Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger - Chapter 284

Chapter 284: EX 284. Harlots Paradise
Alexander had known for a long time that Leon Kael was not entirely human, from their first meeting. And yet, Leon had never faltered. Never shown even a flicker of instability. His actions, and his strength had spoken louder than that unnatural essence. But now, as Alexander replayed the boy’s words in his mind, that he had bonded with a Primordial Dragon, the old unease twisted into something deeper.

‘So it wasn’t just corruption,’ he thought grimly. ‘It was something beyond it.’

The boy’s origins had always been a mystery. His power, his unshakable will, his uncanny ability to adapt where others crumbled, it all pointed to something greater than mortal birth. But Alexander exhaled slowly and let the thought drift away. ‘What Leon was no longer mattered.

As long as he stands with us, that’s enough,’ he decided. ‘If this boy can help us through what’s coming, I can bury my curiosity. The last thing we need is to antagonize the only person capable of tilting the balance in our favor.’

When he finally spoke again, his tone was calm, almost casual, though his gaze stayed sharp.

“But you still got your weapon, didn’t you?”

The question hung in the air. It wasn’t disbelief, merely the emperor’s need to confirm. A bond with a primordial dragon was extraordinary, yes, but the real reason for the bond was the weapon one would obtain after establishing it.

Leon didn’t answer. He simply lifted his right hand.

The faint tattoo etched across his forearm began to move, splintering apart like shards of glass peeling from skin. They hovered in the air, glimmering with an eerie silver-black light before spiraling together. The shards merged, forming a single coherent shape that pulsed once, then solidified.

When the light faded, a blade rested in Leon’s grip.

It was a katana, sleek, elegant, and unnervingly alive. The blade stretched seventy centimeters, its handle another thirty. A black coating ran along the blunt side, while the sharp edge was etched with glowing engravings that looked more like flowing runes than markings. The sword seemed to hum in rhythm with Leon’s heartbeat, a low vibration that filled the room with quiet reverence.

For a moment, even the emperor was silent. Racheal and Adrian watched, spellbound.

Leon’s voice broke the stillness.

“Its name is Void Blade.”

Alexander’s lips curved faintly as he nodded, his tone thoughtful. “A soothing name,” he said, and he meant it. Despite the weapon’s overwhelming presence, there was an odd tranquility in its aura a balance between destruction and calm.

He could feel it: the merging of void and dragon, of darkness and creation. Whatever this blade was, it wasn’t forged, it was born.

Name: Void Blade: Originus

Type: Weapon

Rank: Soul Bound

Tier: ???

Description: A soul-bound weapon formed by a creature of the void, housing the soul of a great primordial dragon.

Effects: Formless

****

The emperor had already departed. After confirming that Leon was in stable condition, and promising to begin the search for his missing squadmates, Alexander returned to the imperial palace. His visit had been brief, but heavy with implication.

Commander Markus watched him leave in silence, still half disbelieving that the emperor himself had come all this way for a single person. Then again, considering what Leon had just achieved, it wasn’t so hard to understand.

The office was quieter now. The weight that came with the emperor’s presence had lifted, and Rachel and Adrian could finally breathe normally again. Neither had spoken much while Alexander was there; his gaze alone was enough to make them feel like cadets under scrutiny. Now, as the silence stretched, Markus leaned back in his chair, studying the three of them.

“According to His Grace,” he began, his tone even but his eyes sharp, “we need to see what you’re truly capable of. And the best way to do that,” he pulled out a map on his desk “is to throw you straight at the clusters.”

A faint silence filled the room as the map unfolded above his desk, blue lines tracing the empire’s central and border regions. Markus highlighted twelve regions on the map.

“These are the areas where cluster activity with environmental tethers has been detected recently,” he said, his voice steady but grim. “Twelve in total. Each one unstable.”

He pointed at one of the markers near the capital.

“The closest is here.”

Rachel leaned forward to read the name etched beside the red dot.

“Harlot’s Paradise,” she murmured before catching herself, her cheeks coloring faintly. She straightened immediately, pretending not to notice the amused glance Adrian shot her.

Markus ignored the brief exchange and continued. “That town was infected two days ago. Most of the civilians were evacuated in time. We were preparing to seal the area, same as the others… but since His grace wants to test if their is a limit to your ability to destroy corruption, that task now falls to you three.”

Leon gave a single nod, his expression unreadable. He knew well what the commander was referring to. Up until now, the empire’s only method of handling corruption was to trap it, seal the infected zones and abandon them to fester. But seals weren’t permanent. Over time, the corruption within continued to grow, pressing against the boundaries until the day it would inevitably burst free. When that day came, it would be nothing short of Armageddon.

Maybe, just maybe, he could change that.

Markus no longer focused on the map and rose from his chair. “You three should prepare. I’ll inform your last member of the operation and send word once everything’s set.”

The last member was obviously Lieutenant Lancelot.

****

Leon and Rachel returned to the quarters that had been assigned to them. The room was quiet, the air faintly scented with polished wood and lavender sheets. A single bed sat neatly made in the center, its thick blankets and soft pillows practically inviting rest.

Leon’s gaze lingered on it for a long moment. ‘What a waste,’ he thought bitterly. After everything that had happened, a bed like that almost felt like a taunt, something meant to tempt him into comfort he wouldn’t have time to enjoy. They’d barely arrived, and already they were being sent out again.

Rachel, noticing the faint crease between his brows, tilted her head. “Why do you have that look?”

Leon turned toward her, his expression smooth as glass. “It’s nothing,” he said quietly.

But as his eyes drifted back to the bed, another thought flickered through his mind. If they weren’t heading out, he would have shared the space with Racheal. Markus didn’t strike him as the type to make such arrangements by accident. Still, Leon couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed. The thought didn’t bother him as much as it should have.

Rachel gave a small nod. “Okay.” She began gathering a few of her belongings, it made no sense to leave anything behind.

Leon, meanwhile, stepped into the adjoining washroom. The light above the mirror flickered softly as he faced his reflection. For a moment, he just stared. His features had grown sharper since entering the trial, more defined, more distant. But what drew his attention most was his hair. Long, white, and lustrous, it cascaded past his shoulders like liquid silver. It had grown far longer than he realized.

A dry, ancient voice echoed suddenly in his mind, deep and slightly amused.

“I suggest you cut it. No master of mine should look like a ruffian.”

Leon blinked once. He didn’t need to ask who it was.

Originus.

The primordial dragon’s voice carried an unmistakable weight, aged pride woven with something almost… regal.

Leon’s lips twitched faintly. “So you can talk now, huh,” he murmured, watching his own reflection smirk back at him.