The Oracle Paths

A deafening shockwave blasted the area in a thirty meter radius, the huge rock splintering into pieces on impact. Shards of debris flew in all directions, accompanied by a massive cloud of dust, most of it banging directly against Norton's thick fur.

Jake shuddered as he imagined how he would have fared against this infinitely violent onslaught, but the mutant gorilla did not stop roaring after that first blow. The rock his huge hands held having shattered, his fists clenched and the monster went into a killing frenzy, compulsively slamming his fists down with demonic savagery.

Each successive punch was like a thousand ton heavenly hammer striking the earth. Whatever was underneath, it had no chance of surviving. Blow after blow, the earth caved in further, the crater widening and deepening.

RRROOOOARR!

When the huge beast slammed his fists down one last time in a frightful combo, a shockwave even more terrifying than the previous ones swept across the plain, pulverizing most of the already battered stagecoaches and wagons. The gorilla's fists remained pressed against the ground in a hammering posture, as if they were trying to hammer in a stubborn nail.

Could it be that the Player below had not yet been flattened?

As he and Ruby curiously scanned the battle area, they found that the Aetheric signature of the Player smashed by Norton was still strong, but his vital signs were not.

When the dust settled, they got a clearer picture and the lightning wielder was there, his legs so bent that he was this close to kneeling. His muscles were strained to the extreme, his veins swollen like little snakes, and a puddle of perspiration trickled down at his feet, but the barbarian was very much alive.

His arms were still crossed over his head in a defensive stance, unwaveringly protecting the Player's face and other vital organs. An ocean of lightning flickered in his pupils and although the man was smeared with blood, his toothy grin and fighting intent had not wavered one bit.

" Awesome." Jake muttered under his breath. Ruby next to him didn't say anything, but the silver glow behind her pupils pulsed more wildly than ever.

Speaking frankly, neither Jake nor she had expected to meet players of this caliber in their Fourth Ordeal. At least not this early.

If it was Jake taking that beating, could he display the same unwavering will? Yes, most certainly. But that was because deep down he thought he was exceptional among his peers.

During his third Ordeal, no Player, except Wyatt and Boris, had managed to awaken his competitive spirit. He had made enemies, but it was always against him that they conspired, not the other way around.

At this precise moment, he was overwhelmed by an ardent desire to measure himself against this lightning wielding barbarian. The outcome of the fight was unknown, but that was precisely what his Myrtharian Bloodline was looking for to further elevate himself and break his chains.

While Norton clashed with this unknown Player, trying to smash him with his fists, the humans and Players on his back had long since landed to rescue the other refugees. Because of the circumstances, they did not immediately attack the Wengols, wanting to understand the situation first.

"Are you done?" The barbarian suddenly growled with a trace of fury and condescension in his voice. Norton, who was still trying to crush him with his fists, even felt a note of threat.

Just when the beast was doubting his own perceptions, a chill of danger bristled through his thick fur. The resistance under his fists intensified and an irresistible pushing force began to repel his hands. Simultaneously, a hooded figure obstructed his vision, an enchanted dagger popping just millimeters from his huge right eye.

With his eye threatened, Norton had no choice but to abandon his offense. Closing the targeted eye, he lowered his head to take the dagger blow with his forehead whose skin was dozens of times denser than leather.

The assassin seemed to have anticipated this scenario as his figure dissolved in a swirl of cloak, his black mantle veiling the demon gorilla's face. With ethereal movements of inhuman grace, the figure ran and somersaulted through the air as if it weighed nothing before reappearing under the crotch of the giant mutant.

With a sinister gleam in its vertical pupils, the silver sheen of a dagger sliced through something dangling loosely above the assassin and a heartbreaking roar of agony pierced the silence.

"RROOOOOARRRR !!!!"

Unwitting tears of suffering streamed down the gorilla's face. Jake and the other bystanders who witnessed the scene subconsciously clenched their legs at the sight. Poor Norton.

Thud.

The hairy sausage-like mass of flesh with its two melons fell heavily onto the electric player below, along with a spray of hot blood. He, who until now had shown such wonderful equanimity, immediately began to hurl names at his savior.

" ***** Goddamn it, Shamash! Did you really need to drop a dick on me?!"

"Gheheehe! You should be thanking me instead. You looked like you were in trouble..." The insulted man burst out laughing. Without his coat and hood, his appearance was visible to all.

He too wore an Oracle Device on his wrist, but it had been camouflaged as a gold armband. Only the other players of adequate Oracle Rank could sense its existence. In this instance, only Jake and that was because he had activated the Oracle Skill Promotion.

The man was of ordinary height for a Player, less than two meters, and was also significantly older than his comrade, approaching sixty years. His orange eyes with slit pupils were sunken in their sockets and filled with a chilling cruelty and indifference.

Despite his age, his black hair and beard were meticulously trimmed and his tanned skin glowed with youth and vitality. It was the same for his athletic physique, which without falling into the hypertrophied dysmorphism of his comrade, was close to perfection. But unlike the barbarian, his morphology was very functional, that of a killing machine.

By way of clothing, this intimidating Player wore only a pair of baggy black pants, a purple belt, a pair of matching boots, a bandana and a huge solid gold necklace made of rectangular pieces resembling playing cards. The dagger he had just used was still in his hand, but a huge saw was strapped behind his back.

Standing next to his comrade wrapped in a halo of electricity, this Player looked much more ordinary but the aura of cruelty and malice emanating from him was out of this world compared to the barbarian. As for his spirit aura and Aether signature, as soon as the man stopped suppressing it, Jake and the others knew at once that they were no match for him.

While the lightning wielder aroused Jake's competitive spirit, this Player only made him feel helpless and hopeless. As if they were not worthy to compete against him. If the courage and pride of the Myrtharians running through his veins didn't dictate his personality, Jake could have very well given up and run away.

And he wasn't the only one who refused to consider retreat.

ROOOOOARRRR!

The giant gorilla who had just been castrated against his will went into a killing frenzy, his instincts and intellect degenerating into their most primitive form.

BANG!

The tail swipe that followed swept through the air with such force that a shrill whistle sliced through space with teleportation-like speed. The barbarian and his fellow castrator were struck head-on and blasted away. A spray of golden blood erupted from the second Player's mouth as they crashed into a nearby mountain.

The gorilla picked up his "precious" limb and went after the two culprits. Norton, who had all but lost his mind, managed to maintain a last semblance of sanity and telepathically growled to his squad,

'I'll leave you to deal with the Lich.'

What Lich? Jake and the others didn't know who Norton was referring to, but by process of elimination they knew it could only be the third hooded figure, still waiting stoically in front of the carriage.

By tacit agreement, all the Mutants, humans and Wengols present surrounded it, leaving it no escape. Unfortunately, as soon as the Lich felt threatened, the 60,000 Undeads stationed at a distance began to move again, tightening the noose around the survivors.

At the same time, those who had been electrocuted to death by the barbarian chose this moment to resurrect, joining the ranks of the Undead army. While Norton had just rid them of the two most dangerous enemies, the situation had drastically worsened.

"Kakakaka! Why don't we all take a step back?" The hooded Lich suggested, a greenish fire glowing in his empty eye sockets. "I admit that we should have informed you of this operation, but the creation of this army is necessary for the survival of Laudarkvik. If you agree to let me go, I promise to reward you handsomely."

Jake and the other Players frowned, exchanging indecisive glances, but the human and Wengol survivors exploded with rage at his words. Instead of saving them, had Laudarkvik just wiped them out to replenish his ranks? Outrageous!

Just as Jake and the others had already decided in their hearts to follow the last order of the eunuch Norton, a galloping sound was heard behind them. Turning their heads, they saw a dozen human riders with an escort of ghosts forming a long flag of dim light behind them for those who were able to see them.

More reinforcements had just arrived.