The Rise of the Black Plain

Following the Chief Commander, Minos felt like he was stepping on eggs as he walked through the guild's main building, careful where he stepped and where he looked.

This was no ordinary place. Everyone there was a level 114 Sovereign or Supreme, and there was no one weaker than that except for himself.

The area of the council was not large. With only a few members of such high ranks, the council basically comprised five buildings and a central square.

One of the buildings, where Minos was standing now, was the guild's government building, which housed the Council of Elders and the Commander's office.

Of the four remaining buildings, two were the residential areas, one being the home of the Generals, and the other being the residences of the Elders and the Chief Commander of the guild.

Of the two remaining buildings, one was a majestic hall that housed not only the guild's high-level library, but also the cultivation areas for the council members. The last building was the home of the Supreme Leader, the strongest man behind Armhands, the true leader of this organization.

According to gossip in the guild's inner circle, the Supreme Leader rarely left his residence to attend to guild business. As much as his name implied he ruled the force, in reality he was more of a last protector, someone who would take the reins of the guild should disaster befall the organization.

In normal times, the Commander would run the guild with the help of the Council of Elders, while the Supreme Leader could remain in seclusion at his estate.

Today, Minos would 'only' meet with the Council of Elders, but he couldn't help but feel his heart leaping in his chest.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you how to behave in front of the elders, do I?" The Commander smiled at Minos as he stopped at the end of the corridor he had followed after leaving his office.

Minos nodded to the man, showing that he understood this was not the place for him to raise his voice unless asked, where he had to be careful with every gesture he made.

"Then we won't have any problems. The Elders are not monsters." The Commander smiled at Minos before losing his good mood and opening the golden door in his path.

The moment he opened the door at the end of the corridor, a flash of lightning appeared, capable of blinding the weak and undeserving to reach that place.

Minos moved his arms to shield his eyes, unable to see anything in front of him. All he could see was a strong white light, while he felt something pass through his body as if it were wind, but it wasn't wind.

'That feeling...' he felt his lips dry as his knees wobbled.

"Elders, I bring an urgent matter to your consideration." The Commander bowed his head as 10 semi-transparent individuals materialized in this place.

"What is the need to bring a guild junior to this place?" A voice that Minos could barely understand asked, as the human felt his consciousness float, on the verge of fainting at the presence of the elders.

"Minos is a witness to what I consider being a rather disturbing action. If his analysis is correct, I'm afraid we're on the verge of an all-out war in the central region. Unfortunately, we will not escape this conflict without blood on our hands."

Navey's eyes narrowed as he understood the situation. But even though he knew exactly what Minos had seen, he raised a hand, making a spiritual hand appear over this young man of his interest, taking the opportunity to evaluate him more closely.

'You two are really compatible. Seeing you in person is really different. The Hydra Amulet suits you very well.' Navey thought for a moment, a mysterious smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

A second later, Navey said to his nine colleagues. "The situation Officer Minos witnessed looks troubling. Firestone Mines looks suspicious. We should move first and prepare for the worst."

Sediel's mistress didn't accept this without investigating for herself, letting her long gel hair touch Minos' body, sensing what he had seen for himself.

"Why are you so sure, Elder? Although what Minos has seen is very disturbing, I see no reason to make a fuss."

"Minos is a gifted seer. His feeling comes not only from facts, but from a divine sixth sense." Navey answered the level 120 woman's question.

"First Elder, I recommend that we seriously consider Minos' warning. I've already sent men to investigate what he warned us about, so we'd better prepare for his suspicions to be confirmed. We'll be able to strike more quickly if I have the support of the council on standby." The level 122 old man, the strongest of these elders, the one who had been on the 'verge' of death, closed his eyes after a good look at Minos.

"Go ahead with your plans. The council will support you if Firestone Mines is indeed behind this incident." As soon as he said these words, the old man disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, and all the others agreed and did the same, turning their attention to their own cultivations.

As beings who were already at the peak of Oqia's power, they were looking for the next step, to achieve enough to enter the Upper Realm!

Unless the guild was under direct attack, or there was concrete evidence that Firestone Mines was sabotaging them, they were unlikely to move.

Minos could barely comprehend this brief encounter as he collided with the powerful auras of the ten elders, whose powers ranged from level 118 to 122.

Their auras in a single environment were like an ocean, while Minos' power was like a small bucket of water!

It wasn't easy to face so many experts and stay conscious!

But if they were so powerful, what level would the Supreme Leader be at?

"Impressive!" He muttered as he fell to his knees on the ground after the last of the elders had disappeared, his clothes completely soaked.

The Commander looked at Minos for a second, but then left, carrying the Junior Officer who had completed a Senior Officer-level mission.

"Wait a few days and go to the Mission Hall to collect your reward. Everything will be settled by then."