452 From Sky to Ground: The Serpent
Staring at the streets filled with corpses was Orakha, his gaze dark. He then turned around and gazed at his employees, all on the floor, clutching their necks moments before their deaths. Nothing could be done to save them.
Orakha was unable to react in the slightest against the Boar King's presence that was dozens of times stronger than what it was supposed to be. He walked on the ground floor of his office space and kneeled before an employee, watching blood continue to spurt out.
The corpse was of someone that followed Orakha since the start of his journey at the Brimgan Empire. He was an ambitious individual that wished to change his fate and ensure his children would become stronger and one day build Silver Grade Human Avatars.
Now, he lay on the floor, snuffed out of his ambitions. Whatever he wanted to achieve before were all for naught now. After all, it wasn't just him that had died. His family too had followed suit. He was the strongest in his family. But even he only had Iron Grade strength.
As Orakha observed, he understood what had happened. 'Anyone without Silver Grade strength has died.'
He peered out of the office and stared at the deathly silent street littered with the corpses of people that had been going about lively with their usual lives. "Iron, Silver, Gold, irrespective of the strength they develop, they can never generate a presence that is strong enough to kill someone, even if the target is a baby."
"If…" He stared at the road and clenched his fist, "I had a child in this world, wouldn't it be a tragedy?"
The Boar King was at the Mystic Grade. Yarsha Zahara was well on route to reach it. The Mammoth Clan was in possession of seven Mystic Paths. In the likelihood of them all succeeding, that would create seven more Mystic Grade individuals.
"The world…will become too dangerous." He said in realisation. Nerves protruded on his neck as an inexplicable sense of anger amidst horror coursed through him. His eyes reddened as the blood vessels in them burst to his emotionally heightened state.
Everywhere he could see was littered by corpses. This wasn't even done by the activation of a powerful Nature. No, the cause was merely the Boar King's presence.
Irrespective of how strong he gets, the moment he has a family, he would have to constantly ensure their safety. Just having power wasn't sufficient. It was evident by how a Brimgan Royal's Spirit Container shattered when the Boar King focused his presence on him.
In Sumatra, losing the Spirit Container meant a death sentence. Being unable to use Prana could very well be the worst possible way to become a cripple. It's no different to clipping the wings of a bird. The despair associated with such a loss was unbearable.
Originally, Orakha never thought in such a direction. But now, as Inala constantly hammered in his mind the idea of starting a family with Maroppa, he would be lying if he hadn't considered it before.
His eyes glinted as he stared at the figure of the Boar King leave Fentan City and proceed in a certain direction, "Until the Gold Grade, there's a balance of power. even Gold Grade Pranic Beasts stay in their territory and never venture out. But the one that breaks this balance is him."
"He…must be rid of. Only then," Orakha glared in anger, "Only then can the people live in safety."
"I'm sorry, everyone." His voice trembled in sadness as he turned around and faced his dead comrades, "I promised you all a bright future but failed to keep up with the promise. Even your families are dead. I can never atone for this blunder. But,"
"All I can do is exact revenge."
A Mystic Eater jutted out of the ground as Orakha landed on it, watching it slither quickly and make a beeline towards the Boar King, 'Whatever your plans are, I don't care. Even if I die, it doesn't matter. I can revive as many times as I need.'
He left a checkpoint at his office and sped forth, thinking up a plan of attack as he joined the Fentan City Lord's group, approaching the latter to ask, "City Lord, will you stay mum about the deaths of everyone in our city?"
"How dare you speak to the City Lord in that manner?" A Royal glared at Orakha but shut up upon being glared by the latter.
"You're…that mining company owner." The Fentan City Lord expressed his shock upon sensing the terrifying presence emanating from Orakha.
"Will you? Or will you not?" Orakha asked, his tone anger-
infused.
"I wish to kill them both!" The Fentan City Lord expressed his frustration, "But fighting here will only rake up more casualties."
"That means we're on the same page." Orakha nodded and stared at the group of Royals, "Does anyone have a slingshot as a Spirit Weapon?"
"I have a catapult One of the Royals skated forth in response, his face reddened as he witnessed the sea of corpses, "But target Loot first. He destroyed Karuta Hill and caused such a mess. If not for him, we would have lured the Boar King outside the Empire."
"Alright, launch me." Orakha said as he noticed a purposeful glitter from the corner of his eye. He sent a Mystic Eater drilling into the ground to appear beside the glitter. It returned shortly after and coiled around his hip.
Through his Prana, he noticed an Empyrean Zinger now within the Mystic Eater's stomach. It had purposefully let itself be captured by him, intending to relay information regarding Virala to him. 'It seems Inala is keeping track of Virala from afar. Is he unable to take action? Is that fucker still weighing pros and cons of the situation?'
'Doesn't matter.' He snorted and observed the Empyrean Zinger condense a miniature Prana Bomb and turn it into a Bone Slip, infusing some information into it. He accessed it and gained a deeper understanding of the situation, 'So, Virala doesn't have the Nature Weapons of Leech and Tunnel anymore. That makes it hard for him to escape.'
"I hope you have the means to land safely." The Royal said and brought out his Spirit Weapon—in the shape of a catapult—and placed it on the ground. Once Orakha landed on it, the Spirit Weapon flew high up into the air at tremendous speeds, reaching its maximum altitude a dozen seconds later.
Following that, it oriented its direction as the Royal pointed the catapult towards the boat being rowed by Virala. By calculating the trajectories and speed, the Royal made corrections and shouted as he activated the Spirit Weapon, "Brace yourself!"
"Hmph!" Orakha tied the Mystic Eater carrying the Empyrean Zinger around his hip and communicated with it through a Bone Slip as his figure was sent flying at breakneck speeds. As he sped forward, he activated his Human Avatar, transforming into a jet-black entity that seemed capable of devouring light.
"This is…pretty interesting." The Boar King slowed down his chase as he stared up and observed Orakha, "You're having fun up there."
"Fun?" Orakha hadn't heard the Boar King's remark but was able to make an educated guess upon seeing the latter's nonchalant expression. His expression twisted as he pointed at the latter and blasted forth with a Mystic Eater that was over two hundred metres in length. "Your death will be fun too."
The jet-black serpent approached the Boar King, only to explode like a bubble when the Boar King hurled a rock at supersonic speeds into it. Jet black droplets resembling ink rained down and littered the region.
But suddenly, as if iron filings being attracted by a magnet, the droplets rushed towards the Boar King and latched onto his body, following which large patches of his skin were burned off.
Human Avatar—Selectively Permeable Plasma!