The Rise of the Black Plain

"They're really primitive, but like us, they're also capable of cultivating immortal energy. So don't underestimate them, Maarqrens. We have many advantages, but we're not invincible." The Commander commented in a deep tone, speaking in a language Minos and his people wouldn't understand. "The techniques they create are compelling and mysterious. Without our technology, we would have trouble facing them."

"So what does the Commander want me to do?" Maarqrens asked, thinking it unlikely that the primitive races of this world would have noticed them.

Their technology was advanced compared to what existed in the Spiritual World. With them, they had accidentally arrived in this world about 550 years ago. Since then, they have been operating in this world without attracting unnecessary attention.

When they arrived in this world, the group of 2,000 space explorers from the Mechanic Empire had found a world similar to their own where immortal energy existed.

Unfortunately, when they arrived here by accident, several mechanisms of their spaceship were destroyed, causing them to lose contact with the empire, which forced them to spend a long time without being able to call for reinforcements.

But there were people in this world capable of killing them. Afraid of losing the great treasure they had found while they couldn't count on reinforcements, this group had been working in secret in the least inhabited place in the Spiritual World ever since.

But now that they had managed to reestablish contact with the Mechanic Empire, they were running into more and more problems.

The Commander opened his mouth to speak. "Well, let's..."

However, just as he was about to give his order, another level 89 Sage rushed in with a terrible expression.

"Commander, one of the Protectors has just been killed in the southwestern part of the North Sea! A crew from this world faced it and defeated it!" The newcomer said in an agitated tone, bringing news of the first death his group had suffered in 500 years.

As soon as they arrived in the Spiritual World, several of them died because of the way they had arrived, having traveled through an unstable wormhole that they had previously used with the intention of going to another place.

Due to a space storm that brought them to this world, their ship had been badly damaged. Upon arriving on this world, several of their crew had died of related causes days, weeks, and months after that incident.

However, after the deaths of their companions due to the way they had arrived in this world, they did not suffer any new casualties.

With their technology and the great intelligence characteristic of their race, they had found an excellent place to hide, learned about this world, and used local things to their advantage.

But even if some of them had died, it had been among organic beings. Their Protectors had never been killed since they arrived in this world!

Upon hearing the words of this member of their group, the two in the well-lit office opened their eyes wide as they stared at the newcomer in disbelief.

"What?"

"What did you say?" The Commander rose from his place, even more startled by this information than the previous one.

"After we sent a Protector to deal with the troublemakers in the southwestern North Sea, the enemies managed to defeat it and dismantle part of it and get their hands on the mechanical essence of the 2435 Protector.

Then, Black Lightning struck the parts of our envoy, completely erasing its existence from this world." The man said in a heavy tone, extremely scared.

Given how their civilization had developed, the cultivators of his race weren't particularly strong physically. Their strength was concentrated in their intellectual activities, their skill with tools, and their great vitality.

They were not physically strong and relied heavily on their robots, the Protectors, to act when they needed to deal with threats to their lives or to achieve goals by force.

As long as they had their Protectors by their side, they were virtually invincible, even if they were weak in individual strength. But if the enemy could destroy even their powerful and advanced robots, that was something to worry about!

Gulp!

"How is that possible?" Maarqrens asked. "Don't tell me there's a level 96 Demigod in this group?"

The robot sent was supposed to be as strong as the Demigods of this world who were between levels 94 and 96. Below those levels, no ordinary opponent should be able to defeat that Protector, and only someone at or above level 96 from the most powerful races in this world could defeat it.

If someone like that came at them, they would be in trouble!

Their strongest Protector had a power level equivalent to level 96 Demigods, so if there was someone of that level in Minos' group, the risk of this crew causing them problems was not small!

The man replied to them. "No. A level 87 Sage did that."

The leader of this Mechanic Empire group wore a solemn expression when he heard this. "If that's true, then he's like the people of Irpoll."

Irpoll was the name of one of the many civilizations the Mechanic Empire had encountered on their journey, and it was the most powerful one they had ever encountered, the only one they were powerless against.

"Is that so? What should we do? This human is the first one with this trait that we've encountered in this world. If he is the only one of his kind, we must find a way to eliminate him as soon as possible." Maargrens said, clenching his fists and speaking in a more aggressive tone.

The Commander agreed. "First, prepare everyone in our group. Awaken all the Protectors and increase our defenses to prevent this group from escaping."

"We've already done that, Commander." The man who had brought the bad news said as he bowed his head.

"Perfect. Awaken the 20 Protectors. I want them all in place. If the enemy dares to come at us, we'll destroy them with full force. If they decide to hide, we'll hunt them down in the North Sea!"

"Yes, Commander!" The two level 89 Sages agreed, took up military positions, and then exclaimed. "Glory to the Mechanic Empire!"

"Glory to the Mechanic Empire!" The Commander made the same gesture as those men and repeated those words.

Left alone after his men left, he made his way to the communications center of this secret base.

Arriving at a round chamber with a bridge leading to the center, which had walls completely black with several crystals inside, he didn't hesitate to use much of the energy stored over the last 40 years to activate the universal communicator.

An instant after all the crystals in this chamber began to glow like stars, a hologram appeared floating in front of this bridge.

"Udos, what good news are you bringing me today?" The being in the hologram looked at the Commander of his people in the Spiritual World.