Hunger!
Right as the sensation gripped the very depths of his being, Brangara found himself sent flying into the Influenced Region of Armoury, "Grrahh!"
Ivory chains wrapped around whole while harpoons stabbed into his chest, intending to dig deeper. However, all they did was produce scraping noises, grating to the eras, loud like thunder. They were all heavy, but despite their power, they failed to pierce the Celestial Boar's skin.
Expert Mystic Grade Pranic Beast-Celestial Boar!
In preparation to have a great feast, Brangara had assumed his Celestial Boar form, which was how he was able to manually tank the attacks of Armoury without any defensive measures. In the meantime, the two Major Treasures and 58 Minor Treasures in Astral World erected their respective influence, forcefully trying to stabilise Brangara.
His eyes flickered in and out of a state of delirious hunger. On one side, every existence in his Astral World served to protect him and make him regain his composure. On the other side, there was Resha.
Crackle!
The ivory harpoons trying to dig into the Celestial Boar's chest suddenly vibrated fiercely, accumulating a large volume of Prana. In response, they began to pierce through the skin, little by little, millimetre after millimetre.
Expert Mystic Grade Pranic Beast-Mystic Tentacle!
Running across the ivory sands of the Kalahatra Desert was a small, humanoid existence, barely reaching a height of eight metres. It had a pair of arms and legs, shaped almost humanoid save for gills across the biceps, triceps, and calves.
The head resembled an octopus as eight tentacles dangled from its sides, sweetly dancing in the wind as if they had no weight. In terms of appearance, it didn't strike menacing, not in the slightest. However, that was until one stared at its eyes.
In the centre was a circle, resembling a human. Bordering it, forming a dozen tangents were scaly eyes resembling a cat. And often times blooming across the centre like a series of cascading images were rectangles resembling a goat. The patterns in the eyes moved creepily, capable of subconsciously influencing anyone who gazes at them for long into going mad.
All being at the Iron Grade would lose control of their senses as their Spirit Containers would shatter from a mere glance at these eyes. Prana would be ejected out of their body with such force their blood vessels would explode, pronouncing their death.
This would happen with a mere glance, even when the Mystic Tentacle never emits its presence or even does its best to hide itself. One glance was enough.
Silver grade Pranic Beasts would typically go mad and oftentimes mutate into weaker versions of themselves if they dared stare into the Mystic Tentacle's eyes for long. Gold Grade Pranic Beasts could endure this gaze thanks to the robustness of their physique and Prana.
However, that was until the Mystic Tentacle unleashes its power. Throughout history, a Mystic Tentacle never had to go all out, as it was the only Mystic Grade existence on Sumatra. Before the first Invasion, there weren't even powerful Gold Grade Pranic Beasts that could dare breathe in their presence.
Even the Empyrean Tusks and Empyrean Snappers only appeared during the Mudropper Invasion. Throughout history, one of the few times a Mystic Tentacle felt challenged was when the Brimgan Ancestor entered the Mystic Grade.
But that was an era of the past, with Sumatra's power system developed to an inferior extent when compared to the present. In terms of sheer power, Boul Brimgan far outclassed the Brimgan Ancestor. With Deity Fusion, he could achieve an unprecedented level of power, the peak of what Free Humans had been able to achieve now.
With his current strength, he could fight an Iron Transcendent and emerge victorious. And Boul Brimgan was merely one of the fighters of the Third Major Disaster. The level of pinnacle power that could be achieved on Sumatra Continent had reached a whole other realm.
It was why, for the first time in history that a Mystic Tentacle could progress through the Life Stage and reach the high level of 8-Life Stage in the form of Yahard Tusk, he felt powerless. After all, despite his best attempts, he couldn't achieve it.
State of Harmony!
'Why? Just why can't I achieve it?' Yahard Tusk wrecked his brain as he raced towards the Influenced Region of Armoury, watching flashes of energy waves blast forth within the ivory sandstorm.
Secondary Nature-Thought Condensation!
Yahard Tusk infused his Prana into the ivory chains of Armoury and gave it a vibrational nature, allowing them to pierce through the Celestial Boar's flesh with better effectiveness.
Boom!
Suddenly, a ginormous portion of the sandstorm was splashed away, revealing the figure of Brangara that had assumed his Celestial Boar form. This resulting in an expansion of space, causing the ivory sandstorm to be pushed back.
Of course, as part of Armoury, the sandstorm could recover without issues as long as there exists enough sand in the region. Unlike the Attributed Region that had to be formed over time, the Armoury wasn't a physical entity.
It was more of a condensed power of psychokinesis which controlled the sand in the vicinity. Thereby, even if a portion of it gets dispersed, it won't sustain any damage. As a result, after turning Armoury into ivory sand, Resha became capable of controlling it.
Grehha had been aiming for the Major Treasure of Weapon as part of his build precisely because through his Primary Nature of Spirit Bone, he could turn Armoury into something he could control. Of course, in extension, Resha too could control it through his Secondary Nature of Mystic Bone.
'Armoury is under our control.' Yahard Tusk thought as he activated Mystic Bone Art and jumped into the ivory sandstorm. While it was active, the sandstorm didn't harm him. Rather, it could support and reinforce him.
The region around him was filled with the power of psychokinesis, at his beck and call as long as he used Mystic Bone Art. A thought from him and the ivory sand condensed into a staircase, on which he ran forth and raced towards the top where the Celestial Boar was propped up, bound by chains.
[Good, you're right on time. Focus on reinforcing my attacks through Thought Condensation!]
A clump of ivory sand condensed into a solid to become a Bone Slip as Yahard Tusk grabbed it, accessing it to hear Resha's voice. He turned around to see a figure fly past him like a meteor and slam into the Celestial Boar's head, denting it severely.
[Alright!]
Yahard Tusk gathered Prana and focused it upon the hammer that Resha had condensed using
tusk bone powder, raising its temperatures to the extreme. Immediately in response, Resha grunted, raised its weight to the limit towards the end of his swing and slammed it into the Celestial Boar's lower jaw, dislocating it.
Boom!
A dozen spikes resembling the tusks of an Empyrean Tusk pierced through the Celestial Boar's
back and began to eat it up from the inside. Their tips were laden with grey sand. But a second later, the grey sand was extracted, turned into a clump and then reshaped into a sword.
The Celestial Boar grabbed the sword and swung it, causing an arc of grew across the ivory sandstorm. As chains wrapped around its arm, preventing it from swinging, the sword moved on its own thanks to Subtle Terrain Domination and diced all the chains binding its body.
With that, it was freed.
Yahard Tusk watched with bated breath as the eyes of the Celestial Boar glared deep into his Mystic Tentacle eyes, not in the slightest unfazed as its body fell towards the ground.
Outclassed!
Yahard Tusk could feel it clearly. Without a State of Harmony, he was outclassed in this fight, 'Dammit! Is there nothing I could do?'
"Are you bothered?" Suddenly, Resha's voice resounded from behind him as Yahard Tusk turned around in surprise.
"How are you behind me?" Yahard Tusk expressed in fluster. He then stared forward, looking
at the spot where Resha had just been fighting against the Celestial Boar, "Weren't you there just now...?"
"It's not the time for small talk," Resha uttered as he wiped his sweat and then used External Inertial Gravity to pull out droplets of the Attributed Region that had lodged into his body during one of the splashes on the Celestial Boar.
"These are freaking heavy," Resha muttered as he stared at the droplets of Attributed Region
and dropped them to the ground, feeling an immediate ease in his body. He then let out a soft sigh and stared at Yahard Tusk, "Why aren't you going all out?"
"It's not that I can't," Yahard Tusk shook his head, "I am just unable to use it. My three
Natures are unable to enter a state of Harmony."
"Then destroy them," Resha pointed at Yahard Tusk's ribs, "Minor Treasure of Orakha's
Checkpoint. They have been connected to your Tertiary Nature of Daily Checkpoint. You can't use them, but they're interfering with your Daily Checkpoint."
"I'm pretty sure you're aware of them being behind why you're unable to enter the State of Harmony." Resha frowned, "So, just destroy them. Do that and you can unleash it."
"Or..." Resha glared at Yahard Tusk for a moment before uttering in disappointment, "Are
you hoping that Orakha would return? Do you feel he can better wield the Mystic Tentacle's power? Is that why you're holding onto those Minor Treasures?"
"I..." Yahard Tusk hesitated, only to be grabbed by the neck as Resha's anger-induced voice
reverberated in his ears.
"Look down," Resha said and pressed Yahard tusk on the back of his head, forcefully making
him bend until he could see the figure of the Celestial Boar at the foot of the flight of stairs they were standing upon. "Look at that bastard."
The Celestial Boar was standing still for a moment, before which a beam of light slammed
into his head, followed by a corkscrew, and then followed by a wormy existence with the head of the Empyrean Boar King.
By the end of the series of attacks, the Celestial Boar stood headless. However, a fraction of a
second later, its head regrew. Moreover, after it regrew, some more clarity had returned to its
eyes. "See that bastard! Every time he regenerates his head, his Prana mends the damage done to his mind, allowing him to recover little by little."
"Worst of all, irrespective of how many times we kill him, he has yet to drop from the 9-Life Stage."
"That's...impossible!" Yahard Tusk stammered, "H-How is he so strong?"
"He retains this level of strength after we fucked up his mind. And unless we keep damaging
him, he'll recover." Resha said coldly, "The only way to kill him is to destroy Astral World. But even Barla's Astral Puncture failed to damage it. So, our options are limited."
He raised his hand and slapped Yahard Tusk on the cheek, "We literally don't have the
patience to cater to your inferiority. Yes, either the Chief or Orakha would have been better candidates. But they made their choice and you accepted this power."
"So, don't act in a way that would insult the prestige of the Blessed Race of Sumatra." He
glared. "Even with your full strength, you'll be inferior to Barla. I'm not even counting on you
to be a heavy hitter. Just reinforce me so that my attacks can damage him better. We only need to buy four seconds for Inala to take action."
"I...will try. But, are you confident, Resha?" Yahard Tusk gathered his courage to ask, "I don't wish to regret my choice. The Mammoth Clan doesn't have the means to retain the power of the Mystic Tentacle race anymore. So, if I were to die here, the Mammoth Clan will lose our
sole Mystic Grade strength."
"Sole Mystic Grade?" Resha chuckled as Prana burst out of his being, causing the entire ivory
sandstorm to turn still, as if time had been stopped, "In the past, the present, and in the future, I represent the peak of the Mammoth Clan."
"HA...HAHAHA!" In the Transcendent World of Tentacles of Tusk that was in fight with a
ginormous entity, the raucous roar of Mahira Tusk resounded, brimming with joy, and in response, her strength seemed to blossom.
As the ivory sandstorm came to a standstill, it was the cue for everyone to vacate. A Biome
Bomb slammed into all the combatants, including Yahard Tusk, enveloped them, and vanished, reappearing at a spot ten kilometres away.
Other than the hiding figure of Root, everyone else had gathered to watch the spectacle. With bated breaths, Inala, Virala, Yennda, Boul Brimgan, Yahard Tusk, and Barla observed.
"Yes...finally!" In the underground of a faraway Dungeon, Grehha's eyes were closed as his
fists were clenched tight in expectation. In the Kalahatra Desert, Pet jumped out of the ivory sand, panting in exhaustion as it landed next to Inala.
Reverting to Grehha's human form, it watched with the fiercest excitement.
"Haah!" The Attributed Region sphere revolved around her as Yarsha Zahara used it to cut
through a series of carnivorous mouths ganging upon her, arriving at a stop suddenly when it seemed Blola wasn't paying attention to her anymore, 'Is he distracted?'
"No...what is this?" She gazed in shock as a portion of the wall opened up to reveal the ivory sandstorm that had come to a standstill as Blola's voice resounded confidently.
"If the circumstances had been different, we would have achieved this two millennia ago.
However, it's not too late. Watch it, Yarsha, before you breathe your last." Blola's voice resounded in pride, "This is the culmination of evolution that the Mammoth Clan had harnessed for thirteen millennia, the pinnacle of power a Mammoth Clansman could naturally attain in future generations now that it has been unlocked."
"T-That's..." Yarsha's expression slowly morphed into fear as the ivory sandstorm coiled to
resemble a cocoon that cracked and shattered. And then, an overwhelming weight pressed down on every single existence present in the Kalahatra Desert.
Reaching the skies to achieve a size deemed impossible for a living being that wasn't a
Transcendent was this existence, making Armoury itself seem like a toddler in comparison, towering over all.
Clouds of bone condensed beside it, transformed into spikes, and rained down onto the Celestial Boar that barely crossed its ankle. And then, it stomped on the latter.
Advanced Mystic Grade Pranic Beast-Empyrean Supreme!