The Oracle Paths

"Jeanie?" Jake blinked twice, unable to fathom how the weak fairy was still alive and unharmed to boot.

Scratching her head haggardly, the fairy froze when she heard his voice, a shudder of utter terror making her shake all over. Slowly turning her head toward the owner of that booming voice she swallowed loudly and stuttered,

"J-Jake?"

He could guess where the distant attitude and fear she felt towards him came from. He tried to smile as usual.

"You're safe as long as you stay here."

Even if she was disqualified from the Ordeal, she wasn't a Player in the first place. It was more the natives like Galadin and the other Drur that concerned him. They had no bracelets and he didn't know if they had found their building. If they died, it would be permanent.

Seeing that Jake was the one she remembered, Jenny immediately burst into tears and threw herself onto his face, blocking his breathing momentarily.

"Wuwuwwwu! I thought I was dead, but it was just a nightmare. There was an evil monster that looked like you and everyone had lost their minds and were stupidly trying to attack it. I was so scared!"

Jake was so remorseful that she had to endure that, but he mostly picked up on something else.

"You say you had a nightmare? Were you one of the ones who lost your mind?" He inquired in all seriousness.

"No. I was just Jeanie. After Aisling tried to swat me with her fist I hid in her hair and made myself as inconspicuous as possible. I still thought I was going to die when the fist of the monster looking like you descended on me. I blacked out just after and when I woke up I was standing in front of you."

Jake remained silent after her story. From what she said, she should have died.

"Any good explanation for this miracle, Xi?"

[She's a native of this world, so her body is digitized, but she's also a Min Min, a spirit fairy made of Mana and Aether existing only to boost a specific attribute of the one who devours her. Intelligence in her case. If this is her strong point, it is not unlikely that she could keep her sanity and survive a purely physical attack. I even suspect that the Mana Storm is beneficial to her instead of harmful.]

Pondering over his Oracle AI's words, his curiosity won out and he decided to scan her. The result amazed him.

[Level: 92 (Digitized)]

[Species: Minmin (sub-fairies species)]

[Class: Intermediate Magic Appraiser (10% intelligence, perception and extrasensory perception per level)]

[HP: 7 (Regen: 1.155HP/day)]

[MP: 10000]

[Strength: 0.5]

[Agility: 6]

[Constitution: 0.7]

[Vitality: 5]

[Intelligence: 726100]

[Perception: 9.1 ]

[Extrasensory Perception: 3000]

[Luck: 0]

Water Mana Core lvl 10]

[Reference for an adult human jobless level 1: HP:10, stats: 1.]

Stunned, he couldn't help but mumble,

"What on earth..."

Jake remembered her previous status perfectly. She was only level 26 and her intelligence was only 3100. Her class had not changed and even assuming the ridiculous idea that she could have gone from level 26 to 92 in a few months her intelligence should have only quadrupled in the best case scenario.

Her current status was totally unthinkable. The most unsettling thing was that he hadn't noticed anything in all that time. Even at this very moment, by examining her with his mental sense he could not detect any difference. She still looked weak and unremarkable.

At least now he knew how she had managed to resist Psykow's spell.

'Xi, any theories?' Jake probed Xi's opinion again, this time with real expectations.

Unfortunately, his AI Oracle was as confused as he was.

[The Oracle System archives I have access to do not reveal this information about the Min Mins. I was wondering why their species was hunted to near extinction in the Mirror Universe. That could be the reason. It seems that under the right conditions, their growth becomes exponentially faster. If this property is found in the one who devours them... Then, they're priceless.]

Listening to Xi's hypothesis, a sudden surge of hunger burst forth from the depths of his mind, threatening to engulf his consciousness. A predatory, oppressive aura surged from his body, petrifying the terrified little fairy in place.

"J-Jake?"

Grabbing the air in front of him, he brought the paralyzed fairy to his mouth and opened his maw, revealing a row of translucent fangs. Jeanie immediately closed her eyes, unable to face what was to come.

[Jake!] Xi called out crisply in his head, snapping him out of his numbness.

Jake's eyes became clear again, and he put the frightened fairy down.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again. It seems I wasn't able to completely thwart Psykow's magic."

Jeanie cautiously opened one eye and seeing that he was smiling again, she nervously laughed to hide her terror.

"HA, HA, HA, very funny. What a joke! For a second there I really thought you were going to eat me!"

"Jeanie..." Jake interrupted, staring at her solemnly.

"What?"

"Stay here. I still have to save the others."

The Min Min began to shudder again as she heard he was leaving. She didn't want to be left alone anymore. Clenching her small fists, she shouted,

"No! I'm coming!"

Before he could refuse she flew to the top of his head and sat on the front of it, grabbing two silver strands as if they were the reins of her mount to hold on to.

Jake briefly considered taking her down, but remembering that she had been given an Oracle Device and time was running out he decided to let her do as she pleased. If Xi's assumption proved wrong and the Mana Storm killed her in one fell swoop, she would be saved by the Oracle regardless.

"All right, do what you want." He relented with a defeated look on his face. "Don't come to regret it later."

"Hmm."

Jake couldn't see her expression, but at that moment a determined and slightly sad look clouded her face. She had made her decision.

"Let's go."

Taking a deep breath, he checked the Aether he had left and the buildings that might match his companions, then charged outside.

The Mana Storm hit him hard and his Oracle Shield instantly shattered.

"Water Spirit Shield." Jenny yelled.

Her body began to glow, illuminating Jake's silver-gold hair with a blue halo that spread to the rest of his body. The deluge of millions of different Mana streams smashed against this barrier and was immediately purified, converted into invigorating water.

This water condensed on the surface of Jake's skin, seeping through the pores of his skin. The mental exhaustion and fog that had prevented him from functioning since his soul was damaged was significantly relieved, his Spirit Body quickly recovering.

"What magic is this?" Jake was dumbstruck, but he knew this was not the time to ask questions.

In fact, it was a basic spell that any Advanced Water Mage could use, but somehow in Jeanie's hands this spell had become capable of negating, purifying, and absorbing the Mana Storm's energy to turn it into a psychic healing spell.

It wasn't unheard of, but it was the sheer extent of its effectiveness that was breathtaking. The Mana density currently packed into the Mana Storm was not something a native of this world could dispel with a simple cleansing spell, no matter how advanced.

Refocusing on his goal, Jake teleported in front of an ancient palace supported by tall white marble Corinthian columns and covered with a golden tiled roof. The word "Victory" was engraved on all the walls in countless languages, including Oraclean, and Jake understood that it was destined for Lucia.

Without hesitation, he dashed towards the doorless wall and when his palm was about to collide with it, he brought Lucia's body to the front. The passed out body of the Myrmidian princess went through it and he somehow knew that she was safe.

"Next."

With a few successive teleports, he phased in front of the other buildings on his list and managed to shift Enya, Aisling, her mother Xaverie, Wyatt, Carmin, and the other Myrtharian Nerds and Pureblood Players under his care into the dwelling that was meant for them.

The task took him no more than half a second with his current abilities.

"Shall we go inside?" Jeanie asked with a quaver in her worry-stricken voice.

Jake sensed something was wrong as he perceived her change in attitude. Perhaps he had overestimated this Water Spirit Shield, or maybe there were other dangers lurking outside. He immediately thought of Ruby.

"Not yet." He finally replied, remembering Gerulf, Rogen and the other Myrtharian Nerds still alive when the Mana Storm first descended.

If there was even the slightest chance that one of them could have weathered the Mana Storm while stuck outside, he needed to know for sure. His perseverance was rewarded faster than he expected. Teleporting to the battlefield of Gerulf and Rogen, he came upon two shapeless masses of matter and energy.

At first he thought the Mana Storm had begun to evolve, but a hoarse, distorted voice escaped from one of the two formless masses upon recognizing him.

"Jake."