The Oracle Paths

Chapter 1218: Death Comes with a Roar

Just as nothing had materialized in the abandoned arena, the sky overhead suddenly grew dark—forcing the crowd to look up.

”Hmm? An eclipse?” murmured a group of soldiers, squinting for a better view. But when they recognized the colossal ”thing” intercepting the sun’s rays, their faces drained of color. ”A–a monster?!” they stuttered.

”Shrrrriiii!!!!”The gigantic, alien humanoid bat barely had time to unfurl its wings in a futile attempt at intimidation before an enormous, clawed paw smashed its skull into the ground with all its weight. Given the gargantuan mass and the height from which the unidentified object had fallen, there was no need to mention the sheer brutality of the impact.

BOOOOOM!

The earth trembled as the arena crumbled once again, shattering into countless fragments that drifted apart under the collision’s force. When the towering wall of dust—rising several kilometers high—finally began to clear, the onlookers could at last glimpse the new arrival.

”A... lion?”

”You call that a lion?!” one soldier spluttered while rubbing his eyes. If THAT was a lion, then every feline he’d ever seen before must have been nothing but feeble, sickly kittens barely making it into the world.

The king of the savannah stood tall in all his glory—simply... majestic. Even more ridiculously massive than Crunch’s ultimate battle form, he effortlessly overpowered the winged creature pinned to the ground by his powerful forepaw.

His fur shone in an immaculate golden-white, while his mane boasted a rich mix of dark golden-brown fading into black. It was so lavish that it flowed from his forepaws along his back—dense enough to cushion even an asteroid well before it could hit the ground. Compared to Crunch, this was his base form; his muscles, sculpted for the hunt and combat, had been a natural trait long before he evolved into an Evolver. Through relentless training and countless Ordeals, these attributes had only grown stronger, fueling his endless pursuit of battle and power.

He was the alpha of his pride—a pride that had continuously grown over the years to encompass all manner of species and creatures, each reigning supreme in its own domain. Among the beasts of the Myrtharian Nerds, only Shere Khan could even come close. Not even Immyr, Hade’s dragon, or Will’s draconic bodyguards could measure up. Only Crunch and Lord Phenix stood in a league of their own, their mischievous demeanors masking the true depth of their strength.

”Shrrriiii!!”

Despite the violent collision, the winged bat hadn’t yet given up the ghost. In fact, it wasn’t even seriously injured—just a bit dazed. Once it regained its senses, its ferocity surged back. Its neck twisted at an impossible angle as it lunged to bite the paw pinning its torso to the shattered ground.

Facing the supersonic counterattack of the vile monster, Mufasa remained unmoving—offering no resistance. A ravenous cruelty flashed in the red eyes of the abomination, eager for its imminent triumph, and like a vice, its long, razor-sharp fangs—several meters in length—closed in on...

CLANG!

Sparks flew in every direction as a ghastly shriek of agony echoed for miles. Instead of sinking into the lion’s tender flesh, the bat’s fangs—supposedly capable of piercing anything—ripped through his fur; one even fractured, eliciting a howl of pain.

Furious, the abomination, still pinned to the ground, switched tactics and opened its mouth once more. All the dark Lumyst smoke enveloping its skin like an impenetrable halo converged into its maw, coalescing into a sphere of pure, destructive energy with inconceivable power.

”Holy sh–”

A jet-black laser—wider than a skyscraper and oddly blinding despite its darkness—struck the lion’s unmoving chin dead-on, then barreled forward to engulf the rest of his head along with his mane.Perhaps bruising the creature’s ego, the broad laser continued to surge for several long seconds. The lion’s body stayed frozen in its indifferent stance, but as space itself began to distort along the beam’s path, its lethality was undeniable.

Finally, perhaps from sheer exhaustion, the devilish humanoid monster closed its mouth, gasping loudly as if to catch its breath.

”Shrri...”

Then the dazzling black light of the laser gradually faded, and at last the destabilized space regained its equilibrium. The target of this exterminating force reappeared—revealing a Mufasa... completely unscathed.

At that very moment, Jake nodded, having anticipated the twist. He’d scanned the feline with his bracelet—the very lion he hadn’t seen in over a year and a half—and one thing was clear: the lion hadn’t been idle during his absence.

[Bloodline: Primordial Nemean Zephyron: A hybrid-powered lion capable of controlling the wind—continually pushing the boundaries of his potential. His Nemean heritage endows him with strength and near-invincibility; his nearly indestructible eyes, skin, and mane absorb 99% of physical, magical, and elemental damage. From his mane, he can manipulate the climate and atmosphere over vast distances, bending all winds to his will. His claws and fangs evolved from those of Nergal, retaining and amplifying their vampiric, corrosive, disintegrative, and bleeding properties.]

Mufasa wasn’t the undisputed top boss among the beasts of their faction for nothing. If you had no idea what you were up against, defeating him was nearly impossible.

Mental or spiritual attacks were theoretically effective, as were sonic assaults—thanks to their ability to infiltrate the auditory canal. Nemea’s power only affected his skin and fur, with his internal tissues defined solely by his stats. His nearly indestructible skin wasn’t truly invulnerable—absolute force could eventually break through—but the lion was already among the top-tier Players in this Ordeal. A bat-like creature such as this, despite its undeniable might, was utterly helpless against such an adversary.

”Is that all?” the lion growled indifferently, his dark eyes finally fixing on his repulsive ”prey.”

”Shrrri?!”

”I guess so,” Mufasa replied with a roll of his eyes. ”Pathetic.”

Calmly, the lion tensed the muscles in his paw, gradually increasing the pressure. The winged creature refused to go down without a fight—it thrashed and struck continuously with the raw energy of desperation, trying in vain to break free.

Then, with a sickening crack like shattering porcelain, its sternum gave way and its ribcage collapsed as the lion’s claws mercilessly closed around its enormous, crimson heart. The Black Lumyst Core pulsing within was inadvertently pierced by one of the claws, exploding on impact.

All the power that the monstrosity had painstakingly cultivated unleashed itself in one explosive burst—the malevolent, destructive Lumyst detonating with the force of a Tsar Bomba. Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to go down.

Instead, the lion’s draining claws activated, redirecting the Black Lumyst back into them. The vast dark energy surged upward from the dying bat toward Mufasa’s paw embedded in its bloodstained chest. His golden-white fur was soon swallowed by darkness, each hair radiating a terrifying aura of destruction.In a heartbeat, his once radiant mane dulled—proof of the immense annihilative potential stored in the beast’s Lumyst Core over who-knows-how-many years. Alas, it wasn’t enough. The lion’s exceptional vitality kicked in, regenerating his fur and skin even faster under the brutal assault.

Sensing its end, the bat unexpectedly regained a moment of clarity. Fueled by a rage born of pure, desperate hatred, it focused the last of its consciousness to command the remaining Lumyst in its heart to be unleashed all at once. No matter how tough its opponent was, it couldn’t see a way to come out unscathed.

But Mufasa had anticipated that final, vengeful surge. With a condescending roar, his jaw opened wide—then snapped shut at lightning speed on the giant bat’s skull, severing it cleanly.

A torrent of black blood erupted from the creature’s severed neck, pouring into the deep fissures and canyons left by the crash like some hellish flood. It was enough to fill a whole row of Olympic pools—and then some. Not that anyone was about to take a swim in it anytime soon.

The remaining Black Lumyst, which the creature had managed to channel for one final counterattack, turned chaotic—eventually being sucked up along with everything else by the lion’s claws. This absorption process dragged on for what felt like an eternity, all under the silent gaze of an enraptured crowd.

Three minutes later, it was over. Every trace of Black Lumyst had been devoured by the gigantic lion, and the lifeless carcass of what had once been a nightmarish creature rivaling the Devil was nothing more than a withered, bloodless husk.

Mufasa’s victory was absolute.