The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 196: Chapter 197: The Mysterious Guardian

The long academy break had finally begun.

After months of classes, assignments, examinations, and the academy festival, the students were finally given an extended period away from their usual schedules.

The academy grounds, which had normally been filled with students from early morning until late afternoon, became noticeably quieter within only a few days.

Some students returned to their families.

Others traveled to different cities.

A few remained at the academy because they had nowhere else they needed to go.

For Ares, however, the beginning of the break meant something completely different.

It gave him an opportunity to return to Earth.

The academy had already approved his extended absence, so there was no need for him to worry about attendance or explanations this time.

More importantly, there were several things he needed to check.

The situation in Korea had continued developing while he was away.

The Awakener population was increasing.

The dungeon system was becoming more established.

The government was continuing its investigation into the unusual Gate incidents.

And, most importantly, the Seoul S-Rank Gate remained a matter that Ares wanted to monitor personally.

So, shortly after the academy break began, Ares prepared to leave.

Before departing, however, there was one rather mundane problem he needed to deal with.

The power banks.

Draven, Cedric, and Astra had already used a considerable number of them.

Despite having received hundreds of fully charged power banks, the three had somehow managed to consume enough stored electricity that their collection of usable ones had begun shrinking far faster than Ares had expected.

Draven was particularly responsible.

He had apparently discovered several games that he considered impossible to put down.

Cedric had become fascinated by strategy games and documentaries.

Astra had developed an interest in animated shows, fantasy games, and anything involving animals.

The three had spent so much time using their devices that several power banks were already nearly empty.

Ares decided to take those depleted ones back to Earth and recharge them.

It was more convenient than buying new ones every time.

And, considering how many power banks he had purchased, there was no reason to waste the old ones.

A few had been used so frequently that Ares suspected they would need to be replaced eventually.

He stored the entire collection inside his spatial storage.

Then he checked the three iPads.

All of them were still functioning.

Draven’s was covered in fingerprints.

Cedric’s was kept almost perfectly clean.

Astra’s had several stickers attached to the back that she had apparently discovered somewhere.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

The eastern hunting zone had become a nightmare.

Ji Won tightened his grip around his dagger as another enormous spider crawled over the ruined remains of a building.

"More are coming!"

One of the Awakeners shouted from the left.

Ji Won turned.

He immediately saw them.

Spiders.

Dozens of them were pouring out from the collapsed structures, crawling across walls, ceilings, broken roads, and even the sides of abandoned vehicles. Some were no larger than ordinary dogs, while others were large enough to crush a person beneath a single leg.

Their bodies were covered in dark chitin, and several possessed glowing red eyes that reflected the light from the surrounding magic.

The hunting zone had originally been classified as a safe area for low and mid-rank Awakeners.

Now it looked nothing like that.

"Keep them away from the civilians!"

A female Awakener shouted.

"I’ll cover the right!"

"Don’t let them surround us!"

Ji Won moved with the others.

His dagger flashed.

SHK!

A spider’s leg was severed.

It screamed and collapsed.

Another immediately rushed toward him.

Ji Won stepped aside and stabbed beneath its head.

SHRAK!

The creature fell.

He barely had time to breathe before three more crawled over the wreckage ahead.

"Dammit..."

Ji Won gritted his teeth.

There were too many.

The seven other Awakeners were fighting desperately around him, but the sheer number of spiders made it impossible for them to maintain a proper formation.

One of the frontliners swung his sword.

SHING!

Another spider fell.

A second creature immediately attacked from behind.

"Behind you!"

Ji Won shouted.

The Awakener turned.

Too late.

A spider’s leg struck his shield.

CLANG!

He stumbled backward.

Another Awakener rushed in and cut the creature apart.

"Thanks!"

"Don’t lose your position!"

Ji Won looked around.

Everyone was struggling.

They weren’t weak.

Most of them were experienced enough to handle the spiders individually.

The problem was the numbers.

Every spider they killed seemed to be replaced by two more.

"We’re getting surrounded!"

Someone shouted.

Ji Won’s expression changed.

He looked behind him.

Several spiders had already slipped through the gaps between the other Awakeners.

They were moving toward him.

"Ji Won!"

One of the Awakeners tried to reach him.

But another swarm immediately blocked his path.

"There’s too many!"

"Get back!"

"I can’t!"

The spiders continued advancing.

Ji Won stepped backward.

His heart began beating faster.

One spider crawled down from a broken wall.

Another appeared from behind a vehicle.

Then another.

And another.

His path was disappearing.

"Stay back!"

Ji Won raised his dagger.

The spiders hissed.

He knew he couldn’t fight all of them.

Even with the strength granted by the Crimson Oath Ring, there were simply too many.

His breathing became heavier.

No...

He glanced toward the other Awakeners.

They were still fighting.

But none of them could reach him.

Every attempt to move toward him was stopped by another wave of spiders.

"Hey!"

"Hold on!"

"We’ll get to you!"

Their voices sounded increasingly distant.

Ji Won’s back touched a wall.

He looked left.

Spiders.

Right.

More spiders.

Above him.

Even more.

His fingers tightened around his dagger.

I’m surrounded.

A spider slowly lowered itself from the ceiling.

Ji Won raised his weapon.

His arms were trembling.

I’m going to die.

The thought came without warning.

For all the confidence he had gained during the past month, fear suddenly overwhelmed him.

His father’s face appeared in his mind.

Father...

Ji Won swallowed.

I’m sorry.

A spider lunged.

He raised his dagger.

"GET AWAY!"

Then—

Something appeared beside him.

A figure.

Tall.

Human-shaped.

A crimson glow suddenly spread across the battlefield.

The spider stopped.

Ji Won froze.

A woman stood between him and the swarm.

She was enormous.

Nearly two and a half meters tall, with a powerful yet perfectly proportioned body covered in crimson spiritual armor. The armor was not bulky like ordinary heavy equipment; instead, it followed the contours of her body while leaving her movements completely unrestricted.

Long crimson strands of energy flowed from behind her head like hair made from fire.

Her face was beautiful but completely expressionless.

And in her hand was a massive spear.

The weapon was equally crimson, its long blade glowing with a sharp spiritual radiance that made every nearby spider instinctively recoil.

Ji Won stared.

"What..."

The woman slowly raised her spear.

Her eyes moved across the swarm.

Then—

SHING!

She disappeared.

Ji Won’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t follow her.

A crimson line suddenly appeared across the battlefield.

One spider fell.

Then another.

Then five.

Then ten.

The woman moved between them so quickly that her figure became nothing more than a series of crimson flashes.

SHING!

SHRAK!

SHING!

Her spear pierced through one spider before sweeping sideways and severing three others in a single motion.

A massive spider lunged from behind.

She turned without looking.

Her spear moved backward.

SHRAK!

The blade pierced directly through its head.

Another attacked from above.

She stepped forward.

Her body twisted.

The spear rotated around her body before striking upward.

BOOM!

The spider was launched into the air.

She followed it.

For a brief moment, her crimson armored figure rose above the battlefield.

Then her spear descended.

SHRAAAAAK!

The creature was split apart before it could even fall.

Ji Won couldn’t speak.

The woman landed.

Her crimson armor didn’t even show a scratch.

The swarm continued coming.

She raised one hand.

A faint crimson aura spread around her.

The spiders slowed.

Their movements became sluggish.

Several attempted to attack her.

None reached her.

Her spear moved again.

Faster.

Much faster.

The battlefield became filled with crimson flashes.

Every movement was precise.

Every strike was deliberate.

She didn’t waste a single motion.

She wasn’t simply stronger than the spiders.

She was fighting them as though she had already predicted every movement they would make.

Ji Won stared.

What is this?

One of the nearby Awakeners finally noticed what was happening.

"What the hell is that?!"

Another looked toward the crimson warrior.

"A summon?"

"Who summoned it?"

"I don’t know!"

The seven Awakeners gradually stopped attacking for a moment as they watched the mysterious figure tearing through the swarm.

One of them swallowed.

"That’s a high-level spirit."

"How high?"

"I don’t know, but I’ve never seen anything like it."

The crimson warrior suddenly thrust her spear forward.

SHRAAAAAK!

A straight crimson line crossed the road.

Every spider caught within it was pierced simultaneously.

Dozens collapsed.

The remaining swarm attempted to retreat.

The woman followed.

She moved through them like a blade cutting through cloth.

SHING!

SHING!

SHING!

Within seconds, the swarm that had surrounded Ji Won had been reduced to nothing.

Silence fell.

Ji Won remained frozen against the wall.

His dagger was still raised.

He slowly lowered it.

The crimson warrior stood several meters away.

She turned.

Her crimson eyes settled on him.

Ji Won’s body stiffened.

She walked toward him.

Each step was strangely quiet despite her enormous size.

When she reached him, she stopped.

For a moment, she simply looked at him.

Then she raised one hand.

A faint crimson aura surrounded Ji Won.

The fear and exhaustion that had overwhelmed him suddenly eased.

His breathing stabilized.

The woman lowered her hand.

Ji Won stared at her.

"Who..."

His voice barely came out.

"Who are you?"

The crimson warrior didn’t answer.

She simply looked toward the remaining spiders.

Then she turned back toward Ji Won.

Her expression remained completely calm.

Before Ji Won could say anything else, her body began dissolving into crimson light.

The spiritual armor faded first.

Then the spear.

Then her entire body.

Within seconds, she had disappeared completely.

Ji Won remained standing there.

"...What just happened?"

The surrounding Awakeners were equally speechless.

One of them finally broke the silence.

"Did anyone summon that?"

Nobody answered.

Another Awakener shook his head.

"I thought it was an S-Rank Summoner."

Someone else immediately responded.

"Yoon Ha-eun?"

"She isn’t here."

The first Awakener looked around.

"Then who?"

Another man swallowed.

"That was a Valkyrie Spirit."

"A Valkyrie?"

"Yes."

His expression became serious.

"Not an ordinary one. A spirit of that level shouldn’t be possible for most Summoners."

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

Ji Won remained silent.

He couldn’t take his eyes away from the empty space where the crimson warrior had disappeared.

Then he noticed several vehicles approaching from the far end of the street.

The sound of engines grew louder.

A group of Awakeners stepped out.

Their uniforms carried a different insignia.

Black.

One of the nearby Awakeners immediately recognized it.

"Horizon Guild."

Ji Won looked toward them.

The group moved quickly toward the battlefield.

Several members were already examining the remaining monsters and checking for injured civilians.

The man leading them looked around.

"What happened here?"

One of the Awakeners pointed toward the empty battlefield.

"The spiders."

The Horizon member frowned.

"What about them?"

"They were surrounding that guy."

He pointed toward Ji Won.

"Then something appeared."

"What appeared?"

"A Valkyrie."

The Horizon members immediately exchanged glances.

"A Valkyrie?"

"Yes."

"Who summoned it?"

Nobody answered.

The man looked toward Ji Won.

"You."

Ji Won blinked.

"Me?"

"You were the one surrounded."

"Yes."

"And the summon appeared beside you?"

"Yes."

The man stared at him.

"Then you summoned it."

Ji Won immediately shook his head.

"No."

The man frowned.

"You’re saying it wasn’t you?"

"I didn’t summon anything."

Ji Won looked genuinely confused.

"It just appeared."

The Horizon member stared at him.

"Just appeared?"

"Yes."

"Without a summoning formation?"

"I didn’t use anything."

Several Horizon members exchanged skeptical looks.

One of them finally spoke.

"That’s impossible."

Ji Won reached into his pocket.

"Look."

He pulled out his Awakener card.

"This is my registration."

The man took the card and examined it.

His eyes moved across the information.

Name: Han Ji Won

Rank: A

Class: Warrior

Ability: Combat

Mana Capacity: A

Physical Enhancement: A

He looked at Ji Won.

"You’re A-Rank...?."

"Yes."

"But your class is Warrior."

Ji Won nodded.

"I know."

The man looked back at the card.

"You aren’t a Summoner."

"Then you couldn’t have summoned that."

"That’s what I’ve been saying."

The man remained silent.

Another Horizon member leaned closer.

"That spirit was extremely high-level."

"How high?"

"High that only one of the Summoners in Korea could do that."

Someone immediately mentioned the name.

"Yoon Ha-eun."

The others nodded.

"She’s the strongest Summoner in Korea."

"But she wasn’t here."

"Yeah."

The Horizon members looked toward the empty battlefield.

One of them frowned.

"Then who summoned it?"

Nobody had an answer.

Ji Won remained quiet.

Something had been bothering him ever since the crimson warrior appeared.

The way it had arrived.

The way it had immediately protected him.

And most importantly—

the strange familiarity he had felt when he saw it.

He slowly looked around.

Could it be...

Tae ho.

The thought appeared in his mind.

Ji Won immediately looked around again.

There was still no sign of him.

No.

He shook his head slightly.

That’s impossible.

Tae ho wasn’t even here.

At least, as far as Ji Won knew.

The Horizon member noticed his expression.

"Something wrong?"

Ji Won looked back at him.

"No."

He smiled awkwardly.

"It’s nothing."

The man continued watching him for another moment before finally returning his attention to the battlefield.

"Regardless, you were lucky."

Ji Won nodded.

"Yeah."

The Horizon member looked at him again.

"Are you registered with any guild?"

"No."

The man seemed slightly surprised.

"You’re an A-Rank Awakener and you’re independent?"

"Yes."

"You should consider joining one."

He gestured toward the Horizon members.

"A-Rank Awakeners have access to better equipment, higher-paying dungeon operations, medical support, training facilities, and much more."

Ji Won shook his head.

"Thank you, but I’m sorry. I have to refuse."

The man nodded.

"That’s fine."

He smiled.

"If you ever change your mind, come to the Horizon Guild."

Ji Won gave a polite nod.

"I’ll remember that."

The Black Out members eventually finished their investigation.

The remaining spiders were cleared, the injured Awakeners were treated, and the area was gradually reopened once the Administration confirmed that there was no longer an immediate threat.

A few hours later, Ji Won received compensation for his contribution to the emergency response.

The official handed him an envelope.

"Ten million won."

Ji Won immediately froze.

"Ten million?"

The official nodded.

"You played a significant role in preventing casualties during the incident."

Ji Won shook his head.

"I can’t accept this."

"It’s your reward."

"It’s too much."

He tried returning the envelope.

The official pushed it back.

"Please accept it."

"But I didn’t even—"

"You were there."

The official interrupted calmly.

"You fought alongside the other Awakeners, you helped protect civilians, and you were directly involved in the incident."

He looked at Ji Won.

"You earned it."

Ji Won hesitated.

He still felt uncomfortable accepting that much money.

But after several attempts to refuse, the officials and the other Awakeners insisted.

Eventually, he sighed.

"...Alright."

He accepted the envelope.

"Thank you."

The official smiled.

"You’re welcome."

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