The Oracle Paths

RRROOOOOARRRR!

As the enemy's concealed tunnels revealed themselves to daylight, along with the nightmarish horrors pulling chariots inside, the overexcited barbarians who had outrun their comrades skidded to a halt, gripped by terror. Thus exposed, these monsters would make short work of them!

Alas, it was too late to flee. These war beasts galloped far faster than them!

The other platoons, maintaining a semblance of formation at a safe distance from the front, didn't fare much better. It didn't take a master strategist to realize that three companies of green infantry like theirs would be minced by such a chariot charge.

In many ancient cultures, such as Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, Greece, China, Assyria, Babylonia, India, and even the Celts, relying on this Bronze Age-born technology was quite standard. Mounted cavalry, more versatile, had gradually replaced them much later during the Iron Age.

These two-wheeled chariots, drawn by two to four horses, with a driver accompanied by one or more archers and lancers, often had a long scythe-blade extending from their axle, capable of mowing down any soldiers failing to clear their path in time. Those who survived were finished off by lancers with long spears suited to their role, while archers targeted infantry at medium range.

Such a chariot charge, like a well-timed cavalry charge, could, with its speed and inertia, decimate an unprepared infantry unit in an instant. No warrior, no matter how strong and trained, could stop a galloping chariot and its horses by merely blocking its path with a sturdy shield. Even if somehow they managed, it would be outright suicide.

Yesterday, as today, barring a few rare kamikazes, no soldier, even well-trained, was ready to futilely sacrifice their life for a good cause. They needed at least a reasonable chance of survival.

This individualism was the main reason why chariot charges were so effective. Caught off guard, the infantrymen instinctively forgot the few risky tactics that could have given them a fighting chance.

Despite its certain military interest, there was a good reason why these chariots had gradually been abandoned during the Iron Age in favor of mounted cavalry. Their wheels were not as mobile as those of modern cars and thus had a lot of trouble taking turns.

Another major disadvantage linked to the first was that they could only be used on flat, solid, and clear terrain. As war tactics evolved, moving to more varied and rugged battlefields, these chariots naturally became obsolete, and mounted cavalry gradually replaced them.

These Mumaks, along with the steel monsters they pulled, did not have these weaknesses.

Even from Jake's rear position, the scene was striking, with dozens of huge beasts and chariots emerging from nowhere, dwarfing their own army. Those in his squad, like Jashuzen and Thonzo, who had participated in the pursuit of fleeing enemies, accompanied by other recruits, were already exhausted from their previous run and were now on the brink of collapse.

What they saw before them exceeded all their imaginations.

In the distance, emerging one by one from the tunnels, the Mumaks continued to unveil themselves in all their terror. These massive creatures, the size of a three-story building, were more terrifying and alien than anything the conscripts had faced before, advancing with an aura of relentless destruction. By their sheer presence, they eclipsed everything around them, casting their menacing shadow over the battlefield.

Though massive, these beasts did not appear clumsy and slow. Their trunks and limbs were sleek and muscular like slender felines, hiding explosive strength. Their sinewy, striated muscles rippled under their pale white-gray skin, resembling armor.

The entire surface of their bodies was indeed covered in oversized horns, sharp claws, and an abundance of spikes, giving the impression that every part of their body was a deadly weapon. These natural outgrowths lent the Mumaks a nearly demonic appearance, as if they were the product of some aberrant biological experimentation.

Their bloodshot eyes shone with an evil yellow glow, reflecting the savagery and brutality of their nature, and each time their gaze fell on a recruit, they almost invariably lost control of their bladders. To make matters worse, every deliberately slow step of these monsters resonated like a thunderclap, shaking the ground and spreading panic among those in the front lines, as well as those further back.

Contrasting with the apocalyptic aspect of their hideous mounts, the war chariots they pulled were of almost unreal beauty, but equally deadly and imposing with their high golden steel wheels, the diameter of a small car, and covered with long sharp blades. On the rather spacious platform they supported stood resplendent warriors, draped in white and gold armor, shining with an almost divine glow under the sun's rays: Pulsars and Vitalists.

On each of these chariots, a Radiant Mage stood out, emitting a luminous halo, enhancing the aura of nobility and celestial power surrounding the group and further boosting the Mumaks propelling them.

As if this nightmarish spectacle wasn't enough, in addition to these chariots and their awful mounts, there were also smaller Mumaks moving independently, bringing mobility and flexibility to an otherwise more rigid unit.

At a glance, Jake estimated the average power level of these beasts to that of a Vitalist. That was only for the youngest. The most massive Mumaks pulling the chariots were even more formidable, matching the strength of a Light Paladin and perhaps even that of a Corebearer for the oldest.

"What an impressive force to eliminate a handful of terrified greenhorns..." Jake muttered with a grim face. "If it's not because of me, I suppose Crunch and Lord Phoenix must be feeling quite proud of themselves right now..."

Speaking of the two clowns, they were indeed ecstatic. But... True to their personalities, when it came time to own up to their blunders, they were nowhere to be seen...

"Sigh... I hate them."

"Who's that?" Ekho asked out of curiosity, perhaps the only recruit completely relaxed due to the reassuring presence of his invincible boss.

"... Who do you think?"

Leaving the former alcoholic with that response, he decided to take action rather than wait, joining the front platoon. He had the feeling that if the Players dispersed among them did nothing, the three companies with whom they were fighting would be annihilated.

And his prediction was indeed not far from the truth. As soon as the tunnels finished spewing the last Mumaks, the Radiant Mage commanding the most mastodon among them signaled the charge by firing a luminous flare with his staff. Both the mage and his mount had the lifeforce fluctuations of a Corebearer.

"CHARGE!"

SWWWWOOOOOOOSH!

Jake and the other Players had imagined this charge in all sorts of ways, but nothing as absurd and lightning-fast. The huge beasts and their chariots went from zero to half the speed of sound in the blink of an eye, gutting their three companies before they had time to react.

The archers on the chariots unleashed dozens, hundreds of golden arrows wrapped in light with the cadence of a machine gun during their lightning-fast charge lasting one or two short seconds. At least 800 barbarians were shot down by these arrows alone, while twice as many were trampled by the Mumaks or mowed down by the long blades extending from the chariots' axles.

In a flash, three companies still nearly intact totaling nearly 3,000 men had been reduced to less than a quarter of their strength. It was nothing less than a massacre!