The Oracle Paths

Chapter 1080 What's Your Play?

In a lavish auxiliary villa, far more opulently furnished than the dorm Jake and his crew had just occupied, a stunning dark-haired man with unmistakably Asian features lounged comfortably in a leather armchair, sipping on a hot drink while listening to a report. Even though he looked poised and relaxed, his eyebrows were knitted tightly together, betraying the internal turmoil eating at him.

"You sure about this, Kang Jun?" Cho Min Ho asked the hulking figure kneeling before him, whose hands were respectfully clasped together, a customary gesture when addressing a king.

"Positive. The Oracle System's malfunction affects only the Players from our Mirror Universe. I had to brutally interrogate and kill several enemy Players to be sure. As for the assessment of our casualties, over 60% of our side's Players are already dead, compared to just under 15% of our enemies. Our allies are sitting ducks because our Oracle Devices are letting us down, leaving them unable to predict surprise assaults. Enemy Players only need to wish to take down a weaker Player within a certain range, and their Shadow Guide will direct them to a suitable target if one's available. Moreover, their average skill level is higher than our Players'. Several of them, though nowhere near your prowess, have stood out enough to be ranked as calamity-level threats."

This 'messenger' wasn't native to the Duskwight Lands for sure, and was none other than the right-hand man of the poser sitting cross-legged in front of him. As soon as Kang Jun found out that his boss had ascended the throne, he hurried to get in touch, leaving his previous battleground behind.

Dozens of beefed-up battle-hardened barbarians with menacing looks, donning glistening armors, were currently eyeing this suspicious messenger, ready to pounce and defend their 'sovereign' from any assassination attempts.

It's worth noting that Kang Jun didn't really fit the Underworld Barbarian mold even though he had the build. His slicked-back sandy hair and deep brown skin contrasted starkly with the mostly black or gray hair of these royal guards, not to mention their pale complexions.

In addition to these guards, several figures exerted a monstrous pressure in the room. They were Great Generals and Generals who had acknowledged the fake king's authority, swayed by the loyal Soulmancers of the true Soulmancer King.

None of them were gullible. In fact, these intimidating brutes were all seasoned in both strategy and subterfuge. They clearly knew the man lounging in that chair wasn't their true king, but they were willing to play along.

In the background, looking jittery, Commander Kake and Officer Luthron could be seen, their expressions tight. Compared to their initial encounter with Cho Min Ho, they were now on a much shorter leash. To stand amid all these heavyweights was an unexpected opportunity.

"60%... That's almost 5 million Players," Cho Min Ho mused somberly, drumming his fingers on the armrest. "Even if it's mostly the riff-raff, it's a significant blow."

No doubt, among them were many probationary members of his King's Idol Alliance. When you indiscriminately recruit, you get a mixed bag.

Still, it was a tremendous waste. If his top players had enough time to get promoted, they could've taught these less skilled Players. Now they'd have to go without...

In the remaining 40%, there were probably a ton of Myrtharian Nerds, with their numbers in this Ordeal likely nearing a million. That added another layer of unpredictability. If only he could rally them to his cause... How much stronger would he become?

Turning to the generals who were silently observing him, Cho Min Ho uttered tersely,

"You heard the man. The enemy can make strategies accounting for our every move, but we can't because, for some damn reason, almost all functions dependent on our Oracle System and its Aether Network are down. Aas was supposed to handle that, but it seems he chickened out."

Before Generals and Soulmancers like Giso or Emlet could press him on these mysterious terms, the Korean idol added darkly,

"Luckily for us, the Oracle System isn't entirely offline. The rules between our two Mirror Universes still hold. That means the enemy can't factor in my moves unless his Oracle Rank surpasses mine. As the top-ranked Player on our side and my early ascension to the role of Soulmancer King, we have a slight edge.

"However, this won't last. They can trigger Oracle Skills like Promotion or Cloaking, but we can't. That makes my rank only so useful. It means we need a major strategy, and we need to strike before one of the enemy's Mirror Universe Aces gains a position like mine. Their rank, allowing them to plot their dark schemes, would then be backed by the full might of the Lustra Plains. Unless their combat strength is way below ours, that single edge would guarantee their victory."

A stifling, heavy silence gripped the room after this grim revelation. Had these Generals not been previously convinced by solid reasoning, they might've thought this foreigner was yanking their chain.

Regrettably, the few Players they had captured fighting for the Lustra Plains only backed his claims. Each of these eminent Generals and Soulmancers had their own intel network, and any significant info from the battlefield would quickly end up in their hands. In short, all Cho Min Ho was doing was reconfirming what they already knew.

"So, what's your play?" A massive barbarian dressed like a bandit lord growled defiantly, breaking the silence. "My Warghost Raiders aren't scared. Even if they can see our moves coming, they need the strength to act on it. Let them try! I'll mow them down!"

This was Great General Sheanu, a ruthless man devoid of principles. While his war prowess was undeniable, his moral compass was askew.

As the name of his private army suggested, he excelled in raiding and plundering enemy lands, a pastime long before the rise of the Dusken Throne. But prior to the arrival of the Soulmancer King, he was more inclined to raid his own divided tribes. From a bandit leader with no allegiance to the head of several legions today, his Warghost Raiders had become a massive military force the Dusken Throne couldn't do without.

Had Jake been in that seat, he'd have offed him the moment he learned of Sheanu's countless atrocities, some of which were unspeakable war crimes. The sanitized versions were just child beheadings and rapes...

But Cho Min Ho was cut from a different cloth. When necessary, he had no qualms about dealing with such scum.

In fact, these kinds of assholes were his favorites. They didn't shy away from any dirty work, no matter how immoral, as long as the pay was worth it.

Cho Min Ho conjured up a stack of scrolls, each bearing the names of the officers or Soulmancers they were addressed to, then uttered impassively, "Just follow the orders on these and ensure as many of our troops as possible acknowledge my authority. The Players I've identified for you on these parchments must be promoted to key leadership positions, and every effort should be made to restore their powers. There's more than one way to anticipate enemy moves... or to thwart them. Do as I say, and everything will be smooth."

Soulmancer Giso soon unfurled the scroll with the list of tasks assigned to him, and as he began to read, his expression changed. Instead of names, it was a list of sketched profiles, so lifelike that they were nearly photographic. This level of artistic prowess, astounding as it was, wouldn't have thrown him off if he hadn't instantly recognized the first portrait at the top.

'That's the self-proclaimed Soulmancer King that Meribelle hangs with!' He involuntarily gasped before quickly recovering, remembering that the foreigner had since altered his appearance to better blend in with the locals.

The sketch resembled Jake from the ceremony held by Oros four years earlier, the last time Cho Min Ho had seen him.

<nulli>Why is he looking for him? Do they know each other?

As Giso pondered if they were allies, he then noticed he wasn't tasked with boosting Jake Wilderth's military career. He just had to locate him and report to Cho Min Ho discreetly.

'So, the two fakes are enemies..<nulli>.' the spy realized with a sinister gleam in his eye before vanishing into the shadows to inform Meribelle.

Depending on her response, or rather the real Soulmancer King behind her, he'd know if they should keep playing both sides or put all their chips on one horse.