System's POV
chapter-477-2

"A dozen Dark Bisons for nails, hammers, and the knowledge to make a wagon?" Legon scratched his head. "Isn't that too much compensation?"

"Really?" Thirteen arched an eyebrow. "I think I'm the one who's at a disadvantage here. Did you think you could just pick up nails on the ground? Sure, you can use stone and bones as a hammer, but you won't be able to find nails and wood shaving tools anywhere.

"They might be dirt cheap in Pangea, but here? They are luxury items. So I don't think I'm asking for too much. It's a fair trade, don't you think? Of course, if you don't like it, we can always rumble. I'm also quite annoyed because my beauty sleep is disturbed."

Sean and Leon were about to argue, but a giggle stopped them in their tracks.

"We're sorry we disturbed your beauty sleep," Heidi said. "Boys don't understand it, but girls do. Very well, we agree to this condition."

Sean and Leon both frowned, but in the end, they didn't say anything else.

"Great." Thirteen nodded. "Now that we have an understanding, Sherry, you go and take Team Five and Team Six to hunt some Bison with our friends here. All of them only take one chance to kill a monster.

"Whether they can get an item or not from their kills, they won't get a second chance. Come back as soon as you can, okay?"

Sherry reluctantly nodded her head and gestured at the two teams to follow her.

To be honest, she was feeling a little anxious about bringing the two teams Zion mentioned with the Cygni Faction.

Those two teams didn't specialize in combat and merely played a supporting role.

Because of this, none of them had even a single item that could be obtained from Monsters.

Hearing that their chance to get freebies had come, the two teams gave their Boss a thumbs up in their hearts.

"I have a question. As you know, this valley is a dangerous place, and we can't always guarantee that your members will not get injured," Leon said in a meaningful tone.

"Dark Bisons are strong, and if we happen to find a group with a Rank 3 Alpha Monster guarding them, there is a chance that people might get hurt, or worse, die in the process. So, will you hold us accountable if something happens to your people?"

Thirteen pondered for a bit before shaking his head.

"I won't hold you liable," Thirteen replied. "This valley is indeed a very dangerous place, so people can die anytime."

Leon smiled faintly because he had a few ideas of his own on how to teach the people who would be coming with them a lesson they would never forget.

However, Thirteen's next words made the smile on his face stiffen.

"Since this is a very dangerous place, there is also a chance that you guys can also die anytime," Thirteen said with a mischievous smile on his face. "It can't be helped, you know? After all, we are in Solterra. In this place, if we die, we only have ourselves to blame, right?"

Thirteen's said it in a playful tone, but his message was crystal clear.

If you kill my people, you die.

If you die, you only have yourself to blame, right?

Leon gritted his teeth before forcefully averting his gaze.

Zion's gaze was like that of a Tiger that had marked its prey.

If a fight really broke out between their party and the Cygni Faction, both sides would suffer casualties.

This was the worst-case scenario that could happen, so their faction didn't go out of their way to antagonize Zion's party.

However, when they discovered that they were building wagons for their journey, they realized that they didn't have the ability to build them themselves.

Although they had no idea how Zion managed to procure tools like hammers, shaving tools, and nails, they understood that they would need a mode of transport for the journey to their destination.

Even if they managed to secure Avatars that could make traveling easier, having a wagon to serve as shelter to the elements, as well as store their items and other provisions for their journey, would help them greatly.

Of course, they couldn't just take it by force because they were told by their families to not antagonize Zion Leventis.

So they decided to trade with him in order to get their own wagons.

Unfortunately, Zion had no intention of trading the wagons that his members had built. If he agreed, his members would lose motivation, and it would also lower their morale, which he didn't want to happen.

Also, he wanted to teach the Cygni Faction a lesson.

Their mentality was the common mentality of those who belonged to the Monarch Clans and Ten Prestigious Families.

They expect that everyone would cater to their needs just because of their family's prestige.

Of course, since Zion was from the Leventis Family, he was immune to their bullying and harassment.

But not everyone was like him.

Even Sherry, who was born into a well-off family, didn't dare to talk back to Sean and his cohorts because she understood the implications of doing so.

Even if she managed to get away with it in Solterra, her family would definitely suffer in Pangea.

Right now, the Rascals could only depend on Zion's prestige to make sure that they wouldn't get bullied by the Monarch Clans and the Prestigious Families.

The hierarchy of Wanderers had been set from the very start, so those at the bottom could only endure and bow their heads to those who were on top.

With this problem in mind, Thirteen had a plan.

Since he couldn't change the current hierarchy of the world, he would first start with the Scions of the Cygni Faction.

He would make them "a little more" human by making them realize that even with their family's backing, there were times when finding a more peaceful way of settling things would benefit more people in the long run.

Since they were sharing the same mission, it was guaranteed that all of them would be heading West to reach the Stronghold of Wenpolis.

At least, until their missions were over, Thirteen wanted the Rascals to be recognized by the Cygni Faction, not because he was leading them but because they were competent enough to survive.

The teenage boy watched as Sherry and her team disappeared in the distance, then made a gesture for his party to resume what they were doing.

He then walked toward the cave, and once he was inside, he lightly tapped his right foot on the ground.

"Rocky, babysit Sherry and the others," Thirteen ordered. "If any Rank 3 Monster, or higher were to attack them, you know what to do."

The Magma Bal-Boa obeyed its Master's order and began to travel under the ground to catch up to Sherry's team.

What Leon said earlier was right.

Variables could happen on the battlefield, and if a monster that was too dangerous for them to handle were to appear, casualties might happen.

Naturally, the members of the Cygni Faction would prioritize saving themselves and would leave Sherry's team behind.

To prevent the worst-case scenario from happening, they needed a bodyguard, and Rocky fit that job perfectly.

"Tiona, have you found IT?" Thirteen asked.

Tiona nodded and hissed a few times.

Certain places in Solterra, like Forests, Swamps, Plains, and Valleys, all had one thing in common.

They usually had a Field Type Monster like an Overlord, or a World Boss like a Sovereign.

Thirteen had asked Tiona to find the locations of these Monsters so that they could be monitored.

Any of those two monsters was enough to kill all the fifty Wanderers that were currently in the valley, with the exception of Thirteen.

Because of this, Tiona and some of a few members of the Parade of the Hundred Demons were paying attention to them.

They would immediately report if these powerful monsters were to head in their location.

Truth be told, Thirteen really didn't care whether these monsters were to head in their direction or not.

With the forces at his disposal, even a Rank 7 Monster was not a problem.

However, he didn't want to depend on Rocky and the others too much.

Thirteen didn't want his skills and battle prowess to become dull, especially after hearing the Vision of Taiga's sister, Cleo.

Since he was going to fight against a strong opponent, he had to hone himself in fighting actual battles, putting his life on the line in order to get a higher chance of defeating one of the beings whom he hated the most.