The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: A-Rank Potential

The two of them had already been walking for quite some time.

The streets gradually became less crowded as they approached the outskirts of the city, where the buildings gave way to wider roads and designated hunting facilities. Ji Won carried the luggage they had brought with them, while Ares walked beside him with his hands casually in his pockets.

Ares glanced at the dagger hanging from Ji Won’s waist.

"By the way, aren’t you planning to change your weapon?"

Ji Won looked down at the dagger.

"This?"

"Yes."

Ji Won smiled awkwardly.

"It’s still usable."

He pulled the dagger from its sheath and examined the blade.

"As long as it doesn’t break, I can probably hunt with this for another month."

Ares looked at the weapon more carefully.

The blade had clearly seen better days. There were several scratches along its surface, and the handle had been wrapped with new leather more than once. It wasn’t particularly impressive, even by the standards of ordinary weapons.

"My weapon is a secondhand."

Ji Won returned it to its sheath.

"I bought it from a C-Rank Awakener for sixty thousand won."

"Sixty thousand?"

"Yeah."

He laughed.

"Don’t underestimate it just because it’s cheap. Even low-rank weapons can cost hundreds of thousands of won when they’re new."

Ares nodded.

"Is that so."

Ji Won glanced at him.

"You really don’t know much about this world, do you?"

"Not as much as I’d like."

"That’s what I thought."

Ji Won smiled.

Then Ares looked at him again.

"Don’t be surprised later."

Ji Won blinked.

"Hm?"

Ares continued walking.

Ji Won frowned slightly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You’ll understand soon enough."

Ares didn’t elaborate.

Ji Won could only stare at him for a moment before sighing.

"You’re really mysterious, Tae-ho."

---

The entrance to the D-Rank dungeon was considerably busier than the E-Rank Gate they had visited previously.

Several groups of Awakeners were gathered around the entrance, some returning from inside while others were checking their equipment before entering. A few carried bags filled with monster materials, while others were discussing their recent hunt with tired expressions.

Ji Won slowed down.

"This is the one you wanted to enter?"

"Yes."

Ji Won looked at the enormous Gate.

The surface of the Gate shimmered like dark glass, with faint waves of mana moving across it.

"Are you sure about this?"

"You said D-Rank dungeons are more profitable."

"They are."

Ji Won hesitated.

"But they’re also much more dangerous."

Ares looked at him.

"That’s why we’re here."

Ji Won sighed.

He had initially wanted to return to an E-Rank dungeon, but Ares had insisted on trying a D-Rank Gate. In the end, Ji Won had reluctantly agreed.

They passed through the entrance.

The moment they crossed the boundary, the scenery changed.

The city disappeared.

They were standing inside a vast cavern surrounded by stone walls covered in faintly glowing moss. The air was considerably heavier than outside, and the mana density was immediately noticeable.

Ji Won looked around cautiously.

"Stay close."

Ares nodded.

They hadn’t gone far when a strange sound echoed through the cavern.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Ji Won’s expression tightened.

"Something’s coming."

Two enormous creatures crawled from behind a large rock.

Giant Ants.

They were considerably larger than the goblins they had fought previously, each one standing almost as tall as an adult human. Their bodies were covered in dark reddish-brown chitin, with several sections of their exoskeleton reflecting a dull metallic sheen under the dungeon’s light.

Unlike goblins, which usually possessed greenish or gray skin, Giant Ants had a distinctly darker coloration.

Their heads were black, while their thoraxes carried deep crimson patterns.

Their mandibles opened and closed.

Click.

Click.

Ji Won instinctively reached for his dagger.

Ares looked at the two creatures.

Then at Ji Won.

"I’ll let you handle these."

Ji Won froze.

"Both of them?"

"Yes."

He stared at the two Giant Ants.

"Two against one?"

"Don’t worry."

Ares smiled.

"Just trust me."

Ji Won swallowed.

He knew Ares was strong.

Far stronger than an ordinary E-Rank Awakener should have been.

But two D-Rank monsters at once was still dangerous.

Still...

He tightened his grip around his dagger.

"Alright."

The Giant Ants suddenly charged.

Ji Won’s body reacted before his mind could fully process what was happening.

His legs moved.

His body leaned forward.

And then—

He disappeared.

"What?!"

Ji Won’s eyes widened.

In an instant, he was already standing directly in front of one of the Giant Ants.

He had moved so quickly that even he hadn’t understood what had happened.

The creature raised its mandibles.

Ji Won instinctively closed his eyes.

His dagger moved.

SHRAK!

The blade pierced directly through the Giant Ant’s head.

A spray of dark blood burst outward.

The creature stopped moving.

Ji Won froze.

His eyes slowly opened.

The dagger was buried deep inside the monster.

"...What?"

He stared at the creature in disbelief.

His hand was trembling.

He hadn’t even realized how much force he had put into the attack.

The Giant Ant collapsed.

THUD!

Ji Won stepped backward.

"What just..."

The second Giant Ant attacked.

Ji Won barely had time to turn.

Its enormous mandibles snapped toward him.

He raised his dagger.

CLANG!

The impact nearly knocked the weapon from his hand.

Ji Won stumbled backward.

The creature lunged again.

He swung.

Not carefully.

Not with any particular technique.

He simply moved the dagger in the direction of the incoming attack.

SHRAK!

The blade tore through the Giant Ant’s side.

The creature recoiled.

Ji Won stared.

A deep wound had opened across its body.

"I..."

He looked at the dagger.

The weapon had gone through the creature far more easily than it should have.

The Giant Ant roared and charged again.

Ji Won’s instincts took over.

He stepped aside.

The creature passed him.

He turned and stabbed.

SHRAK!

Another deep wound.

The Giant Ant stumbled.

Ji Won’s breathing became heavier.

Ares watched quietly from several meters away.

"Finish it."

Ji Won looked toward him.

"Right."

He tightened his grip.

The Giant Ant charged one final time.

Ji Won stepped forward.

His body moved more naturally this time.

He ducked beneath the mandibles, turned his waist, and drove the dagger upward.

SHRAK!

The blade pierced through the creature’s chest.

The Giant Ant froze.

Then collapsed.

THUD.

Ji Won remained standing over it.

His chest rose and fell rapidly.

He looked at both corpses.

Two D-Rank monsters.

He had killed them.

And yet he still couldn’t understand how.

Ares approached.

"You’re wasting too much stamina."

Ji Won looked at him.

"You were using more strength than necessary."

Ares pointed toward the corpse.

"Your movements are still inefficient."

Ji Won stared at his own hands.

"I don’t understand."

Ares continued calmly.

"The artifact increased your physical abilities, but your body hasn’t adapted to the change yet."

Ji Won looked up.

"Is that why everything felt different?"

"Yes."

Ares nodded.

"If you keep training, your physical ability should eventually become comparable to an A-Rank Awakener."

Ji Won’s eyes widened.

"A-A-Rank?"

"Potentially."

Ares corrected himself.

"The artifact gives you the ability to reach that level. Whether you actually reach it depends on how well you adapt."

Ji Won stared at his dagger.

"This is unbelievable..."

He slowly clenched his fist.

"To think a single artifact could increase someone’s strength this much."

Ares didn’t answer.

Ji Won looked at him.

"Tae-ho."

"Hm?"

He hesitated.

"Just who are you?"

Ares smiled faintly.

Ji Won could only stare at him.

Then another sound echoed through the cavern.

Growl.

Three pairs of glowing eyes appeared between the rocks.

Three Dire Wolves stepped into view.

Unlike ordinary wolves, they were enormous, each one standing nearly as high as Ji Won’s chest. Their bodies were covered in dark gray fur, while faint blue lines of mana ran beneath their skin like veins.

Ji Won’s expression became serious.

Ares looked at the three creatures.

"These are yours too."

Ji Won swallowed.

"All three?"

"I’ll assist you this time."

Ares drew his sword.

"But you need to get used to fighting stronger monsters."

Ji Won tightened his grip around the dagger.

"Understood."

The first Dire Wolf lowered its body.

The second moved toward Ji Won’s flank.

The third remained behind them, waiting for an opening.

Ji Won took a slow breath.

He knew that the artifact had given him strength.

But strength alone wasn’t enough.

He still didn’t know how to use it.

The first Dire Wolf lunged.

Ji Won moved.

Too slow.

The creature’s claws scraped across his shoulder.

SHK!

Ji Won stumbled backward.

"Ugh!"

He barely avoided the second attack.

The wolf snapped at his arm.

Ji Won raised his dagger.

CLANG!

The impact forced him backward several steps.

His breathing became heavier.

Ares watched without interfering.

"Don’t panic."

Ji Won glanced at him.

"The strength is already there."

The first Dire Wolf charged again.

Ji Won tightened his grip.

This time, he didn’t retreat.

He stepped forward.

The creature’s jaws opened.

Ji Won raised his dagger.

The two collided.

CLANG!

The force sent him sliding backward.

His shoes scraped against the stone floor.

He gritted his teeth.

I can do this.

The Dire Wolf lunged again.

Ji Won twisted aside.

The claws passed his chest.

He countered.

SHRAK!

His dagger cut into the creature’s shoulder.

The wolf howled.

Ji Won stared at the wound.

It was deeper than he expected.

Ares nodded slightly.

The second Dire Wolf attacked from the side.

Ji Won turned too late.

The creature’s claws came toward him.

He looked at the injured Dire Wolf.

It snarled.

Ji Won raised his dagger.

His breathing was still heavy.

His movements were still rough.

But this time, he wasn’t simply relying on the strength the artifact had given him.

He was beginning to learn how to use it.

The Dire Wolf charged.

Ji Won charged as well.

Their figures collided in the middle of the cavern.

BOOM!

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