The next day...
After a night of talking, Maximillian had learned many relatively useful things for his journey in the Central Continent that would begin very soon. He was still in Dry City, as maps, more detailed information, and the like would take a little longer to be prepared and delivered to him.
But this man felt that he would not stay much longer in this place, and after receiving such documents between today and tomorrow, he would already leave for the Evergreen Empire to probe the current Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church.
He was much younger than that man, even considering the 5,000 years he had slept inside his sarcophagus. So he was in no hurry to advance to level 100, even considering that was his ultimate goal.
Before going into seclusion, he wanted to live a little in this vast world he had stayed away from for so long.
Among the things he wanted to do, Maximillian wanted to at least get control over the continent he was on before he went into seclusion to become a God.
So even though he was already at the peak of level 99, he didn't intend to go after free Divine-grade medicines in the short term and wanted to focus his time on conquests!
The one place he wouldn't worry about would be the Black Plain Empire, this weak place that somehow already belonged to the Spiritual Church.
His primary goal was the western region, that part of the continent where 2 of the 3 strongest cultivators of these lands were and where the Church still had no space.
But while waiting to begin his journey, he met Darren and the three hostages he had taken the day before.
...
"It looks like you guys slept well, huh?" He laughed as he entered the hotel room where Darren had spent the night watching those two.
This was the same place where the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire had been staying previously and was now under captivity.
Darren saw Maximillian watching those three and remained silent, anxious to determine what he would do next.
This beast might not like its situation, but it loved trouble and fighting, things that could help it find powerful bodies for it to devour. So it looked forward to what that human would decide regarding these three.
"What do you intend to do with us?" The level 98 man asked, glaring at that superior.
"I haven't decided yet," Maximillian said. "But now I understand your situation better... Then maybe I will use you as a bargaining chip. From what I've heard, this boy's father is not weak at all."
"Tsk!"
None of the three liked how Maximillian referred to the strongest man on the continent. But they didn't object much to the one who held their destinies.
"But that's not decided yet. Your future depends on this Vico Travisani guy... Anyway, get used to this situation. I will keep you for a while before I decide what to do with you.
Depending on everything, maybe killing you is the best thing." He said, trying to scare them.
Those men were confident in Vico, but the prince couldn't help but feel a little afraid to hear a threat coming from someone so powerful.
But still, he gathered his courage and asked. "I know my fate is in your hands, so I will wait to find out what will happen. But senior, answer me one thing, why are you helping Minos Stuart? What makes a Demigod at your level care about a mere Spiritual Saint?"
Maximillian stood next to Darren, intending to give that beast some orders, when he looked back at that young man.
"It may seem strange to you, but I owe this young man a great debt. What he has done for me is second only to what my father and mother did when they raised me..."
Those three found those words strange, while Darren didn't quite understand what it meant.
But Maximillian didn't care whether they would understand or not. He felt indebted to Minos, for this young man had potentially saved his life.
He could still remain in his sarcophagus for another few thousand years, but if Minos had hidden that map, perhaps no one would ever have the chance to free him again.
In another few million years, even he inside that sarcophagus would die!
Minos had given him a second chance, one that wasn't bad, by the way.
The current configuration of the Central Continent was particularly favorable to this man's plans, so his commitment to pay back his promise to Minos was even greater now.
Of course, this did not mean he would forever stand by this young sovereign. But as long as Minos did not oppose him, Maximillian would not be unfair to this person and was willing to protect him from these enemies.
Realizing that this man was not joking, Janus clenched his fists, feeling that his family would have trouble punishing Minos for his insolence.
'Lucky bastard!'
...
While Maximillian was in Dry City with Darren and his hostages, Minos had not yet returned to the Spatial Kingdom to bring his family to the empire's capital.
Obviously, he wouldn't do that in the presence of these high-level Demigods, so he was catching up on the little changes that had occurred in the more than three months he had been gone.
But nothing earth-shattering had happened in the meantime. There was no significant advancement of his forces nor level advancements of important people in the current Black Plain Empire.
Every day members of the army increased their levels, but this was what happened for those below the 7th stage, people who mattered, given their future potential, but who at the moment couldn't influence the state much.
The best Minos had heard from his men was about the situation of the wormhole ports, which at the moment already connected Vogel to the End area. Not only that, Blackrock, Albano, Rosser, and the Flaming Empire were going to integrate into their network of wormhole ports, so several new possibilities could arise in the coming months for the empire.
As for the pressure from the stronger factions of the Church on his and Gloria's group, that was continuing more or less as before, but now some things were changing in their favor!
After months away from the Empire, upon his return to this place, Minos had found out from Gloria's men that they had managed to start conversations with other factions of the same size as theirs.
With this, he intended in the next few days to begin negotiations with people from these factions who would soon be coming to Dry City!
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