System's POV

Thirteen eyed the God of the Apocalypse with a calm expression on his face.

On the other hand, Metatron was casually eating a fish cracker.

"You want some?" Metatron asked.

"No," Thirteen replied. "You already know why I'm here."

"No, I don't. How can I know if you don't tell me?"

"Hah…"

Thirteen heaved a deep sigh before glancing at the Rank 8 Goblin Emperor, who was looking back at him anxiously.

Originally, the Goblin Emperor thought that Thirteen was just a weakling he could casually kill without too much effort. Now he knew that reality was different.

Using his uncanny ability to read and predict his opponent's movements, the human boy was able to not only dodge the monster's attacks but also launch his own counterattack.

If not for the fact that Metatron came to stop Thirteen by dealing the final blow, the Goblin Emperor would have been dead by now.

Seeing that Metatron was playing coy, the teenage boy decided to get straight to the point and get it over with.

"Why did you stop me from killing that bastard?" Thirteen even pointed at the Goblin Emperor to ensure that the God of the Order of the Apocalypse couldn't pretend that he didn't know what he was talking about.

"That's because I pity you, Thirteen," Metatron replied.

"Pity me?" Thirteen frowned. "Why should you pity me?"

The teenage boy had thought of many reasons why Metatron had interfered with his battle, but pity wasn't one of them.

This was why he was genuinely confused with Metatron's answer. No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't think of any reason as to why he should be pitied.

"It seems that you still don't understand what I'm talking about," Metatron commented. "But that's fine. Allow me to make you understand. Simply put, among the members of the Apocalypse, you are the weakest of them all. Are you following me?"

Thirteen nodded because that much was true. Compared to the Majin Princes and Princesses, he was truly the weakest among them all.

"Because of this, I decided to offer a proposal to you," Metatron said after making sure that Thirteen was paying close attention to him.

"A proposal?" Thirteen frowned.

"Yes. A proposal that can make you less pitiful." Metatron nodded. "I'm sure that you will agree to it as well."

The frown on Thirteen's face deepened, but he still gestured for Metatron to continue talking.

It wouldn't hurt for him to hear what he had to say because it might actually be a good thing.

"I've made a decision to let you capture monsters who are Rank 8 and above and make your subordinates," Metatron stated. "But there is one condition—these monsters must be personally defeated by you.

"If you defeat them alongside Tiona, then that's also fine. However, if you defeat them using the power of the Parade of a Hundred Demons, it will not be counted. Simply put, you are free to use any method.

"You can also scheme and have others fight for you. As long as you are the one about to land the killing blow, the condition will be met, and I will capture these monsters to become your subordinates.

"Last but not the least, even though these subordinates have been captured, you may not order them or summon them right away. Only after you capture at least five monsters will you be allowed to call them to fight by your side.

"I will count the Goblin Emperor as one of them, so you need four more. With this, you will have a fighting force that will catch up to the other members of the Order of the Apocalypse. What do you say? Isn't it a brilliant idea?"

"It's indeed a brilliant idea." Thirteen nodded. "But are there no strings attached to this?"

"Hoho, so you're confident that you can defeat Rank 8 Monsters and above with just you, Tiona, and your schemes?" Metatron smirked. "Worry not. There are no strings attached. I like hard-working people."

The God of the Order of the Apocalypse then glanced at the Goblin Emperor, making its body shudder uncontrollably.

It was Metatron who had cured it of the venom that had spread inside its body, preventing it from dying.

But having heard everything just now, it understood that it was only alive because it was meant to become the subordinate of the human who had defeated it in battle.

The Goblin Emperor was an arrogant and proud monster. However, it could still reluctantly serve someone who had managed to defeat it despite the disparity in ranks.

"Since you want me to become strong and catch up to the other members of the Apocalypse, why not add them to the deal as well?" Thirteen pointed at Zed and Evuvug, who were on the other corner of the treasury.

"Hmm…" Metatron rubbed his chin as if to ponder this proposal.

As mentioned earlier, he didn't mind letting Thirteen form a strong army of monsters. But he felt like adding the Birdman and the Brain Beetle to the agreement was overkill.

Even so, as long as Thirteen was able to meet the conditions, he would allow him to have his way.

"Very well, I will agree to this condition,' Metatron stated. "So work hard, Thirteen. I look forward to you catching up with the rest of your peers."

After saying those words, Metatron disappeared.

Thirteen glanced at the Goblin Emperor, the Birdman, and the Brain Beetle one last time before he, too, disappeared from the Order of the Apocalypse.

Metatron's proposal was something he couldn't afford to pass up.

Having many strong monsters as his subordinates would allow him to push his plan forward several times.

Just having Evuvug with him would make him a force to reckon with. Adding Zed and the Goblin Emperor was merely a bonus that made the deal better.

When the teenage boy had finally left, Zed and Evuvug shared a knowing glance with each other.

They understood that it was truly possible for Thirteen to capture four more monsters. Once that happened, both of them would have no choice but to serve him as their Master.

"What do you think?" Zed asked. "Will he succeed?"

"Knowing him, unless he dies, this agreement is as good as done," Evuvug replied.

Zed was in agreement with the Brain Beetle.

Unless the teenage boy died in an attempt to capture strong monsters, this agreement between him and Metatron was already sealed in stone.