The Rise of the Black Plain

Another week has passed...

After going through the last part of his progress to level 100, Maximilian finally reached the apex and unleashed a phenomenon similar to the one Vico had provoked in the capital of the Eastern Empire.

Even though he was in the Seraphim Spatial Kingdom, the final phenomenon of advancing to level 100 was so powerful that within and outside that region of space, special changes would appear hundreds of kilometers away.

Spatial Kingdoms were nothing more than regions of the Spiritual World that were separated from the rest of the world by folds of space, something that only Gods could do. 

But those regions separated from the rest of the world by folds of space remained in the same position as those lands were before the creation of those spaces. 

For example, if Minos eventually reached level 100 and decided to create a Spatial Kingdom in the Dry City area, his state's capital would still be in the same initial position. But after Emperor Stuart's action, it would become inaccessible to people without the means to enter it.

Assuming that the northernmost and southernmost sides of Dry City were represented by the letters A and B, after the creation of the Dry City Spatial Kingdom, these two points would become the same point C. From then on, it would be as if everything between A and B no longer existed, as if the entire space of the city had been erased. 

There would be no "empty" space left. The spaces at the ends of the city would be joined together, like a pizza that has had a slice removed and then reshaped into a smaller size to look whole.

But the point of all this is that the Dry City in this example would still be in its original position. So if someone were to advance to level 100 within such a Spatial Kingdom, the city's surroundings, i.e., the outside of that alternate region of space, would suffer the effects of such advancement.

This is why Vico's advancement created the previous phenomenon in the capital of his empire, while Maximilian's current advancement creates it in the current capital of the Evergreen Empire!

Those inside and outside the Seraphim Spatial Kingdom realized this and felt the rich spiritual energy and blessings in the vicinity of the site of the divine advance.

Someone was attaining divinity in the vicinity of this city, so the whole space would benefit from it, bringing opportunities to the local cultivators.

Sensing this from within the Spatial Kingdom, Forrest saw that his master's great enemy had succeeded and couldn't help but sigh in defeat.

'It looks like it will be impossible for Minos and me now...' He thought to himself as he stood up from where he had been and considered leaving this Spatial Kingdom and returning to the mainland.

Since Maximilian was practically at level 100, it was time for him to run away to warn Minos!

However, the moment he left the domain of the Church, he immediately felt a level 100 aura that wasn't Maximillian's!

"What? Who is that?" He stopped at the exit of the Church's Spatial Kingdom and looked in the direction where a blond man was coming from.

Soon, Forrest faced Vico and saw an enemy for him and Minos that was even worse than Maximillian.

Not knowing anything about what had happened in the last three or four months, Forrest was naturally shocked, not knowing how to react to such a discovery!

"Oh? You're Duncan's student, right?" Vico arrived at the entrance to the Seraphim Spatial Kingdom to welcome Maximillian back to the continent and couldn't help but comment to Forrest.

Forrest froze in horror, but no one in Vico's group helped him by informing him that they were no longer enemies. Janus, in particular, watched that level 94 man with a grin on his face as he saw Forrest practically pissing himself.

"That..."

But just as Forrest was about to say something, someone else came out of the Spiritual Church's Spatial Kingdom, attracting the attention of practically the entire city.

At that moment, the citizens and experts of the Evergreen Empire's capital felt the second level 100 aura of their lives!

Maximilian booted one of his feet out of the Spatial Kingdom and left the place with a smile on his face, full of anticipation for the things they were about to accomplish.

"Maximillian, after millions of years, you've finally made it," Vico said as this black-haired, sharp-looking man looked at him with a smile.

Maximillian's smile immediately froze when he heard such a voice. He could not believe that Vico was there.

But before he could do anything, he realized that his opponent was still at the same level as him!

"What? How?" Maximilian lost his good humor as he glared at Vico, unable to comprehend the situation.

'What the fuck! Has that bastard advanced as well?' He asked himself as he looked at Vico, checking the blond man's cultivation once, twice, three times, four times, but always coming to the same conclusion.

'How? If he advanced before me, why am I still alive?' That was the obvious question.

If he had been in Vico's place, he would have already killed his opponent and prevented another from reaching level 100. But Vico had clearly allowed him to take his last step towards divinity, which made no sense to Maximillian.

"How, you ask?" Vico laughed, imagining that this would be the only victory he could claim against Maximillian after all their stalemates over the past decades.

The blond man came straight to the point, not wanting to prolong the subject unnecessarily. "I thought about killing you, if that's what you want to know. But in the face of the Mechanic Empire and its 32 Gods, I had no choice but to spare your group and you, Maximillian."

"Mechanic Empire?" Forrest's eyes narrowed considerably, while Maximillian felt as if the number 32 had punched him in the stomach.

"32 what?" He asked, not believing what his ears had just heard.

"32 Gods. The Mechanic Empire is the extraterritorial power that ruled the North Sea and has been hiding in our world. The brat Minos Stuart discovered the truth about this region and revealed to the world the terrible enemies we will face in no more than 30 years," Vico elaborated.

"Thanks to them, Maximilian, you're still alive, as I alone won't be able to stop the enemies."

These words from Vico frightened even the people who had been thinking about it for weeks. 

When they heard it from the mouth of a God, Forrest, Maximillian, and a few others who didn't know the truth yet could hardly control their hearts.

'Shit!' Maximillian paled as he saw all his dreams from millions of years ago slip away from him at once.