The Rise of the Black Plain

After the group of Minos talked about their possibilities, they decided to leave some future issues for the future and not worry too much about them right now.

Having possibilities, no matter how difficult they were, was better than nothing!

So the group focused on what was immediately in front of them but kept their hopes alive of one day leaving Zocarro and returning to their plans to prevent the Mechanic Empire from winning the War of the Worlds.

The group agreed to leave Kilburn within three days of that night's meeting.

In those days, before leaving for Examire, the group would finish their business in Kilburn and gather the resources they would need to make such a journey.

They already had most of the necessary items and resources, including maps and vital information for the journey they would soon begin. But there were still small items they would need to buy or gather nearby.

The group wasn't in a hurry, so they wouldn't leave Kilburn until everything was taken care of!

...

Three days after the all-night meeting that determined the group's departure from Kilburn, Minos and his people were already preparing to leave this strange place where they had spent the last few weeks.

Minos and his people were now walking through the central streets of Kilburn, heading for the exit that led to the path they would follow to Examire.

But they weren't alone. With them were Strin, Accan, and two other natives of the area who had been working with the group over the past few weeks.

They were all very happy that Minos' group was leaving because even though this group hadn't caused any local problems, they were still strangers in the house of these ants.

Strin instructed Minos as he opened the map of the region of the continent they were in. "When you get to Littlemere, look for a shop that sells language crystals. Even if there is a possibility that you can learn other languages in other ways, believe me, use language crystals. That is the safest way to learn a new language, and you can master a language in a matter of minutes.

A language crystal costs an average of 200 qilnats, which I admit is a lot. But it can be used indefinitely as long as it is not destroyed. A single crystal can be useful for your entire party to learn a new language, which will make things much easier for you on your new journey.

There are shops in Littlemere that sell language crystals for at least four of the continent's common languages. If you just want to go to Examire, a Uturi language crystal will be enough. But if you're going to explore the continent or stay here longer, I don't think it's a bad investment to buy all four types of language crystals."

"800 Qilnats, huh?" Maximilian heard that and made a pained expression. A single qilnat was equivalent to thousands of high-grade Spiritual World crystals!

Their group had worked for weeks in an area where they were the strongest, and yet they had only managed to gather 2,000 qilnats.

Accan understood this would be a high cost, but he said to the group. "I wouldn't pay for this if it were just for me. But since many of you are traveling together, it's not much. Besides, it will give you knowledge of many of the common languages of the continent, which could save you from being tricked or even falling into traps.

Eventually, these crystals can be shared within your group and used to teach many people these languages. All you have to do for this to work is to pass on our language to those who will be learning these other four languages".

The language crystals didn't work miracles. They easily passed on new languages to those who used them, but only if that being already knew one of the existing languages on that continent. Otherwise, there would be no compatibility between the crystal and that being's knowledge, and it would be worthless.

Minos thanked the beings for their advice. "Let's keep their words in mind." He looked at Maximillian. "We'll probably collect a lot of resources on our way, so let's not think these crystals will take up almost half of our reserves."

Strin nodded at Minos and said. "Otherwise, be careful on your journey. The path I have shown you is relatively safe for people of your strength. But I've never gone further, so from this place on, you'll be traveling through a place that may or may not hide many dangers." Minos and Maximillian looked at Strin's directions on the map.

It wasn't that Strin didn't know the paths beyond the point he had indicated. He knew the area up to that point, like it was part of his body. He knew the nature of the danger and even the stones on the path between Kilburn and that point.

From that part of Minos' group's route, he knew about the rumors and what the route looked like. Still, he didn't know very well what kind of being was acting in the area, nor did he know the current condition of the road.

The roads in Zocarro were similar to those in the Spiritual World. They were basically paths opened by travelers, usually created in ownerless areas where beings of all kinds could pass through without offending anyone.

But precisely because they were ownerless areas, the roads usually had the presence of all kinds of beings who acted without bothering to follow laws. This made such places dangerous for people who didn't know their way around!

Strin pointed this out to warn the group that the things they had heard about the road to Examire over the past few weeks only applied up to that point. From that point on in their journey, they could trust the map and the areas to avoid, but everything else was uncertain. Only by traveling and experiencing the route could they understand exactly what they would have to deal with.

"Thank you for everything, my friends from Kilburn." Minos thanked them as soon as their group reached the city exit.

The ants said nothing, just nodded as they watched Minos' people make gestures of thanks and then turn to leave.

"They're finally leaving..." Accan commented to his companions there, relieved that everything had ended well.

"What do you think will happen to them? Will we hear from them again?" Strin asked.

One of them said. "No, if they don't turn around and come back here in the next few days, we won't see them again."

Accan commented. "Either they'll die, or they'll run into opportunities and problems that will only push them further away from us... If you ask me, I don't think they'll make it to Examire."

"Sigh, the journey there is really very dangerous..."

As they chatted, they returned to the city at the same time that Minos' group began their journey to Examire!