'Why did this madman have to come here?' Inala became nervous to the extent he experienced a state of breathlessness. Most of it was thanks to the bloodlust released by the middle-aged man before him.
Inala wasn't used to such a sight and hence felt overwhelmed both physically and mentally.
The 44th Settlement Leader, Bora Tusk. Only the leaders of each settlement had the right to add the suffix 'Tusk' to their names. It signified their leadership status.
Bora had been alive for more than two centuries. And during his long, bloody life, he saw too many of his Clansmen die. As a result, it messed him up mentally, causing him to begin observing people as no more than meat shields with a bit of power.
His craziness was only amplified by the 44th Empyrean Tusk's gaining old age. If it were to die, they'll be stranded, homeless. In Sumatra, without the support of an Empyrean Tusk, a Mammoth Clansmen would die a horrible death.
Therefore, he had taken plenty of radical measures. One of them was to send away the parents of children with the Fragment Disease into the wilderness of Sumatra. Their mission was to find a young Empyrean Tusk for their settlement to migrate towards.
And until they succeed, they were banned from returning home. They were sent on this mission on the condition that their kids would be nurtured until adulthood. Otherwise, their policy was generally to throw those with the Fragment Disease into the mouth of a Prana Beast during infancy itself.
That would conserve their resources.
Of course, Sumatra Continent was too dangerous. Most of these parents ended up dead. In the story, Resha's parents would end up succeeding in their mission and return. It was a detail revealed way later in the story.
But until that happened, the parents of those with Fragment Disease were labelled missing in action. Bora Tusk had severe mood swings. It wouldn't come as a surprise if he straight-up killed a student when bothered.
So, Inala was nervous.
"Sealing up the entrance using the mud balls was your doing, right?" Bora Tusk stared at Inala, continuing without waiting for a response, "And when you achieved your objective, you decisively turned yourself into a sculpture. That's why someone as weak as you managed to survive."
Inala prostrated on the ground as a sign of respect. But he dared not say anything. Throughout the story, every time someone talked to Bora Tusk, things always took a negative turn. Therefore, remaining silent and expressing his intention through body language was the best bet.
"Hmm, 210 students from the over 300 survived." Bora Tusk muttered as he looked around the shelter, "If it hadn't been for you sealing up the entrance, more than half would have lost their lives."
Originally, Bora Tusk shouldn't have arrived here. He would be busy forming an expedition team to recover as many elites captured by the Mud Vipers as possible. Students were of his least concern. After all, the amount of resources expended to nurture an elite was an exorbitant sum. It would be a loss to the settlement if an elite was killed.
In contrast, a student had no value to the Clan before they matured. If they died, so be it. More can be birthed. That was in line with the Mammoth Clan's thought process. Only by pumping out babies en masse were they able to persevere through the insane death rate.
'It seems he was interested in the sealed entrance and arrived here to check things out. If I'm right, he might reward me.' Inala thought, trying his best to remain calm.
"As I thought, you need to be rewarded." Bora Tusk said after some consideration, "Sumatra doesn't follow the law of survival of the strong, but the survival of the fittest."
"You," He patted Inala, "are fit to survive here."
He brought out a box and inserted his hand through the entrance. After a while of shuffling about, he took out a vial and gave it to Inala, "Since you desire to increase your Prana, this Low-Grade Elixir will be your reward. With your body's condition though, you can at most gain 20 Prana, such a waste."
With a snort, he turned around and left the shelter, his sight falling on Resha, Blola, and Grehha. His lips quivered to form a mild smile, 'There are some brats with strong survival desires.'
"An Elixir…" Inala muttered in a daze as he stared at the tiny vial. As Bora Tusk said, it was a waste in his possession. Low-Grade Elixir it might be, but it can raise one's Prana by a hundred. It was a priceless treasure.
But as he had the Fragment Disease, even if he did his utmost, it would be a wonder if he gained 20 Prana. That was a waste of an Elixir. Still, as it was already rewarded to him, it was his right to do whatever he pleased with it.
The students flashed him with gazes of envy. For by consuming the Elixir, they could graduate from the Academy of Refinement and gain the power to truly fight the dangers of Sumatra.
"Inala, you have a minute?" Resha calmly arrived next to Inala and stood there, emanating a gentle wave of killing intent to thwart the students away. A good number of them intended to exchange the Elixir for a number of resources.
Only trade was a possibility. If it was stolen, the elites would know and realise the perpetrator based on the increase in their Prana levels. That was why none expressed any intention to steal. There was at least that level of rules and regulations in place.
'Of course, he wants some benefit.' Inala nodded calmly, wishing to see what proposal this resourceful regressor had.
"Give me half of the Elixir. In return, I'll help you gain 40 Prana." Resha proposed.
"70 Prana," Inala said calmly, "Otherwise, forget it."
"Are you shitting me?" Resha expressed killing intent. "Do you dare believe anyone can give you a better offer? If you consume the Elixir, you'll at most get 16 Prana. My offer gives you more than double that amount."
"If you were the Resha from yesterday, I would have been surprised and wondered how you know such a priceless method. Eventually, I would accept. But," Inala snorted, "You're a completely different person today. I have been observing you fight. It seems as if you know about things I dare not fathom."
"What are you getting at?" Resha glared in anger, 'Is this bastard probing me?'
"Forty Prana, plus the method you used on the Mud Vipers." Inala said calmly, "If you accept it, then we have a deal."
"You're ripping me off!" If not for the elites still in the vicinity, Resha would have killed Inala. 'It took me ten years to perfect the Toxin Refinement Skill. This bastard wants it for merely half a Low-Grade Elixir? Fucking…'
"If you don't want it, then leave." Inala opened the cork and was about to down the Elixir, "Don't interfere with the proposals of the other students."
"You're wasting that Elixir." Resha gritted his teeth to the extent clattering sounds were audible to Inala's ears.
"It's mine anyway," Inala shrugged, "I can dump it or spit on it, whatever I want. You're the one with the desire, not me."
'Bastard!' It was indeed true that Resha desired it the most since it would save him a lot of time in building up strength. His Toxin Refinement Skill was powerful, but his current body was too weak to efficiently use it. Its advantages would only show during the late game period.
But in this initial phase, it didn't have much value. In the end, Resha relented as he took out his bone sphere and inscribed the Toxin Refinement Skill in it. He handed it unwillingly to Inala, "Wash your neck and beware."