The Rise of the Black Plain

The next day, the giants Wovar and Clexvog arrived at Armhands' headquarters, reuniting with Minos' faction.

Led to the group's lair by Sender, the two individuals, who could change the size of their bodies to temporarily enter smaller places, had just entered the home of their new group.

Arriving at the place where the rest of the faction had gathered at Minos' request, the two giants met the little over 20 faction members who would be their companions from now on.

The strongest alien in the area was clearly Sender, level 113, while the weakest was Hollie, level 103.

After learning the names of their new companions, Minos' relationship with some of them, and how to keep an eye on the Stuart family, the two heard what interested them most.

"... As I promised you, I will give each of you 100,000 merit points per month to cover your expenses. In return, I expect you to be at my disposal to fight alongside me and carry out missions on behalf of the faction." Minos said to the two men very similar to humans.

The big difference between these two and humans was the size of their bodies. Giants like Wovar stood between 20 and 25 meters tall and weighed between 150 and 290 tons.

It was no wonder that they spent so many resources to keep themselves growing in power!

Besides their size, they were also quite simple in their intelligence. Although they weren't stupid enough to be easily fooled, they were simple enough to devote themselves to people who would do them good.

Giving their strength in return seemed only fair to these two!

"Fighting is our strength," Wovar said, a broad smile spreading across his face.

"Hmm, we don't like to stand around. Sender says we're going to fight soon. Is that true?" Clexvog's voice rumbled through the cave.

Minos nodded. "Rest for two days. We'll embark on a two-week mission, with at least two significant battles ahead of us. I will need your strength during it."

The two were pleased to hear this and didn't bother to ask what this mission would be about.

After a few more words from Minos and the members of the group, they left to rest from their journey and wait for their group to leave.

In addition to the two of them and Minos, Sender and two other men who had recently joined their faction would go on this mission, going on this journey to help the leader of the group survive the probable assassination attempt that was about to take place.

...

Two days after their first encounter with the level 112 giants, Minos prepared to leave headquarters once again.

That afternoon, Minos set out on his next punishment mission, tasked with hunting down an enemy of the guild in a city a week away from Examire.

His five companions had left ahead of him, waiting at the guild's exit point on a mountain near the city. However, Minos' attempt to remain inconspicuous was futile. As soon as he exited the guild, Artaud followed, having been tipped off by the Jade Chainsaws about Minos' departure with his powerful allies.

With a determined expression on his face, Artaud approached his target and swiftly made his way to the designated spot where he would patiently wait for Minos.

'You have some helpers, but let's see how far they can help you.' He thought to himself, confident in his level 114 skills.

"Just you wait, Minos, I'll use you to become the guild's next Chief Commander!" Artaud muttered before disappearing over the horizon.

Finding out where Minos was now would be difficult, even for him. Taking action against a seer was never easy. But even if Minos wasn't a seer, it would still be difficult to reach him. After all, Minos had the advantage of having left first and could be anywhere right now.

For Artaud, it was better to go to the place of Minos' mission, where his target would surely go in a few days, where he could wait for his opponent.

...

While Artaud made his way ahead of Minos' group on this journey of a few days, Minos' group traveled along the ground, running between the trees.

They knew they would be hunted if they flew above the canopy. Having a seer by their side, there was absolutely no chance that they would opt for such a perilous route. The group, now on their cautious journey toward Dustdrift, had Minos scouting ahead. The giants traveled in their subdued forms, while the others kept serious expressions, anticipating their encounter with Artaud.

"Boss, I was wondering if there is a possibility that the enemy has any allies. Artaud isn't simple, and he might know you're not alone."

"The Jade Chainsaws probably know our numbers," another added.

"There's no telling," Minos sighed. "Our fate is uncertain, but I believe he'll face us alone. I've seen something in him that makes me believe he would rather risk his life to kill us alone than ask for help to face a group that doesn't even have someone at his level."

For powerful cultivators, it might be humiliating to ask for help to eliminate someone weaker than themselves. Not only that, but Artaud would gain a lot by killing Minos—enough to continue his ascent to level 115.

If he asked someone of a similar level to help him, he would certainly have to give up some of his resources, which could jeopardize his advancement.

Minos had seen this by observing Artaud in the days before his departure, which gave him some confidence that he would be able to face the enemy in a few days.

'That won't be the case if we don't kill him... If he escapes, he will surely find allies to fight against us. Until then, it will be difficult for us to withstand the pressure he will be able to exert.' Minos thought silently, imagining the worst-case scenario of their victory over Artaud.