章 62: The Oracle

Adam his crew and the native warriors travel through the city. They take him and his companions through the streets and between the tall buildings. Adam can see that the Children of the Oracle have settled into one half of the city, and the Ugo live in the other.

The warriors slow down when they see poles with human skulls attached to their tops. Adam also notices the colored plumage of the warning birds sitting on the tree branches.

You see a large fire pit filled with ashes and burnt bones. The remains are clearly human. Next to the ashes, you see a pile of clothing with Emily's wand resting upon it. The natives mutter angrily at this sight.

"This is Ugo territory. We must be cautious from this point onward."

"Sacred land…drop your weapons…sacred land…" the parrot shriek, warning the Ugo of your approach.

The trees erupt into movement as the cannibals rush forward to defend their land. The warriors immediately begin to fight them with their spears. Adam spots a fat man wearing an elaborate mask with them.

"That must be their Chief," Adam muttered, as he reach-outed for his [Abyss Angel]. But before he could launch an attack, one of the warriors, who is standing before the Chief throws a spear at him.

Adam ducks cast his new spell, [Earth Hands] this second of his three new spells which he bought from Tome of Skills.

"Earth Hands"

[-95 MP]

Two large tentacles made of soil raises from the ground and pulls the enemy chief. The Chief sinks into the solid ground with a scream. The hand waves at Adam one last time and disappears, and the ground returns to being solid, cutting off the Chief's screams.

Adam takes the mask from his face before anyone can stop him.

The Ugo warriors rush towards him, he smirks and cast his last new spell, "Flame Erupt"

[-480 MP]

As Adam said fire explodes from his hands. The flame erupts high in the air, and engulf the surrounding, burning the Ugo warriors to crisps, leaving nothing behind ashes.

But, the flames didn't harm the allies of Adam.

Adam returns to the Children of the Oracle, holding the Chief's mask in his hand. Adam also cheering from above as the roofs fill with natives who are applauding for his successful conquest.

Jadara smiles at Adam and takes the mask from him, and everyone cheers even louder. "Where's Emily"

"We have rescued her, and let her rest in your private room. Come, it is time to meet the Oracle."

Adam was led through the city to an open courtyard. Many Children of the Oracle sit on the roof around it, looking down at both of them.

Adam was given a small basket filled with flower petals. The ground he has been walking upon feels unstable beneath his feet as Adam follows Jadara, who's carrying a basket of her own.

She takes a handful and throws it into the courtyard, where they rise into the air and then get pulled downward, even though there's no breeze.

Adam sees the brightly colored face of the Oracle in the middle of the courtyard and realizes that he was standing upon the Oracle herself. She stares up into the sky as flower petals press against her face.

She rhythmically rises and falls, like a billowing sail, which is why the footing there is so uncertain.

"Oh, great and powerful Oracle!" Jadara says to the face. "I have brought you your servant!"

"The passage is still blocked," the Oracle says dully.

"But the Chief of the Ugo was killed," she says nervously. Lana looks at Adam worriedly and glances at the face in front of her.

The ground shakes beneath their feet and suddenly pulls Adam and Lana into the void. The Oracle has moved aside, letting him fall into a great abyss beneath her.

Adam feels something grab him in the darkness as he falls, and it lays him gently upon the ground beneath her.

Lana feels fresh air and flower petals brushing against her skin as the Oracle continues to rise and fall overhead, creating a steady breeze that fills the myriad of tunnels that are spread out all around.

Surprisingly, Jadara was left behind. He can't help but feel uneasy. The Oracle speaks from above.

"This way," she says.

Adam notices that she has many black tentacles that branch out into all of the tunnels. One of them suddenly rises and wiggles, showing the two of them in which way to go.

Adam walks down the indicated passageway and arrives at another intersection, where her tentacles extend in every direction. Again, one of the tentacles rises and wiggles, showing them which way to go.

In this manner, Adam Lana was led to a large, round door many blocks away from where he initially entered the tunnels. The door has small holes in it, through which air is being blown by the Oracle.

The wriggling tentacle extends through one of these holes, showing that this is the direction in which they are being led.

Oracle's voice echoes through the tunnels to Adam, just loud enough that Adam and Lana can hear her from so far away.

"I can't go any further"

"I am forbidden…" it says. "But…maybe. There is a blocked passage…will you aid me?"

"Yes, if you can open the way."

"Follow," she says, wiggling new tentacles and leading him back through the passages.

Soon, they arrive at a narrow tunnel that has been clogged tightly with flower petals. The small tentacle that led him here reaches up to the petals, but can't quite reach.

The tentacle turns around and goes in another direction, they again before s large sturdy door.

The tentacle runs through the door, twitches, and struggles. Time has not been kind to the structure of the walls around the door. Adam spots the door's edges strain as the Oracle pulls.

There's a loud pop, and the door is yanked free. The tentacle places the door inside the room, allowing the party entrance.

It was a treasure room. The floor and walls of this inner chamber are inky blacks. Most of the pedestals are empty, which makes sense. The previous generation would have taken their prized possessions with them when they left.

Despite this, a few pedestals still hold things. In the center of the room, there is Majestic Scythe. Its edge is like a lightning bolt, and it's made of a strange black metal. There were also glowing runes etched across it.

On its hilt is a round sphere covered in more runes, although these aren't glowing. Wasting no time, Adam garbs the weapon. A strange vibration runs through his whole body and a new window pops up before him.

[SOUL BURNER]

"WHO COMES TO ROB THE SOCRETH?" a voice says loudly from all around, and Adam realizes that the black surface he is standing on is alive.

"Looks like we're standing on another creature," Lana says with a hearty laugh.