The voice that resounded in my mind wasn't just similar to the game’s. I was certain it really was the voice of the Vangloria system.

  After waiting a few seconds, I couldn't hear it anymore. The unusual event did not repeat itself. With that, I kept wandering through infinite space, but that wall in front of me beckoned to me more and more.

  Something urged me to try to cross it. An unusual feeling coursed through me, indicating that what lay ahead was my objective. I couldn't understand why, yet I felt a strong presence coming from that gigantic spectral wall.

  I started thinking about moving my body forward. Since I didn't really have a "body," I just concentrated on advancing, and to my surprise, it worked. My consciousness shot toward the wall.

  Willpower began to consume me. I started to view that wall as a Quest, just like in the game, and Quests were meant to be completed.

  I continued pressing my consciousness toward the wall, and after much time lost in this place, my sense of touch returned. I could feel the wall.

  It was strange, a mixture of solid and liquid. The more willpower I poured into the task, the easier it was to pass through it. However, the further I went, the harder it became to proceed.

  I spent more than a day trying to traverse it and realized that, despite all the effort I had put in, I had passed through only a tenth of it. I also noticed that, besides me, there were dozens of other souls floating inside that wall.

  More than a million white dots covered my surroundings. Each dot was a soul trying at all costs to pass through this place. Some of the souls moved quickly, but others seemed to have given up and were just motionless, awaiting the death that approached slowly.

  I steeled my will and kept moving forward, and after more days than I could even count, I reached only a third of the wall—which was merely a euphemism for the true magnificence of that impenetrable barrier.

  The thousands of white dots dwindled to a hundred, and many of them didn't even move anymore. I tried to go back the way I came, but it resulted in nothing.

  Maybe I'll be trapped here forever? What a miserable fate, isn't it?

  Thoughts of giving up were already consuming me entirely. I couldn't see a way to escape this hellish position. I was completely cornered; thrown against the wall, with only memories remaining in my mind.

  Even in that moment, I could still visualize myself sitting on my throne, at the highest point of my dungeon, contemplating the world below. Beside me were my beloved subordinates who, despite being mere machines, were still loyal.

  I and those thousands of monsters, demons, and creatures went through many things together. From the first time I faced adventurers trying to invade my home; to the offensive toward the continent.

  I took care of each of them, evolved them, fed them, and commanded them in battle, creating strategies and, ultimately, doing what I loved most: scouring for battle spoils in search of rare items.

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  These memories gave me strength and, using them, I proceeded with difficulty.

  I continued forward at a speed that was surreal even by my standards, and in a short time, I reached the halfway point. However, my joy was short-lived, for from that point on, moving became an almost impossible task.

  Even with everything hindering me, I persisted, advancing slowly and continuously. And it turned out that years passed, but there was nothing to be done, largely because I had nothing better to do.

  Years passed just to traverse another half of the remaining path; decades to reach what equated to a thin sheet of paper from the end. It was such a short space, yet at the same time, impenetrable. The distance was thinner than a hair’s breadth; even so, I felt stuck against a brick wall.

  In that space, time passed differently, even funnily, and after a time that could no longer be counted—perhaps millennia—I failed to cross the damn wall.

  I realized something was wrong. Maybe it wasn't actually possible to cross, or there was a trick. Confusion shook me, and I ended up looking back, seeing, in the distance, the thousands of dots isolated from one another.

  It is impossible to achieve anything alone. Before, I had my monsters, and now, I need new companions!

  I remembered every creature that had once crossed my path. Every monster that helped me get where I got, conquering the top of the world.

  "Lend me your strength! We will get through this together!" Not a soul moved. I had truly never been someone charismatic, but I possessed something better.

  Yes, I really received a lot of help, but... the merit is still mine and mine alone!

  To achieve my goals, I wouldn't depend on others; rather, I would make them depend on me.

  "Hey! You accursed souls!" My voice resonated throughout the space. That was a place driven by willpower, and let's be honest, I was the one who had the most of it. "How many years have you been here? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? Or even billions?! Are you not tired?! Trapped against this wall; forced to measure your own willpower! If this damn place wants to test our strength, then let's show it what we've got!"

  A second of silence... and right after, what I wished for occurred. They were agitated; even those who had given up struggled like madmen. Suddenly, they began to shine, and a message resonated in my mind.

  ??? [Absorbing soul energy...] [Absorbing surrounding souls] ???

  The white dots were disappearing one by one, and every time one vanished, I could feel my own spirit becoming stronger. Until the point where they all vanished and only I remained, overflowing with power!

  ??? [Absorption complete] [Absorbed souls may be used subsequently] ???

  I faced the wall in front of me one last time and, with a slight movement, it shattered completely. Just the simple process of breaking the wall resulted in a release of energy of cosmic proportions, creating cracks and distortions in space. By a convenience of fate, I was sucked into one of them.

  Inside that spatial rift, I saw that all the energy overflowing from my body became a blue sphere a little bigger than a basketball, made entirely of crystal.

  A Dungeon Core!

  ??? [Dungeon Core complete] [Fusion with System complete] [Initiating rebirth] ???

  On a higher plane, two astral beings, who had forms indescribable to human vision, were discussing various subjects.

  "A soul crossed from the quantum infinite to the magical infinite; that was surprising."

  "And what is the problem? Doesn't that happen all the time?"

  "He took only a minute to cross the barrier. Usually, souls stay trapped in it for at least a few millennia. However, the most interesting thing is the fact that, after he passed through the barrier, thousands of souls disappeared along with him. Incidentally, he ended up in the world under your supervision."

  "How interesting. He is certainly someone to watch. I will observe him carefully."

  "Ah! Let me watch too. He came from my finite world; let me look for just a few centuries!"

  "Get lost! He is mine now. You never let me see your so-called glorious 'Earth,' I won't let you see this soul's path!"

  "Huh?! Please! I beg you!"

  The higher beings treated it all as entertainment. A soul with the energy of thousands had crossed the barrier between worlds.