The Dark Extra: Awakening of SSS-Skill Demon Emperor Legacy-Chapter 73: Clash in Hallway

Leon and Agares looked in the same direction. They were ready to end this fight and save everyone from the Lich Mage’s threat.

"Activate Skill!"

"Saber Skill: Shadow Cleave!"

[Saber Skill: Shadow Cleave Activated]

[-150 Mana]

[Mana: 5000/6950] [-150]

Agares’s eyes lit up with a bright violet glow, accompanied by a surge of dark energy flowing into his blade.

With both vertical and horizontal sword swings, Agares launched a powerful slash forward and upward, aimed straight at the weakened lich mage.

Leon followed suit. He activated his own skill and launched it toward the same target, from the same direction as Agares.

"You won’t defeat me!" the lich mage declared.

He conjured a magical barrier in front of him, a basic defense formed from the last remnants of his dark energy.

The clash of all three attacks shook the space—cracks spread across the surface of the magical barrier.

The cracks deepened, widened, and finally shattered completely.

The lich mage’s eyes widened in horror as he realized his end was near.

BLAST!

A violent explosion erupted from the collision of their dual skills. Agares and Leon jumped backward, putting as much distance between themselves and the explosion as possible.

[+550 dmg]

[Weakened for 10 seconds]

[Reduce ATK by 30% every 12 seconds]

[Reduce 10 HP/sec for 7s]

"That should kill him."

Although Agares dealt the majority of the damage, it was Leon who landed the final blow.

The Lich Mage collapsed, his body soaked in black blood. Anna jumped slightly in excitement—the monster was finally dead.

"It’s finally over."

[DING! Congratulations, Agares! You have slain a monster]

[Name: Mystic Ruinbound]

[Type: Lich Mage]

[Level: 7]

[+1500 EXP]

[EXP: 333500/420250] [+1500]

Agares didn’t bother with the dropped items since he didn’t land the final hit. However, Leon gladly offered to share the loot.

"Please, Sir. Take whatever item you’d like," Leon said.

Agares turned toward the items—it was a similar set to the previous drop.

Not wanting to take advantage of the victory, Agares chose only the gold coins.

"Gold coins? But they’re useless in dungeons."

"This was your fight. You brought the enemy to this point. I’ll just take something less valuable," Agares replied.

[Item:]

[10x Gold Coins]

"Thank you, Sir."

Agares nodded slightly in response. He sheathed his sword, and a debuff panel appeared—but it didn’t affect him much.

[Shadepiercer Sword]

[Debuff: Reduce 50 HP after use]

[-50 HP]

"Hey—are you okay?"

"Don’t worry about it."

They walked toward where the rest of the party lay faint. Anna explained that she wasn’t sure when they’d recover—it might take longer than expected.

Leon stayed silent, deciding to move them to the hallway. It was safer there than in the boss room.

He was worried that if they stayed too long, the room would reset and they’d be forced to fight the mini-boss again—a troublesome outcome.

Just as Agares was about to leave, Aoi sniffed the air and called out to him, urging him to look in the same direction.

"I smell something over there, Agares."

Agares narrowed his eyes and turned to see an open hallway door—not the one leading to the floor boss, but one that led to a hidden room.

"Could this be a treasure room?"

While Leon and Anna were busy moving their party members, Agares approached the open hallway. Leon hadn’t noticed.

Inside, Agares found two chests: one gray, one blue. He immediately recognized their types.

Gray chests typically contained common loot—potions and forge fragments. But blue chests contained uncommon to rare-grade loot.

He opened the gray chest first and checked the contents. He received five different items, all of common quality.

[Items:]

[5x HP Potion]

[5x Mana Potion]

[10x Black Claw Fragment]

[10x Ash Fallen Dust]

[10x Black Mask Shard]

Agares obtained two equipment fragments, an enhancement dust, and two kinds of potions. A fair reward for a hidden room.

"Claw?" Aoi asked. Agares nodded.

"We’ll find a blacksmith in town and make you your own claw weapon," he replied.

Aoi smiled and bounced excitedly. She couldn’t wait to have her own weapon.

Agares then turned his attention to the blue chest—the one likely containing high-tier or rare loot.

He opened it and revealed five new items, each radiating with its own aura—each clearly bound to a specific affinity.

[Items:]

[1x Shadow Reality Mantle]

[1x Void Grand Core]

[1x Obsidian Shade Core]

[1x Collar of Whispering Remnant]

[1x Dark Ash Sword]

’Is this because the monster earlier had a darkness affinity, so all the rare items matched it?’

’No... even before, when the enemy wasn’t dark-affinity, the result was the same.’

’Maybe the chest adapts to the affinity of the one who opens it?’

"What’s that?" Aoi asked.

Agares shook his head. He wasn’t sure yet what the rare items could do.

He decided to inspect them later once he returned to the earlier intersection.

After opening both chests, they faded and vanished. Agares stepped out of the hallway and walked back into the ruined city’s main path. Ahead, Leon and his party were gone.

They had returned to the previous hallway. Agares followed to resume his challenge against the floor boss.

"So it really was you," Leon said, spotting Agares emerging from the mini-boss room.

Agares froze in place. It wasn’t just Leon’s party—another adventurer party was there too. They all stared at him with intense, intimidating gazes.

He saw Cassandra, Nathan, and Bernard had recovered, though still weak. Agares looked back at Leon and the others.

"You’re Agares, the monster saber," Leon stated.

Agares’s brow furrowed, his sharp eyes fixed on Leon.

’How does he know my name?’

’Was it the newly arrived adventurers who told him?’

There was no point in guessing. What mattered was getting away from them. Agares couldn’t escape to be exposed as a fugitive from the Grand Empire.

"He’s a wicked monster! He destroyed an entire village, murdered everyone, and raped countless women! He’s a monster!" yelled a man from the new party.

"Such disgraceful crimes. Pretending to be a hero when you’re nothing but a savage!"

"That’s not true!" Aoi snapped back, defending Agares.

"Caer Vireth and the Grand Empire have brainwashed you all! You who know nothing of the truth—don’t deserve to judge me!" Agares replied firmly.

"Enough talk. Let’s kill him and take his head. We’ll earn a fortune in gold coins!"

"Kill him!"

"He’s alone. We have numbers. We can win."

Leon remained silent... then pointed his spear at Agares.

Agares gripped his sword tightly, ready to face them all.

"Have you met Erika?" Agares asked, startling Leon.

"Erika? How do you know about her?"

"I saved her... when she foolishly tried to explore an S-level dungeon far beyond her ability."

"What? What actually happened?" Leon asked.

"Ask them if they know."

Leon turned to the others and asked. Though reluctant, they confessed under pressure from Leon’s raised spear.

"Yes. Agares saved Erika. But that doesn’t erase his crimes."

"What the—"

"I might be a villain in your eyes, but it’s all lies."

"But if you want my head—then come and take it. I have no problem killing all of you."

"After all... no one will be left alive to tell the story."

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