The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: The C-Rank Dungeon Invitation

They continued hunting for several hours.

This time, however, Ares no longer handled everything himself.

After their previous battle, Ji Won had spent enough time adapting to the Crimson Oath Ring that Ares decided it was finally time to let him fight properly. Whenever Ji Won made a mistake or took an attack he couldn’t avoid, Ares would intervene just enough to keep him from suffering serious injuries, healing him whenever necessary before allowing him to return to the fight.

At first, Ji Won struggled.

His movements were still unfamiliar with his newly increased strength, and there were several moments when he swung his dagger with far more force than he intended, nearly losing his balance because his body moved faster than his instincts could follow.

But he gradually adapted.

The difference between yesterday and today was impossible to ignore.

Before obtaining the Crimson Oath Ring, Ji Won had struggled against a single goblin. Now, after only a short period of practice, he was already capable of fighting Giant Ants and Dire Wolves on his own.

He still wasn’t particularly skilled.

He still made mistakes.

And there were moments when Ares had to step in and prevent him from being overwhelmed.

But he was improving.

Eventually, the final Dire Wolf collapsed beneath Ji Won’s dagger.

Ji Won stood there breathing heavily, his weapon still held tightly in his hand.

Ares approached him.

"Good work."

Ji Won wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the fallen creatures.

"How many Magic Stones did we get this time?"

Ares glanced at the monsters they had defeated.

"Twenty-one Giant Ants and nineteen Dire Wolves."

Ji Won’s eyes widened slightly.

"Twenty-one Giant Ants and nineteen Dire Wolves..."

He looked at the collection of Magic Stones they had gathered.

"That’s quite a lot."

Ares nodded.

"Perfect, actually. I was planning to buy some new clothes."

Ares looked down at himself.

"And considering how much we’ve earned, I don’t see a reason not to replace them."

Ji Won smiled.

"Tae-ho, thank you. Truly."

Ares looked toward him.

Ji Won lowered his gaze slightly.

"I still don’t know how I’m supposed to repay you for everything you’ve done, but I’ll work harder. Once I become stronger, I’ll find a way to pay you back."

"You don’t have to worry about that."

Ares smiled faintly.

"Besides, it seems like you’ve finally gotten used to the ring."

Ji Won looked at his hands.

"Yeah."

He flexed his fingers slowly.

"Although I’m still confused about how I became this strong in just one day."

He looked at Ares.

"To think a magical artifact could increase someone’s abilities and became strong this much... I’ve never heard of anything like it."

Ares remained silent for a moment.

Ji Won studied him carefully.

"Are you perhaps from a very wealthy family?"

Ares shook his head.

"Of course not."

He gave him a faint smile.

"If I were, I wouldn’t be hunting monsters just to earn enough money to buy food."

Ji Won stared at him for a second.

"...Yeah, right."

Ares chuckled.

"Exactly."

The two gathered the remaining Magic Stones before leaving the dungeon.

They returned to the Awakener equipment shop they had visited previously, carrying considerably more stones than they had brought the last time.

The moment Ji Won placed the Magic Stones on the counter, the woman working behind it froze.

She stared at the stones.

Then at Ji Won.

Then back at the stones.

"...Wait."

She leaned forward.

"Are these all yours?"

Ji Won scratched his cheek.

"Yes."

Her eyes widened.

"Last time you brought more than 20..."

She picked up one of the Giant Ant Magic Stones and examined it carefully.

Then she looked back at the pile of Magic Stones.

She seemed genuinely surprised.

"You two really surprised me. Are you two perhaps has undergo 2nd awakening?"

Ares simply smiled.

"You must be hallucinating."

The woman shook her head in disbelief before beginning to count.

"Let’s see..."

She separated the Magic Stones into two groups.

"Twenty-one Giant Ants."

She counted the second group.

"And nineteen Dire Wolves."

She entered the numbers into the system.

"Twenty-one Giant Ant Magic Stones at ten thousand won each..."

Her fingers moved across the calculator.

"That’s 210,000 won."

She continued.

"Nineteen Dire Wolf Magic Stones at eleven thousand won each gives 209,000 won."

She looked at the final amount.

"That makes a total of 419,000 won."

Ji Won’s eyes widened.

"Four hundred nineteen thousand..."

The woman nodded.

"Yes."

She handed them the payment.

"Congratulations. That’s quite a substantial amount for a pair of low-ranked Awakeners."

Ji Won accepted the money carefully.

"Thank you."

The woman looked at Ares.

"Whatever you’re doing, keep it up."

After walking for several minutes, they stopped in front of a clothing store.

Ji Won looked at the sign above the entrance.

"Here?"

"Yes."

Ares pushed the door open.

The inside was considerably larger than he expected, with racks of shirts, jackets, trousers, and other clothing arranged throughout the store.

Ares walked inside and began looking through the selections.

Ji Won followed behind him.

"You really are serious about buying clothes."

"Of course."

Ares picked up a black jacket and examined it.

"I can’t keep wearing the same thing every day."

Ji Won laughed.

"I suppose that’s true."

Ares eventually selected several shirts, a few pairs of trousers, two jackets, and some casual clothes that he could wear around the apartment.

By the time they reached the counter, he had several bags in his hands.

Ji Won stared at them.

"You bought quite a lot."

"Of course."

"Well that’s reassuring"

Ares looked at him.

"Yes."

Ji Won laughed.

"Alright, I’ll take your word for it."

After paying, the two left the store and made their way back toward Ji Won’s apartment.

Ares carried the bags without much difficulty.

For the first time since arriving in Korea, he had actually purchased clothes for himself instead of relying on whatever happened to be available.

It was a surprisingly ordinary experience.

And perhaps that was what made it somewhat enjoyable.

By the time they returned, the sun had already begun to set.

Ji Won unlocked the apartment door.

"I’m going to cook something."

Ares placed the shopping bags near the wall.

"Take your time."

Ji Won headed toward the kitchen.

Ares sat down on the sofa and picked up the remote control.

He turned on the television.

Several channels appeared before him.

News.

Advertisements.

Entertainment programs.

Then one particular broadcast caught his attention.

A face appeared on the screen.

A young man with short black hair sat calmly in front of a row of cameras, dressed in a dark suit with the emblem of the Apex Guild displayed on his chest.

A caption appeared beneath him.

Kang Ji-hoon — S-Rank Awakener

Ares watched quietly.

The news anchor sitting across from him smiled professionally.

"Mr. Kang, thank you for joining us today."

Ji-hoon nodded.

"It’s my pleasure."

The anchor glanced down at her notes.

"For viewers who may not be familiar with your background, you are currently recognized as the only National Awakener officially designated by South Korea."

Ares raised an eyebrow.

Only one?

The broadcast continued.

"Your S-Rank classification places you among the strongest Awakeners in the world, and unlike most high-ranking Awakeners, you currently operate independently of any major guild."

Ji-hoon remained composed.

"My position requires me to respond to national-level Gate incidents when necessary. That’s all."

The anchor smiled.

"You’re being modest."

She glanced toward the camera.

"Mr. Kang Ji-hoon is currently the only officially designated National Awakener in South Korea, making him widely regarded as the country’s strongest S-Rank Awakener."

Ares rested one arm against the back of the sofa.

So this is the strongest Awakener in Korea.

He studied Ji-hoon through the television screen.

The man’s expression was calm, but his posture was different from that of ordinary Awakeners Ares had encountered.

Even through the screen, there was a certain pressure surrounding him.

Not enough to be obvious to ordinary people.

But enough for Ares to notice.

The anchor continued.

"Mr. Kang, you’ve participated in several major Gate operations over the past few years. Is there a particular reason you chose to remain outside the major guild system?"

Ji-hoon thought for a moment before answering.

"I don’t have anything against the guilds. They perform an important role in managing Gates and protecting civilians."

"Then why remain independent?"

"Because my responsibilities are different."

His answer was simple.

"If a Gate disaster occurs somewhere in the country, I need to be able to respond without worrying about guild jurisdiction."

The anchor nodded.

"That makes sense."

She turned to another page.

"Recently, there has also been increasing concern regarding the number of high-level Gates appearing across the country. Do you believe South Korea is adequately prepared for a major Gate disaster?"

Ji-hoon’s expression became slightly more serious.

"We’re better prepared than we were several years ago."

He paused.

"But preparation is never enough."

The anchor looked at him.

"Are you concerned about something in particular?"

Ji-hoon looked directly toward the camera.

"High-Rank Gates are becoming increasingly difficult to predict."

Ares’ expression changed slightly.

The anchor continued.

"Does that mean you believe another large-scale Gate disaster could occur?"

"I believe everyone should be prepared for that possibility."

His answer was measured.

"Gate management isn’t something that can be taken lightly. One mistake can cost thousands of lives."

The anchor nodded.

"One final question."

She smiled.

"Many young Awakeners look up to you. What advice would you give to someone who has recently awakened?"

Ji-hoon was silent for a moment.

Then he answered.

"Don’t confuse power with experience."

Ares’ eyes narrowed slightly.

"An Awakener can become stronger overnight, but that doesn’t mean they immediately understand how to use that strength."

Ji-hoon’s gaze remained calm.

"Learn your abilities. Learn your limits. And never enter a Gate believing that your rank makes you invincible."

Ares stared at the television.

That isn’t bad advice.

From the kitchen, Ji Won called out.

"Tae-ho, dinner will be ready soon!"

Ares looked away from the television.

"Alright."

He lowered the volume slightly.

But before turning his attention away completely, he glanced at the screen one last time.

Kang Ji-hoon.

South Korea’s strongest S-Rank Awakener.

Ares quietly memorized the name.

There was something about that man that interested him.

Ji Won was sitting on the sofa, his phone in one hand as he scrolled through a message thread. His expression had become noticeably more serious than it had been a few minutes earlier.

Ares glanced toward him from the television.

"What’s the matter?"

Ji Won looked up.

"The truth is, someone I know sent me a message."

He turned the phone slightly, although Ares couldn’t see the screen clearly from where he was sitting.

"He’s a C-Rank Awakener. His party is preparing to enter a C-Rank Dungeon, and they’re looking for porters."

"Porters?"

"Yeah."

Ji Won nodded.

"They need two or three people to carry equipment, supplies, and the magic stones they collect inside the dungeon. They’re offering three hundred thousand won per person."

Ares raised an eyebrow.

"That’s quite a lot."

"It is."

Ji Won looked back at the message.

"But there’s a reason they’re paying that much."

He put the phone down for a moment.

"C-Rank Dungeons aren’t like the E-Rank and D-Rank ones we’ve been hunting."

Ji Won leaned back against the sofa.

"An E-Rank Dungeon can have several relatively weak monster species, and D-Rank Dungeons are already dangerous enough that you need to be careful about what you encounter. But once you reach C-Rank, the dungeon’s environment becomes much more specialized."

"What do you mean by specialized?"

"Each C-Rank Dungeon usually has one dominant monster species."

Ji Won began explaining more carefully.

"For example, you could enter a C-Rank Dungeon where every ordinary monster inside is a giant spider. You won’t suddenly encounter goblins, wolves, and orcs mixed together like you might in lower-ranked dungeons. The entire ecosystem is centered around that one species."

Ares nodded.

"That sounds more organized."

"Organized, but much more dangerous."

Ji Won smiled bitterly.

"Because the monsters are specialized for that environment. If it’s a spider dungeon, the entire place could be covered in webs. Some spiders might be able to poison you, others could camouflage themselves, and some might attack from the walls or ceiling."

He paused.

"And that’s only the ordinary monsters."

"Every C-Rank Dungeon has a boss-level monster, and the boss is considerably stronger than the regular monsters. For example, if the dungeon is inhabited by giant spiders, the boss could be an A-Rank Giant Spider."

"A-Rank?"

"Yes."

Ji Won’s expression became serious.

"That’s why people don’t treat C-Rank Dungeons casually. The ordinary monsters might range from C-Rank to lower levels depending on the dungeon, but the boss can reach A-Rank."

Ares looked at him.

"So the party has to prepare for an A-Rank monster."

"Right."

Ji Won picked up his phone again.

"And that’s why they need porters. The actual combat team needs to focus entirely on fighting. They don’t want their stronger Awakeners wasting stamina carrying supplies or transporting magic stones."

"How many people usually enter?"

"It depends on the guild or party, but C-Rank Dungeons generally require a properly organized team."

Ji Won looked at Ares.

"Even if the dungeon is successfully cleared, there’s no guarantee everyone gets out safely. That’s why they pay porters considerably more than they would for an E- or D-Rank Dungeon."

Ares nodded slowly.

"I see."

He thought for a moment before asking another question.

"By the way, how much money would you get for selling an A-Rank magic stone?"

Ji Won looked surprised by the sudden question.

"An A-Rank one?"

"Yes."

Ji Won considered it.

"It depends on the monster."

He explained,

"The value of a magic stone isn’t determined solely by rank. Some monsters produce higher-quality cores, while others have abilities or characteristics that make their stones more valuable to researchers and manufacturers."

"But generally?"

"For an ordinary A-Rank monster, you could probably get around two to three million won."

Ares raised an eyebrow.

"Two to three million?"

"Yes."

Ji Won nodded.

"Some can be worth more depending on their properties, but that’s a reasonable range for a normal A-Rank monster."

Ares leaned back slightly.

"That’s quite a lot."

"It is."

Ji Won smiled faintly.

"Although A-Rank monsters aren’t something people can casually hunt for money."

Ji Won’s expression became more serious.

"An ordinary A-Rank monster is already strong enough that a properly equipped group of B-Rank and A-Rank Awakeners may be required to defeat it."

Ji Won looked toward the television for a moment before continuing.

"A boss-level monster is a completely different problem."

"Boss monsters aren’t just stronger versions of ordinary monsters."

Ji Won placed his phone on the table.

"They’re usually born with abilities that ordinary monsters of the same species don’t possess."

"Abilities?"

"Special abilities."

He began counting on his fingers.

"Some can strengthen their bodies beyond their normal limits. Others can release poison, manipulate elements, regenerate damaged tissue, create barriers, control other monsters, or use attacks that can cover a large area."

"So an A-Rank boss isn’t simply an A-Rank monster with more power."

"Exactly."

Ji Won nodded.

"Imagine an ordinary A-Rank spider. It would already be dangerous enough to require several experienced B-Rank or A-Rank Awakeners to defeat."

He paused.

"Now imagine an A-Rank boss spider that can regenerate its body, produce webs strong enough to restrain an Awakener, and release venom capable of paralyzing someone in seconds."

Ares’ expression remained calm.

"That would be troublesome."

Ji Won laughed.

"That’s why boss-level monsters are treated so seriously. The rank tells you roughly how much overall power you’re dealing with, but it doesn’t tell you everything about what the monster can actually do."

Ares nodded.

"So even if two monsters are both A-Rank, one could be considerably more dangerous than the other."

"Exactly."

Ji Won looked back at his phone.

"And that’s why C-Rank Dungeons are considered a major step above D-Rank ones. Once you enter one, you can’t assume that having a high enough rank means you’re automatically safe."

Ares glanced at the message again.

"So your friend wants you to join as a porter."

"Yeah."

Ji Won sighed.

"Three hundred thousand won is tempting, especially since I need the money, but I’m still thinking about it."

Ares remained silent for a moment.

Then he smiled faintly.

"Let’s see what happens first."

Ji Won nodded.

"Yeah."

He picked up his phone again and began typing a reply.

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