29 days left for Boiboi's graduation!
Patting his bloated stomach from a case of overeating, Torq returned to his dorm room and inspected his condition. Boiboi, his vessel, still had a Prana capacity of 18 units. He hadn't improved much in that regard since the past day.
As for his actual body, its cultivation was at the peak of the Body Stage. He hadn't cultivated the slightest with that body. In every reincarnation, he improved upon his basic power, until he reached a point where his main body, upon reincarnation, was at the peak of the Body Stage.
His main body's Prana capacity was at 1200 units of Prana, the peak Prana capacity available to an Iron Grade Pranic Beast.
He eyed Runthral's facial skin and began inserting his Prana into it. After a day had passed, he could use his Primary Nature once again. Hence, he began to charge it up, watching Runthral's facial skin develop until it encompassed his entire body's skin.
By now, Torq had already consumed 1000 units of Prana. He stopped here, intending to replenish his Prana reserves first. "Based on this rate of consumption, I would need around ten times my Prana capacity."
Prana, when scaled up the Grades, increased in quality. This meant the quality of the energies of the body, mind, and soul forming it increased in potency. Higher Grade Prana allowed larger volume of information storage in an Information Slip every moment, an inherently tougher body, and a faster regeneration rate.
It was why Runthral's regeneration seemed instantaneous, since he had Gold Grade Prana.
Humans at the Spirit Stage had Prana quality on par with an Iron Grade Pranic Beast. At present, both Torq's vessel and his actual body had Iron Grade Prana.
When 18 units of Iron Grade Prana are compressed and refined, it turns into 1 unit of Silver Grade Prana. Similarly, when 180 units of Silver Grade Prana are compressed and refined, it turns into 1 unit of Gold Grade Prana.
The total cost of Prana necessary to create an Empyrean Snapper Pet was merely 4 units of Gold Grade Prana. It was because of two reasons: Runthral wasn't just weak as an Empyrean Snapper, he was also considered a baby. Secondly, he was in human form.
Had he assumed his Deity form, and Torq intended to create a Pet of it, the costs would have ballooned to a frightening amount.
Despite everything, 4 units of Gold Grade Prana, when broken down, resulted in 12,960 units of Iron Grade Prana.
Through a single meal, turned into medicine, Torq could recover up to 10 units of Iron Grade Prana. He could stuff himself five to six times worth the medicine at a stretch, which netted his gains to 60 units of Prana.
He was able to repeat it every couple of hours. As long as he was efficient about it, Torq would be gaining around 1440 units of Prana daily. This meant in a bit over eight days, he would have completed the creation of his Empyrean Snapper Pet.
Generating Prana was significantly faster and feasible than building Spirit Containers. Torq was aware the Academy disliked him reaching the Body Stage. They had prevented it plenty of times in the past.
One way or the other, they would cause him to mess up and receive punishments in response, which would shatter his Spirit Containers and waste months of his training, again and again, until he reached a point where the Clan rules allowed him to be disposed of.
Everyone at the Cooter Clan looked forward to that day, which was scheduled to happen in 29 days.
'They will definitely try to shatter my Spirit Container once again.' Thinking as such, he eyed Runthral's skin, "So, this is my contingency."
…
25 days left for Boiboi's graduation!
Pacing about anxiously in his room was Runthral, his gaze remaining transfixed on the window. Stretching outside was a sea, the waves of which curled around upon slamming into the raised walls of the island, creating concentric streams of varied colours in the sea waters.
Every single concentric stream was different in terms of size and colour, brought about by the varied density of waters mixing into the Tsloch Sea. It was a breathtaking sight, one you can never become bored of.
From time to time, streams formed in it whose dissolved mineral deposits made them prone to heat absorption. This resulted in them turning into steam when colliding onto the island wall, causing bursts of geysers that formed localised rainbow spectrums.
Had Torq been in the room, he would have been distracted all the time by the spectacle, spending only the minimum most time necessary at training. Runthral, however, didn't seem to care about the spectacle.
All he was concerned about was one thing: Boiboi's trump card.
He kept pacing about, with his level of anxiety sprouting to the extent his lips trembled while his stomach churned bile unnecessarily. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long, as soon, there was a stirrup in the waves.
Runthral's eyes lit up once he noticed the metre-wide sphere spinning rapidly as it sped across the water surface. A minute later, the sphere had elongated itself to jump into his room through the window.
It was the Manic Bludder.
"What did he say?" Runthral expressed impatiently and began inspecting the Manic Bludder's body, hoping to find a vial.
[Patience!]
The Manic Bludder felt irritated by his disrespectful approach. For a moment, it wanted to hack him down. But it didn't do so, for it had already exacted petty revenge in its own way. Slowly, the Manic Bludder pushed away Runthral and adjusted its body, showcasing its butt.
And then, it shat out a vial.
[There!]
"..." Runthral was speechless by the Manic Bludder's actions, unable to figure out what to say, only that a multitude of emotions ranging from anger to disgust were brewing in him, "Really? You didn't have anywhere else to store the vial?"
[Do you see a pocket on my body?]
Since Runthral inspected its body before, the Manic Bludder showcased its form purposefully, as if taunting him for the disrespect he had displayed before. There wasn't a crease or sack on its body where it could have stored the vial.
"Your hands, dammit!" Runthral raged, "You could have held them there!"
[And what? Crush it during motion? You know exactly why I can't do that.]
The Bludder Race, despite being Iron Grade Pranic Beasts, dared to swarm even an Empyrean Snapper. It was their instinct to target and consume the strong. Moreover, they travelled by curling their bodies into the form of a ball, which was tightly packed, so much so even a small rock would mess up their forms if clutched within.
So, the Manic Bludder was indeed speaking the truth. Of course, it could have kept the vial in its mouth and not in the ass. But it did it on purpose. And now, Runthral's determination was being tested.
[Summon me again if you need me to do something.]
Saying so, the Manic Bludder bounced. Soon, its ball form resembled a small dot as it rotated and sped along the sea surface.
Left behind in Runthral's room was the vial, which he felt disgusted to even approach. "Dammit! Nothing is going my way."
However, the fact that the vial arrived meant his Father had replied with an Information Slip. So, Runthral couldn't afford to miss it. In the end, he grunted and pulled in a stream of seawater, using which he rinsed the vial, ensuring he didn't uncork it by mistake.
Slowly, fully hesitant, he inched the vial before his nose and sniffed, promptly tearing up in regret, "How long did it keep it in there…"
Primary Nature–Subtle Terrain Domination!
An overwhelming presence oozed out of Runthral as he turned the vial into dust and instantly moved it away, revealing the vial's contents floating before him. The water turned into a stream and flowed down his throat.
Chucking the vial's powdered form out the window, Runthral digested the Information Slip and closed his eyes, focusing as a stream of information flooded his mind.
"It's been a while, my honoured son." It was the voice of Runthral's father, expressing gratitude as a stream of images flashed in Runthral's mind, "I apologise for taking so long to compile the information, even though you've clearly inscribed your doubts on the letter."