System's POV
chapter-479

""Hah!""

"Thrust!"

""Hah!""

"Thrust!"

""Hah!""

The gasps of dozens of teenagers who had zero fighting experience thrusting their wooden spears forward sounded.

They were the ones who were meant to die as soon as they entered the world of Solterra due to their inexperience.

Fortunately, they came to the same place as Zion, who didn't treat them like cannon fodders, or extras.

He knew that it was impossible to train new recruits complicated fighting styles, so he decided to let them learn how to wield the spear.

Sometimes, using a spear is better than using a sword because of its range.

Wanderers, especially those who didn't have any fighting experience, didn't want to get up close and personal with monsters unless they had no choice but to do it.

Because of this, letting them learn spearmanship was the friendliest option, allowing them to help their comrades by stabbing the monsters as a team from different directions.

The God of Wanderers, The One, didn't look too kindly to those who didn't put any effort in completing their missions.

They would be given very minimal rewards, which some Wanderers were fine with.

In their point of view, as long as they were alive, it was enough.

There was nothing wrong with this mentality because everyone wants to survive.

But in the long run, they would have to face challenges that they couldn't escape from.

Such was the fate of Wanderers that were forced to fight a battle that none of them had chosen.

From today, Zion's party, the Rascals, would spend their days on a strict schedule.

Mornings would be stamina training, including running along a designated route in the valley that was free from Monsters.

The reason why this path was free from monsters was thanks to Giga, Rocky, Blacky, Hercules, the Trolls, an the Ogres killing the monsters that could harm the children.

Because of this, the path was "safe" to traverse.

After their morning runs, they would have breakfast and work on the wagons.

The Hunting Teams would hunt, while the workers would work.

During the afternoons, they would train spearmanship and would spar under Thirteen's tutelage, making them more used to combat.

Another week had passed since the Cygni Faction had asked to trade for the materials they would use to build their own wagons.

Currently, Thirteen's team had four wagons, while the Cygni Faction had one.

All in all, Thirteen planned to create nine wagons.

Five people would ride each wagon, and the rest would be used to carry their supplies, like food, water, and other miscellaneous items.

Unlike the members of the Cygni Faction, Thirteen wasn't in a hurry to complete their First Mission.

The Stronghold of Wenpolis was hundreds of miles away from the valley they were at, so not only would the journey be long but also dangerous.

And before they go through that, Thirteen wanted to train the Wanderers for at least a month first to build their foundations.

The rest of their training would be resumed during their journey, which would strengthen the Wanderers' mindset.

Unlike him, the members of the Cygni Faction wanted to leave the valley as soon as possible, so they ordered their subordinates to build the wagons faster.

They also understood why Thirteen and his subordinates were actively hunting Dark Bisons.

Their goal was to at least get Avatars, so that these monsters could pull the wagons for them.

The girl who had killed the first Dark Bison was quite lucky, having managed to get an Avatar.

The others only got equipment. Although that was also good, it wasn't as great as the rewards the girl received.

It was not be an exaggeration to say that getting an Avatar during your First Wandering was a game changer.

It gave you a bodyguard of sorts, which could help you fight other monsters, lessening one's burden and making battles safer.

Among the thirty-four members of Zion's party, four of them managed to gain Dark Bison Avatars.

He could already consider them lucky. After all, getting an avatar was dependent on pure luck. There was no guaranteed way to get one unless you have a hidden profession like Cristopher's, Brute Tamer.

After hunting monsters, the excess meat would be turned to jerky, serving as their emergency food during their journey.

Imitating them, the members of the Cygni Faction also started storing beef jerky for their inevitable journey.

After a month of preparation and training, Thirteen greeted the rising sun in the east with Tiona on top of a small hill.

Their twelve wagons had been completed.

The original plan was to only make eight wagons, but since ten Wanderers managed to get Dark Bison Avatars, he thought that adding a few more wouldn't be too much of a problem.

Besides, he wanted a wagon for his own. That way, he could do things without others disturbing him.

Everyone agreed with this setup because they thought that they would be hunting more Dark Bisons to gain avatars.

However, this wasn't the case.

To their surprise, Thirteen "tamed" six Rank 2 Dark Bisons, who would be pulling the other wagons that initially had no Bisons to pull them.

Two of those Dark Bisons would be pulling the wagon he built for himself, which was twice as big as the other wagons of his party.

Of course, these Bisons weren't tamed by Thirteen.

The ones who made them see reason was Giga, Rocky, Blacky, and Hercules.

With High-Ranking Monsters making them choose if they want to serve their Master or become their food, the Dark Bison chose to serve. With that they'd at least get to live.

Of course, there was no contract involved or beast enslavement tattoos on their foreheads.

The mere thought of being eaten by Thirteen's Monster army was enough for the Dark Bisons to become loyal.

Last, but not the least, since Thirteen could speak any language, including those of the Monsters' due to his Unique Ability, Universal Language Proficiency, he made a deal with the Dark Bisons that he would not only let them live but let them become stronger as well.

Although reluctant, they chose to trust the teenage boy who had such High-Ranking Monsters at his beck and call.

The past month had been quite eventful for everyone.

They had several dangerous encounters with wolves, bears, and other predators during the day and night.

But with Zion's commands, they suffered moderate injuries at most, and no casualties.

Of course, if he really wished for the Wanderers to live peacefully, he could have ordered Giga and the others to eliminate the monsters attacking them.

But he didn't do that.

Thirteen needed the Wanderers to get used to being on high alert, ready to defend themselves at a moment's notice.

They said that pressure could squeeze the potential out of people, and he was using that method to sharpen their senses, and make them more competent.

Even the girl who had cried when she killed her first Dark Bison was now calmer after having killed a few more monsters with the help of her team.

Although in his eyes, his team was just an armed mob at best, it was still better than how they were before they started a month ago.

"Boss, are we leaving today?" Sherry, who knew where to find Zion, asked as she stood behind him.

"Yes," Thirteen replied. "We have enough food and water to last us a few days. We also brought with us firewood. It's time to set off to the Wenpolis Stronghold."

Sherry nodded in understanding. "Well, it seems that the Cygni Faction is also waiting for us to leave the valley. They have finished building their four wagons and have also acquired Avatars that can pull them."

Sean managed to get a Rank 2 Bear Avatar, while Leon and his subordinates got Wolf Avatars.

Heidi and Natalie managed to get Rank 2 Wild Horses, which they would use to pull their own wagons.

"Good." Thirteen slowly stood up and placed his hands on his waist. "Tell them that we will depart after breakfast. It's now time for another adventure."

Sherry looked at Zion with a faint smile on her face. The past month had certainly been an eye opening experience for her.

She had been the one managing their team, and Thirteen only served as a figurehead most of the time.

She wasn't dense and could tell that their Boss was training her on how to become a leader.

Because of this, she felt that her First Wandering might become a grand adventure, which she would happily share with her family who were waiting for her back home.

"Ah, one more thing. Sherry, there is something very important that you have to remember," Zion said as he turned to look at his right-hand woman with a smirk on his face. "Feel free to use my name to settle disputes. Don't worry, you are riding the Zion Express. You're in good hands."

"I know, Boss," Sherry nodded. "I know."

Yes.

After spending a month with Zion, Sherry understood what kind of individual he was.

Arrogant, but approachable.

Strict, but kind.

Ruthless, but caring.

Wise, but liked to fool around.

Last but not the least, she could feel with every fiber of her being that she and the other Wanderers wouldn't be used as cannon fodders by this young man.

He was different from how most people from the Monarch Clans and Prestigious Families treated people with lower status and rank than theirs.

"Hello, Sherry. Are you still there?" Thirteen asked as he waved his hand over the teenage girl who was looking at him in a daze.

"Yes, I'm here," Sherry replied as she regained her composure. "I was just thinking about something, Boss."

"And that is?"

"You're lucky to have us with you on this journey."

Sherry then immediately turned around and walked away to hide her embarrassment.

Of course, the one who was lucky wasn't Zion. It was them.

She just didn't want to see the smug smile on his face, so she decided to tease him a bit.

Thirteen chuckled as he watched his second-in-command walk down the hill.

"Did you hear her, Tiona?" Thirteen asked as he lightly rubbed the black snake's chin. "She said that I'm lucky to have them on this journey."

Tiona hissed a few times before nudging Zion's cheek with her head.

"I can't do that, Tiona." Thirteen smiled. "She's a good girl, so I can't just give her a good spanking to discipline her."

Tiona shook her head helplessly before nudging her Master's cheek as if telling him to be strict with Sherry.

But deep inside, she thought that having an interesting girl around would at least make this journey less boring for her and her Master.

Tiona knew that Zion only wished to make sure that the Wanderers, who were with him, would be able to return to their loved ones in Pangea, who was constantly thinking of them, and praying for their safe return.