The Oracle Paths

"Shall we split into teams, yes or no?!" Syrbarun barked, curtailing the discussion to avoid further embarrassment.

Ceasing her onslaught, the android cryptically studied him before conceding, "I vote yes."

"Fucking hypocrite!" The Vrusug spat, recognizing that they'd all relished his humiliation while sharing the same opinion. Damn, he loathed feeling like the weakest link...

Ulfar clamped his lips shut, restraining himself from hurling another snide comment. However, Lucia's eye roll-tinged with amusement-didn't go unnoticed.

As their eyes met, the minotaur read, "I know what you're thinking," in her gaze. His courage wilted at this realization, his demeanor reverting to one of meekness and submission.

As they prepared to divide into teams, Hade finally spoke up,

"I'm against the idea of splitting. No offense to Syr, but not all of you are warriors. What happens if these Digestors are simply waiting for us to separate so they can ambush us individually? Who do you think will be their first targets? Ulfar, Lucia, and I-the formidable warriors-or you, who, despite your Aetherist abilities, can barely confront a Digestor without wetting your pants?"

A solemn silence chilled the corridor after the Fluid Grandmaster's harsh, yet truthful words. Right... what would happen if the Digestors were waiting for just that?

Suddenly, Lyra and Syrbarun were no longer so eager to part ways. After all, it was their lives at stake, though Cekt would probably not let them die in vain.

Despite their optimism, this was still a perilous trial. Fighting Digestors was never completely safe. Accidents happened all too easily.

Yet, the two remaining disciples remained remarkably composed. Just because they didn't relish a fight didn't mean they were cowards.

"I think we should still split up," Nigel finally declared after deep reflection. "Ulfar's luck has guided us so far, but clearly it's not enough anymore. Cekt must have taken measures to deprive us of this cheat code. Even if you refuse, I will go my own way. Fighting isn't my forte, but I managed to complete my first four Ordeals with a decent rating. If necessary, I can still put up a good fight."

Ulfar grumbled grumpily at the reminder of his unreliability from the rock-on-legs, but he didn't dispute it. It was absolutely true.

His luck had run dry since they'd entered the funnel. The random directions they chose had allowed for rapid progress at first, but they'd been going in circles for a while.

The truth was they were utterly lost, and it was partially his fault. The others had enough tact not to point this out, but he could feel their searing, reproachful stares, even though they tried their best to hide it.

Seeing Nigel's resolution, Hade briefly hesitated before deciding to share Jake's warning before their unplanned separation.

Naturally, they were indignant and offended that the trio had kept this critical information to themselves, but they couldn't truly blame them.

After all, they were still strangers only a few hours ago.

Yet, they weren't fools, and Nigel frowned as he realized the implication,

"Do you think someone's feeding our position to these Digestors? A traitor?"

"What?!" Lyra exclaimed, shocked, before hastily distancing herself from the other disciples, watching them as if they were wolves in sheep's clothing.

The reactions from the other disciples were no different. The possibility of a traitor cast their test in an entirely new light. Certainly, Cekt was powerful, but to influence the behavior of a horde of Digestors so easily seemed unlikely.

If their master was secretly providing their coordinates to these creatures, it would equate to betraying the interests of the Oracle and the Mirror Universe. Even as a training exercise, that seemed excessive.

"I didn't say that," Hade replied evenly. "It could be a Digestor with long-range detection abilities, or the result of a tracker, invisible to us but obvious to the Digestors that Cekt might have placed on one of us for testing purposes. Wherever these Digestors are, I am certain they are biding their time, waiting for a false step to attack. At the very least, they have one intelligent Digestor among them. It would be foolish to underestimate such an enemy.

"But, even after these revelations, if you still wish to separate into teams, I won't oppose it. But two teams at most. The first will be led by Lucia and Ulfar, and I'll take charge of the second to protect you and minimize risk. Any objections?"

It was the largest compromise he could make. By accepting this, he risked breaching the promise he had made to Jake. If things went sideways, only Lucia and Ulfar's lives would truly matter.

That's why he grouped them together. Having been prematurely eliminated from the Fourth Ordeal, his rewards were lesser than his two friends', and he hadn't benefited from that bonus year of training either.

For all he knew, Lucia and Ulfar might have become stronger than him. By placing them on the same team, he estimated minimal risk.

The other disciples discerned his intention and did not immediately object to being led by this trio of Evolvers who were not even Cekt's disciples.

Nigel was the first to accept his suggestion. For him, Cekt just wanted to force them to split up.

As long as they remained together, nothing would happen. Epsilom and Drakon must have suspected this or they wouldn't have separated with such enthusiasm.

"I agree," the Gorgonite declared calmly. "So, who will team up with whom?"

Not keeping them in suspense any longer, Hade announced, "Lucia, Ulfar, Syrbarun, and Siri will form the first team. Nigel, Lyra, and I will form the second. Given Nigel's claim of combat readiness, this is the most balanced division of power we can achieve."

Nigel nodded, uncomplaining. It suited him.

Syrbarun, however, grimaced bitterly upon learning of his teammates. Between the apathetic yet cutting Siri, the smirking Lucia, and the flippant and arrogant Ulfar, he couldn't have been dealt a worse hand.

From his small, ego-centric stature, the Vrusug failed to realise he was the one with the worst temperament among the four. Nevertheless, he submitted to the team assignments proposed by Hade without a fuss.

"If everyone's ready, let's stop wasting time and split up," Nigel growled impatiently.

"Not yet," Hade halted him. "First, we need to determine our method of contact. The Oracle System isn't reliable here. These Voidsteel walls block all networks."

"Ahh!"

Another reason came to mind, but he didn't dare voice it for fear of it becoming reality.

The group brainstormed swiftly, looking for an alternative. Soon, Nigel proposed a viable solution by materializing strange, colored gems the size of chicken eggs.

These devices could fly, record, transmit messages, and form a communication chain between them. Somehow, this method was similar to the one Jake used to deceive the Dungeon Digestor.

After familiarizing themselves with these devices, which were like mini clones of Nigel, Hade gave the green light, and the two teams began to split.

But as Lucia and Ulfar escorted their charges down another corridor, Hade's grim voice resonated in their minds, "Never drop your guard. I told the disciples that there's likely no traitor among us, but I didn't mean it. Too many shady things have happened since we arrived here. Coupled with Lure's recent death, I have a bad feeling."

Lucia and Ulfar were unsettled by his gravity, but they nodded subtly to signal they'd remain vigilant. As they left, they didn't notice the icy, probing gaze the Fluid Grandmaster cast on one of the disciples under their protection.

He hoped he hadn't made the wrong choice entrusting those two to them. Shaking off his worries, he reassured himself, 'No, I'm probably overthinking. By constantly being with my son and trying to discern the real him from the monster within, I think I've become paranoid...'

"Hade, we're just waiting on you," Lyra griped with her cute and slightly impatient voice, snapping him out of his thoughts. The Fluid Grandmaster forced a smile and regained his composure, then said, "Let's go."

Chasing after them as if nothing was amiss, his pupils narrowed when Lyra and Nigel turned their backs, locked onto the Gorgonite.

"I sincerely hope I'm wrong..."

Who said there could only be one traitor? Everything that breathed and didn't breathe was on his list of suspects.

Thirty minutes later, Jake breached the threshold of a laboratory awash in the silver lifeblood and remnants of Sinewhades.

An object, distinct in its lustrous metallic sheen from the blood-soaked wreckage, seized his attention. Jake had finally unearthed a trace of the elusive disciples he'd been tirelessly pursuing.

Regrettably, it was the sort of clue he wished he'd never found.

For the steel sphere, eerily human-like and encased in a smooth, glossy exterior akin to white plastic, strewn amidst a pool of blood and a tangle of wires, was no stranger to him...

As he cleared the dried blood from the white steel skull, his own blood curdled as he recognised a hauntingly familiar female face:

Siri.