"Hmm, make these changes and the efficiency of the cultivation technique will improve." Brangara gave some pointers based on his knowledge once he processed the functions of Gold Inheritance Art.
"Got it," Yarsha Zahara made note of the changes and added them to the Information Slip. She gave him a Glove Slip, making it easy for him to access the Information Slip as Yarsha Zahara typically turned whatever rock or pebble she could get her hands upon into an Information Slip.
The duo spent some time improving the functions of Gold Inheritance Art. Soon, it was time for Brangara to leave as he asked, "How's the situation in the Kingdom? Is everything proceeding without issues?"
"For the time being, yes." Yarsha Zahara nodded, "I've been using Yennda as your stand-in. I don't think our foes have managed to see through this scheme yet."
"Be alert, no matter what." Brangara said in seriousness, "We've already been fooled enough times. Considering the grand scale of our plan, there will definitely be problems. They wouldn't let us win without putting up a fight."
"I understand," Yarsha Zahara nodded, "I've been laying down traps to catch our foes. I'm paying more attention to the Nature Weapon forms of Virala and Gannala."
"Gannala…" Brangara muttered as he felt a surge of hatred build up in him. But he quickly calmed down and stared up, sighing in relief upon not unleashing his strength, for that would result in a pillar of light that would reach the skies.
At his full strength, the Celestial Boar was unstoppable, but it couldn't be subtle in its actions. Pretty must everyone on Sumatra would be able to notice the pillar of light, even if they aren't able to see it personally.
They would feel prickles on their skin, even if they were positioned on the farthest ends of the Continent. Unless he was facing the Royal Zinger, Brangara had no intentions to release his full strength.
"I'll return once the Wean Selection starts," Brangara said and walked into the tunnel, vanishing from sight soon after.
"I'll prepare everything." Yarsha Zahara nodded in seriousness as she picked up a book and flipped through the pages, going through everything she had planned, "Have I thought of all possibilities? Did I gloss over anything?"
'Don't be careless again!' She berated herself mentally and continued to make plans. Soon, she reached the exit of the room and opened the door, seeing Yennda sprawled on the floor, behaving as a carpet. She kicked him reflexively, "Get up!"
"Make me," Yennda said in clockwork, getting up slowly once he observed Yarsha's irritated face. "What do you want to do now?"
"Try to create variants of this," Saying so, she handed over a pile of Decodus Tree bark to him.
"Decodus Tree?" Yennda recognised it immediately as he played around with it, "What do you want to do with it?"
"You needn't know." Yarsha Zahara snorted in response, "Just follow my instructions."
"You can steal my power to do it on your own. I mean, consider the power difference. I'm only an Iron Grade Pleb while you're a Mystic Grade Queen." Yennda sported a forlorn sigh, "I'm too weak to be worked to the bone like this. I'm not even getting paid for my hard work."
"Cooperate obediently and I'll make you a cup of tea at the end." She grunted in annoyance.
"Heh, you think I'm that cheap?" Yennda stared at her in derision, "Two cups, or don't even think about it."
"Fine!" Yarsha Zahara gritted her teeth and dragged him to her laboratory, where she stored a variety of cell cultures that she had mutated using his powers. There were also grotesque Pranic Beast abominations, most of which wouldn't survive when exposed to the outside atmosphere.
'Things will get dangerous once she obtains Grehha's knowledge.' Yennda thought and subtly began to organise the tissues in his appendix. He intended to create a potent poison through it and store it in safety. The moment Grehha appears, he'd feed it to the latter.
'However, she's waiting to revive him.' He thought, figuring out the answer immediately, 'Once Brangara's sons knock up a large number of Free Human women, Yarsha Zahara plans to use Grehha's Empyrean Incubator to increase the chances of a Wean Clansman's birth. She probably already conceptualised a Skill that allows Brangara to pour his Prana into the Empyrean Incubator that had fused with the womb of the Free Human woman.'
'Well, it's not my problem.' Yennda shrugged in the end and passively did what was asked of him. It wasn't even his fault that he got captured by Yarsha Zahara. The fault lay entirely with Blola. And if even the Mammoth Clan didn't worry enough to kill them promptly, then he had no intention of racking his head unnecessarily.
'There's nothing to look forward to at the Mammoth Clan anyway.' Yennda thought, suddenly remembering the face of Harrala, 'Tch!'
'She doesn't need you, dumbass. None of them need you.' Yennda muttered after a minute of silence, "I changed my mind."
"I need three cups."
"I'll clobber the shit out of you!" Yarsha Zahara growled from another corner of the laboratory, "Don't anger me too much."
"And if I do, so what?" Yennda snickered, "What can you do to me? Kill me?"
'He's using that one line as if he's proud for coming up with it!' Anger coursed through her body as Yarsha Zahara struggled to calm down, 'But it's always effective, dammit!'
"Do you have some enmity with me or something?" She put on a pitiful tone, "Why are you bullying me all the time?"
"Look who's talking." Yennda rolled his eyes, "You're the captor and I'm the captive."
"Then can't you just behave like an obedient captor?" She dropped her act of garnering his pity, triggered once again, "I'm getting stressed! Fuck!"
"If you find me stressful, then wait until you revive Grehha." Yennda laughed boisterously, "You'll then know the true meaning of that word."
"Are you…serious?" Yarsha Zahara felt intimidated all of a sudden.
"Remember what I told you about him." Yennda was enjoying the situation, feeling sadistic pleasure, "He's your hardcore supporter. Since you'll have a lot of use for him, Grehha will abuse the opportunity to flirt with you, nonstop, endlessly."
"Similar to how I want to die, he'll flirt with you." Yennda's laughter grew in volume upon seeing her ashen face, "He'll be very obedient to you. No matter what you ask of him, he'll accommodate it without resistance, except for being away from you."
"In short," He said in excitement, "The day you revive him, consider that you're getting a new shadow."
"What did I do to deserve this…?" Yarsha Zahara felt mentally exhausted for some reason, staring at Yennda as she had second thoughts, 'I've stored enough of his power in my Lunchbox. Maybe…maybe I don't need him anymore. I won't even be able to sleep in peace if I have to keep both Yennda and Grehha in check.'
'No, that's stupid!' She grunted in anger, 'Yennda knows too much. I cannot release him from my grasp at least until the Varahan Empire is fully functional. The powers of both are pivotal to the expansion of our Empire!'
"Please, just be obedient." Yarsha Zahara relented in the end, "I'll even give you four cups of tea. Don't talk unless necessary and try to follow my orders without me needing to compel you."
"Four cups?" Yennda raised an eyebrow and flashed a thumbs up, "You have a deal, Your Majesty!"
"What did I tell you about making unnecessary talks?" She glared at him.
"Okay, Princess!" Yennda nodded.
"…" Yarsha Zahara sighed and resumed work, 'I give up!'
'Four cups, eh?' Yennda whistled casually as he properly behaved as her assistant in the laboratory, 'Let's see how much I can make her compromise.'
"Tell me your intentions and I can work towards it better. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time." Yennda said and stared at her after a couple of hours, "I can mutate the Decodus Tree into at least eight stable variants. The number might increase if I experiment further."
"…Alright," Yarsha Zahara nodded after a moment's consideration and said, "I need a variant with a hollow inside, enough to be turned into a house."
"House?" Yennda thought as he pulled up a sheet and began to draw on it.
"What is it?" Yarsha Zahara asked.
"Interior layout." Yennda said, "Since you're planning to turn them into a house, why stop at having a hollow interior alone? The Decodus Trees have a segmented interior, similar to bamboo. And by taking advantage of their concentric bark outgrowth, I can modify them to form rooms."
"We can create a few interior house models and vary them depending on their purpose, whether they be residence, storage facility, factory, or an institution of some sort." He stared at her, "You are planning to establish an Empire, right?"
"You managed to figure it out through so little clues?" Yarsha Zahara was stunned by his statement.
"No, I heard your conversation with Brangara." Yennda chuckled as he tapped his ears, "I have good hearing. And you're keeping me within your Spirit Weapon range in order to control me."
"Fine, you win." Followed by a sigh, Yarsha Zahara nodded, "Yes, I'm establishing an Empire. These Decodus Trees will play a pivotal role in its foundation."
"Awesome!" Yennda grinned.
"So, if you try to sabotage my plans, I'll kill…what did you say?" Yarsha Zahara blinked in confusion, "What did you say?"
"Awesome!" Yennda repeated it, speaking his mind upon seeing her shock, "If you promise me one thing, I'll wholeheartedly give you my all with modifying the Decodus Trees."
"Speak!" Yarsha Zahara stared at him, ready to beat him up if he were to ask for something exorbitant.
"Publicise that I'm the one behind their creation." Yennda said, "The people of the Empire must know the creator of the various facilities they'll be enjoying."
"You want glory?" Yarsha Zahara asked.
"I'm not a loyal soldier to be seeking glory." Yennda shook his head, "I simply seek recognition for my efforts and accomplishments."
"I want people to understand that the source of their comfort is thanks to my innovation and skilled expertise."