The Dark Extra: Awakening of SSS-Skill Demon Emperor Legacy
Chapter 121: Hidden Hatred

Chapter 121: Hidden Hatred

Jonathan seemed indifferent toward Silva, even though he still remembered she was once his college friend. But his overwhelming strength made him come off as arrogant and cold.

He only spoke when needed, responded when it was worth it, and stayed silent when dealing with people he didn’t consider important.

"Let’s return."

Jonathan flew off powerfully with his ability, followed by the other Celestial Vanguard members, including Silva.

Since every team member had already reached stage five, they were given the chance to train in gravity manipulation.

Thanks to their impressive talent, they picked it up fast. Within just a few months, they were flying even better than birds.

The southern border was part of the Kingdom of Eraldorn. But ever since the Grand Empire gained full control over the four kingdoms, the Celestial Vanguard could move freely in and out of any kingdom’s territory.

The Celestial Vanguard team had become idols to many—not just in the Grand Empire but across all four great kingdoms. They were worshipped like heroes.

Six streaks of golden magic light stretched across the kingdom sky. People paused what they were doing and looked up, offering prayers as the Celestial Vanguard flew overhead.

Jonathan, as team leader, greeted them with a smile.

One thing Silva had learned about Joe after she joined the Lancer Hall: the guy lived for respect and praise.

Silva glanced sideways at Nolan and Quillen. They returned her look with meaningful stares. Whether they were confused, annoyed, or just plain disgusted by Joe’s attitude—it was hard to tell.

To outsiders, this team looked super tight-knit, like there was no room for hate or rivalry between them.

But they were dead wrong!

Quillen hated Jonathan. He’d nearly been killed by him just for doing something Joe didn’t like.

Nolan constantly got backhanded insults and mockery from Joe—because Joe thought archers were kinda useless in his team.

Silva didn’t hate or resent him. She was just disappointed in Jonathan for letting his mind get wiped and forgetting his best friend, Agares.

He could’ve easily claimed not to know Agares that well—it would’ve saved his mind from the brainwashing of the knight hall’s higher-ups.

The three of them didn’t want Jonathan as team leader, but they had no choice. Joe was already at stage 6 level 3, while the rest of them were still around stage 5.

The power gap was just too big—they couldn’t fight back.

"Stay focused and don’t get too caught up in their praise, Joe," Silva said.

Joe fell silent, shooting her a sharp look over his shoulder. He didn’t like being told things he didn’t want to hear. But since Silva was the second strongest in the team, he respected her... for that reason only.

Then, with a burst of speed, Jonathan suddenly shot forward, leaving Silva and the others startled.

Silva let out a breath, puzzled by Joe’s attitude.

"Let him go, Silva. Don’t ruin his mood," said Nolan, flying beside her.

"I know."

They kept flying, leaving Eraldorn and entering the Grand Empire’s territory—specifically, Solaris.

Jonathan went off on his own straight to the Imperial Palace, while the rest of the team returned to their homes.

Delvin and Nana went home together. Quillen, though, stayed beside Silva. He’d seen how Joe acted toward her just now, and he also knew how Silva had been treating Joe lately.

The two of them clearly shared the same feelings about that man.

"If you’ve got a moment, there’s something I want to talk to you about, Miss Silva," Quillen said.

"What is it, Quillen?"

"Not great to discuss it here. If you’re up for it, I’ll wait in Umbrelis."

"Umbrelis? Sounds interesting. It’s been a while since I last visited the City of the Moon," Silva replied.

"I’ll wait for you there."

Quillen vanished into a burst of purple light, leaving the front courtyard of the Imperial Palace.

Silva nodded to herself. She had a few things to wrap up before heading over.

What they didn’t realize was that Jonathan had been watching them from the palace window. Standing beside him was Princess Karina, his future bride, also observing Silva and Quillen.

"Her attitude changed after she met Agares."

"You think she’s been affected by that monster’s dark magic?" Karina asked.

"I don’t know. I’ll ask some of the mages who were with her in the dungeon. They must know something."

***

Dungeon – S Level

84th Floor

[DING! Congratulations, Agares! You’ve completed the Saber Knight Trial]

[Fourth Knight Saber Trial || Basic Saber Skill]

[+30000exp]

[EXP: 622500/650250] [+30000]

[Reward Item:]

[100x Gold Coins]

[25x Low HP Potions]

[25x Low Mana Potions]

[1x Fragment Lumen Astra]

[1x Luminous Sky Sword (High/Rare Quality)]

Agares smiled. He hadn’t expected there to be a basic skill trial that would force him to fight three knights at once.

He hadn’t just focused on attacking—he combined it with tight defense techniques. It was tough, but he managed to win thanks to all his dungeon experience.

Finishing the trial on the 84th floor meant he was now eligible to advance to floor 85. For him, it hadn’t taken that long—around five days to get there, after passing multiple Saber Knight trials.

The city dome vanished. Aoi entered and hopped back onto Agares’ shoulder. Through her eyes, she checked his condition.

Thankfully, there were no serious injuries—just a few scratches.

Another nice bonus from completing a Saber Knight trial on each floor was full HP and mana recovery.

His wounds regenerated, HP and Mana went back to max, and his body felt fresh and energized again.

Because of that, Agares didn’t need to use any HP or Mana potions to recover.

Still, he had no idea what would happen if he failed a floor trial. Maybe his injuries wouldn’t heal, and his life could be at risk.

"How’s your condition?" Aoi asked. Agares gave her a gentle smile.

"I’m fine. You don’t need to worry."

"Every time I complete a floor trial, my body heals on its own."

"That’s good to hear."

Once again, the city scene shifted back to normal. People started reappearing, and life in the city returned to normal.

There was no time to relax—Agares summoned black wings from his back and flew off with Aoi on his shoulder.

They soared away from the area and arrived at the island of the 85th floor.

Agares looked shocked. The scene on this floor was totally different.

It wasn’t a city. It wasn’t a forest either. It was a circular altar, kind of like those ancient teleportation altars.

On it, he clearly saw carved stones with writing etched into them.

"Advanced trial?" Agares asked, landing with Aoi still beside him.

"What does it mean?"