The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 203: Chapter 204: Troll King

Before entering the Gate, Ares stopped beside the supply equipment.

"Wait a moment."

Ji Won looked at him.

"What is it?"

Ares raised one hand.

A faint spatial distortion appeared beside him, and the equipment they had prepared for the expedition began disappearing one item at a time.

The large supply packs vanished first.

Then the containers.

The recovery supplies.

The spare equipment.

Even the additional materials prepared for emergencies disappeared into his spatial storage.

Within a few seconds, almost everything the group had been carrying was gone.

The Titan Guild members immediately noticed.

Several of them exchanged surprised looks, while Jang Hyuk-soo’s expression became noticeably more serious.

He approached Ares.

"Mr. Yoon, what did you just do?"

"I stored the equipment."

Ares answered calmly.

"It should be more convenient if I carry everything inside my spatial storage rather than having everyone carry it separately."

Hyuk-soo remained silent for a moment as he looked at the empty space where the supplies had been.

"Spatial storage?"

"Yes."

One of the nearby members couldn’t hide his surprise.

"How large is your storage capacity?"

Ares gave a small shrug.

"Large enough for everything we brought."

The man’s expression became even more astonished.

Hyuk-soo looked toward Ares.

"That’s unusual."

He paused before continuing.

"As far as I know, the only person in Korea known to possess a spatial ability capable of storing that much equipment is an S-Rank Awakener."

"The Guild Master of Apex Kang Ji-hoon."

Ares raised an eyebrow slightly.

The other member continued.

"He’s the only person I’ve heard of who possesses both gravity-related abilities and spatial manipulation on that level."

Hyuk-soo folded his arms.

"Exactly. His spatial ability is considered extremely rare, and even among S-Rank Awakeners, there aren’t many people capable of maintaining that kind of storage."

Hyuk-soo didn’t press the matter any further.

"If you’re capable of carrying the expedition’s supplies through spatial storage, that will make things considerably easier for everyone."

Ares nodded.

"That’s what I thought."

Hyuk-soo looked toward the Gate.

"Then we’ll proceed according to the original plan."

He turned toward the party.

"Everyone, prepare for entry."

The members immediately returned to their positions.

Ares and Ji Won followed behind them.

The Gate opened.

A dense wave of mana passed through the area.

Then the entire party stepped inside.

---

The moment Ares crossed the Gate, the scenery changed.

The outside world disappeared.

A vast dungeon stretched before them, with enormous stone corridors extending into several different directions. The walls were darker than those of the lower-ranked dungeons Ares had previously entered, while faint blue crystals embedded throughout the stone provided a dim but sufficient source of light.

The air was cool.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Yet something was strange.

The party continued forward.

The Scout moved several meters ahead, carefully examining the corridors before signaling the others to continue.

They passed through one chamber.

Then another.

Still nothing.

No movement.

No footsteps.

No growls.

Not even the distant sound of monsters moving through the darkness.

Ares quietly observed the environment.

’Haven’t they noticed it yet?’

His eyes moved across the dungeon.

’Or maybe this is simply a normal reaction for people who haven’t reached this level of perception.’

He continued walking.

’The information Ji Won gave me before we entered was that the monsters here were Trolls, while the boss was supposed to be a Double-Headed Troll.’

Ares’s expression became slightly more serious.

’But something about this dungeon doesn’t match that information.’

He could feel it.

The mana wasn’t simply dense.

Something much stronger was buried beneath it.

’This isn’t just an ordinary S-Rank monster.’

Ares narrowed his eyes.

’A Troll King.’

The thought became increasingly certain as he sensed the pressure hidden deeper within the dungeon.

’In the other world, Troll Kings were already considered Disaster-Class monsters.’

’Their physical strength is absurd, but that’s not even their greatest advantage.’

’Their defensive abilities are monstrous. Their bodies can withstand attacks that would tear ordinary high-ranking monsters apart, while their regeneration allows them to recover from wounds that should have been fatal.’

Ares continued examining the mana flowing through the dungeon.

’They’re also capable of using high-level ice magic.’

’Combined with their physical strength, abnormal defense, and regeneration, that makes them considerably more troublesome than an ordinary S-Rank monster.’

He looked toward the passage ahead.

’That means, the information provided to the Titan Guild is seriously outdated.’

Ji Won suddenly noticed that Ares had become quieter.

He turned toward him.

"What is it, Tae-ho?"

Ares glanced at him.

"Ah, no. Nothing."

Ji Won studied his expression.

"You look like you’re thinking about something serious."

Ares gave him a faint smile.

"I’m just trying to understand the dungeon."

Ji Won nodded.

"Is it because this is an A-Rank dungeon?"

Ares looked at him.

Ji Won continued with a small smile.

"Or maybe not? I already know what you’re capable of, so I doubt you’re actually worried about the dungeon itself."

Ares smiled faintly.

"You’re becoming observant."

Ji Won laughed quietly.

"After everything that’s happened, I think I’ve earned the right to be."

Ares looked ahead again.

"Still, be careful."

Ji Won’s expression immediately became serious.

"Why?"

Ares lowered his voice.

"The boss here isn’t an ordinary S-Rank monster."

Ji Won’s eyes widened.

"What? Are you certain?"

"Yes."

Ares continued walking.

"The information you received before entering this dungeon was wrong."

Ji Won frowned.

"Wrong?"

"The boss isn’t a Double-Headed Troll."

Ares glanced toward him.

"It’s a Troll King."

Ji Won stared at him.

"A Troll King?"

Before Ares could explain further, the Scout suddenly stopped.

His hand rose.

The entire party halted immediately.

Ares looked ahead.

A faint sound echoed through the corridor.

Heavy footsteps.

One.

Then another.

Then several more.

Something was approaching.

The Scout slowly moved backward toward the party.

His expression remained composed, but his eyes had sharpened.

"Multiple targets."

Hyuk-soo immediately stepped forward.

"How many?"

"At least eight."

The sound became louder.

Then several enormous figures emerged from the darkness.

Trolls.

But these were not ordinary Trolls.

Their bodies were massive, considerably larger than the humanoid monsters Ares had encountered in lower-ranked dungeons. Thick gray-green skin covered their muscular frames, reinforced by layers of natural tissue that appeared almost armor-like beneath the dim blue light.

Several carried enormous clubs.

Others wielded axes and crude weapons made from stone and metal.

Their eyes glowed faintly red.

The mana surrounding their bodies was dense.

Far denser than the monsters Ares had encountered in the lower-ranked dungeons.

Ji Won’s expression changed.

"Trolls..."

Ares remained silent.

The Titan Guild party reacted immediately.

There was no shouting.

No need for Hyuk-soo to issue another command.

The Tank moved to the front.

The five A-Rank Awakeners spread naturally across the formation.

The B-Rank fighters positioned themselves behind them, covering the gaps between the stronger members.

The three Mages moved into separate positions, preparing their respective spells.

The Supporter raised one hand.

A faint aura spread across the party.

The Assassin disappeared into the shadows.

Ares watched.

’As expected from an A-Rank party.’

’The moment the monsters appeared, everyone moved into their positions without waiting for the Raid Leader to explain what they should do.’

His gaze moved across the formation.

’The Tank is protecting the center.’

’The A-Rank combatants are covering the frontline and flanks.’

’The B-Rank members are filling the openings between them instead of clustering together.’

’The Mages have already separated their attack ranges, while the Supporter is strengthening everyone before the battle even begins.’

Ares’s eyes shifted toward the darkness where the Assassin had disappeared.

’And the Assassin has already moved ahead to determine whether these Trolls are the entire group.’

A faint smile appeared on his face.

’They’re experienced.’

The Trolls suddenly roared.

The dungeon shook.

The Titan Guild party tightened their formation.

And the first battle inside the A-Rank dungeon was about to begin.

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