The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 185: Chapter 186: The Dream Eater: Andrea vs. Number Five

She walked slowly through the ruined entrance, almost as though she were completely unaffected by the destruction surrounding her.

Her long black hair moved gently behind her.

Heavy bangs framed her face.

Her eyes were calm.

Her expression carried a faint smile.

Number Five.

She stopped several meters away from them.

She looked at the destroyed forest.

Then at the remains of the guards.

Finally, her eyes settled on Celeste and Andrea.

"As I expected."

Her voice was calm.

"You’ve been pestering us again."

Her smile widened slightly.

"You’ll regret coming here."

She looked at them carefully.

"You’re both so young."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Yet you possess this kind of power."

She tilted her head.

"I’m starting to wonder if you’re members of the underworld."

Andrea smiled.

"That’s quite the imagination."

Number Five ignored her.

"But unfortunately..."

Her gaze became colder.

"...both of you will end here."

She raised one hand.

"You’ll become excellent material for our research."

Celeste’s expression hardened.

Andrea simply smiled.

Number Five turned slightly.

"Release it."

A researcher standing near the entrance immediately froze.

"Number Five?"

"Open the containment chamber."

"But the specimen isn’t—"

"Release it."

Her voice became colder.

The researcher swallowed.

"Understood."

He hurried toward the control panel.

The ground beneath the laboratory suddenly trembled.

BOOOOOOM!

A massive impact erupted from beneath the mountain.

The laboratory shook.

The barrier flickered.

Andrea looked toward the ground.

"Oh?"

Number Five stepped backward.

"I’ll let you have some fun first."

She smiled.

"Good luck."

The ground exploded.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Something enormous tore through the laboratory entrance.

Stone and metal were thrown into the air.

The creature emerged.

It was enormous.

Far larger than any ordinary monster.

Its body had been heavily altered by the experiments.

Thick layers of dark muscle covered its frame, while several massive growths extended from its shoulders and back.

Its arms were enormous, with claws that resembled sharpened black stone.

Its legs were thick enough to crush trees simply by stepping on them.

Dark veins pulsed across its body, carrying an unstable mixture of magical energy.

Its head was distorted into something vaguely humanoid but unmistakably monstrous.

Several jagged teeth filled its mouth.

Two large horns curved backward from its skull.

Its eyes burned with a violent red glow.

The creature released a roar.

"GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The sound shook the mountain.

Andrea looked at it.

Then sighed.

"My, how boring."

Celeste glanced at her.

Andrea continued.

"You’re going to let me take all the fun yourself?"

Celeste sighed.

"It can’t be helped."

She looked toward the creature.

"Try not to get killed by that woman."

Andrea smiled.

"Good decision."

She turned toward Number Five.

"I won’t disappoint you, miss."

Her smile became slightly mocking.

Number Five narrowed her eyes.

"You’re fighting me?"

Andrea stepped forward.

"Why not?"

Number Five’s expression hardened.

"You should have waited for your subordinate to finish that."

She glanced toward the S-Rank specimen.

"She’ll die, you know."

Andrea laughed softly.

"Heh."

She looked toward Celeste.

"Hey, Celeste."

Celeste glanced at her.

"Seems like this old woman is underestimating you."

"Old woman you say?."

Andrea smiled.

"Why don’t you take this seriously?"

Celeste looked at Number Five.

For several seconds, she remained silent.

Then her expression changed.

"Is that so?"

She slowly lowered her sword.

The frost surrounding the battlefield became heavier.

"Then I’ll try not to hold back."

The sword disappeared.

Celeste raised both hands.

The temperature suddenly dropped.

Not gradually.

Instantly.

The air itself seemed to freeze.

The ground beneath her feet became covered in frost.

The ruined trees were encased in ice.

Even the smoke from the destroyed laboratory began crystallizing in midair.

Number Five’s confident expression slowly disappeared.

"What..."

Her breath escaped as a white cloud.

The temperature continued falling.

"What the hell...?"

Celeste closed her eyes.

A magical formation appeared beneath her.

But it was unlike any ordinary magical circle.

The formation was enormous, extending across the entire battlefield.

Its outer structure consisted of twelve interlocking rings shaped like frozen crowns, each rotating slowly in the opposite direction of the ring beside it.

Between the rings were countless crystalline symbols resembling ancient frost patterns.

At the center was a six-pointed structure resembling a snowflake, but each point contained a different sigil representing an aspect of the Frost Wyrm’s authority.

The formation slowly rotated.

The temperature dropped again.

Celeste opened her eyes.

"Frozen Domain."

The formation activated.

FWOOM!

An enormous wave of frost spread outward.

The entire battlefield changed.

The ground froze solid.

The remaining trees became crystal-white.

The rocks cracked beneath the sudden temperature change.

Even the laboratory barrier began developing layers of frost.

Number Five stared.

Her breath became visible.

"W-what is this?"

The S-Rank specimen roared and attempted to move.

Its enormous foot struck the ground.

CRACK!

The ground beneath it froze instantly.

The creature’s movement slowed.

Its muscles strained.

It forced itself forward.

Another layer of frost covered its body.

"GRRAAAAH!"

Celeste raised one hand.

The crystalline formation behind her changed.

The twelve outer rings disappeared.

A new formation emerged above the battlefield.

It consisted of a massive circular structure formed from countless overlapping shards of ice.

Each shard carried a different symbol.

Some resembled ancient runes.

Others resembled the scales of an enormous creature.

At the center was a dark blue core surrounded by rotating rings of crystalline energy.

Celeste looked toward the S-Rank specimen.

"Frost Nova."

She closed her fingers.

The core shattered.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

An enormous sphere of frost erupted from the center of the battlefield.

The explosion didn’t produce fire.

It produced absolute cold.

The S-Rank specimen was swallowed.

Ice spread across its body.

Its roar became muffled.

Its enormous limbs froze.

Cracks appeared across its armor-like skin.

Number Five stared in disbelief.

The confident smile she had worn moments earlier was completely gone.

"W-what..."

She stepped backward.

"Impossible..."

Her eyes widened.

"How could you..."

The frost continued spreading.

The specimen attempted to regenerate.

The regeneration stopped.

Its corrupted energy froze along with its body.

The creature’s enormous frame became completely encased in ice.

Then—

CRACK.

The ice shattered.

The S-Rank specimen collapsed.

Andrea watched the result.

She smiled.

"She really didn’t hold back."

Her gaze shifted toward the ruined battlefield.

"How disastrous."

She looked toward Number Five.

"Are you alright, old woman?"

Number Five didn’t answer.

Her eyes remained fixed on the frozen remains of the creature.

Her lips trembled.

"That’s..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"That’s our S-Rank specimen."

She slowly looked toward Celeste.

"You..."

Her expression became twisted with disbelief.

"How could you possess this kind of power?"

Her eyes widened.

"You monster."

Andrea placed one hand against her cheek.

"My, my."

She smiled.

"How rude."

She glanced toward Celeste.

"Calling a beautiful woman like us a monster."

Number Five’s expression darkened.

"Tch."

She slowly raised her hand.

Her body began changing.

The air around her twisted.

Dark energy spread across her skin.

Her fingers elongated slightly.

Black markings appeared along her arms and neck.

The mana surrounding her became denser.

Andrea’s smile widened.

"Finally."

Number Five’s expression became cold.

Her body continued transforming as corrupted energy wrapped around her like armor.

Then a sword began forming in her hand.

It wasn’t held.

It was growing from her.

Dark crimson material emerged from her palm and extended along her arm, forming a blade that appeared fused directly to her body.

The weapon continued taking shape.

A long, black-red blade.

Jagged edges.

A dark metallic surface covered in moving crimson veins.

The sword looked less like something forged by a craftsman and more like a living part of Number Five’s body.

She slowly raised it.

Her expression had become completely different.

The faint smile was gone.

The calm researcher had disappeared.

What remained was a woman who had finally decided to fight.

Andrea’s eyes narrowed with interest.

Number Five stared directly at her.

Number Five’s crimson eyes sharpened.

"Then let’s see..."

She raised the sword.

"...how long that confidence lasts."

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