"Are you prepared for the Quest? You need the medallion to start it, right? Make sure you don’t lose it," he said casually.
"Yes, I’m prepared. I’m taking care of the medallion too."
She slipped her hand into her spatial ring and took it out again, revealing the silver medallion.
Isaac and Alice both narrowed their eyes the moment they saw it.
Their looked at each other, their eyes meting for a brief second and gave an imperceptible nod.
Isaac moved.
He activated telekinesis. The medallion shot out of Selene’s hand before she could close her fingers around it. It hovered in the air for a heartbeat and then dropped neatly into Isaac’s palm.
"...What are you doing?" Selene asked.
Despite being surprised by his sudden move, she recovered quickly. Her back straightened, and her tone was calm again.
Isaac turned the medallion between his fingers as if it were nothing more than a coin.
"I guess Chairman Lucius didn’t tell you. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy," he said lightly.
Selene frowned. "Tell me what?"
Isaac looked at her directly. "I’m coming with you for your Quest."
"No."
Her answer came immediately. It was firm, and decisive.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"The Quest has a high possibility of death," Selene said. Her voice trembled as she tried to keep it steady, and her fingers were clenched at her sides.
"So does going out into the wilderness. So does expanding the city. So does fighting monsters. We’re already doing all of that." Isaac shrugged.
"Isaac, this and that are different—"
"They’re not different. The possibility of death exists in both. Also, I’m not giving you back the medallion until you agree to take me with you."
He held it up slightly, letting it catch the light.
Selene stared at him.
"...Okay," she said after a moment.
Isaac rolled his eyes. "I know you’re lying. I have a truth detection skill."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. The calm expression she had been maintaining cracked slightly. A faint shadow crossed her face.
She clearly didn’t want to bring him.
Isaac exhaled slowly. He knew pushing her wasn’t ideal, but letting her go alone was worse.
"Selene," he said, this time more seriously, "you’re handling my business. Our city is planning to thrive on trade and commerce. You’re important to that. You’re important to me. I can’t let you walk into something like this without guaranteed protection. I know you can complete the Quest, but I’ll be worried the entire time if you go alone. So can you please let me come with you?"
The room fell quiet again.
Selene didn’t answer.
Emily, who had been sitting nearby, moved beside Selene and gently took her hands.
"Selene, let Isaac come with you. He helped me during my Quest too. He knows what he is doing. Have some trust in him. He isn’t trying to sacrifice himself. He’s trying to make sure you clear it smoothly. You don’t need to overthink this," Emily said softly.
Selene looked up at her.
Emily’s gaze was steady and warm. There was no doubt in her eyes.
From the other side of the table, Celia spoke up with her usual bright smile.
"That’s right. You’re worried because you haven’t seen Isaac in action properly. Let alone completing the Quest, he’ll make sure you clear it with the highest possible rating. You might even get extra rewards!"
Selene glanced at her.
Celia didn’t look worried at all. If anything, she seemed excited. As if the idea of Isaac dying inside a Quest was completely unrealistic.
Then Alice cleared her throat.
Selene turned toward her.
"I’m coming too," Alice said.
"Alice—"
"Don’t start," Alice interrupted calmly. "I said I’m coming. So I’m coming."
Alice’s gaze shifted to Isaac for a brief second. There was a silent challenge there. If he tried to refuse her because of danger, she was ready to argue.
Alice’s life was bound to Isaac, and Isaac dying would kill her too, so there was no point in not bringing her along.
"Fine." Isaac nodded.
Alice’s eyes became a bit warm, happy that Isaac trusted her to have his back in the Trial, and he did not think of her as burden that he would need to protect. Otherwise, he would’ve tried to stop her here.
She looked back at Selene. "So we’re coming with you."
Selene’s lips trembled.
She lowered her head slightly, trying to hide the moisture gathering in her eyes.
She had been afraid.
The Quest had a very high probability of killing her. She wasn’t a combatant. She wasn’t physically strong. Compared to Isaac, Alice, or even Emily, she felt fragile.
But precisely because she was weak, she couldn’t give up on it.
She had to grow stronger.
The memory of the battle against the Catastrophe surfaced in her mind. The sky tearing apart. The ground shaking. People fighting with everything they had.
She had stood behind walls while others bled.
The city was changing. Its people were growing stronger every day. Isaac was becoming something entirely different from the university student he once was. Alice had transformed as well. Even Emily and Celia were evolving in their own ways.
Selene didn’t want to be left behind.
She wanted to stand beside them, not behind them.
Yet she knew the risk.
She had spent hours calculating probabilities, running scenarios in her mind. Most outcomes ended badly for her.
Still, even a small chance at success was enough to make her step forward.
The stress of that decision had been crushing her quietly.
And now, seeing Isaac and Alice insist on coming with her, even if they had to force it, something inside her loosened.
Her vision blurred.
Emily immediately pulled her into a gentle hug.
"It’s okay. You don’t have to hold it in," Emily murmured.
Selene tried to speak, but her voice wavered. Silent sobs escaped instead. She clutched at Emily’s sleeve, embarrassed but unable to stop.
Isaac watched with a solemn expression.
He knew this wasn’t just about the Quest. It was about pressure, and self-imposed responsibility.
After a moment, Selene’s breathing steadied. She wiped her eyes quickly and straightened up.
"I’m sorry," she said softly.
"There’s nothing to apologize for," Isaac replied.
Alice stepped closer. "You should’ve told us earlier how much this was weighing on you."
Selene gave a small, shaky smile. "I didn’t want to look weak."
"Crying doesn’t make you weak. It just means you’re human." Celia snorted lightly.
Isaac was the only person in the room who was human, but he decided to not bring up that topic. Lest he soured the mood.
"Exactly. And you’re not going alone. So stop assuming the worst outcome." Emily nodded.
Selene took a deep breath and finally looked at Isaac directly.
"You’re really not going to give the medallion back unless I agree?" she asked.
Isaac shook his head. "No."
"You’re very stubborn."
"So I’ve been told."
A faint laugh escaped her. It was small, but genuine.
"...Fine," she said at last. "You can come. So can Alice. I will allow you both."
"Thank you, princess," Isaac smiled.
He tossed the medallion lightly in the air and caught it before handing it back to her.
She accepted it carefully this time, gripping it a little tighter.
Alice glanced at Isaac. Their eyes met.
There was gratitude there, though she didn’t say it aloud.
Isaac didn’t nod or speak. Instead, a teasing, playful smile curved his lips.
Alice narrowed her eyes slightly.
She could almost hear his unspoken words.
’Didn’t you cry like her a bit ago? Both of you sisters are crybabies, huh?’
Alice’s face stiffened immediately. The thankful warmth in her gaze disappeared, replaced by something sharp and dangerous.
Just like Isaac, she didn’t need telepathy to respond.
’Mention that next time and watch me cave your nose in.’
Isaac’s smile widened instead of fading, as if he was challenging her to try it.
Alice clicked her tongue and looked away.
Threats like those had worked perfectly during their academy days, when they were closer in strength and Isaac still hesitated before provoking her.
Now, however, he had outgrown her in several areas, and it showed in the way he carried himself.
He wasn’t reckless, but he wasn’t intimidated either.
’I need to get something that can put him in his place. Something that even if he copies won’t give him an advantage,’ she thought.
The mood in the room had settled after Selene agreed. They were making final preparations when the door opened again.
Avery stepped in first, followed by the Sword Empress.
The atmosphere shifted slightly. Conversations quieted without anyone consciously deciding to stop.
The Sword Empress gave Avery a small nod.
Avery stepped forward. "I will be joining the Quest too."
Isaac raised a brow. Since the Sword Empress seemed to have approved it, he didn’t dismiss it outright.
"Can you explain why?" he asked calmly.
Avery crossed her arms loosely. "I’m strong. Even if leaving this land that I’ve bonded with weakens me a bit, I’m still powerful. With me, the probability of clearing the Quest increases significantly. Additionally, you must know I’ve been traveling these lands for ages. I’ve collected quite a few rare items. One of them is a Quest Cancel Ticket. If things get dicey, I can pull all of us out."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Alice’s eyes sharpened at the mention of the ticket. Selene looked visibly relieved, though she tried not to show it too much.
Isaac nodded slowly.
Even with a Quest Cancel Ticket in their possession, he didn’t relax.
He had no intention of failing this Quest.
Selene’s self-esteem had been slipping over the past few weeks. She tried to hide it behind work and planning, but he had noticed. A failed Quest would hit her hard, maybe harder than any physical wound.
On the other hand, clearing it successfully would do the opposite. It would strengthen her, not just in power, but in confidence.
That was why this mattered.
When he had first met Selene, she had been confident to the point of arrogance. That version of her had softened and matured over time. He liked that growth. But he didn’t want her to lose her confidence entirely.
This Quest was important.
"We’ll be happy to have you on board," Isaac said with a small smile.
It was decided. Isaac, Selene, Alice, and Avery would enter.
Isaac unclasped the Soulbind Pendant and opened its space. The maids bound to it emerged into his house one by one. They immediately began fussing over the furniture and shelves, eager to clean and organize.
Their enthusiasm was slightly worrying.
Isaac watched them for a moment. "Don’t change anything important."
"Yes, Master," they replied in unison.
He was mildly concerned Priscilla might experiment in the kitchen and spike something that he would eat later, but he chose to trust her character for now.
Meanwhile, Emily summoned her creatures and placed them into the Purple Bridge Dimension.
It was to hide her true strength from prying eyes.
As for Isaac’s summons, he kept them stored in the Soulbind Pendant in case he needed them in the Quest.
Avery and Alice entered the pendant’s internal space, and Selene placed it around her neck.
Isaac was about to follow when the Sword Empress called out to him.
"The Quest could be long or short. There could be time dilation involved too. No matter how much time passes inside, do not rush to leave. Take your time and finish it safely," she said.
"I’ll keep that in mind," he replied.
Then he entered the Soulbind Pendant as well.
Selene, now alone in the room, took a steady breath. She held the medallion tightly and activated it.
A white door appeared in front of her.
She stepped through.
...
Isaac’s mind felt like it had been split apart.
A powerful headache throbbed behind his eyes, and his ears rang sharply. For a few seconds, he couldn’t hear anything else.
He forced his eyes open.
Above him, stars glittered against a dark sky.
He pushed himself up slowly.
In the distance, a massive purple tower pierced the sky. It stretched upward so far that it seemed to disappear into space. A deep gash carved into its side, nearly a quarter towards its center. Smoke poured from the damaged section.
’Is that... a space elevator?’
The scale of it made his chest tighten.
He got to his feet fully and looked around.
The ground was scorched. Craters marked the earth. Burned vehicles lay overturned. It looked like a battlefield that had been active only moments ago.
Gradually, his hearing returned.
People were shouting.
He looked down at himself.
Army clothes. Standard-issue, though slightly higher quality than the surrounding foot soldiers. A sidearm hung at his waist, and a communicator blinked faintly on his wrist.
’Where am I? How did I appear outside the Soulbind Pendant? Did the Quest force us out separately?’
He rubbed his brows, trying to steady his thoughts.
An alarm suddenly blared across the entire area.
A distorted voice echoed through loudspeakers.
"The Sword Maiden has breached the last line! I repeat, the Sword Maiden has breached the last line! She is heading toward the Ladder of Heavens!"
Half of the soldiers around him erupted in cheers.
The other half went pale.
Isaac froze.
’Sword Maiden?’
He looked up sharply.
Near the damaged space elevator—no, the Ladder of Heavens, as they called it—a bluish-white streak cut across the sky. It moved with terrifying speed, like a star descending.
At the same time, from higher above the structure, a golden light emerged.
The golden light intensified, forming into a radiant star-like figure.
The two streaks collided midair.
Even from this distance, Isaac could feel the shockwave ripple outward.
Before the bluish-white figure could strike the tower, the golden star flashed brighter. Space twisted unnaturally around them.
Then both vanished, teleported away.
The battlefield below fell into chaotic noise.
"Did they intercept her?"
"Where did they go?"
"Is the Ladder safe?"
Isaac stood still, mind racing.
Sword Maiden attacking a structure called the Ladder of Heavens. A golden entity defending it. A divided army below.
Lines of text appeared before him.
[Quest: Defend the Ladder of Heavens]