Not every being with the potential to reach the 10th stage could necessarily reach level 99 or attempt to break through to level 100. Many suffer from variables that could trap them in the beginning or middle of such a stage, so they might never reach the peak of their potential.
This was the case with the race of the strongest snakes that had attacked Minos' group that day.
Such a race was supposed to be only slightly stronger than the Mcbride family from the Flowers Kingdom. Still, Minos had estimated by overestimating the strength of this tribe just so that his group would understand the real risks they could face.
"How did you..."
As one of them was about to ask how he could know that, half of them suddenly sensed something and looked up at the top of one of the trees in the area, where a white-haired man was looking down at them with a frightened expression.
"Huh?"
"That's..."
"A Nine-Tailed Fox!"
The people in Minos' group noticed this individual almost simultaneously, spoiling Titus' observation.
Titus was very proud of his abilities, but not even he expected that the beings he was about to observe would notice him so quickly.
He had not expected those he wanted to spy on would be highly talented beings, including beings as sensitive to certain things as elves.
When he arrived, the three Sea Folk people from Minos' group looked in his direction along with Minos.
After these four, all the group members did the same, immediately identifying Titus while this guy made a terrible expression.
'Damn it!' That was all he could think before he turned and fled, realizing his big mistake.
However, no matter how skilled he was, he couldn't compare to the Sea Fol Demigods in that group.
When one of them moved, the old fox barely saw the Demigod motion and suddenly faced a stranger.
"Shit! Who are you?" He shouted as one of the creature's hands landed on his right shoulder.
Almost instantly, Minos appeared behind the old fox, who was surrounded by a faint smell of blood.
"Titus Gamble, I've come to meet you," Minos said as he shook the old fox's hand, giving him no time to dodge. "Bella told me a bit about you, and I couldn't help but be interested in someone so curious."
The white-haired old fox narrowed his eyes and looked at this young level 83 human, noticing that he wasn't normal.
'What is wrong with this person?' He tried to move his hand, but for some reason, he didn't even have the strength to shake the clenched hand. 'Was this a trap?' Titus wondered, seeing that this group didn't just happen to be in the area.
"Are you here to kill me? Has the tribe finally decided to get rid of me?" He asked, a little afraid but no longer expecting to escape.
Minos' group was too strong for him. Not even if he was the best in the world at deception and using his mind tricks to take advantage of others would he be able to escape from these people!
Aware of this, he was ready to meet his end if that was his fate for the day.
Minos laughed and said. "Get rid of you? Would it make sense for the tribe to do that when you're so close to your end?
Titus, I'm here because I'm preparing to go to the North Sea to explore that dangerous place! Don't waste your last years in this place. Come with my group and use your little time left to see this world more deeply."
Upon hearing Minos' tone and the content of his words, Titus naturally formed a strange expression.
If this group wanted to force him to go to the North Sea, it was the same as the tribe getting rid of him!
He knew that he couldn't treat these beings casually. He couldn't causally refuse them if they were there to 'invite' him!
"North Sea?" He laughed sarcastically. "Why should suicide be better than dying on my land while I search for the truth about cultivation?"
Minos didn't answer him right away. He distorted space and appeared with this individual near where his group and the area's bonfires were.
With Titus in front of him, Minos finally lets him go and gives the fox a meat skewer.
"Titus, do you think you're going to discover in a few years what you couldn't discover in a lifetime?" Minos was surgical, touching the fox's weak spot. "It's all very well to be persistent, but to insist on making the same mistake for a lifetime is too much, don't you think? There comes a point when you have to change and see things differently."
"Tsk! That's my problem. If I'm going to lose my life in a mistake, that's something that only affects me. Why do you bother?" Titus didn't like Minos' words.
He had lived to try to find methods to change his potential, to raise not only his limit but that of his entire race. Unfortunately, even Gods' inheritances didn't work for them!
Inheritances from level 100 cultivators could change the talents of those who received them. But there were conditions for it to work!
One of them was that the inheritance had to be passed on to a being with peak potential, that is, something at least similar to the SILVER TALENT, OR it had to be given to a BEING of the SAME RACE.
This meant that a level 100 dragon couldn't change the talent of a Nine-Tailed Fox through its inheritance, but it could change the talent of a human with a Silver-grade talent or a beast with a lower talent.
The inheritance of a human God could raise the talent of another human with ANY talent. Still, it could only raise the talent of a being of another race with AT LEAST a Silver-grade talent.
This meant that even a God's inheritance wouldn't make a Nine-Tailed Fox change their talent and reach the 10th stage.
Titus knew this was how things worked in this world, but he didn't understand what was behind it.
However, the person he was questioning at that moment had a theory in his head that explained it perfectly!
Minos told the old fox, showing him one of his hands as an invitation. "Titus, come with me, and I'll give you a chance to understand the truth about this world. You are a scholar, aren't you? You want to understand why members of your race cannot reach the 10th stage or beyond, right?
I have an explanation that may be behind the answers you seek. If you come with me, I'll share some of my knowledge with you."
Upon hearing this, Titus couldn't help but change his expression when he saw how this human was willing to provoke him.
...
