?"My head's a mess!" Yarsha Zahara screamed in horror, feeling like her mind was being split apart. One part of her wanted to resume her current life of surplus and happiness. But the other part, one with a stronger influence wanted her to rip apart everything the Boar King wanted to create.
Hatred was a strong emotion, especially one that had marinated over a century. And that, when it hit her in an instant, was overpowering.
"Mom!" Barla rushed to her rescue but halted in a hurry when a Spirit Weapon made out of Sumatra Gold stopped before her. It had only stopped because it had reached the end of Yarsha Zahara's Spirit Weapon range.
Otherwise, Barla would have been attacked. Upon realising this, the oldest daughter of Yarsha Zahara was in shock. "Mom…?"
"Fucking Boar!" Yarsha Zahara glared at her in rage and subconsciously unleashed a Comet a her, slamming it on the latter's face.
"Why…did you hit me, Mom?" Barla's eyes moistened in response as she stared at her mother in disbelief, for the first time being hit by her, that too with unfiltered rage, "Please don't look at me like that, Mother!"
"Who the fuck is your mother? How dare an abomination like you claim to be my child?" Yarsha Zahara screamed as veins popped all over her face and neck. She clutched her head in pain and waved her hand, motioning for Barla to remain beyond her Spirit Weapon range, "Stay there, Barla."
"I won't be able to restrain myself. Give me time to calm down." She said in a hurry and collapsed to the ground, wheezing in response.
Standing before her and staring at her in concern was Resha, still in a maddened rage as he targeted everyone else in the vicinity.
"Did he go bonkers?" Orakha shouted as he drilled into the ground and melted the surrounding soil to form a robust shelter. He peeked through the cover of Mystic Eaters to stare at the raging tornado.
"Pretty much," A worm slithered into the shelter and reverted to Virala's form as he scratched his cheek in interest, "He hasn't done this much in Sumatra Chronicles."
"Dumbass, is that important?" Orakha sighed as he observed the Raid Team gathering around on one side of the tornado, noticing it cover the nearby entrance to the Attributed Zone, "It'll be impossible for us to enter it unless he retracts his attack."
"Well, I don't want to waste Prana trying to break through it." Virala shrugged casually, "The moment he sees me, he'll attack me with all his might. His power is a good counter against the current me."
"Well, look at you, shiny as a Mystic Human." Orakha said in praise before punching Virala in the face, "You almost screwed us over, dumbass!"
"Hey! We never met before this. Why did you do that?" Virala noticed his skin had peeled off from the punch and hurriedly began healing it using his Prana.
"The body of the Boar King at the bottom of the Varahan Mansion left behind an Information Slip recording everything you had done," Orakha said and repeated the dialogue exchanged between Virala and the Boar King as proof.
"Fuck! That happened?" Virala was surprised as he asked in a hurry, "What happened to it?"
"I dealt with it." Orakha said and continued upon seeing Virala visibly heave a sigh in relief, "Why did you do something that risky if you're this nervous?"
"Because it's exciting!" Virala grinned as wide as humanely possible, "I'm living every day to the best of my capability. And to date, there has never been a boring day. My thumping heart is the proof of that."
"Is that why you refrained from camping in the Nature slot of Brandal Brimgan?" Orakha asked next, noticing Virala's face turn cold in response.
"How much do you know?" Virala asked as a tail jutted out of his back and formed a spear tip that pointed at Orakha on the neck.
"Relax, I don't consider you an enemy." Orakha winked cutely, "Rather, you're my greatest benefactor. Thanks to you, I obtained the body of a powerhouse and a Major Treasure."
"Haha! I'm your benefactor? Thank goodness," Virala patted his chest lightly and laughed, "I was afraid it might have been something else."
"Something like…" He then stared at Orakha, "Maroppa stubbing her toe?"
"Is she happy spending time at the Mammoth Clan?" Virala giggled like a child, "Is she nervous while interacting with the Clan that annihilated her race?"
"…" Orakha stared at Virala for a few seconds before asking, "Have you been copying Inala?"
"I just took reference from him after a stroke of inspiration." Virala patted his chest, "My methods are unique though. I didn't plagiarise him."
"I won't touch the Major Treasure of Deity." Orakha extended his hand and offered a handshake.
"Happy to have your cooperation." Virala accepted the offer. That short conversation was enough for the two to gauge the extent of danger posed by antagonising each other. And the conclusion they obtained was simple: Fighting now would fuck them both up.
Both had been using their respective methods to not only gain information but also make plans to target each other.
While Orakha was observing Virala and targeting the latter's preparations, Virala was doing the same. Using his Mystic Ewworm form, he could spy across the region without getting detected. He was able to observe Orakha's and Inala's actions.
The fact that he mentioned Maroppa's involvement with the Mammoth Clan meant that he was aware of everything that had happened. There was a good chance her identity was revealed to him.
Hence, when Orakha wanted to take the Golden Giant with him, Virala threatened the latter using Maroppa. Objectively speaking, Maroppa was a dozen times more valuable than a Major Treasure, especially since she could grant everyone part of the Mammoth Clan Secondary and Tertiary Natures using Gannala's Nature Weapons.
This combo was extremely valuable. The fact that she could further reinforce a Nature using the Prime Skill of Nature Weapon Assimilation on a Nature Weapon meant that as long as she was on their side, the Mammoth Clan could continue to grow and evolve.
Hence, to avoid interfering with each other, the two of them came to a compromise. Orakha would take Brandal Brimgan in response to Virala keeping the Golden Giant.
Since all eight of Brandal Brimgan's Minor Treasures were not placed in the Golden Giant, its value had increased. So, the compromise was reasonable to both sides.
Also, while Orakha was interested in the Major Treasure of Deity, Virala wasn't. He only desired the influence generated in the Golden Giant's stomach. Even if the Major Treasure of Deity was taken away now, the Golden Giant was its Influenced Region.
The influence in it would still be maintained, which was enough to constantly strengthen Virala. Moreover, Brandal Brimgan's body was useless to the current him. He was planning to gift it to Gannala anyway.
After all, a stronger Mammoth Clan would be a better deterrent against the Boar King, giving Virala better room to manoeuvre and do things. Hence, he didn't mind Orakha claiming it since the latter was working hard for the Mammoth Clan's sake anyway.
So, his priority remained the same from the start to now—Major Treasure of Attribute. It would drastically improve the efficiency and efficacy of his transformations, not to mention allowing him to create stronger tools at the tip of the Ewworm's tail.
'I need to update the threat level of this fucker. He's rapidly growing stronger.' Virala thought in seriousness as he observed Orakha. In terms of power, Orakha had the best build. He could steal resources, build a compound Human Avatar, and best of all, could revive once a day.
If he put his mind to survival, it was impossible to kill Orakha. And as he continues to take inspiration from Inala and Virala to evolve himself, it'll only become progressively harder to kill him.
'First Blola, and now Orakha. They're all changing at a fundamental mental aspect.' Virala began to feel the pressure, 'Dammit! I need to hurry and kill my body at the Mammoth Clan. I don't want my heavily influenced body to make a mess of my plans.'
"Argh!" Resha roared and further increased the power of gravity churning into the tornado, turning it heavier and, as a result making it more destructive. He, Yarsha Zahara, and her seven children were in the eye of the tornado, a safe haven in this destructive force of nature.
"Stay away!" Yarsha Zahara continued to scream as she glared at her children, confused to the extreme.
At that moment, the door to the underground shelter opened as a worm and a Mystic Eater popped out subtly, discussing.
"Pay me one Sumatra Gold and I'll assist you in whatever you want in the future." Virala said as he stared at Ruvva lying on the ground next to Yarsha Zahara, "Just help me recover my daughter."
"It's strange to see you care about someone." Orakha expressed genuine surprise, "I thought you were selfish and cared only about yourself."
"I still do. It's just that," Virala grinned as he stared at Ruvva, "Ruvva is mine. I consider her a part of me. So, nothing has changed."
"You're a bastard through and through." Orakha shook his head before accepting the collab, "We have a deal. Just keep everyone busy while I grab Ruvva and a few more Sumatra Gold from Yarsha Zahara."
"Just make it quick." Virala said and slithered out at tremendous speeds, "I can't face both Resha and Yarsha at the same time and make it out in one piece. Also,"
His tone carried with it a sense of urgency, "Do it before her mind stabilises. I'm not mentally prepared to deal with a mature Yarsha Zahara."
"She's scary."
"Well, she is the rightful heroine." Orakha said in awe before snorting in disdain towards Resha, "Unlike that doll by the name of Yahira. This dumbass has poor taste."
"Fucker, don't badmouth Yahira." Virala snapped back in anger, "She's a dozen times better."
"Did your heroine wound the Boar King?" Virala spat in Orakha's direction, "No, right? So, shut up."
"Yahira is the best!"