System's POV

Stella stood outside of the barrier protecting the Sanctuary.

She had arrived before Thirteen and his entourage, so now, she was patiently waiting for their arrival.

The gates of the city were shut tight, and several people wearing armor stood at the ramparts, observing the young lady from a distance.

No exchanges were made between the two parties because there was no need for one.

Everyone simply waited for Zion Leventis to make his appearance.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait for a long time. An hour later, over a hundred wooden wagons appeared in the distance, carrying the Wanderers who had come to the Sanctuary.

Thirteen, who was leading the group, saw Stella using the telescope in his hand, which made him frown.

Although he already knew that their paths would cross again, he didn't think that she would be waiting for him to arrive at the Sanctuary.

Several minutes later, the procession of Wagons stopped, and the Wanderers gazed at the White City made up of white marbles up close.

Of course, some eyes landed on the beautiful young lady with green eyes and long black hair, tied up in a ponytail with a butterfly hair clip.

She looked like a fairy who had come out of a beautiful painting, and the mere sight of her made the teenage boys and some of the girls blush in awe of her air.

"… Why are you pinching my waist?" Thirteen blinked innocently as she glanced at Erica, who was standing beside him.

"Eh? Sorry," Erica hastily removed her fingers from Thirteen's waist. "I don't know what came over me."

She wasn't lying. It was true that she didn't know what came over her.

However, she could tell that she felt uncomfortable because Thirteen was staring at Stella as if he was going to eat her whole.

"Do you know her, Boss?" Sherry asked.

"No," Thirteen replied. "But we already met."

Thirteen ignored Stella and walked towards the barrier.

He then picked up a random rock and threw it, intending to test what would happen the moment it made contact with it.

Just as he expected, the rock was completely obliterated, turning into dust.

'It's similar to the effect of the barrier in the City of Seneros,' Thirteen thought.

The Wanderers, who were planning to touch the barrier, immediately retreated after seeing what happened to the rock that their leader had thrown earlier.

The guards, who were standing on the ramparts, didn't say anything and simply looked at the Wanderers who wished to enter their city.

"I want to talk to your First Guardian, Aries," Thirteen said. "We seek passage inside the Sanctuary."

The Old Man appeared and smiled from on top of the City Walls.

"The barrier will disperse for an hour at midnight," Aries said. "All of you can just wait until then."

"I see." Thirteen nodded. "Very well. We shall enter your city at that time."

The teenage boy then gave a signal for the Wanderers to form a camp outside of the barrier.

He still didn't trust Aries, so this setup was favorable for them.

Thirteen had already discussed with the officers that only a small elite group would enter the Sanctuary first in order to better understand their motives.

Absolutes look down on ordinary humans because they believed that they were a superior race.

While the Wanderers were all setting camp, Stella approached Thirteen.

"Can we talk?" Stella asked.

"Okay," Thirteen replied. "What is it?"

"Can I join your group?" Stella inquired. "My mission is to enter the Temple of Courage and conquer it."

"Okay." Thirteen nodded. "You can join us later."

"Thank you."

"Mmm."

After getting Thirteen's approval, Stella tossed what looked like a white pebble a few meters away from Thirteen's wagon.

The pebble then expanded and transformed into a white tent.

"I'll rest for a while," Stella said. "Don't hesitate to call me if something unexpected happens."

Thirteen nodded. "Okay."

The young lady shot Thirteen a meaningful gaze before entering her tent to rest.

The teenage boy might not know Stella on a personal level, but he knew what kind of existence she was.

She was a True Hero, often referred to as "the Chosen Ones" by the Systems who served them.

He wasn't fond of them, but Stella wasn't being hostile to him, so he decided that there was no need for them to become enemies. MVLeMpYr-reader

Besides, having a True Hero would make things easier because they were protected by Fate.

Until they reached maturity and performed the roles that were assigned to them, True Heroes wouldn't die easily.

They would also become stronger with each challenge, allowing them to face the Demon Lords, as well as those who possess power that no ordinary man or woman could defeat.

While the Wanderers were busy setting up camp, the Guardian of the Sanctuary, Aries, observed them with great interest.

He had already determined their ranks, which made him wonder how they were able to survive the journey to reach the Sanctuary.

The strongest humans among Thirteen's group were the Elites, and although they were strong for their age, they were nothing in the eyes of the Absolutes.

"Are we really going to let them enter the city, Lord Aries?" one of Aries' subordinates asked.

"Yes," Aries replied. "They said that they are going to challenge the Temple of Courage. You already know that we cannot stop anyone who wishes to do so. That is the sole reason why our city exists in the first place.

"Not to mention, if they do succeed in conquering it, then the curse that plagues our people will finally be lifted. We can finally leave this hellish place."

Located at the very back of the Sanctuary was a tower with thirteen floors.

This was the Temple of Courage, and only those who were able to conquer all of the floors and reach the top would gain one of the treasures stored inside of it.

Not only that, but a portal would also open, allowing them to teleport outside of the Absolute Heaven.

The Absolutes had long wanted to leave the Absolute Heaven in search of a more habitable land with less danger and more opportunities.

Their highest-ranked combatants had also stopped at the Champion Rank, unable to progress further.

Currently, there were only twenty Champions among the Absolute, while the rest were Masters and Grandmasters.

In exchange for safety, their ranks could no longer progress.

This was a very pitiful scenario for a superior race who once moved unhindered in the world, looking down on others whom they believed were beneath them.

"But, Elder, will they be able to survive the Night Raid?" one of Aries' subordinates inquired. "Should we tell them about it?"

"We should," Aries replied. "Tell one of our warriors to inform them of the Monster Raid that happens at night. If they are able to survive something like that, then they definitely have the qualifications to challenge the Temple of Courage."

The old man then shifted his attention back to the teenagers outside of their barrier. He hoped that many of them would be able to survive the night.

The more people who would challenge the Temple, the higher their chances of success, which he and the other Absolutes wished to happen.

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