System's POV
chapter-157

Cristopher's and the rest of Thirteen's slaves were currently gathered behind a small hill as they waited for any sign of their Master's return.

The chubby boy was feeling anxious because his Young Master had decided to become bait in order to let them escape.

Percival, on the other hand, had a different opinion.

He stated that Zion must have decided to escape on his own, leaving all of them to fend for themselves.

Out of anger, the chubby boy tried to punch the Tigerkin, but the latter avoided his punches with ease.

Cristopher wasn't really a fighter, so his close combat abilities were nearly non-existent.

If not for the fact that all of Thirteen's slaves were forbidden from harming Cristopher, Percival might have already retaliated and put the chubby boy in his place.

Also, the majority of the slaves were hoping that the seven-year-old would die so that their slave contract would become null and void, allowing them to regain their freedom.

A few minutes later, Cristopher panted for breath after numerous failed attempts to hit his target. He then glared at the Tigerkin, who had a smug smile on his face as if taunting the human to give him his best shot.

Truth be told, the chubby boy could hit Percival if he really wanted. All he needed to do was to order the Tigerkin to not move and allow him to take his punches.

Thirteen made sure that his slaves understood that Cristopher was his second in command.

They had to take orders from him whenever their Master wasn't around, which was why all of them were still together, despite the fact that Thirteen's slaves could have used this opportunity to escape.

Cristopher had ordered everyone to stay put and wait for his Young Master's arrival.

Because of this, none of them could leave even if they wanted to!

A few hours later, just before sunset, they saw a black spec moving in their direction from a distance.

Everyone tensed because they thought that it was the enemy, but all of their worries disappeared when Vassago landed on Giga Chad's back, making Cristopher sigh in relief.

"Vassago, is that Lady Adira and the Young Master?" Cristopher asked.

"No, Cristopher," Vassago replied using Thirteen's voice. "It's only Lady Adira and Blacky."

The boy's face immediately darkened after hearing that his Young Master wasn't with the Drow and the Black Hound who were heading their way.

"Told you he escaped alone," Percival said with a sneer plastered on his face. "He left because he wanted to save himself and use us as bait."

"Shut up!" Cristopher growled. He was just about to pounce on the hateful Tigerkin when Vassago stopped him from doing so.

"Stop, Cristopher," Vassago ordered. "Zion is safe. His life isn't in any danger, so calm down and listen to my explanation later."

The moment the Pocopoco confirmed that his Young Master was safe, the chubby boy felt as if a weight had been taken off from his shoulders.

He didn't believe for a moment that Zion had abandoned him. After all, the younger boy promised that he would do his best to clear Cristopher's mission, allowing him to return to Pangea, and reunite with his mother.

Cristopher didn't know why, but the moment he swore his loyalty to Zion, he believed that his new Master would keep his word and ensure that he would survive his first Wandering.

Several minutes later, the Drow and the Black Hound finally arrived at the camp where everyone was gathered.

The one who guided her there was none other than Vassago, who had scouted ahead in order to find Cristopher and the others.

"Okay, since everyone is here, allow me to tell you everything that has happened ever since we parted ways with all of you," Vassago said, still using Thirteen's voice.

The Pocopoco liked using Thirteen's voice because it held power over his slaves, making them take his words seriously.

Also, it had a soothing effect on Cristopher, who would soon have to man up and become the temporary leader of Thirteen's Hunting Party.

Vassago narrated how Zion, Adira, and Blacky caught the Rank 5 Overlord's attention by running as close to it as possible.

The Pocopoco had fun telling everyone how Zion, despite not being able to see, was able to accurately hit the Rank 5 Overlord, using Vassago's voice as a guide.

Percival, who was listening to the story with his arms crossed over his chest, would give Adira side-long glances from time to time as if trying to confirm whether the Pocopoco's words were true, or if the dumb-looking bird was simply exaggerating.

However, seeing that the Drow wasn't reacting, Percival, as well as the other Slaves, couldn't help but admit that their Master was such a daring and courageous warrior.

None of them would dare challenge a Rank 5 Overlord head-on because that was a suicidal mission.

But Zion, a seven-year-old, did, making all of them reluctantly acknowledge his extraordinary feat.

However, when Vassago told them about how Thirteen led the Rank 5 Overlord to where the Purple Furred Honey Badger was hiding, all of them couldn't help but feel goosebumps.

This was especially true for Cristopher, Percival, Jasmine, and Ariel, who felt extremely lucky for surviving their close encounter with the Rank 6 Overlord.

They would never forget the scene of how the Honey Badger easily killed the two Rank 3 Ogres, who were powerless against it.

If possible, they didn't want to see it again.

The Pocopoco continued his tale and gave a blow-by-blow narration on how the battle between the two Overlords transpired.

When he came to the part about the Hyena Overlord cannibalizing its subordinates and breaking through to the next rank, all of them felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

Even the Obsidian Tiger Beetle, who was resting to recover from its injury, as well as the three Warsor Black Hounds, who were still locked inside their cages, couldn't help but shudder after hearing that their home was now the new territory of a Rank 6 Overlord.

The Furvus Grasslands might be a good place to hide because the entire area was pitch black, however, they still understood that playing hide and seek with the Diabolical Hyena wasn't going to be a fun experience.

As Vassago continued his story, the eyes of Percival, Jasmine, Ariel, and the other Tigerkins lit up after hearing that a Tigerkin Scouting Party had made its way to the Warsor Plains.

However, their hope was short-lived when the Pocopoco told them that the Scouting Party had retreated in fear of Adira exposing their location.

All the Tigerkins subconsciously glanced in the Drow's direction, making the silver-haired beauty smirk in their direction.

"I fought their Captain and injured him before I escaped," Adira commented. "Don't think that he will be saving you guys anytime soon especially since they are retreating towards The Crossing.

The Crossing was the small divide that separated the Houdini Desert and the Barbarian lands from the Sumatran Kingdom.

The distance between the two islands was only a mile long, and the small strait that divided the two could easily be traversed as long as you had a small boat or a monster that could swim.

This was why Vassago wanted to get Blacky's cooperation when it came to rescuing Thirteen. The Warsor Black Hound could swim to the side of the Tigerkins in less than fifteen minutes if it truly wanted to.

"Cristopher, you are now the temporary leader of this Hunting Party," Vassago stated. "My first order is for you to return to Gronar City and tell Rianna about the situation. Neither of you should worry about me, and just focus on strengthening yourself.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. I'll even get souvenirs for you from the Sumatran Kingdom. For the time being, focus on hunting monsters and collecting monster parts. However, don't stray too far from Gronar City.

"Vassago will come to find me every few days so that we can exchange information. Also, take care of Blacky and his family. Make sure to heal the injuries of his comrades, and let them stay in the warehouse if they don't want to return to the Furvus Grasslands.

"Give them food and shelter. However, make sure they earn their keep by guarding our base. As long as they do that, they will be allowed to stay indefinitely.

"Lastly, I will keep my promise to you. So make sure to not slack off and do your job properly. Your mother is waiting for you back home. I don't want to hear that you kicked the bucket just because I was not around.

"P.S. If Taiga is being stubborn, order Giga Chad to give him a good spray. Let's see if he dares to disobey your orders. Of course, this isn't limited to Taiga only. All slaves who refuse to obey you will suffer Giga's wrath. Make sure to put him to good use."

The Chad Skunk, who heard Thirteen's last words, nodded his head, and even nudged Cristopher's body with his head, telling him that he was on his side.

The Chubby boy took a few deep breaths with his eyes closed as he digested everything that his Young Master had entrusted him with.

When he opened his eyes again, Cristopher's aura changed as if a fire of determination had been lit inside his body.

"Let's go back to Gronar City," Cristopher ordered. "But we won't be going back empty-handed. We'll keep hunting monsters along the way, and those who don't cooperate will have a mouthful of Giga's homemade brew."

The slaves subconsciously shuddered after hearing their Temporary Master's threat.

Even Adira couldn't help but smile after seeing the change that came over the chubby boy, whom Thirteen believed would grow to become a more capable individual during his absence.