Sisiliya remained silent for a long moment, her gaze unfocused as Ashan's words echoed in her mind. Calculations, risks, and possibilities collided inside her head. Finally, she drew in a steady breath and lifted her eyes to him.
"Do you understand the weight of what you're saying?" she asked slowly. "If even half of this is true, your words could shake the entire foundation of our society. Are you prepared to take responsibility for that?"
Ashan nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. I didn't fabricate a story to frighten you. Every word I said is grounded in certainty."
Sisiliya exhaled deeply, the tension rolling out of her shoulders only to settle heavier in her chest.
"Alright," she said. "Then tell me plainly. What do you want from us?"
"Cooperation," Ashan replied. "Nothing more, nothing less. Allow me access to any dungeon I deem necessary, including this one. If you do that, I'll handle what lies beyond your reach. And one more thing, I intend to eliminate certain human pests who will inevitably stand in my way."
Her expression hardened instantly.
"Kill people?" Sisiliya said sharply. "Do you seriously expect us to allow something like that?"
Ashan's voice remained calm, but there was an edge beneath it.
"The ones I plan to kill are not ordinary humans. You're aware of the hidden organization operating in the shadows, aren't you? The one responsible for abducting raiders and harvesting their blood to manufacture mana-enhancing pills."
Sisiliya nodded slowly.
"Yes. We know they exist. We've been investigating them for years, but they're elusive. Their network is vast, and their leaders are careful. Every trail goes cold."
"No surprise there," Ashan said. "That's because the mastermind is someone you'd never suspect. A powerful, respected figure within your society. Someone whose name carries weight."
The shared channel erupted into stunned silence.
"And there's more," Ashan continued. "That organization isn't just trafficking or experimenting. Their true objective is to collect the keys from the Apocalypse Gates… and open the final one."
Sisiliya's eyes widened. So did the others listening in.
"The Demon Realm," he whispered. "The domain where the most dangerous monsters originate."
Shock rippled through every S-ranker connected to the feed.
"They planned something like that?" Sisiliya muttered. "But why? What could they possibly gain?"
"Power," Ashan answered simply. "They believe the final gate grants limitless strength. They're wrong, but by the time they realize it, it'll be too late. That's all I can say for now."
Sisiliya steadied herself.
"If you know this much," she said carefully, "then you must know who stands at the center of it all. Even a hint could help us dismantle them."
Ashan paused.
"I know exactly who it is."
The words landed like a thunderclap.
"What?" Sisiliya gasped. "Then tell us. We'll mobilize immediately and…"
Ashan laughed.
It wasn't loud, but it was deep, echoing through the chamber and reverberating in the minds of everyone listening.
"Do you really think it would be that simple?" he said. "That person is clever. Slippery. One wrong move and they'll vanish, leaving devastation in their wake. If you expose them prematurely, the chaos that follows will eclipse anything I might do."
"Don't underestimate us," Sisiliya snapped. "We have authority. Power. The right to act."
Ashan's gaze turned glacial.
"Titles and authority mean nothing to me," he said coldly. "You rule because you have power. I act because I have power, and I accept the consequences. If you interfere now, you'll only make things worse. So step back. This is not your battle. When the time comes, I'll involve you."
"I said no," he added firmly when Sisiliya tried to speak again.
Before the tension could rise further, Draven's voice cut in.
"It's almost done."
Ashan turned. Eirena's fingers flexed; her legs shifted more freely now as Draven worked relentlessly to unravel the binding.
'Impressive,' Ashan thought. 'He really is worthy of that title.'
He stepped closer.
"You've undone nearly eighty percent of it," Ashan said approvingly. "Well done, Draven."
With a snap of his fingers, the remaining restraint vanished. Eirena staggered slightly, then steadied herself, glaring at him with burning hatred.
"Lesson learned?" Ashan asked coolly. "Think twice before pointing a sword at someone."
She said nothing.
Ashan turned back to Sisiliya.
"This discussion is over. I'll continue the raid alone. Withdraw your people while you still can."
"Absolutely not," Eirena snapped. "This dungeon belongs to the Luminary Association. Professor, you can't allow this!"
All eyes shifted to Sisiliya.
Sheliya, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. Her voice was calm, but there was a clear weight behind it, the tone of someone who had already measured the risks.
"Sisil," she said, "tell him this. We'll allow him to raid the dungeon, but under one condition. Some of our people must follow him to the very end. We still don't know if everything he said is the truth. We need to see it with our own eyes."
Sisiliya relayed Sheliya's words without missing a beat. Ashan listened quietly, then gave a short nod.
"I can accept that," he said. "But I have an additional condition. Shut down the livestream at the academy. There are things ahead that shouldn't be witnessed by unprepared eyes."
On the other side of the connection, Sheliya fell silent again, weighing the implications. A few seconds passed. Then she nodded slowly.
"He has a point," she said at last. "Some knowledge does more harm than good when revealed too early. This much should be sufficient. We'll stop the public livestream and observe directly. In return, all A-rankers and S-rankers will accompany him."
With that, the negotiation reached its conclusion.
Ashan turned his gaze toward Draven, his tone decisive.
"Then it's settled. Everyone below A-rank leaves the dungeon immediately. I don't have time to waste."
Sisiliya raised her hand and issued the order.
The livestream cut off.
At the academy, the effect was immediate.
Students erupted into confusion, voices overlapping as panic spread through the halls.
"They really stopped the livestream!"
"What's going on in there?"
"Why would Professor Sisiliya cooperate with that masked man?"
Aren slammed his fist against the desk, fury flashing across his face.
"What the hell is this?" he snapped. "They can't just cut the feed like that. Sisil and the others are in there alone, this is insane. I'm going myself."
Before he could take another step, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He froze, then quickly pulled it out and answered.
"Aren, it's me. Sheliya."
Her voice was steady, deliberately calm.
"What is happening?" Aren demanded. "Why did Sisil side with that masked man?"
"Calm down," Sheliya replied. "We're still watching the situation live from the scene. This is only a public shutdown. Go somewhere quiet. I'll grant your device access to a private feed. Also, gather the other S-rank students. Just observe for now. I'll explain everything later."
Aren clenched his jaw, then nodded to himself.
"Fine."
He ended the call and immediately turned toward the group of confused S-rank students nearby.
"Everyone," he said firmly, lowering his voice, "follow me to the conference room. Quietly."
Magnar hurried to his side, eyes tense.
"Professor, what's going on? We're completely lost here."
Aren pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply.
"You and me both," he admitted. "But this isn't the time to argue. We're about to see something important, something the academy isn't ready to broadcast yet."
The S-rankers exchanged uneasy looks, then nodded in unison.
"Let's go."