Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger - Chapter 315

Chapter 315: EX 315. Blessing I
James stood frozen on the hovering vessel, his hands gripping the edge as the flames devoured the massive spider below. The blast had been immense and strong enough to shake the entire clearing, yet its control was surgical. The explosion never spread beyond the spider’s form, as if the fire itself had been told exactly what to burn.

He could feel the heat even from up here, but what unsettled him most was the precision. Whoever that boy was, his command of flame was… unnatural.

The figure responsible descended lightly through the drifting smoke, landing before the smoldering carcass. His crimson hair caught the glow of the burning forest floor, and his eyes, sharp, red, and steady, never left the crippled spider. Floating just over his shoulder was something even stranger: a doll-sized figure with black wings unfurling from her back, feathers glinting like shards of shadow.

James and his squad stared wordlessly from their vessel. None dared speak.

The small winged being broke the silence first. Her voice was soft but edged with amusement.

“Eden… it seems you held back.”

The boy’s lips curved faintly. “My control was a little off,” he replied, two smaller fireballs flickering to life in his palms.

Before anyone could react, the spider let out an ear-splitting shrieking sound of fury and pain as it burst from the fire. Its body was charred and cracked, but its murderous intent hadn’t dimmed. It lunged toward Eden, one of its blade-like legs thrusting forward.

Eden slid to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. The leg speared into the ground, shaking the earth. The spider attacked again and again, each strike faster than the last, forcing Eden to weave between the blows. Dirt and shattered bark flew into the air as the creature’s relentless assault carved trenches into the forest floor.

Eden’s movements were calm, almost playful, his hands still holding the two small fireballs as he danced between death.

When his back finally met a tree trunk, the spider lunged straight for him, its leg piercing through the wood with a deafening crack. Eden twisted aside at the last instant, letting the tree explode behind him in a shower of splinters.

“Are you done having fun?” the small winged girl asked dryly, folding her arms midair.

“When did you become such a killjoy, Blessing?” Eden replied, smirking faintly.

Her dark eyes narrowed in warning.

“Fine,” he sighed. “I’m done.”

The flames in his hands suddenly dimmed and vanished. He raised one hand, folding his fingers until only his thumb and index finger remained extended, forming the shape of a gun.

The spider screeched and charged again, the ground trembling beneath its steps. But before it could reach him, a tiny, glowing point appeared on its head, followed by several more that lit up across its body.

James’s breath caught. Those are…

Eden whispered something under his breath. “Fire web.”

At once, every glowing point flared. The air shimmered as a dozen fiery projectiles materialized in the spots where Eden had once stood during his evasive dance, each one burning hotter than molten metal.

A split second later, they fired.

Blinding beams of concentrated flame slashed through the air, slicing through the spider’s body like blades of sunlight. The creature convulsed, its screech cutting short as the flames seared through chitin and flesh alike.

In seconds, it was over.

The spider collapsed, its body falling apart into hundreds of glowing fragments before disintegrating completely in the heat.

Eden lowered his hand, exhaling softly as the last ember faded from his fingertips.

Blessing hovered beside him, expression unreadable.

Not that far of, James and his squad could only stare, as silent and breathless witnesses to a power that didn’t belong to their world.

****

Eden dusted his hands and walked toward the spider’s charred corpse, the faint hiss of cooling flesh echoing through the quiet forest. The smell of burnt chitin hung thick in the air. He glanced at what was left of the creature and exhaled softly.

“This guy was really something,” he muttered, crouching to inspect one of the severed legs before shaking his head.

He hadn’t planned on a detour. Blessing had sensed Leon in this region, and they’d come all the way out here to confirm it. But before they could trace the signal, this oversized pest had attacked, forcing them into an unexpected hunt. The spider had realized too late that it wasn’t the predator. Once it turned to flee, Eden chased it down without hesitation, the chase ending here, in fire and ruin.

Eden rose to his feet and turned to the small winged being hovering nearby. “Alright, Blessing,” he said with a nod toward the corpse. “Do your thing.”

Blessing floated closer, her black wings fluttering once as she landed atop the spider’s burnt remains. Then she began to eat.

Despite her tiny frame, the speed at which she devoured the creature was inhuman. Her movements blurred as the once-massive body was stripped away layer by layer until nothing but ash and faint traces of energy remained. In only a few minutes, the monster that had terrified the forest was gone.

Blessing patted her stomach and let out a quiet burp before gliding back to Eden’s shoulder. “For such a big guy,” she said, her tone unimpressed, “it doesn’t hold much corruption.”

Eden smiled faintly. “It’s fine. There’ll be more in the future.”

Blessing gave a small nod, her expression softening as the boy started walking. Together, the two made their way toward the direction of James and his squad, who, even now, watched them from the distance in silent disbelief.

****

James and his squad watched in silence as the red-haired boy and the small winged figure drew closer. The air around them carried a quiet pressure, subtle but unmistakable, the kind that made even seasoned fighters instinctively hold their breath.

James felt the same strange weight settle over him, the same sense of overwhelming presence he’d once felt when standing before him. His mind flashed back to that day in Shantel, when Leon had cut through monsters like a god descending.

He shook his head slightly, forcing the thought away. ‘No… Lord Leon’s methods were far more stunning.’

Eden stopped a few feet away, his boots crunching softly against the forest floor. Blessing hovered beside him, her dark wings folding neatly as her curious gaze flicked between each of the stunned soldiers.

Without wasting a word, Eden looked straight at James. “Do you know anyone named Leon?”