Haddlyok, the mineral used by the Ganrimb Kingdom Royalty to forge their avatars. The mineral behaves similarly to ice and can encase everything that comes into contact with it.
Haddlyok is a crystal and has the properties of one. Not only is it tough and hard, but depending on the cultivator’s wishes, they could use it to create the mightiest of structures almost instantly or turn it brittle and crumble existing ones.
It can also grow in size by absorbing shock and due to its porous nature, can also act as a selectively permeable membrane depending on the cultivator’s wishes. It was versatile in nature with strengths that lay in fighting and kingdom building, the perfect material for the Ganrimb Royalty.
At the peak of the Body Stage, a Ganrimb Royalty would possess 3600 Prana, the peak of the Silver Grade. The lifespan they gained was also the peak of the Silver Grade—600 years.
This was the most powerful mineral in the region, which was what the Ganrimb Kingdom founder decided to use for his descendants. He was the sole exception, cultivating a Human Avatar using a Gold Grade mineral that was used by the Brimgan Empire. He only brought enough for his cultivation.
Ellora City Lord, named Gudora, was part of Ganrimb Kingdom’s Royalty. Since he built his Human Avatar using Haddlyok, his battle strength was on par with Mammoth Clan Settlement Leaders.
And considering Inala’s infamy in terms of strength, there was a good chance Gudora would ask him to demonstrate his strength. After all, Inala suddenly appeared three years ago and took Ellora City by storm. 𝑜𝔳𝗅𝐞xt.𝓬𝑜𝗆
Therefore, when Gudora investigated Inala, nothing concrete turned up in the report. It was why Inala was nervous in their interaction.
“Hahaha! You’re too humble, Master Inala.” Gudora laughed and casually pat Inala on the back, “I’m enjoying the play. I never knew I needed something like this in my life, but now that I experienced it, I cannot go back.”
“I will take pride in your compliment,” Inala replied, all while trying his best to observe the body language of both the City Lord and his wife. He would die the moment his identity was revealed. Therefore, he had to exercise the utmost caution.
“I’ll not take too much of your time.” Gudora linked hands with his wife and walked away, “We’ll socialise a bit and then return to our seats.”
“If you need anything, I’ll be right within earshot. Please summon me.” Inala said and watched the duo walk away.
“Master Inala, the performance was incredible. I’m looking forward to the second half.” A noble approached Inala next to offer praise.
“I’m grateful that you’re enjoying it,” Inala said.
“I noticed something,” The noble said after a round of dialogue, “Sometimes, the effects were too colourful. It became a bit hard to see the characters through that.”
“I’ll take note of it and correct them, sir,” Inala responded like clockwork. Some suggestions were genuine while the rest were nonsense, said for no other reason than to nitpick on something. He was careful in filtering through the responses.
The break ended quickly as the audience returned to their seats. Inala arrived at his spot backstage and continued to observe the play, ready to take the reins the moment any mishap happened. Thankfully, the play concluded successfully.
Inala stood at the exit and greeted the leaving customers while receiving their reviews of the play.
“I loved it.”
“I want to watch it again.”
“We’ll host it again four months later. Please look forward to it.” Inala responded politely.
“It was enjoyable, Master Inala.” Gudora was the last to leave, saying as he handed over a letter, “I’ll be hosting a secret meeting for the city’s higher officials two days from now. I’m expecting your presence there.”
“I’ll be there on time, City Lord.” Inala nodded, sighing in relief once everyone left. He slumped on one of the seats and waved his hand weakly at the staff, “Good work folks.”
“It’s all thanks to your guidance, Master!” The staff replied in joy. Since the play was a success, they’ll be receiving part of the profits apart from their salaries, a joyous occasion for them indeed.
Inala closed his eyes, looking like he was resting due to the day’s exhaustion. In truth, he was listening silently, having extended his Prana through the floor. Seated there was an Empyrean Zinger Scout in its miniature form.
It was present in a node of tunnels that stretched throughout the Theatre. Faint cries echoed through the tunnel network as this Empyrean Zinger Scout received them.
Inala read its memories, using that to learn everything that was happening at the Theatre to have a solid grasp on things. At present, this network stretched across the entire Theare Street, allowing Inala to react immediately in response to any situation.
[Focus on Gudora and his wife.]
The words appeared in a Bone Slip that the Empyrean Zinger Scout carried on itself, knowing Inala’s thoughts by accessing it. It then let out a chirp and transmitted the information throughout the network.
Soon, the conversation shared between Gudora and his wife, Hanya reached Inala. There were tiny holes present throughout the Theatre, all pin-sized. Affixing their ears in these holes were the Empyrean Zinger Scouts in their miniature forms.
Since they weren’t using any abilities, they didn’t emit any Prana, keeping their existence hidden. Sensory means in Sumatra were weak. Only when the target emitted something, whether it be Prana, killing intent or presence would a person sense their existence. It wasn’t possible otherwise.
The usual way one kept note of their surroundings was to disperse their Prana around themselves in a small radius. This way, the moment any foreign entity entered the region, their Prana would react accordingly. They would feel a prickling sensation on their skin in response.
The location and intensity of the prickle determined the position and power of the target that had intruded upon this range.
As the Theatre wasn’t a battlefield, all the customers refrained from releasing their Prana, which made it easy to spy on their activity. Otherwise, the moment they released their Prana, they might detect the existence of the Empyrean Zinger Scouts throughout the Theatre.
It was why Inala took special caution to ensure everything functioned seamlessly to avoid agitating the customers. And finally, his efforts paid off, for he was invited by the City Lord for a secret meeting.
But to ensure his identity wasn’t leaked and to know beforehand the details of the meeting, Inala spied upon Gudora and Hanya.
Walking through the hallway, their arms interlinked were the concerned duo. Staring at scenic poses of popular plays inscribed throughout the hallway to make it into a gallery of fame, Gudora commented, “Looks great.”
“Yes, but,” Hanya frowned, “I have been observing him from the start. Despite his contribution and the positive impact he has on our City, even after hearing the praises sung by his people,”
“I have yet to find a single reason that proves his trustworthiness.”
