The Oracle Paths

Chapter 1168  Lucia's Ordeal: A Descent into Darkness (part 1)

This Ordeal had started off pretty well.

Or... not really.

That was the thought crossing Lucia's mind as she found herself lying in her own blood, her body reduced to just a head, neck, and a bit of clavicle. Through her blood-drenched consciousness, she only remembered the image of a dismembered Hade in a similar state and Ulfar covering their retreat with arrow after arrow...

Oh... There was also the memory of a certain corrupted angel-priestess flying off with a few wings missing. Clearly not enough to maintain a graceful flight... Caphriel, was it?

Whatever...

So... how did they end up here?

The shithole they were thrown into upon arrival should have tipped her off. It was pretty much the vision Lucia had of hell on earth. Correction: underground.

Sure, it wasn't a fiery hell swarming with malicious demons as religions sold it, but it was close. Minus the flames.

When she first appeared here, she landed alone in a massive cave connected to hundreds of galleries. So vast, you could stack her old palace in it a hundred times without feeling cramped.

Even with her heightened senses, it was a nightmare to navigate. You really couldn't see a damn thing!

Her golden eyes might have glowed like two suns in that silent darkness, but the surrounding blackness wasn't so easily penetrated. Moreover, she quickly learned that this almost impenetrable darkness worked in her favor.

Because… thanks to this minor inconvenience, the nasty spawns ruling these depths couldn't see her either. Not that it would have made a difference. Most of these abominations were totally blind.

However, these devilish creatures could sense her by other means...

By the time Lucia experienced all this, she had already brushed with death a good ten times. That's right. She, a proud Divine Princess of Victory, a dignified Rank 16 Lieutenant Colonel, had almost met her end within the first few minutes. It was a close call for her 5th Ordeal to turn into a tragedy.

It must be said that the sudden gravity hadn't helped either, although that was just a detail. But no, that wasn't the real reason behind her struggles.

The reason wasn't what one might think. The countless horde of these horrors was, of course, a problem, as was their destructive aura and their ability to detect and devour her energy emissions. A weaker Evolver than her would have surely perished right then and there.

But not Lucia. Even surrounded by millions of foes, she knew she would prevail. And if not, she was confident she could breach the monster wall and lose them.

So, with her full-blooded Myrmidian character, she embraced her first battle in this new world with a predatory smile on her lips. A huge misjudgment she immediately regretted.

In one sentence: All those monsters weren't as weak as they looked.

In two sentences: In the cave where she landed alone, there were a good ten monsters that could hold their own against her in a 1vs1, and at least one or two capable of swallowing her whole with a single misstep.

In three sentences: Some of those monsters could see just fine...

In four sentences – Oh, fuck it! They can all go to hell! Everyone, by the way. Not just these monsters.

Long story short... Let's say Ulfar's timely arrival allowed her to keep her head. Though, among the filth and excrement of these spawns covering the ground, one could probably find the bone remnants of the dozen or so arms and legs those monsters managed to eat off her.

Regenerating lost limbs cost her dearly. It took several days to regain her strength. Courtesy of having to re-infuse the freshly grown limbs with the same levels of Aether and vitality as the originals. Not everyone was a freak like Jake or Gerulf.

Once regrouped with Ulfar, the following days were easy. At least, as easy as they could be with luck incarnate walking by her side. They found Hade the same day, and even Caphriel, though she came to them.

Unsurprisingly, they soon discovered they weren't the only ones 'punished' here. Other Digestor Trojans and corrupted Evolvers were also exiled in this purgatory.

Not many: A few thousand. It was more than they expected but less than they hoped given their situation.

Because upon arrival, they all received the same Side Mission:

[Side Mission No. 1: The world's balance hangs by a thread. While Twyluxia's light shines one last time before its demise, the insidious evil lurking in its depths has gained strength. While your allies fight on the surface, ensure no external threat interferes with their war. In light of this directive, the Corrupted from both Mirror Universes are encouraged to collaborate.]

The description reflected the briefing before her arrival here. Lucia's Main Mission was the same as Jake's, her fate tied to the victory of their Mirror Universe on the surface. Yet, there was one significant difference: Her introduction explicitly warned them that despite their special status, they shouldn't mistake the enemy.

The external threat referred to in this Side Mission included both the spawns and the other Players trapped here with them. After all, they were corrupted...

But not only that!

There were other forms of threats to their Mirror Universe. Like, for example, a fucking Oracle Hacker!

Which brought her to her second Side Mission, or was it the third? And the main reason for their current debacle.

[Side Mission No. 2: Eliminate the enemy Oracle Hacker among you or convince them to cease their interference.]

In retrospect, it was a foregone conclusion. The mere fact that this Player had their own Side Mission spoke volumes about the threat they posed.

After discovering their own Mirror Universe also had an Oracle Hacker in their ranks, an alien recently corrupted like them named Ioan, Hade and Caphriel strongly supported the plan to back him as long as the other Oracle Hacker kept to themselves.

It worked for a while... until it didn't.

It took only one serious battle against the spawns, one improbable encounter, for their sole Oracle Hacker to snap. Unlike them, he was already on the edge for a while and mentally far more unstable than good sense would recommend in such an environment.

Their only Rank 17 Player, and they had to put him down... What a tragedy.

Defeating a Rank 17 Colonel, even if direct combat wasn't his specialty, couldn't be an easy fight. Combined with the spawns around them and the fateful encounter they would have gladly done without, it cost the lives of half the corrupted Players from their Mirror Universe.

After that, the balance of power completely flipped.

With no means left to stop the enemy Oracle Hacker's actions, but needing their side to hold off the spawns, they found themselves in a stalemate. A status quo the other Oracle Hacker eagerly accepted.

Unlike the one they just put down, this one had quite a good head on his shoulders. Besides having a rather innocent human appearance that increased his likeability, he was nice, with a compliant and introverted personality. He was okay with all their plans, actively supporting them by ensuring the corrupt on his side cooperated.

A damn good combination of good traits to lull their suspicion. When they realized the deceit, it was too late. The Oracle System of their Mirror Universe was already down for a long time.

But how did they all get fooled, you might ask? First, this Oracle Hacker had the rank advantage from the start. None of them could rely on their Oracle Paths predictions to foresee his moves. Whatever he did, their bracelets would remain silent unless their senses directly recorded his action.

Does that mean they were naive and forgot to consider this possibility? Not at all. In fact, they thought of it from the first few minutes. While Lucia was more of the type to think with her fists rather than her head, neither Hade nor Caphriel would have made such a mistake.

They were, of course, vigilant. At every moment, they monitored the proper functioning of their bracelets and those of their corrupted companions, constantly cross-checking their Oracle Paths with various tests, more or less subtly.

Nothing, at any moment, betrayed the slightest malfunction. And it was perfectly normal... Their Oracle Devices worked just fine.

It was only on the surface of Twyluxia that the Oracle System didn't function. But by the time they realized it, the damage was already done.