Chapter 723 - Translation

Chapter 723  Sunken Basket Trading Partner Dieng Canyon! Kenzar Echo stood atop one of the elevated mountains, leaning his back on a Baobab tree. He sat on his Homing Satellite and caused it to spin its rotors, assuming a state of flight. A few seconds later, the Royal Zinger appeared before him, carrying a large number of Biome Bombs strapped to his waist. "How's the status here?" Inala asked as he looked around, observing the Zingers jumping from their spots to glide across the canyon airspace. Hung from their necks were items that they were meant to transport to the nearby regions. "I have installed rock pillars along the route." Kenzar said before asking, his voice almost a whisper as he stared at the Biome Bombs hanging on Inala's hips, "What about the floating platforms?" "We won't be revealing that," Inala shook his head, "This will remain an absolute secret of the Quip Clan." The Zingers were experts in climbing and gliding. Their Prana Bombs were also ranged projectiles that they hurled from safety in the air. However, the moment they enter close combat, they'd be destroyed by even Iron Grade Pranic Beasts. Therefore, to ensure they could travel from the Dieng Canyon to other regions, Kenzar had been actively creating Homing Satellites out of rock and moving them to the spots necessary. Each of these Homing Satellites was exactly 1152 metres tall, resembling a human at first glance. But upon closer inspection, they'd notice the face sported a protruding jaw while the neck was somewhat elongated. The arms and legs sported claws, menacing to see while a thin membrane trailed from the wrist to the hip before similarly extending to the ankle. It was Inala's Stage 2 Transformation of Wing! Kenzar was building Homing Satellites in Inala's image, made out of stone, using them as both a show of force and a mode of assurance to the Pranic Beasts they had formed trade deals with. The image wasn't accurate from a height perspective, since Inala only attained that height at the Mystic Grade in his Pranic Beast form. However, his Stage 2 Transformation of Wing was something he wielded while as a human. As a result, it could be said to be falsified information. But Kenzar focused on this aspect for a couple of reasons. The first reason was that these Homing Satellites were the easiest to create and were the most efficient in design from a Quip Clansman's perspective. So, his Prana functioned with this design the best. The second reason was to keep the Zingers calm as they left the Dieng Canyon and ventured forth into other territories. As long as they saw statues of Inala, they'd feel safe, which allowed them to travel long distances without worries. Extending from the Dieng Canyon were these Homing Satellites. Currently, followed by thunderous sounds upon each step, these Homing Satellites were walking through one of its neighbouring regions. After a certain distance, one of the Homing Satellites arrived at a halt, turning still as it assumed Prana saving mode. Unless the Key—which was a specific Zinger Shriek—was used on it, this Homing Satellite would never become active again, even if it was destroyed for unforeseen reasons. Once it had arrived at a halt, a small cloud formed by gliding Zingers brushed past it, latching Prana Bombs onto its surface. These Prana Bombs were filled with Prana, and placed here to act as a reservoir for the Zingers that would be travelling by this route in the future. The Prana Bombs were mostly placed on the upper back of the statue, keeping it beyond the reach of local Pranic Beasts. Depending on the type of Pranic Beasts present in the vicinity, the location where they'll latch on their reserve of Prana Bombs would vary. That wasn't all. In the stomach of Homing Satellite was a safe zone where the Zingers could seek temporary refuge. Currently, the space was empty, but as the years span past, the Zingers frequenting the route could gradually fill up the insides with all necessities. Every time the Zinger carried the goods to deliver to their location, they'd also carry a few Prana Bombs, some water, and any other item that they intended to place in the safety of the Homing Satellite. Once the first Homing Satellite stopped moving, and the Zingers had finished decorating it with Prana Bombs, the Zinger Commander in charge of it unleashed a loud shriek. Moreover, at every moment, at least a hundred Zingers would stay on the head of the Homing Satellite, keeping watch of their surroundings. There would definitely be a Zinger Commander in charge of the group, maintaining a chain of communication. Once the first Homing Satellite stopped moving, and the Zingers had finished decorating it with Prana Bombs, the Zinger Commander in charge of it unleashed a loud shriek. Some time later, the second Homing Satellite stopped, at a distance of twenty kilometres from the first Homing Satellite. A group of Zingers reached it by gliding from the first Homing Satellite, beginning to decorate it too. This route had some tailwind, allowing the Zingers to glide a longer distance by taking advantage of the Homing Satellite's height. Depending on the terrain, the distance between successive Homing Satellites varied. The number of Homing Satellites decreased steadily as they alighted at their respective spots. Eventually, the final Homing Satellite stopped before a great depression in the ground, one that seemed to have formed from an asteroid strike. The shortest distance between two of the closest points on the crater reached 400 kilometres, with the longest distance surpassing 600 kilometres. Loose soil covered its rim, akin to a desert while the crater was a murky swamp. Sunken Basket! Due to the crater's boundaries that make it hard to move, most Pranic Beasts avoided this region except for a few Gold Grade Pranic Beasts that regularly treated the place as their hunting ground. Home to a variety of Iron Grade Pranic Beasts, predated by small groups of Silver Grade Pranic Beasts, Sunken Basket was extremely dangerous for the average cultivator. Only someone as strong as a Brimgan Royal could afford to explore the place. They'll have to be on the level of a Prince or Princess to treat the Sunken Basket as their playground. For the rest of the Free Humans, entering this place spelt their death. The Homing Satellite slowly walked through the uphill desert and arrived at a stop towards the peak, one from where it could peer into the Sunken Basket without effort. The moment it arrived at a stop, a Silver Grade Pranic Beast exited the swamp and walked towards it, appearing brave. Its brethren remained within the swamp, hiding right underneath its murky surface, their gazes trained on their brave brethren sent out as a scout. Previously, Kenzar Echo had arrived at the region to discuss with the dominant Silver Grade Pranic Beast groups. They fought at the start and were forced to listen once Kenzar beat them up. Following that, when he explained the trading system, the Silver Grade Pranic Beasts were startled. They couldn't understand why such a powerful existence that could easily subdue them bothered with such an elaborate excuse. However, since their lives had been spared, they intended to see how it went. The Pranic Beast that left the swamp resembled an alligator but sported a dozen tails, the ends of which held pearls, murky green in colour, covered by cloud patterns. Though these pearls appeared beautiful, they had no functionality. Intermediate Silver Grade Pranic Beast—Ghatyra! Adult Ghatyra reached a length of thirty metres and had a wide jaw, almost resembling an excavator. In truth, they were similar to the pearls of clams in that they irritated the appendages of these Silver Grade Pranic Beasts. Their mouths could both dig through the earth and clamp upon their prey to crush it into a paste with one bite. But as they only have incisors and canines, they were unable to chew on their prey, having to rely on swallowing their prey whole. When they do, most of the unwanted substances that their body is unable to eject through excreta will gradually be concentrated at the end of their tails. They'll have to regularly remove these pearls, otherwise, their digestive and circulatory system will be bombarded by their immune system until they develop a severe rash and die brutal deaths. Typically, they'll extract the pearls once they have formed fully and dump them as far away as possible. After all, these pearls were toxic to them, so even consuming them by mistake would lead to a severe rash. Hence, every single Ghatyra would spend hours every day digging beyond the Sunken Basket, which places their lives at risk. After all, they weren't agile on land and became vulnerable to Pranic Beasts that were mobile on land. Hence, Kenzar's solution was a welcoming offer to them. Not only did he propose to buy these pearls from them for a price, but he also promised to pay them in Prana Bombs—Prana Bombs filled with Prana. The Ghatyra approached the Homing Satellite bravely while a clump of sludge hovered above it. This sludge acted as a container, for it was considered its Spirit Weapon. Under control of its psychokinesis, the clump of sludge landed on the desert soil and unfurled to reveal four hundred pearls inside. Kriek! Followed by a shriek, a cloud of Zingers arrived and landed on the Homing Satellite, making it their nest. One among them was a tad larger, sporting unique characteristics. It leapt from the Homing Satellite and glided across the air before landing a few metres away from the Ghatyra. It was a Quip Zinger. Upon landing, it reverted to human form, approached the surprised Ghatyra and picked up one of the pearls. Upon inspection, the Quip Clansman stared at the Ghatyra and nodded, opening his mouth to speak the native language with a somewhat awkward accent. [As you might have discussed with Sir Kenzar, we'll purchase these Ghatyra Pearls at an exchange rate of one Prana Bomb per every forty Ghatyra Pearls.] The Ghatyra watched as the Quip Clansman used psychokinesis to bring in ten Prana Bombs filled with a hundred units of Prana each and placed them before it. He then placed the Ghatyra Pearls in a container and handed them to one of the Zingers behind him. After being in a daze for a few seconds, the Ghatyra approached a Prana Bomb and swallowed it, using its monstrous strength to crush it like it was a brittle egg. As the Prana-rich fluid flowed down its throat, it closed its eyes, relishing the taste. After all, just by consuming that one Prana Bomb, it could recover 100 units of Prana in a few hours. Considering its stomach capacity, it could ingest enough Prana Bombs to recover its Prana reserves completely in a single sitting, which was extremely advantageous when these groups fought against Gold Grade Pranic Beasts. Seeing that the transaction was conducted fairly, the other Ghatyra hiding in the swamp surfaced, bringing a large batch of Ghatyra Pearls each. Upon seeing them, the Quip Clansman smiled happily and began exchanging the pearls with Prana Bombs. From a value standpoint, the Ghatyra race was being ripped off. However, the Ghatyra Pearls were toxic to the Ghatyra. So in their minds, not only did they get someone who could safely dispose of this toxic substance but they were also being paid with Prana Bombs for the same. How could one refuse such a lucrative offer? One after another, the Ghatyra came to exchange their Ghatyra Pearls while a group of them exited the Sunken Basket to head towards their usual dumping spot. Millions of Ghatyra Pearls had been dumped there for thousands of years. That deposit alone would give them incomparable wealth in terms of Prana Bombs, using which they could finally exact revenge on the Gold Grade Pranic Beasts constantly targeting them. [The Quip Clan offers three services.] The Quip Clansman said after buying a batch of Ghatyra Pearls, staring at the crowd of Silver Grade Pranic Beasts that had gathered before him. [First, we'll purchase items such as the Ghatyra Pearls using Prana Bombs. Second, if you wish to stock up on Prana Bombs in times of peace, we'll give you empty Prana Bombs that can be filled up using your Prana. We'll charge a fifteen percent commission for doing so. Third, you can use Prana Bombs or their equivalent to purchase any item from the goods we sell.] Saying so, he pulled up a long scroll containing a drawing that made sense to the Ghatyra. It contained a large variety of resources, including Elixirs that the young Ghatyra could consume to raise their Prana capacity faster during times of conflict. They now had the choice. As the Ghatyra stared at the seemingly endless list, their eyes spun before expressions of excitement filled their beings, giving them the ambition of evolution. Upon seeing that the list also contained Free Humans, they began to make plans to form their Ravaged Tribe and expand beyond the Sunken Basket. 'It's going exactly as our Deity predicted.' The Quip Clansman thought in awe as the reaction of the race of Ghatyra was well within expectations, 'With this, the Sunken Basket has become our trading partner.' !

Chapitre 723 - Partenaire Commercial du Panier Englouti Canyon de Dieng ! Kenzar Echo se tenait au sommet d'une montagne surélevée, adossé à un baobab. Assis sur son Satellite de Retour, il fit tourner les rotors, le mettant en état de vol. Quelques secondes plus tard, le Zinger Royal apparut devant lui, portant une quantité considérable de Bombes Biomécaniques attachées à sa taille. « Quel est l'état des lieux ici ? » demanda Inala en scrutant les alentours, observant les Zingers sauter de leurs positions pour planer dans l'espace aérien du canyon. Suspendus à leur cou se trouvaient des objets destinés à être transportés vers les régions voisines. « J'ai installé des piliers rocheux le long du trajet, » déclara Kenzar avant d'ajouter, sa voix presque un murmure tandis qu'il fixait les Bombes Biomécaniques accrochées aux hanches d'Inala, « Et les plates-formes flottantes ? » « Nous ne les dévoilerons pas, » secoua la tête Inala. « Cela restera un secret absolu du Clan Quip. » Les Zingers étaient experts en escalade et en vol plané. Leurs Bombes de Prana étaient également des projectiles à distance qu'ils lançaient en sécurité depuis les airs. Cependant, dès qu'ils entraient en combat rapproché, même des Bêtes de Prana de Grade Fer pouvaient les anéantir. Ainsi, pour garantir leur voyage du Canyon de Dieng vers d'autres régions, Kenzar avait activement créé des Satellites de Retour en pierre, les positionnant aux endroits stratégiques. Chacun de ces Satellites de Retour mesurait exactement 1152 mètres de haut, ressemblant à première vue à un humain. Mais en y regardant de plus près, on remarquait une mâchoire proéminente et un cou légèrement allongé. Les bras et les jambes étaient dotés de griffes, impressionnantes à voir, tandis qu'une fine membrane s'étirait du poignet à la hanche avant de se prolonger jusqu'à la cheville. C'était la Transformation de l'Aile au Stade 2 d'Inala ! Kenzar construisait des Satellites de Retour à l'image d'Inala, en pierre, servant à la fois de démonstration de force et de garantie aux Bêtes de Prana avec lesquelles ils avaient conclu des accords commerciaux. La hauteur était inexacte, car Inala n'atteignait cette stature qu'au Grade Mystique sous sa forme de Bête de Prana. Cependant, sa Transformation de l'Aile au Stade 2 était utilisée sous forme humaine. Ainsi, on pouvait dire qu'il s'agissait d'une information falsifiée. Mais Kenzar se concentra sur cet aspect pour plusieurs raisons. La première était que ces Satellites de Retour étaient les plus faciles à créer et les plus efficaces d'un point de vue Quip. Son Prana fonctionnait donc mieux avec ce design. La seconde était de rassurer les Zingers quittant le Canyon de Dieng pour s'aventurer ailleurs. Tant qu'ils voyaient des statues d'Inala, ils se sentaient en sécurité, permettant des voyages longue distance sans inquiétude. Depuis le Canyon de Dieng, ces Satellites de Retour s'étendaient. Actuellement, accompagnés de bruits tonitruants à chaque pas, ils traversaient une région voisine. Après une certaine distance, l'un des Satellites s'arrêta, devenant immobile en mode économie de Prana. Sans la Clé—un cri spécifique de Zinger—il ne se réactiverait jamais, même détruit par des circonstances imprévues. Une fois immobilisé, un petit nuage de Zingers volants le frôla, accrochant des Bombes de Prana à sa surface. Ces bombes, remplies de Prana, serviraient de réserve pour les futurs voyageurs empruntant cette route. Elles étaient principalement placées sur le haut du dos de la statue, hors de portée des Bêtes de Prana locales. Selon les espèces environnantes, l'emplacement des réserves variait. Ce n'était pas tout. Dans le ventre du Satellite se trouvait une zone sûre où les Zingers pouvaient se réfugier. Pour l'instant vide, elle se remplirait au fil des ans avec des provisions apportées par les voyageurs. À chaque livraison, les Zingers transportaient aussi quelques Bombes de Prana, de l'eau et d'autres articles à stocker dans le Satellite. Une fois le premier Satellite immobilisé et décoré, le Commandant Zinger responsable poussa un cri perçant. En permanence, au moins cent Zingers veillaient sur la tête du Satellite, surveillant les alentours sous les ordres d'un Commandant, maintenant une chaîne de communication. Peu après, un deuxième Satellite s'arrêta à vingt kilomètres du premier. Un groupe de Zingers l'atteignit en planant depuis le premier, commençant à le décorer également. Ce trajet bénéficiait d'un vent arrière, permettant aux Zingers de planer plus loin grâce à la hauteur des Satellites. La distance entre eux variait selon le terrain. Le nombre de Satellites diminua progressivement jusqu'à ce que le dernier s'immobilise devant une immense dépression, semblant issue d'un impact d'astéroïde. La distance minimale entre deux points du cratère atteignait 400 kilomètres, la maximale dépassant 600 kilomètres. Un sol meuble couvrait ses bords, semblable à un désert, tandis que le cratère était un marécage boueux. Panier Englouti ! Ses frontières difficiles à traverser en faisaient une zone évitée par la plupart des Bêtes de Prana, excepté quelques-unes de Grade Or qui y chassaient régulièrement. Peuplé de Bêtes de Prana de Grade Fer, chassées par des groupes de Grade Argent, le Panier Englouti était extrêmement dangereux pour un cultivateur moyen. Seuls des êtres du niveau d'un Royal Brimgan pouvaient s'y aventurer. Il fallait être un Prince ou une Princesse pour considérer ce lieu comme un terrain de jeu. Pour les autres Humains Libres, y pénétrer signifiait la mort. Le Satellite de Retour traversa lentement le désert et s'arrêta près du sommet, d'où il pouvait observer le Panier Englouti sans effort. À son arrivée, une Bête de Prana de Grade Argent émergea du marécage et s'avança courageusement vers lui. Ses congénères restèrent cachés sous la surface boueuse, observant leur éclaireur. Précédemment, Kenzar Echo était venu négocier avec les groupes dominants de Grade Argent. Après un combat initial où il les domina, il expliqua le système commercial, les surprenant. Ils ne comprenaient pas pourquoi un être si puissant s'embêtait avec une telle excuse élaborée. Mais leur vie ayant été épargnée, ils décidèrent de jouer le jeu. La Bête de Prana ressemblait à un alligator mais avec une douzaine de queues, chacune terminée par une perle vert trouble aux motifs nuageux. Bien que belles, ces perles étaient inutiles. Bête de Prana de Grade Argent Intermédiaire—Ghatyra ! Un adulte mesurait trente mètres, avec une mâchoire large rappelant une pelleteuse. Comme les perles des huîtres, elles irritaient leurs appendices. Leur bouche pouvait creuser le sol ou broyer une proie en une bouchée. Mais ne possédant que des incisives et canines, elles devaient avaler leurs proies entières. Les déchets non évacués s'accumulaient alors en perles toxiques à l'extrémité de leurs queues. Sans extraction régulière, leur système immunitaire les attaquait, provoquant des éruptions mortelles. Habituellement, elles enterraient ces perles loin. Mais creuser hors du Panier les exposait aux prédateurs terrestres. La proposition de Kenzar était donc une aubaine : acheter ces perles contre des Bombes de Prana remplies. La Ghatyra s'approcha courageusement, une motte de boue flottant au-dessus d'elle—son Arme Spirituelle. La boue se déposa, révélant quatre cents perles. Kriek ! Un nuage de Zingers atterrit sur le Satellite. L'un d'eux, plus grand, se transforma en humain et s'approcha de la Ghatyra stupéfaite. C'était un Quip Zinger. Il examina une perle, puis hocha la tête et parla dans leur langue avec un accent maladroit : [Comme convenu avec Kenzar, nous achèterons ces Perles Ghatyra au taux d'une Bombe de Prana pour quarante perles.] Il déposa dix Bombes de Prana contenant cent unités chacune, puis confia les perles à un Zinger. Hésitante, la Ghatyra avala une bombe, la broyant comme un œuf fragile. Le Prana coula dans sa gorge, la faisant frémir de plaisir. Une seule bombe lui rendait cent unités en quelques heures. De quoi reconstituer ses réserves en une fois—un avantage crucial contre les Bêtes de Grade Or. Voyant la transaction honnête, les autres Ghatyra émergèrent avec leurs stocks. Le Quip Clansman sourit et échangea les perles contre des bombes. En termes de valeur, les Ghatyra se faisaient arnaquer. Mais ces perles étaient toxiques pour eux. On leur offrait non seulement un moyen de s'en débarrasser, mais en plus, on les payait. Comment refuser ? Les échanges s'enchaînèrent tandis qu'un groupe partit récupérer des milliers d'années de perles accumulées—une fortune en Bombes de Prana pour se venger des Bêtes de Grade Or. [Le Clan Quip propose trois services,] annonça le Quip Clansman devant l'assemblée de Bêtes de Grade Argent. [Premièrement, nous achetons des objets comme les Perles Ghatyra. Deuxièmement, nous fournissons des Bombes de Prana vides à remplir vous-mêmes, pour une commission de quinze pour cent. Troisièmement, vous pouvez acheter nos marchandises avec des Bombes de Prana ou leur équivalent.] Il déroula une liste comprenant des Élixirs pour booster le Prana des jeunes Ghatyra, et même des Humains Libres—de quoi former une Tribu Ravagée et étendre leur territoire. Tout se déroule comme notre Divinité l'a prédit,' pensa le Quip Clansman, impressionné par leur réaction. 'Le Panier Englouti est désormais notre partenaire commercial.