"What do you mean?" Inala’s expression turned into a glare, while in the background, the force applied on a Zinger Aristocrat intensified and overcame its Tangible Psychokinesis, splatting it into the ground.
Inala increased the pressure he applied to Hunsar’s Zinger Guard chest.
"Unlike the Mammoth Clan, the Quip Clan can think for itself. We’re all aware you’re Inala, even if you are in the body of a Brully." Hunsar coughed out blood, "Many were still against the idea of harming you, even if we instinctively felt compelled to do so. Because at the end of the day,"
"You created us."
Hearing his words, Inala’s expression turned gloomy, understanding exactly what had happened: ’I played right into her hands.’
The Zinger Representative—Zhya!
"You hadn’t harmed the Quip Clan and just lived your life. Actually, many claimed that you would just allow yourself to be killed by the Quip Clan as long as we are capable enough. Because," Hunsar laughed self-deprecatingly, "You are capable of looking at the bigger picture, you always were."
"But now, you killed a lot of us."
The Quip Clansmen who had targeted Inala were an elite bunch, having already gained three Natures at such a young age. They had high potential and would all become important powers of the Quip Clan. And to elevate their strength to such heights, they had obviously been fed Royal Nectar.
Such a group was slaughtered by Inala, which basically implied that he wasn’t one who cared about the bigger picture, "But a selfish prick who only cares about his selfish interests, even if it means to prevent the birth of the Royal Zinger and doom the Quip Clan, and eventually,"
Hunsar gasped, "The whole of Sumatra."
"You have made it clear, Sir." Hunsar pointed at the groups of Quip Zingers gliding far away, "They have already transmitted the entire scene of you slaughtering us to the Quip Clan. The message is well on its way to reaching our headquarters."
"Now, anyone who is hesitating because of your identity, or logically tries to reason from your point of view, will not do so anymore." Hunsar smiled, "We’ll all treat you as an absolute enemy."
"Aren’t you concerned about making me your enemy?" Inala frowned, "You’ll lose out on a lot fighting me than just letting me live for a few more years."
"Concerned? Why?" Hunsar tilted his head, "Sir, what makes you think we have a reason to fear you?"
"Your capability?" Hunsar chuckled, "Our Zinger Representatives are pretty similar to you, in thought and mentality. And the stronger they become, the more they end up like you."
"Does a dozen Inala need to fear a single Inala?" Hunsar winced as the pressure on his chest increased by a level, "You made yourself the blueprint for the Quip Clan."
"Whatever you can do, we can do on a larger scale." As Hunsar spoke, he witnessed the rest of the Quip Clansmen in a 1.8-kilometre range slam into the ground, get lifted into the sky and be slammed a second time, then a third, and fourth, until the lot of them turned to mush.
"Zhya used you as bait," Inala uttered slowly, his facial muscles twitching at the more he thought about it, the angrier he felt.
"I’m aware," Hunsar smiled, "And I’m glad I could fulfil my role perfectly."
"Were the rest on the know too?" Inala asked and shook his head a second later, "No, it didn’t seem likely."
"Only I am aware," Hunsar said.
"I still fail to understand what you hope to gain from this," Inala grumbled, "Yes, you have unified the Quip Clan against me. Yes, using me as an opponent, you’ll be able to rapidly spot and rectify the flaws in your fighting style and power usage. Yes, using the data collected from my build, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Brully Race members you had probably captured."
The Brully egg that Inala fused with was found by the Quip Clan with difficulty. However, the fact that an egg existed implied at least a male and female Brully were in the same region.
After analysing Inala’s build and discovering the advantages of Weapon Hands, the Quip Clan would have obviously wanted to capitalise on the infinite Spirit Weapon production capacity of the Brully Race.
"Yes, even with all the benefits listed above, I still fail to see how you feel it’s worth it." Inala analysed, "After all, most of you would be dying from fighting me."
"No, the casualties will only be the ones from here." Hunsar said, exhaling a long breath, "We wanted to give him a need, a reason, a motivation to act against you and treat you as an enemy."
Inala shuddered at the words, ’That’s it. Everything makes sense now.’
Quip Guardian—Root!
He was part of the Quip Clan, but only took orders from the Royal Zinger. Even the Zinger Representative could at most make a request, but Root could simply shrug it off.
However, by taking advantage of this situation, Zhya could make Root listen to her better. Because once Root understands that Zhya is extremely logical and thinks for the Quip Clan’s benefit, and especially prioritises the Royal Zinger above everything else, he would listen to her.
This one benefit trumped everything else, and created Zhya a pathway through which she could facilitate Root interacting with the Quip Clan.
’If he makes a move, my death is guaranteed.’ Not for a moment did Inala think he stood a chance. Even as a newborn, Root could hold his own against the Celestial Boar. ’He’s a bit older now, which makes him exponentially more dangerous.’
Unlike the past, Zhya now had Perfect Biome Domination. This meant Root could create as many copies of Perfect Biome Domination as he wanted. He was a trump card so horrifying that Inala threatened the Continental Invaders with him.
Inala only had a living chance if he were to enter the Mystic Grade. And even then, he didn’t have a winning chance, ’Even if Root hadn’t prepared much...I can only hope that is the case. With the absorption rate of the Major Treasure of Turnip in the Rathlana Turf, it shouldn’t have amassed enough energy to create more than a couple Gold Grade Natures.’
’Most of the energy would have been spent building his body.’ Inala began racking his mind, having never expected Root to make a move. ’You got me good this time, Zhya.’
Inala wouldn’t have been so stressed even if Zhya personally appeared before him. He had the means to face a Zinger Representative. Even if his preparations aren’t enough to win, he still had sufficient means to escape.
But nothing will work against Root, an unkillable foe. "Shit!"
"Exactly, Sir." Hunsar said and boomed with a wave of Prana that washed over the Homing Satellites under Inala’s control. He tried to imprint the Homing Satellites with his signature, which wasn’t that difficult, as Homing Satellites were a part of his power.
Realising what he was up to, Inala stomped hard and shattered Hunsar’s chest, killing the latter. But by then, it was too late, as the latter had already wrestled half control within the Homing Satellites.
The imprints of both clashed within the Homing Satellites and resulted in mutual destruction. Inala would have to deconstruct and reconstruct them to turn them into his Spirit Weapons once again. However, before he could do so, he was alarmed.
Chirp!
Kriek!
Kuaak!
Zinger Shrieks from the surviving Quip Zingers and Zinger Aristocrats reverberated through the region. Using the Silver Biome Bomb, Inala caught the soundwaves incident on his spot and understood what they were conveying.
[This way!]
[We’re here!]
[Use our bodies as a beacon!]
A group of Quip Zingers filed in the sky, gliding in the shape of an arrow. And the arrowhead pointed at Inala.
"Dammit!" Inala’s figure turned into a golden flash as he sprinted away, intending to flee the place. The arrows changed directions to point at him in real-time.
’No matter how far I run on the surface, it’s useless.’ Thinking as such, Inala grabbed two Muscls, brought them under his control by turning his left hand into a Naran Spirit Weapon. Then, he scaled into one of the craters and jumped into it, quickly reaching the bottom, from where he plunged into the Mrutch Sea.
His Rutham right hand kept him aware of everything that was happening in a 1.8-kilometre range while his Naran left controlled the two Muscls, who used their Primary Nature to bolt through the Mrutch Sea, heading deeper, ’At least, the water pressure will give me a bit more time.’
Inala had collected all the Gold Biome Bombs in the possession of the Quip Clan army that had targeted him. After the battle consumption, there were four Gold Biome Bombs full of Prana, ’This should last me a while.’
Plus the two Muscls and their filled humps. With that thought in mind, he headed deeper and deeper into the Mrutch Sea, unable to tell anything beyond his Spirit Weapon range, since it was completely dark.
However, suddenly, his heart thumped. It was a Brully’s instinct, of absolute adrenaline rush, which it felt when encountering the strongest opponent. And now, Inala’s Brully senses had been triggered, for he was literally about to face the strongest being on Sumatra.
’Fuck!’ Inala felt a soft ripple in the Mrutch Sea, panicking in response, ’He’s here!’