System's POV
chapter-367-3

Most Jinns who were born in Solterra came from the lineage of the Jinns and Majins who came from Gomorra.

They were the ones who invaded the world of Solterra hundreds of years ago, and only a handful of people knew about the existence of the Main Planet of the Jinns and Majins.

Not many knew about this, and those who knew decided to keep it to themselves.

The reason?

Even if it was known by others, what could they do about it?

"How do you know that?" Zed inquired. "We're forbidden to talk about our origins, so it's impossible for someone like you to know about it. Even the Jinns and Majins from Solterra won't share such information—they simply can't because the ancient ones had sealed this memory from their heads."

"I know many things," Thirteen replied. "But I don't know everything. With your reaction, it's safe to say that you and the rest of your comrades are indeed from Gomorra."

Thirteen frowned. Now that he knew of this information, he would have to change his strategy.

It was common for people to assume that the monsters crossing through the Dimensional Gates only came from Solterra.

But, this wasn't true.

Only seventy percent of the Dimensional Gates that appear in Pangea were connected from Solterra. The remaining thirty percent of them were connected from Gomorra.

The Jinns and Majins from Gomorra were fiercer than the monsters in Solterra, for they were "pure-blooded monsters."

The Jinns and Majins of Solterra had bred with the other species upon their invasion, so their offspring were no longer pure-blooded.

Thirteen also knew that the Genocide-Level Gates that had appeared on Pangea were all from Gomorra.

And these were just the Vanguards.

Their Masters were likely Majin Princes and Princesses.

Of course, there was also a possibility that their Masters were stronger than these Princes and Princesses, making them far more dangerous.

'It's a shame that I cannot ask Zed the rank of his Master,' Thirteen thought. 'He might become brain-dead if I force him to answer this question. And it's pretty dangerous to ask about it to begin with. These higher beings have a way of recognizing those who managed to learn their names.'

The teenage boy pondered a bit before asking Zed another question.

"So, about this Brain Beetle, what can he do?" Thirteen asked. "Is he capable of mind control?"

"… How did you know?" Zed asked back. "It seems that you know many things about us. Just who are you?"

"It's not that hard to come to this assumption, Zed," Thirteen answered. "Brain Beetles are also common in Solterra. They rarely leave their lair, but they are the most annoying monsters to fight. Those with weaker minds would be dominated by them and become their puppets."

Thirteen frowned before asking Zed another question.

"Aside from him, who do you think is the strongest among all of you?" Thirteen inquired.

"That Beetle is not the strongest!" Zed growled. "He's just a manipulator. A coward who hides behind his subordinates! Any warrior who gets close enough to him can kill him easily!"

"Then, tell me. If the two of you fight, can you kill that Brain Beetle?" Thirteen crossed his arms over his chest.

Zed glared at him but didn't answer the question.

This meant that even the Bird Man, who believed that strength was absolute, didn't have the confidence to kill or defeat the Brain Beetle in battle.

"What is the Brain Beetle's name, and where is its Domain located?"

"Its name is Nannan. His territory is in the Southeast Region of this Continent."

"Do you want him to accompany you here?" Thirteen inquired out of pure curiosity.

"I want him dead." Zed growled.

"Easier said than done," Thirteen commented. "But I'll see what I can do. For now, tell me everything you know about the Centipede, the Manticore, and the Brain Beetle."

"I can tell you what I know about the Centipede, but I won't tell you any information about the Manticore," Zed stated. "If you want to know more about him, you have to fight him on your own."

"Then tell me this, will this Manticore accept a one-on-one battle?" Thirteen eyed the Bird Man, making sure that he would be able to tell whether he was lying or not.

"Amos will not be afraid of a one-on-one battle," Zed replied. "Even the Monsters who obey him only recognize strength as the law of the world."

Thirteen nodded before bidding Zed goodbye.

Camazotz glanced at the Bird Man once before following behind the boy, who had borrowed his armor from him.

"It seems that you are up against some weaklings," Camazotz commented. "Make sure not to die, okay?"

Thirteen scoffed at the words of the shameless Death Bat.

While Rank 8 Sovereigns might indeed not be a problem for Camazotz, they were truly dangerous creatures in Thirteen's eyes.

This was why he decided to get some insurance and asked Metatron for two Capture Spheres.

If things took a dark turn, he would then use the spheres to send the Kings to the Treasury of the Apocalypse, trapping them inside forever.

However, if possible, Thirteen didn't want to use his Capture Spheres. After all, he could only take one treasure a year from the treasury.

'I hope that Gramps can successfully deal with the Centipede and the Manticore using the Artemian Armor,' Thirteen thought. 'The only problem is the Brain Beetle. I can't take a gamble and have Gramps fight it. If he falls under its control, all my plans will be ruined.'

The teenage boy sighed. If only he were fighting against Rank 8 Sovereigns who solely used brute force, then he had a way of defeating them.

Those who specialized in Mind Control were very difficult opponents.

For the time being, he decided to focus his attention on the two Kings bordering Zed's territory, which was located in the Northern Region of the Rigel Continent.

After leaving the Order of the Apocalypse, Thirteen once again appeared inside his room.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, he sighed in relief after seeing that only a little more than an hour had passed.

He then approached the door, intending to tell his Grandfather that he needed to talk with him.

However, when the door opened, he found three people facing off against Arthur and Hans, which made the teenage boy narrow his eyes.

It was none other than the Grand Marshal and the Field Marshal of the Central Government.

However, there was one more individual accompanying them

—Benedict Riggs. By the looks of it, he had come on his own.

"Why don't all of you come inside?" Thirteen asked. "My room is a bit small, but I'm sure that it can accommodate all of us at the same time."

Arthur and Hans nodded and entered the room without saying a word.

The Grand Marshal and the Field Marshal exchanged a glance with each other before following suit.

Benedict was the last to enter the room. Before taking a seat, he made sure that the door was locked properly behind them so that no one would be able to overhear their discussion.

The Patriarch of the Riggs Family, Hugo Riggs, wanted to pass a message to Zion and asked Benedict to deliver his message to him.

He hoped that after the teenage boy heard his message, he would realize that even though there had been some tension between the Dvalinn Federation and him earlier, all of them wished that he would succeed in his endeavor.

After all, the teenager's success would also allow them to recover what they had lost. It would also give hope to the people who were thinking that their world could only just sit back and wait for annihilation.

"Sirs, is there something you wish to talk to me about?" Thirteen saluted the Grand Marshal and the Field Marshal, who reciprocated his salute before answering his question.

"You left the Dvalinn Federation before we had the chance to talk," Lawrence replied. "Fortunately, they were kind enough to lend us one of their helicopters, so we can discuss a few things with you.

"Benedict volunteered to take us here. Also, he said that he wanted to talk to you about the bet you have with Renz Elrod."

Thirteen nodded in understanding. "So, who wants to go first?"

Lawrence glanced at Benedict. Feeling the eyes on him, the latter politely gestured for the Grand Marshal to speak first.

After receiving the cue, the head of the Central Government asked Thirteen a question, which he didn't expect.

"Do you want to take command of the Valkyries for the time being?" Lawrence asked. "Marion sent me a letter of resignation. I know that she's feeling guilty and maybe depressed about the death and suffering of her subordinates, but I don't wish for her to leave her post.

"She's a very competent soldier, and I hope that she'll be able to overcome the shadow of the tragedy that befell upon her division.

"But I can't possibly force her. So, for the time being, I thought that the Valkyries should have a substitute leader. I want you to help them regain their confidence and their willpower to fight against our enemies. Would you like to lead them for a period of time?"

"I don't mind, Sir," Thirteen replied. "But if I'm going to do this, I would like Commander Marion to become my assistant."

"Understood." The Grand Marshal nodded. "I will convince her."

Thirteen then shifted his attention to Benedict, who was listening quietly from the side.

"Uncle, what do you want from me?" Thirteen asked.

The corner of Arthur's lips twitched after hearing his no-good grandson call his past love rival Uncle.