How strong was the collecting strength of the masses? Ever since the Varahan Empire had been founded, researchers wondered about it once they were no longer worried about survival.
Majority of the dangers on Sumatra originated naught from the strong powerhouses but from the weak, especially the Iron Grade Pranic Beasts.
Whether it be a Minor Crisis that could destroy a Kingdom or a Major Disaster that can bring down even a mighty Empire to its knees, the core cause of it would be the swarm of Iron Grade Pranic Beasts.
In terms of percentage of races, Iron Grade Pranic Beast Races made up more than 99 percent of Sumatra's list. From a general consensus, Free Humans were thought of as a Silver Grade race due to them being able to scale up the Life Stage.
Similar to a Pranic Beast attaining maturity, a Free Human is said to have attained maturity upon hitting the 10-Life Stage, irrespective of his Grade. From that perspective, Free Humans were generally thought of as a special Silver Grade race.
And even including that, the number of Silver Grade races was abysmal when compared to the Iron Grade races, not to mention Gold Grade.
And usually, when something as dangerous as a Minor Crisis happens, the culprits would possess Natures that are stackable.
The Sumatra Chronicles' First Minor Crisis consisted of Mud Vipers whose Mudballs could collectively restrain a foe. The Millinger Catastrophe that Inala experienced at the Sanrey Plains had the Centingers whose Nature of Bone-Melting Artillery was also one that could be combined.
An even better example would be a Minor Crisis consisting of Slump Lizards, the Natures of whom could stack upon a target like the bodies in the Life Stage. Minor Crises formed by such Pranic Beast types were the most dangerous.
The researchers found out that in such cases, with Pranic Beasts whose Natures had a characteristic of being stackable, their presence could combine to result in a qualitative difference. What they derived from it was that Empyrean Boars should actively refrain from using such Natures, for the generated influence could stack to result in exponential damage to the Empyrean Boar.
However, the researchers were also puzzled to see their opinions take a complete reversal once Boar Kings appeared in the Varahan Empire. As they possessed Astral Chart, these stackable Natures became terrifying weapons at their disposal.
And as unfortunately witnessed by Brangara, Voracious Nature too came under this category. It could be stacked.
The mineral, Vara was obtained by grounding the tusks of Empyrean Boars. Storing Natures was the characteristic it imparted upon Free Humans who built Human Avatars using it. As a result, when a large enough population of Free Humans with Vara Human Avatars congregated in a location, the presence they released naturally combined and stacked upon itself to achieve a qualitative result. It then produced a mystical phenomenon in the skies of the Varahan Empire.
Empyrean Boar Aurora!
It was an amalgamation of the presence unleashed by the citizens of the Varahan Empire. It was a self-contained mass of presence and hence wasn't felt by any third party. However, it was a weapon, one directed by the will of the people.
If the Free Humans of the Varahan Empire prepared for war, influenced by their presence, the Empyrean Boar Aurora would charge toward their enemies and bombard them. The sheer presence built up within it was on par with a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast and could destroy any unguarded Iron Grade Pranic Beast instantly.
Even if these targets protect themselves with their presence, the majority of their strength would be used simply to defend against the Empyrean Boar Aurora, making them helpless against the Varahan Empire's army.
The researchers classified the Empyrean Boar Aurora as the Varahan Empire's symbol, of both their solidarity and power. Everyone who first witnessed it was in awe, overwhelmed by the presence that had amassed to such an extent that it was visible to the naked eye, seemingly alive.
However, there was one exception—Inala!
'Though it's possible to condense the presence of millions, thanks to their solidarity of having the same Human Avatar, and that too at the Silver Stage, all it can condense would be an entity similar to a cloud.' Inala thought focusing on faint glowing lines in the Empyrean Boar Aurora that were undetectable to others, as they were subtle and seemed weaker than the mass of presence beside them.
However, Inala felt the familiarity in them, having consumed that presence in large amounts and had even used it on multiple occasions to cause Minor Crisis on his own. This was the presence he had researched, broken down, and tabulated with extreme detail.
Brangara's Presence!
'Indeed, he has placed some of his presence in it. That's how this Empyrean Boar Aurora was born.' Inala nodded, beginning to decode the process that birthed this mystical phenomenon, intending to see if he could do something similar for the Quip Clan.
After all, the Royal Zinger too was a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast. Its Prana, and in extension, its presence was even more special than the Celestial boar's as it contained the power of Attribute.
"Now, let's get going," Wepetay said and pointed to the opposite side where another mountain stood. "That's the domestic station, Munrak."
The Munkut Station was an international station, having railways leading into various regions while the Munrak Station was the domestic station, with railways leading into different cities of the Varahan Empire.
"Do we still have a long way to go?" Inala asked, expressing confusion.
"Of course," Wepetay smiled wryly, "Our territory is another four days of travel from here."
"How big is the Varahan Empire?" One of the people from the Noikatol Kingdom asked in shock. From a small tent-living nomadic group whose entire Kingdom was within earshot to an Empire that needed freaking days to travel within its borders, it was hard to grasp the sheer change in scale.
"We have a common saying here." Wepetay laughed as he lifted his hand, "One-tenth of the Dieng Canyon's area. That's how big the Varahan Empire is, and after a few centuries, we'll become bigger than the Dieng Canyon."
"What's the Dieng Canyon?" The same individual asked in confusion.
"It's one of the biggest regions that we have records of." Wepetay said, his voice turning subtle, "And also the territory of one of our enemies."
"We…have enemies?" Many Free Humans from the Noikatol Kingdom were stunned to hear that, wondering how a behemoth such as the Varahan Empire could have enemies. Or rather, how daring were they to target such an exponentially growing force?
"You'll learn of everything eventually." Wepetay didn't wish to conduct a class out in the public like this, for it'll seem like he hadn't done a well-enough job at education, even though such affairs would only be taught after a Free Human became the Varahan Empire's citizen.
The group left the Munkut Station and entered an administrative building where everyone was given an identity card that signalled them as a citizen. As for how the identity card looked?
"Hand?" The Administrative Officer stared at Inala, asking upon seeing Inala's plain-looking hand, "I asked you to show me your Human Avatar."
"Yes, it's here," Inala said and pointed to the palm print on his hand.
"Hmm?" The Administrative Officer placed his finger on Inala's palm and inserted his Prana, detecting the Vara Human Avatar, "Indeed, I would have never expected it could be constructed like this. People usually start with their nails, as it's the easiest."
"Oh, this was easier for me," Inala smiled wryly, observing the Administrative Officer to see if there would be any change in the latter's expression. But upon seeing no change, he thought, 'So, the Varahan Empire hasn't learnt about Prana Stitch yet. I thought they would have found some details considering how active the Quip Clan would have been by now.'
Though he was here, he knew of the Quip Clan's plans. By now, his main body must have finished the accumulation phase and entered the active phase, deploying the entire Quip Clan to serve his bidding.
'Maybe they are yet to understand Prana Stitch, even after seeing it in action.' He thought, 'That might be why there's no reaction from this official.'
The official was a Free Human at the 3-Lfie Stage, someone at the forefront of the Empire's Free Humans. So, he might be pretty high up on the pecking ladder. If even someone like him had no idea, then the general populace would be even more clueless.
'Or even if they have started to investigate, they're probably keeping it up in wraps within the Wean Clan.' Inala thought as he felt a mild jerk, feeling as if he had been electrocuted when the Administrative Officer inserted a condensed mass of Prana into the palm print.
"Good, there's enough Vara to hold an Iron Grade Nature." The Administrative Officer said after placing a Nature in Inala's Vara Palm Print, "If its quantity was any less, I would have had to delay your citizenship."
He then spoke after a moment, his expression serious, "This Nature will serve as your identity. If you were to lose it, you'd have to go through a series of bureaucratic processes before you'd be given a new identity. So, take ample care of it and never use it."
Nature—Statue!
It was the Beginner Iron Grade Pranic Beast, Petrified Geese's Primary Nature. Inala observed the Nature lying at rest in his Vara Palm Print, observing that the Nature of Statue was absorbing some of his Prana to influence it, resulting in a unit of Prana that was static.
This unit of Prana couldn't be used unless Inala activates the Nature of Statue. It was also permanently housed in the Vara Palm Print. Under the influence of Statue, which had very obviously been altered by Brangara in his Astral World, would generate a unique presence signature that the Administrative Officers and others part of the institution could detect through the use of a Skill and verify that he was a Varahan Empire citizen. They had a set of Skills to derive all of Inala's basic information through this presence alone, from his name, appearance, age, disclosed power, assets owned, etc. It was similar to the Brimgan Empire's Spirit Weapon Identity Card but was achieved through a Nature.
'Brangara can influence all Tangible Natures in his Astral World. That's how this unique identification system had been created.' Inala thought as he accompanied Wepetay and left the Administrative Office, soon entering the Munrak Station which was pretty similar in design to the Munkut Station.
"Activate your Human Avatars as you pass this spot," Wepetay said as he pointed at a section of the corridor from where they could enter one of the platforms. "They'll check our identification and only then allow us entry."
Inala observed a team of Free Humans seated on the other side of the porous wall, unleashing their Prana Detection methods and constantly keeping a Skill activated. As Inala walked past the section, he felt a mild prickle in his Vara Palm Print as the faint presence pressing down on him vanished.
"When that faint pressure vanishes, it means there are no issues with our identity certificate. But if there's an issue, the pressure would intensify and a team of security would spontaneously jump us." Wepetay laughed, mildly tensed, "One of us from the Noikatol Kingdom mistakenly activated his Nature of Statue out of curiosity and entered here after it was deactivated."
"He was jumped by twenty guards and beaten up severely, only after which did they begin an investigation." He wiped the sweat covering his forehead and bowed faintly towards the people behind the wall who were steadily glaring at him, the previous incident fresh in their minds.
"You're not to blame for the mistakes of others," Inala said and patted Wepetay on the shoulder.
"No, I'm responsible for leading everyone from the Noikatol Kingdom. So, if anyone from my group makes a mistake, I'm the one the Empire holds accountable." Wepetay said as he heaved a sigh in relief when no problems cropped up from the Noikatol Kingdom civilians.
He then led everyone to the respective railway that soon departed for their destination. Inala found himself seated in a room similar to the one he had travelled through for ten days. He closed his eyes and began to rest, resuming his thoughts.
Gradually, his mood shifted, his expression calm, and collected, his fluttering eyelids opening up to reveal eyes of resolve, 'I'm sorry, Brangara.'
'Your happy days are now numbered.'