The Oracle Paths

Taking advantage of this brief delay, Jake and Asfrid quickly teleported between the two giants. With lightning speed, the Myrtharian carved the word "Placate" on Gerulf's chest while the Nereid Eltarian soothed Rogen by simply sticking her index finger between his eyes.

"Sleep."

The ice colossus rocked back and immediately began to snore. Seeing his rival sleeping, Gerulf, who was busy fighting Jake's mental influence, lost interest.

"In the end, I'm still the best." He bragged happily.

"You mean the worst!" Asfrid snorted as she smacked his thigh.

"Gerulf!"

A dumb smile lit up the Kintharian's face as he recognized the sweet voice calling his name.

"Lucia!"

The princess jumped into his arms and he scooped her up in a big hug. After a moment, when she began to pat his shoulder vigorously because he was about to break her ribs, he put her back down.

"You've gotten smaller." He noted in a guttural voice.

"You too." He added while looking at Jake who was in his miniaturized form.

Lucia giggled happily while listening to the giant's gruff remarks.

"Idiot, it is you who became bigger. Soon you won't even be able to get through the doors!" She lectured him with a feigned air of reproach.

Jake said nothing, but inwardly he couldn't help but think that this was already the case. The Kintharian hadn't walked through any doors in a long time. It would be the same for him if he didn't have the Miniaturization Spell.

Gurgle!

A thunderous stomach rumbling sounded simultaneously from Rogen and Gerulf's stomachs and an awkward silence replaced the joyous atmosphere of their reunion.

"Let's talk over a nice meal." Asfrid tactfully suggested.

A few moments later, the two giants were sitting cross-legged side by side with a mountain of roasted legs, meats and fish piled up in front of them. There were also several buckets of ice cubes, magic metals, and a mythril barrel filled with molten rock as condiments.

Like Jake, they had swallowed a Plutonium pill before their meal and could now gorge themselves without worrying about running out of radiation. As soon as they began to eat, the witnesses to the scene lost their appetite, but Jake, Lucia and Asfrid were used to this kind of event and watched them feast with indifference.

Once the pile of food and materials had been gobbled up, Rogen burped a tiny blizzard as he patted his tummy and let out a satisfied sigh,

"Ah, Rogen's full."

"Gerulf too." The Kintharian grunted as he closed his heavy eyelids.

ZZzzzz!

The two giants fell asleep shortly thereafter in a sitting position, their snores echoing throughout the camp. With a relieved expression, Asfrid immediately ordered the other Kintharians and Throsgenians to move their leaders to the area outside their assigned camp.

"Finally quiet." She rejoiced as she rubbed her temples wearily.

Lucia gently massaged her shoulders with a sympathetic smile, but that didn't stop her from whispering in her ear,

"Gerulf and Rogen are going to take a nap for a while, but the other Kintharians and Throsgenians haven't eaten yet..."

The Eltarian suddenly stood up and left the pavilion in a hurry.

"Poor Asfrid." Lucia giggled as she stormed out of the tent after her.

Jake, who hadn't been asked to do anything, didn't hesitate and went back to work on producing Adamantium.

After Gerulf and Rogen, more Myrtharian Nerds continued to show up throughout the day and by early evening he learned that Kyle's sister Maeve had also arrived with Kewanee, the American Native. Not having seen her for a while, he suddenly felt the need to check on her.

Enya and Esya had made him aware that the young woman had become obsessed with the idea of saving her brother from this Hecate. She felt responsible for her brother's circumstances and hated the demons as much as she hated herself.

After all this time, Jake hoped she would have recovered a little, but that hatred had turned into an obsession for revenge and for that she had to become stronger.

At the beginning of the Fourth Ordeal, he had learned that she had completed her first Three Ordeals like the other Myrtharian Nerds, but he didn't know any more about her beyond what the two sisters had revealed to him. He just hoped that hatred hadn't clouded her judgment too much.

Beyond her brother's fate, what worried him was the brainwashing and abuse inflicted by Bhuzkoc when she was his slave. Certain commands had been engrained in her mind and had almost become instincts. He doubted she would ever be able to return to normal.

Maybe Maeve knew that too.

Jake went to the tent assigned to the young woman and announced his presence.

"Come in."

Upon spotting the handsome man entering her tent, Maeve squinted her eyes guardedly, unable to recognize this individual. However, after studying him more closely she recognized the galactic glow pulsing behind his pupils.

"L-leader?"

"In the flesh." Jake smiled calmly.

He looked at her in turn and detected something in her aura that immediately made him frown. Compared to a year earlier, the young woman had traded in her brown hair for long jet-black hair. Her pale skin was flawlessly smooth, her ears pointed, her nails black and he could make out fine canines under her full lips. Even her brown irises were now pure emerald green and he could make out two protuberances behind her back.

To be quite frank, if she was pretty before, she was now a heaven-toppling beauty capable of bringing down nations. This kind of change was normal among Evolvers, but in the young woman the difference seemed a little too extreme. Her breasts had doubled in size for no reason and her curves, the way she fluttered her long eyelashes and more generally each of her gestures were an act of seduction.

But the most worrying change was the strange black smoke charged with negative energy that oozed from her skin, forming a halo of darkness around her.

Miasma.

"You became a demoness?"

Maeve wasn't surprised that he'd figured it out. He was her leader after all and she hadn't tried to hide it.

"That's right. I deliberately chose my archenemy's bloodline to better understand her. It also happens to be a good fit for my personality..."

"I see..." Jake sighed impassively, then asked in a concerned tone, "How are you? Are the orders given by Bhuzkok back then still affecting you?"

The young woman twitched, but answered apathetically,

"Bhuzkok and my brother are not dead. Where they are they cannot influence me, but technically I am still his slave."

"I promised myself to save your brother or avenge him if need be, so I will." Jake said in a reassuring manner.

"I don't need your help. I will get my revenge alone." Maeve retorted stiffly. Her experience with Bhuzkoc had shown her that men couldn't be trusted. Their kindness and promises were just a means to make them their plaything.

Jake did not take offense, but glided right in front of her and immobilized her with his telekinesis. Wide-eyed, a deep hatred flashed across the young woman's features.

"What are you doing?! Release me!"

He ignored her cries and activated his Myrtharian Vision to peer deep into her body.

"The Slave Contract is still in effect, but it is indeed harmless for now. However, the Demon Bloodline you have chosen is clouding your judgment. In order to gain power quickly you have absorbed too many negative thoughts without taking the time to purify them. If you don't fix this issue in time, you will become a demented evil spirit who has forgotten the very reason why he sought revenge in the first place."

Without giving her time to respond, he tore off her shirt and carved the Word of Power "Purify" on her chest. The miasma that oozed from her body was instantly compressed into a strand of pure energy that he pumped back into the young woman's body.