Rata-tata-ta!
Hearing the pitter-patter created by Prana Bombs colliding onto the settlement like rain, Inala was nervous, 'The Zinger King must be sensing the energies of this place from far away. The moment I succeed in getting the Zinger Queen's power, it will know.'
'And it will try to kill me.' He grunted in pain as veins popped all over his body. His lifeforce was being sucked into the Zinger Queen's egg as his hand was in contact with it.
[My Dearest Son! Inala!]
Inala felt the sounds of his surroundings wane to a great extent as Gannala's voice resounded in his mind, clear. As Inala was refining the Zinger Queen's egg, his body should originally have exploded, due to the gender restriction.
But three things were preventing that. First was Granny Oyo's imprint on his bones that Inala had fused into his Spirit Container. Therefore, his Prana signature became Oyo's, a woman's Prana.
Secondly, Gannala's blood surged into him. She was a female. And in the name of awakening his bloodline, her blood fused with his. The last of the list was his lifeforce.
The egg was stealing the lifeforce of both him and Gannala. And thanks to her blood awakening his, and since he was technically part of her immune system, both were considered one entity, an extension of Gannala. That was how Inala overcame the gender restriction.
During the fusion process, the minds of the two became connected, allowing Gannala to communicate with him.
"Yes, I'm your dearest son," Inala replied as blood dripped out of his orifice due to his lifeforce being absorbed. Every second, he was aging, slowly but surely. His skin was getting wrinkly while his body was losing mass, a sign of old age.
[I have a lot to talk to you about, but my time is running out. Therefore, I'll be curt!]
At her hurried voice, Inala nodded in urgency, realising that they could only communicate like this until the fusion process ended. Until now, Inala could only engage with a confirmation type of response from Gannala by interpreting her tail slaps.
Therefore, all her replies did was confirm his thoughts. To wholeheartedly listen to her thoughts, direction communication was a must. Hence, Inala focused, curious to hear what she had to say.
[You fool! You failed, my son!]
"What?" Inala was stunned, "I failed? In what?"
[In getting the cure!]
"What the heck? Aren't I cured now? Once the fusion process ends, I'll be rid of the Fragment Disease." Inala argued, confused.
[Repeat your statement, but slowly!]
"What type of riddle…"
[You have rid yourself of the Fragment Disease. It's called a disease, but it's merely a manifestation of an Empyrean Tusk's trait! As long as someone with this trait absorbs my blood long enough, they can cultivate as an Empyrean Tusk!]
Gannala's voice seemed angry, despite the sense of urgency she exuded, chiding him. In response, Inala expressed confusion, "I already figured that out, you know. Why are you scolding me now? You confirmed my conjectures already."
[Yes, my dearest son. Your path isn't wrong, but it's not right either. I didn't sacrifice everything to send you to another world just for you to become a Zinger!]
"Send me to another world? What the fuck?" Inala frowned, "Now you have me confused, Gannala. What nonsense are you talking about?"
[Virala, Inala, Blola, Grehha, Yennda, Orakha, and Resha! Seven children with the Fragment Disease, created by me in hopes of destroying the Boar King. When you seven were born, my friend used a future vision ability on Resha and observed the annihilation of all Empyrean Tusks. To prevent such a future, he brought your souls to Earth alongside your parents to make you experience a second life. When that was done, he brought everyone back!]
"You mean…" Inala tried to calm down but felt intense anger surge in him, "That Cthulhu was your friend and when he brought me to this world, he also brought my parents?"
[Yes, your parents were Mammoth Clansmen originally. You weren't a denizen of Earth. Your souls simply occupied the bodies of their natives and suppressed the native souls. It was the safest way to make you experience two lives, the primary requirement to attain the Mystic Grade as an Empyrean Tusk!]
"So, let me get this straight." Inala observed that the fusion process was almost done as he oriented his thoughts, speaking unusually calmly, "When I was born, you sent my soul to Earth, alongside my parents. And when you felt I satisfied the requirements, I was brought here. So, it's similar to the other reincarnates, right?"
[Yes!]
"Then, what about Resha?" He asked next. "If what you said is true, then Sumatra Chronicles never happened. Then, what is up with Resha? Why does he have a past life?"
[It's a side-effect of the future sight ability. When it was used on Resha, his body soaked up the ability's effects. So, it's as if he lived through life once and experienced everything. This ability isn't perfect, since the risks are high. The parents of all seven cannot remember anything that happened due to the ability.]
"All seven?" Inala noticed another abnormality, "Were Resha's parents sent to Earth too?"
[No. But as the future sight was used on Resha, as his closest blood relation, his parents were faintly influenced. So, they possess bits and pieces of future sight.]
"One more," Inala asked, his voice cold, "In Sumatra Chronicles, there existed only one Death Row student. What's up with that?"
[Sumatra Chronicles is simply the Cthulhu recounting whatever he saw through future sight. No matter how realistic the book was written, it didn't show every second of Resha's life. So, the lives of you six were…]
"Edited out, huh?" Inala nodded, "Then, the reason Resha doesn't remember us is because of the future sight's side effect?"
[Yes. And the disconnect you feel with the memories of your past too are a result of that, even though these past fourteen years were lived by you yourself. The Cthulhu leaped across the fabric of time and space with your souls. So, by the time he brought everyone back, only an hour had passed here.]
"It all makes sense." Inala nodded, "But there are plenty of holes and patchwork in your explanation. As a reader, I can easily spot such plot holes. I respect you, Gannala. But, I cannot wholeheartedly trust you. Hence, I'll confirm it on my own."
[How?]
"Simple," Inala revealed a calculative smile, "I have accumulated enough experience."
Mystic Bone Art—Mystic Skill Creator!
