The Rise of the Black Plain

Upon hearing the name of that famous figure in the northern region of the Central Continent, Minos, Ruth, and Abby immediately turned to see the person who had called for him.

As for Gloria, she knew almost nothing about Dennis Red, the man who had won a past Spiritual Tournament and brought his family from the Red Valley to this state.

"Dennis Red? From the Red family originally part of the Brown Kingdom?" Abby asked in surprise as she looked at that red-haired man, supposedly one of the most talented from that kingdom in the last thousand years.

Dennis Red had placed first in the Spiritual Tournament he had participated in decades ago. After that, with his success in the Flaming Empire, having become an elder in this sect, his achievement of raising the Red family to a new level became almost a legend in the Brown Kingdom.

People still remembered and told stories about him until just before the Independence of the Black Plain. After all, the guy was like a hero to many, an example of the success that was possible to achieve even from a 'humble' background.

Ruth knew the story of this individual because her master had told it to her. Thus, even though she was not from that region, she could not help but look at that man with a bit of respect for his accomplishments.

'Is this Dennis Red?' She wondered, impressed that such a fellow was already at level 68.

But next to Minos, such a person was no big deal, and how impressed those two were was very much controlled by the magnificent things King Stuart had made them see and feel all these years.

"Yes, this is me!" He smiled as he realized that his name had not been forgotten, even after decades since he had last been in the Brown Kingdom.

Minos looked at that fellow and said. "Because of you, the Red Valley became free, which eventually gave me the excuse to take over half the territory of the Brown Kingdom."

"Thank you. You helped me make my state much bigger."

Upon hearing this comment, Dennis did not feel that Minos was showing any gratitude to him but rather was trying to provoke him.

"Tsk!"

"Don't talk as if I had any relation to what happened in the northern region. You did what you wanted, so don't involve me in it." He said as he looked into Minos' brown eyes, which reminded him of Maisie.

But even though he was in love with Minos' mother and would do anything she wanted if she stood before him, he felt incredibly frustrated at seeing her son, another man's son.

Maisie had never given him a chance, so he could not help but feel a little hurt to see her son with Albert, someone he had wholly outgrown.

"Anyway, you heard me. I'm here to challenge you!" He shouted while ignoring the people on the outskirts of the square they were in, who were already looking in his direction. "Fight me, Minos. I want to see what is the level of someone who has messed up the northern region!"

Minos looked at that person strangely, trying to understand what this crazy dude wanted. "What's in it for me? For that matter, don't you feel bad about challenging someone from the younger generation who is several levels weaker than you?"

"Don't give me those excuses. I'm not challenging you to mortal combat or challenging your honor. I just want a match to know how my state's younger generation fights." He said, not feeling embarrassed for challenging someone of a lower level.

Minos smiled, thinking that this fellow had given him a good answer. "And what do I win? I mean, I don't care about your goals. So, I won't fight with nothing at stake..."

Dennis' eyes sharpened, and he thought of something. "How about this? Let's have a friendly match, and if you can withstand my blows for three minutes, I'll give you a medium-level grade-3 armor."

"Medium-level grade-3 armor?" People in the surroundings commented on this since something like this was not cheap, and usually, only experts in the empire would have things of such quality.

But for an elder of the sect, someone not far from the 9th stage, this was not that unusual, so Dennis had used this possibility to lure Minos into his trap.

"Oh?" Minos became interested in that. "You are very generous for wanting to give me armor without I have done anything... Is everyone here that kind?"

Some people in the area laughed upon hearing Minos' provocative tone.

This brown-haired man then asked. "And if I lose, what will you want?"

Dennis smiled and ignored the provocative comment from earlier. "You will arrange a meeting between your mother and me."

"What?"

"How does he have the nerve?"

"What a strange fellow... Asking for help from a son to get closer to his mother."

While the people were commenting on this, Gloria and the other two women looked strangely at Dennis.

'Is this guy serious? Is he doing this just to get closer to Maisie?' Abby wondered.

Minos then made a strange expression, not because he was jealous of his mother or realized his mother was attractive to other men. But because he did not want to have to deal with situations generated by her, with people attracted to her, or even enemies.

He had his own life and had almost no connection with Maisie. So, it was a big bother to him for anyone to think they could get in his way because of that woman.

"I don't know why you think I can help you, but that's okay." He said as he took a step forward. "Where would you prefer to be knocked out? By the way, leave the armor off your spatial ring or I'll have to take everything you have."

"Wow!"

"He must be upset!"

"What an angry fellow!"

"But that's to be expected... The man almost asked this youth to deliver his mother to his bed..."

"It's truly annoying."

Dennis laughed at Minos' response and indicated with one of his fingers an area near where they were, right there in that public park, where people training could be seen here and there.

When they reached a place where they could fight without disturbing or endangering the other people in the vicinity, Dennis chose one of the people who was accompanying their group.

He gave that individual, another member of the Holy Sect, the armor he had promised Minos and then looked at this opponent of his. "So? Any questions? Any rules you want to add to this duel, speak up now while there is still time."

Minos, whose eyes were closed now, said in a low voice. "There is no need. I'll be done with this in a heartbeat, so it's up to you to think about the rules and try to protect some of your reputation that's about to be destroyed."

Hearing this, Dennis made a disgusted expression, feeling that these could only be the genes of the bastard who had ensnared Maisie.

"All right, let's get started!" He prepared to teach Minos a lesson, wondering whether Maisie would come for revenge or to fulfill the bet.

'Either way, I'll have a chance to see her again...' He thought when Minos finally acted!

...