There was a letter inside, the sole item on the first floor of the Storage Lantern. Inala picked it up and read its contents aloud. "Dear Inala, you are now my Spirit Weapon, and mine alone. But, the current you is too weak. Hence, to make you useful, I have left behind a gift. Work hard in the remaining eleven months. Time is ticking down."
"Yours Charmingly,"
"Oyo."
He shuddered at the sentence and sighed in defeat, 'I messed up.'
In terms of trade, it was a resounding success. He gained three Skills that would form the core of his strength in the future. But in terms of stability, he lost sight of the future.
"Word hard in the remaining eleven months." It meant Granny Oyo was now aware that the 44th Empyrean Tusk would die in that time frame. This was information only the Settlement Leader, Bora Tusk ought to know.
The fact that Granny Oyo knew it meant she would take steps to ensure her survival. History would change drastically...heck, it already did. After a moment, Inala stabilised his mind, "Just the regressor's presence alone will alter the future to an unrecognisable state. But six other cooks are steering the pot. Things are bound to get messed up."
The moment he had the thought, he no longer cared about Granny Oyo learning the truth. Even she couldn't change anything. After all, if it was ever revealed that she knew the truth of their Empyrean Tusk's life reaching its end, she'll be beheaded swiftly.
Therefore, all Granny Oyo could do would be to prioritise her safety and survival. By selling medicine, she had accumulated a lot of wealth. She'll begin liquidising her assets to raise her strength as much as possible while also gathering as much resources as possible for her future.
And the most stable way to hoard wealth was in a Storage Lantern. The fact that she gave him one expressed her intention clearly. She was giving him the means to prepare for the day when they might have to live without the support of an Empyrean Tusk.
'Thankfully, I have the Prana Domination Skill.' It didn't matter how much Granny Oyo learnt from him. She would be the last to do so. Prana Domination Skill not only allowed him to gain control of the target's Prana, it also strengthened his defences against such attempts.
It meant even if Resha were to use the Skill on him in the future, it wouldn't work, for he would have the means to defend himself against it. Moreover, if the level of his Prana Domination Skill reaches Granny Oyo's calibre, he could break out of being her Spirit Weapon. He had the confidence in achieving that.
The letter was short, but it lit a fire in him, especially since the wording used was pretty...endearing. "Did I somehow open a romance route? I never thought I had it in me."
He turned the letter and noticed a couple of lines written there, "I have confiscated Inala's Comedy Troupe. Don't reveal the Puppetry Skill just to earn some Parute. With the upgraded version and your art skills, it can save your life."
"She knows about my art skill..." Inala muttered as he pondered the statement and focused on the Puppetry Skill, understanding what she was getting at.
Inala opened the second floor of the Storage Lantern and saw it stuffed to the brim with hardened mud. The third floor contained the various clay and the toxins he had refined for their creation.
The items on the second and third floors were what he had accumulated in his room. Now, they were neatly packed in order. It was the fourth floor that held Granny Oyo's gift.
Inala opened it and noticed a row of medicine there. There primarily was the Mud Viper Tonic, one refined with the Skill he revealed to Granny Oyo. There was a litre of it there. Placed next to it in a jar were Parute Fruits, eight hundred in total.
The amount he was promised by Virala was already here. It was just that Granny Oyo never revealed the matter to Virala, causing him to think he had pulled one over Inala.
Just that allowed Inala to comment smugly, "It means in her mind, I'm placed way above you, Virala. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
He was off to a solid start in this race, having already gathered most of the treasures he needed. Now, all that was left was to attend today's event, "She already warned me against revealing the Puppetry Skill."
It made sense. The original Puppetry Skill had no combat value. It was created for entertainment purposes. But after Granny Oyo upgraded it, the Skill allowed him to fool others using clones of himself.
The clone was just a moving sculpture of himself. But how realistic it could become depended solely on his art skills. And indeed, not revealing it might just end up saving his life in the future.
"If I can't use it to earn Parute, then there's only one other option." This was originally part of his plan anyway. Now, he just had to proceed with it directly instead of using it alongside the Inala Comedy Troupe.
Based on Ruvva's shout, there was less than an hour before the event starts. "I need to hurry."
Inala grabbed the Mud Viper Tonic and gulped down large mouthfuls, using Elixir Condensation and Toxin Refinement Skills in conjunction to raise their effectiveness to the limit. As he activated the Mystic Bone Art, his body temperature rose as the fainter cracks in his bones began to heal up immediately.
And once he healed enough, his pain returned, causing him to grit his teeth to avoid roaring. He got up, now having enough strength as he propped his shattered right leg back in its rightful place, watching the healing effect begin rejoining the bones, "Virala..."
His eyes were bloodshot, "I'll break your legs too."
...
Instructor Mandu, an elite with barely any presence in the Academy of Refinement despite teaching one of the most important classes, a face every student saw for a few years at the very least.
He currently stood at the academy's training ground, watching the students assemble into a file based on their batches. 'I'll never get used to the reduced numbers.'
Following the First Minor Crisis, their settlement's population shrunk in half. In the academy, one-third of the students died to the Mud Vipers.
Instructor Mandu stared at the frontmost row which was almost empty, save for a couple of students. The youngest ones were the most targeted by the Mud Vipers. 'Fucking Beasts!'
'I need to relax.' Even if he became angry, nothing will change. That one nest had enough capability to swallow their settlement whole, including their Empyrean Tusk. If they hadn't managed to break free, everyone might have become a snack.
"Hah..." After exhaling softly, he firmed himself and bellowed upon seeing all the students had gathered, "It's a bright day today!"
"The herd has reached the Ennoudu Plains and has decided to stop for a day. While the Empyrean Tusks rest and replenish their resources, there will be a fair. It's time for all 44 settlements to mingle." He shouted and began distributing 10 Parute fruits to each student, "You're all students, so nothing much is expected from you lot. Use these funds to buy anything you fancy. And most of all,"
His voice exuded fighting spirit, boosting the morale of everyone, "Don't disgrace our settlement's name."
"In the name of the 44th Empyrean Tusk!"
"In the name of the 44th Empyrean Tusk!" All the students shouted, including Inala who did so from the last row, observing the reincarnates and the regressor standing next to him, prepared, 'Things are starting to get serious now.'
It was finally the time to soar while clipping the wings of each other.
