The Oracle Paths

A moment later, the last skull of a Sinewshade splintered into fragments, spilling its contents over the cold, steel walls. Their original hue had long since become indiscernable.

Silver blood drenching him head to toe, Jake nonchalantly shook his arm to rid himself of the lingering brain matter clinging to his fingers. Unfazed by the carnage he had wrought, he waded calmly through the ankle-deep pool of blood and viscera toward his next destination.

"This should be the last of them," Jake mused, furrowing his brow. "Hopefully."

Xi understood exactly the underlying meaning of his final word.

[Those you just dispatched were stronger than the previous waves,] she confirmed, echoing his uncertain tone. [Barely, but the last three you took down were indeed Rank 9 Digestors.]

Jake's heart sank at Xi's confirmation. His observation had not been mere conjecture. These Sinewshades were indeed growing stronger as he journeyed deeper into the Magnetic Resonator.

Rank 9... Digestors at this level possessed an average Aether density about 34,280 points. Their physical attributes were at least four times stronger than their inferior Rank 8 counterparts.

This was because when the Aether density exceeded 10,000 units, organic matter not tempered by Aether could not endure higher densities without destabilization.

At lower levels, both Digestors and Evolvers could swiftly bolster their Body Stats by increasing their biomass. This would manifest as additional muscle mass, increased size, or greater tissue density.

This is why most Digestors, along with a majority of beasts with limited intelligence, experienced rapid growth in the initial stages of their evolution. Not only did it allow their bodies to accommodate more Aether, but as long as the power-to-weight ratio remained advantageous, there were only benefits to be gained.

In contrast, directly tempering the atoms of one's body with Aether was a more rewarding but patience-demanding method that required enduring significant suffering. If the bloodline was of a too low Grade, it could even be counterproductive as regeneration could not keep up with the damage caused by tempering.

"The strength of these Digestors is still insignificant," Jake stated, as if to reassure himself, before adding in a graver tone, "But that's only true for me. Statistically, these Sinewshades could pose a serious challenge to Sixth-Ordeal Evolvers. I'm not sure if Lucia and the others can handle that..."

Internally, he reckoned they should just barely manage, but this was merely his conjecture. Without witnessing their progress firsthand, he couldn't be certain.

And his real, unspoken concern was his strong suspicion that this wasn't all that the Dungeon Digestor had to offer. His intuition whispered that the Magnetic Resonator held far worse surprises in store.

Jake dismissed his gloomy thoughts from his mind and stated with resolve,

"Let's move on."

Still, subconsciously he glanced at his own Oracle Status to reassure himself. Only after reading the most recent figures did he manage to solidify the required confidence to continue the mission.

[Spirit Body level: 73>100]

[Species: Cosmic D Starfeyrves]

[Physique: Cosmic D Starfeyrves Body lvl1]

[Height: 2.00 meters]

[Weight: 78658kg> --]

[Soul Class: --]

[Strength: 7,219,968>14,083,200

[Agility: 11,891,776>27,159,360]

[Constitution: 25,152,000>41,971,200]

[Vitality: 18,992,000>37,766,560]

[Intelligence: 115,200,000>118,502,400]

[Perception: 15,360,000>42,211,200]

[Extrasensory Perception: 8,160,000>55,545,600]

[Luck: 33,600>249,600]

[Aether Stats: 128,900>311,286]

[Energy: Grade 10]

These were his true stats, unfettered by comparisons. The numbers shown encapsulated the enhancements of his Soul Class, the level of his Spirit Body, and his Body stats. Jake had endured grueling trials to achieve such a state.

If the Oracle were non-existent, and he still dwelled on Earth as before, he might have easily passed for a deity among men.

After a certain point in evolution, progression became a painstaking endeavor. Even after a year of torturing himself in every possible manner to push his boundaries, doubling his stats had been a struggle. Nearly a third of these advancements could be attributed solely to his Spirit Body level.

However, it wasn't all unfavorable. The gift of intelligence granted by Jeanie's sacrifice had bestowed upon him such a cognitive edge that all related mental stats had greatly flourished.

Be it his Spirit Body, Perception, Extrasensory Perception, or his ability to manipulate Aether all had witnessed remarkable progress compared to his physical attributes. Even so, without exaggeration, it could be said that a single stat had singlehandedly hoisted all others upwards.

Of course, it was pointless to compare himself to ordinary Earthlings whose attributes ranged from 6 to 30. To the present Jake, they were no different from the insects crushed unknowingly underfoot while walking from one point to another.

Those he ought to compare himself to were the Evolvers eligible to face the same Ordeals as him, and naturally, any foes posing a threat.

With his aberrant attributes, wholly uncharacteristic for a post-Fourth Ordeal Evolver, Jake indeed had nothing to fear from the Sinewshades he had confronted thus far.

In fact, he was oblivious, but excluding the Aether stats and strictly considering his true attributes and Spirit Body level, most Oracle Guardians were inferior to him, including Saros.

Factoring in his bloodline, his varied skills, and all his trump cards, Jake had the confidence needed to venture alone into this Digestor infested trap.

'Keep underestimating me, fuckers! Jake thought to himself. 'I'll make you despair!

While Jake gradually descended deeper into the lair of the Dungeon Digestor, pushing it to increase its efforts and ingenuity to halt him, those he strived to rescue were surprisingly safe and sound.

Had he known this, he might not have been so anxious, nor would he have dirtied his hands so much to reach them at any cost.

Unfortunately, his fears were not unfounded, for this status quo was about to change.

"We've been going around in circles for bloody ages without encountering a soul! We are fucking lost!" Syrbarun spat out in frustration, aggressively tossing his helmet to the ground.

Zero points! The Vrusug couldn't see his test score, but no genius was needed to be certain of it.

Ever since they had entered this subterranean base, they hadn't encountered a single Digestor, nor had they found the Conversion Chamber where Aether was supposed to be produced. Without access to this Chamber, no Aether Cores could be made, hence no points!

'Fuck, fuck, fuck! I bet Epsilom is already cranking out Aether Cores like a drugged-up hen, Syrbarun continued to rant loudly as if he were alone, creating a spectacle without regard for their judging gazes.

"Please calm down, Syr," Nigel attempted to soothe him with a constipated grimace not much different from the near-breakdown Minotaur. "We're all in the same boat."

Siri remained silent and unreadable, leaving no one privy to her actual thoughts, while Lyra appeared sorrowful and frustrated. Her expression of disappointment was unlike the volatile Syrbarun's or the reserved Nigel's. Still, her silence and her faintly radiating aura spoke volumes about her emotional state.

Comparatively, the other trio accompanying them was far calmer. Not being Cekt's disciples yet, they had little to lose and viewed this expedition as a refreshing stroll.

However, Lucia and Ulfar were also nearing their tolerance limit. It wasn't the same kind of frustration and anxiety tied to the sensation of lagging unnecessarily behind as experienced by the other disciples, but more a profound boredom.

If Jake hadn't secretly warned them about numerous Digestors entering the funnel before them, they would've doubted, like the other disciples, whether there were any foes here at all.

"This place is strange," Lyra murmured apprehensively. "I have a bad feeling."

Hearing her voice tainted with worries, Syr and Nigel stopped bickering, a chill running down their spines. But a moment later, the Gorgonite flashed his most soothing smile and said,

"You have nothing to fear with us. Have you forgotten that it's Cekt who brought us here? I'm sure he sees everything. If we're lost, it's because we haven't yet passed his test. We need to outsmart him. If killing monsters was all it took to become good Aetherists, any brute could do it."

"Nigel is right," Siri perfunctorily concurred. "If this is not an illusion, we need to team up and split to cover more ground at once."

"Excellent suggestion!" Syrbarun, who had barely calmed down, got excited again. "Let's do this! Let's form teams."

The other disciples, Lucia, and Ulfar looked at him, speechless.

"Weren't you the one who didn't want us to split up because you didn't want to face a Digestor alone?" Lucia joked, teasing him.

The Minotaur turned beet red, looked away, and mumbled in a barely audible voice, "No need to remind me. I just realized there's nothing to fear..."

"More like we haven't come across any Digestors," Siri mercilessly corrected.

"Shut up!"