The Oracle Paths

Crunch, crunch...

Jake proceeded to chew and gobble emotionlessly the metal mountain in front of him. He had turned off the miniaturization and with all those Aether Sun Cores, his over 5m tall incandescent body was glowing with white light and blazing heat.

In this state, it was impossible for these metals not to melt. Orichalcum quickly became as soft as a marshmallow, while Adamantium, known for its indestructibility, melted like everything else.

Once his stomach was full, Jake would take a short break and concentrate on channeling all that heat and energy into his stomach, turning his digestive system into a super furnace. Slowly, the metals dissolved, passing through the pores of his small intestines into his bloodstream and then into his cells.

The Orichalcum, solid, resistant to temperature variations and an excellent magic conductor, began to penetrate the neurons of his brain, the walls of his blood vessels, his muscles and even his bones to a certain extent.

The Mithril, also very durable and capable of detecting evil, liquefied much more easily, fusing with his cells without difficulty.

The Adamantium, virtually indestructible, merged with his skeleton, claws and teeth, and to a lesser extent the rest of his cells, making him more and more unbreakable.

The other magical materials in his collection that Jake had purchased or stolen melded even more easily into his cells, bringing him unknown benefits. Xasnite, Magnazi, Oranium, Ashix, Tuskalt ect... So many materials whose names he had learned only recently and that he had decided to include in his diet to optimize his odds of success.

Before he knew it, as his bones, teeth, muscles and organs grew stronger, the speed at which he was gobbling up the mountain of metals only increased. The Adamantium that had seemed so difficult to bite into suddenly didn't hurt his teeth so much and the consecutive cycles of chewing and digesting became shorter and shorter.

The two sisters were left at a loss for words by this unusual feast and their disbelief only grew with each passing hour. Jake was not aware of it, but from their vantage point they could clearly see his size and weight increasing.

At first the pile of metal was almost as high as he was, but after a few hours it was only up to his waist when he had only eaten 20% of it. At the same time, the molten rock beneath his feet began to behave frantically, changing its state of matter rapidly under the influence of invisible forces. Sometimes an electric arc would flash in the air and then immediately disappear as if it had never existed.

The two sisters were well aware that they had to train even harder if they wanted to have any hope of catching him, but at this moment they were just mesmerized by the show. To see him evolve before their very eyes into something incomprehensible was a rare sight that they could not miss.

At long last, an indefinite time later, Jake reached out and grabbing only air he realized he had eaten the entire stack. He felt a little unsettled for a moment, but soon he felt the changes inside his body and after immersing himself in the magma, he closed his eyes, entering a very deep trance.

Hours passed and the two sisters began to train as well, absorbing the Aether Sun Cores' heat and light to nurture their own Firelight Cores. Jake remained motionless the entire time, completely losing track of time and reality.

As the three of them were training, the Myrtharian Nerds began to show up on their own or in batches, but without Jake to receive them on the surface, they could only set up camp in the Wilderness, several kilometers above him.

The goblin couple Xort and Niss were among the first to arrive with a squad of hobgoblins belonging to a tribe they had rescued. Among the first batch, there were also humans like Hephais, Nicolet, Ingranus the Bold, Kelly and her brother Khal who seemed to have recovered from their soul injuries etc...

In the second batch, Lucia arrived with her army of knights and Dragonids. The impact of their footsteps shook the earth and the makeshift camp of the first Myrtharian Nerds was soon ready for war. It is only when they recognized the resplendent blonde female warrior that they finally relaxed.

Lucia felt terribly upset that she couldn't meet up with Jake right away, but without Gerulf or another Kintharian it would be a waste of time unless she was willing to drill into the earth's crust for several kilometers. In the end, she had no choice but to give the order to set up camp and be patient.

In the third batch, an overwhelming presence erupted above them, a gigantic shadow spanning the forest for over half a kilometer. Looking up, their jaws dropped to the ground at the sight of a humongous Eastern Black Dragon.

Compared to the appearance of Lucia and her army, the ordinary members were in a state of total panic. If not for the powerhouses like Hephais, Ingranus and Lucia, their group would have scattered to the four winds without looking back.

Very few of them had seen Sigmar's appearance in the flesh, but Hephais was one of them. Recognizing the black-haired man in the sky, a feeling of immense relief crossed his face, then very quickly reverted to the cold, calm demeanor of an assassin.

Once his identity was revealed, the initial panic was replaced by elation and Sigmar and his dragon mingled with the group seamlessly. When Hephais told the others who Sigmar was and what he was capable of, their admiration turned to respect.

"Sigmar no longer exists. Now just call me Hade." The young man smiled amiably.

As he talked with them, he was surprised not to see Jake, the reason for his coming. When Lucia repeated Peter's message, a weird expression showed on his face. He cast his gaze to the earth and the corner of his lips curled up slightly.

"You won't have to wait for him much longer. He's awake." Hade announced in an enigmatic voice.

*****

Kilometers underground, a sudden roar of laughter rang out, an oppressive aura suffusing the magma chamber where Jake and the two sisters were staying. Near the heart of the Aether Sun Cores formation, a six-meter giant was levitating within the lava, the magma he had been immersed in seconds earlier forming a void sphere around him, as if a solid wall prevented him from approaching this human.

When Jake inspected his Oracle Status, a grin of ecstasy lit up his face.

"Lost Divinities, wash your neck clean for me, because it's payback time. This time, we'll see who runs away with their tail between their legs."

[Grade 10 Gold Myrtharian Bloodline: Level 4]

[Gold Myrtharian Body lvl4: The robustness of a Kintharian, combined with the intellect of an Eltarian, the fighting instinct of a Myrmidian and something more. The physical and brain abilities are 32 times (8 times at lvl3) as good as a normal human, but without the limitations. (New!) Your bones, teeth and claws are 320 times stronger than those of a normal human. Your digestive abilities allow you to digest almost anything in a short time. Your cells can now passively store, purify and absorb ambient energy (including heat, radiation and Aether) as well as matter (earth and metal) to gradually strengthen themselves or reuse it later. At each additional level, the physical and mental abilities will be doubled as well as the speed of progression, tolerance to heat, pressure and radiation.]

[Gold Myrtharian Spirit Body lvl4: The Eltarian Spirit Body solidifies the Spirit Body and strengthens the Kintharian Aether Skills by adding telekinesis. The Spirit Body of a Myrtharian is 24 times greater(12 times at lvl3) than that of a normal human and has a natural instinct conferring a form of precognition. The Spirit Body can also passively absorb a decent amount of ambient energy (including heat, radiation and Aether) and matter (earth and metal) to strengthen itself. These faculties double at every level.]

[Gold Myrtharian Soul lvl4: Strong Fire, earth, metal, light(radiation) attribute (Average fire, earth , metal and light attribute at lvl3) and slight Lightning attribute. Able to feed on the Aether contained in heat, earth, metal, lightning or radiation to survive and strengthen itself.]

[Aether Bloodline Skills:]

[Accelerated Golden Myrtharian lvl4 growth: Closely related to positivity, determination, pride, fighting and anger. The effect doubles with each level.]

[Self-Encoding: There are no longer any limits to the Aether Stats, as the Aether is constantly being compressed to make room. However, the cost in Aether required to increase stats will quickly become exponential. Using the Aether encoded by the Oracle Device to increase the Aether stats is no longer recommended if the Encoding level doesn't match.]

[Aether and Soul Tribute: A defeated enemy will surrender a fraction of his Aether and soul to the bloodline holder (It is no longer proportional to the threat level).]

[Warrior Gold Myrtharian Trance lvl4: As a result of the above-mentioned emotions and the will to vanquish in battle, the body stats will be temporarily increased by 400-800% (200-400% at lvl3). The effect doubles with each level. ]

[Spiritual Gold Myrtharian Trance lvl4: By calming the mind through meditation, it is possible to amplify the mental stats as well as the quality of the Spirit Body from 400-800% (200-400% at lvl3). The effect doubles on every level. ]

[Spiritual Gold Myrtharian Eyes lvl4: It becomes possible upon activation to analyze one's opponents to understand their physical, mental and Aetheric weaknesses. Passively, it is possible to see Aether and other supernatural elements at a certain distance without going through the Extrasensory Perception of the Spirit Body. The eye is now able to harness and channel the power of the Spirit Body and Soul Spells, as well as any Energy-based Spell. (New !) With each additional level, it will be possible to obtain more information.]

[Gold Stone Skin lvl4: The body can withstand high temperatures and radiation, including high pressure and friction. The skin can alternate between a rocky or metallic state as desired and its thickness can also be modulated to form different appendages or weapons. It is also possible to alter this metallic structure into any previously digested metal. (New !) ]

[Heat and radiation tolerance lvl4: The body temperature is no longer fixed at 37°C and can withstand a much higher and lower internal temperature without shutting down.]

[Earth and Steel Manipulation lvl4: Including all the minerals, metals, atoms and inorganic traces found in the soil of Kinthar's home planet, as well as all metals and materials previously or subsequently digested. At lvl4 you can now bend rocks, boulders and steel to your will, including digested magic metals. The finesse of control and perception doubles at every level.]

[(New!)Gravity Manipulation lvl 1: Derived from Earth and Metal manipulation, you can increase or decrease gravity up to 10 times via your Spirit Body.]

[(New)Magnetism Manipulation lvl1 : Derived from Metal Manipulation, you can control the magnetic fields around you to a certain extent.]

[(New)Lightning Manipulation lvl 1 : Derived from Magnetism and Heat manipulation, you can now control lightning to a certain extent.]

[(New)Lightning Tolerance lvl 1 : Slightly increased tolerance to electricity.]

[(New) Magic Artefact lvl4 : By digesting all these magic materials, your body has become an ideal magical conductor. Your tolerance to Aether, Mana and any other type of primordial energy is multiplied by 16. The control of any type of primordial energy is facilitated in your own body.]

[Heat and Radiation Control lvl4: . It becomes possible to thermally and energetically excite AND cool down any object, including one's own body. At lvl4, you can now perform advanced heat and radiation manipulation. The finesse of control and perception doubles at every level.]

[Telekinesis lvl4: It becomes possible to control objects remotely via the Spirit Body. At Spirit Body and Physical Body equivalent, it is only possible to exert 400% (200% at lvl3) of the Physical Body's strength. Control is not limited to simple actions anymore. The effect doubles at each level.]

[Accelerated Healing lvl4: It is possible to heal even the most lethal and disabling wounds by burying oneself underground in a warm space. At lvl 4, the Passive Regeneration ability operates without any need to bury oneself. This passive recovery can now regenerate limbs and is no longer discounted. Dependent on the environment, the body's tolerance to heat, radiation, earth, metal, earth, lightning.]

[Spirit of Revenge: After a defeat, and if the host's will has not wavered, the bloodline will be greatly stimulated.]