More than two years passed in Zocarro as the situation in the War of the Worlds worsened with Irpoll's entry into the conflict.
Minos and his people at the Armhands headquarters had no idea what was going on involving those civilizations connected to them. They were still fulfilling their responsibilities within the guild.
None of them had had any chance to leave the headquarters in recent years, so they hadn't gotten involved in problems outside the guild, which could be good or bad, depending on your point of view.
In any case, the group was still whole and stronger than before, which was the most important thing for them.
They all believed that, sooner or later, they would succeed there and become Junior Officers. As such, they had been doing what they could to become stronger and more influential in this organization.
...
Another day, Minos was acting as Law Enforcer in the external part of the guild's headquarters city, once again having most of his working hours quiet.
The people of the external part of the guild already knew him well. Even the troublemakers changed their behavior when they saw him nearby, some changing their routes, others behaving better when they noticed he was around.
As such, Minos currently acted very rarely while wearing the Law Enforcer's uniform.
And that was just fine with him. Law Enforcement Hall didn't want its members to have to act constantly to impose the order it wanted. This correctional group preferred it when its guards didn't even have to act.
That generated a lot of respect for Minos within the Law Enforcement Hall, and superiors constantly talked about him and how he would be a good asset when he moved into the inner part of the city.
And it was precisely one of his superiors, the Law Enforcement Hall Supervisor for the external part of the city area, who was approaching this young man at this very moment.
"Officer..." Minos greeted the level 106 individual who had just approached him, the one who had invited him to the guild more than a decade ago.
"Minos, I have an opportunity for you." Said that being with a smile on his face. "If you take advantage of this opportunity, you can achieve a solid and stable cultivation advance, but also an opportunity to become a Junior Officer without competing with your opponents."
"Oh?" That sounded so good that it sounded like a lie. "What's the catch? What problem will I face to get such a good opportunity?" He asked, still patrolling as he walked alongside that alien.
That being got straight to the point. "This is a mission that hasn't been created yet but which will be passed on to you if you accept it. However, it does have an annoying and dangerous component that might put off other guild members."
"What is it?"
"Well, have you ever heard of 'Biwidrolwor'? That's a name from the ancient Zhiulkani language." Said the creature.
"Biwidrolwor?" Minos expressed his ignorance. "No, I don't know that language."
"To put it briefly, Biwidrolwor means 'love of bones'. The Zhiulkani-speaking people used this expression to refer to devotion to the dead.
A few hundred thousand years ago, the guild carried out an operation called Black Heart. This operation occurred in an area where devotion to the dead, Biwidrolwor, had become famous in Zocarro.
This area is famous for providing valuable resources for use in undead, necromancy, and much more. It is a haven of doom but also a home of opportunity.
During the Black Heart mission, the guild members died, but not before sending their report of what they found in a certain area of The Obsidian Shore region.
Unfortunately, the location in question is not a simple one. The climatic and special phenomena of the area increase the danger of entering the area periodically. These cycles last around 16,000 to 19,000 years, and we can reach this place safely only in a short interval of 10 years.
The cycle is about to reach this point, so the guild is already thinking about the names it will send to try to get to what that team found there."
Minos was intrigued by this opportunity, hearing a lot of things that he had never read or heard within the guild.
"I don't want to be boring, but why me? That sounds important. Why send someone like me to such a place? Are there any characteristics of mine that are necessary for carrying out the mission?"
The alien nodded affirmatively. "That's what I like about you, Minos. You're clever. This place isn't just waiting for anyone to come along and take advantage of its opportunities.
That area does not allow Sovereigns or stronger individuals to enter it. However, it does have Sovereign-level dangers. Do you understand what I'm talking about? The guild has failed for tens of thousands of years to get what that group on the Black Heart mission managed to find due to a lack of members capable of going there and trying again.
But you and Ruth could be our new hope of obtaining the treasure on The Obsidian Shore.
If you succeed, not only will the guild give you an automatic promotion when you return here, but we'll also give you many merit points and resources to match. It's also likely that you'll get a lot of things there, too.
So what do you say? Would you be interested in this opportunity?"
Minos thought for a moment and immediately remembered his vision of a strange tree that seemed to have a heart beating in it.
He then accepted. "All right, I'm interested. When can I go on this mission? By the way, where is The Obsidian Shore?"
"Regarding the mission details, the group that will accompany you to The Obsidian Shore will take care of that with you. But you should prepare to spend the next three or five years away from here. The place isn't close, and the conditions in that area aren't simple. Once you get in there, your life will be at risk daily, so be prepared."
"All right. I'll talk to Ruth, but I'm very interested in this." Minos said again, not wanting this alien to pass on his special mission to someone else.
"By the way, how will this group be formed? Do I have any choice over it?" Minos asked.
"The group will be made up of people to accompany you inside that place. You can choose them according to your preference, as long as they are Grandmasters. And the other group mates will protect you on the journey there and back. But they won't enter that special place."
"I see. I'll see who might be interested in taking part in my group. Is there any chance I could take someone who is in The Blue Field?"
"It's possible, but why would you take someone from that place?"
"I have more affinity with my companions."
"All right. You can do that. Just give me their names, and I'll do the necessary work. But if you fail the mission, they must return to The Blue Field."
