Chapter 279: True meaning of oracle

Words : 1761 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Noah stood in the glacial cave, his hand still resting on Storm's massive head as the perfect call word crystallized in his mind. "Fall," he whispered. The word seemed to resonate through the chamber, echoing not just in sound but in energy. Storm's eyes gleamed with recognition, the crystalline blue channels beneath his scales pulsing once in unison. The temperature in the cave dropped sharply for a moment before stabilizing. [Hidden Quest Completed: Shepherd of the Void] [Reward: Void Domain Access Unlocked] [Evolutionary Path Advancement: Oracle Status Confirmed] Noah blinked at the unexpected notification. "What the—" "What just happened?" Sophie asked, noticing his expression. "You've got that 'system-just-told-me-something' look." Before Noah could answer, a cascade of new information filled his vision: [Void Oracle Title Evolved] [As a Void Oracle, you stand at the threshold between known existence and the fundamental forces that shape reality. Oracles are not merely users of power, but conduits and interpreters of primordial energies.] [New Skill Unlocked: Void Shrine] [The Void Shrine allows temporary manifestation of your connected entities within the material realm through a controlled tear in dimensional barriers.] "I just completed some kind of hidden quest," Noah explained, trying to process the flood of information. "By having both Storm and Nyx as companions, I've apparently unlocked something called 'Void shrine'" Kelvin's eyes widened with interest. "Void shrine?" That sounds significantly more impressive than 'Guy Who Has Pet Dragon.'" He paused. "Though I'm not sure exactly what an oracle does in this context." "I never really understand what a void oracle even was in the first place until now. But according to the system, it means I'm some kind of conduit for primordial energies," Noah said, frowning slightly. "And now I've unlocked something called 'Void Shrine.'" "Are you going to try it?" Sophie asked, her hand instinctively moving toward her sidearm. Noah nodded, curious despite his caution. "I think I should. The system said it allows manifestation of 'connected entities'—which I'm guessing means Storm and Nyx." "Hold on," Sophie said, taking a step back. "You're going to summon the Red Death Dragon? Here? Now?" "It'll be fine," Noah assured her, though he wasn't entirely certain. "Storm recognized you both as friends. Nyx will too." Sophie didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "Just... be careful. One apocalyptic predator at a time is my preference." [Void Shrine activated] There was no warning as a dark purple portal tore into existence at the center of the cavern. The air crackled with displaced energy, and red mist began pouring out of the dimensional tear, quickly filling the chamber with a crimson haze. The temperature, which had been cool from Storm's presence, now spiked dramatically upward as waves of heat pulsed from the portal. A low, rumbling grunt echoed throughout the cave, reverberating through their bones more than their ears. The mist parted as a massive shadow moved within, and then Nyx, the Red Death Dragon, stepped into the material world. Where Storm was elegant and streamlined, Nyx was massive and imposing. The Red Death Dragon stood a full head taller than Storm, with a more heavily muscled frame and scales that gleamed like burnished copper in the dim light. Where Storm's energy channels glowed blue with cold power, Nyx's veins pulsed with molten fire beneath his scales. The dragon's eyes burned like twin suns, fixing immediately on Noah. Sophie gasped, grabbing Noah's arm. "Holy shit," she whispered. "I've seen him before, but not this close. Remember he was guarding Storm that time. He's... enormous." Storm, far from being threatened by the larger dragon's presence, dipped his head slightly in what appeared to be acknowledgment before shifting to stand beside Noah, creating a triangle formation with Nyx. As the two legendary creatures stood before him, strange symbols began to materialize in the air around them—glowing runes that Noah had never seen before. They weren't like the clean, precise interface of the system; these were ancient, organic, almost tribal in appearance, and they circled the trio in a slow, deliberate pattern. "Are you... casting a spell now?" Kelvin asked, equal parts fascinated and concerned as he stared at the floating symbols. "Because this is giving me serious 'ancient temple activation sequence' vibes, like those old pre-Collapse fantasy films." "I'm not doing anything," Noah said, though he could feel the energy flowing through him, connecting him to both creatures in a circuit of power. "I think the system is establishing some kind of link." [Void Shrine Established] [Herd Connection Formalized] [Oracle Link Strengthened] [New Quest Available: Secrets of the Primordial] [Seek the truth beyond the void. Uncover the nature of fundamental energies that predate the system itself.] Noah remembered his encounter with the Purge operative earlier—how his Null Strike had failed against some kind of energy. He remembered it was : [Error: Null Strike ineffective against Class A energy type. Target possesses fundamental force immunity] "The system wants me to learn about energies that even it doesn't seem to fully understand," Noah murmured. "Something primordial—something that existed before the system." Sophie looked up at the two massive creatures with wide eyes. "And apparently having these two is just the first step?" "Oracle is only the beginning," Noah said, understanding dawning as he interpreted the system's messages. "There's something more beyond this stage—something I'm meant to evolve into." Nyx lowered his massive head, bringing one burning eye level with Noah's face. There was intelligence in that gaze, ancient and knowing, as if the Red Death Dragon understood things about Noah's path that Noah himself was only beginning to glimpse. "I think they know," Noah said softly. "They've always known. That's why they bonded with me in the first place." The mystic runes circling them pulsed once, brightly, before settling into a steady glow. Noah could feel the connection between the three of them strengthening, becoming something more profound than a mere bond between human and creature. It was a symbiosis, a joining of fundamentally different beings in pursuit of something greater. "So you're saying," Kelvin began, his scientific mind working to process what he was witnessing, "that you're evolving alongside these creatures? That there's some kind of shared metamorphosis happening?" "I think so," Noah agreed. "The system called me 'Shepherd of the Void'—like I'm guiding them, but they're also guiding me." Sophie shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips despite her obvious tension. "And here I thought we were just tracking down a hungry wyvern. Now you're some kind of void messiah with a dragon cavalry." Noah couldn't help but laugh at her description. "I don't think it's quite that dramatic." "Noah, you have a portal open with two mythological apex predators flanking you while magical runes circle your head," Sophie countered. "It's exactly that dramatic." Nyx made a sound that might have been agreement, a rumbling vibration that shook loose ice from the cavern ceiling. Storm answered with a harmonic humming that created tiny crystals in the air around them. The mystic runes began to shift, forming a new pattern—one that Noah somehow understood was temporary, a bridge rather than a destination. "They need to go back," he said, reaching out to touch both creatures. As if responding to his thoughts, the dark purple portal pulsed. Nyx turned, a final glance cast toward Noah, before the massive dragon stepped back through the dimensional tear with surprising grace for his size. The red mist followed him, swirling into the void. Storm looked up at Noah, his intelligence evident in his glacier-blue eyes, before spreading his wings and launching upward through an opening in the cavern ceiling. Outside, storm clouds were gathering—not natural ones, but a manifestation similar to the purple portal, dark and charged with elemental energy. Storm vanished into them, his form dissolving into the tempest. The portal closed with a soft implosion of air, and the mystic runes faded from view. The cavern seemed suddenly empty, ordinary, as if the extraordinary events of the past few minutes had been merely a dream. "Well," Kelvin said into the silence, adjusting his glasses, "that was... something." Sophie let out a breath she'd been holding. "I've seen Nyx before, but not that close. And both of them together—" She shook her head. "Noah, what exactly have you gotten yourself into?" "I wish I knew," Noah admitted. "But the system wants me to find out about these primordial energies—energies that can't be affected by my Null Strike." "I thought that was dark Chi. Like what the Purge operative was using," Sophie mentioned. Noah nodded. "Exactly. Whatever it is, it's beyond what the system typically classifies. Something older, more fundamental." "Speaking of the Purge," Kelvin said, checking his communicator, "we should probably head back to the Nexus Arena. The tournament finals are tomorrow, and we don't want to give the military any more time to regroup after our little... disagreement." "Has there been any word from Lucas?" Noah asked as they made their way toward the cave entrance. "Actually, yes," Kelvin replied, tapping through screens on his device. "I got a feed while we were, uh, storm chasing—pun fully intended. He stopped by our secured room while we were out." Noah felt a surge of relief. "So Academy 12's number one is okay?" "Seems so," Kelvin confirmed. "He left a message saying he needs to talk to us—urgently." "Then we'd better not keep him waiting," Noah said, casting one last glance at the now-empty cavern. "We've got a lot to discuss." As they emerged from the cave into the crisp mountain air, Noah couldn't help but feel that something fundamental had shifted—not just in his understanding of his abilities, but in the very nature of his existence. Oracle was only the beginning, the system had said. Beyond that lay mysteries older than the system itself. For now, though, they had more immediate concerns: the Nexus Arena, the tournament finals, and whatever urgent matter Lucas Grey needed to discuss. One step at a time, Noah thought, even as the word "primordial" echoed in his mind. Storm's call word lingered on his lips, Fall Not as a command to descend, but as a reminder of what had come before—what had existed since the beginning of time itself, waiting to be discovered anew.

Chapter 279: True meaning of oracle

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