Chapter 668 New Offer
'H-how did she do it…?'
Rey was stunned beyond words as he felt The Oracle's leg press on his chest as his body powerlessly remained glued to the floor.
Her skin was as smooth as ever, and her graceful demeanor was not diminished by even a fraction. She still had the electrifying presence that he remembered, and the look she gave him from her eyes represented nothing but calmness.
This didn't seem like a person who had just been smacked twice, and also burned to a crisp by an explosive blast.
The Oracle was looking absolutely fine.
"How did you do it?"
"That is none of your business." She responded very curtly, her gaze narrowing on him as she most likely already determined his fate.
Rey had run out of Mana, and his physical state wasn't particularly the best at the moment.
He wasn't capable of resisting, even if he wanted to.
'Damn… is this really how it'll end?!' Gritting his teeth, his mind ran through several things as he watched The Oracle mercilessly stare him down.
It was clear she did not care for him in the slightest.
'Even after going all-out, I still lost. I knew she was incomparably stronger, but…' For a moment, Rey actually thought he stood a chance.
He realized the advantages that the System bestowed upon him through Privileges.
{Class Privileges}
~ 50+ Subsequent Stat Points for every Level Up.
~Perfect Resistance to Appraisal and any other ability of the sort.
~ Equalizer Effect can be activated (When facing someone much stronger than you, a balancing effect will come into play)
~Immunity to Curses or all Ailments and Negative Status Conditions in the world.
~Soul Preservation is in Effect. Nothing in this world can kill you, as the world itself offers you guardianship.
~[$@@%] Effect can now be available to you (You can only use it once).
[End Of Information]
'The Equalizer effect really came in handy. There was no way I could have even reacted to someone with such high Stats without this Skill working overtime.'
Even more than the way Rey was incomparably stronger to someone with Stats in the triple digits, so was The Oracle to him. Yet… he managed to land hits on her.
'[Perfect Divine Ray] also helped. Emil too… and yet…'
He coughed out slightly, reasoning the way out of his current predicament. There was only one that he could see.
'Should I use the [$@@%] Effect?'
Rey didn't know the use or function of the Skill, but he was very desperate at this point. The System said he could only use it once, which probably meant it was a very powerful and destructive Skill.
'I could use a bit of that right now…' Rey imagined to himself.
Still, something held him back from going along with the only seeming option that was available to him. It was uncertainty.
'What if it's a suicide move? What if Esme gets caught in it? I still don't know where she is…'
All of these thoughts culminated into hesitance, bringing about his impotence.
Still, he wouldn't stop glaring at her with burning determination.
"Your resistance is born out of ignorance. I already told you… it is useless." She said to Rey, her voice a calm whisper. "I can't fall. I can't die. You weren't the only one blessed with certain privileges by the World, Rey." Rey was forced to swallow her words as she said them.
'Her Class is higher than mine, so it only makes sense that her privilege is also that good. I can't see them for some reason, but…' He could guess that she was also immortal and probably had some sort of damage nullification.
She was definitely leagues above him.
Even with the difference in their power shoved in his face, and The Oracle's calm manner of telling Rey to cease his futility, there was only one thing Rey could respond with.
"I… won't leave here without Esme."
As soon as he said this, he felt the leg of The Oracle press even harder on his chest as her eyes narrowed a little. It seemed she was a little annoyed by Rey and his reaction, but the detail was so subtle that one could easily miss it.
Then, she parted her lips and said the most unexpected thing.
"If you really want to have her that badly… then there is a way." Rey's eyes widened as he heard this, his wide gaze resting on The Oracle's calm face.
She slowly removed her leg away from his chest and slowly walked a few steps back—allowing Rey to sit up while still looking at her with a dazed face.
He didn't understand her change of heart, or this new way that she seemed to be proposing.
Still… he was very interested in it.
"What is the way?" Asking with so much energy that one would not have thought he was still recovering from unbelievable pain, his voice filled the hall.
The Oracle paused. She looked at him in silence for a few moments and then sighed to herself.
"If you can find a proper replacement for Esme, then I will choose that replacement and not her." For a moment, Rey was dazed by this.
"A replacement…?"
"Yes. An Elf that fulfills all the requirements I have informed you of. One with Esme's special bloodline… unsullied by the world or its corruption."
Hearing all of this further drove Rey into confusion.
'I thought Elves like that only appear once every cycle or something. How can I find someone like that now?'
If an Elf like that existed, Rey had a feeling The Oracle would have chosen her and not Esme, who was just a Half Elf. The whole thing felt like a wild goose chase.
'But, right now… what other choice do I have? At least, I should listen some more.'
If The Oracle wanted to banish him out of her Domain, she would have done so already. That meant she still had some sort of use for him, and there was some measure of legitimacy to her offer.
"Tell me more about this replacement. How do I go about it?"