System's POV
chapter-519

Thirteen had been busy making preparations for their journey toward the Wenpolis Stronghold, their final destination, in the past few days.

According to Drazzat, the Wenpolis Stronghold was a small fortress that existed even before the Lizardmen migrated into the Fractured Heaven.

They believed that it once belonged to the Humans, who were now ruling the Northern Lands.

However, something must have happened that forced the humans to evacuate and leave the stronghold, which was now in ruins.

But there was one thing that remained intact within the Stronghold, and it was none other than a one-way portal.

The Lizardmen didn't know where this portal led to, for anyone who had tried to enter it was never seen or heard from again.

After hearing Drazzat's story, Thirteen and the other Wanderers were convinced that the portal would lead them to their next destination.

Since they had all been given the same Chain Quest, it meant that they had no choice but to enter the portal in order to continue their mission.

Contrary to the other Wanderers who were rejoicing, perhaps thinking that they would finally finish their First Mission, Thirteen didn't react that much, for he understood that their next mission would be several times harder than the first.

But he didn't want the other teenagers to worry, so he didn't say anything about it and simply ordered everyone to cut some trees, which they would use to build more wagons for their upcoming journey.

Since all the Wanderers in the Fractured Heaven would be joining them, they needed to increase the number of wagons to make sure that all of them would be able to ride on one.

Of course, the Lizardmen and Ratmen were more than happy to help.

The two Factions even decided to compete over which side would be able to build the most wagons using Thirteen's blueprint.

A week later, over four hundred Wanderers arrived at the Keebo Valley, which surprised everyone.

Only then did Erica, David, and the other Apostles realize the gravity of the situation that they were in.

It was an open secret that the number of Wanderers participating in a mission was correlated to how dangerous it was.

"Getting cold feet?" Thirteen asked as he looked at Erica's pale face.

"W-What are you talking about?" Erica stuttered. "How can I possibly get cold feet? I specialize in Fire Magic, you know?"

"How about you, Sherry?" Thirteen inquired. "Feeling nervous?"

"Yes," Sherry didn't bother to hide her anxiety. As Zion's right-hand woman, the responsibility that would soon be placed on her shoulder was quite heavy.

Thirteen planned to make the two girls his Vice Commanders, so they could help him manage the Wanderers into an organized unit.

Right now, over six hundred Wanderers were gathered in Keebo Valley, which was a number that even Thirteen had never seen in the past.

On his missions in the Valbarra and Arcadia Archipelago, the number of Wanderers in a mission never surpassed three hundred.

But now, they had double that number, making the Apostles feel very anxious.

Thirteen patted Erica's shoulder and asked her to follow him to stand at the elevated platform to address everyone who was now waiting for his announcement.

He asked Erica to join him, wanting to use her high popularity as a member of the Hero Party.

When the Wanderers saw the two of them appear, all of them cheered at the same time.

Erica might be popular, but no one in Pangea didn't know who Zion Leventis was.

If the beautiful sorceress was a Star, Zion was a Superstar.

So for those who were experiencing their First Wandering, seeing him was like winning the lottery. In their point of view, he was the ticket that would allow them to return to their loved ones who were waiting for them in Pangea.

Sherry, who was only known by the original members of Thirteen's group, stood on the teenage boy's right side and did her best to stay calm.

Although she was feeling nervous, she was able to stand her ground because the teenage boy was standing in front of her.

Thirteen allowed them to cheer for a while before he raised his hand to calm everyone down.

"I'm glad that all of you are able to arrive here safely," Thirteen said. "But our journey is far from over. If all of you are willing to follow my orders, I will do my best to ensure that the majority of you will be able to complete your missions.

"I will not lie to all of you—the chances of you dying in our next mission are very high. While I do not know what we will have to face when we reach the Wenpolis Stronghold, I do know that if all of us worked together, we can make a difference."

Thirteen paused for a bit to let his words sink in. A minute later, he raised three fingers, as he scanned the faces of the Wanderers in front of him.

"Three days," Thirteen stated. "In three days, we will start our journey. Until then, all of you are going to help with the preparation to gather food and water for our journey.

"Last but not the least, I will be assigning Captains who will lead a team with twenty members each. Of course, if you prefer to form smaller groups, that's fine as well. All I want is for the Captains should be responsible enough to follow orders and lead their teams properly."

Thirteen then used his thumb to point at Erica, who was standing on his left side.

"While I will be your Commander, I will have two Vice Commanders to help me manage all of you," Thirteen declared. "The first one is none other than the Sorceress of the Hero Party, Erica!"

The Wanderers once again erupted into cheers as they looked at the beautiful sorceress whom they had seen many times on television.

With her long, dark blue hair and good looks, Erica was a stunning beauty who could make any man turn their head to look at her.

When the cheering died down a bit, Thirteen glanced at his right side and introduced the young lady with short blonde hair and blue eyes who looked like a delicate-looking boy.

"Her name is Sherry Weaver, and she is my second-in-command. Just like Erica, she holds the position of Vice Commander, so please cooperate with her, and make sure to listen to her orders.

"Her orders are my orders. If you defy her, you are defying me. That said, make sure to remember that, okay?"

Everyone glanced at the pretty lady who was doing her best to keep her head high and not run away out of anxiety.

Although she might not have noticed it, Thirteen was actually helping her become accustomed to carrying heavy responsibilities, which would only become heavier as they challenged the next mission that they were about to face.