Expert Silver Grade Pranic Beast—Centinger!
It sported a body similar to a frog, but one that was covered by a turtle shell. Dangling from its lower body was a tail resembling a fish's, giving it rapid underwater movement capabilities. Its frog legs allowed it to leap long distances.
When threatened, the Centinger can retract into its hard shell, capable of tanking the strongest of attacks.
The most threatening aspect of it was its head which resembled a centipede's upper body, sporting hundreds of sharp claws that could grate through the toughest of Pranic Beast bodies. This centipede's upper body becomes its primary means of attacking.
The part would dangle like a whip sword to sever its target, act like a snake to coil around its prey and crush it into pulp, and worst of all, despite behaving like the head, it wasn't one.
The brain didn't exist in the head. Even the pair of eyes on it were simply visual nerve endings that extended from the actual pair of eyes situated deep inside the body, hidden by the turtle shell. The brain too existed in the body, protected by the shell.
Therefore, when the centipede upper half is destroyed, the Centinger simply casts out the part, and like a lizard growing its tail, it regrows another centipede upper body.
Through the traits it was born with, the Centinger could become a natural menace of the marine world, sporting terrifying combat capability. But contrastingly, Centingers were herbivores.
All they feasted upon were marine plant life and shells of crustacean-type Pranic Beasts. They were docile creatures that never harmed another life, unless one of their own was attacked.
But that all changes during their mating season which approaches once a century. The mating culture of the Centingers was strict and special. Only one male that was designated as the leader would mate with all the females.
The remaining males would only have to cry in a corner, for they wouldn't be allowed to pass on their genes. As a result, their docile nature vanishes during the mating season.
In the quest to become the leader, the Centingers host a competition, which is pretty simple in essence: Hunt the greatest threat.
The one that kills the greatest number of threats would be crowned their leader and would get the opportunity to mate with all the females. Hence, all Centingers would enter a state of frenzy and kill every living thing they chance upon.
This was why the five Silver Grade Pranic Beasts tried their best to erase all traces of their existence and go into hiding. Because, when discovered, they became perfect prey for the Centingers to prove themselves.
Death was guaranteed.
Every single Centinger was strong. Its base form alone was powerful, capable of killing weak Silver Grade Pranic Beasts. But add onto its ability, and it suddenly became an entity that was akin to a disaster.
Primary Nature—Bone-Melting Artillery!
The hundreds of sharp claws on its centipede upper half became artilleries that rained down hell upon the target region, decimating it akin to a hail of meteor strikes. Worst of all, they were corrosive in nature.
Upon coming into contact with an artillery, the target's bones would melt, as indicated by the Primary Nature's name. The power within the artillery was selectively permeable, capable of seeping through all objects to act upon only the intended target.
For a living being, the target was typically the bones. Of course, a Centinger's attack could melt through other surfaces too, albeit with a lowered efficiency, but it didn't bother with that.
Melting one's skeletal structure rendered the creature dead. But as the power behind the artillery didn't affect anything else, the target creature's body remained intact, at least like a sack of flesh.
This was because the Centingers would tally their game. Since only the bones melted, the target body would still contain some Prana, which was enough to indicate the level of strength it held.
Through this, the female Centingers would calculate—like a game—how much the male Centingers had killed and score them accordingly. The top scorer would become their leader.
Before their game started, they would drain the Red-Draft River into an underground channel, creating a large playground for their hunt. They had rules to follow, one of which was the area limit.
Only a certain distance from the river was considered part of the hunting grounds. Of course, this stretched for more than three hundred kilometres. So, it wasn't a concern for the Centingers.
For them, the fastest way to score a lot would be to attack populated regions among Pranic Beast territories. One such target area was the Ganrimb Kingdom which had grown strong.
"But usually," Duvara sighed, "Less than twenty Centingers come here. They are within what we can handle while minimising our losses. But this time, based on the rapid rate at which the river is being drained, more Centingers will be coming here."
It was unknown how many Centingers existed in Sumatra Continent, since they lived throughout the Red-Draft River that coursed through at least a quarter of the continent.
They lived among colonises, travelling in whatever route they pleased. Of course, as the Angan River—the part of the Red-Draft River flowing through the region within the Sandy-Grey Void ring—was shallower, not many Centingers approached the place.
And those that did so came from weaker colonies. Unfortunately for the Ganrimb Kingdom, the ones attracted toward it this time were from a stronger colony. It was merely a twist of fate, their bad luck.
"We can't merely classify it as fate," Duvara said, "There might be other reasons that resulted in a stronger colony being drawn towards our Kingdom. We're still investigating that. But at the end of the day, this threat is upon us."
He observed the ashen faces of everyone in the meeting room, "And I want everyone here to come up with plans to protect our city. In two days, I'll be passing out an order for our affiliated towns and villages to seek refuge here. I need ideas on plans following that."
"I'll open my warehouse for the soldiers to be equipped." Maharell was the first to step up, "Weapons, medicines, and even Elixirs, everything in my possession is up for grabs. Not for free though."
He continued, "I'll be making a list of their purchase and the soldiers will have to focus on repaying the amount after this Crisis. Of course, it'll be interest-free. And if any soldier were to die, I won't hold their families accountable."
"As the largest merchant in Ellora City, I should do at least this much." He concluded. It was apparent that many soldiers would die. It meant the losses he suffered would be disastrous. But he was a merchant.
His actions would earn him the respect of the people. Meaning, as long as the city's economy recovers in the future, they'll purchase his wares with priority, since during times of disaster, he handed out all his goods with the best interests of the people in mind.
For the short term, he'll be facing a massive loss. But in the long run, his prestige as a merchant company would only increase in the populace, cementing his prestige. And through the good faith he received, he could casually take over the Theatre business and no one would question him.
Rather, since he was trusted by the people, everyone would feel that he would manage the Theatre well. Moreover, the people were his customers. Having as many of them survive would eventually add to his wealth.
For Maharell, that was the best outcome.