The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The Two Survivors

"By the way, Ji Won."

"Hm?"

I glanced toward the dagger at his waist.

"How about buying another set of equipment?"

Ji Won looked at me with a slightly confused expression.

"Another set?"

"Your current equipment isn’t exactly in great condition."

I looked at the leather armor covering his torso.

"There are already several scratches on it."

Ji Won glanced down.

"It’s fine."

He smiled.

"I already brought a new set."

He tapped the small bag hanging from his shoulder.

"It’s still new so don’t worry."

Ares nodded.

"I see."

Ji Won hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"And besides..."

He looked at me seriously.

"You were the one who cleared that dungeon."

His expression became somewhat uncomfortable.

"I should be the one paying you for saving my life."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

Ji Won looked at me.

"It means I’m going to pay you for what you’ve done."

He hesitated.

"At least for the things that cost you money."

I sighed.

"I’d be selfish if I took all the money myself."

Ji Won immediately shook his head.

"No, you wouldn’t."

"I would."

Ares looked toward him.

"We’re a party."

He paused.

"If one person takes everything simply because they did most of the work, then what’s the point of being a party?"

Ji Won opened his mouth.

I continued before he could argue.

"Besides, you’re the one who needs the money more than I do."

"That’s exactly why I should pay you."

He sounded unusually serious.

"You’ve already given me an artifact worth more money than I can even imagine, you’ve been healing me whenever I get injured, and you’ve saved my life more than once."

Ji Won tightened his grip around the strap of his bag.

"If I keep taking half of everything we earn, I’ll feel like I’m taking advantage of you."

I looked at him for a moment.

He wasn’t joking.

This was bothering him.

"Fine."

Ji Won looked relieved.

"I’ll take ten percent."

I immediately shook my head.

"Thirty."

His expression froze.

"...What?"

"At least thirty percent."

"That’s too much."

"You just said you wanted to pay me."

"Yes, but not that much."

"Then twenty."

Ji Won stared at me.

I waited.

He looked away.

"...Twenty percent."

"Deal."

I smiled.

Ji Won sighed deeply.

Ji Won shook his head, but there was a faint smile on his face.

"Fine. From now on, I’ll take twenty percent."

"Good."

---

Outside the Gate

The blue surface of the Gate rippled gently.

Several people standing around the containment area immediately turned their attention toward it.

The researchers monitoring the Gate stopped what they were doing.

The security personnel tightened their formation.

Director Han Seung-ho stepped forward.

"Something is coming out."

Everyone remained alert.

A shadow appeared behind the blue surface.

At first, it was impossible to tell who it belonged to.

The silhouette moved closer.

Then another shadow appeared beside it.

Two people.

They were walking toward the exit.

The security personnel raised their weapons slightly, while the researchers watched the Gate with tense expressions.

Seung-ho lifted one hand.

"Don’t act until we confirm who they are."

The two figures continued approaching.

Their bodies gradually became clearer as they passed through the Gate.

One was carrying a bag.

The other walked beside him.

Their faces remained partially obscured by the lingering distortion until they finally stepped completely outside.

A young man.

And another young man.

One of the researchers immediately checked the monitoring records.

"Director."

Seung-ho turned toward him.

"Are they the two people who entered the D-Rank Gate earlier?"

The researcher quickly compared the identification data.

"Yes. The records match."

Seung-ho nodded.

"Understood."

The two young men looked around.

Ji Won’s expression gradually changed as he took in the number of people surrounding the Gate.

"Why are there so many people?"

Ares remained quiet, calmly observing the security personnel, researchers, medical teams, and government officials gathered around them.

Seung-ho approached.

Several personnel followed behind him, keeping a respectful distance.

He stopped a few steps away.

"I’m Han Seung-ho, Director of the Gate Management Bureau."

He briefly displayed his identification.

Then he looked between the two young men.

"Are you Han Ji Won and Yoon Tae Ho?"

Ji Won nodded.

"Yes."

Seung-ho’s expression remained serious.

"We came here to investigate the abnormal phenomenon that occurred after you entered this Gate."

Ji Won glanced toward the blue surface behind them.

"The abnormal phenomenon?"

Seung-ho nodded.

"The dungeon underwent what we have classified as a Dungeon Shift."

He paused briefly.

"The internal environment changed, the dimensional readings became unstable, and the Gate became inaccessible from the outside."

His gaze remained fixed on them.

"That’s why we need to know what happened inside."

Ares and Ji Won had already expected questions like these.

They had discussed what they would say before leaving.

Neither intended to reveal anything unusual.

Ji Won answered first.

"Honestly, we don’t know what you’re talking about."

Several people exchanged glances.

Ji Won continued.

"We entered the dungeon normally."

He opened his bag slightly.

"Nothing unusual happened."

Seung-ho studied him.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

Ji Won nodded.

"We simply hunted the monsters inside and continued through the dungeon."

One of the researchers looked confused.

"Then how did you survive?"

Ji Won looked at him.

"Survive?"

The researcher hesitated.

"The Gate underwent a Dungeon Shift. The internal readings indicated a massive increase in mana density."

Ji Won shook his head.

"We didn’t experience anything like that."

The surrounding personnel became noticeably more confused.

Ji Won reached into his bag.

"We just hunted normally."

He took out several magic stones and held them up.

"We collected these."

Seung-ho looked at the stones.

They were ordinary monster cores.

Giant Ants.

Dire Wolves.

Nothing unusual.

One of the researchers stepped closer.

"Are those really from inside this Gate?"

Ji Won nodded.

"Yes."

The researcher stared at the stones.

"Is that really possible?"

Another researcher looked toward the Gate.

"What could have happened inside, then?"

Seung-ho raised a hand, stopping the growing discussion.

His eyes returned to Ji Won.

"Are you saying that you didn’t experience the Dungeon Shift at all?"

Ji Won answered immediately.

"Yes."

"You entered the dungeon, hunted normally, and remained inside and leave?"

"That’s right."

"And you encountered nothing unusual?"

"Nothing."

Seung-ho remained silent.

The answer was consistent with what Ji Won had already said.

But it didn’t make sense.

The Association had monitored the Gate continuously after the abnormality appeared.

The readings had been completely different from those of an ordinary D-Rank Gate.

Yet the two people standing before him were claiming that nothing had happened.

Seung-ho looked toward Ares.

"Do you agree with his statement?"

Ares gave a calm nod.

"Yes."

Seung-ho studied him for several seconds.

There was no visible hesitation.

No contradiction.

Nothing that immediately suggested deception.

And yet the explanation was difficult to accept.

Seung-ho turned toward the researchers.

"Begin an immediate investigation of the Gate."

The researchers straightened.

"Yes, Director."

"Record the internal structure, mana density, dimensional stability, and any residual energy."

"Understood."

"Compare everything with the data recorded before the abnormality occurred."

The research teams immediately began preparing their equipment.

Seung-ho turned back toward Ares and Ji Won.

"Thank you for cooperating with the investigation."

Ji Won nodded.

"No problem, Director Han Seung-ho."

Seung-ho gave them a final look.

"You can go home now."

Ji Won seemed relieved.

"Thank you, Director."

Ares nodded politely.

"Thank you."

The two turned away from the Gate and began walking.

Behind them, the researchers were already moving toward the entrance.

Seung-ho remained where he was.

His eyes followed the two young men until they disappeared from view.

He still couldn’t explain what had happened.

The evidence suggested that something extraordinary had occurred inside the Gate.

Yet the only two people who had been there were claiming that nothing unusual had happened at all.

Seung-ho narrowed his eyes.

He couldn’t prove they were lying.

But he couldn’t believe their story either.

For now, however, there was nothing more he could do.

The investigation had to begin first.

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