The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 212: Chapter 213: The Truth Behind the Seoul S-Rank Gate

Ares remained silent for several seconds before looking toward Ji Won.

"Ji Won."

Ji Won looked at him.

"Hm?"

"Could you leave the room for a while?"

Ji Won blinked.

"Leave?"

"Yes."

Ares’s expression remained calm.

"There is something I need to discuss with the Chairman and Director, and I’d prefer to speak about it privately."

Ji Won glanced toward the two officials, clearly wondering what could possibly be serious enough to require him to leave.

After a moment, however, he nodded.

"Alright. I’ll wait outside."

He stood from his seat and gave a polite bow toward Chairman Kang Dong-wook and Director Han Seung-ho before leaving the room.

The door closed quietly behind him.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Dong-wook finally broke the silence.

"You asked Han Ji Won to leave."

His gaze remained fixed on Ares.

"So I assume what you wanted to discuss isn’t something you wanted him to hear."

Ares leaned back slightly.

"That’s correct."

’It can’t be helped.’

’They already know that I’m far more capable than my official registration suggests. After everything I’ve shown them, continuing to hide everything would only make this more complicated.’

’If I’m going to reveal what I’m actually capable of, then it’s only right that I tell them the truth about the Seoul Gate as well.’

Ares looked toward the Chairman.

"It concerns the S-Rank Gate."

Dong-wook’s expression immediately became more serious.

"The S-Rank Gate?"

"Yes."

Seung-ho straightened slightly.

"What about it?"

Ares remained silent for a moment before answering.

"I read the reports concerning the Gate that have been released by the Association, particularly the report stating that approximately twenty percent of the dungeon has been discovered."

Dong-wook nodded.

"That is the current official assessment."

Ares shook his head.

"Then the assessment is wrong."

The room became quiet.

Seung-ho’s eyes narrowed.

"Wrong?"

"Yes."

Ares continued in the same calm tone.

"To be more precise, the twenty percent you’ve discovered does not represent twenty percent of the actual dungeon."

"It represents only a portion of what I would call the dungeon’s safety zones."

Dong-wook’s expression tightened.

"Safety zones?"

"Areas where the monsters you’ve already classified as ordinary inhabitants of the dungeon are allowed to roam."

Ares paused.

"Even there, the creatures you’ve encountered are already A- and S-Rank monsters."

Seung-ho’s expression changed.

"So you’re saying the territory we’ve mapped is merely an outer section where high-ranking monsters are allowed to roam freely."

"Exactly."

Dong-wook stared at Ares.

"Then how can you be so certain?"

Seung-ho immediately followed.

"You’ve made an extremely serious claim. Our researchers have spent an entire year analyzing that Gate, and you’re telling us that their assessment represents only a fraction of what actually exists."

Ares remained completely composed.

"The source of my information isn’t important."

Seung-ho’s expression hardened.

"With respect, Mr. Yoon, it becomes important when you’re contradicting an entire year’s worth of research."

Ares looked toward him.

"Then you don’t have to believe me."

Seung-ho frowned.

"What?"

Ares’s expression remained calm.

"I’m not asking you to accept my words simply because I said them."

He leaned back slightly.

"You can continue relying on your current reports if you prefer."

"But the reason I’m telling you this is because the S-Rank Gate is far beyond what your current information suggests."

Dong-wook’s eyes narrowed.

"How far beyond?"

Ares looked directly at him.

"Your information represents approximately five percent of the actual dungeon."

Silence.

Seung-ho’s expression froze.

"Five percent?"

Dong-wook slowly leaned forward.

"You’re saying that everything the Association has discovered over the past year amounts to only five percent of the actual dungeon?"

"Yes."

The Chairman stared at Ares.

There was obvious doubt in his expression now.

"That’s difficult to accept."

"I understand."

Ares nodded.

"If I were sitting where you are, I would doubt it as well."

Seung-ho folded his arms.

"Then you understand why we can’t simply accept such a claim without evidence."

"Of course."

Ares looked toward him.

"That’s why I’m going to show you."

Seung-ho’s expression changed slightly.

"Show us?"

"Yes."

Ares paused.

"But before that, there is something you should know."

Dong-wook waited.

Ares’s voice became more serious.

"The reason I’m telling you this isn’t to frighten you."

He looked toward the Chairman.

"It’s because you’re preparing to deal with this Gate as though you understand what is inside it."

"You don’t."

The room fell silent.

Ares continued.

"The dungeon contains four S-Rank bosses."

Seung-ho’s eyes widened.

"Four S-Rank bosses?"

"Yes."

Dong-wook’s expression became noticeably tense.

"Four separate S-Rank boss-level monsters?"

Ares nodded.

"Four."

He paused.

"And don’t make the mistake of thinking that they’re simply ordinary S-Rank monsters bosses with higher statistics."

Ares’s gaze became colder.

"Each one possesses enough power to turn an entire country into ruins."

Neither official spoke.

Ares continued.

"They aren’t creatures that an ordinary S-Rank force can simply surround and eliminate."

"They are calamities capable of destroying everything around them."

Seung-ho slowly shook his head.

"You’re saying four creatures of that level are living inside the Seoul Gate."

"Yes."

The Director stared at him.

"How do you know that?"

Ares answered without hesitation.

"As I said, the source of my information isn’t important."

Seung-ho’s expression tightened.

"Then how are we supposed to distinguish fact from fabrication?"

Ares gave him a calm look.

"You’re free to believe that I’m lying."

He paused.

"Nothing I say can force you to believe me."

Dong-wook remained silent for several seconds.

His fingers slowly tightened against the armrest.

"Then tell us about the first one."

Ares nodded.

"Very well."

He raised one finger.

"The weakest among the four."

The Chairman’s expression changed slightly.

"The weakest?"

"Yes."

Ares continued.

"The eastern region is known as the Abyssal Web Forest."

"It is an enormous territory covered by ancient trees, deep valleys, and an extensive network of nearly invisible webs."

Seung-ho’s eyes narrowed.

"Webs?"

"Everywhere."

Ares’s expression remained serious.

"The entire region is covered in them."

"Some stretch between trees."

"Others cover the ground."

"Some are suspended so high that they are almost impossible to detect from below."

He paused.

"And beneath that forest lives the Abyssal Broodmother."

Dong-wook waited.

Ares continued.

"She is an Abyssal Spider."

"Approximately one hundred meters tall."

"Eight enormous limbs."

"Black chitin covering her entire body."

Seung-ho’s expression changed immediately.

"One hundred meters?"

"Yes."

Dong-wook stared at him.

"That’s larger than most of the structures surrounding the Gate."

Ares nodded.

"Her size isn’t even the most dangerous part."

Seung-ho’s eyes remained fixed on him.

"Her webs."

"They are strong enough to restrain S-Rank monsters."

"The stronger the creature caught inside them, the more the Broodmother reinforces the web."

"Breaking free through raw physical strength becomes extremely difficult."

Dong-wook’s expression became darker.

"And you mentioned that the entire region is covered by them."

"Yes."

Ares nodded.

"That means an army entering her territory would already be fighting before they ever reached her."

"The environment itself becomes a weapon."

Seung-ho slowly lowered his gaze.

"Then her venom."

Ares looked at him.

"Exactly."

"The venom doesn’t simply damage the body."

"It interferes directly with mana circulation."

"An Awakener who is poisoned would gradually lose control over the flow of mana throughout their body."

"Which means their abilities would become increasingly difficult to use."

Seung-ho’s face tightened.

"So even an S-Rank Awakener could become significantly weaker after being poisoned."

"Yes."

Ares paused.

"But the venom and webs are still not the reason I consider her the greatest threat in that region."

Dong-wook’s expression became tense.

"Then what is?"

Ares looked toward him.

"Her reproduction."

Silence.

"The Broodmother can reproduce at an extremely rapid rate."

"Her offspring aren’t identical."

"They develop through different generations."

Ares continued.

"Each generation becomes increasingly adapted to the environment and the prey surrounding them."

Seung-ho stared at him.

"You’re saying the offspring evolve?"

"Not exactly in the way your researchers would normally define evolution."

Ares shook his head.

"They adapt within their own generations."

"If one generation encounters an ability that proves effective against them, later generations can develop traits that make that ability less effective."

Dong-wook’s expression became increasingly grim.

"And how many offspring are we talking about?"

"Thousands."

The Chairman’s face changed.

"Thousands?"

"At the very least."

Ares continued.

"And the problem isn’t simply the number."

He looked directly at both officials.

"Some of her offspring have already reached A-Rank."

Seung-ho’s expression immediately changed.

"Already?"

"Yes."

"Then the strongest offspring could eventually reach S-Rank."

"Exactly."

Ares paused.

"Now imagine fighting your way through thousands of creatures while the population continues reproducing and adapting."

"The army would spend most of its strength simply reaching the boss."

"And by the time they finally reached the Broodmother, they would already be exhausted."

Dong-wook slowly leaned back.

"How many S-Rank Awakeners would be required to eliminate her?"

Ares answered immediately.

"All of them."

Seung-ho frowned.

"All of South Korea’s S-Rank Awakeners?"

"Yes."

"And you believe that would be enough?"

Ares shook his head.

"No."

The room became completely silent.

Ares continued.

"Even if every available S-Rank Awakener in South Korea entered the eastern region together, their chance of defeating the Abyssal Broodmother would be approximately ten percent."

Seung-ho’s eyes widened.

"Ten percent?"

"Or lower."

Ares’s expression remained completely serious.

"That estimate assumes they somehow avoid catastrophic losses while fighting through the thousands of A- and S-Rank monsters inhabiting the region."

"They would lose stamina."

"They would exhaust their mana."

"They would accumulate injuries."

"And every step toward the Broodmother would make the remaining force weaker."

Dong-wook stared at Ares.

"You’re telling us that the entire S-Rank force of South Korea could enter that region and still have less than a ten percent chance of reaching the boss and killing it."

"Correct."

Seung-ho slowly shook his head.

"That’s..."

He stopped.

Ares remained silent.

Dong-wook finally spoke.

"How can we know that you’re not simply exaggerating the danger?"

Ares looked toward him.

"You don’t."

The Chairman’s expression tightened.

Ares continued.

"That’s why I brought evidence."

He reached into his pocket.

A smartphone appeared in his hand.

Seung-ho stared at it.

"You recorded this?"

"Yes."

Ares unlocked the device.

"I happened to bring my phone inside the dungeon."

Dong-wook’s eyes narrowed.

"You recorded the interior of the Seoul Gate?"

"Some of it."

Ares opened a folder.

"I didn’t record everything."

He turned the screen toward them.

"The first images are from the eastern region."

The first photograph appeared.

Both officials looked at the screen.

Their expressions changed immediately.

The image showed an enormous forest.

But it wasn’t an ordinary forest.

Ancient trees stretched across the landscape, their trunks wider than buildings.

Nearly invisible webs covered the spaces between them.

Some webs were so large that they extended across entire sections of the forest.

Others covered the ground in layers.

The scale was difficult to comprehend.

Seung-ho leaned closer.

"This..."

Dong-wook stared at the image.

"That’s not part of the territory shown in our maps."

"No."

Ares swiped to the next photograph.

This one showed an enormous web stretched between several gigantic trees.

The web itself was almost impossible to see except where the light reflected from its surface.

Seung-ho’s expression became tense.

"How large is that?"

"Several hundred meters."

The next image appeared.

A massive crater surrounded by webs.

Then another.

A section of forest where the trees were completely covered in white silk.

Then another.

A vast valley filled with webs stretching from one mountain to another.

The Chairman remained silent.

The photographs continued.

Every image showed something more difficult to accept than the previous one.

Seung-ho finally spoke.

"These could have been edited."

Ares looked at him.

"That’s possible."

Dong-wook glanced toward Seung-ho.

"You think the images might have been fabricated?"

"I’m saying we need to consider every possibility."

Ares nodded.

"That’s reasonable."

He didn’t argue.

Instead, he opened another file.

"This is a video."

Seung-ho’s expression changed slightly.

Ares pressed play.

The screen showed the eastern forest.

The camera moved slowly through the trees.

The webs were visible everywhere.

The sound of something moving could be heard in the distance.

Then the camera stopped.

Something enormous moved between the trees.

A spider.

Its legs alone were taller than some buildings.

Its body emerged from the darkness.

The camera angle shifted upward.

And upward.

And upward.

The entire creature finally came into view.

The Abyssal Broodmother.

One hundred meters of black chitin.

Eight enormous limbs.

Countless smaller spiders crawling across her body.

Dong-wook’s eyes widened.

Seung-ho stopped breathing for a moment.

Neither spoke.

The video continued.

The Broodmother slowly lowered her body.

Her abdomen expanded.

Then—

A large egg emerged.

Seung-ho’s face changed.

"That’s..."

Ares didn’t pause the video.

The egg fell onto the web-covered ground.

Almost immediately, dozens of smaller spiders gathered around it.

Then more appeared.

Different species.

Different sizes.

Some were barely larger than ordinary spiders.

Others were already several meters tall.

A few possessed thick armor.

Others had long, unnaturally sharp limbs.

Several appeared to have completely different body structures from one another.

The video continued showing the spiders surrounding the newly laid egg.

Then another cluster emerged from the surrounding forest.

Then another.

The number continued increasing.

Seung-ho stared at the screen.

"Those are..."

His voice became quieter.

"Different generations?"

Ares nodded.

"Yes."

Dong-wook’s expression had become visibly pale.

"This video..."

He looked toward Ares.

"You’re certain it hasn’t been artificially created?"

Ares calmly looked at him.

"You can examine the file yourself."

Seung-ho leaned closer to the screen.

The footage contained no obvious editing.

The movement of the spiders was continuous.

The shadows moved naturally.

The environment remained consistent.

There were no visible transitions or effects.

Seung-ho slowly leaned back.

"This isn’t artificially generated."

His voice had lost its previous confidence.

"These are real."

Dong-wook remained silent.

His eyes stayed fixed on the frozen frame of the Broodmother.

"Then..."

He swallowed.

"The information you’ve given us is real."

Ares didn’t answer immediately.

Dong-wook continued.

"You’re telling us that this creature..."

He looked toward the image again.

"...is only the weakest of the four."

"Yes."

Silence filled the room.

Seung-ho looked from the image to Ares.

"And the other three..."

Ares nodded once.

"They’re far worse."

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