Following Ashan, Sisiliya walked away from the others, keeping her posture calm even though her mind was anything but.
'What is he scheming now…?'
Suddenly, a faint voice crackled through the earpiece tucked against her ear.
"Sisil, can you hear me?"
Her steps faltered for half a second. She turned slightly toward the embedded 180 degrees camera on her collar and gave a subtle nod.
"Good," Sheliya's voice continued, low and controlled. "Silas, Garrick, and I are connected to your device's microphone. We'll stay silent unless necessary. If we need answers, ask him for us."
Ashan's lips curved faintly beneath the mask.
His hearing caught every syllable with perfect clarity.
'So they're listening in from afar, he thought. That saves me the trouble of repeating myself.'
Once they had put enough distance between themselves and the rest of the raid, Ashan stopped and turned to face her.
"So," Sisiliya said calmly, "what is it you want to talk about?"
Ashan inhaled once, slow and deliberate.
"I'll be direct. Believe me or not.. I don't care. I am not your enemy. I came here to help you clear this dungeon."
Sisiliya let out a quiet scoff, crossing her arms.
"How generous," she replied coolly. "Do you really expect us to trust someone who appears out of nowhere, terrifies half the raid, and hides behind a mask?"
"Yes, you helped at the right moment, and for that I'm thankful. But that doesn't make us allies. And for the record, we don't need your help. We are fully capable of clearing this dungeon on our own."
Ashan crossed his arms in response, mirroring her stance.
"Then answer me this," he said. "Do you actually understand this place? Do you know what kind of danger lies at its core? Its purpose? The consequences it carries for the world itself?"
Sisiliya frowned slightly.
"The world?" she echoed. "What kind of nonsense is that? Whatever secrets this dungeon holds, we'll uncover them ourselves and act accordingly."
Ashan shook his head slowly.
"As expected. You know nothing." His tone wasn't mocking, just disappointed. "I thought you were more perceptive than this. Do you really believe everything will proceed according to your assumptions? Or do you need me to remind you of the Demon's Gate incident? The number of people who died because of poor judgment and careless confidence?"
Sisiliya clenched her teeth, anger flashing in her eyes.
"Don't you dare bring that up," she snapped. "Why are you even comparing this to that incident?"
"Because in potential," Ashan replied evenly, "they are the same."
He exhaled.
"I'll explain. But first.. tell me this. Have you identified the strength of this dungeon's boss?"
Sisiliya nodded.
"Yes. Based on mana readings, we confirmed it as an A-rank monster."
"Bullshit."
The word slammed into her like a physical blow.
Ashan's voice surged with raw irritation.
"Take your data and throw it in hell. That thing is an S-rank monster. Even if you somehow reach the end with this team, you'll crawl back missing limbs, if you crawl back at all. Most of these raiders won't survive."
Inside the shared channel, everyone froze.
Garrick's breath hitched.
Silas's eyes widened.
Sheliya stiffened.
Sorin's fingers dug into her palm.
"S-rank…?" Garrick muttered. "That's impossible. If that were true, the mana signals…"
Sheliya cut in sharply through the channel. "Sisil. Ask him how he knows."
Sisiliya relayed the question.
Ashan didn't hesitate. "I can't reveal how. But I'm telling you the truth."
"And you're so certain because…?" Sisiliya pressed.
Ashan's patience thinned.
"Are you pretending, or are you really this dense? Didn't you notice anything odd while fighting those golems? Their durability? Their regeneration? They're already stronger than what A-rank constructs should be. That gap only widens the deeper you go. If you don't believe me, keep going. Reality will correct you after you're beaten half to death."
Silas's temper flared on the other end.
"Who does he think he is?" he said coldly. "Speaking to S-rankers as if they're beneath him."
"If I were there, I wouldn't let it slide. Unlike Sisiliya, I don't tolerate that kind of disrespect."
Garrick interrupted him calmly.
"And that's exactly why Sisiliya is handling this," he said. "He's rude, but he's not speaking recklessly. He sounds… certain."
Sisiliya took a steady breath.
"Let's assume I believe you," she said. "What else do you know about this dungeon?"
Before answering, Ashan glanced toward Draven and Eirena.
To his surprise, Eirena's fingers twitched. Her knees shifted. Draven stood close, hands glowing faintly as he worked tirelessly to unravel the blood bindings.
Ashan smiled faintly.
'Impressive. He figured it out faster than I expected. He truly lives up to his reputation.'
He turned back to Sisiliya and stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"I know others are listening. Your S-rank commentators, if I'm not mistaken. Tell them to listen carefully, and remember what I'm about to say."
Sisiliya's eyes widened.
"How did you…? I'm sure the sound.."
"You weren't loud," Ashan interrupted. "I just hear very well. And I heard a woman feeding you questions."
He paused.
"Now listen."
His tone changed. The casual edge vanished, replaced by something heavy, measured, almost somber.
"This dungeon is called the First Gate of Apocalypse. It is one of ten. When all ten open, humanity ends."
The words landed like a hammer.
"The Demon's Gate you sealed?" Ashan went on. "That was a disaster, yes. Tens of thousands dead. Cities erased. A scar carved into history."
His voice hardened. "But compared to this place, it was nothing more than a warning."
The silence deepened.
"This dungeon surpasses it in scale, in threat, and in consequence. Somewhere inside lies a key, an object directly bound to the mechanism of extinction. Not symbolic. Not theoretical. A real trigger tied to the collapse of worlds."
His gaze sharpened, unseen but felt.
"And the boss guarding that key…" He exhaled slowly. "There is a very real possibility it can leave this dungeon."
Silence swallowed the channel.
"My goal is simple," Ashan continued. "I hunt those keys. I destroy them. I stop the arrival of the darkest age."
"If I fail, this planet won't survive. Not just cities. Not just nations. All life ends."
"Awakeners. S-rankers. Legends. Heroes."
His tone was almost pitying. "You won't be exceptions. Power doesn't matter. Rank doesn't matter. Nothing you have will be enough."
He straightened, finality bleeding into his voice.
"That's the harsh truth. Not a threat. Not a plea."
The effect was immediate.
Sisiliya's hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide and unfocused. Her breathing turned shallow as the implications crushed down on her.
Sorin felt her knees weaken. Her jaw clenched painfully as denial warred with the calm certainty in Ashan's voice.
Silas didn't speak. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned white, his mind racing through scenarios, probabilities, past anomalies that suddenly made horrifying sense.
Sheliya stood perfectly still. A quiet, broken breath escaped her lips as memories of unexplained disasters aligned into a single, terrifying pattern.
No one spoke.
For the first time since the raid began, fear wasn't coming from a monster.
It came from the future Ashan had just revealed.