The Rise of the Black Plain

Upon entering Minos' office, the three Gods of the Spiritual World, but also the level 103 Sovereign, soon came across Emperor Stuart, alongside the two level 102 Sovereigns.

Sarah and Rowan had just left after a conversation with their father and had greeted these men and women before they settled down in Minos' office.

Minos looked silently at Vico and Callie before asking Aurae. "What is your choice regarding our departure from the Spiritual World? My group is preparing the last details before our departure between 35 and 50 days from now."

The blonde woman with pointed ears smiled and said sincerely to Minos. "I appreciate the opportunity. But I will stay in the Spiritual World to observe the planet while new Gods do not emerge. I know your state has Divine Medicines, and it's only a matter of time before we recover some level 99 Demigods to get new Gods to replace us all. But until then, it could take a few decades. I'll stay to help finish rebuilding the planet and be ready for trouble.

When the first God after your departure appears, I intend to send them to The Adamant Land and wait for the next one to replace me in the Spiritual World.

I'll leave for Zocarro when one of your children goes on this journey."

"I see," Minos commented as he looked into Aurae's green eyes. "That's good. Staying behind isn't bad. Those who leave now will have a better chance of advancing more quickly, but it will be more dangerous. Those who go later will take advantage of what my group builds in the meantime."

They all agreed, with Vico and Callie understanding this point, but still wanting to go ahead with their intention to leave the Spiritual World.

Minos looked at these two individuals with a serious expression on his face before presenting his proposal. "Rowan and Sarah have decided that they will stay in the Spiritual World. They're both sure and won't go back in their words. Then I have two new Zocarro slots available in my group."

Vico and Callie changed their expressions, both realizing Minos' invitation.

"However, I have one condition for bringing you with me," Minos said before either of them could ask questions or celebrate the opportunity.

"What would that be, Your Majesty?" Callie asked as she took a step forward.

"I will take you to Zocarro on the condition that, when you reach level 107, you come to the Spiritual World to escort a new group of my family and allies to Zocarro. I will pay for the travel costs for you. Your job will only be to escort my people safely to Zocarro."

Vico and Callie marveled at the words 'level 107', imagining how strong they would be at that level.

They had already imagined that it must be very dangerous to travel across the universe, but Minos and his group had come to the Spiritual World even though none of them were that strong. They would certainly have a chance of completing the mission!

If they didn't accept Minos' proposal, it could take them a long time to reach Zocarro. Staying away from that planet eventually when they returned to the Spiritual World didn't seem like such a disadvantage. This would be a chance for them to grow up and one day return to see the development of the Spiritual World in their absence.

They wouldn't have to spend anything and, with Minos' support, something they were sure they would have, the two were confident they would gain more than they would lose in this arrangement.

"I place myself at Your Majesty's disposal." Callie said before Vico agreed, stepping forward and making a gesture of thanks common in the Spiritual World.

Minos threw some linguistic crystals toward the two and said. "You have the next month to learn these languages. They will be crucial to understand all the many aliens we may come into contact with on the journey to Zocarro."

The two left to go into seclusion, while Aurae stayed behind with the others, approaching Minos. "Why did you give these two this opportunity? Wouldn't it have been better for you to send your relatives?"

Minos had many people in his family at the moment. His grandparents, his mother, the parents of his three wives, sisters or cousins of his wives, but also old friends and subordinates. Any of them he took would grow up in Zocarro, and eventually they could travel back to the Spiritual World to do what he had asked Vico and Callie to do.

Minos sighed. "I thought about that possibility, but Vico and Callie are already strong Gods. They can reach level 102 before we even get to Zocarro. Reaching level 107 will be easy for them.

But not only that, they're already Gods, unlike my friends and family. I plan to go into seclusion soon to advance to level 100, so I intend to have as strong a group as possible to protect the weak in my group.

Callie and Vico are the strongest I could choose to replace Sarah and Rowan."

If Sarah and Rowan wanted to go to Zocarro with him now, he would take them, even though they were weak. But since they wouldn't, he took the strongest people he could with him.

"I see... How long do you think it will take for them to return?" she asked.

"For those in the Spiritual World, I believe it will be a few decades, less than a century. It took Maximillian about 40 years to reach the peak of level 103, so I imagine that with 50 years in Zocarro, he must have reached level 104. To reach level 107, it will probably take him 70 to 100 more years. So for us, the time for that to happen should be about two centuries."

It impressed her, even though she already knew how extraordinary Zocarro was.

Hearing how 'easy' it would be to progress to the 11th stage in Zocarro made Aurae's heart flutter with uncertainty. But she stood by her choices.

"That's impressive. One day, I still want to experience what it feels like to cultivate in Zocarro," she murmured.

One Sovereign smiled and said to her.

"You'll still feel it. In a few decades for you, you'll be in Zocarro to experience the wonders of cultivating in that great world."

The group chatted leisurely for a few minutes, with the Sovereigns there talking about how incredible it was to cultivate in Zocarro, with tones full of desire to return, but also curiosity. Although they had lived there for around 50 years, the truth was that they knew a tiny fraction of the planet.

They were still weak by Zocarro standards, so they still had a lot to explore!

The group split up to continue their local affairs. Aurae would remain in the city to follow the last days of Minos and company in the Spiritual World, seeing the prosperity of the empire up close in the presence of Emperor Stuart.

Soon it would be time for him to set off on his space journey!