After leaving Minos, Sediel went to meet her master in the Guild Council area.

Upon entering the property of the level 120 elder, the serene atmosphere of a well-cared garden greeted Sediel. Her master, a stunning figure with smooth skin and a bluish glow, awaited her with a question.

“Are you helping Minos Stuart?” The elder’s eyes, sharp and inquisitive, studied Sediel intently.

Sediel bowed respectfully. “Minos Stuart is a strange fellow. There’s something special about him I can’t quite explain.”

“Oh? You feel that?” The elder’s gaze hardened. “Sediel, I thought I taught you well. How many times have I told you not to decide based on feelings?”

“Master, I don’t believe Minos could become important solely because of this feeling. I don’t know if what I see is the same as what Elder Navey sees, but there is something about him I cannot explain.” Sediel replied, her tone measured and thoughtful.

“What are you planning?”

“Minos could become someone important to help me in the future. But right now he’s a singularity, chaos, so to speak.” She said seriously, looking at the situation in its entirety. “As long as he has the possibilities, the disorder necessary for the possibilities to arise will be felt.

If he overthrows Artaud, I’ll soon be able to compete for the position of General. That’s my first step towards fulfilling your expectations.”

The elder’s eyes narrowed. “If he succeeds. But what if he fails? Your alliance might embolden his opponents. And even if he succeeds, who’s to say he won’t turn against you? Minos is talented and ambitious. Positions are limited, Sediel.”

“If he becomes a threat, I’ll deal with him myself,” Sediel said firmly.

…

Meanwhile, on another estate of the Guild’s Council of Elders…

Navey, an alien with a muscular body covered in tiger hair in shades of gold and orange with black stripes, sat in an austere meditation room.

His face combines human and feline features, with piercing eyes, a flat nose, and sharp fangs emerging from a menacing smile. His hands have inverted palms and long, sharp claws, ready to manipulate objects with precision.

From the position he was in, he seemed harmless. But with his cultivation at level 121, one of the strongest in the guild, he would make anyone tremble with fear.

While he seemed to cultivate, he was actually monitoring a meeting between two similar-looking people, despite the vast difference between their auras and destinies.

From his position, he could see and hear Minos and Kendrick talking as if he were standing next to them in the area between the inner and outer parts of the guild.

‘Artaud is going to act against you, huh? I heard he has a rare jewel from the Hydra Tribe. If that’s true, it could be a valuable resource in the right hands.’

He thought to himself, wondering what would happen if Minos got his hands on such a special treasure.

‘I just don’t know if it will be as interesting as a few rounds of combat between you… Having power can help you, but your potential will be greater if the pressure is more intense.’

A strange smile appeared at the corner of his lips before he moved them and whispered something unintelligible.

‘Go ahead. I look forward to meeting you when you transform your physique into a Celestial-grade constitution!’

…

While some talked about him and others watched, Minos had heard from Kendrick about this young man’s previous conversation with their rivals.

After thinking about it, Minos couldn’t help but agree with the two high-ranking Sovereigns who had approached his children.

“Let’s do what they suggest. Our faction members who came with me to Zocarro will advance to the rank of elite soldiers and wait for a position from me.

Promotions to internal members will be dangerous. Internal members are required to perform missions outside the headquarters, while external members only perform special optional missions. It will be safer for you to wait.”

Kendrick frowned. “But won’t that benefit their faction? Our influence would be much greater if we could all perform tasks as internal members.”

“I know,” Minos sighed. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. We have several enemies within the guild, but the ones that threaten our lives are the most important. Let’s focus on them for now. If others get stronger while we deal with the Jade Chainsaws, we must be patient.”

He looked down the avenue, his expression resolute. “But this is only temporary, Kendrick. Once the Chief Commander allows us to test the black liquid with Abby’s powers, everything will change.”

“Do you think that will solve our problems?” Kendrick asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

“Anything is possible. The question is how long it will take. Once the Chief Commander decides, we’ll eliminate all obstacles,” Minos said confidently.

As they walked and talked about these political games in the guild, a faction member ran up to them when he saw them walking through the busiest area of the outer city.

“Faction leader, I have good news!” This person said. “The giants Wovar and Clexvog are about to arrive in town. We’ve just received word from them they’ll be at the headquarters tomorrow night!”

Minos and Kendrick opened their eyes in interest, having just heard the news that would set the date for Minos’ departure on his journey against Artaud!

“If that’s the case, get the group ready to meet tomorrow night. We’ll gather in five days to discuss my departure!” Minos commanded.

The man who had brought the news rushed off to relay the information to the others, while Kendrick stayed with his father to attend to other matters.

But soon they would go their separate ways, Minos going back to cultivating to prepare for his departure, while Kendrick would return to his “race” to pursue his promotion to elite soldier.

Until this point, Minos and his fellow faction members had been focused on getting stronger and solving their problems with mandatory missions, while the other faction members were looking to gain merit points for their promotions.

That was about to change a bit, but until he left for his next mission outside of headquarters, he and his companions would stick to those guidelines!