The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 209: Chapter 210: The Power of a Summon

The reinforced dimensional analyzer continued humming beside the A-Rank Gate.

Director Han Seung-ho stood several meters away, studying the readings with a serious expression while the technicians continued monitoring every fluctuation.

Then—

VMMMMMMMM...

The device suddenly changed.

Several indicators rose at once.

One of the technicians immediately looked toward the display.

"Director, the internal energy output has increased significantly."

Seung-ho’s expression hardened.

"How significant?"

"Far beyond the previous readings. The increase is continuing."

Before Seung-ho could respond, the atmosphere around the Gate suddenly changed.

A pressure spread through the area.

At first, it was barely noticeable.

Then it intensified.

The air became heavy.

The ground beneath their feet began trembling.

Several security personnel instinctively stepped backward.

One technician dropped his analyzer.

"What..."

Seung-ho’s eyes widened.

He could feel it now.

Something was emanating from deep within the dungeon.

Something powerful enough that its presence was reaching through the sealed dimensional structure.

The pressure continued increasing.

Then a terrifying aura suddenly swept across the area.

BOOOOOOM!

Several people were forced backward.

Some of the technicians immediately fell to one knee.

The security personnel struggled to remain standing.

Seung-ho’s expression became grim.

"This isn’t an ordinary A-Rank dungeon."

He stared at the Gate.

"That presence..."

A voice came from behind him.

"Director Han."

Seung-ho turned.

A group of people had arrived at the perimeter.

At the front stood a tall man wearing the formal combat uniform of the Titan Guild.

Park Tae-hyun.

The Guild Master of Titan.

An S-Rank Awakener.

He had arrived much sooner than expected.

His eyes immediately moved toward the Gate.

Then the aura reached him.

Tae-hyun stopped.

His expression changed completely.

For the first time since arriving, the confidence normally associated with an S-Rank Guild Master disappeared from his face.

A cold sensation ran down his spine.

His instincts screamed at him.

Whatever existed inside that Gate was dangerous.

Far more dangerous than an ordinary A-Rank dungeon.

Tae-hyun clenched his fist.

"This aura..."

His voice became low.

"Dammit."

He stared at the Gate.

"My people are still inside."

The pressure intensified again.

Tae-hyun’s jaw tightened.

"If this continues, none of them will survive whatever is waiting in there."

Seung-ho stepped toward him.

"Please remain calm, Guild Master Park."

Tae-hyun looked toward him.

"How am I supposed to remain calm when my entire raid team is trapped inside a dungeon emitting this kind of pressure?"

His voice remained controlled, but the anger and concern beneath it were unmistakable.

Seung-ho did not react defensively.

"I understand your concern, but we have already attempted to establish an external connection to the dungeon."

He gestured toward the analyzer.

"The Gate is actively blocking the dimensional passage. We cannot establish a stable connection with the interior, and forcing one could destabilize the entire structure."

Tae-hyun looked toward the Gate again.

"Could we attempt another connection?"

Seung-ho shook his head.

"Not safely."

Tae-hyun’s expression darkened.

"If we cannot establish a connection, then how are we supposed to retrieve them?"

"We cannot retrieve them at this moment."

The answer was blunt, but professional.

"We can only monitor the Gate and wait for a change in its dimensional structure."

Tae-hyun remained silent.

His eyes stayed fixed on the Gate.

’If I ask another guild for assistance, Titan will look incapable of protecting its own people.’

’We’re currently ranked second among Korea’s major guilds.’

’If this operation ends with the entire raid team dead, our standing will collapse.’

’The guilds below us will surpass us, and Titan could become one of the lowest-ranked major guilds in the country.’

’I cannot allow that to happen.’

His fist tightened further.

Seung-ho noticed the movement but said nothing.

Tae-hyun finally exhaled.

"Then continue monitoring the Gate."

Seung-ho nodded.

"We will."

Tae-hyun looked toward him.

"And ?"

"We’ll notify you immediately if the dimensional structure changes enough to permit entry."

Tae-hyun sighed.

He turned toward the Gate again.

Tae-hyun’s expression became grim.

"Whatever is inside that dungeon..."

He paused.

"...my people are fighting something far beyond what they were prepared for."

Seung-ho remained silent.

He understood exactly what Tae-hyun meant.

Then he raised his communication device.

"I’ll report this to Chairman Kang."

Tae-hyun looked toward him.

"Make sure he understands the severity."

Seung-ho nodded.

He stepped several meters away and opened the secure channel.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Kang speaking."

"Chairman, Director Han Seung-ho. Guild Master Park Tae-hyun has arrived at the A-Rank Gate, and the situation has escalated."

Kang’s voice became serious.

"Report."

Seung-ho glanced toward the Gate.

"The internal energy output has increased substantially, and a powerful hostile aura has begun reaching the exterior. The intensity is strong enough to affect personnel outside the Gate."

He paused.

"Guild Master Park Tae-hyun, an S-Rank Awakener, was visibly affected by the pressure and has confirmed that the presence is significantly beyond what we would expect from an ordinary A-Rank dungeon."

There was silence on the line.

Seung-ho continued.

"The Titan Guild raid team remains inside, and we currently have no means of establishing an external connection. The Gate continues rejecting dimensional interference, and attempting to force entry could destabilize the entire dungeon."

Kang remained silent for several seconds.

"Understood."

His voice became colder.

"Maintain containment and continue monitoring every fluctuation. Do not attempt a forced breach without my authorization."

"Understood, Chairman."

Seung-ho ended the call.

He lowered the communication device and looked toward the Gate again.

Park Tae-hyun was still standing before it.

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

Inside the dungeon, the battle had reached its most dangerous point.

The Troll King stood at the center of the enormous chamber, its massive body surrounded by the High Trolls that had already been revived after Ares killed them moments earlier. Its aura continued spreading through the room, pressing against the party with enough force to make even the strongest members struggle to breathe normally.

Jang Hyuk-soo glanced toward Ares.

For several seconds, he couldn’t take his eyes off him.

’What exactly is this man?’

His grip tightened around his sword.

’He’s registered as an E-Rank Healer, yet he just moved through those High Trolls as though they were nothing.’

His eyes narrowed.

’Could he actually be a newly awakened S-Rank?’

The thought seemed absurd.

Yet after everything he had witnessed, he could no longer dismiss it.

’Maybe he’s deliberately hiding his identity.’

’If that’s true, then why would an S-Rank Awakener register himself as E-Rank and work as a porter?’

Another possibility entered his mind.

’Could he be affiliated with another major guild?’

’No... if that were the case, someone at this level would already be known.’

Jang Hyuk-soo looked toward the Eclipse Devourer in Ares’s hand.

’Unless he’s hiding far more than just his rank.’

Before he could think any further, Ares stepped forward.

He lowered the Eclipse Devourer.

Then the sword disappeared.

The party stared at him.

Jang Hyuk-soo’s expression changed.

"Yoon Tae-ho?"

Ares raised one hand.

Darkness began gathering around his fingers.

It wasn’t the same darkness that surrounded the Eclipse Devourer.

This time, it was accompanied by a deep, ancient pressure that seemed to resonate with the dungeon itself.

The surrounding air began trembling.

Ares calmly looked toward the countless High Trolls.

Then he spoke.

"From the flame that burns beyond the mortal realm, answer my call."

The darkness beneath his feet expanded.

A massive crimson magical circle appeared across the stone floor, its outer ring composed of several rotating layers while intricate symbols resembling flames and ancient runes appeared throughout its interior.

Ares raised his hand slightly.

"From the heart of destruction, descend."

The crimson circle brightened.

"Come forth, Ifrit."

The entire chamber shook.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A pillar of crimson fire erupted from the formation.

The party instinctively stepped backward.

"What is he doing?!"

"Is that a summoning?"

"Wait... he’s a Summoner?"

The flames continued rising.

Then something emerged from within them.

A humanoid figure stepped through the crimson flames.

It stood at roughly three meters tall, with a powerful, perfectly proportioned body that resembled that of a highly trained human warrior. Its broad shoulders, defined chest, strong arms, and muscular abdomen were covered in remarkably clean, smooth skin, while thin crimson lines resembling flowing fire traced naturally across its muscles.

Its hair was not completely short, but it was cut close enough to remain practical. The strands were swept sharply upward, as though they were constantly being lifted by flames, with several fiery tips flickering gently above its head.

Two curved horns extended backward from its head, while its eyes burned with a brilliant golden light.

Rather than being covered entirely in flames, its body was surrounded by a controlled crimson aura, with small tongues of fire occasionally moving across its shoulders and arms.

It looked less like a creature made from fire and more like a perfect humanoid warrior whose very body had been forged from an inferno.

The creature descended.

Then—

DOOOOOOM!

Its feet struck the ground.

The entire chamber trembled.

The High Trolls instinctively recoiled.

Even the Troll King stopped moving.

The summoned being slowly lowered itself.

Then it knelt before Ares.

One enormous fist pressed against the ground.

Its head bowed.

The flames surrounding its body remained completely still.

Ares looked down at it.

"Stand."

Ifrit immediately rose.

Its enormous body towered over everyone in the chamber.

The party members stared in silence.

Jang Hyuk-soo’s expression had completely changed.

"Wait, Tae-ho..."

His voice became uncertain.

"Are you also a Summoner?"

Ares looked toward him.

"Yeah, something like that."

Jang Hyuk-soo stared at Ifrit.

’Impossible.’

’That summon...’

His eyes widened.

’Its presence is stronger than Guild Master Park Tae-hyun’s.’

He swallowed.

’No... it’s considerably stronger.’

The realization sent a chill through his entire body.

If the creature standing before them was truly a summon, then its master possessed an ability that exceeded anything he had ever encountered.

The other members were equally stunned.

Chae Soo-ah stared at Ifrit’s enormous frame.

"I’ve never sensed a summon with this kind of pressure."

Joo Min-ho tightened his grip around his staff.

"That’s not an ordinary summoned creature."

Yoo Ha-rin looked between Ares and Ifrit.

"How is an E-Rank Healer capable of summoning something like that?"

Nam Tae-jin clenched his fists.

"That thing’s aura alone is overwhelming."

Seo Kang-ho, the Tank, stared at Ifrit while slowly lowering his shield.

"If that creature is really his summon..."

His expression became serious.

"...then what exactly have we been fighting beside this entire time?"

Even the usually composed members of the party struggled to hide their shock.

Jang Hyuk-soo finally looked toward Ares.

"You’ve been hiding your strength from us from the beginning..."

Ares didn’t answer.

Instead, he looked toward Ifrit.

"I’ll leave everything to you."

Ifrit lowered its head.

"Understood."

Its voice was deep and powerful, carrying the sound of distant flames.

Then it turned toward the High Trolls.

The flames surrounding its body suddenly expanded.

The temperature in the chamber rose sharply.

The High Trolls roared and charged.

Ifrit raised one hand.

A massive crimson magical circle appeared above the battlefield.

Then another.

And another.

Within seconds, dozens of enormous circles covered the ceiling above the High Trolls.

The party stared upward.

"What..."

The circles began rotating.

Their centers opened.

From within each formation emerged a massive spear of condensed crimson flame.

Hundreds of them.

They hovered above the battlefield for a single moment.

Then—

Ifrit lowered its hand.

The spears descended.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entire chamber erupted.

Crimson fire rained down upon the High Trolls, each spear piercing directly through their bodies before detonating into enormous pillars of flame.

One High Troll disappeared.

Then another.

Then dozens.

The fire continued falling.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The High Trolls were completely overwhelmed.

Their bodies were burned from the inside out, their regenerative abilities unable to keep pace with the concentrated destruction.

The chamber became filled with crimson light.

Joo Min-ho stared.

"That’s..."

His voice trembled.

"That’s not normal magic."

Chae Soo-ah’s eyes widened.

"That scale... compared to that thing, I’m nowhere near enough."

Yoo Ha-rin looked toward Ares.

The final wave of flaming spears descended.

BOOOOOOM!

The remaining High Trolls were completely incinerated.

The flames slowly disappeared.

The chamber fell silent.

Jang Hyuk-soo stared at the battlefield.

There wasn’t a single High Troll left standing.

He slowly lowered his sword.

"S-such power..."

His voice was barely audible.

"Is this really the power of a summon?"

Another member stared at the destruction.

"I can’t believe it."

He looked toward Ifrit.

"Only an S-Rank Awakener should be capable of something like that."

Jang Hyuk-soo’s expression became even more serious.

"If that’s only a summon..."

He slowly turned toward Ares.

"...then how powerful is its master?"

Ares didn’t answer.

He simply looked toward the Troll King.

The massive monster was still standing.

Its expression had changed.

The amusement was gone.

Ares looked toward Ifrit.

"Finish it."

Ifrit raised one hand.

A crimson magical circle appeared beneath the Troll King.

The formation was different from the previous one.

Its outer ring rotated slowly, while several smaller circles formed around the center, each carrying intricate symbols resembling flames and ancient seals.

The Troll King roared.

It attempted to move.

The formation activated.

"Infernal Judgment."

A pillar of crimson fire erupted directly beneath the Troll King.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Troll King’s enormous body was lifted from the ground.

The crimson flame surrounded it completely.

The attack struck directly against its head with overwhelming force.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Troll King crashed onto the stone floor.

The entire chamber shook.

The party members were forced to shield their faces from the resulting wave of heat.

When the flames finally disappeared, the Troll King lay motionless.

Its enormous body was covered in burns.

The top of its head had been severely damaged.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Jang Hyuk-soo stared at the fallen monster.

Then he slowly exhaled.

"That attack..."

He looked toward Ifrit.

"It was strong enough to destroy an S-Rank monster."

Chae Soo-ah nodded.

"There’s no way an ordinary summon should possess that level of destructive power."

Joo Min-ho stared at the Troll King.

"Is it dead?"

Nobody answered.

Then—

CRACK.

A faint movement came from the Troll King’s body.

Jang Hyuk-soo’s eyes widened.

"Wait..."

The others immediately turned toward the monster.

The damaged flesh around its neck began moving.

The burned tissue slowly regenerated.

Then the shattered bones beneath it began reforming.

The Troll King’s body twitched.

Its head started rebuilding itself.

Joo Min-ho’s face went pale.

"Wait..."

He pointed toward the monster.

"Look!"

The party stared.

The Troll King’s destroyed head was restoring itself.

"Its head..."

Yoo Ha-rin’s voice trembled.

"It’s getting restored."

Chae Soo-ah stepped backward.

"Impossible..."

She stared at the regenerating monster.

"After taking that attack, it’s still alive?"

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