial straight in the eyes without flinching, Weiss and Shadrex had to exert a superhuman effort.

Their cells, despite being powerful Oracle Knights, struggled to withstand such a radiant force without bursting. It was akin to a baptism of Life Lumyst Water, but eternal and without the expected benefits of the torture session. Essentially, the equivalent of an astronomical discharge of radiation just good enough to give them cancer.

The only one who felt rather well in this room, even very well, was Caelum, the only one of the three Rank 17 Players specialized in body tempering. The deadly radiance for his colleagues was like a revitalizing sunbath for him. His cells greedily drank in the vital and light energy from these auras without showing any sign of satiety.

"Suppose I believe you," the Celestial occupying the central throne finally decided to speak. "How can you prove that the 'Player' you're so anxiously warning us about isn't one of those we just repelled? Don't compare the defenses of Dusken to our beautiful capital. In terms of Titans and Revenants, their side has a slight advantage, but Lustris also has us five for its defense. You may not know it, but we killed quite a few of these powerful foreigners just five minutes ago. Those who surrendered are waiting docilely for their execution at the foot of this tower. Maybe your 'Player' is among them…"

Even he didn't believe what he was saying. Valandar had personally experienced what this Player was capable of and he refused to consider that it could be someone else. If more than one enemy foreigner could cause him so much harm, then the outcome of this war would remain unchanged, but the cost of victory would become much steeper…

Valandar himself was unaware of his own dichotomy. On one hand, he still considered himself invincible to the point that the outcome of the war would remain unchanged, but on the other, he feared more than he dared to admit this mysterious Player capable of offering fierce resistance.

"Val, don't tell me you believe them?" Lady Faye teased the scowling goliath with a sensual laugh. "We already know after interrogating these prisoners who is responsible for the attack and what they came to steal. The perpetrator was a certain Nathan, an alien humanoid more insect than human. He's among those who fled with the fake replica and indeed serves a Rank 17 Player, a certain Cho Min Ho currently posing as the Soulmancer King."

If the prisoners chained at the foot of the tower could hear her, they would break into cold sweats. The vast majority of them were unaware that Cho Min Ho was taking the place of the Soulmancer King, but the Radiant Conclave was already in the know. The big question was rather what they didn't know about their enemies?

The Celestial's angry frown deepened, grasping the disguised sarcasm in the young woman's innocent question. With her flawless coppery skin, deep violet eyes, and wavy auburn hair, she was dazzling.

Her plump lips almost constantly exhibited a teasing smile less honest than it appeared, her very, too light, outfits being the real clue to understanding the twisted prism of her personality. In two words: perverse narcissist. Meaning, a manipulative seductress.

More than just a simple vixen, her kick was to render strong and ambitious men fall madly in love with her through meticulously orchestrated love-bombing, only to do the exact opposite and drive them insane until they were but a shadow of their former glory. The Celestial, as the supreme figure of the Lustra Plains and perhaps even all of Twyluxia, was the perfect target she never tired of. The fact that he was impervious to all her advances and taunts only made him more fascinating.

Of course, Valandar was not fooled by her true personality, nor were the other members who had personally suffered from it. Alas for them, her unique talents were too useful. For that, they were willing to render some concessions.

"Cho Min Ho... Nathan..." The Celestial repeated thoughtfully, eyeing the three Rank 17 Players. "Do these names ring any bells?"

Caelum frowned, but Weiss exchanged a knowing look with Shadrex, who, after a brief hesitation, shook his head in denial.

"They're not the ones," Weiss declared in a tone that brooked no doubt.

With her melodious voice, silvery-blue skin, nine medusa-like tails, curved horns, and claws, her otherworldly beauty was enough of a contrast in the room to easily capture all the male attention.

Lady Faye narrowed her eyes in disgust at the sight of the foreign woman, but the other conclave members merely gave her intrigued glances. Master Eldrion, already familiar with her talents, cleared his throat a bit too loudly and clarified for Valandar,

"It's this woman to whom we owe the intelligence that led to the ambush of the Soulmancer King at Havocspire."