They had already reached the same conclusion long ago.
This was not the present.
They were inside a recreation of the past.
Based on Professor Catherine's lessons, this era belonged to the time before the Apocalypse—before the System reshaped the world and standardized power progression. Back then, strength existed, but it grew differently. Slower for most people, and less efficient.
Which meant something important.
At the same rank, people from Isaac's era were usually stronger.
The System optimized growth. Refined energy usage. Perfected combat pathways.
So logically, Isaac and Alice should have held an advantage here.
They had trained under the Sword Empress herself for three months. Their foundations had been rebuilt from the ground up. Their control over power far surpassed ordinary fighters.
By that logic, they should have been overwhelming presences.
But reality disagreed.
Even without the System, this era was not weak.
Isaac could already sense it clearly.
