Sumatra's Greatest Fan - Chapter 169: Boutique Lizard

Chapter 169: Boutique Lizard

“Your Ancestor, of course.” Whoaja smiled, “I only exist due to his grace.”

“That’s amazing,” Torq continued the conversation casually, “I’m sure you must have been living in a far-off kingdom.”

“…Indeed,” Whoaja hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding in response, “My birth place is exceedingly far from this place. I don’t think I can even make the journey even if I spend the entirety of my life doing so.”

“It’s alright,” Upon seeing Whoaja had gotten emotional, Torq smoothly got up, approached the other party, and patted her slowly, “You’re living in the safest place on Sumatra.”

“I know,” Whoaja took the chance to hug him while her eyes turned moist, “There’s nothing waiting for me back at home even if I were to go there.”

“Thanks to my Lord’s grace, this is my home.” She spoke. “Even someone like me can feel at home here, despite the issues that arise from my identity.”

“The Wean Clan doesn’t forbid Pranic Beasts from seeking refuge here.” Torq’s sudden statement stunned Whoaja as she leapt back from the embrace, “The Gold Varahan Library exists precisely for that reason.”

Drip! Drip!

Droplets of blood dripped from a patch of her arm where the skin had been peeled off. Whoaja eyed Torq with a terrified expression, “You…how…how did you find out?”

“You’re not even at the Life Stage!”

Generally, when a Free Human or Clansman reaches the Life Stage, they are able to determine the identity of the other party. At the body stage, they cannot determine if the one they were speaking to was a Free Human or any of the various Clansmen out there, all of whom had human appearances.

Upon reaching the Life Stage, however, a cultivator’s senses in terms of presence grow extremely accurate, allowing them to perceive the differences. That was why Whoaja was terrified, for Torq was only at the Body Stage.

He shouldn’t have been at a level where he could see through her identity. That wasn’t all. Even if he were in the Life Stage, only if Whoaja were to reveal her presence would he have been able to identify her.

Until now, she had never released her presence, even once. Whoaja even avoided using Information Slips because the moment she emits Prana externally, her presence would leak, which would reveal her identity to the Life Stage existences around her, which were plenty among the Wean Clan.

Even the two Wean Clansmen in her lecture hall were at the 2-Life Stage. The geniuses among students already reached as high as 4-Life Stage.

“I apologise for that,” Torq pointed at the patch of skin on her arm that had been ripped off, “I’m still suffering from some influence issues, you see.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Whoaja shouted, “How did you know?”

“I’m a Spectral Boar Clansman, you know?” Torq smiled, “From the day I’ve been born, Free Humans from the Varahan Empire have attempted to kill me. I know the sense of hunger I feel towards them very well.”

“There’s some mild difference in the sense of hunger I feel towards you, which is how I determined you’re not a Free Human.” It was indeed how he figured it out. Of course, he had two more clues to help him. First was the course’s name.

Second was the fact that Whoaja claimed the one to rescue her was the Celestial Boar. ’Based on what I know, he’s not the type to save a Free Human. He only protects Pranic Beasts. And the fact that he has brought her here, in human form says many things.’

This allowed Torq to glean Whoaja’s identity. And to confirm, he used the latter’s momentary weakness to rip out a piece of skin. The moment he tried to charge it up as a Pet, he got his answer, ’I was right.’

Expert Silver Grade Pranic Beast–Boutique Lizard!

With a Prana capacity of 3600 and a lifespan of 600 years, the Boutique Lizard was a strategic-class Pranic Beast that stood at the peak of the Silver Grade. It was extremely rare on Sumatra and lived solely to assist the development of various Pranic Beast habitats, precisely to protect the region’s environment.

Primary Nature–Pranic Beast Registry!

Upon consumption, the Boutique Lizard can store the genetic information of a Pranic Beast and lay down its egg. Basically, Boutique Lizards can lay the eggs of other Pranic Beast races. And during the egg-laying process, it could mildly alter the egg’s genetic information.

This was done to ensure the Pranic Beast, upon hatching from its egg, wouldn’t harm the Boutique Lizard. They will even mildly serve to protect the Boutique Lizard.

The Boutique Lizard had three restrictions. First was it being able to only select one Pranic Beast race per egg-laying session. Second was the race selected for egg-laying being limited to a grade lower–Iron Grade. Third was it being unable to stop the egg-laying session for at least a century.

Until this process ends, the Boutique Lizard was unable to even budge an inch from its spot, forced to keep laying eggs perpetually. And if it runs out of food, it will shrivel up and die.

Despite the restrictions, the Boutique Lizard was a strategic Pranic Beast, which is why the Celestial Boar bothered to even save Whoaja. And that wasn’t all, ’Somehow, she’s a human now. There’s only one way to achieve that.’

Tertiary Nature–Cultivator!

The Celestial Boar was the creator of this Nature, one that allowed a Pranic Beast to transform into a human, and most of all, gain access to progress through the Life Stage. And upon reaching the 10-Life Stage, just like humans, they could attempt to become a Transcendence.

The Nature of cultivator connected the Pranic Beast and Human path of progression.

’Isn’t it extremely difficult to obtain the Nature of Cultivator?’ Torq thought, ’The only one with the means to make more of it is a detested enemy of the Celestial Boar. Then, how?’

He eyed Whoaja, ’How did the Celestial Boar achieve this?’

“Will you kill me now?” Whoaja asked, with moist eyes.

“Huh? Why would I do that?” Torq tilted his head in confusion, “If you’re brought here by the Ancestor, then no one has the right to tell you otherwise.”

“Besides, you’re a Pranic Beast.” He concluded, “Which means, even if you didn’t look like a human, you still have your place in our community.”

“But the only Pranic Beasts that are treated an equal by the Wean Clan are powerful Gold Grade Pranic Beasts.” Whoaja said sullenly, “Meanwhile, I’m merely at the Silver Grade.”

“Your research is to figure out the means to mutate, right?” Torq figured out the other party’s plan, “That’s why you’re teaching this course, as a means to obtain more insight through the students and succeed eventually.”

As an Expert Silver Grade Pranic Beast, the moment Whoaja mutates, she’ll enter the Gold Grade. That meant, her Primary Nature of Pranic Beast Registry will become a Gold Grade Nature too, which allowed it to birth Silver Grade Pranic Beasts.

This enabled Whoaja to birth more of her kind, the Boutique Lizards. ’Even if a portion of them will be handed over to the Wean Clan, to better help them raise their nests, she’d still be able to revive her race. To her, that is worthy of staying devoted to the Celestial Boar.’

“Why don’t I help you?” Torq made a proposal, “I will help you mutate and become a Gold Grade Pranic Beast.”

“What do you want in return?” Whoaja asked nervously.

“Cultivator,” Torq smiled, “I want to know the means through which you obtained your Tertiary Nature.”