"There was a point in history when the Mudroppers almost destroyed a tenth of Sumatra Continent," Inala said, having gotten to that part in his comprehension of the Mudropper's data. "They are a terrifying race."
"Then, what happened?" Wittral asked, interested.
"They were actively hunted by the Mammoth Ancestor and the latest Mystic Empyrean Tentacle." Inala said, "It seems the survivors dwindled in numbers until only one survived. Generation after generation, they continued their line until my teacher appeared."
"Teacher fused the three pieces of Sumatra Gold into my stomach." Inala said, "It was to aid in my growth and eventually allow me to obtain strength on par with a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast. But, there are many problems associated with it."
"Thankfully," Inala grinned cheerfully, "I met you and gained your power. Through Subtle Terrain Domination, I can adjust things in my stomach to have an easier time. As long as my expertise with it increases, I'll be rid of all pain and side effects eventually."
"And I…" His face reddened mildly in response, "might be able to live with you as a full-fledged woman."
Wittral blushed at the declaration and asked, "How long do you need to cure yourself?"
"Maybe a bit over a decade or two." Inala said after a moment of thought, "It might be faster if you help me."
"Obviously," Wittral responded promptly, "You'll be free sooner than you expect. I'll help you ease your pain."
It was bullshit, but Inala was basically buying time for himself with this lie. He wasn't dense and knew that by now, Wittral was smitten with Amita Brimgan. And the fact that Inala's female form had become a Cooter Clansman meant it was extremely easy to conceive Wittral's child.
Wittral had an instinctive disposition to treat Free Humans as servants, as that was common sense at the Cooter Clan. Despite that, he developed feelings for Amita Brimgan. After Inala's female form became a Cooter Clansman, Wittral had no mental inhibitions to truly pursue the woman he liked.
And now, the two of them had come to the Brimgan Empire to start a new life. Obviously, Wittral intended to have children. Therefore, he was looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, that was extremely risky for Inala. His male form already had Gannala as his child. But if his female form too were to have one, his mind would collapse into two. It hadn't been long, but minor issues had already started to crop up in his mind since the moment Wittral kissed his female form.
At present, there are two major ticking time bombs in Inala's body—Internal Inertial Gravity and Subtle Terrain Domination.
Both were peak Gold Grade Natures, influencing him strongly. With both positioned on opposite sides, they would play tug of war in his mind, trying to make his sense of being lean in favour of the Mammoth Clan and Cooter Clan respectively.
At present, the Mammoth Clan had a massive advantage due to its accumulated influence. Even the existence of Gannala was an influence from an emotional perspective, grounding Inala's actions to the Mammoth Clan's benefit.
But if his female form were to have a child, based on his character, he would obviously value that child equal to Gannala. That would mean a stronger split between his genders, which would be no different from adding gunpowder to an already burning flame.
He would develop a split personality as his mind collapses and he goes insane. Before getting the Attribute and completing his evolution, Inala wanted to avoid adding extra burden on himself.
Inala had a plan for all his Natures for when he evolves. He was a Zinger, developing his Spirit Container into a Zinger Body. Therefore, only his Primary Nature of Royalty was safe for him. Bearing its influence was something natural for him, as he would indeed become more like a Zinger over time.
But the other Natures negatively influenced him. If he doesn't take care of them, his situation will become no different from the pitiful fate of the Empyrean Boar race. The solution to that was his evolution in which he would heavily influence all his Natures through Royalty and transform them into a form that aligns with his being as a Zinger.
Until that happened, he would have to keep Wittral at bay and prevent him from getting Amita Brimgan pregnant. The Sumatra Gold was the perfect excuse for that. Thanks to it, he could buy enough time.
A decade wasn't a long time for Wittral, someone with a lifespan of two millennia. And as a perfect Empyrean Snapper, he possessed the maximum possible lifespan of his race, able to remain young and healthy even towards the rear end of his lifespan.
However, if Inala had asked for a longer time, there was a good chance Wittral wouldn't have been able to hold back. To avoid any unnecessary drama, he made a calculation and opted for the most optimal solution.
'I'll just leave the issues after that time to the future me. Can't afford to fret too much so early.' Inala thought and sighed mentally. He then noticed Wittral's expression and decided instantly, 'It's safer to sleep in another room. He's showing characteristics similar to Asaeya but there's no Gannala to keep him in check.'
It was Inala's own choices that created the current mess. It was his responsibility to swim through it. Letting out a long exhale, he made Wittral carry their luggage and made his way toward the Brimgan Empire, "We still have a day's journey left."
"Is it safe to carry so many Elixirs in the open?" Wittral frowned, "I don't know how Free Human civilisations work, but this is a staggering level of wealth in possession of two Spirit Stage weaklings, right?"
Currently, Wittral had 22 Prana while Inala had 24, a pitiful sum. They would be considered cultivators at the Spirit Stage, since their presence only emanated as such. Even a single Low-Grade Elixir was dangerous to be carried by such people, not to mention a truckload of them.
"Yes, there will be a luggage inspection unless we bribe the gatekeepers." Inala said, "But with our strength, giving a bribe is a death sentence. They'll know we're wealthy and will target us later."
"Then, we need to hide them…" Wittral surveyed his surroundings, trying to find a safe spot to bury the Elixirs.
"That won't be necessary," Inala said and looked around, finding a decent sludge that he splashed on his dress. Once his clothes were dirty enough, he tore them around the edges expertly, quickly making them resemble the rags of a poor refugee fleeing from a collapsed Kingdom.
He then did the same to Wittral's clothes, ignoring the latter's displeasure to comment casually, "Get used to it. You no longer have the endless wealth of the Cooter Clan at your disposal."
"I know…" Wittral grumbled in distaste but didn't resist. It did hurt him to see his robe being turned into rags. Though, truth be told, he was in awe of Inala's skills to turn the robe into a rag and even age it accordingly, as if he had worn it for months.
Following that, Inala did the same to the bag and using Subtle Terrain Dominance, added a coating of stone and mud to the vials. Wittral had to help with the process, since he didn't have the necessary expertise yet.
Once it was done, he stared at the result with a smile, "Now, they don't appear like vials containing valuable Elixirs. Even Prana detection methods won't register anything of value in them."
"I'm a poor painter and you're a poor brewer. We're refugees from a destroyed city of Rumtara Kingdom." Inala casually packed some low-quality herbs—that he picked from the surroundings—at the top of the bag and commented, "That'll be our identities from now on."
