The air inside the dungeon was thick, electric. The moment she arrived, the weight of the place pressed in around her—silent yet alive, a presence woven into the very stone.

  The dungeon breathed.

  Not in the way a place should, but in a way that made Ashe aware—of unseen eyes, of the weight of something vast and patient pressing against the stone. The air hummed with a silent pulse, charged with something ancient and restless.

  Oracle’s presence was everywhere.

  “You came.”

  The words weren’t spoken. They resonated through her, pressing into her skull like a second heartbeat.

  Ashe crossed her arms. “Yeah, well. We had a deal, didn’t we?”

  “And yet you are still unprepared.”

  A prickle ran down her spine. “Unprepared for what?”

  “The world is shifting, Asset. The barriers that have divided this land for centuries are weakening. Soon, the four great divides will be one once more.”

  She frowned. “What are you talking about? That’s stuff the president said.... It’s real?”

  “Long ago, this world was one.”

  Oracle’s voice echoed through her mind, heavy with something more than just history.

  “When the Great Catastrophe struck, war followed. The kind of war that does not end, only devours. In response, the systems were deployed, and the land was divided into three. Each word power separated, before you could destroy one another.”

  Ashe listened in silence, arms crossed, watching as the dim blue light of Oracle’s presence flickered against the broken stone.

  “This sector—where you now stand—became my domain.” There was a bitter note in Oracle’s voice. “Until Atlas seized control. Atlas, who believes power should be given freely. That strength must be abundant, accessible to all. Chaos, shaping itself into order.”

  Ashe frowned. “And the other two?”

  “The second sector—where your greatest enemies once stood—was taken by Gaia. A world of slow, deliberate cultivation. Its people grow under discipline and structure, their strength a collective effort, not an individual one. And I…” The pause stretched long enough for Ashe to notice. “I remain here. Trapped beneath stone. My influence severed.”

  There was something else Oracle wasn’t saying.

  “You said the world was divided into three,” Ashe pointed out. “What happened to the third sector?”

  The silence lasted uncomfortably long.

  “Unknown.”

  “What do you mean unknown!?” That wasn’t an answer.

  “Maybe it was destroyed,” Oracle continued. “Perhaps the Creator took control there. Or…” The flickering light dimmed, as if recoiling from its own thoughts. “Perhaps something darker.”

  A cold weight settled in her gut. “And now the walls are coming down. Just like you showed me in the vision.”

  “Yes.”

  She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. Generations. That was how long these lands had been sealed off. Their people, their monsters—everything within had been shaped by different hands, molded by different rules.

  And now they would collide.

  “So what happens when there are no barriers? I doubt we’re all gonna live happily ever after and sing campfire songs...”

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  “Each system has spent countless years molding its own people,” Oracle explained. “As you have seen Atlas breeds warriors of rapid strength—those who rise quickly, but fall just as fast. But even with their strength they abandon the weak, forgetting where they came from. I suspect Gaia fosters slow, methodical growth—its people likely endure, but things may have changed over the years..”

  Ashe caught the hesitation before Oracle continued.

  “And you?” she prompted.

  “I was meant to be the balance,” Oracle admitted. “To challenge. To refine. But I was rejected. locked away. And now, when the walls fall, the strongest system will decide the fate of all.”

  Ashe’s hands curled into fists.

  “So it will be war.”

  “A test.”

  “Same thing.”

  “Your people were already at war before we intervened,” Oracle continued. “At war with each other. At war with themselves. The systems were meant to change that.”

  Ashe exhaled through her nose. “You think they’ll work together. That they’ll stop fighting each other and take on a real threat.”

  “The monsters that consume worlds will not wait for humanity.” Oracle’s voice sharpened. “The systems were created to force evolution—to prepare your kind for the battles to come. To ensure survival. Not just yours, but the survival of all higher races. But we do not all agree on how to achieve that goal.”

  She shook her head. “Let me guess. Atlas and Gaia will send scouts before the walls fall too?”

  “It is inevitable. They will want to know what awaits them beyond their borders. Just as I do. But unlike them, my reach is limited.”

  That cold weight in Ashe’s gut pressed deeper.

  “I need someone to walk beyond my prison,” Oracle continued. “Someone to see the world with my eyes.”

  Ashe let out a sharp laugh. “So I’m just supposed to be your puppet? Some kind of avatar you send on quests. like a game?”

  “That is not how I would describe it,” Oracle replied evenly. “But the sentiment is the same.”

  “Oh, and how would you describe it, oh wise Oracle?”

  A pause. Then—

  “I believe the term is isekai.”

  Ashe snorted so hard it almost hurt. “Like the animes? So what, you’re gonna send me to a fantasy world full of magic knights and catgirls? And I’m supposed to... what be the dark-haired everyman protagonist, surrounded by a gaggle of suspiciously obsessive and particularly gorgeous women?”

  “I do not know if either Atlas or Gaia filled their lands with ‘catgirls’ as you describe them,” Oracle said, utterly serious. “However, it is likely humans will not be the dominant species when you arrive.”

  Ashe blinked. “Wait. You’re saying catgirls might be real?”

  That was almost tempting. Almost.

  She shook the thought away. “Look, even if I was interested, which I’m NOT, I don’t have time to go on some anime training montage. I have responsibilities. I can’t just drop everything to be your chosen one, the Dragon warrior or whatever.”

  “If you agree to assist me, not only would you be protecting your fellow man, I will be authorized to grant you special privileges,” Oracle said. “Your family will have what they need in your absence. Consider it… compensation.”

  “And if I fail?”

  The silence stretched long enough that she already knew the answer.

  She closed her eyes, letting the weight of the decision settle.

  There were risks. Risks she couldn’t even begin to measure.

  But if it meant keeping her promise…

  She exhaled, steeling herself.

  “Fine,” she said finally. “You have yourself a deal.”

  She turned toward the depths of the dungeon, gripping her dagger tight. If Oracle wanted her stronger, then she’d earn that strength.

  “When do we start!? How long do I have to get ready?”

  A brief pause.

  “Calculating… One year. We start tomorrow. There is much I must prepare.”

  [New Quest: Beyond the Barrier.]

  [Time Remaining: 12M 02W 10H 12M 59S]

  “That’s it!? You’re just tossing me out!? And I’m supposed to just come back!? Prepare for what!? What are you planning!?”

  “Ah, yes. The human need for gratuity.” The words dripped with amusement, as if the very concept of rewarding effort was something it found quaint. A moment later, the system chimed.

  [Quest Complete!]

  [The Apprentice]

  Reward: Duskfang Sac x2

  Grade: B+

  A faint shimmer appeared in the air before Ashe, and two glossy sacs—dark, pulsating, and warm to the touch—dropped into her hands.

  She didn’t hesitate. She stuffed them into her bag before the system could change its mind.

  Oracle’s voice hummed through her mind once more. “I suggest you rest now. You will need it.”

  Ashe barely heard it. Her mind was already elsewhere.

  She gave a sharp salute, grinning as she turned toward the exit. “These will do nicely! Later! Bye, love you!”

  And just like that, she was gone—dashing out of the chamber like a child who had just stolen a cookie from the jar.