"I thought you were going to toss her here," Metatron said with a smile.
"That was my original intention," Thirteen replied. "I just changed my mind halfway."
The teenage boy then looked at the pitiful vermillion bird, which had lost all of its feathers after Thirteen’s monster army plucked it clean.
Zarn wanted to cry, but had no more tears to shed.
After he experienced the warm greeting that was given to him by Thirteen’s monster army, all hope of resistance vanished from his heart.
The only thing he could think of was to find a way to appease the teenage boy so he would be freed from this prison, where no hope was in sight.
"By the way, what do you plan to do with that bird?" Metatron asked.
"I was thinking of making it Rhia and Remi’s pet, but it’s too ugly," Thirteen answered. "I’ll just give him to Erasmus. With that thing around, he’ll at least have one living subordinate."
"Excellent choice." Metatron nodded in agreement. "That bird will serve as a good mount."
Zarn, who thought that he had no more tears to shed, wept bitter tears after being called ugly.
He already met Erasmus inside the Domain. Although late, he also joined Thirteen’s monster army in plucking his feather, so the other party’s appearance was already ingrained in his mind, no matter what.
But after thinking about it, he thought that serving a High Archon might not be a bad idea. At least, he could leave the Domain of the Apocalypse in one piece.
"Still, are you confident in winning against the Blackfang Dominion without Cranky’s help?" Metatron inquired.
"Yes," Thirteen answered. "I’m just waiting for two days, just in time for the night of the full moon. The Oblivion Glyph’s power would be at its peak during that time, so it will give me a higher chance of subjugating the two remaining Majin Princes in their faction."
Zarn was paying close attention to the discussion and wondered where the human boy’s confidence was coming from.
He didn’t recognize the words Oblivion Glyph, so he was able to remain calm.
However, if he knew that Thirteen was talking about the Great Killing Array, he would definitely be horrified, for he knew just how powerful that killing formation was.
"Thirteen, do you know what is happening in Solterra right now?" Metatron asked.
"No," Thirteen replied. "But I’m sure that you’ll tell me."
Metatron chuckled, for he did plan to tell the teenage boy about the recent events that were happening in Solterra.
"The Fiends and the Celestials are growing restless," Metatron stated. "It seems that they finally want to break free from the shackles that bound them to Solterra."
"Will the Valbarra Archipelago be affected?" Thirteen inquired.
"No." Metatron shook his head. "They are too far away to be of importance. Only the mainland will be affected by this upcoming storm."
"How long before the conflict reaches a turning point?" Thirteen inquired.
"Hmm... good question," Metatron pondered. "I’m guessing it will take at least five months to a year before anything big happens. Right now, one of the Celestials is amassing his army of heaven. Strong enough to conquer the lands that belonged to the other Celestials and Fiends."
"There is always that one guy who wants to see the world burn just to amuse himself," Thirteen commented.
"Indeed." Metatron agreed. "But, the thing is... the territories of our members are along the route that this Celestial planned to take."
"You really know how to joke around, Thirteen."
"Good. At least now I have a sense of humor. I thought I’d never learn it."
Truth be told, Thirteen didn’t really care about the other members of the Order of the Apocalypse, with the exception of Camazotz, Kamrusepa, Paimon, and Zapar.
They were originally competitors and rivals, so he didn’t really bother with the other members of his organization.
Metatron also knew what Thirteen was thinking, so he simply focused on telling him the information that he should know.
"By the way, does the name Dantanian ring a bell to you?" Metatron asked.
"I know him." Thirteen nodded. "Isn’t he that Fallen Angel that has many faces? He even earned the nickname "The Wanderer" among his peers because he liked to travel from one place to the next."
"Yes, that’s him," Metatron replied. "If you ever meet him in Solterra, try to befriend him. He might help you in weathering that storm."
"It will be hard to find him," Thirteen answered. "Any recommendations?"
"Don’t ask me this question." Metatron smirked. "Even if you don’t find him, you know how to make him come to you, right?"
"Wow, are you perhaps a Seer?"
"Of course not. But I keep tabs on the treasures that you have chosen from the treasury. I’m sure you will finally put that Conch to good use after you finish your battle in Artem.
"By the way, between us, did you pick that item because you foresaw what would happen in the future?"
Metatron knew that Thirteen wouldn’t randomly choose any items inside the treasury without a reason. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel•fire.net
This was why he kept tabs on the items that he was getting and tried to understand what he planned to do with them.
"In a way, yes," Thirteen answered. "I am the System of Cannon Fodders, so I know that every story will end. However, depending on how the story progresses, it can lead to a happy ending, a bad ending, or an open ending."
"And what kind of ending are you trying to get?" Metatron inquired with genuine curiosity.
"The kind of ending where the System God and the Goddess of Fate will get their just desserts," Thirteen answered. "That’s always been my goal, and it will not change no matter what."
Thirteen then stood up and approached Zarn, who was playing dead while listening to their conversation.
"Hey, little bird, get up," Thirteen ordered. "If you continue to play dead, I’ll stab your butt with a steel spear and roast you over an open fire."
Zarn immediately stood at attention and shuddered under the teenage boy’s gaze.
"Tell me everything you know about the Blackfang Dominion," Thirteen stated. "If you miss any detail, I’ll toss you over to your new friends over there."
Zarn warily glanced in the direction where Thirteen’s monster army was waving at him, which made him shudder uncontrollably.
He would rather answer Thirteen’s questions truthfully than spend another round with the bastards who made him understand that there were fates that were worse than death.