The Oracle Paths

"Who wants to go first?" Ulfar offered as a good host. He was eager to change his Soul Class but after waiting for so many months he could bear to wait a few more minutes.

Tim immediately raised his hand. "Me!"

The other Myrtharian Nerds, including those from Pureblood and Ashun saw no problem with this.

It was the privilege of being the only child/teenager in their faction. If the conclusion of this Ordeal had been more optimistic, he could have shared this moment of favoritism with Lily, his sweetheart.

In retrospect, this Ordeal had not been kind to the Lilys. Carmine's little sister with the same name had also been eliminated prematurely, well before the final battle. As such, by the sole fact that Tim was the only child to have survived to the very end he could boast of being the first in his category.

Antsy but also a little apprehensive, the teenager walked stiffly over to the Stele and nervously put his hand on it. A second later, he withdrew it with a big smile. It would seem that he had gotten something good.

"Satisfied?" Enya ruffled his hair.

"Hmm." Tim nodded vigorously. "I got the Tier 6 Soul Class Lucky Star. It allows me to control the power of lucky stars, using them to boost my own abilities or weaken my enemies. They can also create small explosions of luck, causing unpredictable events to happen around them."

Jake and the others could hardly hide their surprise. This Soul Class looked pretty powerful...

"Lucky Star..." Jake repeated with a thoughtful look. "Could it be derived from your ability as a Myrtharian and Beskyrian to manipulate luck, heat and radiation? Or does it refer to a more metaphorical accomplishment or trait?"

"Well, I have a feeling that Tim has always been a sort of lucky mascot for us." Will joked as he in turn ruffled the teen's hair. "As long as he's alive, there's still hope for this Ordeal."

The other Myrtharian Nerds nodded in agreement. Tim truly was their lucky star.

"Who's next?" Ulfar then returned the conversation to the main topic.

Because Tim had gotten such a good Soul Class related to luck, the other three Beskyrians couldn't resist and jostled to be next. After three rounds of rock paper scissors, Trea went first, followed by Fo and Skorgeld. It appeared that Ulfar's son had not inherited his father's outrageous luck.

They took turns touching the Stele and all seemed pleased with the Soul Class they had achieved. At least it seemed that their curse had not affected their available options.

Jake had no intention of asking his companions what Soul Class they had obtained if they wanted to keep the secret to themselves, but not everyone in his faction had the same qualms. Crunch and Lord Phenix immediately began pestering them to spill the beans. The trio did not resist for long in the face of the perseverance of the two agitators.

Skorgeld confessed in less than a minute that he had obtained the Soul Class of Battleaxe Gambler, a mysterious class that allowed him to bet on the outcome of any battle-related event and, if successful, obtain all sorts of advantages. On the other hand, if he was wrong he could find himself weakened. It was the kind of ability that was harmless at the beginning of a fight, but several successful predictions could have an unpredictable snowball effect. Of course, there were all sorts of limitations and risks involved.

Trea, who was a gifted archer, was unsurprisingly awarded a Soul Class related to this field: Lucky-Eyed Bowmaster. It was a Soul Class blessed with the luck of the stars like Tim and could make shots that seem almost impossible to the naked eye. They were adept at using the light of the stars, their innate luck and intuition to guide their arrows and strike their targets with unerring precision and lethality. Their eyes were also blessed with the gift of foresight and could see the paths of their arrows before they release them.

Fo's Soul Class that specialized in the creation and use of talismans sounded much less badass, but it was also Tier 6: Lucksmith. It was a Soul Class that crafted talismans and other lucky objects from scratch, imbuing them with powerful magic that can bring good fortune to their owner. It was the kind of auxiliary Soul Class that every ambitious faction needed.

Upon hearing the four Soul Classes that his son and his friends had obtained, Ulfar couldn't hold back any longer and touched the Stele without asking. A second later he withdrew his hand and laughed like a psychopath who had just won the lottery.

No matter how hard Crunch and Lord Phenix tried to coax him into talking, he remained as mute as a grave. From this, one could see the difference in temperament between a king and his subjects. Ulfar was indeed reliable. Jake wouldn't have to worry about Ulfar spilling all the secrets of their faction if he was to be captured by their enemies.

Privately, however, he informed Jake, Will and Lucia of his abilities. This was because these three people were involved in all the decisions and strategies concerning the Myrtharian Nerds. If he was too vague, it could not only harm the faction, but also his own people.

His new Soul Class was Luck Monarch. It was a Soul Class that embodied the concept of luck and royalty. They were believed to have a natural affinity for good fortune and the power to influence the luck of those around them. They were often seen as leaders among their people, ruling with a benevolent hand and ensuring that their subjects were well taken care of.

Luck Monarchs were known for their impeccable sense of timing, making decisions and taking actions at precisely the right moment to maximize their chances of success. They were also skilled in the art of divination, using their magical abilities to predict the future and plan accordingly.

As members of the royal family, Luck Monarchs were often born into positions of power and privilege, but they were also expected to uphold a certain level of responsibility and honor. They were trained from a young age in the ways of diplomacy and politics, and they often acted as ambassadors between their kingdom and other nations.

In battle, Luck Monarchs were feared for their ability to turn the tide of a fight with a single stroke of luck. They were also skilled fighters in their own right, wielding weapons and magic with equal ease. They were often accompanied by a retinue of loyal followers, who believe that their good luck will rub off on them.

Overall, a Luck Monarch was a powerful and charismatic figure, capable of leading their people to prosperity and victory through the power of luck and royal authority. And most importantly, it was a Tier 8 Soul Class.

The Stele therefore placed this Soul Class above that of Aetherist or Archon. Of course, Ulfar did not reveal all this. He only mentioned superficially what his abilities were and Jake, Will and Lucia were content with his explanations.

Then it was Hephais' turn, and he only revealed the name of his new Soul Class to Jake telepathically, earning the wrath of Crunch and his turkey sidekick. His Soul Class was Abyssal Nightwalker, and that was as powerful as it sounded.

Even without knowing his Tier, the mere fact that Hephais' appearance was immediately shrouded in black flames, revealing only a pair of glowing red eyes spoke volumes about its potential.

The rest of the Myrtharian Nerds and Pureblood then touched the Stele one after the other, each obtaining a powerful Soul Class that was supposed to accompany them for a long time. Perhaps permanently.

Everyone managed to secure at least one Tier 5 or 6 Soul Class. Several of them managed to acquire Soul Classes of Tier 7 or even better. Since they were not all from the same faction, they obviously could not tell each other everything. However, even if they kept the Tier of their Soul Class to themselves, the name of their Soul Class was usually more than enough to estimate their power.

For example...

"Hey Gerulf, what did you get as a Soul Class?" Rogen asked in a thunderous voice full of bad intentions. He clearly wanted everyone to hear their conversation. "For the record, I got the Cosmic Frost Titan Soul Class, of Tier 7. If you don't dare to answer, that's okay I can understand you being embarrassed after hearing mine..."

And here it was... A new daily episode of their rivalry was about to begin. The duel to the death in the Celestial City had apparently not been enough for them. It was called seeking death in broad daylight.

Except this time, only Rogen was seeking humiliation.

" ... " Gerulf scratched his head, staring at him as if he was an utter moron, then blurted out with an even more booming voice, "Sunforged Juggernaut. Tier 8."

Radio silence. Rogen stood petrified, then his cheeks puffed out as if he were holding back from bursting into tears and making a scene. Suddenly, he rushed wordlessly toward the Stele and tried to touch it again, but it was too late.

A rejection notice popped up in his head:

[You have recently changed Soul Class and your soul has just undergone heavy alterations. Your soul is unstable and changing your Soul Class again could cause irreversible damage to your mind. Please wait 268 hours, 36 minutes and 16 seconds before trying again]

Then Rogen began to bawl his eyes out in front of the stunned crowd.