'It could figure out so much in such a short interaction?' Shuwrak Zahara was finding it more and more difficult to control his facial expressions, 'Is every Brully this capable? Or is the one before me an exception?'
'But overall, it'll be a great asset to our library.' He thought and nodded, "Since you've figured that out, then I won't hide it."
"There's a thin layer of coating present on the inner layer of the Millinger's skull. Using it as a catalyst, the spikes growing on its upper body are burnt in a vacuum after being mixed with Parute Fruits in a one-one ratio." He said, "After it burns for 40 days, the vacuum container is unsealed and then goes through a series of separation and filtration stages."
"How much do you get at the end?" Inala asked.
"14 tonnes of spikes, 280 kilograms of the inner skull layer, and an equal weight of Parute Fruits." Shuwrak Zahara sighed, "All to produce 80 kilograms of Millanir, a gelatinous substance used to build my Human Avatar."
"It's expensive," Inala said, "Using so much Parute Fruits for one individual alone would prove to be hard even at the Varahan Empire."
"I have to contribute accordingly." Shuwrak Zahara smiled, "But I've managed to do that and even exceeded to be granted for production and early storage of more Millanir."
"Now that we're done with this conversation, let's head to your dwelling." Saying so, Shuwrak Zahara escorted Inala outside and through a series of railways, with each one sporting strict checks. Finally, they arrived at a small fort situated at the literal edge of Sumatra, protecting a narrow path that stretched into another landmass through a region of absolute darkness.
Varahan Enclave!
'So, that's where they are researching. Makes sense from a safety and secrecy standpoint.' Inala thought. Unlike Binkn City, which had risks of invasion, the Varahan Enclave was safe.
Surrounded by the Sandy Grey Void on all sides, the Wean Clan only had to protect the narrow entrance. This way, they could protect everything of interest in the Varahan Enclave.
"Follow me." Saying so, Shuwrak Zahara escorted Inala through the narrow route.
"This place makes my stomach churn." Inala muttered, feeling nausea the moment he stared at the Sandy-Grey Void, feeling a sense of fear too. Every Pranic Beast did that, for the Sandy- Grey Void was a forbidden zone for them, of absolute death.
Only a Mudropper, the Celestial Boar and the Royal Zinger could freely explore the place. As a Brully, Inala wasn't immune to the dangers of the Sandy-Grey Void.
Of course, if necessary, he could use his Major Treasure of Weapon to create a Spirit Weapon out of the grey sand. However, that was only a method to survive the region. He would still be feeling nausea and fear from the place.
The narrow path was also making him claustrophobic, "Let's hurry."
'So, a Brully doesn't like being near the Sandy-Grey Void.' Shuwrak Zahara observed Inala and assumed, not planning anything with this info.
Soon, they had arrived at the Varahan Enclave.
"This place has been extensively developed," Inala muttered upon seeing a series of nests span until the end of his sight, all strategically placed at the centre of dense forests.
Yoked Wyrms populated the place, enriching the growth of the trees while converting the biomass into a part of their body, which the carnivores then consumed.
The population explosion of the Yoked Wyrms was closely monitored and controlled while the effects of a variety of Natures had been used to harmonise the place.
"It's like a formation has been put in place." Inala muttered upon observing the place from the entrance, "Every single nest here serves as a hub of a larger circuit, with its overall goal being to maximise the production of resources."
"That's some stellar deduction right there." Shuwrak Zahara praised, "Currently, the Varahan Enclave is capable of sustaining a full-force Wean Clan population of twenty thousand."
By full force, it meant Clansmen at the 10-Life Stage. That was how much the Varahan Enclave could sustain, "Of course, our consumption is well under the limit. We have been using the excess to trade with the Quip Clan for resources that cannot be procured in this region."
"Prana Bombs..." Inala muttered and stared at Shuwrak Zahara, "You only need to consume a Zinger to create Prana Bombs. With your excess resources, you can farm for Prana Bombs and use this as currency to get better deals with the Quip Clan."
"Exactly," Shuwrak Zahara smirked, "The universality and storage convenience presented by the Prana Bombs make it a currency superior to Prana Bombs. Usually, the Quip Clan charges excess fees on their resources, since there's transport involved on multiple fields."
"They have to buy our resources, pay us with Prana Bombs, exchange the resources at their base to gather a batch of Prana Bombs, which they transact at the place they're purchasing resources for our requirements. It's a multi-step process with resource conversion involved at two places."
"The involved logistics raises the prices a lot, since everything needs to be transported a long distance while the volume of goods is too much even for the Quip Clan." Shuwrak Zahara continued, "Instead, if we were to use Prana Bombs, many steps can be omitted as the Prana Bombs could directly be sent to the seller without requiring any resource exchange."
"That means you can afford to ask for discounts." Inala concluded the explanation, "Since it's easy for the Quip Clan to buy and sell with you, as both sides can produce this currency."
"Exactly," Shuwrak Zahara laughed, "Depending on the goods, we can claim as high as a fifty percent discount."
'If my memory serves right,' Inala frowned, 'At that level of discount, the profits should be minimal. Well, it's their headache and decision. I'm not a part of them anymore.'
The group walked for twenty kilometres as Shuwrak Zahara conversed with him patiently. As a Brully, Inala welcomed the walk. Besides, conversing with the Free Human beside him proved
to be valuable.
"As a nanny, you're in charge of their education?" Inala asked.
"I precisely teach them what it means to be weak and trigger their need for survival." Shuwrak
Zahara grinned, "I can easily dismantle a Wean Clansman and render them no different to a mortal before me. Being that weak makes them use their head better and curbs their arrogance as much as possible."
"Which brings me to this question," Shuwrak Zahara stared at Inala, "I never noticed you being arrogant at all. As a Gold Grade Pranic Beast, you've been exceedingly humble. How is that possible?"
"A Brully's arrogance emerges after it beats up an opponent." Inala laughed heartily, "This is how we are the rest of the time."
"I see," Shuwrak Zahara nodded and arrived at a stop, pointing at a mountain before him, "Hollow Mountain, it's the location of the gold Varahan Library."
"This artificial mountain had been created by using a Rockatrice's Rocky Intimidation to form
a lump of rock. Then, we used Imprison to latch it onto a large wooden structure we had built temporarily. Once the rock had solidified, we burned off the wooden structure, resulting in this Hollow Mountain." Shuwrak Zahara explained.
The Hollow Mountain reached a height of six kilometres and occupied a base area of 64
square kilometres on the inside. The open area was shaped like a circle with an area of 64 square kilometres while the space was shaped like a cone.
There was no hole at the top, and the mountain wall was a kilometre thick, reinforced through
a variety of techniques. The entrance had been created to facilitate the movement of Gold Grade Pranic Beasts.
The door was a kilometre-long column of reinforced earth, forming the same thickness as the
mountain wall. A hydraulic apparatus had been created underneath it, accompanied by a series of Drifting Tunnels to poise it down when necessary.
When the Drifting Tunnel wasn't used, the water pressure would keep the column at ground
level, sealing up the entrance.
Rumble!
Reaching a hundred metres tall and two hundred metres wide, the entrance was big enough
for most Gold Grade Pranic Beasts to enter. Even at his maturity, Inala would reach a perfect height of 100 metres. The entrance would still be enough for him then.
Of course, an Empyrean Tusk and Empyrean Snapper wouldn't be able to enter this place. And of course, they would never gain entry to this place, since they each had a Clan of their own.
This library was established to serve the self-interests of the Wean Clan only. The Gold Grade Pranic Beasts could benefit from it, since the were primarily in charge of building up the
knowledge reserve in the place.
Gold Varahan Library!
With bated breath, Inala walked through the kilometre-long entrance and sauntered inside, observing spheres of Vara embedded across the inner wall, amidst rings of luminescent moss that kept the place well-lit while also regulating the air and humidity of the place.
Inala noticed patches of even Spirit Moss, which enriched the air with a faint stream of Prana, truly turning the place into a haven of knowledge.
These Vara Sphere acted as Information Slips. Other than that, there were no other objects in
the library.
[A newcomer?]
A clickety voice resounded as Inala's attention immediately fell on the source, 'A bird?'
'No, it doesn't have wings.' He calmed down momentarily after and observed the Pranic Beast, smirking soon after, "A heavy hitter from the very beginning, huh?"
It had the head of a bird beak, attached to a serpentine body. A tree foliage stretched from its
midriff, shaped like a pair of wings, but without the wingspan necessary to assume flight. It resembled a tree during autumn, bereft of leaves.
A single eye was embedded within the beak, visible once the mouth was opened, which was how the beast perceived its surroundings. It was a creature mentioned in passing in Sumatra Chronicles, but never encountered, for it was a scavenger and never revealed itself before
other beings.
'A predator that operates in some regions of the Dieng Canyon and targets the Zingers that are
too tired to climb up the cliffs.' Inala laughed upon staring at the creature whose cross-
section alone was almost his height. "A pleasure to meet you."
[...Likewise! But don't beat me up! I'm not a fighter.]