The Rise of the Black Plain

Another month flew by for Minos' group.

While his group waited for Wovar and Clexvog to arrive at the guild headquarters, the members of their faction were hard at work on various fronts of the political war being waged by many groups of Armhands.

Kendrick, his sisters, and Grisdi were now in a dimly lit, elegantly decorated room of a restaurant outside the city. The air was thick with the aroma of exotic spices, but Kendrick ignored the drinks on the table and faced the two aliens who had asked to meet them that afternoon.

"What do you want?" Kendrick asked, his voice steady but his eyes betraying a flicker of suspicion.

The man and woman in front of them were not ordinary people. As stronger cultivators than them and of higher rank, they were people Kendrick and his companions knew were involved in the succession dispute in the internal area of the guild.

"You're just like your father, ha ha... But that's okay. That's better." The woman's voice was smooth, her smile calculating. She had done business with Minos in the past, and there was a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.

The man next to her, a level 111 alien, leaned forward. "I will not pretend that we're your allies, Soldier Kendrick. But that doesn't stop us from working together temporarily."

Lily, Kendrick's sharp-witted sister, narrowed her eyes. "Is that what you want?"

The level 110 woman nodded, her gaze shifting to Lily's Rank-and-File Soldier insignia. "In the past three weeks, three of your group members have been promoted, and soon Abby will become an Elite Soldier.

Don't you find this strange? Before, you had a lot of competition to become a Rank-and-File Soldier. But then, suddenly, the competition disappeared..."

Hollie clenched her fists. "Are you saying that the enemies did this?"

Kendrick and Grisdi looked at each other and couldn't help but see the problem, but also the reason. Come to think of it, it really had been easier for their faction to make progress lately.

"This is the work of the Jade Chainsaws," the woman explained. "They want to kill your entire group. If you become internal members of the guild, you'll be doing mandatory missions outside the headquarters..."

The level 111 man finished her thought. "At that time, you will all be brutally attacked by members of their faction."

Minos' group hadn't realized this point, so the four faction members who were there with these two strangers couldn't help but become serious when they thought about it.

"What do you suggest?" Kendrick asked.

"Be careful of becoming internal members," the man said seriously. "I would suggest that you take advantage of their movements to become Elite Soldiers, but then stop there.

Becoming an internal member of the guild may offer opportunities, but it also comes with deadly risks. With Minos and the others in your group, you don't have to deal with that."

"What's in it for you?" Hollie's eyes flashed with suspicion.

The woman's smile widened. "The Jade Chainsaws and their group are our rivals. Disrupting their plans benefits us all. They are strong and dangerous. Putting them in a difficult position is the best thing for everyone right now."

That wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth, either.

'Let's keep those bastards focused on you longer. My group will grow if you fall out.' The man thought silently, playing to win.

The woman remained silent as these young people looked at her. Her interest was in getting these two groups to focus on each other!

'There are a lot of talents in this group, but as long as none of them reach the high level of the 11th stage, there will be ways for us to deal with them even if they survive the Jade Chainsaws.' She thought.

Meanwhile, Kendrick couldn't help but stare at the woman. 'She is right. The Jade Chainsaws have a lot to gain if they can deal with us in the short term. For their enemies, like the group of these two, a victory by Jembei's faction against us would be bad. Us not moving too much would also benefit them, as my father's influence would grow more slowly.'

'These people probably have ulterior motives, but they're right. We really will be in greater danger if we continue as we are.' Lily, the smartest of the Stuart siblings, pondered as she looked skeptically at the two aliens.

'We need to talk to our father about this.' Hollie looked at her siblings after considering the situation.

"Thanks for the warning," Kendrick finally said. "We'll consider that option from now on."

"Hmm, be careful," the man cautioned as he stood up to leave. "Some want your heads, while others just want to beat you. Not everyone is like the Jade Chainsaws."

"We're not allies," the woman added, "but we'll help you put pressure on them. As long as you're careful with your advances, we can open up some opportunities for you."

...

After Kendrick's meeting earlier, he took on the task of seeing his father while his companions went about their respective duties in the guild.

Standing at the entrance to the inner area, Kendrick watched the bustling activity around him. He shifted from one foot to the other, his mind replaying the conversation with the two aliens. They were right—this situation needed careful handling.

Soon, he spotted Minos approaching with Sediel, a strikingly beautiful woman, walking beside him. As they drew nearer, Kendrick caught snippets of their conversation.

Sediel's melodic voice reached him. "He resembles you, not only in personality."

Minos chuckled. "Not so much. You have to see my youngest son, Rowan. He's even more like me."

"Will you bring him into the guild in the future?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Certainly. He'll be here in a few centuries," Minos replied with a proud smile.

"Well, I look forward to meeting little Rowan. But for now, be careful. Artaud is not easy. Even with the help of the two giants, it will be a tough battle," she cautioned, her tone serious.

Although she hadn't joined his faction, she had watched him and given him advice. After the previous gift, she had completed her advancement to level 114, enough to compete for a place as a General.

Artaud was a General, so her alliance with Minos seemed natural…

"Try your best to assassinate him during your meeting. If he survives, you can expect even greater threats. Don't think he won't use his influence to move others as strong as he is," she warned, her eyes locking onto Minos' with intensity.

"I know. I'll prepare myself well for the fight against him. Anyway, I hope to see you again when I return," Minos said with a hint of appreciation.

"Good luck. I'll be waiting for you," she replied, waving goodbye, her expression softening slightly.

As she walked away, Kendrick approached his father. "Father, we need to talk."

They moved towards a quieter area, the weight of upcoming battles and alliances heavy on their minds.