Twenty years since the Second Major Disaster!
It had been close to two years since the duo of Inala and Virala joined the Noikatol Kingdom. They had fully integrated themselves into the Kingdom's fold, becoming no different from the rest of the people.
They were given roles as aides of Tssrah Noikatol due to the value they presented to the Kingdom from their knowledge, experience, and skills. As aides to the King, they had a decent say in the workings of the Kingdom.
Currently, accompanying a team of soldiers was Virala, in tow with four kids who were in their early teenage years. The team gradually stalked behind a group of Balghats when Virala nodded at the four kids.
They each picked up a rock and readied themselves as Virala pointed at a tree for each, "That's your destination, that's yours, head there, and that'll be the one you run past."
"Got it!" The four kids nodded in response when Virala positioned them in the direction of their respective Balghat.
Virala stared at the soldiers and observed them nod in response, signalling that they were ready to take action. Immediately in response, he grunted, signalling the four kids as he rushed out, "Now!"
Iron Strengthening Art!
It was a cultivation technique Virala had created by watering down Mystic Nature Art to the limit and making it compatible with Free Humans. The result was a cultivation technique that applied the effect of psychokinesis onto the body, strengthening it physically.
There was a significant chasm's difference between the reinforcement effect Iron Strengthening Art provided and what Virala wielded. However, this was the excuse he had prepared when asked about his cultivation technique.
Since he had never gone all out during his time at the Noikatol Kingdom, no one knew the peak physical capability he could generate. The constrained output he displayed was similar to the peak capacity of the Free Humans using Iron Strengthening Art.
Virala rushed at the closest Balghat and threw a rock at it when he was twenty metres from his target. He then slowed down, maintaining pace until the Balghat turned around. He made it seem like he stopped in a hurry when it had turned, pausing a metre before it.
Just before it could activate its Primary Nature, he turned around and sprinted at his peak speed, his Prana detection means keeping a close watch on the Balghat that had begun chasing him.
He watched the tree approaching him from the front and purposefully slowed down, bringing him within a comfortable range for the Balghat to activate its Primary Nature. The wool covering it expanded in an effort to envelope him when Virala activated his psychokinesis to the limit and abruptly jerked himself, swerving to the right.
The wool missed him and fell on the ground, shrinking into a compressed ball due to its contraction. And in that moment, after its Primary Nature had been activated, the vision of the Balghat had been blocked by the wool.
The wool prevented it from noticing the approaching tree and slammed into it, lodging its horns into the trunk of the latter.
Rolling on the ground to safety, Virala got up in a hurry upon hearing a loud thud and observed the Balghat had been trapped for a few seconds, 'Good! With its physique, it cannot move back easily and would need at least a few seconds to break free from the situation.'
He then stared to the side, smiling upon seeing the four children practicing Iron Strengthening Art had barely managed to succeed too. Their bodies were covered with bruises from rolling on the ground, but thankfully for them, they avoided direct contact with the Balghat.
Once the five Balghats were stuck, the soldiers rushed at them with their whips and lashed out multiple times, following which the group fled to safety, avoiding the enraged herd of Balghats.
Eventually, the herd began to leave while the five Balghats that had been targeted by the whips were too exhausted to keep up pace, being separated from the herd eventually. The soldiers targeted them once again and caused them to faint from exhaustion.
"Our hunting efficiency has ballooned to a great level." One of the soldiers commented as he stared at Virala, "It's thanks to you, Sir."
"Yeah, it's thanks to you, Teacher." One of the kids thanked Virala, followed by the rest.
"It'll be my life's achievement if I can manage to impart all my skills to you kids before this pile of old bones cannot move any longer," Virala said and patted the four kids.
"You're still young, Teacher!" One of the kids pouted, "You'll live for a long time."
"You might even live past us, since you're so cool." Another kid commented in admiration.
"You're a genius, Teacher! The best! An enigma!"
"You are…" The last of the four kids couldn't find anything unique to praise Virala and just picked up some words from the rest, "You're the coolest enigmatic genius, Teacher who'll live long."
"I got your point…" Virala controlled his urge to facepalm and sported a gentle smile, continuing in a warm tone, "Let's practice some more once we return home."
"Yes!" The four kids were jubilant at another successful hunt. Their team had been maintaining a hundred percent success rate in all their hunts, making them the most accomplished team in the Kingdom already.
Every single time, they brought back five Balghats, the highest of all teams. Initially, when the kids didn't have much experience and had only begun to learn Iron Strengthening Art, Virala did most of the work.
But in recent times, they were performing their tasks evenly.
Moreover, one of the kids crossed twenty units of Prana at the tender age of sixteen, which was extremely high in the Noikatol Kingdom. That was enough to be labelled a genius in these parts.
The four kids assisted the soldiers in loading the Balghats onto a carriage each, following which the team pushed them toward the camping location of the Noikatol Kingdom.
"I'm excited!" One of the kids exclaimed in anticipation, "It's just a matter of time before the Varahan Empire's railway arrives here. I want to showcase my talents to the envoys."
"If only I had more than twenty units of Prana, I could have partaken in a piece of that glory too." Another kid commented in envy.
"Will the envoy even bother with us?" The third kid asked with hesitation, "The last time they appeared, they only talked to our King and never spared a glance at the rest of us."
"That was a long time ago. We've become stronger since then!" The fourth kid said and stared at Virala, "We even have someone as amazing as Teacher guiding us through cultivation."
"Teacher, what do you say?" The first kid stared at Virala, "Will the envoy be amazed by my cultivation?"
"Not really," Virala shook his head, speaking upon seeing the dampened moods of the four kids, "But they'll be in a state of disbelief if you can hunt a Balghat on your own without sustaining any injuries."
"Really?" All four kids asked in excitement.
"Yup," Virala nodded and sneakily added in a statement casually, "But even if they don't, so what? We only need to make them understand our awesomeness!"
"We're awesome, aren't we?" The kids parroted his statement, their faces beaming brightly upon getting his affirmation.
"What…about us, Sir?" Once the kids began to pull a cart faster in excitement, two of the soldiers hesitantly approached Virala and asked, "Will the envoys care to put us in their eye?"
"The weakest at the Varahan Empire has Silver Grade strength." Virala said and patted the shoulder of a dispirited soldier, "But we'll excel not in the Grade of our strength, but in the Grade of our accomplishments."
"Grade of our…accomplishments?" The soldier muttered in a daze, feeling like he was on the verge of attaining enlightenment.
"Who do you think is more valuable?" Virala posed a question while sporting a pondering expression, "A soldier that cooks or a soldier that kills?"
"Is it not the soldier that kills?" The soldier expressed his doubt.
"Will they matter?" Virala laughed, "The Varahan Emperor is a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast. The Empress is a Mystic Grade Free Human. And all their children are in the Gold Grade. Is Silver Grade strength even important to them when it comes to killing their foes?"
"…No!" The soldier shook his head, "Deities do not need the strength of us mortals."
"You're right," Virala nodded, "So if you can cook, you can actually serve a delicious meal to the Emperor and Empress."
"You're absolutely correct, Sir!" The soldier said in enlightenment, "Production roles will have significantly more value in the Varahan Empire."
"Now you're thinking on the correct track." Virala laughed, "And depending on your skill in terms of production, you'll be significantly more valued than all those Silver Grade envoys."
"After all, the taste of food doesn't depend on your Grade, but your cooking skills. Every production field is similar."
"Thank you for broadening our horizons." All the soldiers bowed towards Virala in response, "No matter how things change in the future, if there exists something clouding our judgement, we hope to seek your wisdom."
"As long as the old heart in this pile of bones thumps with life, I'll help guide you through the darkness," Virala said, smirking internally upon seeing the zealous expression on the faces of everyone.
'Fuck you, Inala. The number of people fanatically worshipping me is currently superior to yours.' Externally, he remained calm, but internally, he was shadowboxing, 'I beat you in your best field, bastard! Now, it's only a matter of time before I surpass you in every field you pride yourself in.'
Though they never expressed it openly, Inala and Virala realised that the best way to maximise their capabilities is to put their egos at stake and have a competition. Who among the duo can achieve their goal the best?
It was a simple race but one with devastating consequences for their enemies.
By evening time, the team returned to the Noikatol Kingdom to be greeted with the sight of thousands of carts filling up the place, with each being pulled by a Balghat that had been tamed and domesticated over the past two years.
The moment he arrived, a group of people rushed to him and showered him with attention.
"Sir Kvirala, please look at the fabric I dyed for you. It suits your manly mane."
"Teacher, I've perfected the jump you taught me."
"Look at me, teacher."
"Teacher…"
'Hehe, this is my victory, Inala!' Virala grinned as he smugly glanced in the direction of an old man seated on a cart while eating a fruit resembling a watermelon, spitting out the seeds rhythmically while dangling his legs carefreely like a kid.