The Oracle Paths

"Before we talk about any mission, I will have to mold you into real soldiers first." The cube man said as he stared at them with a dour look. "We're going up against a whole nation of elite Schwazens this time and an ordinary standard won't do. You wanted revenge on Lost Divinities, maybe you'll get your chance if you survive what's ahead.

" Regrettably, I'm caught up in the circumstances. Knowing the Schwazens' culinary habits, my men were probably captured and may still be alive. But not for long. We leave now. Better a demonstration than a long speech."

Jake and the others nodded grimly. Vexa gestured to Prysm and the flower woman sashayed toward them with a short, streamlined metal device in her hand reminding him of those metal detectors used in body searches.

"Legs apart, arms spread horizontally, chin up." Prysm ordered in a monotone voice as if she had uttered the phrase a thousand times.

Skorgeld clutched his battleaxe tightly with both hands instead of complying, and Vexa derided them sternly,

"I advise you to listen to her. It's not your hidden weapons this detector is after. Do you really think we are afraid of you?"

The Myrtharian Nerds' eyes shifted to Jake and after a short hesitation he nodded and grunted,

"Do as she says."

Skorgeld was screened first by the device. She first ran it up his body from his feet to his head, and then at the end instructed him to stare at the lens end of the device. The Beskyrian complied reluctantly and a spiritual impulse that Jake could barely feel passed through his Spirit Body, reaching directly into his soul.

A few seconds later, Prysm froze, her blank stare that of someone reading a mental interface, then she said,

"Corruption 3%, Stage 1. He's clean."

Vexa visibly relaxed, then motioned for her to do the next ones. Jake remained calm but inwardly he was incredibly shocked. If such a device existed, why didn't they all have one on them to monitor their own condition.

He didn't know what this Stage 1 meant, but thinking back on his own assumptions he surmised it had to do with the Aether Runes' degree of miniaturization, or perhaps the severity of the symptoms.

"Corruption can't be purged from an individual, but it's okay as long as the percentage and Stage remain within tolerated thresholds." Vexa explained for Jake and the others as he saw their inquisitive expressions. "Like Bloodlines, Corruption has a Grade, but so high that even the Mirror Universe can't get rid of it perfectly. And like a Bloodline, when the accumulation of corrupted Aether is high enough, the Corruption will upgrade. When a Bloodline advances a level, its Aether Code is slightly compressed, making room for other dormant abilities. The same goes for Corruption.

"At Stage 1, Corruption is virtually harmless, affecting your personality only superficially. You may not even realize it."

While the Mirror Vanguard leader filled them in, Prysm ran the Corruption detector on the other Myrtharian Nerds and their results turned out to be in the ballpark. Soon it was Jake's turn.

Before she could repeat the instructions, he spread his arms and legs and let her do her job.

" Stare at the device."

FLASH!

"That's good, thanks."

Jake winced, not liking at all the sensation reminiscent of having his soul dipped into a tub of ice water. However, he forgot about his gripes when he saw Prysm and Vexacion's lugubrious expressions.

"Can you say that again?" The cube man said ominously.

"Corruption 23%. Stage 2." Prysm cleared her throat and reread the scan result aloud, having trouble believing it herself.

Vexacion teleported in front of Jake and a Violet Cube resembling a gigantic amethyst appeared behind him as the microscopic cubes on the surface of his skin turned the same color. A torrent of spiritual energy surged from his body and coursed through Jake's consciousness without him being able to resist.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jake gasped in anger. It was his Soul, not his hand or his leg that this Player had just analyzed.

Vexa ignored his icy tone and asked emotionlessly,

"Have you been in prolonged contact with a Rank 13 or higher Digestor lately? By prolonged contact, I mean at least three to six months.

"Not that I know of." Jake frowned. "Ah, before the Fourth Ordeal I spent a few days in a Dungeon Digestor. They're Rank 15 if I remember correctly."

"No. That can't be it." The cube man shook his head. "Did you directly assimilate the Aether from a Digestor without first processing it through the Aether Compression of your Oracle Device?"

Jake thought hard and eventually he recalled his fight with the very first Digestor he had faced moments after arriving on B842.

"Just one. A Rank 2, the first day I arrived in the Mirror Universe." He answered truthfully, not daring to hide the truth for something so important.

Vexa shook his head again.

"No, that can't be it either. Their minds are too primitive and the Corruption too low before Rank 4 to pose any threat. At worst, it only accounts for 1 or 2% of your overall Corruption and that's not nearly enough to explain a Stage 2. There must be something else. Something more recent."

Jake needed no further clues to find the answer. The cause was the event when he had tried to stabilize Ruby with his Words of Power. He told Vexa what had happened a few weeks earlier and how he had gotten through it by combining the spirit power of all the Eltarians and Myrtharian Nerds available at the time.

"So they are all Corrupted." The Mirror Vanguard leader concluded eerily. "But you've averted the worst outcome. If that was what you were planning to do to stabilize this Ruby after finding her, forget it for now. If this kind of incident happens two or three more times, it will be you who is beyond saving."

"Are you telling me that Ruby can't be saved?" Jake's face fell as he picked up on his fatalism.

"He didn't say that." Prysm snickered. "We can't save them, but we can help them. Likewise, we can't rid you of the Corruption either, but we can help you stay yourself and live with it. Of course, you're not a half-Digestor like her. Even at equal Corruption, your prognosis for maintaining a normal life would be much better, but sooner or later, yeah... we'll have to put you down..."

"She speaks the truth." Vexa replied sorrowfully. "This is the fate of everyone who fights the Digestors on the front lines. Prysm runs the detector on me."

The flower woman stiffened, but she obeyed wordlessly. A few seconds later, she muttered blandly,

"Corruption 43%, Stage 4."

Vexa patted Jake's shoulder and grinned,

"See... Corruption is not a big deal, but you must have the kind of mental strength and determination to pull it off that the average Evolver would never achieve. The way you are now, a Corruption of 50%, even at Stage 2, would be enough to turn you into a monster that the current you would find hard to fathom. Don't be fooled though. Sooner or later I will lose control too and someone will be responsible for taking me down if I don't commit suicide on my own."

Sensing the gloomy atmosphere in the bunker, Vexa and Prysm both erupted in laughter before very quickly reverting to a straight face.

"Let's go. Time is running out."

Moments later, the group flew in the presumed direction the Schwazens had taken. They found a few more feathers along the way, as well as blood from various human and alien species, and then nothing.

Vexa landed, then in frustration pummeled a cliff to dust, which crumbled with a booming roar.

"They've lost us again. These bastards are jamming our Oracle Paths." Prysm sighed with a crestfallen countenance. "They could be in any city by now. Until another Mirror Vanguard subfaction sends us a Tracker we're stuck."

"I guess we have no choice." Vexa grumbled tiredly.

Having followed their conversation, Jake stepped in,

"It's not over yet. To find Ruby we came prepared. Tim and Skorgeld do your thing."

Jake, Trea and Fo transferred their Luck Aether to them and Tim focused on the captured Mirror Vanguard prisoners rather than Ruby and immediately took a few steps in a certain direction. He then transferred his own Luck Aether to Skorgeld who confirmed the direction given.

"This way." Tim and Skorgeld said in unison with confidence.

"Luck?" Vexa and Prysm exclaimed knowingly. "We're... lucky I guess to have you."

"Looks like we won't have to wait for our tracker to continue the search." The flower woman chimed happily.

The group took off again, Jake using his telekinesis to support Skorgeld, Fo and Trea while Crunch followed them, galloping stealthily below them. Lord Phenix flew just below them, concealing their movements by masquerading as an ordinary bird at high altitude.

A few hours later, they saw towering infrastructure in the distance, thousands of winged humanoid creatures swarming through the air like a hive of bees.

"They're here." Vexa announced darkly. "Prepare for battle."