"Special Quest means that we are not the only people here," Avery said calmly.
"So more people are attempting the Quest?" Isaac asked.
"No, it’s different." She shook her head. "They are not attempting the Quest. Rather, it should be said the System brought them here."
"...?"
Both Isaac and Alice looked confused.
"Think of it as some other people are dreaming and have joined the Quest through dreams. They will not receive any rewards, nor will they know they are inside a Quest.
"They are dreaming of the past—of this exact moment—so they will act naturally.
"They don’t remember anything about the ’present’, just like how you forget things when you are dreaming.
"However, once they wake up, they will remember what happened here," she explained.
"Wait... so they’ll remember us too?" Alice questioned.
"Yes."
"That sounds... dangerous," Alice commented.
"It is. That’s why the System warned us to be careful about our choices. If you anger someone, make them curious about you, or do something that makes them chase you in the real world later, it could have consequences." Avery paused briefly before adding, "I explained the same thing to Selene earlier."
Selene gave a small nod but didn’t speak.
Isaac rubbed his temple. "That’s a bit problematic. Can we know who is dreaming and in the Quest with us?"
"We cannot. And normally I would tell you to move extremely carefully because of that. But don’t worry too much," Avery replied.
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
"The people likely to appear in this Quest are old monsters," she continued. "They were alive during this era, and they survive into the future. They already understand how Special Quests work. Even if they remember your actions after waking up, they won’t react irrationally. Just... don’t cross any obvious lines."
Isaac nodded slowly.
Even with reassurance, the idea bothered him. Acting freely while knowing someone might remember everything later felt like speaking in front of an unseen audience.
Avery gave them a moment to absorb the information before continuing.
"There is more. You asked what is happening right now, correct? It’s... the beginning of the Apocalypse. The Sword Empress is trying to stop it."
"...what?"
The word slipped out of Isaac before he could stop himself.
Instead of answering immediately, Avery reached into her pocket and pulled out a small rectangular device. It looked ordinary, and almost outdated compared to System constructs.
She tapped its surface.
A faint hum filled the room, and a projection appeared across the ceiling.
Isaac and Alice instinctively looked up.
Then both of them froze.
Selene’s reaction was no different, even though she had clearly prepared herself for this moment.
"This is the current footage of the moon," Avery said.
Before they entered the Ladder of Heavens, the moon had been same as the one in Isaac’s previous world.
He thought it would be same now too.
But the image above them shattered that expectation instantly.
The moon was cracked.
It had enormous fissures spreading across its surface like broken glass.
Deep red clouds covered almost half of it, swirling slowly as if alive. Some areas glowed faintly beneath the cracks, suggesting something inside was burning or collapsing.
"The Apocalypse has already descended on the moon. The Moon is going to be destroyed... and it will fall."
No one spoke.
"And after that, the Apocalypse will descend on Earth. The Sword Empress and the War God are trying to stop it."
Alice finally broke the silence. "Stopping the Apocalypse from reaching our world... is connected to the Ladder of Heavens?"
"Yes." Avery nodded. "After the moon is completely destroyed, the Apocalypse will use the Ladder of Heavens — the connection between Earth and Moon — to descend. The Sword Maiden’s goal is to destroy the Ladder itself so the Apocalypse cannot reach Earth."
Isaac frowned. "Destroying the Ladder... would trap everything on the moon."
"Exactly."
Avery nodded.
"The Moon Dragons plan to fight on the moon. If they fail, they intend to retreat through the Ladder of Heavens. But if they escape that way, the Apocalypse will follow them. That is why the Sword Maiden wants the Ladder destroyed."
Alice’s expression hardened. "So she’s choosing to sacrifice them."
"Yes."
The word was simple, but heavy.
"The army stationed at the Ladder is opposing her. They want to preserve an escape route. The Heavenly Gods — the gods native to the moon — are supporting that army. To prevent interference, the War God has attacked those Heavenly Gods directly in the Divine Realm," Avery explained.
Isaac let out a slow breath.
So battles weren’t happening in one place. They were happening everywhere at once: on the moon, at the Ladder, and even among gods beyond mortal sight.
The scale was hard to grasp.
Alice crossed her arms, still staring at the broken moon projection. "So the past of our world really was like this..."
Selene spoke quietly. "War layered over war."
No one disagreed.
For a while, they simply watched the projection. Red clouds drifted slowly across the cracked surface, and faint flashes suggested ongoing battles far beyond their understanding.
Then Alice spoke again.
"...Something feels weird."
Avery glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
Alice chose her words carefully. "The fight feels too small. If this battle decides whether the Apocalypse reaches our world, shouldn’t it be... bigger? Yes, we saw multiple Apex-rank species earlier, but still... it doesn’t feel like a world-ending war."
Isaac nodded slightly. He had felt the same but couldn’t explain it.
Avery gave a faint smile, though there was no humor in it.
"There are multiple reasons. But mainly two."
She raised one finger.
"First, people don’t care. They believe they can handle the Apocalypse easily."
"...What?" Isaac stared at her. "Even after the moon is almost destroyed, they think they can deal with it?"
"They are arrogant," Avery replied calmly. "There are countless empires and kingdoms. Very few people have ever encountered Moon Dragons directly. Most believe Moon Dragons only rule because of their orbital railguns and technological advantage. To them, this looks like dragons exaggerating a threat."
Isaac shook his head slowly. "That’s insane."
"It’s normal. Most people don’t feel afraid of a threat unless they it stands in front of them," Avery sighed.
She then raised a second finger.
"The second reason is the Celestial Kitsune."
Alice’s eyes narrowed slightly. "The race the Moon Dragons defeated?"
"Yes. Only a few decades have passed since that war ended. The Celestial Kitsune empire collapsed, leaving enormous resources behind. Right now, kingdoms and factions are busy fighting each other to claim those remnants," Avery explained.
Isaac understood immediately.
"They’re too busy fighting over spoils."
"Exactly. Every empire believes its own conflicts are more urgent. They are fighting neighbors, expanding borders, and consolidating power. None of them want to divert resources toward a battle meant to protect everyone," Avery said.
Alice looked back at the projection, her expression unreadable.
"So they’re gambling with the world."
"They don’t see it that way. They believe someone else will handle it," Avery replied.
Isaac let out a quiet laugh without humor.
These people were ridiculous.
Still, he knew most sentient species often worked exactly like that. Until danger stood directly in front of someone, it remained theoretical — someone else’s problem.
The room fell silent again.
The broken moon loomed overhead, unmoving yet oppressive.
Finally, Alice turned back toward Avery.
"So what happens from here?"
Avery lowered her gaze from the projection before answering,
"The information I know about exact time periods isn’t very accurate. I appeared several years after the Apocalypse had already started, so most of what I know comes from records and fragmented accounts."
She paused briefly, organizing her thoughts.
"But according to what I learned, one month from now the Sword Empress will return and successfully destroy the Ladder of Heavens."
Isaac frowned slightly. "So... that’s the turning point?"
"Yes and no. Destroying the Ladder won’t actually solve much. The moon will eventually shatter anyway, and when it falls, the Apocalypse will descend along with it," Avery replied.
The words settled heavily between them.
Alice crossed her arms. "So even success doesn’t stop the disaster."
"Correct. It will only delay and changes how it arrives," Avery said.
They continued talking for a while after that, discussing the era, the factions involved, and what little Avery knew about the following events. The more she explained, the clearer one thing became.
The Sword Maiden could not be defeated.
Not by them. Not by anyone present here.
Her army was overwhelming, and history itself confirmed her victory. The Ladder of Heavens would fall in one month regardless of interference. Compared to that, the six-month duration of their Quest felt almost absurd.
Eventually the conversation ended, not because they reached a conclusion, but because there was nothing left to say.
Later, Isaac confirmed through Selene that all his summons were still stored safely inside the Soulbind Pendant, which currently remained with her. He could bring them out whenever he wished.
It seemed the System had only separated Isaac, Alice, and Avery from the pendant so they could exist independently in this time period, giving them proper identities instead of remaining hidden entities.
Selene headed toward the door after their meeting ended. Avery followed her. They couldn’t stay together for too long or it would be suspicious.
Alice lingered longer than necessary. She stood near the doorway, clearly reluctant.
"You should sleep too," Isaac said.
She hesitated. "Can’t I stay with you?"
"I want to stay with you too, Alice. But we know you can’t."
He gave a small smile.
Alice studied him for a moment, then sighed softly. "Fine. Good night, Isaac."
"Good night."
The door closed behind her, leaving the room quiet.
Isaac sat down slowly and stared at the ceiling where the projection had disappeared moments ago.
’What the hell are we supposed to do?’
The question circled endlessly in his mind.
’The Sword Empress and her army are basically invincible. How are we even supposed to defeat that?’
He leaned back, staring blankly ahead.
’It’s already strange that Selene was meant to complete this Quest.’
Selene was a Silver Drake. None of her bloodline abilities were combat-oriented. They specialized in commanding, and influencing others rather than direct destruction. Moon Dragons, even if stronger, were fundamentally similar.
Which meant one thing.
’Moon Dragons aren’t a combat race.’
Then how?
’How is a Moon Dragon—or their descendants—supposed to clear this Quest?’
The contradiction bothered him deeply. The System never created impossible conditions without hidden logic. If the Quest existed, then a method to complete it had to exist too.
He felt like he was missing something obvious.
Something important.
For the next two days, Isaac couldn’t stop thinking about it. He helped around the base when asked, assisted with minor logistics, and observed the soldiers preparing defenses, but his mind remained elsewhere.
Every conversation, every movement around him felt distant, like background noise.
Then, on the second day, a thought suddenly surfaced.
It came quietly, almost casually.
’How did Moon Dragons rule the world?’
He stopped walking mid-corridor.
Moon Dragons lived on the moon. Their position allowed them to strike almost anywhere on world due to orbital advantage. That explained strategic dominance, but not absolute rule.
Power alone wasn’t enough.
There were too many empires, too many Apex species.
After thinking a little longer, realization slowly formed.
’Authority.’
Isaac’s breathing slowed.
If Moon Dragons were similar to Silver Drakes but stronger, then their true strength wasn’t physical combat.
It was command.
Silver Drakes possessed natural authority over beings weaker than them. It was an instinctive influence that encouraged obedience and trust. Moon Dragons, as superior variants, would possess that ability on a far greater scale.
They didn’t rule through strength.
They ruled because others followed them.
Because their words carried weight beyond logic.
Because resistance felt wrong.
Isaac’s eyes widened slightly.
"That’s it..."
The pieces aligned rapidly in his mind.
The Quest was never about defeating the Sword Empress through force.
It was about something else entirely.
Understanding spread through him like a sudden light breaking through fog.
He finally understood how a non-combat race could complete an impossible mission.
And at that moment, it clicked.
He realized the way to clear the Quest.