"Is the coast clear?" The fist-sized object reverted to the figure of Virala who looked around cautiously before taking a seat in relief, "We were cutting it close back there."
"The Chief obviously suspects us." Blola said, "He just lacks concrete information about us."
"Even Orakha was never honest about the information he shared with the Chief."
"He's a sly guy," Virala smirked, "Well, he had different reasons for intending to monopolise the Transcendent Eater's information, but that played right into our hand."
"But still," Blola observed Virala from top to bottom, "How…the fuck did you manage to complete building an Empyrean Tusk body this damn soon?"
"You want to know my secrets?" Virala laughed, casual in his approach, "You need to reveal your everything too then."
"I don't mind that," Blola said without hesitation, shocking Virala.
"Are you…for real?" Virala stared at Blola, wondering when this gloomy guy became so generous.
"I'm not doing it out of generosity. It's just that, my plans ride on your success. Since we have allied for our benefit, I'll be frank with you." Blola's expression hardened, "At your current level, you'll lose to Inala."
"Indigo will end up getting the Attribute."
"Seriously?" Virala was flabbergasted as he pointed at himself, expressing the absurdity of the situation, "I'm at the 2-Life Stage now! I left my newborn body at the Clan! Fuck! I'm as strong as a mature Empyrean Tusk now. And you're telling me I'll lose to that Zinger bastard?"
"Explain your abilities in detail. I'll tell you why," Blola sighed.
"Fine," Virala grunted and began explaining about his Secondary Nature and the various Nature Weapons he had amassed, including the Mystic Nature Weapon of Refiner.
Blola listened to everything and muttered in shock, "Secondary Nature of Weaponisation. So, that's the Mammoth Ancestor's power. And you managed to upgrade it to the Mystic Grade. It makes sense why you're so confident now."
"Are you still of the opinion that I'll lose to Inala?" Virala was damn offended by the latter's remark.
"Yeah, you will." Blola said without hesitation, "Your current growth is because you stole resources from all 104 Empyrean Tusks using your Nature Weapon of Leech. It would take the herd more than a decade or two to recover their reserves to the peak. That means you can't replicate this anytime soon."
"All you have done is make it harder for Resha to grow." Blola said in irritation upon seeing Virala's incensed expression, "Listen to me with patience, fucker!"
"I'm am!" Virala cursed, "And don't you dare call me a fucker."
"You're a fucker, no matter what you claim otherwise." Blola rolled his eyes, "Anyway, coming back to the point. Your growth spike can happen only this once."
"But Inala's growth is an exponential continuity." Blola shook his head, "You're currently way stronger than him, but in ten years, he'll surpass you. His growth is purely accumulating in nature, so no one can outpace him in the long run."
"Tell me why I can't win against him!" Virala spewed spittle in his disbelief, "How can that Zinger bastard face me, an Empyrean Tusk? I can kill him in one shot."
"If you can make contact that is, then yes." Blola sighed as he found a comfortable spot amidst a carcass of Decaleeches and began to speak, "Every time I win a mental fight against the Transcendent Eater, I gain some of the information related to us seven. Orakha has figured out a method to access the Transcendent Eater's information but I too am gradually getting the hang of it."
"Come to the damn point," Virala growled.
"Fuck you!" Blola cursed in response, "Let me speak my damn mind, alright? It has been months since I last spoke to someone."
"Find a broad to weep then, don't do it with me." Virala spat to the side in annoyance, "Just tell me the condensed version and only stick to the topics I am interested in."
"Have you played games on Earth?" Blola asked, ignoring whatever Virala said latest.
"Cheating games, yes." Virala nodded.
"Disgusting bastard," Blola cursed under his breath and let go of the topic, "Basically, Inala is the evasive type with debuff powers. He'll remain on the run while stealing your Prana and Lifeforce. You'll be unable to even touch him, no matter how strong you get."
"Information regarding the details of his three Natures are inaccessible. But all I've managed to find out is this," Blola said in all seriousness, "Inala can raise and control a swarm of Zingers. Basically,"
"He's the 1st Major Disaster Incarnate!"
"Fuck!" Virala was silent for a while before cursing aloud in anger. He knew what Blola was getting at. 44 Empyrean Tusks faced the 1st Major Disaster in Sumatra Chronicles and suffered tremendously.
It would later be revealed in Sumatra Chronicles that the entire reason behind the 1st Major Disaster is a diversion tactic to allow the Zinger Queen to be born safely. That was it. An entire Major Disaster that delivered a crippling blow to the Mammoth Clan was all to facilitate the birth of the Zinger Queen, an Expert Iron Grade Pranic Beast.
A mere Iron Grade Pranic Beast's birth resulted in that. Moreover, it ended once the Zinger Queen was birthed successfully. But that wouldn't be the case with Inala. All the Zingers he was rearing would come in for the kill.
Besides, Inala was at the Silver Grade. If all the Zingers he creates were to be at the Silver Grade, it needn't be said. The danger level would easily exceed the First Major Disaster.
"Do you get the full picture now?" Blola sighed, "That bastard will keep on accumulating Zingers. No matter how strong of an Empyrean Tusk you become, you'll eventually be destroyed. Remember that a Prana Bomb can suck in your Prana at the slightest touch, even though the Empyrean Tusk's exoskeleton."
"I understand now." Virala's eyes glinted dangerously, "So, we need to kill Inala as soon as possible."
"Yes," Blola nodded, "Before his accumulation manages to surpass our strength, we need to kill him. And as long as we prevent news of his death from reaching the ears of Raaha, I wouldn't be pressured to revive him."
"I'll revive him after you obtain the Major Treasure of Attribute."
"Hmm," Virala nodded and crossed the Sticky-Slip Plateau, casually conversing with Blola to know more about the strengths and weaknesses of Resha and the rest of the reincarnates. Once they successfully crossed the Sticky-Slip Plateau, Virala asked, "Did the Chief assign any other work for Yennda?"
"Not at the moment. He should be committing suicide anytime soon." Blola said and closed his eyes, waiting for a couple of hours before he took on his Transcendent Eater form and began to revive Yennda.
A day later, Yennda hatched from an egg, commenting upon seeing Virala and Blola, "You're very fast in reaching the 2-Life Stage. Those at the Mammoth Clan have all been fooled."
"Even the Chief is scratching his head in frustration, unable to figure out why the Empyrean Tusks lost all their accumulated resources."
"Heh!" Virala chuckled smugly, "Foolish bastard. They'll never know."
"Anyway," Yennda stared at Virala and extended his hand, "I did my work in communicating this plan between the two of you. So now, pay up what you promised. I don't have much time left."
Every time Yennda died and was revived by Blola, he would pass on the information Virala had given him through a Pranic Beast. This way, they kept everything secretive and managed to pull off such a massive heist.
"Sure," Virala used the Nature Weapon of Artillery to blast open a massive lake-sized crater and filled it with concentrated essence of Empyrean Tusk that he had stored in his stomach biome. "Is this enough?"
"It should, since I'm only at the Iron Grade." Saying so, Yennda leaped into it, causing a horde of mutant creatures to surface, grotesque to the extreme.
Upon seeing them, both Virala and Blola turned around, rushed towards a nearby bush, and puked in disgust, "Yuck!"
"What the heck are those?"