Chapter 557: Strike!
A portion of the Lotus Range collapsed, as the Attributed Region was situated underneath it. And as it collapsed, so did the portion of Lotus Range directly overhead.
This resulted in the collapse of the Brimgan Empire's defences, causing many Pranic Beasts to invade the place. After all, the Brimgan Empire could very well be considered the big bully of this blessed land, constantly raiding the territories of other Pranic Beast races for resources.
Most of these resources were harvested from the bodies of Pranic Beasts. In this land blessed with an abundance of resources lived countless Pranic Beast races like the Enrinos, capable of producing items or substances that the Brimgan Empire attached value towards.
Hence, these regions were raided for tens of thousands of years. Whether the Pranic Beast race had an old history or had emerged recently, one thing was common, which was to be raided by the Free Humans of the Brimgan Empire.
But Lotus Range remained an absolute defensive wall against their efforts to target the Brimgan Empire. Hence, all the invasions in the past failed. Moreover, it wasn't possible to rally enough Pranic Beast races who dared to openly fight the Brimgan Empire. Those that did so were either crippled or wiped out once their invasion failed.
The Brimgan Empire practiced human supremacy. Hence, they didn't take an insult lying down. Even now, even after witnessing Brangara become the Celestial Boar, Boul Brimgan was actively planning to target him.
It was this absolute firmness of mind that allowed the Brimgan Empire to stand tall against the challenges of time through countless eras, being one of the, if not the oldest surviving Empire to date.
When the Major Treasure of Attribute revealed itself, it lured every single existence from across a large region of Sumatra. Large swathes of creatures from far away were still marching towards the Brimgan Empire, even though the Attribute had been claimed by Inala.
For the next few years, these creatures would continue to arrive at the location where the Major Treasure of Attribute revealed itself. This also meant that there would be enough powerful Pranic Beasts capable of facing the Brimgan Empire's army, making an invasion into this Empire the most realistic since the annals of time.
In a location forty kilometres from the collapsed portion of the Lotus Range was an open space, one that had become a gathering spot for more than sixty Gold Grade Pranic Beasts, each an overlord of its region.
They were Pranic Beasts local to the region, with their goal now being to gain control over the Attributed Region.
In Sumatra Chronicles, the Brimgan Empire remained absolutely steady. The strongest existence that had entered the Attributed Region was the Fentan City Lord. The one who suffered a crushing defeat was the Mammoth Clan, losing more than half its population.
The Brimgan Empire's damage was minimal when compared to its robust foundation. Most of all, Brandal Brimgan was alive. He alone was capable of killing multiple Gold Grade Pranic Beasts, boasting the greatest Spirit Weapon range on all of Sumatra.
When he stood on the Lotus Range, no one could approach it in the slightest. Aided by eight Minor Treasures, he was an absolute beast, continuing to grow in strength even after reaching the 10-Life Stage long ago.
When Resha obtained the Major Treasure of Attribute, the Mammoth Clan had to flee in a hurry, for Brandal Brimgan had announced the Mammoth Clan as wanted by the Brimgan Empire. His declaration held enough power that countless Kingdoms in the region refused to trade with the Mammoth Clan anymore.
Things had become absolutely awkward for the Mammoth Clan. And as they had lost half their population, with a good portion of that being their pinnacle experts, forget exerting their power on Kingdoms like usual, they couldn't even maintain their usual functions, resulting in the Empyrean Tusks growing steadily weaker over time.
In this timeline, nothing like that happened. The Mammoth Clan's losses in the race for the Attribute were minimal at best. In terms of gains, they were the grand victors.
By hunting over a hundred Brimgan Royals, all Empyrean Tusks were now equipped with the Secondary Nature of Kinesis Lantern Deity, causing their strength to increase by leaps and bounds.
In contrast, the Brimgan Empire lost over a hundred Royals that formed their pinnacle force, lost their strongest powerhouse, and 24 percent of their population. This was merely the start.
With a portion of the Lotus Range in ruins, the Brimgan Empire's were breached, making it easy for Pranic Beasts to swarm inside. Using the situation to their advantage, the Gold Grade Pranic Beasts that had lived all their lives fearing the Brimgan Empire were scheming to destroy this Empire for good.
This group of sixty Gold Grade Pranic Beasts had been formed for exactly that purpose. And they didn't plan to stop there, intending to recruit more Gold Grade Pranic Beasts into their fold as many powerful races were continuing to march towards the region from locations far, far away.
"Block them with your bodies!"
"Fight! Kill them all!"
Soldiers screamed as all sorts of Spirit Weapons flashed around, shredding through hordes of Pranic Beasts that had entered the Brimgan Empire's territory. The Brimgan Sea had dried up and a portion of the Lotus Range had collapsed.
Therefore, with the absence of two of their natural walls, Pranic Beasts could invade in large numbers. Even though the Free Humans were strong, it was like going against the unceasing tidal waves. The Spirit Weapons they hurled were like throwing stones in the raging sea, inconsequential.
It was a despairing situation as the Pranic Beasts continued to stream in without rest.
"Hold your ground, dammit!" A Brimgan Royal shouted in panic, feeling sluggish as he was running low on Prana. He had consumed enough Elixirs that his stomach's functions had failed, unable to digest anything for the time being.
He had overworked his body, suffering from countless internal ruptures due to revving up his psychokinesis without rest. All his refined Spirit Weapons had already been destroyed, with the last one crumbled by the sheer force unleashed in the jaws of a Gold Grade Pranic Beast, "Shit...!"
Primary Nature—Kinesis Deity!
Any Spirit Weapons he creates on the fly wouldn't be strong enough to face a Gold Grade Pranic Beast. Though he was at the 2-Life Stage, he wasn't strong enough to kill his opponent, especially in his weakened state.
Only a Prince or Princess could kill a Gold Grade Pranic Beast one-on-one. His situation wasn't even like that, for he had to go against opponents other than the Gold Grade Pranic Beast too, all at the same time.
Transforming into a five-metre-tall golden giant, he rushed towards the Gold Grade Pranic Beast, prepared for death. The least he could do is punch the enemy in the face and hold it back for as long as possible, 'Someone with enough strength will come finish it off.'
That was the last thought he had. In a matter of minutes, his body was being ripped apart in the mouth of the Gold Grade Pranic Beast, with fragments of his Human Avatar flying all over the place in response to every single slam by the massive jaws of the beast.
Roar!
Killing a Free Human with Gold Grade strength invigorated the Gold Grade Pranic Beast, with its roar spiking the enthusiasm of all Pranic Beasts who attacked the humans with greater fervour.
Standing at the peak of a mountain farther away was Geugeu, sighing as he stared at the scene, "The Brimgan Empire is probably finished."
His gaze then fell upon the group of sixty Gold Grade Pranic Beasts, "When they and every Pranic Beast under them join the fold, the Free Humans of the Brimgan Empire won't be able to last for long."
"Alas, a long-standing Free Human civilisation has met such an ill-fated demise..." His words were stuck in his throat, failing to come out anymore as a presence as vast as the sea slammed into the region, for a moment stopping the thoughts of everyone.
Geugeu was the first to recover as he stared up promptly, watching a floating mass of terror glide towards the collapsed Lotus Range at sonic speeds, leaving behind a trail of rippling vapour cones.
Beginner Mystic Grade Pranic Beast—Royal Zinger!
Followed by a resounding boom, the Royal Zinger landed upon a crowd of Pranic Beasts, squashing them into meat paste. It casually stood up, dwarfing every other being in existence in the region.
The Gold Grade Pranic Beast that roared in excitement upon killing a Free Human with Gold Grade strength before? It was silent now, trembling in fear upon being stared in close-up by the Royal Zinger whose jaws alone were bigger than its body.
One of the arms of the Royal Zinger picked up the Gold Grade Pranic Beast and lifted it in the air, staring at it as if a cat did towards a mouse. In fear, the Gold Grade Pranic Beast activated its Primary Nature and unleashed a hail of attacks.
The attacks landed squarely on the Royal Zinger's face but formed ripples. Only then did the Gold Grade Pranic Beast notice the existence of a thin filament that covered the Royal Zinger's body, tanking all attacks.
The ripples spread around, absorbing shockwaves from the attack. It seemed like a world was inside, with its environment changing spontaneously to counter the effect of the attack. So the impact place displayed a spectacle of colours underneath the layer.
But all the Gold Grade Pranic Beast's attack did was result in a spectacle of light, nothing more, nothing less.
[Aren't we on the same side?]
It shrieked in a fluster, feeling unbearable pain as eight streams of energy latched to its body and sucked both its Prana and Lifespan, causing its body to shrivel up rapidly.
[Why are you targeting me? Aren't the Brimgan Empire the enemies of all Pranic Beasts?]
The Gold Grade Pranic Beast shouted the same message in over a couple dozen languages that were used in the region, despairing upon failing to communicate. But then, it was met with a question from the target, one that terrified it in the final moments of its life.
[Should I care?]
The Royal Zinger held the shrivelled corpse of the Gold Grade Pranic Beast, having absorbed all its Prana and Lifespan. It exerted force and crushed the body, forming a ball of flesh and took on a throwing stance, following which it hurled the ball.
There was a thunderclap as the ball burned up due to entering hypersonic speeds, making a beeline towards the location where sixty Gold Grade Pranic Beasts had huddled in a meeting. And then, it hit them, like a bowling ball slamming into the pins.
An accurate strike!