A groan escaped Thirteen’s lips as he opened his eyes.
His head ached, not from any injury but from the backlash of using a high-level runic spell.
The Artemians, especially the Artemian King, would certainly not watch idly as he tampered with the gate, so he had no choice but to use his "skip" ability to speed things up.
As for what happened next, no one expected it—even Thirteen himself.
The teenage boy propped himself up from the ground and looked around him.
He didn’t know how long he had been knocked out, but judging by the light of the sun, it seemed about late in the afternoon.
There was no one around him, and the environment was decent, so he believed that he was safe... at least for the time being.
"It hurts..." Thirteen grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose to give himself some relief from his headache.
A few minutes later, the pain subsided a bit, giving him time to assess his situation.
’I need to find a higher vantage point to see if the surrounding area is familiar.’
After confirming what to do next, he looked at his surroundings to see if there was a place where he could get a better view.
He assumed that he was at the center of a valley since the area was flat, while the sides rose in all directions like a massive basin carved into the land.
The afternoon sun hung slightly westward, casting long shadows upon the land.
The cliffs that ringed the area were rugged and steep, dressed in patches of dry grass, twisted shrubs, and the occasional crooked tree clinging to the edges like stubborn sentinels.
After choosing an ideal place to climb, Thirteen headed in that direction with determination.
Using a grappling hook from his dimensional storage, he managed to climb up and get a better view of his surroundings.
’Since the sun is setting in that direction, that must be west,’ Thirteen thought. ’The battle happened in the south... so I must go in that direction.’
Suddenly, he remembered something. Thirteen quickly lifted his hand and stared at his pinky finger.
Faint threads of different colors spread in different directions. But when he saw the blue thread representing his connection with Erica, a frown appeared on his face.
The blue thread was blinking red, giving him a sense of urgency that gripped his heart and soul.
’She’s in danger!’ Thirteen might not have any solid evidence supporting his assumption, but he didn’t even bat an eye before running, following the direction where the blue thread connected him with his lover.
Half an hour later, Thirteen encountered three Rank 3 Dire Wolves, which didn’t hesitate to attack him.
Thirteen was still a Rookie, but his strength was now similar to that of a Champion.
He was also someone who mastered several martial skills, so four Rank 4 Dire Wolves didn’t pose much threat to him.
At least, in the beginning.
Before the massive battle between the Artemians, the Jinns, and the Wanderers took place, countless dimensional gates had opened during the past two months.
These Dimensional Gates were usually Tier 1 up to Tier 3 Gates, with the latter opening only after five days had passed.
Because of this, many wild Jinns inhabited the continent, forming a new ecosystem.
And now, one of the wolves that had stayed at the rear howled, calling its comrades to join them in the hunt.
Not wanting to waste any time, Thirteen hurriedly dispatched the two Dire Wolves that lunged in his direction.
Precise and deadly blows landed on their bodies, killing them in the fastest way possible.
Unfortunately, this victory didn’t make him happy, for twelve more wolves took over. And this time, a Rank 4 Alpha Dire Wolf was leading them.
The teenage boy took out two short swords from his storage ring and honed his senses to the limit.
Fighting these monsters in a one-on-one battle wouldn’t pose any dangers to him.
But he was currently weakened, suffering from the aftereffects of casting a high-level runic spell that had permanently closed the gate that led to the Artemian Kingdom.
The wolves were also using tactics to attack their prey, encircling him and lunging from his blind spots.
"At least you guys know a bit of strategy," Thirteen said coldly as his two swords sliced off their bodies like hot knives cutting through butter.
He had no time to worry if their blood would dye his clothes since that wasn’t one of his priorities.
Right now, all he wanted to do was eliminate everything that blocked him and look for Erica, who seemed to be in some kind of danger.
Every swing, every thrust, every slice hit his target, drawing blood or ending their lives.
When the Rank 4 Alpha Wolf joined the battle, Thirteen lunged at it head-on.
It was a four-meter-tall monster, but it was very agile.
Just as the two were about to clash with each other, Thirteen lowered his body and slid on the ground, slipping between the enemy’s legs, then using his swords to slice them.
The Rank 4 Monster howled in pain before falling to the ground, its feet sliced off from its body.
Thirteen didn’t give it any opportunity to recover and went for the kill, slicing off its head next.
The surviving Dire Wolves all retreated after seeing their leader die in the teenage boy’s hands.
No matter how simple-minded they were, it was clear that the young man showed no mercy, and they didn’t want to be next.
If the teenage boy were in his peak condition, he would have finished the battle in a shorter time. Given his handicap, some monsters managed to graze his body with their teeth and claws.
The teenage boy frowned before taking out some disinfectant and bandages from his dimensional storage.
Right now, he was alone, so he couldn’t allow his wounds to get infected and fester.
He also made sure to drink some potions to speed up his recovery before continuing his journey.
The only one he could rely on was himself, and for the first time since he became Zion Leventis, Thirteen felt a little lonely. Only now did he realize that he had gotten used to being surrounded by people who had played an important role in his life.
Still, he took one step forward toward the location of his lover, whom he feared might be in danger.