The Oracle Paths

He had two ways to proceed. The first was a matter of formality and in theory, would require little effort. The second method was the more intuitive and the one he strongly favored but would require additional effort.

The first method for acquiring a new Oracle Device could be easily deduced by any Player of his level: All he had to do was ask another Player for help.

Just as Jake had provided Jeanie, Aisling and so many other natives with a bracelet, he could also ask another Player for help in contacting the Oracle System and helping him set up a new Oracle Device in his name. All he had to do was provide the liquid alloy, which was a piece of cake for him.

There was one catch to this method, though. Xi's consciousness had merged with his own soul, so technically she could no longer be considered an Oracle AI. If he set up a new bracelet, he would also receive a new Oracle AI in the process. Which would be completely loyal and transparent to the Oracle System.

Jake wasn't ready to give up his little secrets. Even if the Oracle hadn't given him too many reasons to hate it, it had given him enough to be distrusted. All those Ruby-related missions were proof of that.

The second method was very similar except that instead of going through another Player's bracelet he would use his own liquid alloy to recreate a new bracelet free of any external influence. If successful, this had only advantages, but until then there were a few obstacles to overcome.

The first was that the technology behind the Oracle Devices was so preposterously advanced that Jake had no chance of unraveling all its mysteries with his current intelligence and perception, even if he spent the next thousand years working on it. The first obstacle was therefore the hardware.

The second obstacle was then quite logically the software. Or in other words: the Oracle System. Even if Jake could somehow replicate an equivalent of the Oracle System, it would be worthless if he could not link it up to the real Oracle System that spanned the Mirror Universe.

The final hurdle was to reintroduce Xi as his official Oracle AI. The worst case scenario would be for them to overcome the previous two obstacles and then have a new Oracle AI downloaded into his brand new "empty" bracelet.

These were the three major obstacles that caused Jake not to recreate his bracelet and the same reason Xi was unable to suggest a solution. None of these issues were easy to solve.

At least not until he gained access to all the information stored somewhere in his mind. For there was at least one thing he was sure of now, and that was that he had indeed inherited some traits typically belonging to Digestors.

The most well-known ability of the Digestors, which was practically their trademark, was their ability to change the shape and properties of their chitin. With each rank advancement, this ability would be greatly enhanced until Rank 4, when the Digestors chose their evolutionary path. From that point on, this ability could weaken until it became a dormant gene, or it could continue to strengthen without limit and become an even more fearsome and versatile talent.

Humanoid Digestors were undoubtedly in the second category. Their ability to morph their chitin to produce equipment, growths, projectiles, or wings was pretty solid.

Jake had inherited this ability. And it wasn't until he became aware of it that he realized how extraordinary it was in his hands. With his Gold Stone Skin, his ability to produce various materials was naturally not limited to chitin.

And better yet, it was completely instinctive. Like breathing or drinking.

A few minutes earlier Jake was wondering how to make a bracelet, now he realized that for him it was just as easy as pie. Focusing on his right wrist, he calmly activated the cells located there and ordered them to ooze out a little liquid alloy. The process went smoothly and after producing the equivalent of a liter that made his forearm swell slightly he stopped.

Jake then wished, rather than visualized, the bracelet he wanted to create and an Oracle Device almost identical to the one before condensed around his wrist. This one was black, with silver veins.

Scanning his masterpiece with his mind, Jake could tell how complex the structure of the bracelet he had just created was and it made him heave a sigh of relief. He had probably succeeded.

Now he had to deal with the software problem. Again, this turned out to be much simpler than expected. As soon as the thought of adding the Oracle System to his brand new Oracle Device crossed his mind, the familiar mental interface he thought he would never see again popped up before his eyes.

'So easy!' Jake's eyes filled with wonder, like a child who has just received his Christmas presents in advance.

'This confirms my theory.' Xi didn't share the same joy. 'You became your own Oracle Device when you devoured it. To tell you the truth, I don't think you need the bracelet. It's just that your brain and soul are not yet developed enough to simulate your own Oracle System.'

Jake had clearly witnessed how his simple probes with his mental sense behaved like super-powered Oracle Scans. So he couldn't deny it and just nodded. However, it made him think of something else,

"Besides the link to the Oracle System, the Oracle Devices' computing power comes from their liquid alloy, right?" He reasoned aloud with a thoughtful face. "Since I've ingested almost 60 tons of liquid alloy it shouldn't be the computing power I lack."

Xi did not answer immediately. She seriously contemplated his suggestion. Finally, she sighed and said,

'If your body really does have a structured network of liquid alloy connecting each of its cells then that would explain a lot... However, while I think it's an idea worth exploring and your body really does have the potential of an Oracle Device, I also think it's best to continue to use an external bracelet to connect with the Oracle System. Think of it as a convenience but also as a safety measure. If for some reason the Oracle System tries to target us via the bracelet you will be able to get rid of it easily. It would be more troublesome if it hacked directly into your brain.'

Seen like that... Being an augmented cyber-human didn't only have its perks. It also exposed him to other risks.

Therefore, Jake decided to stick to the original plan. Even though he theoretically had the latent powers of an Oracle Device, he would continue to play in easy mode for a while longer.

The only thing left was the third obstacle. Xi had to be reintroduced as an Oracle AI. This time he had nothing else to do, she took care of everything.

Their souls were semi-fused, so what Jake knew, she knew. With his help, she easily moved back into the new bracelet, then after being recognized as its Oracle AI she took control of all the available liquid alloy and recreated the microscopic metal network in Jake's body.

With his new senses, Jake felt his body rapidly becoming saturated with metal as Xi used the liquid alloy his cells were producing to develop its three-dimensional architecture. He thought he would soon be exhausted, but it wasn't until he had produced just over 60 tons of liquid alloy that the backlash hit him hard.

He discovered that for every additional microgram of liquid alloy produced by his cells, his spiritual energy would melt away by 20%, and a splitting headache would ravage his consciousness. As soon as Xi realized this, she stopped.

[I'm sorry, I was a little too absorbed in my task, haha.] She apologized awkwardly.

Jake clutched his head for a few seconds, wincing, then his facial muscles relaxed, his face regaining its usual stillness. The headache was gone.

[Your speed of recovery is just remarkable...] Xi commented speechlessly. At that moment, as if she had just finished reading something, her mood changed dramatically. [On second thought... It's not surprising...]

Another elite Player would have ended up bedridden for months or years after damaging their consciousness like this. A slightly more ordinary Player would have ended up senile. But not Jake.

Instead of reprimanding Xi for this senseless torture session, Jake grinned with an overexcited expression. Far from being resentful, he was burning with anticipation. The last sentence of his Oracle AI had erased his last misgivings.

Now that Jake had no obstacles preventing him from finding out how extraordinary he had become, he could not hold back any longer.

"Oracle Status!"

Jake expected the result to be amazing, but when he saw his Status for real he felt uncomfortable. He was no longer a Myrtharian.

[Spirit Body level: 50>73]

[Species: Cosmic D Starfeyrves]

[ Physique: Cosmic D Starfeyrves Body lvl1]

[ Height: 7.86>2.00 meters]

[ Weight: 18689kg> 78658kg]

[Soul Class: Rune Aetherist]

[Strength: 75 208]

[Agility: 123 956]

[Constitution: 262 000]

[Vitality: 198 000]

[Intelligence: 1 200 000]

[Perception: 160 000]

[Extrasensory Perception: 85000]

[Luck: 350]

[Aether Stats: 12386>128 900]

[Energy: Grade 10]

[Reference for an average, adult Fourth Ordeal Player: Stats= 1 point.]

Even for someone as shameless as he was... Wasn't he a little too strong? It seemed unfair to the other players.