The Rise of the Black Plain

The three new Armhands Recruits told their stories to the group. They talked from their homeworlds to what they had experienced in Oqia. They've had plenty of time to talk about their pasts in the two days since they joined the guild, so that Minos' group can understand the problems they might have with them.

Even small Sovereigns had the potential to cause enormous problems!

But none of them were in problematic situations. They had arrived on the continent five years ago and had traveled almost imperceptibly. They were going to Hilltop City to protect themselves on this dangerous continent.

There were rebel forces in the area who accepted new recruits. But one would have to go to one town in the area of Hilltop City to get a 'safe' place with possibilities for growth. The only other option for an invader was to hide and live in the gutter.

As the two were mere Sovereigns, they were willing to take risks to achieve something that Leger had failed to do in his first passage through Uzira. But none of this came as a surprise to Minos' group. Even though they didn't know Uzira that well, they were already well used to the continent and how things worked there.

But they were pleased that the first members of the group were unlikely to bring trouble to the guild.

Meanwhile, the three watched in shock as their group progressed along the road to Hilltop City, spending the two most strenuous days of the journey as if it were easy going uphill.

Minos and his companions dealt with all the ambushes in their path. Those they could handle, they fought off and collected more storage items from hunters. Those they couldn't challenge, they avoided, following alternative routes devised by Minos.

Now they were reaching the 'safe' area, where hunters didn't dare go far, given the large number of rebels and invaders there.

Minos looked ahead and saw cultivators like them walking or even standing at points on the climb to the top of the hill, clearly a more peaceful formation than the journey there.

Some were standing next to huts, others in front of small stalls with products for sale, as if it were a free market.

Guards in similar outfits stood at specific points on the climb, observing the backgrounds with stern gazes.

Minos and his group spotted the large city built on top of the hill from this point when they realized they were in a place similar to the suburbs of a city.

There were even children wandering around, none of them accompanied by adults, something strange for people like Minos and his wives.

They narrowed their eyes and looked at Minos as he realized what this meant.

Either this was such a poor place that many orphans and children of busy parents were free to come and go, or this city was so safe that young people of low levels could come and go freely.

Minos imagined that the first possibility was the most likely, given how ill-dressed and malnourished many of those children looked.

"Looks like Hilltop City isn't as amazing a place as we thought," Abby said as she saw several ugly looks in her direction.

"That's not strange," said one of the Sovereigns of the group. "Madam, these people from this town are pressured from all sides. The fact that this place exists on a continent like Uzira is impressive in itself. We can't demand too much."

23:18

"That's not strange," said one of the Sovereigns of the group. "Madam, these people from this town are pressured from all sides. The fact that this place exists on a continent like Uzira is impressive in itself. We can't demand too much."

Minos didn't disagree with that Recruit's opinion, but he didn't feel that things were that simple.

They continued onwards, talking about how Hilltop City looked and various interesting things that caught their attention. The city was clearly built on levels. The higher up the hill you went, the higher the average level of the cultivators coming and going through the streets and buildings along the way.

Some places had specific points of distortion, but the citizens coming and going followed the pattern the group witnessed.

Just as the group was about to enter the area where Supremes held sway, the guards stationed on one of the paths took a different look in Abby's direction before closing the way for them.

"Necromancers can't enter this part of the city without prior authorization," said one guard as he looked at Minos and the blue-haired woman next to him.

Necromancers were welcome in the city. But a necromancer in Uzira was a member of the royal family or a mortal enemy of the family. Such a cultivator would be too dangerous to accept easily in their city.

Hilltop City required certain types of people to go through an exceptional security protocol if they wanted to access the most powerful and prosperous side of the city.

"How do we do that?" Minos asked, not wanting confusion in the place where he intended to gather information.

"You can go to the Identification Post just over there." The guard pointed toward a sphere-shaped building, about 3 kilometers from where they were standing.

Seeing the place in question, Minos thanked him for the information and asked the man at level 118, "By the way, can you tell me where I can find recruiting sites around here?"

"Are you interested in looking for a force to join?" The guard wasn't surprised by Minos' question. It was common for people, even at their level, to look for organizations to join.

Minos smiled mysteriously. "Yes, we're looking for that." He lied knowingly.

"Then you're in luck. Ravenroses and Fireflayers are two big local forces that are recruiting this week." Advised the guard. "You can find the selection registration point for the two forces in the main square." He again showed another place for the group to go, now pointing to an area further away, about 11 kilometers.

Fortunately, the city's geography made it easy to see distant places like that.

Minos thanked the guards by giving them some common coins from the area.

The special rings they had collected during their escape from Cursed Rock and the path to this city had been very useful for this moment in Minos' plans!

"Boss, why did you ask about that?" One Sovereign in the group asked.

Minos laughed as he led the group. "There's nowhere better than there to recruit our own guild members!"

The three newcomers in the group understood Minos' aim, but they were also worried.

"That'll put us up against those two local forces, boss!"

"Armhands is also a major Zocarro force. Perhaps we need to create our place at the table of these local leaders." Minos' eyes lit up as he first led his group to the local guard's Identification Post.

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