System's POV

The Wanderers from Zion's group found themselves surrounded from all sides as soon as they crossed the portal.

But since they had anticipated this possibility, they were able to promptly take defensive measures, securing the area for the rest of the Wanderers about to cross over to their side.

Fortunately, those who stood on the walls didn't let loose their bolts and arrows right away and simply aimed them in their direction.

As the minutes passed by, more Wanderers exited the portal and joined the others in their formation.

They had also summoned their Avatars, who used their bodies to shield their Masters just in case the people who had surrounded them decided to attack.

When it was Thirteen's turn to come out of the portal, the young man scanned his surroundings first in order to better assess their current situation.

'Humans, Ratkins, Lizardkin, and Goblins,' Thirteen thought as he looked at the creatures who were prepared to attack them from the high ground.

Since they had not released a single arrow or bolt from their crossbows, the teenage boy understood that there might still be room for discussion.

As if waiting for that moment, all the Wanderers heard a ringing sound in their head, informing them of their next mission.

——

Trial of Courage [Part 2]

This is the second mission of your chain quest.

— The King of the Northern Kingdom is planning something sinister. He plans to use every means possible to subjugate all the races in the Fractured Heaven and make them obedient to him.

— Your Mission is to stop the Summoning Ceremony that will take place within 30 days.

— If you fail to stop the ceremony, a monster never seen before in Solterra will appear. It is strong enough to eliminate all living things inside the Fractured Heaven, leaving nothing behind.

— The King of the North wishes to control it, and if he were to succeed, not only would Fractured Heaven fall, but the entirety of Absolute Heaven would also follow suit.

— If you wish to complete your Third Mission, make sure to prevent the summoning ceremony at all costs.

——

Thirteen was already expecting that the second mission would be difficult, so he wasn't too shocked after reading the contents of the mission.

The other Wanderers around him looked anxious, but he knew that this wasn't the immediate concern that they should be dealing with at the moment.

"Stay here," Thirteen ordered Erica and Sherry before walking toward the very front of their formation. "I'll talk to them first."

The Wanderers parted to let him pass, but they still raised their guard just in case the other side decided that it was time to attack.

"My name is Zion Leventis," Thirteen shouted. "I am the leader of these Wanderers. Let me talk to your leader!"

Thirteen decided to use the term "Wanderers" instead of humans, directly letting the other side know their affiliation.

Since Wanderers on the other side could tell that they were still young, they should be able to tell that they were Wanderers who had just started their First Wandering.

"How old are you?" a teenage boy, who seemed to be in his late teens, shouted back.

"Thirteen years old!" Thirteen replied.

"Is this your First Wandering?"

"No. But the majority here are First Timers!"

"Are you really Zion Leventis?" the teenage boy who asked earlier inquired. "Do you know Shasha Leventis?"

"She's my sister!" Thirteen answered.

"If you don't want to die, introduce me to your sister!" the teenage boy ordered.

Instead of answering, Thirteen raised his middle finger at the bastard who dared to even dream of meeting his sister.

The Wanderers who were on Zion's side, immediately turned pale, not expecting their leader to do something that might provoke the other side.

However, instead of getting angry, the teenage boy only laughed and lowered the crossbow in his hand.

"You are indeed Shasha's brother," the teenage boy said with a smile. "She told me that you are very overprotective, and if someone were to try to date her, they would have to walk over your dead body first."

"Damn right," Thirteen replied. "You won't be able to date my sister if you don't get past me first."

The teenage boy laughed a second time before raising his hand to tell his comrades to lower their weapons.

"We are going to lower a rope, so you can climb. But only you are allowed to leave," the teenage boy stated. "You and our leader will have to talk first before we allow the rest of your subordinates to enter our stronghold.

"But I have to admit, I didn't expect to see so many First Timers in one place. I don't know if your arrival is a blessing or a curse. Don't worry about the safety of your people. As long as they don't do anything stupid, no one will get hurt."

Thirteen nodded before turning around to glance at Erica and Drazzat.

"You guys make sure that no one here provokes the other party," Thirteen said in a serious tone.

The Sorceress and the Lizardman nodded their heads and assured him that they would keep watch over the others.

Just like he promised, the teenage boy lowered a rope with a knot where Thirteen could place his foot, allowing them to lift him up.

'Rocky, stay with Erica and the others,' Thirteen ordered. 'I have Tiona with me, so I'll be fine.'

After hearing the Magma Bal-Boa's agreement, he allowed himself to be pulled up by a Lizardman who stood beside the teenage boy he was talking to a while ago.

Once Thirteen was safely over the wall, the teenage boy introduced himself as Jayden.

"I am the third-in-command here in the Randall Stronghold," Jayden said. "Since you are a Wanderer, can you tell me what your mission is?"

Thirteen nodded. "Currently, we are doing a chain quest. We just finished the first one, and the second one wants us to stop a summoning ceremony from taking place within thirty days."

Jayden's face paled a bit before nodding.

"Although different, your mission is connected to our mission," Jayden replied. "I'll tell it to you on the way to meet our leader."

"Is your leader also a Wanderer?" Thirteen inquired.

Since there are many races inside the Randall Stronghold, he was wondering if the one calling the shots was human or not.

"Yes, he is human." Jayden grinned. "And perhaps you know him as well."

"Is he famous?" Thirteen asked, feeling curious about who Jayden was talking about.

"Very famous," Jayden answered. "But I won't give spoilers on who he is. It will be best if you meet him yourself."

Thirteen nodded and allowed himself to be led to one of the rooms inside the Stronghold.

They then stopped at a door with the ornate design of what seemed to be a dragon soaring toward the sky.

"Sir, just like you mentioned, a group of Wanderers appeared on the portal today," Jayden said as he knocked on the door. "I brought their leader with me as per your instruction."

"Come in."

Thirteen frowned, finding the voice he heard familiar.

The moment he entered the room and saw the person looking back at him with a solemn expression on their face, he instantly knew that Jayden had "lied" to him.