When the 104th Empyrean Tusk slipped and fell, causing the caravan to be destroyed in the process, Virala used the chance to be flung far away.
Rolling on the ground a few times, he came to a stop behind a mound, partially hidden from view of the Mammoth Clansmen. His moustache seeped into his Storage Lantern and grabbed a Nature Weapon, ready to swap.
Right as he had expected, a Decaleech leapt out of the ground and coiled its tendrils around him, forming a cocoon.
Gold Nature Weapon—Artillery!
This was the Nature Weapon with the Primary Nature of a Centinger upgraded to the Gold Grade during the Centinger egg hunt. Virala activated the ability and released large amounts of toxins that melted through the tendrils.
Following that, he unleashed an artillery strike, reducing the Decaleech to tatters. He controlled his power though and didn't go in for the kill, actively avoiding its Spirit Container. But as he focused on its tendrils, the Decaleech was now immobilised, with all its ten tendrils destroyed.
While it was unable to move, he approached it and touched it once, understanding the conditions necessary to use his Secondary Nature of Weaponisation on it. He started by rolling on the ground five times, making spring-like movements, barking like a dog twice, etc.
Majority of the conditions were simple to achieve. Eventually, he slit his wrist and dropped his blood on its body, watching it be absorbed readily. He grunted, feeling his body turn cold as he hurriedly downed a bunch of medicines and activated Mystic Bone Art in order to replenish his blood as soon as possible.
The last condition was troublesome, which was to feed it blood until it had its fill.
Virala looked around, observing Yahard Tusk take action in a daze, 'So that's the Silver Empyrean Tentacle's Primary Nature.'
"Haah," He exhaled softly as his eyes glinted in desire, "I want it."
Yahard Tusk had yet to develop a second Nature. Meaning, the only ability in his disposal was his Primary Nature, which meant Virala could use Weaponisation on him and steal that ability.
All three Natures of an Empyrean Tentacle were the best of its Grade, from Iron to Gold. Currently, Orakha possessed the Iron Empyrean Tentacle's power, which allowed him to revive once a day, an absurd ability that guaranteed survival.
Yahard Tusk had the Silver Empyrean Tentacle's power, which allowed him to condense Prana into any physical shape as he pleased. It was damn versatile.
And finally, there was Raaha, possessing the Gold Empyrean Tentacle's power that allowed him to basically create any terrain he thinks of. Absurd couldn't even come close to describing this absolutely overpowered ability.
Currently, all three of an Empyrean Tentacle's Natures were in the hands of the Mammoth Clan, 'Which implies that if I manage to make all three into Nature Weapons.'
Just the thought alone caused him to break into laughter, 'Mystic Grade Nature of a Mystic Empyrean Tentacle. I wonder how overpowered it is. Considering how even the Boar King remains on guard against the Mystic Empyrean Tentacle, its ability should be equally terrifying.'
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," He shook his head and focused on the task at hand, watching the broken caravan continue to proceed forward. At this rate, he would be left behind, but Virala wasn't flustered in the least. After all, he had his means to survive.
Stage 1—Tusk!
The Empyrean Tusk's tusk appeared in his hand as a weapon; Virala held it in reverse grip and seeped the power of the Gold Grade Nature of Bone-Melting Artillery. Following that, he made a slash and severed the body of a Decaleech—that had leapt at him from the ground—into two.
When its tendrils coiled around his body, he used the tusk to cut through it easily. He then poked a hole in its body and poured all its blood onto the Decaleech he was feeding.
One after another, Decaleeches targeted him, only to fall prey to his power of Bone-Melting Artillery. Two hours later, he finished feeding the Decaleech, having satisfied the final condition.
The Decaleech's body shrunk into a fist-sized sphere, becoming a Nature Weapon that he equipped immediately.
Silver Nature Weapon—Leech!
Once he equipped it in his Tertiary Nature slot, Virala closed his eyes and comprehended its intricacies, thinking once he had a decent understanding, 'It's a spectacular ability. Just as I expected, it's perfect for boosting my growth. Now, once I upgrade it to the Gold Grade, I can use its abilities without being discovered.'
Virala took on his Nature Weapon form and rolled next to a Decaleech he had injured. When the Nature Weapon touched its body, it seeped inside and took up position in its Secondary Nature. Immediately in response, a strong influence enveloped the Decaleech, causing it to take action.
Its level of sentience was weaker than an iron Grade Pranic Beast. Hence, it couldn't resist the influence Virala subjected it towards, acting no different to a slave under his full control.
It drilled into the ground and felt around for traces of blood, detecting its brethren that had successfully hunted a Mammoth Clansman or two. It attacked them with the power of Bone-Melting Artillery and crippled them.
Soon, the targeted Decaleech's body became a Nature Weapon and was equipped in the Tertiary Nature slot of the Decaleech he was controlling.
Mystic Nature Weapon—Refiner!
Through its effects, the Nature Weapon of Leech equipped in the Decaleech's Tertiary Nature slot was used as fuel for its Primary Nature, improving its functions. One after another, the Decaleech targeted its brethren.
Since Decaleeches were instinctual beings and numbered a lot, especially sustaining a lot of damage after attacking the Mammoth Clan, Virala had an easier time hunting them than with the Centingers.
Even though a strip of the Sticky-Slip Plateau spanned a breadth of 390 kilometres, due to slipping many times, the Empyrean Tusk herd's progress was slow, taking more than four days to traverse it and reach normal land.
But this was merely the first of seven strips. By the time the herd passed through the fifth strip, Virala had finished upgrading his Nature Weapon of Leech to Gold Grade. Following that, he controlled a Decaleech to approach the 1st Empyrean Tusk and sprang upon its feet.
He extricated himself from the Decaleech's body right as it shot out of the ground, still remaining in his Nature Weapon form. And as the Nature Weapon touched its body, it merged into it and took position as its Secondary Nature.
But thanks to the effects of the Nature Weapon of Leech, the 1st Empyrean Tusk never felt anything amiss.
Equipped in his Primary Nature was the Nature Weapon of Tusk—possessing the Nature of Internal Inertial Gravity—
and equipped in his Tertiary Nature was the Nature Weapon of Leech. Immediately after entering its body, he began to absorb its blood.
Taking advantage of the effects of his Nature Weapon of Tusk, Virala began to absorb the essence of the 1st Empyrean Tusk alongside its blood, also observing faint information traces appear in his mind. The quality and quantity were superior to what a Decaleech obtained, as the Nature was at Gold Grade now.
Through its blood, Virala absorbed copious amounts of the 1st Empyrean Tusk's resources, Prana, and data, using that to begin building his Empyrean Tusk body at full swing.
The data worked with speeding up his comprehension of an Empyrean Tusk, making the process quicker. The Prana was consumed to build the body. And finally, through the blood, his Empyrean Tusk body began to grow naturally, absorbing the right resources.
Externally, the 1st Empyrean Tusk's tusk shrunk in length by a millimetre, too minute for anyone to notice. But it had indeed shrunk, thanks to his actions. And after he had his fill here, Virala intended to jump to the 2nd Empyrean Tusk, so on, and so forth, until he reached the 104th Empyrean Tusk.
'The Mammoth Clan wishes to support your growth, Resha. But, what the fuck will they support you with when they are bereft of resources?' Virala snorted in arrogance, 'There's consequences for triggering me, you know.'
"Be happy as a beggar, Resha. That's all you'll get this time."