The Oracle Paths

Right after Hade's death and Ael and Felphi's disappearance, the shapeshifter Melion appeared on the battlefield and picked up a bloody trail of goo with his finger that had survived the Spatial Rift. Jake and his group joined him just in time to deter the Lost Divinities officers who were about to arrive.

"What did you do?" Deimos questioned coldly as he released a tremendous killing intent.

However, he didn't jump to the attack immediately despite his rage which spoke volumes about how he really felt. Not even in their worst-case scenarios had they envisioned Ael and Felphi dying. All the other Players could die, but not these two super-powered aliens.

Khag' Dagmai, Ozo, Ashun, Thyohr, and the others came up next and had the same reaction. None of them dared to attack them head-on.

The presence of Jake, Gerulf, Rogen and Ruby was frightening and the disappearance of their two supreme leaders only exacerbated their angst. Especially since Jake was known to have slain Shamash a few months earlier. Even with their Divinities they weren't completely safe.

Jake ignored the question of the Spartan who was still an invincible foe a few months earlier and turned to Melion.

"Can you copy his bloodline?"

"Hardly." The shapeshifter admitted with a self-conscious grimace. "Without his Divinity and stats the result will probably be lackluster if I take his appearance."

Jake nodded. He had considered the possibility. Either way, it meant they now had an extra trump card.

"Turn into him."

Melion didn't argue and absorbed the Nullifyer's blood to take on his appearance. A second later, an identical double of Ael replaced the shapeshifter, scandalizing the Lost Divinities officers. His aura was far inferior, but his powers were the same.

"How dare you?!" Ozo shouted in his shrill voice.

Deimos and Khag' Dagmai exchanged gloomy looks and prepared to assassinate their leader's clone. If Ael learned that an opportunistic shapeshifter had turned into him and they had done nothing, he would certainly be furious. In any case, Ael's powers were too dangerous. Even if he was a pale copy, it was imperative to eliminate him to avoid further undesirable developments.

Ashun secretly fidgeted when she noticed the tension on the faces of the two sub-leaders. It was the first time she had seen them so serious. Her laughter choked in her throat, however, when Melion raised his palm towards them.

"Nullify Strength."

Melion had been amply briefed on the matter before by Jake and he knew full well that Deimos and Khag' Dagmai could not fly. By depriving them of their physical strength, the Lost Divinities Players became unable to cling to the walls and they fell into the void helplessly.

Ashun was no different, and it was only after she turned into smoke that she managed to stabilize herself. The scent immediately made Melion nauseous, but after saying "Nullify Poisons and External Influences," his symptoms disappeared.

On a whim, he gloated,

"Nullify smoke."

Ashun was instantly annihilated and if she hadn't regenerated her body with her Divinity she would have died. But the worst was yet to come. Jake and the others had already discussed their strategy after copying the Nullifyer's powers and Melion knew what he had to do.

"Nullify Divinities."

As he spoke his words, the blood left the faces of the Lost Divinities Players. Even Deimos and Khag' Dagmai, who had just regained their strength by leaving Melion's domain, became livid. But the shapeshifter had no intention of stopping there.

"Nullify Defense and Vitality."

Jake and the other Myrtharian Nerds present were also affected but unlike Lost Divinities they were mentally prepared. As the activity in their cell reached its minimum, Jake, Ruby, Gerulf and the others activated their powers at full strength.

Jake opened his Myrtharian Eyes and a white beam of tremendous power shot out, vaporizing all the Lost Divinities Players in his line of sight. Ashun, who had barely recovered, teleported away with a startled scream and reappeared behind Aggenur, who had just arrived and took the blow for her.

Deprived of his strength, regeneration and defense, the huge Demogorgon was riddled with scorching holes and immediately retreated. Just as he was about to leave the Nullification Domain, a three-foot sphere of magma struck him with the force and speed of a meteor, and his enormous demonic body exploded, producing a light as blinding as a supernova. The other Players nearby were also atomized.

"Duck Smash." Gerulf chuckled proudly.

Ruby just smiled and froze the firebird, Belakor, Astraroth and even Ozo. The Bubble Alien didn't think for a second and detonated, killing several of its comrades in the process.

Haynt, Tim and the others sprang into action, unleashing all sorts of Bloodline and Aether abilities and slaughtering all the enemy players hit by the Nullification Domain. Those who reacted in time teleported away like Ashun or retreated like Aggenur, but most were wiped out before they could react.

Retreat was not an option anyway. The curtain of black clouds was right below them. Lost Divinities hoped that after inflicting severe casualties Jake and the others would leave, but they had underestimated the Myrtharian Nerds' grudge.

Patting Melion on the shoulder, Jake and the others looked solemnly at the shapeshifter who had recently joined them and proclaimed,

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. From now on, you are one of us."

Ael's clone was already pale, on the verge of fainting from exhaustion. His body was unable to withstand the Nullifyer's powers.

By transforming into the alien, he knew from the start that it would be risky, but the shapeshifter had always had a keen sense for seizing opportunities. Joining the Myrtharian Nerds was the chance he had always been waiting for and he knew this was the perfect time to convince them of his worth.

By mutual agreement, Jake used his telekinesis on Melion to propel him with the explosiveness of a cannonball toward the cloud curtain and the fleeing Lost Divinities Players. With his Nullification Domain still active, all Players entering his perimeter were stripped of their strength and vitality and began dropping like flies, swept along with the shapeshifter on his descent into hell.

"Nullify Abilities."

Without strength or supernatural powers, the Lost Divinities Players lost all hope of resistance, and almost all of their surviving faction fell helplessly into the sea of storm clouds. Melion had committed suicide magnificently, slaughtering a superfaction almost single-handedly.

"What a man..." Haynt sighed admiringly. Although he had known the shapeshifter for over 500 years, he had never noticed that his character was so decisive.

Nevertheless, it soon became apparent that Melion had not succeeded in killing everyone. Using their True Will and other mysterious abilities, some Players had managed to survive. In the end, Melion wasn't Ael. His nullification powers were not as overpowered as the alien's.

On a quick count, Jake counted only 6 people: Deimos, Khag' Dagmai, Dhamde, Ashun, Astraroth and Ozo. The Bubble Alien was only a few meters in diameter and was now harmless.

Astraroth, who had been frozen by Ruby was a Spirit Mage and had discarded his flesh body to survive. The demon was now just a specter and that's why Melion's Nullification Domain had no effect on him.

Ashun had been hit several times, but at the last moment she had recovered her ability to move as if Melion had spared her.

As for Dhamde, the swordsman in the kimono, Jake had a vague impression of him and didn't remember him being that strong. Maybe he had fought a mere clone like Shamash or maybe he had never fought him seriously.

Before the Nullification Domain hit him, he had sliced the air in front of him with his sword and he had been miraculously spared. Deimos and Khag' Dagmai had used a similar method, using a Killing Move boosted by their True Will to destroy the enemy's ability.

Other Players had tried, but they had underestimated the danger. When they tried to react, it was too late.

At that moment, a strange silence filled the battlefield. At the top of the tunnel, Jake and his group stared coldly at the six Lost Divinities Players still alive. If the deadly clouds weren't closing in fast, this standoff could have gone on indefinitely.

"We can't stay here." Ozo panicked in a low voice as he felt the Mana Storm right behind him.

Deimos and Khag' Dagmal frowned. This was indeed not the time to fight. They had to escape from here first, but without Nucnar and the others it would be complicated.

At that moment, as if to seal their fate, Rogen slowly pointed his finger at them and said in a hoarse, sinister voice,

"Sitting Duck."

The pupils of Dhamde, Khag' Dagmai and Deimos narrowed and they instinctively teleported without thinking. Ashun, Ozo and even Astraroth who was in his spirit form were frozen in a block of eternal ice.

At that moment, a pink glow flashed in Ashun's eyes and Dhamde, Deimos and Khag' Dagmai turned around, using all their powers to save her. Three and a half seconds later and after sacrificing a lot of their energy and True Will they managed to break her free.

The curtain of clouds rolled in a heartbeat later, burying Ozo and Astraroth, still indignant at being dumped so heartlessly.

'Love... It is truly the strongest power of all.' The two Players sighed bitterly as they slipped into unconsciousness.