The Oracle Paths

Although his stomach was more efficient than an incinerator and could squeeze out all the energy from ordinary nutrients, the Myrtharians' energy of choice was still minerals, a few metals, along with heat and radiation. It had taken Jake quite a while to come up with a suitable replacement power source, but he had finally succeeded.

That little gravel that looked vaguely like a brownish pellet was military-grade plutonium-239, an artificial radioactive atom derived from uranium-238 in nuclear power plants. At his request, Will had gone to great lengths to get his hands on this prized commodity.

Back then, when Earth still existed, getting your hands on plutonium would have been impossible without special authorization. On B842 it was different. There were more valuable sources of energy than radioactivity and any material, as long as it was ordinary, could be easily obtained through the Oracle Store.

On this occasion, Will didn't even have to resort to such an extreme, although their finances did allow it. With the good relationships he had built with New Earth and a few other important Earth factions, he had managed to buy a few pounds or so fairly legally.

One would assume that the Earth Union would refuse to sell such a critical resource, but this was the Mirror Universe. An endless world where there were aliens and monsters capable of destroying entire galaxies with a sneeze.

The Evolver that could be crushed the day before could surpass the military might of an entire nation a few weeks later if the odds were in his favor. Was it really worth it in this case to refuse selling a scrap of plutonium to another promising Earthling in need?

Beyond that, Earth Union had other, less overt motives, but as long as Jake got his morning plutonium, he couldn't care less. Once in his stomach, the radioactive ore had a half-life of about three days, providing him with a steady stream of energy. He could choose to digest the pellet instantly, but it would take some effort. Since he couldn't spend his life in lava, it was a good compromise.

While Jeanie and Trash competed to see who could eat the most, Jake opened his Oracle Device interface and consulted his faction's communication chat.

[Will: Where are you guys? I'm in Kanui at the inn ****]

[Lucia: I appeared in Gondenete Castle with a Knight Captain status, but it is currently overrun by a horde of Dragonids...]

[Hephais: ...I am a retired assassin forced to help my city one last time.]

[Peter Brady: You absolutely must try this magic weed I found at *****]

[Gerulf: ... It's cold.]

[Rogen: ... It's hot.]

[Enya: I am lost.... I appeared on an island and have been flying over the ocean ever since.]

[Esya: Sis! Tell me where you are and I'll come find you!]

[Tim: I'm in front of the Divine Academy!]

[Ulfar: I am in the Divine Academy.]

[...]

[Everyone: ... Fuck you, Ulfar!]

Jake was speechless. As he read the beginning, the discussion was still cordial, but the more it went on, the more he realized that he was not the most to be pitied for this Ordeal. As for Ulfar... Well, with this sickening luck it was to be expected.

Not everyone had responded yet, but that didn't mean they were in danger. Jake himself simply stopped by to say hello, to reassure the others and let them know what he knew about his location.

Thanks to Will, who was apparently in the Ret'Asi Empire's capital, they learned that they were, with a few exceptions, all scattered over the same territory, but because of their identities and side missions, very few could leave their area to join the others.

This might sound like good news, but the Celestial City was tens of thousands of kilometers north of the Ret'Asi Empire. Tim had confirmed that he was in the Shatug Empire, a non-human empire ruled by the Drurs, and that was where they had to go.

Tim had not revealed much about these Drurs, but from his concern he was not exactly in his element.

The discussion then shifted to the topic of Soul Classes, but disappointingly not many of them had chosen theirs. There were even some who still didn't know about the Prophetic Steles and the Aurae prophecy.

Interestingly, Will had opted for the Tier 4 Soul Class of Beast Tamer rather than a profession based on his trading skills. He had hesitated with Dragon Rider, but his Oracle AI had finally discouraged him.

Hephais had unsurprisingly chosen the Shadow Assassin Class and insisted on not being bothered unless they wanted to order someone's death. Jake was also struggling with the side effects of his own Soul Class, so he also warned the others heavily of the risks involved. It was an important decision that they definitely couldn't make lightly.

A few moments later, Jake closed the chat and that coincided with the end of their breakfast. Being a gentleman, he paid the bill to Trash's delight, but he took no pride in it. The gold coins in his possession he had looted from Uncle Oaf's corpse. May his soul rest in peace...

"Jeanie, where would you go in this city if you wanted to look for information? Especially to get to the Shatug Empire." He asked out of the blue.

The little fairy was sprawled in a X shape over the table, her belly round as a balloon, but she somehow managed to raise her head to stammer nervously,

"Wh-why do you want to go to the Shatug Empire? It's-it's too dangerous!"

Jake frowned.

"I thought you knew where the Celestial City was..."

"AH! Ah... Of course I know, hehe..." Jeanie seemed to realize her blunder and was able to put herself together.

In front of Jake's piercing stare, the Minmin chickened out and shyly mumbled an apology,

"I don't know, okay! I just heard it was north of the empire. I was just hoping it was in the northeast or northwest and not directly north."

"And why that?" Trash asked with his mouth full. He hadn't been hungry for a long time, but after a lifetime of deprivation he couldn't bring himself to waste food.

"Because I'm a Minmin!" She yelled before shaking her head helplessly. "It may sound selfish, but humans aren't safe in Mirik and Shatug either. Between Ret'Asi and the Empire of Shatug, there is the Maze of Mirik directly to the north. This is a very large nation under the control of an extremely advanced type of bug with a high reproductive capacity that we refer to as the Shrons. The labyrinth was dug by their workers and is virtually unpassable. They are currently the main threat to Ret'Asi and the only reason the human races remain pretty much united despite their differences."

"And by flying?" Jake interjected, "Is it crossable?"

"I-I don't know." Jeanie hesitated. "At least if it is, no one has come back to brag about it. Anyway, the real problem is the Shatug Empire. The Drurs are humanoid giants adept at both magic and science. Their technology combines both and is considered the most advanced in Quanoth. In theory, without their consent it is practically impossible to cross their borders. They are a proud and individualistic race, and the other life forms of Quanoth are only consumables in their eyes. For a non-Drur to survive there with the status of a slave or pet is considered a fine achievement worthy of respect."

Gulp!

Trash was horrified. So livid that he had completely lost his appetite. He wasn't so sure anymore about traveling to the Celestial City. If he was going to die, he'd rather die in a city he knew than end up sliced up in a butcher shop in Shatug. As for surviving to the end by fighting his way to the Celestial City? That was a far-off dream for him.

Jake didn't care about their moods and he repeated his previous question, still looking for information. The fairy was still adamant about following him, so she composed herself and emphatically recommended the Library of Lodunvals. An obvious choice, but not without its complications.

This was not Earth, sadly, and knowledge was not free, let alone self-service. The library belonged to the Count of Lodunvals and he was an arrogant pro-aristocratic prick. Without noble status or special permission, the library was not open to the public.

This was fortunate, because these special permits were by no means difficult to obtain, much to the disappointment of the local lords. All one had to do was enter one of the Major Guilds. Like the places of worship consecrated to Aurae, their establishments were set up everywhere on Quanoth and even in hostile countries, their professionalism always being the same.

All forms of violence inside these buildings were forbidden and anyone who dared to murder their staff would be sentenced to death immediately. The bounties were so high that it was akin to making the whole of Quanoth its enemy.

There were several reputable Major Guilds such as that of the Warriors, the Mages, the Assassins, but the best known and most open was by far the Guild of Adventurers. Jake had already planned to visit it, and this only sped up his plans.

Sated, the fairy curled up in a ball inside his overcoat pocket, then fell asleep. The trio then left the inn, too relaxed to pay attention to the mess caused by the recent brawl in front of the building.

Several tramps were lying unconscious on the floor, but Jake just assumed they were drunk. If he had just looked overhead, however, he would have seen that the wooden sign for the inn was gone. Even if he had realized it, it probably wouldn't have changed his plans.