Eight months after Virala arrived at the Dralh Sea, at a spot twenty kilometres from the Abyss Ring was the figure of the Mystic Ewworm, swimming desperately as hundreds of ropes made out of Mystic Eaters had latched onto it.
They were dragging an eight-kilometre-tall mountain that sported varying levels of damage. This mountain had once been growing on the back of an Empyrean Snapper. But after the Empyrean Snapper died and its body was consumed, the mountain was left strewn in the Dralh Sea.
There were plenty of such mountains, the largely intact ones numbering over forty. With Orakha's help, Virala had been pulling these mountains to the Abyss Ring, using them to patch up the holes along the ring.
This way, the water between the Abyss Fall and the rest of the Dralh Sea would be cut off, similar to when the Cooter Clan was managing the place, with the Empyrean Snappers clogging the gaps with their bodies.
Since he wished to establish his reign over the Dralh Sea, Virala had to work tirelessly for it. Thankfully, he had Orakha's help. Otherwise, this would have taken him anywhere from ten to twenty times the duration to repeat the same.
The deepest point of the Dralh Sea was at a depth of 22 kilometres. Even the tallest mountain grown by the Empyrean Snappers only reached a height of 10 kilometres. So, without help from the Mystic Eaters, it would have been harder for Virala to search them one by one.
After an hour's worth of travel, Virala reached the Abyss Ring, staring at a sea of mountain ranges occupying the place. Reverting to human form, he leapt across the closest mountain and arrived at its peak, soon spotting Orakha approaching him in awe, "How the fuck are you so fast?"
"The Phells act as my source of Prana. My Mystic Eaters can easily consume their Spirit Containers and gain enough energy to increase their numbers." Orakha commented in pride as he stared at the Abyss Ring which was now a series of mountain ranges built as concentric rings.
He then stared at the mountain pulled over by Virala, "That's the biggest mountain. I'm surprised you managed to pull it by yourself."
"I had to rely on psychokinesis to boost my physical abilities to its maximum." Virala grumbled, "It wouldn't have been possible otherwise. My back still hurts like shit."
"It's not something I can do, so it's still impressive," Orakha said as his Mystic Eaters swarmed the mountain on his command. A large group of them approached the seabed and scooped soil from there and piled them under the mountain.
Slowly, the base of the mountain extended until it made contact with the seabed. The Mystic Eaters executed the work similar to building a Human Avatar, hence they focused on the structural integrity of the place.
Once they were done, the mountain was as stable as having formed there from a volcanic eruption, cooled, and solidified over time.
"It's amazing no matter how many times I see it." Virala expressed his admiration. He worked on transporting the Empyrean Snapper mountains to the Abyss Ring where Orakha built them as part of the region.
Their goal was to create at least three concentric mountain ranges around the Abyss Ring, with a flat plain between each ring. Mystic Humans will live on these flat plains while the mountain ranges will serve as a natural mode of defence for them.
The ones living on the Abyss Ring itself will fight against the Phells and use the endless bombardment to train. It was the best means to accumulate battle experience.
Moreover, the reason Virala wanted Orakha to place the Empyrean Snapper mountains around the Abyss Ring was for one reason—Spirit Pools!
An Empyrean Snapper relied upon Subtle Terrain Domination to absorb nutrients from its surroundings. It consumed some and piled the wastage into a mineral deposit, which became the mountain on its back.
Of the nutrients it consumes, it sets aside a portion that is immersed with its Prana. It would filter them and concentrate a type of mineral across the mountain on its back, forming a Spirit Pool.
An Empyrean Snapper formed various Spirit Pools, allowing Cooter Clansmen to cultivate varying powers, increasing their versatility. If Rutham was available in the Dralh Sea, a relevant Spirit Pool could be built on an Empyrean Snapper's back mountain.
And when a Cooter Clansman harnesses its power, they'll be able to wield a power similar to a Brimgan Royal. Of course, Rutham wasn't a naturally occurring mineral. It needs to be refined from Kirenal through Gole Kinesis Art.
All the Spirit Pools mixed with the Dralh Sea when the mountains fell into the water. And of course, without the Empyrean Snappers, it was impossible to create the Spirit Pools. Virala did not need the Spirit Pools though, as they were useless for the Mystic Humans.
Instead, what he required was the porous capacity of the mountains, one that allowed them to transfer minerals across their mountainous beings and concentrate them in the Spirit Pools. These channels had been created and strengthened by the Empyrean Snappers.
Therefore, the Spirit Pools naturally became spots across the mountain where minerals could be concentrated. Virala wanted the locations of the Spirit Pools to accumulate as much minerals as possible, so that his Mystic Humans in Spirit Eater form could take root there and produce Parute Fruits without issues.
The nutrients in the Spirit Pools would never run out, as more and more will be drawn in from the Dralh Sea by the mountains and concentrated in the pools.
And what he targeted the most was the flesh and blood components of Phells. Abyss Fall will continue to spill out Phells in perpetuity. In the future, the Mystic Humans will hunt them and kill them in droves.
Instead of allowing the spores of Phells to propagate through the flesh and blood of their brethren, the mountains bordering the water with the Abyss Fall would absorb the substance.
This muscular essence—a concentration of the body's flesh, blood, etc.—would fill up the Spirit Pools, giving an easier time for the Spirit Eaters to spawn Parute Fruits.
"Mind revealing your plans now?" Orakha said upon finishing his task, "I have been working tirelessly for your sake, you know."
"As long as you promise to not leak it to Gannala or anyone else," Virala said, his eyes turning cold.
"Sure," Orakha nodded and patted his chest once, adjusting his Human Avatar accordingly, "Whatever you say next will only remain with me. Gannala will never be able to access it. And I won't leak it to anyone else either."
"I hope you keep your word. Otherwise, anyone other than you who knows about this will die natural deaths." Virala eyed Orakha after stating his threat. Upon seeing the latter remain unmoved, he judged that Orakha had zero intentions of leaking it to others. "Great."
He broke into a smile, sporting a boastful tone, "I'm what you call a genius."
'This guy was dying to flex on me, huh?' Orakha's eyelids twitched as he stared at the more-than-ready visage of Virala, as if he had been prepared to say it all along.
However, since Virala depended on Orakha for a lot of things, it was just a matter of time before the latter realised his plan. Hence, he might as well take the chance to flex on the latter and poke his ego a bit.
Only a Mystic Human, unaffected by external influence, could wield the power of a Spirit Eater. This was his first contingency. His second contingency was Mystic Nature Art. Anyone with the knowledge of it will begin turning into a Mystic Human.
They would have a year from that point. Either they become a Mystic Human before the time limit or die trying. The third was an extension of it, geared particularly to counter Gannala.
Even if a Mystic Human—who hadn't gained a Secondary and Tertiary body—was turned into a Nature Weapon, once the time limit of a year spans, the Nature Weapon would crumble.
That wasn't all. When the Nature Weapon—with the power of Astral Weaponiser—was equipped onto a human or Pranic Beast, the first thing that would happen to them is the process of them becoming a Mystic Human.
Technically, Gannala could take advantage of Astral Weaponiser to allow the target to obtain the bodies of two creatures. But they'd only remain alive for a year, if they don't become Mystic Humans. Moreover, the moment Astral Weaponiser is removed from their Nature slot, they'd be bombarded by influence from the two Pranic Beasts.
The Natures of the two Pranic Beasts will manifest and wrestle control over the body, rupturing it from the inside with their exponentially spiking influence.
Virala was the one who created the Mystic Grade Nature of Weaponisation. So, he understood it the best. Moreover, it was by using it as fuel that he created Mystic Humans.
Therefore, Gannala's Weaponisation was incapable of taking advantage of his powers. This confidence was what allowed Virala to reveal his plans to Orakha without worries. One, Orakha will figure it out eventually anyway. Two, they had plenty of reasons to collaborate in the future.
So, it was to Virala's advantage that Orakha knew what was happening at the place. It was why he had been taking measures to have a good relationship with Orakha, despite their differences.
"Instead of explaining, it's best to show it to you." Virala said and transformed into a Mystic Eater, "Climb aboard."
"Alright," Orakha jumped onto the back of the Mystic Ewworm and used a bunch of Mystic Eaters to form a saddle.
"…" Virala stared at the saddle for a few seconds before beginning to slither across the Dralh Sea like a marine serpent. Four days of travel later, they arrived at Tez Island.
"Come in," Virala assumed human form and kicked aside the boulder blocking the entrance to the island's mine. As Orakha followed him, Virala entered the mine and stared at the seventeen-year-old boy who emanated a potent presence, one expressing his individuality.
"My Deity!" The seventeen-year-old boy kneeled on the ground upon seeing Virala, barely able to control his jubilation, "I succeeded!"
"Congratulations!" Virala said with a smile and stared at Orakha, "I'll show you the powers I have prepared exclusively for my Mystic Humans."
"Okay," Orakha nodded with a bated breath, already aware of how Mystic Humans worked. He gained all the necessary knowledge from Ruvva. So, he knew that a Mystic Human was as strong as the Pranic Beasts they fuse with.
Ruvva had fused with an Empyrean Tusk and an Apogee Bludder, Gold and Mystic Grade Pranic Beasts respectively. With her talents inherited from Yarsha Zahara, she could unleash the Primary Nature of the Apogee Bludder.
Once she reaches maturity, she'll be stronger than a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast.
Similarly, Virala had fused with the Mystic Ewworm and the legendary Empyrean Boar King. Both the father and daughter duo were fully harnessing the capabilities of Mystic Humans. But of course, that opportunity wouldn't come to everyone.
But considering how confident Virala was, he must have prepared the next best thing for all the Mystic Humans.
"Here," Virala gave the Parute Seed to the seventeen-year-old boy, "Follow the process recorded in Mystic Nature Art. This will be your first body."
"Yes, My Deity!" The seventeen-year-old boy nodded respectfully and seeped his Prana into the Parute Seed, refining it through Mystic Nature Art. Once fully refined, it fused with his Spirit Container.
Secondary Body—Spirit Eater!
Immediately in response, upon seeing Virala smile at him, the seventeen-year-old boy nodded and assumed his transformation. Roots jutted into the ground as a stalk grew tall, reaching a height of twenty metres, atop which a carnivorous mouth appeared.
"This is…damn!" Orakha was stunned by the transformation, staring at the Spirit Eater in a daze, "How the fuck did you achieve this?"