Cristopher and Colbert, who were running alongside the other applicants, were observing who among them had the qualities their Young Master was looking for.
After running nonstop for an hour, the Wanderers decided to be more resourceful in the race to increase their chances of getting a slot in the 69th Battalion.
Before they left the Freedom Garrison, Zion Leventis had made a declaration.
“Those who use other methods of travel aside from running will be disqualified. The first one hundred people who will reach the Gates of Star Kingdom will become my subordinates. So, all of you, start running!”
His words were straightforward and crystal clear, but if you thought about it, there were plenty of loopholes in his declaration.
The first loophole is that aside from running, no other methods of travel were allowed.
This meant that they couldn’t ride any vehicles, or use any other forms of transport to bring them to their destination.
But, there was another thing that the Battalion Commander didn’t say—he never said that using skills was not allowed.
Since Thirteen didn’t specifically say that no one could use skills during the challenge, it meant that the Wanderers were free to use them whenever they wanted.
As long as they didn’t use any methods of travel aside from running, they wouldn’t be disqualified.
So, after the one-hour mark, the Wanderers unleashed their powers in order to advance or hinder the other Wanderers from reaching their destination.
Some used acceleration skills in order to boost their speed, allowing them to take the lead in the competition.
Others used terrain-affecting skills, which made the path behind them difficult to traverse.
Colbert, who was more devious than Cristopher, noted the faces of the Wanderers who had tried to prevent others from catching up to them.
“Damn, if only teleportation was allowed,” a Wanderer, who was in his early twenties and seemed to have the Rank of Initiate, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Although it was a rare ability, there were Wanderers who could teleport short distances consecutively, allowing them to travel faster.
But, fearing that they would be disqualified, they had no choice but to play fairly.
Thirteen had given Cristopher and Colbert two orders.
Scout promising individuals that could be useful in certain situations.
He had no plans to form a conventional group of people under his wing.
What he needed were capable individuals who would be able to survive on any battlefield.
This long-distance competition was the perfect way to see the abilities and fitness levels of the aspiring Wanderers, who wanted to be part of Zion’s team.
It was not only Cristopher and Colbert monitoring this competition.
The Central Government and the Leventis Family were also looking for capable individuals, whom they could invite to join their army.
After the five-hour mark, the thousands of applicants who had initially started had been reduced to around six hundred.
Some of them even formed teams, grouping up with people who complemented their abilities, giving them an edge over the others.
They picked on the stragglers and the soloists, making sure that they would fail the competition.
“Hahaha! We E4 Mafias will definitely dominate this competition!”
“You’re right, brother. But, damn, my lazy bum didn’t expect that I would be forced to run this long.”
“Just endure it! As long as we reach the finish line, we can laze around as much as we want!”
“Eating, drinking, and earning money just by doing nothing? Say no more bro, say no more. That’s the dream.”
“Just make sure to stick together. We are the strongest if we combine our strengths!”
The five Wanderers, who looked like bodybuilders, all ran side by side as if they were a football team ready to mow down any stragglers who were unlucky enough to meet them.
Colbert took note of these five people who called themselves the E4 Mafia, planning to tell Zion about them later.
While Colbert was paying attention to the dubious characters in the race, Christoper was looking at the people who were doing the competition fairly.
As someone who also worked hard in everything he did, he couldn’t help but feel sad when he saw some Wanderers huffing and puffing but still persevered to reach their destination.
Several of them were just walking at the moment, but others were already crawling on all fours, showing their desperation.
Just like Colbert, he took note of these people as he passed by them during the race.
Thirteen had given the two of them orders, and they would accomplish them no matter what.
Several hours passed, and finally, the first person to pass through the Star Kingdom’s gates finally arrived.
It was a teenage boy with short gray hair and gray eyes.
His ability was superhuman speed, allowing him to run faster than others. But when everyone realized that he was just an Adept, their interest in him waned.
Adept was the Rank above Rookie, but the boy was already in his late teens. This meant that he didn’t perform well in his missions in Solterra and only managed to pass the missions because others completed them for him.
These people were looked down upon by High-Ranking Wanderers. In their point of view, people who were like the young man were just leeches.
“Congratulations. You are the first to arrive,” Michael Leventis, who had come to the site, greeted the young man. “Can you tell me your name?”
“Do I even need to tell you my name?” the teenage boy replied. “I’m sure you’ve already checked for it in your database, right?”
Michael smiled. “While your name is indeed in the database, I didn’t take a look at it. I’m only looking for results, and not the background of the person. So, can you tell me your name?”
“Pietro,” Pietro replied. “My name is Pietro.”
Michael nodded. “Once again, congratulations, Pietro. You are the first to become my nephew’s subordinate in this race.
“The other Wanderers who are in the lead are still four hours away from reaching this place, so rest and eat for now. We will transport you back to the Freedom Garrison once the others arrive.”
Pietro nodded and accepted Michael’s offer.
As he sat down on a chair, he looked at his name, which shone in gold letters on the giant TV screen that was erected beside the gates of the Star Kingdom.
Right now, his name was at the very top, but he wasn’t too happy about it.
On the contrary, he was feeling anxious, for he feared that Zion Leventis would be disappointed in him after he became one of his subordinates.
Pietro wasn’t really a strong Wanderer.
Whenever there was conflict, the first thing he did was run away.
That was the only thing he could do.
Run as fast as he could, run as often as he could.
When he became a Rookie, he saw a note on his status page that said.
“Running away from your problems is a race you’ll never win.”
Pietro knew that there were only two beings in the world who could leave such notes in the status pages of Wanderers.
They were none other than Laplace Demon and The One.
Those who became Rookies would be assessed by these two omnipotent individuals, and they would leave comments about their performance, telling the Wanderers the truth, which many didn’t want to face.
Pietro was tired of running away.
So when he saw that Zion Leventis, who had joined the Central Government, was recruiting soldiers to fill up his battalion, he didn’t hesitate to go and see if he would have a chance to serve under the Legendary Rookie, who had performed many amazing feats, that even the Monarchs of Pangea didn’t dare to do.
It was not just Pietro who felt this way.
Everyone who joined the recruitment hoped that they would be chosen by Zion and become his subordinates.
Serving under such a person would not only give them bragging rights, but it would also help them understand how he accomplished multiple feats that many thought were impossible to do.
‘I will no longer run away,’ Pietro made an oath as he looked at his name, which was shining on the TV screen. ‘I am tired of running away.’
The Wanderer, who always ran away from his problems, finally decided to change.
He didn’t know if he would find the answers by joining Zion, but one thing was sure.
If he was going to run, he would not run backward, but forward.
He would run toward that future, which he had been too scared to face in the past.