System's POV
Chapter 353: While Ranks Are Important, It Is Not Absolute

"I didn't expect that the Rigel Continent would be this… peaceful," Shana said as she viewed the surrounding scenery from Thirteens' Humvee, which Cristopher was driving.

"Peaceful? Well, if you're talking about our current situation—yeah, you can say it's peaceful," Thirteen replied. "Were you expecting that you'll be attacked by hordes of Jinns and Majins without end the moment you step foot into this continent?"

The young lady nodded. It was true that she had such thoughts before arriving at the continent, which had long fallen under the control of the Jinns and Majins.

"Shana, ever since this continent's fall, the Dvalinn Federation had only liberated 12 Sectors of this land. Each sector has a size of about one square kilometer. Combined, that is only 12 square kilometers of land.

"The Rigel Continent is the second largest continent in Pangea, second only to Sirius. The territories that the Dvalinn Federation had secured through countless sacrifices are merely a small drop in a bucket of water.

"Of course, the Jinns and Majins know that the Dvalinn Federation is trying to reclaim their land, but all the Sectors combined are too small for the true rulers of this place to care. In their point of view, the efforts of the Dvalinn Federation are a mere fool's errand.

"Only if the entirety of humanity worked together will there be a chance to liberate this place. The powerhouses of the Jinns and Majins are at the center of this continent. The monsters we are fighting right now are mere small fries."

Shana frowned and shifted her gaze toward the teenage boy, who was checking his communicator to see the current situation around them.

"If all the Champions of the Dvalinn Federation, as well as their Monarch, worked together, I'm sure they could retrieve more lands," Shana stated. "Even your Battalion managed to secure the 13th Sector with just yourselves. Doesn't that mean that they can do better?"

Thirteen chuckled. Shana's words made it clear to him that she truly didn't know how terrifying Jinns and Majins could be.

"You're part of the Hero Party, right?" Thirteen asked. "Usually, what kind of missions do you all do together?"

"We fight Jinns and Majins wreaking havoc near the Major Cities in Solterra," Shana replied. "If there is a Tier 3 Dimensional Gate, we will also mobilize to intercept them."

"The Hero of your Party is nineteen years old, and he is already of the Master Rank," Thirteen stated. "That's pretty impressive. He is absolutely a Prodigy, second only to me."

"Why is he second only to you?" the frown on Shana's face deepened. "You're only of the Rookie Rank, so he's several times stronger, yes?"

"You're three years older than me, and you've just recently stepped into the Elite Rank," Thirteen commented. "This also means that you are one of the strongest Wanderers of this generation."

Shana, who had been praised by Thirteen, felt happy. Her sister, Rianna, had practically treated Zion as an Idol to worship, so hearing that same idol praising her now made her happy.

However, that happiness didn't last long and was cut off the moment Thirteen added to his words.

"You and that Hero of your party are both strong, but what are the strongest monsters you've faced in a battle?" Thirteen asked.

"Rank 4 Sovereigns," Shana replied, feeling very proud of her achievement.

Thirteen looked at the smug-faced girl before asking Cristopher a question.

"Cristopher, how strong was the enemy we faced?" Thirteen inquired.

"Majin Prince," Cristopher replied with pride. "He also has an army composed of two Rank 9 Sovereigns and dozens of Higher-Ranking Monsters."

Thirteen then shifted his attention back to the girl, who now had a stiff smile on her face.

"Both you and that Hero of yours should do better," Thirteen replied with a smile. "I mean, I wasn't even a Rookie when I faced Arundel, yet I won against him. So, how can you possibly compare that Hero to me, who can only fight Rank 4 Sovereigns with a party of Wanderers? Hello? Can't you see the disparity in strength between us?"

"B-But!" Shana tried to counter Thirteen's argument, but the boy only gave her the "okay, say something that can surpass my achievement" gaze, which made the young lady pout.

"Shana, if you only gauge people because of their Rank, you will become one of those snot-nosed snobby celebrities who look down on people with lower standing," Thirteen said in a serious tone. "While Ranks are important, they are not absolute.

"I don't want to toot my own horn, but even if the Monarchs grouped together and fought against Arundel, they would all die a dog's death. How about I remind you of the power scaling of the Ranks that you look up to the most?"

Thirteen smirked before raising a single finger.

"A Champion can fight against a Rank 6 Monster," Thirteen stated. "But, they can't fight against a Rank 6 Overlord on their own," Thirteen explained. "In order to effectively fight against a monster of that rank, four Champions need to work together as a team.

"If they are fighting a Rank 6 Sovereign, they need six Champions to get the job done. However, this is not an absolute estimate because there are always exceptions. Not all Champions are equal, and there will always be someone who excels more than others.

"Let's take Benedict Riggs as an example. He is a Peak Stage Champion, and because of his strength, he is recognized as one of the Top 5 Big Shots of the Riggs Family. Someone like him can face off against a Rank 6 Overlord alone, and depending on the situation, he could probably defeat a Rank 6 Sovereign as well.

"Thrones can effectively fight against Rank 7 Sovereigns, and Monarchs can fight Rank 8 Sovereigns. But if they'll have to face a Rank 9 Sovereign, three to five Monarchs are needed to fight one.

"But just like us, there are also exceptions to the Jinn Race. Not all Rank 8 and 9 Sovereigns are equal. There are monsters who overshadow their peers, so if these monsters meet 'ordinary Wanderers,' even Champions, Thrones, and Monarchs can die after facing them.

"This is also the reason why the Monarchs refused to fight the Jinns in Antares, causing the first continent to helplessly fall. They tried to right their wrongs by fighting here in the Rigel Continent, but it made them realize that the strength they possessed was not enough."

Thirteen's voice was filled with contempt as he talked about the Monarchs, who gained their powers through foul means.

Because of this, the Five Monarchs of the Monarch Clans were the weakest Monarchs in the world. Only the Monarch of the Central Government, who had fought on the front lines, was actually considered strong.

The omnipotent Guardian of Solterra and Pangea was both a fair and unfair God. He would give the Wanderers unfair missions, but he would be fair when it came to rewarding them for their achievements.

Had the Five Monarchs fought with everything they had, forget about getting Mythical Weapons, they might have been awarded a complete set of Legendary Weapons, making them true powerhouses in every sense of the world.

Simply put, the Mythical Weapon and the abilities they gained after dealing the last blow to a half-dead monster were merely the "consolation prize" that Laplace Demon and The One had given them.

So, in Thirteen's point of view, the Five Monarch Clans was a joke.

If his Host hadn't died, he would have become the strongest existence in Pangea and would've led humanity to a better future.

Unfortunately, his Host wasn't able to live to see that day, which was something that Thirteen wouldn't be able to forgive.

Right now, he was still too weak to avenge his host, but the moment he completed his preparations, he would exact his vengeance.

Just as Thirteen was about to say more, the Communicator in his wrist suddenly emitted a warning sound, making his face turn grim.

"Commander, there's an emergency!" Alcapone's voice, which was filled with panic, reverberated inside the Humvee. "A squad of Valkyries summoned their Avatars to fly in the sky, and they caught the attention of a Rank 6 Sovereign Roc.

"We're trying to give them cover fire, but the Roc has a dozen Giant Eagles as subordinates. We're completely outmatched and forced to retreat!"

Thirteen cursed internally as his face turned serious. He had already warned the Valkyries to never use their flying Avatars because this was a taboo thing to do in the Rigel Continent.

The Dvalinn Federation had learned this the hard way, and hundreds of their Elite Wanderers had died after these Flying Monsters attacked them without mercy.

"Cristopher!" Thirteen shouted.

"On it, Sir!" Cristopher stepped on the acceleration of the Humvee, making the vehicle zoom across the rugged terrain, heading into the place where a battle was already taking place.