Everyone was so shocked by Zion's revelation, and even Douglas took nearly two minutes before he regained his composure. "Are you sure about this, Zion?" Douglas asked. "Saying that mutated Tier-6 and Tier-7 Gates have appeared is no laughing matter." "I will not force anyone to believe me," Thirteen said firmly. "Confirm my words at your own risk. A few days ago, we can calmly send our elite forces to wipe out monster nests and dens without much worry because the strongest monster that we can face at the moment are Rank 5 and Rank 6. "But it's no longer possible to be as carefree now when there's a chance that Rank 7 and Rank 8 Sovereigns now walk the lands. Moving forward, people should take great care before launching a raid. Send drones to confirm if there is danger. Once you're sure it's safe to strike—do it hard and do it fast. "Retreat immediately after you're done, then rinse and repeat. Meanwhile, my subordinates and I will continue our journey southeast of the continent to continue our investigation. Don't worry about my safety. I have many means to protect myself." Roland and the rest of the Hero Party were watching the live stream of the conference as Douglas had also invited him to participate in the meeting. Since the Hero Party was actively helping them to get rid of the immediate threats near the front lines, the Monarch of the Griffin Clan deemed that he had the right to be there. After the young man heard the words that Zion had spoken, he felt conflicted as to whether he should continue with his plan to conduct monster raids or not. He and his party were currently holed up in one of the cities at the front lines, while the teenage boy was roaming the land without a care in the world. Zion sounded very confident that no harm would come to him even with the changes in the continent. Roland was already treating Zion as his rival, and a big part of him didn't want to lose to the boy younger than him by a few years. Still, he listened to the teenage boy's explanation like a sponge absorbing water. Every word that came out from Zion's lips and every gesture he made was firmly embedded in Roland's mind. "What do you suggest that we do?" Douglas asked after the Commander of the 69th Battalion finished his explanation. "Do we just turtle up and wait for the invasion to start?" "There's no clear cut answer to your question, Sir," Thirteen replied. "As long as your armies don't stumble against a Jinn Horde led by a Rank 8 Sovereign, they will be fine. That's just the reality we face right now." Thirteen didn't sugarcoat his words because this was the truth. It was like playing a game of Russian roulette. Putting a single bullet in a revolver and giving it a spin before pointing it at your head, gambling with your life. Perhaps if the armies of the Cygni Coalition don't stray too far from the front lines, they would have less chances of meeting these powerful monsters that could potentially wipe them all from the face of the world. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢 "But if you really wish to ask for my opinion, all I can say is that you should put Renz Elrod in charge of an army and make sure that at least one or two thrones are accompanying it. "My Grandpa has joined my expedition, so my safety is almost guaranteed. With him around, we will just probably farm beast cores as we head southeast. Also, I advice everyone to not venture past four hundred miles from the front lines. "Beyond that point is a danger zone you shouldn't cross. Last but not the least, don't go near the Planar Mountain Range. That place is very dangerous and should be avoided at all cost." Thirteen didn't want anyone snooping around the secret project that Evuvug was in charge of. Now that the battlefield was evolving, the creation of his new monster army was of the utmost importance. "So, not more than four hundred miles from the front lines is good." Douglas nodded. "Very well. I will keep this in mind." Thirteen nodded before bidding his goodbye to everyone. The number of miles he had given them wasn't something he pulled out of thin air. Athena monitored the continent and had locked on the locations of the mutated gates, as well as the monsters that emerged from them. As such, Thirteen knew where these powerful monsters had migrated to build their own armies for the upcoming war. Roland sighed in relief when he realized that they could still conduct raids as long as they didn't go past the safe range that Zion had stated. The members of his party was feeling the same because they were fed up with being cooped up inside the city. This was especially true for Erica, who wanted to blow things up after reading the chat messages in the "Zion's Chatgroup" that was created by Rianna. There, Viola, Sharon, and Louise were posting their selfies with Zion, which made the Sorceress wish that she was there with him as well. Douglas and the other leaders chatted for a while and agreed to form an army that would wipe out any dens that were within Zion's estimated range. Renz had been officially nominated as the temporary Commander of the Cygni Coalition and was tasked to lead their forces in the battlefield. The second-in-command of the Elrod Clan understood that this was an opportunity to showcase his skills, which had greatly improved after receiving tips from Zion. Also, Thirteen had met with him in the Domain of the Apocalypse and handed him a few of his inventions that would be useful during a battle. Renz's loyalty skyrocketed after he met Metatron, as well as Zion's allies, in the Order of the Apocalypse. For him, serving as the young man's subordinate held more benefits than what he could get from the Monarchs of Pangea. Deep inside, he was hoping that Zion would wish to become the ruler of the world. Once that happened, he would become one of the young man's closest aides and wield the power and influence far surpassing what he possessed today.