The Rise of the Black Plain

After another 80 years, Minos and his group were finally arriving at the central area of The Red Expanse, having, strangely enough, passed through the most peaceful period of all for the group.",

After their great slaughter in the first 300 years of their journey, the group had only eliminated 12 competitors in the last 80 years of the event.

Nearing 400 years since they began the Millennium Massacre, they finally spotted the pyramid in the center of the plane where the original thousand competitors had arrived almost 400 years ago.

As soon as they spotted the place, Minos' companions sensed several groups nearby, with 83 competitors there.

One of them informed the group about the number of creatures they sensed around that pyramid, including those inside the pyramid.

"How strange... Counting us, we only have 90 competitors here." Said one of Minos' companions. "There should be more, shouldn't there? The event is nearly four centuries old. Almost all the competitors should be in the area by now."

"Most of them must have died. Our group alone must have killed around 200 competitors. It would only take four groups as efficient as ours to eliminate almost all the competitors and leave just 100 with the right to continue the legacy." Forfex said with a smile on his face, feeling that there would be no competition from now on.

If there were only the 100 aliens left with the right to move on to the next stage of the inheritance, then they should be safe until the end of the event!

"That must be the case. But let's proceed with caution. Nothing guarantees that we're safe." Minos said as he moved on, eager to enter the pyramid and be able to cultivate until the end of the selection.

The group followed behind him, soon arriving at the front of the pyramid, where 44 other aliens were also arriving, each of them looking strangely at each other.

Everyone there had seen various competitors on their journeys and had killed aliens repeatedly to get there today. However, everyone was aware of the number of competitors there and the number of places for the next stage.

As much as this was a massacre, was it worth the risk of killing more opponents if their positions weren't already at such a risk?

With more or less the sidea of what the event would be like from now on, Minos raised his voice and said. "There are less than 100 of us here. There's no need for us to fight. From now on, it would be better not to attack each other. We've fought hard for almost four centuries. Now is not the tto risk it for so little."

"I agree with this guy. But I'll go further. Why don't we band together to prevent other competitors from taking our positions? I think we're the majority these days. If we say that 90 of us are in the 100 places for the next exam, the remaining competitors will have to fight for the remaining 10 places. If they move against us, we'll act together."

"That sounds like a good idea."

The various groups in the area agreed among themselves. There were no rules about this, so it was obvious that the majority would defend their position. Even Minos would enter this agreement to guarantee the future of his group.

They didn't know it yet, but with only 111 competitors left in the event, there was very little left for the event to actually end.

As soon as the team leaders were allied, three men from each group stayed behind to guard the area and deal with opponents if necessary. The rest went forward with their leaders into the pyramid.

Minos went ahead with this group, soon passing through the dark entrance to the pyramid, entering a corridor that led to the stairs to the upper levels of the area.

The moment the aliens stepped onto the first steps leading to the upper levels, they all felt great pressure on their bodies and souls.

Minos narrowed his eyes as he moved forward, soon sensing the men he had just allied with using their skills to advance, even at the cost of others.

They were allied against other competitors who wanted to take their positions, but inside this pyramid, they were free to use their methods to take the lead.

Minos used his ability to advance a level using the powers of one of those aliens, this tnot bothering to help his six allies.

"See you up there, haha." Minos said as he said goodbye to Forfex and the others, moving on under the gaze of those many aliens.

Forfex laughed bitterly, feeling that his alliance with Minos was finally at an end.

They still couldn't act against each other and, in case of need, they had to help each other. But from now on, it was tfor everyone to go their own way!

Minos followed ahead of everyone who had just entered the pyramid, making his way to the highest levels, scaring even those who had already started their way through the area decades ago.

'What? What is this aura?' A woman of strong mental power looked down at the level of the pyramid she was on, shocked to sense someone on level 102.

A sentient plant being thought the same, while a blind man sensed that Minos was finally there.

'Sigh! It looks like he's arrived.' The blind being weighed this up as he rested in one area on an upper level of the pyramid.

This pyramid comprised 10 levels in all. The levels were separated by a thousand steps, which one had to overcin order to reach the different areas and opportunities in that area.

At each level, there were basically cultivation areas with opportunities for one to understand the cultivation laws they had specialized in, as well as to temper their bodies. The higher the level of the pyramid, the better the effects one would have in seclusion.

Those who had first reached this place were at level 6. Others were between levels 2 and 5, sof them having already advanced, stopped for a few years to cultivate and prepare, before trying to advance further.

But just half an hour into entering the pyramid, Minos reached the level 5, when his cultivation returned to normal and he was forced to take a break to prepare to continue forward.

'I'll cultivate in this place for a while and then move on alongside one of these competitors...' Minos thought to himself as he breathed heavily and looked at the three individuals meditating at that level.

Immediately afterwards, he went into seclusion, quickly recovering before starting to seize the opportunity.