System's POV

Chapter 499: The Shard Of Origin

The sound of merry-making echoed in the night as the Lizardmen celebrated their victory against the Ratmen.

Although Thirteen had the most contribution to the Lizardmen's victory, the teenage boy had made sure that Drazzat and his men would be the ones to corner their hateful enemy and end the battle with their own hands.

Drazzat's victory in his duel with Badarr had also cemented his position as the strongest warrior of the Varesti Tribe, further increasing his influence among his tribesmen.

The Wanderers were also treated warmly by the Lizardmen because they were under Thirteen's command.

The Shamans had also decided to remove the symbols on their foreheads as proof that they now treated the teenage boy's "Mercenary Group" on equal terms.

While everyone was enjoying the celebration, Thirteen excused himself and told everyone that he would be taking a stroll to clear out his head.

But as soon as he was certain that no one was following him, the ground beneath his feet gave way, making him fall into Rocky's Mobile Fortress. It was about time he tied up some loose ends.

Raising his hand, the Black Flag of the Parade of a Hundred Demons appeared to answer his call.

"Come out, Kesari," Thirteen ordered.

A second later, a shadowy form materialized in front of the teenage boy.

Kesari was kneeling in a respectful gesture towards his Lord and Master.

"Kesari, I will ask you some questions, and I only want to hear the truth. Do you understand?" Thirteen stated.

Although the Ratman had indeed become part of his Parade of a Hundred Demons and was now loyal to him, Kesari still retained his memories, so he might feel apprehensive about attacking his own Clansmen.

Frankly, Thirteen didn't intend to let him fight against the Ratmen, wanting to avoid complications.

This was why he only wished to gain some information about the location of their troops, as well as the individuals whom he needed to pay attention to.

But just as the teenage boy was about to ask the Ratman his questions, Kesari spoke first while staring directly into his Master's eyes.

"Master, before you ask me questions, there's something I wish to tell you," Kesari said. "It's about the real reason why the war started."

Thirteen arched an eyebrow. He was indeed very curious as to why this war was happening in the first place.

Although Ratmen were aggressive monsters and waged war whenever they wished for it, they would always have a reason behind it.

Since arriving at the Fractured Heaven, Thirteen never questioned why the Ratmen and the Lizardmen were at war.

He simply thought that the two sides had been in conflict with each other and decided that they could no longer live under the same sky.

"Speak," Thirteen ordered. "Tell me the truth. What started the war in the first place?"

Since Kesari was now one of his Hundred Demons, the Ratman would follow his orders without fail.

"There are four factions who live in the Fractured Heaven," Kesari reported. "The Lizardmen in the West, the Ratmen in the South, the Goblins in the East, and the Humans in the North.

"We often have skirmishes with each other, but it got worse when the balance of power was suddenly broken. The Goblins gave birth to an Emperor. The Goblins were soon rallied and attacked the South, then took control of our Sacred Land.

"Since the Goblin Emperor's strength was something we are unable to overcome, we have no choice but to submit to his will in the hope that he will keep his promise."

"His promise?" Thirteen crossed his arms over his chest. "Let me guess—he promised that he would return your Sacred Lands to you guys, right?"

"Yes," Kesari replied. "This is the reason why we are desperate to win this war. Once the Goblin Emperor destroys our Shard of Origin, the Ratmen will cease to exist in the Fractured Heaven."

Thirteen didn't need Kesari to tell him what the Shard of Origin was because he could easily access this information from his Soul Core.

After skimming through the details of the Shard of Origin, he understood why the Ratmen allowed themselves to become the pawns of the Goblin Emperor despite knowing that he might not keep his promise in the end.

Just like the name suggested, the Shard of Origin was the Origin of the Ratmen.

Similar to the World Tree of the Elves, it was what allowed the Ratmen to flourish.

Without its blessings, the Ratmen would die out, unable to sire their next generation, which would erase their Clans from the face of Solterra.

"A Goblin Emperor… so a Rank 8 Sovereign." Thirteen nodded in understanding. "But the Ratmen are numerous. Even if you are facing a Rank 8 Sovereign, it won't be impossible to beat it with your numbers, right?"

"That's true," Kesari replied. "However before we can even fight back, he came into the possession of the Shard of Origin. With him using it as a hostage, we are unable to mount a serious resistance against him."

"How did he get the Shard of Origin? Isn't that supposed to be in the most protected place of your Clan?"

"It's all because of a traitor. He sold us out."

"… How typical."

Thirteen allowed Kesari to explain his side of the story until he understood the gist of it.

Basically, one of the Ratmen Princes who didn't think he would have a chance to rule their kind decided to steal the Shard of Origin with the help of the Goblins.

In exchange, he would become the King of the Ratmen and rule over his people with an iron fist.

Thirteen wasn't surprised with this outcome because it was a very common scheme during succession wars.

"That bastard, Ranngil, betrayed our people, not caring if he were just to become a pawn of the Goblin Emperor," Kesari said hatefully. "As such, even if the Lizardmen defeat our Clan in battle, they would have already lost countless warriors, making them easy pickings for the Goblin Army once they advance southward."

Thirteen pondered a bit before asking the Ratman a question that had been bothering him for a while.

"Before that, why didn't you attack the humans in the North?' Thirteen inquired. "Compared to the Lizardmen, they might have been an easier opponent, no?"

"… That is true." Kesari agreed. "I don't know what the Goblin Emperor is thinking. We are just following his orders. But there are rumors that the new King of the Humans has a good relationship with the Goblin Emperor.

"I can't confirm this rumor because we already marched towards our respective battlefields, but I believe that the humans might be the mastermind behind this war. Master, I have a request. Please, try to retrieve the Shard of Origin.

"If you can do that, the Ratmen will forever be in your debt. Also, this senseless war will also come to an end."

Thirteen crossed his arms over his chest and pondered a bit.

"I understand, I'll think about it," Thirteen replied after thinking for a few minutes.

"Thank you, Master," Kesari bowed respectfully. "As long as you are able to save my kind, I, Kesari, will serve you faithfully for all time."

Thirteen smiled faintly because even if Kesari didn't make such a vow, he would have no choice but to serve him faithfully for all time.

But since he didn't want to step on the Ratman's sincerity and dignity, he chose to not say anything and unsummoned him for the time being.

A second later, he activated the Ring of Apocalypse so that he could go visit the members of his Trinity, whom he believed would be able to help him with his current situation.