Sumatra's Greatest Fan

"You’ve finally realised we have an Academy in Binkn City, Your Highness." The Spectral Boar Clansman uttered upon standing before Torq, being a head taller.

Due to his unconsciousness, Torq’s physique had stunted in its growth, causing him to be shorter than his peers. Even AuraBuntara, being three years younger, was almost his height.

She was 140 centimetres currently, while he was around 150 centimetres.

’Damn!’ Torq had to lift his head to stare at the face of the other party, ’He’s around 180 centimetres? Maybe 190?’

Wean Clansmen weren’t gifted in the field of height, with their average height being around 170 centimetres for males and 166 centimetres for females.

Anyone that reaches even 180 centimetres will stand above the rest, not to mention someone as tall as the one before him.

"I don’t understand," The Spectral Boar Clansman frowned as he looked down upon Torq, "There’s nothing special about you other than the fact you were the first of our kind to be born."

"And your achievements...are none!" He snorted, intending to antagonise Torq.

"Your name?" Torq asked as he extended his hand forward for a shake.

"You don’t even know that?" The Spectral Boar Clansmen grunted in anger.

"Duh," Torq rolled his eyes, "If everyone, including you, haven’t specified it already, I was unconscious, you see."

"VaraBuntara," The Spectral Boar Clansman introduced himself and clutched Torq’s hand tightly, exerting force to crush the hand.

’It’s a naming competition, huh?’ Torq chuckled mentally as Prana gathered into his palm, applying psychokinesis on the portion of the Mud Viper Tangible Nature that had fused into the palm to make it push his hand’s muscles to exert greater strength.

Creak!

VaraBuntara grunted, feeling the bones in his hand form a mild crack from the force exertion, ’Impossible!’

His extent of damage was instantly healed by his Prana as Varabuntara exerted more and more strength into his grip, "You can cry out in pain if it gets too unbearable."

"Make me," Torq only smiled in response, unflinching as VaraBuntara exerted more and more strength relying on his superior accumulation and physical strength. A few seconds later, a loud sound resounded.

Kachak!

The bones in Torq’s hands shattered. There was, however, no scream from him. All that happened was a mild twitch in one of his eyelids, nothing else.

VaraBuntara, on the other hand, retracted his hand with a squeal, for one of Torq’s shattered bones pierced through his palm. Clutching his hand where a broken bone was stabbing inside, he eyed the other party in shock. "You..."

"...are insane!"

Torq’s hand was absolutely crushed, bleeding blood profusely. In the contest of strength, he was indeed the loser. However, he didn’t seem fazed by it in the slightest.

Using his other hand, he applied pressure to reset the broken bones in their place and watched them recover in a matter of seconds. Once the wounds closed, he pulled out a fancy kerchief from his pocket and wiped off the blood.

"You’re the one who challenged me to a contest of strength." Torq smiled and patted VaraBuntara, "Congratulations,"

"You’ve won."

Leaving behind a stupefied VaraBuntara, Torq held AuraBuntara’s hands and strode into the Academy hall.

"Does it not hurt, brother?" AuraBuntara asked as she eyed Torq’s hand.

"It does," Torq nodded, "But I have a high tolerance."

Having been subjected to the theatre’s variety on an hourly basis, his pain tolerance had been trained to a high level. Even he was a tad surprised, for he was able to endure pain at levels beyond his expectations.

’Enduring that torture did end up benefiting me, huh?’ He eyed his healed palm and then asked AuraBuntara, "Say, I’ve been wondering about it for a while. Hearing that guy’s name only solidified my suspicion."

He eyed his sister, "Are our parents trying to boast through our names?"

In their language, GaraBuntara meant ’Ancestor’s Pride.’ MyuraBuntara named Torq as such, implying his birth was the proudest moment for their Ancestor–the Celestial Boar.

Similarly, AuraBuntara meant ’Ancestor’s Grace’, symbolising the Celestial Boar’s magnanimity in assisting the growth of multiple weaker races.

VaraBuntara, on the other hand, meant ’Ancestor’s Legacy’, directly hinting at the Gold Grade version of the mineral–Vara–that was sourced from the tusks of the Celestial Boar.

The names of every single Spectral Boar Clansman was trying to one up the other, boasting as much as possible according to their race’s vocabulary.

"Boasting...might be true," AuraBuntara nodded. "Power, numbers, accomplishments, we’re already competing in all regards."

"Currently, there are six of us, two per family." She explained, "In terms of numbers, we’re on even grounds. In terms of power and accomplishments, we’ve been dead last, until recently."

Torq managed to gain a Tertiary Nature, which was a tremendous accomplishment. "We’re leading in terms of accomplishments at the moment."

"Does VaraBuntara’s family lead in the field of strength?" Torq asked next.

"Yes," AuraBuntara nodded, "There’s a reason he’s so arrogant. Not only did he manage to endure the influence generated from a Centinger by the age of five, I heard he’s planning to switch to a Gold Grade Tangible Nature."

"Already?" Torq was surprised, "That’s...pretty fast."

"Yeah," AuraBuntara stopped before the hall and waved her hands, "I’m currently taking on a few intermediate courses. Since this is your first day, you’ll have to start with a beginner course."

"Pick whatever suits your fancy." She pointed at a mural on the wall depicting an expansive chart and took her leave.

Torq observed the chart, ’There are multiple beginner courses. And connected to them are intermediate courses that a student can learn next. And finally, there are advanced courses.’

Advanced Course–Gluttony!

It was basically the means to train a student’s sense of hunger and appetite, allowing them to eat as much as possible in a short duration. It was one of the most opted Advanced Courses, since the stomachs of the Wean Clansmen was one of the best.

Advanced Course–Maturity!

It was a collection of training and resources that allowed a Wean Clansman to consume Pranic Beast flesh that can efficiently age them up towards maturity. It was important to climb through the Life Stages quickly, especially in such pressing times.

Advanced Course–Seventh Sense!

It allowed the student to develop their Prana detection means to an extent it could detect even powerful existences in stealth.

There were multiple other Advanced Courses, many of which interested Torq. However, there was one Advanced Course that captured his attention the most.

Advanced Course–Pranic Beast Registry!

’That name...’ The moment he stared at the name, he recalled a piece of information from the book, ’There’s a Pranic Beast whose Primary Nature is labelled as this.’

It was a strategic Silver Grade Pranic Beast, which had almost gone extinct. It was a must for his plan, and even Torq only knew one place of Sumatra where it would be available.

’Do they have one of it here? HERE?’ In his excitement, Torq pretty much signed up for the respective Beginner Course.

Beginner Course–Iron Registry!

The lecture hall for Iron Registry was situated in a farther building. And as Torq approached it, he noticed there was hardly anyone in the room. A total of two Wean Clansmen were seated, scattered far from each other, with bored expression, and half asleep.

"Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced?" A voice came from behind as Torq was looking at the hall from the entrance.

"Beginner," He said and turned around to see a thinly tall woman with messy hair. She was holding a scroll in her hand. A glance at her, and Torq frowned, ’I hardly feel hungry when I see her. This shouldn’t be the case...’

Every Wean Clansman was a Gold Grade existence. So, if the hunger he felt from her was less than the base level, then it meant she wasn’t a Wean Clansman, ’A Free Human?’

’Here? In the Wean Clan?’ It came as a surprise to him, especially with the ongoing civil war.

"All three Courses are conducted in this hall anyway." The woman said and brushed past him, "Take a seat."