The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: The Unassuming Healer

Ji-won carefully secured the small magic stone inside his pouch before looking toward Ares.

"By the way, Tae-ho, if you’re willing, we could form a party."

Ares glanced at him.

"A party?"

"Yes."

Ji-won gave him a small smile.

"We’re already hunting together, and it would be easier if we officially registered as a party. We can split whatever we earn equally, of course."

Ares considered it for a moment.

There wasn’t really any reason to refuse.

"Then let’s form a party."

Ji-won’s expression immediately brightened.

"Really? That’s great. I’m looking forward to working with you, Tae-ho."

"Yeah. Same here."

The two were about to continue deeper into the dungeon when—

"GRAAAH!"

"KEEEEK!"

Several high-pitched voices suddenly echoed through the cave.

Ji-won’s expression changed.

He immediately turned toward the passage ahead.

Five goblins emerged from the darkness.

They were armed with crude swords, short spears, and small shields, their green faces twisted into aggressive expressions as they noticed the two humans standing in their path.

Ji-won froze.

"There are five..."

His grip tightened around his dagger.

"We can’t fight that many at once."

He immediately turned toward Ares.

"Tae-ho, we need to run."

Ji-won grabbed Ares by the hand and pulled him backward.

But before they could retreat—

"GRRRR!"

"KEEKK!"

Four more goblins appeared from behind them.

Ji-won’s body stiffened.

He slowly looked over his shoulder.

The two of them were surrounded.

Nine goblins.

Nine armed monsters.

Their crude weapons were raised as they slowly closed the distance.

Ji-won’s face became pale.

"N-no..."

His grip on Ares’ hand tightened.

"What should we do?"

The goblins began advancing.

"GRRAAAH!"

"KEKEKE!"

Ji-won’s breathing became faster.

"We’re going to die."

Ares looked at him.

Then he looked around at the nine goblins.

To Ares, there was nothing particularly threatening about them.

"Why?"

Ji-won stared at him.

"What?"

"Why are we going to die?"

Ares looked toward the approaching goblins.

"Can’t we just kill them?"

Ji-won’s eyes widened.

"Are you serious?"

He pointed toward the surrounding goblins.

"There are nine of them!"

He swallowed hard.

"Even one is already too much for me."

The goblins were getting closer.

"GRAAAH!"

"KEKEKEKE!"

Ji-won stepped backward.

"Tae-ho, you need to run. I’ll distract them."

Ares sighed.

"That sounds troublesome."

He looked at Ji-won’s dagger.

"Let me borrow your dagger."

Ji-won blinked.

"My dagger?"

"Yes."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Just hand it over."

Ares held out his hand.

"They’re getting closer."

Ji-won hesitated.

His hands were trembling slightly.

But eventually, fear won over his hesitation.

He handed the dagger to Ares.

"Here..."

Ares took it.

He weighed the weapon briefly in his hand.

It was nothing special.

A simple dagger with a short steel blade, the kind of weapon an E-rank Awakener could reasonably afford.

Ares spun it once between his fingers.

Then caught it.

Normal fight shouldn’t be a problem sometimes right? After all i use to be an assassin before.

He smiled faintly.

Ji-won stared at him.

"What?"

Ares stepped forward.

The nearest goblin roared.

"GRAAAAAH!"

It charged.

Ares disappeared.

Not literally.

He simply moved so quickly that Ji-won’s eyes failed to follow him.

The goblin raised its sword.

Ares appeared directly in front of it.

The dagger flashed upward.

SHING!

The blade struck the goblin’s forehead.

The creature’s head snapped backward.

Before it could fall, Ares had already moved toward the second.

The goblin swung wildly.

Ares tilted his head.

The sword passed beside his face.

His body twisted naturally with the motion.

He stepped inside the goblin’s reach and drove the heel of his palm into its chest.

BOOM!

The goblin was thrown backward.

Ares turned.

A third goblin attacked from the side.

He ducked beneath its sword.

His hand caught its wrist.

He pulled.

The goblin stumbled forward.

Ares rotated his body and drove his knee into its abdomen.

THUD!

The creature folded.

Ares released its wrist and kicked it away.

Before it could recover, the dagger flashed.

SHRAK!

The goblin collapsed.

Ji-won’s eyes widened.

"W-what...?"

The remaining goblins finally reacted.

"KEEEEK!"

They charged together.

Ares stepped forward.

The first sword descended.

He moved half a step to the side.

The blade missed.

Ares caught the goblin’s arm and used its momentum to throw it toward another.

CRASH!

The two collided.

A third attacked from behind.

Ares turned without looking.

His elbow struck the goblin’s jaw.

CRACK!

The creature staggered.

Ares caught its head before it could fall and drove his knee into its face.

THUD!

It collapsed.

Another goblin rushed toward him.

Ares stepped backward.

Its spear thrust forward.

He moved his body just enough for the weapon to pass beside him.

His hand caught the shaft.

Ares pulled.

The goblin stumbled forward.

He twisted the spear out of its hands and tossed it aside.

Then his foot struck the creature’s chest.

BOOM!

It flew backward into the cave wall.

The final goblins hesitated.

Ares looked at them.

"What’s wrong?"

They answered with a series of frightened cries.

"KEK!"

"GRRAAH!"

They attacked anyway.

Ares sighed.

He stepped forward.

One.

Two.

Three.

The dagger moved only when necessary.

A slash across the first goblin’s throat.

A strike beneath the second’s jaw.

A kick that sent the third into the ground.

Then silence.

The nine goblins lay scattered across the cave floor.

The entire fight had lasted less than a minute.

Ji-won remained frozen.

He was still holding his hands in front of himself as though he had forgotten that the danger was already over.

"W-what just..."

He looked around.

Nine goblins.

All defeated.

And Ares wasn’t even breathing heavily.

Ares turned toward him and held out the dagger.

"Here."

Ji-won slowly took it.

His fingers were still trembling.

"Just..."

He looked at Ares.

"Who are you?"

Ares tilted his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you were a healer, Tae-ho."

Ji-won’s expression was completely bewildered.

"But how did you just do that?"

Ares shrugged.

"I told you, didn’t I?"

"I can fight bare-handed."

Ji-won stared at him.

"That wasn’t fighting bare-handed."

He looked down at the dagger.

"You moved so fast I couldn’t even see what happened."

Ares didn’t bother explaining further.

Instead, he glanced toward the goblin corpses.

"By the way, how much can we earn from these?"

Ji-won blinked.

"From the goblins?"

"Yes."

He pointed toward the bodies.

"How much is one magic stone worth?"

Ji-won finally seemed to remember that they were inside a dungeon to make money.

He crouched beside the nearest goblin.

"The value depends on the quality, but a normal goblin’s magic stone usually sells for around one thousand won."

Ares raised an eyebrow.

"One thousand?"

"Yes."

Ji-won nodded.

"It’s not much compared to higher-ranked monsters, but if we collect enough of them, it adds up."

He glanced around the cave.

"We have ten magic stones now, including the one we collected earlier."

Ares looked at the bodies.

"So that’s about one hundred thousand won."

"More or less."

Ji-won smiled faintly.

"Not bad for the beginning of a hunt."

Ares nodded.

One hundred thousand won, to think a goblins magic stone would cost this much.

He looked deeper into the dungeon.

There were still plenty of monsters waiting somewhere ahead.

Ares smiled faintly.

"Then let’s collect the rest."

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