Ex-Rank Awakening: My Attacks Make Me Stronger-Chapter 94: EX . Harvest Corpses

The Demon Territory stretched endlessly beyond the Federation’s protective walls, an ever-shifting landscape of desolation, darkness, and danger. But it wasn’t just chaos without structure. Over decades of battles, deaths, and bloody expeditions, the Federation had classified the demon lands into zones, a crude but functional system based on proximity to the federal wall and demonic power density.

The deeper one ventured, the more terrifying the demons became.

There were two main reasons for this deadly phenomenon.

First, proximity to the wall invited destruction. Whenever a high-ranked demon approached the barrier, elite trial takers were dispatched without hesitation. S-rank and above demons rarely made it close enough to threaten the wall, and if they did, response was immediate, sometimes involving Black Vanguards, Silver Marshals, or in the rarest and most horrifying cases, the Supreme Warden himself: the Governor.

Second, and more mysteriously, the strongest demons simply chose to remain deeper inside their own territory. Why? The Federation still didn’t know. Countless information-gathering squads had been sent over the years, specialists in stealth, intel, and reconnaissance. But none of them returned.

Some speculated the demons had a city, or even a king. Others believed that the land itself, the corrupted soil, the blood-stained skies, held something sacred or strategic for demons of power. But nothing was ever confirmed.

And yet, none of that mattered to Leon Kael.

He wasn’t out here to uncover ancient mysteries or track down demon royalty.

He had a mission.

Thirty strongholds. One week.

And now, standing before a jagged stone ravine that led into a narrow chasm, Leon and his squad had arrived at their first target, Stronghold 01-D, a mid-sized D-rank stronghold nestled against the base of a charred hill.

From the outside, it looked like a small fortress grown from the earth itself, made from dark red stone and pulsating with demonic energy. Barbed stakes lined the upper ridge, and twisted black banners fluttered weakly in the foul wind. The very air here felt heavier, as if the land itself was groaning beneath the weight of corruption.

Leon brought his Raider Bike to a stop, the tires crunching on gravel.

His squad pulled up beside him, Adrian dismounted first, scanning the area, while Eden let out a small gulp and Eleanor checked the sharpness of her blade. The atmosphere was tense, charged with the kind of stillness that always came before a fight.

Leon looked ahead at the Stronghold. His blue eyes glinted with anticipation.

"Alright,"

"This is the first one. Don’t hold back, but don’t die either."

He turned to his squad with a slight grin.

"Let’s clean this place out."

****

Deep within the red-stone corridors of the stronghold, past broken pillars and foul-smelling torches burning with green flames, two E-rank demons stood watch near a crumbling hallway. Their grotesque bodies, twisted humanoid forms with blackened skin, horned skulls, and jagged claws, rested lazily against the walls. Their tails flicked back and forth like bored serpents.

One of them let out a low growl.

"Tch. I don’t understand why we’re stationed here like pets. We should be out there, tearing through those insects cowering behind their pretty little wall."

The second demon, slightly larger with glowing red cracks running across its arms, grunted in agreement.

"Hmph. The Lords must be playing with their food. All this waiting... when we could annihilate them in a single charge."

The two demons laughed, their voices screeching and harsh.

"KREEEEH-HRA-HA-HA-HA!"

The sound scraped across the stone walls like fingernails raking down a chalkboard.

But then, a cold voice broke the Grating laughter.

"What’s so funny?"

The laughter died instantly.

Every ounce of demonic blood in their bodies froze as they jerked their heads toward the voice.

A human stood at the end of the hallway, bathed in the dim green torchlight.

Young.

Barely nineteen. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

White hair pulled back, blue eyes calm with no fear or hesitation.

Just... curiosity.

The demons blinked, stunned, then scoffed as they lowered their claws, assuming the tension was misplaced.

"Pfft. Just a human brat," one sneered, stepping forward.

"How did you even get in here? Are the guards asleep?"

The other grumbled, already turning away.

"Tch. Useless grunts. I’ll report this to the commander. Letting a runt like you wander in,"

But the human didn’t answer.

He just smiled, as he reached into his inventory and pulled out a blade.

A beautiful weapon, forged in silver and wrapped in flowing arcs of blue light.

The moment one of the demons opened its mouth to laugh again, the world seemed to tilt.

As everything spun.

Then,

THUD.

Its severed head hit the stone floor, eyes wide, mouth still twisted in amusement.

The other demon didn’t have time to scream.

It only saw the flicker of movement.

Then,

SHINK.

A clean, perfect slice.

The second head rolled across the hallway, its final expression frozen in fear, staring at its fallen comrade.

And just like that...

Leon sheathed his sword, expression unbothered, boots splashing through the black blood that soaked the floor.

He continued his march deeper into the stronghold, the silence behind him broken only by the soft drip of demon blood and the quiet hum of power radiating from his blade.

"Two more down," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "A couple more to go."

****

As Leon delved deeper into the demon stronghold, his footsteps fading into the eerie silence of bloodstained corridors, Adrian, Eden, and Eleanor were left behind, knee-deep in a growing heap of mutilated corpses.

The stench of demon blood clung to the air like a wet shroud, thick and pungent, as Eden grunted while yanking a dagger out of a demon’s chest.

He wiped the sweat from his brow with a bloodied sleeve and glared down the corridor where Leon had vanished moments ago.

"Seriously... how will he just leave us like that?"

Neither Adrian nor Eleanor answered.

Earlier, when they first stepped into the stronghold, nerves braced for combat, they expected to be assaulted by waves of demons. And it almost happened, twelve F-rank demonic guards had charged toward them from the darkness.

But before they could even draw their weapons, Leon simply closed his eyes, standing calmly as if meditating.

Then came the words:

"There’s no major threat here."

And in the next instant, he was gone, vanishing in a blur of raw speed.

The F-rank demons never even screamed.

As their heads fell clean off, blood spraying like arcs of paint across the ancient walls.

But Leon didn’t slow down.

He left them behind like a whirlwind that carved death in his wake.

And now... the rest of the squad could only do what was left:

Harvest the corpses.

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