As soon as Jake finished reading, he steeled himself, anticipating the familiar sensation of his soul being yanked into a void. But after a fleeting moment, he relaxed, taken aback when the expected pull never came.
Of all the Ordeals he'd faced, this was the first time the next step hadn't immediately begun. Disturbed, Jake wondered if there was an issue outside. But when minutes passed and nothing happened, he meticulously revisited his mission prompt, brainstorming with Xi about the delay.
"The first thing that strikes me is the lack of specifics," Jake mused.
Even the identity tied to his Oracle Colonel rank seemed a farce, as he'd join the Dusken Throne's drafted army as the lowest of the low. Yet, would that mean no advantages or disadvantages awaited him there? Jake was skeptical.
Sorry for the lack of chapters in recent days. Fine-tuning the final details of the fifth Ordeal took longer than I anticipated. Finding the right names and such can be a real nightmare when you're as much of a perfectionist as I am. On top of that, today's my birthday, but I celebrated it last night with friends, which is why today's chapter is shorter. I should also mention that I'm on vacation for the next two weeks. However, I'll have a hard time writing from the 13th to the 20th, so expect irregular releases.