Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger - Chapter 275

Chapter 275: EX 275. Find Them
The Emperor caught the flicker of curiosity in Leon’s eyes and almost smiled at the irony of it. ‘How funny,’ he thought, ‘an emperor of my stature showing weakness before a boy.’

But the momentary lapse made sense. After all, it had been a Living Tether that trapped his mother, a truth buried deep within the vault of his memory, one Leon didn’t need to know now.

Leon could tell something about the topic had struck a nerve. The air between them grew heavy, so to shift it back, he spoke. “So these Living Tethers… are they what you want me to handle?”

Alexander exhaled, collecting himself before replying, “No. That would be too direct.” His tone returned to the controlled steadiness expected of a ruler. “First, we test the fire.”

Leon tilted his head slightly. “The Environmental Tethers.”

The Emperor nodded. “Yes. Compared to the Living ones, the risk is manageable and not Contained.” His gaze sharpened, voice lowering with intent. “And besides… you already have experience with an Environmental Tether.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed. ‘So that confirms it,’ he thought. ‘The tether in Shantel was environmental after all.’

Alexander continued, folding his hands behind his back as his aura flickered faintly across the room. “We’ll coordinate with the Commander. Every cluster we uproot will bring us closer, to knowing if we have a solution or if our fate has been set in stone”

Leon studied him quietly, sensing that this mission wasn’t just about corruption or the empire. There was something else beneath the Emperor’s words, something personal, an edge of obsession hidden behind the weight of duty.

****

It was clear to Leon that what he was stepping into was dangerous, extremely dangerous. But it was also the only direction that made sense. Refusing the emperor’s proposal wouldn’t spare him from corruption’s path; it would only leave him to face it alone. Between standing against the empire or standing with it, the choice was simple.

Still, as he looked at Emperor Alexander, calmly discussing a plan that could claim countless lives, Leon thought, ‘He doesn’t know this is a trial.’

That truth shifted everything.

The people here, the emperor, the soldiers, the empire itself they believed their struggle was real. And in a way, it was. But for Leon, this entire world was part of a trial, a simulation. Back on the Blue Planet, research done by high-ranking trial takers had confirmed it: every world they entered through the altars was constructed, to test, push and break the strongest of warriors.

‘But I’m starting to think otherwise,’ Leon mused, his expression unreadable. The pain, the blood, the chaos, it felt too vivid and raw to be imitation.

Still, whether simulation or not, the emperor’s ignorance was a weapon Leon could use. Right now, the empire needed him, a being capable of purging corruption. They didn’t realize that he, too, had his own reasons for hunting it. Their goals overlapped, and that was all that mattered.

Leon leaned back slightly, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement. ‘For all he knows,’ he thought, ‘he’s sending a boy on a suicidal mission.’

He let that thought settle, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. ‘So it’s only fair that I ease his conscience… by demanding something in return.’

****

The emperor studied Leon quietly, noticing the faint smirk that played on his lips. For some reason, it made his fingers twitch with the sudden, irrational urge to hit the boy. ‘Why do I suddenly feel like hitting him?’ Alexander thought dryly. But he quickly pushed the thought aside, exhaling softly as he adjusted his tone to something firmer.

“So,” the emperor said, his voice losing all traces of cordiality, “what is it that you need?”

Gone was the desperation from earlier. This was no longer a plea, it was a negotiation. And if Leon was to be entrusted with such a task, Alexander needed to understand what kind of person he was truly dealing with. ‘I’ll know his true nature from this,’ the emperor thought.

Leon met his gaze without hesitation. “What you’re asking of me is very difficult,” he began, his tone calm but unbending. “But I’ll be able to do it… at the right price.”

Alexander’s brow arched slightly, but he stayed silent, waiting.

“First,” Leon said, “I want the permission to assemble my own team. I work better with people I’m familiar with.”

The emperor nodded slowly. “That can be arranged,” he said after a moment’s thought. “However, some of my own will accompany you. I need reports… in case anything happens.”

Leon didn’t speak immediately. His silence lingered for a few seconds too long, enough for the emperor to sense his disapproval. But Leon only shook his head and said bluntly, “That’s fine.”

His eyes, though, betrayed a flicker of thought, one Alexander didn’t miss. ‘So… someone to keep an eye on me,’ Leon mused, not even bothering to hide his realization. Then, with a faint shrug, he added inwardly, ‘Not that it will matter anyway.’

Alexander leaned back slightly. “Is there anything else?” he asked, tone measured.

Leon nodded, his expression sharpening. “Yes,” he said. “This is the most important.”

The emperor waited.

“I need your help in finding someone—” Leon paused, then corrected himself, “No, not someone. A group of people.”

Alexander gave him a questioning look, curiosity flickering in his emerald eyes. “Go on,” he said.

****

Part of Leon’s agenda had always been clear, before he could focus on anything else, he needed to find his squadmates. Elizabeth, Nikko, Eden, and Eleanor. Luckily, Adrian was already accounted for, and that at least gave him a small sense of relief. But the rest… they were out there somewhere, and the silence gnawed at him.

He leaned back slightly, gaze unfocused as his mind turned. ‘I have a feeling they’re not in the human domains,’ he thought. ‘And I think I know which domain they might be in… but it’s just a hunch. I can’t act on instinct alone, not this time.’

He needed certainty. And the only one with the power to provide that kind of information sat right in front of him, the Emperor himself.

Leon straightened, his tone steady but carrying a weight that drew the emperor’s full attention. “It’s four people,” he said. “I need your help in finding them.”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed faintly. There was something different in Leon’s voice—something personal, almost urgent—but controlled all the same. “Four people?” he repeated, measuring each word. “And who might they be?”

Leon didn’t answer immediately. His thoughts flickered back to their faces—the warmth of Elizabeth’s smile, Nikko’s quiet confidence, Eden’s restless fire, and Eleanor’s haunting, hollow stare. He met the emperor’s gaze again, his eyes cold now.

“My squadmates,” he said. “They’re missing.”

****

A/N: Cluster a place affected by corruption and filled with corrupted creatures . “Explaination for those that need spoon feeding like me(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)”