The Oracle Paths

953 Mirror World (part 3)

As for tangible privileges, Jake was now exempt from all taxes arising from a service provided by the Oracle System as long as it took place on the planet where his main territory was established, namely B842. For someone as wealthy as him, it wasn't a staggering advantage, but thanks to this, he no longer had to pay to enter an Oracle City.

If that was all there was to it, Jake would have been truly indifferent to this perk, but the benefits of this exemption went far beyond that. First and foremost, the Oracle System imposed a hidden Aether tax on virtually everything.

For instance, when an Evolver used a Yellow Cube, the displayed Aether fee did not represent the actual cost of transport. For those with fewer than four Ordeals under their belt, this Aether fee was heavily discounted, but for the rest, the Aether network assumed the vast majority of the energy burden, with the remainder charged to the user based on a fixed rate proportional to the distance.

On this basis, the Oracle Overseer of a planet, the Oracle Governor of a System, and the Oracl Sovereigns at the pinnacle of the social hierarchy could freely impose additional taxes that ultimately lined their pockets.

It was these additional taxes from which Jake and the other Oracle Knights were now exempt. As a rather lenient Oracle Overseer, Oros had previously imposed such taxes at only 1% of the price of these Aether fees, but with Lure's demise, this was sadly about to change. This privilege would only grow in importance in the future.

Commercial taxes also applied to products from the Oracle Store. When an item was shipped via teleportation to its buyer, depending on the distance and the item in question, these delivery fees could easily represent 5 to 20% of the price. It was akin to acquiring an Oracle Discount Ivll to 4 for free.

These taxes also applied to real estate purchased in an Oracle Playground city or to placing a global announcement on private markets or commissioning a mission in one of the Oracle Halls.

In short, for those with a business acumen, this exemption was a godsend that could easily multiply their profits if properly exploited. Jake could only imagine the mortified, jealous expression on Will's face when he learned the news.

The second notable privilege represented an immediate financial windfall. This decree stated that as an Oracle Knight, Jake would be eligible to receive 1% of the taxes collected by the Oracle System within his territory. Oracle Nobles were exempt from additional taxes, but this was not the case for their subjects.

Every time one of them used an Oracle Cube or one of the paid services of the Oracle System, they would reap the benefits. Until now, a lone Oracle Knight had little reason to establish their territory or faction, but they no longer had any excuses.

The third advantage could be both a boon and a bane for Jake and his subjects. Essentially, he could shoulder all or part of the operational costs of the services offered by the Oracle System on behalf of his subjects. The owner of a Floating Island could already do this if they wished, but what changed here was that he could also do the opposite. He could add his own tax, on top of that of the Oracle System and the local Oracle Overseer, to inflate his income.

At first, Jake thought that no Evolver would accept living on the territory of an Oracle Noble who artificially inflated these already expensive rates and taxes, but he couldn't be further from the truth.

Things were still manageable on B842 because their diplomatic immunity had a few years left, and the Digestor threat was still under control.

On most, if not all planets, the Digestors were rampant, and the risk of being captured, kidnapped, raped, robbed, and then enslaved was omnipresent. The Oracle Overseers heading these planets had long since lost the military means to maintain their authority and enforce the law.

The average level of high-profile criminals was also much higher, nearing or even surpassing that of an Eight-Ordeal Evolver, which was the entry-level for an Oracle Guardian Recruit. On these planets, an Oracle Noble who could guarantee the safety and well-being of their subjects could indeed inflate their prices as much as they wanted, and no one would dare to utter even a complaint.

Unsurprisingly, the fourth privilege was that he and his subjects were virtually immune to enslavement as long as his fief, faction, or nation was still able to fight. If two Oracle Nobles wanted to settle their scores, they would have to go through an official procedure involving their entire faction and usually resolved in the Mirror World to avoid unnecessary loss of life.

The defeated party would generally lose almost everything, depending on what they had initially wagered. The subjects under their protection were not automatically "buyable" by the enemy based on their status, but they could once again be captured in the real world.

In the event of an official invasion knocking directly at the gates of his territory on B842, Jake could not be enslaved as long as his territory still existed, and he and his subjects had not surrendered. This would greatly complicate the task for his enemies, as they couldn't attack him directly if he chose to take refuge under the shield of his Oracle City, where violence was forbidden.

There were other privileges, but these were the most important. The others pertained to the Mirror World, which they were, in any case, the only ones allowed to visit. One of them, for instance, was exclusive access to certain major information and news events occurring within the Mirror Universe and beyond.

As for the objectives and quotas that Jake could fulfill to maintain his Oracle Knight title, he had a plethora of options. Participation in Ordeals, passive Aether production in his territory, increasing tax collection, the number and average level of his subjects, technological level, agriculture, faction development, and Digestor elimination...

The good news was that, fortunately, Oros hadn't lied. An Oracle Knight was but a tiny fish in the eyes of the Oracle, and except in cases of extreme urgency and desperate situations, they had little to fear.

No suicide missions currently forced them to defend the Mirror Universe by joining a front or a planet swarming with Digestors. The only semi-mandatory defense missions involving Digestor elimination concerned the security of their own territory, a responsibility they would have assumed even without being forced.

Not everyone had cognitive abilities as overpowered as Jake's, and it took a while for all the present Evolvers to finish their reading. When he saw the last of them detach their gaze from the invisible interface before their eyes with a perplexed frown on their face, Oros calmly inquired, "Any questions?"

Indeed, they had questions. One of the Oracle Knights, a horned, furry alien with a yeti-like appearance, immediately raised his hand.

"Speak," Oros growled.

"Is the Mirror World truly a copy of our Mirror Universe? Does this mean we can easily visit any other place within it or another Mirror Universe for an insignificant cost?"

The Oracle Overseer narrowed his eyes at this cunning question. "You can, but I strongly advise against visiting the Mirror World attached to other Mirror Universes. Besides the cost, if you

travel too far, you risk not being able to return..."

A shiver ran down the spines of the present Evolvers.

"Any other questions?"

"Does the Mirror World have a limit?" asked another Oracle Knight covered in translucent scales. "I mean, do we know how many Mirror Universes are part of it?"

Oros briefly pondered before saying, "No idea. Like the Oracle System, the Mirror World has different strata of authority, but none have reached the bottom. The answer to your question might lie at the deepest of those layers. Next question."

"I read that transactions in the Mirror World are made with Aether Stones. What are those?" Another Evolver growled in a raspy voice.

This question was quite common, and Oros answered tersely, "Grade 6 Aether Crystals or better. Don't dwell on it for now; it's too far beyond your reach. Next!"

The Korean idol didn't hesitate and blurted, "Why restrict access to the Mirror World to just

a few elites? From what I understand, it's obviously not a maintenance cost issue, and I think the entire Mirror Universe would benefit greatly from being able to communicate freely and instantaneously over vast distances. By proceeding in this way, crucial information transmission is delayed, and each planet and system becomes isolated from one another based on their respective financial capabilities."

Murmurs of agreement and thoughtful nods from the other Oracle Knights indicated that the Korean wasn't the only one vexed by this question. Jake had also pondered the same thing with Xi and had his own hypotheses.

Indeed, the small alien confirmed one of them without hesitation, "Excellent question." Oros approved with a nod. "I could give you all sorts of reasons, but the main one is to prevent or at least complicate communication between Digestors and traitors from different planets and systems. As I said earlier, Digestors aren't banned from the Mirror World since it wasn't our Oracle who created it. However, it can prevent them from connecting to it from our Mirror Universe. Thus, their only way to bypass this limitation is through Corrupted individuals and Digestor Trojans who have access to the Mirror World. Even then, they cannot conceal their true nature once connected, as the Mirror World is renowned for its indisputable transparency and impartiality. Our Oracle, who manages the portion of the Mirror World associated with our Mirror Universe, can closely monitor them as long as the number doesn't become unmanageable. If the Mirror World were accessible to everyone, Digestors would only need to place Brain Eaters on a maximum number of victims, and the Mirror World would be flooded with them in no time. After that, I dare not imagine what would happen as they already are..."

"Already?" Jake frowned.

The other Oracle Knights also sensed something amiss in the alien's reaction, their throats subconsciously tightening. Aware that he had slipped up and that they were no longer in the mood to ask further questions, Oros bluntly spilled the beans.

When they returned to the real world, the faces of Jake and the other Evolvers were completely pale and lifeless.