The Oracle Paths

Their attention and obedience obtained through fear, Jake assigned them their respective missions and tasks without further ado.

'I could try to play it fair and win the game, but that would be a waste of time and effort on my part.' Jake laughed sinisterly as he watched the bunch of Kintharians digging as if their lives depended on it.

If he wanted to train his multitasking skills, his mind or his telekinesis, Jake would never have opted for this despicable tactic. He would have patiently and decisively ordered and controlled as many Kintharians as possible to build a city, and then a functioning country.

Eventually, as time went on, the Kintharians would have reproduced among themselves, rapidly increasing their numbers until the two enemy tribes naturally came into contact. A war would then break out, continuing until there was a winner.

If Jake opted for this honest strategy, it would become a direct competition between their psychic abilities. How many troops he could control at the same time, how many orders he could give, who had the upper hand in controlling the climate, etc. Beyond this aspect, there was also his tactical sense to consider.

Having never led armies of such magnitude against an Eltarian with the experience of a supreme general, there was no need to be a genius to know the outcome. Even if he became ten times more arrogant, he was not so cocky as to believe that he could win against the best living Eltarian at this game.

Sure, it would be a great training method, and yes, it would sharpen his mind and give him more understanding and experience. But it would only reduce his chances of winning.

The only way to win, Xi had unconsciously put her finger on it earlier. All he had to do was attack right away.

But not too soon either.

Individually and at the start of the game, the Kintharians were indeed much more ferocious fighters than these frail Eltarians. If he exploited Ruda and the tribe's strongest warriors properly, it wasn't impossible to put everything at stake in a single lightning raid.

Jake hadn't invented the concept. Even in the RTS games of Earth, Rush Tactics existed in many forms and had always been hated and reviled by the gaming communities.

The principle basically consisted of going all out at the beginning of the game to produce a few troops instead of developing your economy and civilization and immediately attacking the enemy before they could build their defenses. This was an effective and formidable strategy, especially against overconfident beginners.

Of course, this tablet was different from a simple game. Here, merely building a barracks was not enough to mass produce Kintharian warriors. Of course, he could force them to fornicate like rabbits, but besides the immorality of such an act, it would still take several decades to get tangible results.

It might seem horribly long and futile, but as time went on each of their divine decrees and deeds would eventually have repercussions in terms of years on the map. The time when their nations would number in the thousands, even millions, would come soon enough.

Since Jake couldn't build "barracks" or rapidly increase their population, Rush Tactic here meant attacking with his 100 Kintharian nomads.

However, just because the Kintharians were more robust and ferocious did not mean that victory was guaranteed. After all, Asfrid also had 100 Eltarians under her control and she should be more than familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.

Jake didn't pretend to be clairvoyant, but from the terrible foreboding that gripped him as he considered attacking, he could be sure that defeat was also assured if he attacked Asfrid's village at once.

After all, even a Rush Tactic required some preparation. Attacking now was like attacking a fortified village with a bunch of rag-tag villagers. It was bound to fail.

So what was the Rush Tactic he intended to implement? It could be summed up by a simple question: Who cultivates the fastest?

Jake was going to turn this bunch of idle slackers into terrifying war machines before Asfrid's Village had time to increase its population and establish itself.

His first thought had been to look for a volcano, but the random map generated by the tablet contained none.

Digging? No, it wasn't to go digging for magma in the depths either. Even if these Kintharians did end up reaching it, they would get little benefit from it except for Ruda and a couple of other warriors with fairly pure bloodlines.

Jake just wanted to keep them busy. Well, that was half a lie. With their Earth Control ability, those gifted enough would soon throw away their shovels and picks to rely on their magic. Once those with the Earth Control Skill were identified, he planned to give them another task: digging a tunnel.

A tunnel leading straight under the Eltarian Village.

Yet even with this tunnel, victory would not be guaranteed if these Kintharians remained as they were. Digging might strengthen their bodies and develop their fortitude and perseverance, but it would not be enough to change the game.

While the Kintharians were digging like there was no tomorrow, most with their claws because they were too stupid to think of making shovels, Jake summoned his telekinesis to disperse the clouds above them.

In this simulation, it was currently autumn, while the fauna, flora and climate corresponded to that of a temperate zone. It wasn't cold, but it would be hard to get a tan with this weak sun.

The recipe for making a Super Kintharian had never been that complicated. A sprinkling of mineral-rich soil, heat and radiation. Everything else was superfluous.

The physical training would serve to exercise their muscles. The mind was the Kintharians' weakest asset, but there was nothing set in stone in life. There was another proven method to build the will of a slacker: pain.

Pain and pleasure. Sacrifice and reward.

Too busy digging, the 100 Kintharians didn't notice the clouds dispersing overhead, but they did appreciate the sun's caress. Their cells always became a little more energetic as the sun rose, but these indolent nomads never realized it.

It was time to open their eyes.

Focusing every shred of mental power under his control, Jake began to distort the air several kilometers above them. This created a lot of turbulence and violent gusts of wind started to blow across the map.

'What is he doing?' Asfrid grew doubtful as she caught sight of him scattering the clouds.

When the residual winds began to blow over her village under construction, sweeping away a nearly finished barn, even more confusion formed ripples on her soul. With a thought, she seized the wind and sent it back to the perpetrator.

The hurricane charged forward like a galloping army of horsemen upon the 100 Kintharian nomads, but there was no village to destroy. The Kintharians who were happily digging a gigantic pit just found the breeze refreshing.

If Asfrid wasn't in a Spirit Body state right now, she would have been gnashing her teeth in frustration.

She kept watching his shenanigans for a few moments, but eventually she had to face reality. She had no idea what he was trying to do. Several months had passed in the game, and his side had not yet built the semblance of a hut.

As she checked her walled village, the granary and water tank full as well as the Eltar temple under construction, her mind settled down, returning to a steady and confident state. Her victory was certain.

Not caring what the priestess thought, Jake continued to tinker and twist the air above the Kintharians, intent on achieving his goal. He feared that Asfrid would interfere, but since she had chosen to sit on the fence, his last worries were gone.

'You can keep watching all you want... When you figure it out, you're going to regret it so much I wish I could have seen your face then.' Jake chuckled sadistically as he fiddled with the air further.

Suddenly, kilometers below, one of the few Kintharians holding a pickaxe looked up with a surprised look on his face.

"Hmm? Is it me or is the sun beating down harder than before? It feels like summer again."

If an ordinary Kintharian could notice the change, then so could Ruda, their sage. She glanced sharply at the sky, squinting to peer directly at the sun. Gradually the other Kintharians stopped digging and became aware of the phenomenon.

"Is it me or does the sun look bigger than before?" A child exclaimed innocently.

The veteran tribesmen became solemn, but also somewhat excited.

"It's not just a feeling. It's getting hotter too." The tribe's eldest noted as she wiped a trickle of sweat from her forehead with surprise.

As they began to wonder if they should migrate and dig their pit elsewhere, the irrepressible voice of their "god" again echoed in their minds.

"Keep digging. If you are exhausted, use the excavated earth to coat yourself with it. You can thank me later."

The ordinary Kintharians, who had an overly diluted bloodline, were stunned and puzzled, but Ruda and the other warriors understood his intentions and prostrated themselves on the ground to thank him.

"Praise be to our god Jake."

When Asfrid saw all the Kintharians chanting his name with an expression of sincere adulation, she realized for good that something was wrong.

But it was already too late. The "giant magnifying glass" was already ready for use.

100 Gerulfs were now in the making.