Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger-Chapter 91: EX . Deal Maker

Leon could see it, the subtle shift in Derrick’s face. The flicker of disbelief had dulled, replaced by reluctant acceptance. His lips twitched.

"Got him," Leon thought, the corners of his mouth tugging into a faint, victorious smile.

"But," Leon added aloud, "I won’t be clearing them for free."

The words snapped Derrick out of his daze. He blinked, then gave a light snort.

"Yeah... figures. What do you want?"

There wasn’t even hesitation in his tone. If Leon said he could clear six strongholds, then let him. Derrick had nothing to lose, there was no rule against another combatant clearing reserved strongholds on someone’s behalf. No one had ever tried it, because no one had ever been like Leon. And as the saying goes: where there’s no rule, there’s no sin

Leon’s smile widened.

"Eighty-twenty."

Derrick chuckled.

"That’s fair."

But Leon didn’t stop there.

"I take eighty... and you keep twenty."

Derrick blinked, then frowned.

"What?"

Leon shrugged, still smiling.

"What do you expect? I’m doing all the heavy lifting. And if I recall correctly, you only needed one stronghold worth of credits to cover your wife’s treatment, right? With twenty percent from six, you’ll get what you need... and then some."

Derrick didn’t even care how Leon knew. It was clear now that the teen had overheard his conversation with Stephanie, but somehow, the way he said it, with clarity and confidence, made it hard to argue.

It made sense.

Derrick’s mind turned. No losses. No risk. Extra credits. His team wouldn’t have to put their lives on the line. After a few seconds of mental deliberation, he finally nodded.

"...Deal. But I’ll have to convince my teammates."

"No problem," Leon said casually, hands in his pockets as they walked back.

Once inside the dispatch office again, Derrick pulled his squad aside and explained Leon’s proposal. Stephanie was skeptical. One of the other squadmates outright called it insane. But after five solid minutes of hushed conversation, logic wore down fear, and Derrick managed to convince them.

Leon had his first six strongholds secured.

"Eighteen more to go," Leon muttered under his breath, walking off like a man on a mission.

The next few hours were like a bizarre marketplace scene. One by one, Leon approached squad after squad, striking deals with cadets and combatants who were either desperate, lazy, or just fed up. Some laughed him off. Others scoffed, until they saw the eerie confidence in his eyes. Like he wasn’t bargaining, he was guaranteeing.

And just like that twelve more squads fell to Leon’s tongue and grin.

Thirty strongholds. In a single week.

****

Back outside the dispatch office, Adrian, Eden, and Eleanor had been watching.

For over an hour.

Watching Leon move from group to group like a suspicious salesman peddling something illegal.

And now, finally, he returned.

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

"What... was all that about?"

Leon tilted his head innocently.

"What?"

Adrian folded his arms.

"The reason you were moving from squad to squad like a sketchy merchant in an alley."

Leon smiled as if he’d just closed a stock deal.

"I was securing the thirty strongholds we’ll be clearing this week."

Eleanor’s eyes widened.

"Wait, how? I thought we could only handle six."

Leon’s grin was wide now.

"The process doesn’t matter. Only the results."

Then he turned around, waving his hand for them to follow.

"Alright, let’s move out. Thirty strongholds won’t clear themselves."

The three cadets stood frozen for a heartbeat, reality sinking in.

Adrian rubbed his temple.

"...We’re gonna die, aren’t we?"

Eden muttered under his breath,

"I knew I felt a dark premonition yesterday..."

And Eleanor? She just followed with a half-crazy laugh.

"Well, at least it won’t be boring."

And with that, the madness began.

****

Demon Territory — Outer Stronghold Perimeter

Outside the Federation’s Great Wall, deep within demon-infested territory, one of the designated D-rank strongholds burned faintly with the stench of death and sulfur. Within its cracked stone walls, a squad of three humans battled with ruthless efficiency, carving through the demonic filth like seasoned reapers.

Three figures moved in unison, each deadly in their own right.

"Brainless as usual," muttered the lean, dark-haired young man as his form melted into the shadows beneath him. In a blink, he reappeared behind two D-rank demons mid-lunge, his twin daggers flashing.

SLICE.

SLASH.

Two heads fell before their twisted bodies even realized they’d been struck.

"Snape, that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down," a booming voice warned.

The voice belonged to Harry, a towering man built like a fortress. His massive greatsword shimmered in the low light of the corrupted stronghold as he brought it down in a wide arc, cleaving through three demons at once. Their grotesque bodies split at the center, falling apart in a wet heap.

At the rear of the squad, a girl in silver-trimmed robes stood calmly, her long braid swaying as she aimed her staff.

"That’s right, Snape. You should listen to Harry," Natasha chimed in. A green light pulsed from her staff’s crystal as she whispered,

"Wind Vortex."

A cyclone of sharpened wind erupted in the midst of the final demon cluster. They screamed as invisible blades tore through them, shredding their limbs and ending their miserable lives in a heartbeat.

She lowered her staff with a satisfied sigh. "Honestly, if you lost to creatures this weak, you’d never live down the shame."

Harry, resting his greatsword on his broad shoulder, gave her a sideways glance.

"Natasha, you don’t have to encourage him."

"What did I do?" Natasha said defensively, hands raised with a mock-innocent expression.

Meanwhile, Snape was already laughing at the back, crouched by a demon corpse as he casually cleaned his dagger.

"Oh, come on, Harry. She’s got a point."

Harry sighed deeply. It wasn’t that his squad lacked skill, quite the opposite, but they definitely lacked peace and quiet.

"Let’s just move to the epicenter," he muttered, dragging his blade along the ground with a dull scrape.

"We destroy the stronghold, and we’re done here."

"Fine, fine." Natasha twirled her staff once and followed.

Snape gave one last glance toward the carnage, then melted into the shadows with a smirk.

"After you, fearless leader."

And with that, the trio descended deeper into the demon stronghold, toward the heart of corruption, where something far more dangerous than fodder demons awaited.

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