The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: The Woman in High Heels

Meanwhile, several meters away from the battlefield, Ji Won was still standing exactly where Ares had told him to stay.

He hadn’t moved.

He hadn’t even realized that his mouth was slightly open.

His eyes remained fixed on the black-haired woman who had just defeated an A-Rank Orc General with a single kick.

What... did I just witnessed?

Ji Won’s mind was struggling to process everything that had happened during the past several minutes.

And not merely fighting them.

He had been moving around the battlefield with the kind of precision and control that Ji Won had only ever seen from high-ranking professional Awakeners on television.

Backflips... aerial rotations... counterattacks...

His eyes twitched slightly.

And he was doing all of that in high heels.

The answer became even more difficult to understand when he remembered how effortlessly he had dealt with the Orc General.

That creature had been an A-Rank boss monster.

An A-Rank.

Could Tae Ho really be an A-Rank Awakener?

Even the A-Rank Awakeners Ji Won had seen on television didn’t move like that. And to fight an A-Rank boss alone?

The thought made him immediately shake his head.

"There’s no way..."

He muttered under his breath.

If she were an S-Rank Awakener, someone like that would surely be famous.

At least, that’s what Ji Won believed

That made the whole situation even stranger.

Then another thought entered his mind.

Wait.

He slowly looked toward the black-haired woman again.

Tae Ho... Just who are you?

The Apex Guild’s party finally approached Ares.

The party leader stepped forward first.

He was a man in his early thirties, wearing reinforced armor bearing the emblem of the Apex Guild across his chest. A sword hung from his waist, while a small communication device was attached near his collar.

He stopped several steps away from Ares.

"Excuse me."

Ares turned toward him.

The man’s expression was respectful.

"My name is Park Min-jae. I’m the leader of this Apex Guild response party."

He placed one hand against his chest.

"First, I’d like to thank you for your assistance."

His gaze briefly moved toward the civilians who were being escorted away from the danger zone.

"You protected them when the Gate collapsed, and you prevented the Orcs from reaching the evacuation area. If you hadn’t intervened, we would have had considerably more casualties."

Ares gave a small shake of his head.

"It’s nothing."

Min-jae smiled politely.

"We owe you our thanks."

Ares didn’t respond.

He simply looked toward the destroyed street.

Min-jae hesitated before continuing.

"There is something else I’d like to ask."

Ares glanced at him.

"What is it?"

"That fight earlier..."

Min-jae looked toward the crater where the Orc General had fallen.

"I’ve been doing this for years, and I’ve never seen anyone move like that."

Several members of the Apex Guild standing behind him nodded.

One of them spoke.

"Are you perhaps an A-Rank Awakener?"

Another immediately added,

"Or perhaps higher?"

Min-jae raised a hand slightly, signaling them to let him speak.

"May I ask what guild you belong to?"

Ares looked at him calmly.

"None."

The answer caused several of them to exchange glances.

"None?"

Min-jae repeated.

Ares nodded.

"I don’t belong to any guild."

"But..."

Min-jae glanced toward the Orc General’s corpse.

"You defeated an A-Rank monster without using a weapon, without using any visible magic, and while wearing what appears to be fashion clothing."

He paused.

"You’re certain you’re not an A-Rank Awakener?"

"No."

Ares answered simply.

"I just happened to pass by."

Min-jae blinked.

"Passed by?"

"Yes."

Several of the Apex members looked at one another.

One of them whispered,

"She just happened to pass by?"

Another whispered back,

"You’re kidding me."

Min-jae looked at Ares again.

"Are you a martial artist?"

"Something like that."

Min-jae studied her for another moment.

"Would you be interested in joining Apex?"

Ares shook her head.

"No."

The answer came so quickly that several of them blinked.

"May I ask why?"

"I don’t like working for other people."

Min-jae gave a small laugh.

"I see."

He glanced toward the other members.

"Still, someone with your abilities would be highly valued."

"I appreciate the offer."

Ares turned slightly.

"But if that’s all, please excuse me."

She began walking away.

Min-jae immediately called after her.

"Please wait a moment."

Ares stopped.

Min-jae approached her again.

"Are you really planning to leave just like that?"

Ares looked back.

"Yes."

"But we were responsible for this C-Rank Gate."

He gestured toward the battlefield.

"You helped protect civilians and eliminated the Orc General, which saved us a considerable amount of trouble."

He reached toward his equipment pouch.

"We’d like to compensate you for your assistance."

Ares shook her head.

"There’s no need."

Min-jae frowned slightly.

"You don’t have to refuse."

Ares looked toward the Awakeners who had been fighting before the Apex Guild arrived.

"If you really want to pay someone, give it to them."

She pointed toward the injured Awakeners who were now being treated.

"They were here before you arrived."

Min-jae followed her gaze.

Several of his party members exchanged looks.

"Are you sure?"

Ares nodded.

"Yes."

She turned away.

"Then I’ll leave."

"Wait—"

Min-jae tried to say something else.

But Ares was already walking away.

He stood there for several seconds.

"...But..."

The woman didn’t even turn around.

One of the Apex members walked up beside him.

"Just who is that woman?"

Min-jae continued watching her disappear into the crowd.

"I don’t know."

His expression became thoughtful.

"But we need to report this to the guild master immediately."

Min-jae smiled.

"If the guild master hears that an unidentified Awakener defeated an A-Rank Orc General bare-handed, he’ll definitely want to know who she is."

He glanced toward the direction she had gone.

"And if she’s really independent..."

His smile widened slightly.

"There’s a good chance he’ll try to recruit her personally."

---

Ares continued walking through the crowd.

Nobody paid particular attention to him anymore.

That made things considerably easier.

He turned into a narrow side street.

Then stopped.

The crimson light in his eyes faded.

His long black hair shortened and changed color.

His feminine features returned to normal.

The fitted black dress disappeared, replaced by the clothes he had been wearing earlier.

Within moments, Rielle was gone.

Ares was back.

He adjusted his clothes.

"That was more troublesome than expected."

He looked around.

Nobody had noticed.

Then he saw Ji Won standing farther down the street.

Ares raised one hand and gave him a small signal.

Ji Won’s eyes widened.

He immediately ran toward him.

"Tae Ho!"

Ares smiled.

"You’re finally here."

Ji Won stopped in front of him, still breathing slightly harder from running.

Then he stared at Ares.

For several seconds, he didn’t say anything.

Ares raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Ji Won pointed toward the battlefield.

"Tae Ho..."

Ares looked at him innocently.

Ji Won stared at him.

"Just... who are you?"

Ares laughed.

"I already told you."

"You said you’re an E-Rank Healer."

"That’s true."

"You said you’re also a martial artist."

"Also true."

Ji Won’s expression became increasingly frustrated.

"Then how do you explain what I just saw?"

Ares shrugged.

He lowered his voice when several pedestrians looked toward them.

"Are you seriously telling me that you’re just talented?"

Ares smiled.

"I never said I was ordinary."

Ji Won stared at him.

"The way you moved..."

He shook his head.

"That wasn’t normal."

Ares continued walking.

"You think too much."

"You fight an A-Rank monster alone..."

Ji Won coughed awkwardly.

"Anyway..."

He tried to regain his composure.

"Are you really not a professional A-Rank Awakener?"

"No."

"You’ve been hiding your strength from the beginning, haven’t you?"

Ares laughed.

"Is this some kind of interview?"

Ji Won stared at him.

"I’m serious!"

Ares stopped walking.

Then he leaned closer.

His expression became slightly mischievous.

"It’s a secret."

Ji Won froze.

"...A secret?"

Ares nodded.

"Yep."

Ji Won stared at him for several seconds.

Then sighed.

"Alright."

He rubbed his forehead.

"Forgive me for asking so many questions."

Ares resumed walking.

"Don’t worry about it."

Ji Won followed him.

"Still..."

He glanced at Ares again.

"I still can’t believe what just happened, Tae Ho."

Ares smiled.

The two continued toward the apartment.

Behind them, the noise of the Dungeon Collapse gradually faded into the distance, while the city slowly returned to normal.

For Ji Won, however, one question remained firmly lodged in his mind.

Just who did I become friends with?

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