A month and a half after Minos advanced to level 88, his party finally reached Dry City!
After traveling by ship between the North Pole and the End area of his empire, Minos led his party through the state's network of wormholes to reach Dry City quickly.
Thus, the Stuart family was finally reunited after years of separation, now in a much worse situation than before, despite the progress made on both sides over the past 3 years.
...
In the imperial palace of Dry City...
Minos had just seen his family and important members of the government when he arrived in the capital with his group.
As they casually talked about how the last few years had gone on each side and some of the changes that had occurred, such as some of the companions who had returned with him joining the empire, Minos was finally alone with the most important people in the empire.
Standing in the imperial throne room with his four wives, Dillian, his maternal grandparents, some important army members, and the Longus family, Minos presented what was most important to them.
"Well, you already know what the Spiritual World knows or expects about the enemy regarding the planned invasion in about 28 years," Minos said as he looked into the eyes of his people, including Forrest, who had been in the city since Maximilian's advance.
He continued. "Now let me give you my perspective.
The enemy will be difficult, and without understanding their technology, it will be impossible to defeat them. But even if we understand it, this is only the beginning of our nightmare. Only by raising our level and using the enemy's technology can we really find a way out of our difficult situation.
And I have my own theories on this." He smiled and looked confidently at his people, even if the chances of his plans succeeding were less than 10%.
"What do you have in mind, Your Majesty?" Dillian asked.
Everyone was paying more attention to Emperor Stuart as he showed everyone the hand that had the Spatial Kingdom ring.
By connecting with the skeleton that had his seal in that space, he stole a part of the cultivation base of that remnant, causing a special energy to circulate through his body.
Forrest and the people in the imperial throne room sensed this and immediately became more serious.
Minos explained. "What you just sensed from me is the special energy of the giant bones that exist in our world. Fortunately, I can steal some of it and use it for both my own cultivation and the cultivation of those under my influence.
Some of you might be wondering what that means, right?" He looked from side to side before answering.
"Well, at first, I didn't expect it to help me, but after practically two years of dealing with alien technology daily, I realized that this energy is compatible with us and our enemies."
"That..."
"If that's true..."
Some people understood part of what Minos meant.
But then Titus, the only one of the group who had come from the North Sea to stay behind for this meeting with Minos, said. "Whoever can have this energy within them can more easily understand and master alien technology. It's not just a source of power for our races. It serves as a way for us to understand and master alien technology."
Gloria and Abby opened their eyes wider when they heard this.
"If that's true, you must already have an understanding of the alien technologies very advanced, right?" Abby asked her husband.
Minos smiled and said. "I still have a lot to improve on. But it's a fact that my progress with the things our enemies left behind is quite interesting.
I'm not a blacksmith or an array master to try to replicate some of the things I've understood about the ways of the enemies. However, I will be able to facilitate the understanding of professionals that I help to absorb some of that energy.
On the other hand, I intend to decipher some of the ways of the enemies myself and, with the help of professionals, try to replicate some things, though in a different way.
So, I want everyone here to start working on our new plans.
We will continue with our agricultural projects for the sake of our food reserves during the ice age. But I want as many grade-4 spiritual experts as possible to be brought to me.
I will help them increase their strength and understanding of alien achievements as much as possible in the next few years.
I want to build an alien ship division, a spaceship division, an armor division, and eventually, a robot division. We will independently develop our own technologies from what we already have and what we have already discovered.
We'll expose the enemy's weaknesses but also learn how to use their 'poison' against themselves!"
Everyone there wrote down in their minds what they needed to do. At the same time, some imagined the progress their group could make and how they could surpass the rest of the world in their race for development.
Who in the Spiritual World would bet on the Black Plain Empire right now?
Hardly anyone. But the people there with Minos saw things differently and couldn't help but raise their expectations.
'Maybe there's still hope at the end of the tunnel.' Dillian thought to himself as he smiled, seeing that their whole journey so far was finally coming to a climax.
Then, as everyone clung to their hopes, Minos said the most absurd part of his plans.
"After all that, we can't believe that this enemy from The Adamant Land will be the only threat to us. We have been discovered by an advanced civilization that has already made contact with other inhabited worlds.
There is a great chance that our position and characteristics will reach other worlds and put us in the sights of enemies as powerful as the present ones or even more powerful.
In that case, to protect our future, I propose that we prepare to invade the Mechanic Empire in the future!"
"What?"
Several people were surprised.
Minos continued with an ambitious smile. "When the problems of the Spiritual World are stable again, I'll lead a group to use the universal wormhole of the enemies and infiltrate the Mechanic Empire!
I'll use this opportunity to bring the enemy 'brains' over to our side and avenge the losses of our state and the Spiritual World in the war that's brewing!"
