They had already reached the same conclusion long ago.
This was not the present.
They were inside a recreation of the past.
Based on Professor Catherine’s lessons, this era belonged to the time before the Apocalypse—before the System reshaped the world and standardized power progression. Back then, strength existed, but it grew differently. Slower for most people, and less efficient.
Which meant something important.
At the same rank, people from Isaac’s era were usually stronger.
The System optimized growth. Refined energy usage. Perfected combat pathways.
So logically, Isaac and Alice should have held an advantage here.
They had trained under the Sword Empress herself for three months. Their foundations had been rebuilt from the ground up. Their control over power far surpassed ordinary fighters.
By that logic, they should have been overwhelming presences.
But reality disagreed.
Even without the System, this era was not weak.
Isaac could already sense it clearly.
Among the officers alone, he counted twelve High-Rank species and at least two Apex-ranked species. Their energy signatures were stable, and deeply refined, not System-assisted, but cultivated through long years of natural evolution.
This world had "monsters" even before the Apocalypse.
The elevator slowed.
"Ninety-ninth floor," a mechanical voice announced.
The doors opened.
They stepped into darkness.
The entire floor existed under a perpetual artificial sky filled with dim stars. Soft blue lights illuminated pathways, giving the place a calm yet heavy atmosphere.
Ahead stood a massive structure resembling a colosseum merged with a command center.
Officers moved toward it without hesitation.
Isaac and Alice followed.
Inside, the meeting hall expanded downward in circular layers of seating. Rows of commanders filled the arena-like structure, all facing a central round platform.
At the center stood a circular table.
Four seats.
Isaac’s gaze sharpened immediately as he recognized two figures already present.
Dean Avery.
Dean Selene.
’Dean... That rank should be just below Stronghold General,’ Isaac thought.
He quietly observed everyone present, matching uniforms with insignias and energy signatures. This gathering alone represented a terrifying concentration of power.
Isaac and Alice checked their uniforms again before sitting.
Their identity cards confirmed everything.
Officer Isaac.
Team Leader Alice.
Same names.
The Quest had integrated them seamlessly into this timeline.
They took their assigned seats.
A moment later, Avery’s gaze swept across the arena and briefly met Isaac’s. She gave a subtle nod—barely noticeable—before standing.
Her voice carried clearly throughout the hall.
"Everyone, the Stronghold General has teleported the Sword Maiden into a closed dimension. She will not be able to return for at least one month. In that time. we must restore defensive integrity, reorganize command structures, and prepare for a prolonged siege. The enemy forces remain intact. Do not mistake temporary safety for victory."
The meeting continued for hours.
Reports came one after another.
Supply shortages. Structural damage. Casualty numbers. Enemy troop movements. Intelligence speculation.
Isaac listened carefully, rarely speaking. Alice did the same.
Gradually, the pale expressions around them softened slightly. Knowing the Sword Maiden herself could not immediately return eased the crushing pressure many had been feeling.
But no one smiled.
Near the end of the meeting, a senior officer raised a question.
"Can we establish contact with the Heavenly Gods?"
The hall fell silent.
Avery shook her head slowly.
"Not yet."
The mood dropped instantly.
Even Isaac felt the shift. Whatever the Heavenly Gods represented, their absence clearly meant hope was limited.
After several final instructions, the meeting adjourned.
Officers began leaving in groups, speaking quietly among themselves.
Isaac and Alice walked together but deliberately avoided approaching Avery or Selene.
Everyone there behaved like real people. If Isaac and Alice suddenly acted overly familiar with Deans, it would’ve raised suspicion.
And suspicion in a military base was dangerous.
The duo returned to Isaac’s assigned quarters. It was a modest but functional officer’s room overlooking internal structures of the Ladder.
They waited.
And just as Isaac expected, a few hours later, the door was knocked.
Selene entered first.
Her expression was darker than Isaac had ever seen. She walked straight to Alice, sat beside her, and rested her head lightly on Alice’s shoulder before closing her eyes with a long, tired sigh.
Avery followed behind, equally serious.
"I have good news and bad news," Avery said, pulling a chair forward and sitting down.
"Good news first," Isaac replied calmly.
"I know several people from this time period. If I can contact them, we may gain additional forces. The problem is... at this point in history, they don’t know me yet. Convincing them will take time, and Sword Empress might return before that," she said.
Isaac nodded, and asked, "And the bad news?"
"It’s the Sword Maiden. She’s too strong. I cannot defeat her."
The room fell silent.
"Even if I wasn’t weakened from leaving the land I’m bonded to. I still couldn’t guarantee victory. In my current condition... it’s impossible. We can only rely on the troops here, but her army is stronger. If nothing changes, we will lose."
Bitterness flashed briefly across her face.
She had promised to protect Selene, Alice, and Isaac. Yet the enemy they faced was someone even she could not overcome.
Alice hesitated before speaking.
"If this is before the Apocalypse... shouldn’t the Sword Empress still be young? How is she stronger than you, who is—"
She stopped abruptly, realizing where her sentence was heading.
Avery laughed softly.
"You can say it. I’m old," she said with amusement. "I’m over three thousand years old."
Alice nodded, but Isaac knew she was embarrassed.
"Sword Maiden is different," Avery continued. "Let’s call her a monstrous prodigy. She’s probably between twenty-five and forty years old in this era. Yet she has already reached the peak of the Mortal Realm."
"Peak?" Alice asked.
"Before the System arrived, the highest achievable state in this Mortal Realm was Overlord rank. That was the natural ceiling of this world. The Sword Maiden has already reached it," Avery explained,
Isaac and Alice exchanged looks.
That meant she had reached humanity’s natural limit without System assistance.
A terrifying thought.
Isaac shook it away, and asked, "Then about our Quest, what exactly does a Special Quest mean? And what is actually happening here? Why is the Sword Maiden attacking this place? You seem to know the answers."