The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 236: Oracle Headquarters

Inside the car, Lucil was enthusiastically talking about her achievements and proudly fangirling over Klaus, who was subtly listening, but his mind was elsewhere. Using his heightened senses, he scanned the entire area, leaving no stone unturned in his examination of the surroundings.

Through his senses, he could see far and wide, effortlessly identifying everything that made the place secure, beautiful, and mesmerizing.

He spotted several buildings along the way and quickly realized they were living quarters for the workers. A few of them housed data centers and other essential machinery for the facilityʼs operations.

The place even had its own power plant, and from his quick assessment, Klaus it was being powered by Humium—the same mineral that had transformed the Zombies that attacked Arcadian City into Voltox Zombies.

There were also market centers, bustling with activity, a clear sign that some of the workers lived there permanently. It wasnʼt just a workplace—it was a thriving community.

Klaus also noticed a few drones patrolling the area, and upon further examination with his senses, he discovered they were the primary security force.

Although there were human guards and a few robotic mechas, the drones equipped with thermal imaging systems were the real sentinels. Nothing could escape those thermal cameras, ensuring that any potential threat was immediately detected.

”Weʼve got the whole place under constant surveillance with our state-of-the-art satellite, the Aegis-Eye,” Joon said, noticing Klaus was zoning out.

”It uses color and thermal imagery to capture data in real-time, so nothing can escape its gaze. Those drones are synced to it, so even if a threat is moving 50 feet underground, weʼll catch it.”

Joon paused, ”And even if, by some miracle, the Aegis-Eye misses something, our Terra Sentinel Ground Detection System can pick up anything moving underground—up to 10,000 feet deep. So, rest easy, Klaus, this is the safest place on Earth.”

Klaus gave a slight nod, but his mind was still running in overdrive, analyzing every detail. Safe or not, he knew that even the most secure places had their weaknesses.

And Klaus knew that from the pictures people sneakily took of him at the landing pad, it wouldnʼt be long before word got out.

If it hadnʼt already, people would soon know he was in Stone Valley. The Dark Order would be among those first to know, and Klaus was sure theyʼd try something reckless.

But his thoughts mightʼve been too ordinary. This place was the most secure on Earth, and no matter how foolish someone was, infiltrating here would be impossible. Then again, the Dark Order was desperate. Every second Klaus continued to breathe was another blow to their reputation.

”That right there is the main building, where all the magic happens,” Joon said, breaking Klausʼs thoughts as a new structure came into view after a 20-minute drive.

It was shaped like a circle inside another circle, and even from a distance, Klaus could already tell it covered several square kilometers, with multiple segments indicating the floors. The place exuded elegance.

”Itʼs beautiful,” Klaus said with a small smile.

”I came up with the design!” Lucil chimed in before he could even finish, flashing a broad, proud smile.

”Thatʼs impressive, Lucil. I guess Iʼll be learning a thing or two about design from you,” Klaus replied, his smile growing.

”Donʼt worry, Iʼll teach you everything I know!” Lucilʼs happiness was almost contagious, practically radiating from her.

Joon smirked. ”Put a leash on it, Lucil. You donʼt want to scare Klaus off,” he quipped.

Lucil shot him a look, but to everyoneʼs surprise, she didnʼt hurl an insult at him. She simply let it slide.

The three guys—Joon, Ryan, and Logan—shared a glance, instantly realizing why. She was holding back because she wanted to make a good impression on Klaus. This, of course, felt like a breakthrough to them. Finally, they might have a few weeks of peace where they could fire back at her without suffering the usual backlash.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the parking lot and made their way to an elevator. After a quick ascent, they emerged on the first floor.

”This is the office space for the various departments, like marketing, human resources...” Joon explained as they walked through. ”The first floor is for all of them.”

After briefly scanning the area, they moved up to the second floor, where Joon gestured toward the research department.

”These guys are responsible for going around the world and recording everything they can—landscapes, cultures, even the tiniest details. Even though the worldʼs a mess now, there are still relics from the past worth preserving.”

On the third floor, they found the design department. ”They take the data from research and model it into designs for Oracle,” Joon said, pointing out the different workstations filled with digital prototypes and blueprints.

Then they hit the fourth floor— the fictional design department. ”This oneʼs a bit more creative,” Joon said with a grin. ”These guys come up with all the fantasy stuff. Fictional worlds, languages, races—anything you can imagine.”

Next was the fifth floor, the combat design department. ”These guys design the arenas and combat trials that can be implemented as games in Oracle,” Joon explained. The space was filled with holograms of intricate battlefields and various trials designed to test users. vl

They didnʼt linger much on the other departments as they passed through. Most were responsible for the technical side—coding, testing, and other behind-the-scenes work. One section caught Klausʼs eye, though. It was dedicated to designing gadgets, both inside Oracle and outside the world.

”These gadgets can be bought in and out of Oracle,” Joon noted, as they passed by the workstations filled with prototype tech.

Klaus nodded, taking everything in. The place was impressive, no doubt, but something about it made him wonder how far Oracleʼs reach really extended.

From what he had seen so far, Klaus could tell that Oracle Inc, was an incredibly powerful organization, no doubt about it. However, something about it made him wonder just how far they could push their boundaries.

He hadnʼt gotten into the details yet, but he sensed that beyond creating a 100% immersive virtual world, they were aiming to achieve something much grander.

But he held back from prying too much. He figured heʼd learn more as he spent time there.

”This is where weʼll be working,” Joon announced as they reached the top floor after passing through several departments across dozens of levels. The space was designed for both work and relaxation.

Klaus noticed a room with a gaming chair and helmet. Instantly, he knew that would be his spot. He would be spending a lot of time inside the game.

”So, what will my schedule look like?” Klaus asked, eager to understand how things would flow.

”Youʼll work for eight hours a day inside Oracle. Your job is to help us make it as realistic as possible,” Joon explained. ”You can take breaks between those eight hours to relax, but after the 8 hours, youʼre free to do whatever you want.”

He continued, ”Thereʼs a training center on the roof, so you can spend some time there if youʼd like. Plus, thereʼs a console in your room, giving you unrestricted access to everything weʼve developed.”

Joon gestured around the space. ”Thereʼs also a model table here and in your room, so any designs or suggestions you come up with, you can try to model them.”

”And of course,” Joon added with a smile, ”if you find programming fascinating, we have a room full of books to help you out.”

”Welcome to Oracle Inc., Klaus Hanson!” Joon finished a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

Klaus couldnʼt help but smile back. It felt like he was stepping into something much larger than himself, and he was ready to dive in.