The Oracle Paths

Chapter 1213 When Confidence Falters

1213  When Confidence Falters

A deafening gasp spread through both armies at the sight of the gruesome aftermath.

There was no doubt that the centipede had been a fearsome monster with unthinkable strength. Its venom, its electrical discharges, and that glossy obsidian carapace—everything about the creature made it seem invulnerable. Even a Saint would question their chances of victory, let alone achieving it in such a short span. Protecting their own lives was already the best they could hope for.

And yet, this abomination had still been defeated. No, more than that—it had been pulverized, wiped out, reduced to a shredded, dripping pulp in under two minutes. The acrid, acidic scent of its fluids still hung in the air, stinging nostrils and burning eyes.

"Absolute monster…" one soldier murmured in a trembling voice, summing up what everyone else was thinking.

That raw response shattered the oppressive silence choking both sides. Shocked exclamations and awestruck cries now thundered from the soldiers in an unending barrage. The psychological impact was simply too overwhelming. This clash of titans had been too intoxicating for most of these ordinary recruits.

The Lustra Plains faction felt it even worse, having suffered real casualties during the battle because of Master Eldrion's delayed response. The old man was still silently wrestling with his guilt.

"Ahem… You shouldn't blame yourself… Nobody could have predicted things would turn out like this." Lady Faye cleared her throat awkwardly, so moved by the old man's remorse that she couldn't help trying to console him.

She had mentally prepared herself for Jake's cat to be an anomaly, but even she had doubted that notion while witnessing the centipede's lethal abilities firsthand. If those colossal mandibles had closed around her before she could dodge, she would've been sliced in two in the blink of an eye. After all, front-line combat wasn't exactly her specialty.

When the arthropod unleashed its toxic cloud and crackling electricity, she'd been sure the feline was doomed—huge and intimidating as it was.

In the end, she'd completely underestimated it. Not only was the cat unharmed, but that towering centipede had been wiped off the map like a lowly pest.

Which meant Eldrion's confidence hadn't been misplaced. That's why she couldn't bring herself to twist the knife on the old Saint, despite her infamous habit of tormenting weakened foes like a hyena toying with a crippled antelope still bleeding out.

Fortunately, it turned out she'd underestimated the elder's resilience, too. Master Eldrion hadn't earned his position for nothing. His mindset had long since evolved to see obstacles, unexpected setbacks, and failures as mere results—opportunities to learn. Toss him in the desert, and he'd see an oasis.

"Don't worry. This is just our second defeat. Technically, we're still tied," he declared eventually, regaining his usual poise.

His steely composure stabilized the generals around him, though it didn't dispel their doubts entirely. These battle-hardened warriors understood all too well what they had just witnessed; no amount of posing would fool them.

Aware of that, Master Eldrion continued, "A demonstration is worth a thousand words. Another fiasco like this won't happen again." Inwardly, he brooded, And I refuse to believe they have many more cats like that—otherwise, we'd already have lost this war.

With an authoritative sweep of his hand, he bellowed loud enough for both camps to hear, "We're moving straight on to the second match!"

Meanwhile, in the bleachers where Jake and his group were gathered, the mood was the polar opposite of the Radiant Conclave's. Even those who knew Crunch well couldn't help being pleasantly surprised.

"That cat's been hiding one hell of a trump card…" Asfrid remarked in a level tone, though her stormy gray-blue eyes betrayed a flicker of disbelief. She prided herself on gauging her companions' abilities, yet she'd completely missed this.

That could only mean one thing: the cat's spiritual power was at least on par with hers, or it had an item—or a special technique—to cloak its energy. She leaned toward one of those last two possibilities.

"Jake, did you see this coming?" Will asked, eyeing the cat's "owner" suspiciously.

Put on the spot, Jake wore a cool, easygoing smile, though beneath that calm façade he was just as floored as the others. Of course, he didn't let it show and replied with measured nonchalance,

"Sure did."

Will didn't pick up on Jake's discomfort and nodded, as if that was exactly how things should be. The other Myrtharian Nerds adopted the same knowing expression, all questions answered.

By contrast, Cho Min Ho's stand-in looked about ready to turn white as a sheet. It was his turn to send someone into the arena.

Initially, he didn't mind throwing some fights just to complicate Jake's plans and buy time for their leader, as long as it wouldn't tank their Ordeal Rating too much. Purposefully losing could be seen as sabotaging their own side, but if it served a grander goal tied to the Global Main Mission, the Oracle System, with its all-seeing eye, would surely factor that in.

Besides, Cho Min Ho had never explicitly told them to forfeit fights—only to drag them out or force Jake to exhaust his resources. All he needed was a good enough distraction to finish his own objectives. If they could actually win a few matches, all the better.

But now, having already lost one fight, they risked losing more if the Radiant Conclave kept rolling out monstrous beasts like this. He wasn't naive enough to think the other side had opened with its best creature.

"What do we do, Mani?" Zelorian asked telepathically, looking grim. "None of the beast-type Players here can compare to those Titans, not with the time we've had."

That wasn't entirely accurate. There were indeed a few terrifying animals in the King's Idol Alliance, but they usually kept a low profile—just like Crunch had, looking tame one moment and turning into a nightmare spawn the next.

The trouble was, those beasts were with either Cho Min Ho's group or that albino Nosk, Harrkesh. Even if they contacted their leader to recall those animals now, it'd take too long for them to arrive.

The one sliver of hope in this train wreck was that Jake probably didn't have a whole menagerie of pets as deadly as Crunch. At least he wasn't the only one who might lose. As long as the blame could be shared, he wouldn't shoulder all the fallout himself.

Sure, that big-mouthed orange turkey acting like a phoenix looked suspicious. But aside from that, there wasn't much else to worry about, right? If he'd known the "bodyguards" standing protectively around Will were actually dragons, he might have reconsidered.

At that moment, Master Eldrion's booming voice announcing the next duel reached their ears, turning the pressure back on. His heart sank, and he finally answered,

"We've got no choice. I have to contact the boss. Whatever he decides, at least I won't be the one taking the blame."

Cho Min Ho, already deep in enemy territory, frowned as he received the call. In mere minutes, they'd reach Lustris, and he wouldn't have time for distractions. But since Mani wouldn't reach out without good reason, he answered with an indifferent growl,

"Mani, you'd better have a damn good reason for calling me."

Though he had his flaws, Mani didn't beat around the bush just to offload responsibility. He relayed exactly how things had played out and the predicament they now faced.

Cho Min Ho listened without betraying a hint of emotion, though the crease between his eyebrows grew more pronounced as the report went on. Suddenly, he halted in his tracks, forcing the troops following behind to stop short before crashing into him.

"Boss, what's the deal?" demanded a lanky Player with zero courtesy. Once on death row before joining the King's Idol Alliance, he seemed incapable of fear or respect—an out-and-out psychopath, through and through.

"Nothing—just an unexpected development on the central battlefield," the Korean answered coolly, refusing to dignify the criminal's insolence with more than a shrug. He'd long since gotten used to it. "We'll have to send reinforcements."

Ignoring the troublemaker's further questions, Cho Min Ho scanned the throng of Players marching with him on this clandestine expedition. Thanks to his sharpened senses and mental faculties, he picked them out almost immediately.

Their common trait? Each was a small creature—animal or reptile—that blended easily into the background. Most people dismissed them as mere mascots, but the higher-ups in the faction knew better. Behind those cute exteriors lurked terrifying killers. With no time to waste, Cho Min Ho barked an order for them to step forward, shattering their low-profile facade in an instant.