Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger - Chapter 299

Chapter 299: EX 299. It’s not over yet
Originus was quiet. For once, the ancient dragon had no immediate quip or sharp remark, only thought.

‘Demon?’ The word echoed in his mind, strange and unfamiliar. He had lived since before the first realms had stabilized, yet this term felt like something alien, something that did not belong to the natural order of existence.

Leon, still catching his breath, pressed a hand to his temple. His senses were slowly clearing, and with them came clarity. The corruption inside him twisted, writhed, then settled, it was familiar yet foreign. He analyzed its flow, the texture of its essence, and after a long silence, he exhaled sharply.

“No,” he said at last, his voice low but firm. “Calling it a demon is too far-fetched… it felt like she was on the verge of becoming one.”

The thought sent a chill through him, deep into his marrow.

He’d slain a guardian before, but this was different. Back in Shantel, when he’d defeated the Abomination, he hadn’t absorbed its corruption; his body wasn’t capable of it then. But now… as a Void Spawn, he could. And that new ability had shown him something terrifying.

His expression hardened. “Could it be… demons originate from Pandora?”

The idea hung between them like a curse.

Originus finally broke the silence, his tone low with curiosity.

“What are these demons you keep speaking of, boy?”

Leon blinked. “You don’t know what demons are?”

“I know many things,” the dragon replied evenly, “but not of this creature you describe.”

Leon’s heart skipped. “Could it be…?” He hesitated, then reached inward. A thin thread of thought connected them, and he shared the memories of the Blue Planet, of the war that had plagued the world, of the endless tides of demons consuming everything in their path.

Originus received the memories in silence. When he finally spoke, his usually commanding tone carried a rare note of unease.

“What kind of parasitic race is this?” he muttered. “A species that feeds on the very essence of others to multiply? This… this is not creation, it’s perversion. No world should birth such things. Conquest is one thing, but devouring existence itself?”

The dragon fell silent again. He now understood far more than Leon likely wanted him to. He knew the boy’s soul wasn’t native to Pandora. But that revelation could wait.

After a while, Originus’s voice returned it was calm and steady.

“So, you suspect that abomination to be one of them?”

Leon shook his head. “Not exactly. More like a precursor, something in the process of becoming one. But I could be wrong… there’s still too much I don’t know.”

The dragon said nothing. Only the faint echo of his presence stirred within Leon’s mind.

Then, without warning, warmth pressed against Leon’s back. Soft arms wrapped around his torso, firm yet trembling. He froze for a second, feeling the scent of spring and wildflowers fill his lungs.

“Racheal…” he breathed.

Her voice didn’t come, but her silence spoke volumes. Her whole body trembled against him, relief and fear interwoven. Leon turned, his eyes meeting hers. She looked up at him, her silver hair glinting in the dim light, her long ears twitching faintly.

Seeing Leon impaled in the chest had frightened her to death, so seeing him still alive and standing filled her with something more than relief.

“Was she worried?”

Leon didn’t think much about it as he reached out, his hand brushing over her head in a gentle motion. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I made you worry.”

Her body jolted slightly at his touch. She stepped back, her ears flushing red at the tips. ‘That feeling again,’ she thought, clutching her chest to steady her heartbeat.

From behind, a shadow loomed.

Adrian had just arrived, the aftermath of the battle still visible in his eyes. He took one look at Leon, then Racheal, then back again. His gaze narrowed, flicking between their faces like he was solving a puzzle.

A moment later, his expression shifted. His eyes widened, and a thought burst in his head, dry, incredulous, and a little jealous.

‘This fucking player.’

****

Adrian stared at Leon for a long moment, his brow twitching. ‘What is the captain thinking?’ he thought, suppressing a sigh. ‘We haven’t even found Elizabeth or the Supreme Heir yet, and he’s here acting all lovey-dovey with another woman.’ The absurdity of it almost made him laugh. Instead, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling through his teeth. ‘I guess no man is perfect.’

Leon caught the look. For a second, their eyes met, and the corner of Adrian’s mouth curved upward in that teasing way of his. Leon blinked, realizing what that look probably meant. His face tightened slightly. ‘Why does it seem like I’m giving off the wrong impression here?’

Originus’s voice rumbled in his mind, amusement dripping from every syllable.

“Are you really giving off the wrong impression, boy?”

Leon nearly groaned aloud. ‘You’re not helping,’ he thought back dryly.

But before he could respond, the sound of uneven footsteps echoed from behind them. The lieutenant had arrived, bruised and limping, but still on his feet. His armor was torn in places, dried blood darkening his sleeve, yet the faint smile on his face showed he was far from beaten.

“Leon,” he said, his voice rough but steady, “you did an excellent job here today—.”

He meant every word. Leon hadn’t only saved his life, he’d ended the threat that had nearly wiped them all out. The lieutenant looked at the young man standing before him, his aura calm, yet sharp as tempered steel and felt a rare mix of awe and disbelief.

‘To have surpassed me in a single day… only a monster could do that,’ he thought, though the realization didn’t sting. Among the Imperial Guards, power was the one thing they respected above all else and Leon had it in terrifying excess.

Lancelot smirked although it carried a trace of regret, but also pride. ‘Guess I can brag that I fought him and won.’

Then his expression shifted, the humor fading as his gaze sharpened toward Leon. The air around them seemed to cool a little as he finally said what he’d come to say all along.

“—But it’s not over yet.”