System's POV
chapter-474-1

When Thirteen regained his senses, he found himself standing on top of a hill, welcomed by the sight of a tranquil valley in the distance.

It didn't take long for him to realize that he wasn't alone.

Right below the hill he was standing on were dozens of teenagers who were of the same age as him.

These teenagers looked at their surroundings, as well as the other people around them, in surprise.

Half a minute later, one of them looked up.

Seeing Thirteen above them, he shouted in surprise.

"Zion Leventis!"

At the boy's shout, the other teenagers all looked in the direction the boy was looking at.

At that moment, Thirteen saw various expressions on their faces.

Surprise. Excitement. Relief. Rivalry. There were many other emotions, and seeing them made him sigh in his heart.

'There are at least fifty of them,' Thirteen thought. 'This is an ominous sign.'

There was a general rule when Wanderers were sent to Solterra.

The more Wanderers summoned in one place, the harder their mission would be.

Among the fifty teenagers, there were a handful of individuals who seemed to understand their current situation.

But after seeing Zion, they felt relief, knowing that someone capable was sent there alongside them.

"Is this your First Wandering?" Thirteen asked to confirm his suspicion.

"Yes!"

"It is!"

"Sir Zion, I am a huge fan!"

Most of the other Wanderers replied something similar, making Thirteen sigh in his heart.

"Understood," Thirteen nodded. "Everyone, please check your missions first. Let's see if we all have the same mission."

After instructing them, Thirteen opened his status page and checked the notification blinking on it.

Trial of Courage [Part 1]

This mission is a chain quest. In order to clear it, you will need to clear three missions first.

— Find the Stronghold of Wenpolis located on the west of the land called "Fractured Heaven," and overthrow the Tyrant ruling it.

Time Limit: None

The moment Thirteen saw the words Fractured Heaven, he immediately accessed his Soul Core for information.

— A bountiful land ravaged by a great war hundreds of years ago. Ancient battlefields can still be found in this land, so it may be a good place to look for weapons and artifacts.

It borders the Great Wall, which blocks the horrors that wish to invade the Fractured Heaven.

Note: Make sure to hide at night because Swarms of Rank 1 Dark Bats are very common in this area.

'A Chain Quest…' Thirteen thought. 'This is not going to be easy.'

After reading what his quest was about, he once again looked at the Wanderers and saw them staring at him with hopeful gazes.

Since it was their first time in Solterra, the majority of them wished for someone to lead them. Among everyone present, Zion was naturally the best candidate.

Aside from being the only "Ranked Wanderer" in their group, he also had experience commanding the army.

For them, being on the same team as Zion was too good to be true.

"Zion Leventis, I am Heidi Lotte from the Lotte Family." A pretty teenage girl who had shoulder-length brown hair that ended up in curls stepped forward. "Seeing that Fate had arranged for us to wander together, how about we discuss a beneficial method of cooperation?"

"Straightforward as always, Heidi," a teenage boy with blonde hair and blue eyes commented. "However, I can understand. Seeing Zion Leventis with us makes me feel safer. Oh, where are my manners? The name is Leon Gates."

Leon gave Zion a carefree wave, making the teenage boy nod his head to acknowledge his presence.

"Since Heidi and Leon have already introduced themselves, allow me to introduce myself as well," a teenage girl with long black hair and brown eyes said with a smile. "Natalie Bishop. Let's all get along."

The young lady had a sharp gaze that intimidated the other Wanderers who were standing close to her.

A moment later, a teenage boy with red hair took a few steps forward, advancing ahead of the others who had introduced themselves earlier.

"Sean Griffin, pleasure to meet you," Sean said as he gazed at the young man standing on top of the hill with determination.

A glance was enough that he was treating Zion as a rival whom he wanted to surpass.

Thirteen looked at the three teenagers who were members of the Three Prestigious Families, then shifted his gaze to Sean, who was a member of a Monarch Clan

All four of them were from the Cygni Continent, which was about to face the Jinn Invasion.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Thirteen said. "Tell me, is your mission also about the Trial of Courage?"

The four teenagers nodded their heads in affirmation.

"Is it the same for the rest of you?" Thirteen glanced at the other Wanderers.

""Yes!""

Hearing their positive reply, Thirteen nodded and gave an order.

"I don't know if any of you wish to become part of my team. But for those who do, please stand on the left side," Thirteen stated, pointing his hand on the left side of the hill. "Those who don't want to become part of my team, just stay where you are."

The majority of the Wanderers didn't even think and immediately moved to the area Zion was pointing at.

The majority of them just wanted to survive, so going with Zion was their best option.

However, the four scions from the Cygni Continent remained in their place, alongside their retainers who were also sent to the same place as them.

Over thirty people wished to become part of Zion's team, while sixteen people remained standing on his right side.

Thirteen didn't mind this development. He knew that the teenagers from the Prestigious Families, as well as the Monarch Clans, had their pride and were, as expected, unwilling to become the subordinates of others.

"I hope that even if we're not on the same team, we won't interfere with each other's survival," Thirteen said as he looked at Sean, who seemed to be the temporary Leader of the Cygni Faction. "This land is very dangerous, and the last thing we want is an internal conflict. Can I count on you guys to uphold this agreement?"

Sean nodded. "I accept this condition."

Even if they weren't on the same team, as long as one of them was able to complete the mission, everyone would be able to complete it.

Because of this, there was no need to force each other to work together on the same team.