The Rise of the Black Plain

Two days later…

After Minos arrived in Veora Kingdom, he tranquility traveled for more than a full day, traversing the outer areas of a prominent local forest.

There were 9th-stage and even 10th-stage beasts in this state, and Minos had passed close to the territories of several of them and was in the domain of an influential 10th-stage beast. However, he had not drawn their attention as someone traveling while avoiding trouble and keeping his presence discreet.

Beasts would also not look for trouble with every fly flying in their territories, so other than 8th-stage beings, as was his case, Minos had not had to interact with stronger beings.

He was passing himself off as a traveling merchant, a more respected type of person among beasts.

Beasts liked merchants because when they fought humans, they often got useless resources, like spiritual crystals and armor. But even such items could benefit them if kept, for when they met merchants, they could trade these items for medicines, potions, pills, and even tasty food. 

Precisely because of the possibility of trading with this kind of person, beasts, in general, were more friendly to merchants and would not fight unless there were strong reasons to do so if they knew that person’s identity.

Minos was cleverly using this to his advantage as he traveled through this high-level realm, having identified himself as a merchant on the occasions he was intercepted during these hours of travel.

Since he had many resources from the Black Plain in his spatial rings, he had been able to do some trading with these beings, avoiding having to show himself.

Thus he had arrived at this moment without having had to fight and was now traveling alongside two beasts, one level 78 and one level 79.

Minos had met them this morning and done business with them before hearing from them that there was a clash of high-level beasts on his way and being invited to stop at their tribe.

When powerful beasts fought, they could make their surroundings tens of kilometers dangerous and would kill anyone who got in their way.

Since Minos had no alternative but to wait for the conflict ahead to come to a halt, he accepted the invitation of those creatures trying to bring a merchant to their tribe, not just help this human.

Anyway, Minos was running alongside those two, showing those creatures that despite being at level 77, he could keep up with both of them.

“Edgar, you are not slow.” One of the beasts, in its humanoid form, female, 1.8 meters tall, with large breasts and brown hair, said, smiling.

On the other hand, the green-haired, 2-meter-tall, muscular man next to them commented. “Despite your appearance, you are quite fast… What’s with that belly of yours? Why do you look overweight being so agile?”

Minos laughed and said. “About that, I have a genetic condition that makes me have this physique… Even though I’m faster than ordinary level 77 cultivators, I can’t burn those little fats on my belly.

Anyway, that’s genetics that my parents gave me, and I’m not ashamed of it.” 

“Hmm, it’s not good to be ashamed of what you get from your parents. They are our creators.” The female beast said, smiling in sympathy at Minos. “Anyway, you’re not so bad. I bet you make a hit with the women being so capable, haha.”

“I kind of do okay…” Minos commented as those two laughed, thinking this was not true.

As a high-level Spiritual Saint, he would get women if he tried. But those two would hardly think he could do that with women at the same level as him, the most beautiful.

Because of that, too, those two were nice to him.

“Anyway, have you ever considered having a date with a beast? I’m sure many races have your physical type within the ideal of beauty.” The woman continued talking about this.

Minos then answered sincerely. “I’m not against it. I just haven’t had the opportunity to do anything cross-species yet… Anyway, at the moment, I’m focused on finishing my trip to the Western Empire.”

“Are you going to sell things there?” The man asked.

“And also buy,” Minos said, looking ahead where there were many spiritual beasts of these two’s race in their tribe.

“Hmm, that’s good. Do you intend to pass through here on your way back?” 

He answered that green-haired guy. “Maybe. Maybe I’ll use some teleportation item to return directly to my state, the Flaming Empire.”

Minos had already told these two that he was from the Flaming Empire, from a merchant family located near the Flowers Kingdom.

Because of his proximity to that state, his family had dealings with women from the Flowers Kingdom, and thus he had the resources to travel to that high-level state and trade, even though he was from the Flaming Empire.

“I see… Well, I wish you good luck on your trip. Now let us introduce you to some members of our tribe. They will love your time here, hehe.” The woman said before leading the way through the entrance of the tribe where most of the powerful beasts there were 9th-stage beings, but there were many of them at the 8th stage.

That place didn’t look like the typical tribe that Minos would find around the northern region or in the eastern region of the Central Continent where Blackrock and the Flaming Empire were. Instead, there was a city not so different from the human towns usually seen around the continent.

There were streets, carriages, people walking around, and houses for humans, with commerce, in short, what one would expect to find in a human city. But at the same time, there were many beasts around the streets that were built not only for those beasts capable of transforming into humanoid forms but also for their low-level descendants.

𝒩𝒪𝐯𝗅xt.𝒞𝒪𝓂

Because of this, most of the beings around the streets of this city in the middle of the forest were beasts, with several specimens of other species besides these two.

“Edgar, this is our tribe. We have 20,000 members here, and at least a few hundred will want to do business with you.”

“Hmm, as long as the items interest me, I can do business with many.” Minos did not run away, feeling that it would be good to be on the side of these beasts to finish his journey through this kingdom easily. “Depending on the situation, as long as someone helps me get to the border with the Western Empire, I can even do a business that doesn’t benefit me at all.”

“Is that so? Good to know. Some of us constantly travel around the coast of the kingdom. So it won’t be hard to find one who is interested.”

After that, they went to a building similar to guild headquarters, where the beasts usually put up notices of merchants passing through this city for their companions to come and try to do business.

In that place, Minos would soon meet several peak 8th-stage beings with whom he would trade goods, information, and favors!

…