The Oracle Paths

In a narrow room several kilometers underground, an android emanating wisps of dark smoke looked up at the ceiling above him as if trying to peer through the multiple layers of rock and metal to reveal what was going on up there.

In front of him stood two other hooded individuals. The first was tall and muscular, the second older and of ordinary height. The android's sudden change of attitude did not go unnoticed.

"Vhoskaud, is something wrong?" Shamash inquired with a fake smile.

"...Nothing I can't handle." The Lich snorted as its crystalline eyeballs flashed at a high frequency, hinting at the increased activity of its processor.

BOOOM!

The room the three Players were in began to quake and cracks fractured the floor and walls.

"No disrespect, but I don't think you're handling this very well." Azeus growled disgruntledly as he held the ceiling about to collapse with a single hand.

If the android could blush its cheeks would surely have been beet red, but fortunately for it a robot didn't have to worry about that kind of physiological disorder. Swallowing its pride, it revealed the truth in a hoarse voice,

"An unknown faction of players has suddenly attacked my mansion. They are wiping out all the clones and Undeads in their path. They don't seem to be interested in resources."

"From your expression, I get the impression that you have some idea of who is behind this assault." Shamash quipped cheerlessly. He, too, had an inkling of who it was.

"Jake Wilderth." Vhoskaud spat hatefully.

The two Lost Divinities Players exchanged a sullen look, wondering how they had been spotted by the enemy without noticing.

"Looks like we underestimated this Player again." Shamash stated as he recovered his trademark smile. "Since we are unable to determine whether the leak is from you or us, we'll give you a hand with this one. Let's kill these vermin."

Upon receiving Shamash's promise, Vhoskaud's morale soared. This influential player of Lost Divinities was not widely known, but he was almost as important as Deimos. It was not accidental that such a promising recruit as Azeus had been placed under his supervision.

If Shamash said he was going to exterminate these vermin, then it was as good as done.

*****

A young blonde woman wearing tight-fitting platinum armor exposing her long legs kicked the head of a huge adamantium battle droid, distorting its armor and sending it spinning into the other robots. Her long hair and silky sky-blue cape flapped with each of her overbearing movements, the spectators seeing only a blur of blue, gold and silver wafting from one end of the battlefield to the other.

With tacit understanding, six androids, bigger than the rest, came at her from all directions, catching her in a pincer movement and aiming their cannons at her. Undaunted, Lucia slashed at the air with her Myrmidian Gladius Sword and noiselessly the androids, despite being made of mithril, were split apart.

The cutting air blade packed with energy didn't stop there and traveled for several dozen meters, slicing hundreds of other androids in a 360° arc. Only those at the edge of the zone escaped with a few cuts, but after being wounded, their steel armor kept hollowing in until they were completely separated.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Hade was at the forefront of a legion of androids unaware of his presence. Emotion-free, his mind connected to the Aether fabric and with a wave of his hand, the tens of thousands of androids around him disintegrated as if he had taken over the matter they were made of.

In actuality, he had just briefly squeezed the Aether out of their bodies. With their Aether density dropping to near zero, they became so brittle for a fleeting moment that the ambient gravity obliterated them until the matter in their bodies returned to the Dream Aether as well.

Hade was no longer a Fluid Grandmaster. He wasn't an Aetherist either. He was now an Aether Fluid Grandmaster. The Aether affinity and powers he now possessed gave him almost as much freedom as he once had with the Fluid. No, in some ways he was even stronger.

Obviously, a sufficiently talented Player would be able to resist this sneak attack by maintaining firm control over his own Aether and defending the entrance to his body with his Spirit Body.

Unfortunately for these androids, there was only one Spirit Imprint that allowed Vhoskaud to control them remotely. Helpless against such insidious tricks, Hade was virtually omnipotent here.

He teleported to another part of the battlefield and used the same technique again, decimating another legion in the blink of an eye. No one seemed able to stop him.

Seeing this monstrous performance, Haynt finally realized that there was another unfathomable monster in Jake's faction. If he didn't show them what he was capable of, he would have a hard time commanding respect.

His glowing body burst forth with a blinding light and from a little over 1.8 meters it swelled to over a hundred meters in height. His hands clapped together and dozens of constellation-like stars appeared above the millions of androids, illuminating the immense underground hall with their warm radiance.

Each star suddenly emitted a beam of light aiming at another star and a pattern resembling a long sword took shape in the false firmament. The giant Haynt lowered his arms and the huge sword of light sprang to life and struck the earth like a celestial meteor.

There was no deafening explosion, no sound of impact, but just before it hit the ground the sword shattered into millions of smaller swords and each one reached its target, purifying the Spirit Imprint controlling those millions of androids. The robots stopped moving as if their batteries had been removed.

When they saw the sheer magnitude of the spell, both Lucia and Hade grew solemn. Especially Lucia.

'Damn it... I thought I was doing well by killing a few thousand in such a short time, but I'm fighting with two heavyweights.' She brooded with a deep sense of bitterness and regret. If only she had used a big technique earlier.

Who knew these two old men could be so shameless...

Just as victory seemed to be assured, three hooded figures stepped out of a secret elevator. At the same time, the Myrmidians, Wyatt and his vampires, Kevin and his pack, as well as Kenway and Lysander appeared behind Lucia, Hade and Haynt.

The other Myrtharian Nerds were taking care of the remaining small fry. Peter was also late, which was surprising, but nobody was worried about him. The Player addict was a troublemaker, but no one questioned his strength.

Upon finding out that he had lost control of his newly built android army, a stream of Death Energy gushed forth from Vhoskaud's body. For the first time, he looked like a Necromancer Lich rather than a robot.

"You... You've gone too far. Since you've taken the trouble to come here, stay here. This laboratory will be your burial ground." The android decreed in a voice trembling with rage.

"Where is Xellmezon?" Shamash questioned as he searched for the Wight with his eyes.

Vhoskaud used a psychic spell to contact the second Undead leader, but only silence answered him. For the first time, he began to regret allying himself with Lost Divinities.

"He's dead." A slightly tipsy voice rambled from across the hall.

The Myrtharian Nerds present immediately recognized the newcomer. The dark-haired young man with the emo haircut was tottering a bit and dragging a hideous rotting corpse behind him. If anyone returned to the lab where his duel with Xellmezon had taken place, they would discover that all the chemicals were gone, along with some terrifying footprints.

"Peter! Glad to see you alive." Nicolet slapped his back loudly to welcome his return.

The slap, though ordinary, knocked the addict over and he collapsed face down. Not seeing him get up, Nicolet broke out in a cold sweat.

"P-Peter, are you all right?

"Zzzzz..."

" ... "

"Ahem..." Lucia cleared her throat, barely restraining herself from kicking that clown of a Player.

As for Vhoskaud, Shamash and Azeus they were completely flabbergasted.

'My army was defeated by Players like that?'

The Android Lich couldn't believe his eyes. But surprisingly, it was this anger and indignation that gave him the courage to confront this well-prepared coalition.

"Shamash, does your promise still stand?"

The hooded warrior smiled broadly for the first time since the Ordeal began. Truth be told, neither Azeus nor Vhoskaud had ever seen him grin so brightly.

"How could I possibly back out when an opportunity to use all my power presents itself to me?" He chuckled as he shed his cloak with slow movements. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to let off steam. It's time to teach these Players who the God Shamash is."