Arlfarah Mansion!
Seated in her study, busy with research was Amita Brimgan, having completely attuned to life at the Brimgan Empire. She was researching the Attributed Region based on the scout report, having become by far the most knowledgeable person in the Brimgan Empire about the region.
She didn't have just the scout reports but also knowledge from Sumatra Chronicles, using which she was able to make conclusions that other researchers were unable to do. Her position as Director of the Bureau of Attribute Acquisition had become unshakable thanks to her exceeding contribution.
She had two tasks: Sumatra Gold Skeleton and preparations to summon a Bolt of Transcendence. Amita Brimgan had completed both and was presently gathering information to ensure she was prepared no matter how much the situation changed during the race.
While she was making up a report, the floor beside her parted open, revealing a metre-wide hole. Her figure didn't flinch in the slightest in response. Instead, her eyes darted towards the tunnel entrance, maintaining her calm, 'That's the power of a Shifting Ant.'
'Virala!' Two strings of Prana manifested above the tunnel entrance while two slithered to the opposite wall, intending to pull her away to safety. Instantly, she had taken action as the two strings of Prana facing the tunnel entrance turned ivory.
Royalty—Life Bomb!
Mystic Mist Art—Tangible Life Bomb!
This was a skill that fused her Tertiary Nature of Tangible Psychokinesis with her Life Bomb, creating semi-solid strings of Prana capable of absorbing the Lifeforce of the target. And then, they latched onto the target that jumped out of the tunnel.
Everything happened in the fraction of a second, from the tunnel entrance forming to the two strings latching onto the person that leapt out of it.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! It's me!" An orb fell out of the body of the figure constricted by the two ivory strings and reverted to Gannala's form.
"Prove it." Amita Brimgan said coldly as an ivory string shot towards Gannala. The body of the figure caught by the two ivory strings began to wither as the Lifeforce in it was sucked away.
"Harm me, then," Gannala said and didn't resist the attack, flinching as an ivory string latched onto her for a second before retreating in a hurry.
"Ugh! You're indeed Gannala." Amita Brimgan felt a searing headache as her male form's influence almost exploded at that moment when she harmed Gannala. That would only happen to Gannala and not anyone acting as her.
She had plenty of methods to confirm Gannala's identity but this was the fastest and surest method. And now that she had made the confirmation, Amita threw a vial towards Gannala, "I barely stole a few days of your lifespan. Consume this, and you'll recover the lost amount."
"Okay," Gannala drank the vial and spoke once she observed the recovery in lifeforce, habituated with the process, "I've come to tell you a few things."
Saying so, she took out a cylindrical container and placed it before Amita, "This Water Slip contains all the necessary information."
"That's a giant Water Slip. Just how much information is stored in here?" Amita muttered as she downed the contents, beginning to digest the data within as she understood the attack plan, when they'd meet up, Inala's subsequent plans until the Attribute revealed itself, etc.
Once she digested everything, Amita Brimgan pulled out a drawer beside her and consumed an Elixir stored there. And as she digested it, she began to create Life Bombs in large numbers, asking, "Is Grehha with you?"
"Yeah," Gannala nodded, "He's at another location now."
"Alright, take care to not touch them," Amita said in warning.
"I know, Dad." Gannala rolled her eyes.
"I'm not your Dad." Amita snorted, "Do I look like one?"
"Call me Mom, if nothing else." She stared at the time and stopped creating Life Bombs, "I have to head out for work in a few minutes. Visit me at the same time tomorrow. We have plenty of time, so I'll create as many Life Bombs as you need."
"Just drop them here." Gannala said and pointed at the tunnel she had jumped out from, "I have modified the gravity within. The Life Bombs would reach the destination where Grehha will encase them in his Empyrean Incubator."
"Got it," Saying so, Amita dropped the pile of Life Bombs into the tunnel, patting her hands once the work was done. She stared at Gannala and waved her hands, "Leave now, shoo."
"Okay, Mom." Gannala giggled and leaped into the tunnel, closing the entrance behind her. There were no traces of her visit. In the Brimgan Empire, only Wittral and Yarsha Zahara would be able to notice the existence of a tunnel in the region after it had closed up.
Wittral was on Amita's side while Yarsha Zahara was still trapped at the Varahan Mansion. Having changed into an expensive gown, Amita boarded a carriage and headed to an institution, smirking subtly, 'All preparations are complete. That's a relief.'
'To think the entire herd of Empyrean Tusks are on our side. Seems my male form has been busy.' Recalling Gannala's figure who used Weaponisation, Amita was able to understand what had happened, 'That's a victory against Virala. Good, good!'
"Did something good happen?" Dhya asked from the side upon seeing Amita's smile.
"My preparations are almost done." Amita said cheerfully, thinking, 'Now, there's the perfect method to erase the risk of keeping Wittral beside me.'
At the same time, in the room of a large house, Life Bombs spilled out from the tunnel exit positioned there. Immediately in response, Grehha activated his Tertiary Nature and condensed Empyrean Incubators in a hurry, enveloping the Life Bombs with them.
He moved the Empyrean Incubators to the side using psychokinesis and placed them in a pile, continuing to store Life Bombs in them until they stopped pouring out. Upon seeing Gannala jump out, he asked in confusion, "That's it?"
He stared at the pile, "There's barely a hundred of them."
"We'll be getting such a pile daily. So, stop complaining." Gannala shrugged, "Dad's second body is in hiding here. He only has a limited amount of Prana, so he's unable to spam Life Bombs."
"Well, I'm not complaining." Grehha didn't say anything else and proceeded to inspect the condition of the Empyrean Incubators.
Seated in the living room were a bunch of Empyrean Tusks, treating the place as their own. After all, the owners were merely influenced husks now, controlled by Gannala to keep up appearances with the neighbours, work, etc.
She was busy, having to act with the multiple identities to ensure the Brimgan Empire didn't suspect anything. As long as no Life-Stage cultivator enters this house and detects any waves of Prana emitted by the Empyrean Tusks, the identities of all Empyrean Tusks will remain hidden.
They will stay put while Gannala will move around making schemes. If there was any level of risk, she'd ask Asaeya to accompany her. That was more than enough to face a Brimgan Empire Prince and flee to safety without any issues.
"Okay, this is perfect." Gannala grabbed a Life Bomb and hatched an Empyrean Zinger King using her Prana. This was an Empyrean Zinger King that had the Secondary Nature of Subtle Terrain Domination, 'This will be perfect to erase the minimal traces left behind by my tunnels.'
With that thought in mind, she occupied the Empyrean Zinger King's Tertiary Nature slot and unleashed her influence, converting the latter's mind into a mirror of her own. With that, she could dexterously move this body without issues.
"Encase this too," Gannala said and watched Grehha encase the Empyrean Zinger King's body in an Empyrean Incubator. This was just in preparation to store it in her biome. After all, when encased in the Empyrean Incubator, Gannala was able to store these foreign bodies without issues.
The bodies would be perfectly preserved, and as long as they remained in contact with the surface in her biomes, she could supply Prana to their bodies through the Empyrean Incubator, allowing her to maintain the physical strength and function of the bodies.
"Dad, I'm ready." Gannala turned to face the figure of Inala whose stomach was on the verge of bursting, having been force-fed too much food.
"Okay, I'm coming," Inala said and got up, only to be grabbed by Vhalla and forced back into his seat.
"Not until you finish everything on the plate," Vhalla said, ignoring Inala who seemed to be on the verge of crying. "Look at how thin you are. You need to eat lots if you want to grow as big as cutie Grehha."
Thirty minutes later, at a certain house in Fentan City, Maroppa had returned from work and slumped on a sofa in the living room. She was just about to make herself a drink when a tunnel entrance appeared on the floor and jutting out of it was Inala's head.
The moment she stared at Inala's face, Maroppa exclaimed, "Oh…"
"W-What are you up to now, you madman?" She then fainted from shock.