The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 18 - Survival (II)

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Due to the small body of the fox, it was able to manipulate itself in a way that eclipsed Apollo's Agility. Even Azridan offered his input on the matter.

[This agility of this beast is at least 3.2; instead of chasing, stay rooted and instead let it approach you. One of its shortcomings seems to be its nature isn't that of a typical fox. It's too confrontational.]

"Okay, I understand," Apollo nodded, spreading his feet into a horse stance with an extremely focused gaze. This time, the events played out differently. With precise directions and astonishing timing, Azridan guided Apollo and informed him when to react.

As the fox dashed toward him, Apollo dodged under Azridan's orders. After a successful dodge, he followed up with an attack of his own.

Apollo gripped the ankle of the fox's hind legs and slammed it into the ground. But, he didn't stop there. He had no thoughts of letting it go just yet. Next, he kicked it into the air causing a small yelp.

«You have dealt 5 damage.»

«You have dealt 5 damage.»

'Is my damage equal to my Zuls? If the monsters in this place are agility types then I need to close the gap. Increase Agility by 4 points,' Apollo thought while glancing at the disappearing notifications.

«Agility: 2.0 ? 2.4.»

The fox reacted, biting Apollo's wrist. A small damage indicator appeared before his eyes whereas a sharp pain shot through his arm. For a moment, his grip on the fox's ankle loosened, allowing it to escape.

«7 damage received.»

Unable to contain the displeasure with the prior clash, the red fox beast pounced once again. Only, this time, Apollo responded by ramming his shoulder into its torso. While its body smashed against the floor, he climbed atop and pinned it to the ground. Picking up a decent-sized rock, he was instantly reminded of being buried under the stones.

That instance of trauma caused him to snap for a moment, entering a mindless rage, "A-agghh!"

'Bam!' 'Bam!' 'Bam!'

In a fit of rage, he began smashing the fox's head repeatedly. When he stopped it was already long gone, departed from this world.

[I see, there is a fire inside you, young lad. In that case, you should attune well with what I am to teach you. Harness it properly and you will see your growth becoming unhindered.]

However, Apollo didn't respond. His hands trembled as he dropped the rock, staring at them in slight horror. He lost himself momentarily and didn't realize he had blanked out. This new experience was one that took him by storm, there was blood on his hands and it wasn't his.

«You have killed a Rank 0 Mortal Beast - Red Fox. You have been rewarded 20 (10 + 10) Experience.»

«Experience: 490/500.»

[Don't fret lad, you will get used to it.]

"O-okay," Apollo answered as he gazed remained glued to his hands. There was a recurring urge to regurgitate as he looked at them then at the mangled mess on the floor. Not to mention,  the metallic smell of blood didn't help the issue either.

It took quite a while, but Apollo eventually regained his wits. He recounted the situation while examining his surroundings. 'Killing...is a hard thing to do. How does one get used to this? But, if I want to be strong, it's something I'll have to get used to. From what I've learned, this world isn't for the fainthearted.'

It wasn't long before once again, Apollo found himself embroiled in combat with another Rank 0 Mortal Beast. This was his first day, and combat wasn't something he was entirely familiar with. Hence, the time spent in combat with a single beast was longer than it should've been. Not to mention, he accrued many small injuries along the way.

Luckily, the pendant hanging around his neck released an aura that continuously healed him. As he let the pendant assist his healing, the sky began darkening. Shortly after, his stomach started to growl due to the excess movement yet lack of food.

[If you are going to survive, then you'll need to learn survival skills. Pick any one of the 12 monsters you have slain today. I will walk you through the process of handling them.]

It went without saying, Apollo immediately picked the largest one. Then he realized a dilemma prohibiting him at the moment, "How am I going to handle this if I have no knife or utensils?"

"How am I going to cut it if I have no knife?"

[Good question. I will help you.]

A small portal opened, dropping a seemingly black object. However, when it landed it pierced the ground cleanly. Its shape possessed a natural curve while the handle was only large enough to situate 4 fingers. Tapping his finger against the tip, Apollo winced.

"What a sharp knife!"

Item Name: Dark Cutter

Tier: Rank 2 Demon Artifact

Effect: While this weapon may be used for battle, it is a basic item from the Nihilistic Rings. Hence, it possesses no attack value or essence effect. It can deal with the process of skinning, filleting, and other survival needs.

Information: An extremely sharp knife forged from Obsidian Demon Stone. It is capable of cutting through all Rank 2 and below Spirit Beast skin and bones. In some instances, depending on the beast type, it may be able to handle Rank 3.

[Begin by skinning the animal. Once skinned, you will need to separate the flesh from the joints and the joints from the bone. Oh! Make sure to pay close attention to the heart.]

Inside a beast, before becoming Spirit Beast, all of their gathered essence coagulated in their hearts. But after death, it quickly faded. Hence, why it was better to eat the more rewarding Spirit Beast meat. They held essence more efficiently when compared to a Mortal Beast.

From Apollo's movements, there was an utter lack of skill. But yet and still, he was able to harvest the heart and meat to a suitable standard for his first try; courtesy of his high intelligence and decent Agility. Creating fire with sticks and rocks, he began roasting it as per Azridan's instruction.

A flavorful meaty smell filled the atmosphere, however, the smell was masked by the stench of blood. In a few moments, once the meat was well prepared, he began devouring his meal. Compared to before in the Dining Hall, the experience rewarded was small. Nevertheless, the quantity was much larger, so that made up for the quality.

After eating, his belly was satisfied as he stretched. Then, a tinge of drowsiness began overtaking him.

«System Alert! 100g of Rank 0 Mortal Beast flesh has been ingested.»

«10 (5 + 5) Experience has been received.»

[Rule 1 of survival, when in the wild, always remain vigilant. Even when it is time to rest, train yourself to react at a moment's notice. Understand? You are in the presence of many other foes. There isn't the luxury of being careless.]

"Yes, I understand," Apollo answered. A slight wave of drowsiness entered his mind.

[Good, you may rest. But I'll be locking your conscience in a semi-active state.]

In little to no time at all, Apollo drifted to sleep. Constantly draining his stamina left both his body and mind exhausted. The whistling of the wind sounded as a light chill pervaded the atmosphere.

[Hmm..? This forest isn't as normal as it seems. I guess there is a high-level entity residing here.]

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At the same time, in the Kaiser Family estate, someone approached Apollo's living quarters in such of him. Only, he wouldn't find what he was expecting.