"Can you accept us?" Nahak Tusk asked as hope budded in him, one that blossomed upon seeing the Empyrean Tusk form of Gannala nod lightly in response.
Gannala extended her trunk and touched Nahak Tusk, seeping her influence into the latter. In a matter of minutes, Nahak Tusk observed a minor change in him, following which he felt instinctively that he was part of Gannala's immune system.
An Empyrean Tusk accepting a foreign immune system as its own wasn't unprecedented. In Sumatra Chronicles, the baby Empyrean Tusk brought by Resha's parents accepted the 44th Settlement as its immune system.
But a couple of conditions had to be achieved for it. First, the immune system should have no owner. Meaning, the Empyrean Tusk served by the immune system shouldn't be alive. Second, only one immune system could be accepted.
If the Empyrean Tusk were to accept a second immune system, it would break out into a severe case of rash as both the immune systems would naturally conflict with each other, resulting in its death.
It was why Harrala wasn't able to accept them into her fold after their Empyrean Tusk died. It was because her immune system already existed. As a result, she couldn't accept a second immune system.
Gannala was of the same opinion originally. But only after seeing Nahak Tusk and his Settlement did she realise that she didn't face such a restriction.
Secondary Nature—Weaponisation!
Weaponisation—Dance of Annihilation!
The ultimate technique of the Mammoth Clan, capable of influencing both Mammoth Clansmen and Empyrean Tusks. Through it, Gannala comprehended that if an Empyrean Tusk were to die, she could influence its immune system and convert it into her immune system.
This way, she could accept them, since they have now become part of her immune system. As there would only be one immune system in her, she wouldn't face any repercussions of this action.
Originally, she was afraid that unleashing the Dance of Annihilation would cause resonation between Empyrean Tusks, leading to the entirety of the Mammoth Clan becoming Nature Weapons. But now, she realised that she had misunderstood it. There were other uses to it, apart from an offensive aspect.
The Dance of Annihilation, when used alongside the Nature of Weaponisation, turned the target into a Nature Weapon. This was the end result. But what did it actually do? It used Gannala's Prana to influence the target and transform them into a Nature Weapon.
As long as Gannala stops it towards the end, the target won't become a Nature Weapon. Instead, they would change due to her influence. Using this, Gannala could transform ownerless immune systems into her immune system.
Thanks to Weaponisation, all Mammoth Clansmen were naturally drawn to her. A Gold Grade Weaponisation wasn't capable of this. Only a Mystic Grade Weaponisation could perform such a function.
Even Virala wouldn't have been capable, as at the end of the day, he was a Mammoth Clansman with the power to become an Empyrean Tusk. Conversely, Gannala was an Empyrean Tusk in the truest sense.
As a result, the Mystic Grade Nature of Weaponisation in her hands was at its strongest. And through the resonance unleashed by the Dance of Annihilation, Gannala could influence other immune systems too.
The Mammoth Clansmen from other Settlements could be influenced to the extent they will treat her as a quasi-Deity of their worship. Gannala only became excited upon concluding that there was more about Weaponisation that had yet to be explored.
This was the Mammoth Ancestor's power, and one upgraded to the Mystic Grade at that. Somehow, the Supreme Tusk Gannala's accumulations were working on condensing it all along too, a reason why she managed to gain Weaponisation at the Mystic Grade.
'There's a link between Mystic grade Weaponisation and the status of being the Supreme Tusk. As long as I explore further, I'll be able to figure it out.' Gannala immediately began to explore the possibility, thinking similarly to Inala while she accepted the ownerless immune system as her own.
"All hope isn't lost." Nahak Tusk bowed alongside the Mammoth Clansmen of his Settlement as he let go of his suffix of Tusk, as he was no longer a Settlement Leader. He became part of the 105th Settlement now, one with Bora Tusk as the Settlement Leader.
As hope lit in them, they worked on integrating themselves into the 105th Settlement. As the decades span past, they would fully become a singular whole as Gannala's immune system.
"It's all good news!" Bora Tusk cheered as he shook hands with Nahak, accepting the latter personally, welcoming the addition of another master as strong as him. This will further raise the strength of his Settlement.
His gaze shot to the side as Bora Tusk noticed a large Zinger glide towards him and revert to the appearance of Inala. A moment's surprise later, Bora Tusk grabbed Inala and threw him into the air, "You did well, boy!"
"You did well!"
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you when I noticed your desire for survival during the Mud Viper Minor Crisis." He expressed in happiness.
"Thank you for your praise, Settlement Leader." Inala smiled in response and spoke once Bora Tusk stopped throwing him high up in the air, "I bring news from Gannala."
"She wants everyone to enter her biome."
"Why?" Bora Tusk frowned, unable to understand the reason.
"Gannala has the same Tertiary Nature as the Boar King. She can switch between human and Deity forms as she wishes. And for the Mammoth Clan's upcoming mission, she intends to travel in her human form." Inala explained in detail, "So, she wants everyone to enter her biome. All her biomes are significantly developed and probably exceed other Empyrean Tusks."
"But in her human form, travel between the biomes won't be possible. So, you'll have to split our Mammoth Clan per each biome." Inala finished speaking, watching Bora Tusk think in response.
Bora Tusk noticed that the Mammoth Clansmen of other Empyrean Tusks were similarly retreating into the biomes of their Deities, leaving the Settlements vacant. "Why are they doing the same?"
"Gannala can present the power of the Nature of Cultivator to all Empyrean Tusks." Inala smirked, "The Chief has some plans regarding it."
"Alright, give me two hours." Bora Tusk said and gathered his people, segregating them into different groups. As they had yet to settle in their Settlement, the Mammoth Clan part of Gannala was still getting used to having a life in her biomes.
So, Bora Tusk needed some time to assign them all. But he was already the Settlement Leader before and was rather competent in his job, despite his madness. Two hours later, he was done with the task and approached Inala to ask, "How long do we need to stay in the biomes?"
"It won't exceed a year." Inala said, "As the Empyrean Tusks require significantly fewer resources in human forms to maintain themselves, we'll use this chance to rapidly recover resources and bring the herd to peak operating capacity."
"You're not coming?" Bora Tusk stared at Inala upon seeing the latter remain in the Settlement.
"The Chief still has work left to allot to me." Inala waved his hands, boding farewell.
"Ok, I've finished the setup." Grehha stretched in exhaustion as he exited a biome and approached Inala, "All the Bone Vipers have hatched. They'll grow and begin populating Gannala's biomes. And now that they are back on their deity, all the adults of our Settlement would be pumping out babies like a factory."
"That is true." Inala nodded as he accompanied Grehha to descend down a groove along Gannala's leg. Once they had left the settlement, Gannala reverted to her human form, smiling brightly as she patted herself, "I finally feel complete."
"Are you ready, Gannala?" Raaha approached her, in tow with Blola and Yennda. The Mammoth Elder had returned to the biome in the 1st Empyrean Tusk's brain, intending to record all the knowledge brought by Inala into the Mammoth Slip.
All the Mammoth Elders had their work cut out for them next. They promptly got to work, having no intentions to rest unless absolutely necessary.
After Gannala emptied Virala's biomes into her own, she extracted his Spirit Container and placed his powerless body under Bora Tusk's custody, commanding the latter to keep an eye on Virala and ensure he doesn't die.
With that, she was ready as Gannala nodded at Raaha, approached the First Empyrean Tusk, and entered its Secondary Nature Slot to unleash the effects of the Nature of Cultivator.
Soon, the 1st Empyrean Tusk turned into a human woman, blinking her eyes cutely as she patted her face, muttering in surprise, "The last I had this form was as a child more than a millennium ago."