The Rise of the Black Plain

Titus was irritated by Minos' earlier remark. But he couldn't help but think that this strange human with an even stranger company might actually have something in mind to help him.

It could be a bluff since Bella had directed this group. But there was a slight possibility that Minos' last words were valid.

"Do you want me to join your group? Why?" He asked.

Minos could sense that such a fox had already killed many beings in experiments and was not normal.

Then he laughed, feeling that this fox's fate was rather strange.

"Besides having valuable skills for the journey I intend to take, you would be a perfect guinea pig, Titus. You've spent your whole life experimenting on other beings. It's about time you experienced it yourself, isn't it? Don't worry. I'm not going to force you into anything. I'll tell you what I have in mind and let you decide if you want to do some of the things I have planned."

Minos' words were strange, to say the least. But as crazy as it sounded to say that you would turn the one you were trying to recruit into a guinea pig, things weren't that simple with Titus.

Titus had actually experimented on others all his life and had never done anything to himself. But that wasn't because he had a sense of self-preservation that kept him from taking risks or anything like that.

What he had done to others all his life were things he would be willing to do to himself if he could be sure that he would have ways to further develop his knowledge after experimenting on himself.

But since he'd never had anyone he could trust to control the experiments for him to risk himself like that, he felt he couldn't risk it as he was the only one in his tribe pursuing development.

He couldn't risk himself like that!

But that didn't mean he didn't have what it took to do it if the conditions were right!

So when he heard Minos' words, he didn't find them as strange as the people in Emperor Stuart's own group.

"And what can you offer me? What knowledge do you have that makes you think I would be interested in putting my life in your hands?" Titus asked.

Minos then said. "I have a theory that explains why some beings can reach the 10th stage and even level 100 while others are completely incapable of doing so.

It's not just a difference in talent. It's a problem related to the structure of these beings. They lack a form that allows them to connect with higher forms of power." He said a little about his theories just to get Titus curious.

The problem that prevented races like Titus' from evolving and reaching a new point wasn't that they lacked talent. The form of their powers, essences, bodies, etc., were incompatible with those of other beings of higher complexity.

For example, think of an electrical outlet. A socket could have several possible inputs, and if you had an adapter, you could plug in different kinds of devices, even with different inputs.

However, if you didn't have the adapter, it might become impossible for that socket to connect to an external device that could provide it with the final essence it would need to evolve qualitatively.

In short, Minos' theory held that the problem with limited races like the Nine-Tailed Foxes was that their beings lacked the "adapter," or the final essence that would allow them to access higher-level possibilities.

All his life, Titus had wondered what might be behind this problem. But he had never considered the Minos hypothesis. For him, the problem was related to a form of power that members of his race could not absorb. That's why he had sought out different races, whether they could reach the 10th stage or not, in search of different forms of energy and one that could be compatible with his people.

But he had never considered the possibility that they lacked something that would allow them to 'connect' to this particular form of energy.

With that in mind, Titus couldn't help but be interested in Minos' words.

It wasn't enough for him to accept Minos' hypotheses as correct. He didn't even know them to talk about it. But hearing those single words from Emperor Stuart was enough to distract him from the group around him for a moment to think about it.

'A difference in form... If that's true, there's no point in finding another form of energy. None of them will be compatible with us if we don't have a way to connect to them.' He thought to himself as he saw the implication of Minos' words.

If Minos were right, all his research would be useless, and he would have to think of a new way to investigate!

But with only a few decades left before he died, Titus couldn't help but imagine that he wouldn't have time.

'If he's right, I'll die without knowing if it's possible or not!'

'

The worst thing for him was not dying but knowing that his whole life had been useless. Even if he were to die, he wouldn't be too moved if he could leave something for future generations to pick up where he left off.

Titus was sure that sooner or later, someone would find some of the information he had already spread across this continent about his many experiments.

Then, if all went well, someone might use his theories to develop a method with a good chance of success in raising the potential of living beings, perhaps changing the history of the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe.

That was his goal, to raise the status of his race!

But if he were wrong, it would never happen.

Faced with this possibility and with no time to develop a new base for study and experimentation from scratch, he felt he had to take a risk.

"All right. I agree to join your group if you give me access to everything you know. I want to know where you came up with this theory, your proofs, and possible experiments. I also want to be free to leave at any time." He said seriously, scaring the mercenaries who weren't so sure that this fox would join them.

"I don't want to be stuck with your group if your hypotheses have a high chance of being wrong."

Minos was confident in his theory so far and didn't worry about this request.

"It can be done. But everything you come into contact with on my behalf, you'll have to keep secret. If you accept that, we can..."

As Minos spoke, he and some of the more sensitive members of the group felt a familiar sensation that changed the expressions on their faces.

When they looked around, they saw a group of Gorgons surrounding the area where they were talking and eating snake meat.

...